shaker, meet stranger

[mrglam]

Sadde is home; it's a Friday evening, his shift is over, and there's no school. He's reading a book, lying on his bed in his small-but-tidy apartment.

He is also quite naked, because it's his place and why not?

Comments

[first_and_final]

"Depends on the person, or it seems to."

[msglam]

"And you just... get wings? Like, they appear? What do they look like?"

[first_and_final]

"Different for different people. Some have feathers, some are more like a," his hands sketch a shape in the air, "bat's."

[msglam]

"That's an interesting feature of your world," she comments. "So how does that relate to what we were talking about?"

[first_and_final]

"It's much, much easier to get around the planet if you have wings."

[msglam]

"Oh, that's fair. So, you're like, half Ceirene, a quarter tail Aluvai, a quarter ear Aluvai?"

[first_and_final]

He laughs. "Jungle-dweller and surface-dweller, please. And it's not the ears, everyone has the ears, it's the eyes. The inner surface of the planet is very dark. The jungle gets more light because the sun shines in from the edge."

[msglam]

"Right! Sorry. That's what I meant. Got the face parts confused." She tilts her head, looking at him. "You know, if someone had asked me this a few weeks ago I would probably not have thought 'long ears, claws, tail, and slit-pupiled eyes' would be particularly attractive, and yet here we are."

[first_and_final]

"Well. I can't complain."

[msglam]

"That I find you attractive?"

[first_and_final]

"It would be disheartening if we went to all this trouble only for you to say 'get away from me, beast-man'."

[msglam]

"If I ever call you anything like that the connotation will be quite different."

[first_and_final]

"Hmmm?"

[msglam]

"This might be something that does not translate well, and I am being utterly shameless. 'Beast' need not have a negative meaning."

[first_and_final]

"Maybe you need to explain more clearly what you mean."

[msglam]

"Mm, 'beast' can mean something like raw and rough and wild and untamed, and these are not always undesirable characteristics."

[first_and_final]

"I see what you mean, I think." (He's blushing slightly. He probably sees what she means.)

[msglam]

She does not blush. Blushing is not a thing she can do. "Yes, you probably do."

[first_and_final]

He laughs.

[msglam]

"You look cute when you blush, too."

[first_and_final]

"Thank you."

[msglam]

"I feel like I may be bothering you with the questions. What do you want to talk about?"

[first_and_final]

"You're not bothering me at all," he assures her. "But if you want to talk about yourself, that's good too."

[msglam]

"That's a bit broad," she laughs. "Um, I have a weird name for human standards, I'm seventeen, I have powers but am not a cape - thank you for not telling people about that, by the way."

[first_and_final]

"Would it be too personal if I asked you why you aren't?"