Page 101 of Culture and Curiosities
“No. I walked onto an alien planet, asshole, of course I’m not remembering anything.” It seemed our worrier had a predator in him as well.
“What the fuck?” That unexpected curse came from the most unlikely place…an older woman from Canada who had come through with her mate. “They’re fucking Elves.”
Someone needed to explain that her language was not appropriate for submissive people of Earth.
“For fuck’s sake.” The frustrated Montana man rolled his eyes. “Of course they’re Elves.”
Elves?
My only frame of reference was a movie with glowing people but the image was not correct. We did not glow and were not ancient beings who did not age. We were also not that tall.
“My mate?” I made the Earth expression of being confused so they could follow.
“Um, it’s the ears and something about their facial features.” Wren was able to explain the specifics which had the people of Earth nodding. “It’s not as obvious as the movie reference.”
Interesting.
“Our ears and imitating the softer features that appear on Earth were the only things we needed to change.” I thought it was fairly subtle differences, but the people of Earth didn’t seem to think so.
“Why didn’t we think to ask about how they looked?” Hugh, the frustrated Team Boring member from Montana, glared at everyone in their group like someone was at fault.
“We were a bit focused on going through the portal.” Beatrice, the older woman who always giggled and said to call her Betty, didn’t curse that time but her mate rolled his eyes again. Her thoughts must’ve been more interesting than she saidout loud. “And all the mates popping up and how difficult those meetings were and our history.”
When she’d made her point, she smiled sweetly like Hugh wasn’t trying to decide if strangling her would cause what they kept calling an interstellar incident.
The fact that they expected their behavior to be questionable was concerning.
“My apologies.” Hugh seemed to realize he’d been too difficult because his behavior modified and he no longer looked ready to strike out. “You’re right. This has been interesting.”
“That’s one word for it.”
Wren’s thoughts made me realize we had not discussed my looks.
His giggle said he wasn’t worried.
“We’re mates. That didn’t matter but I figured worst-case scenario we could just have you pretend to look human when it really mattered.”
Ancestors above.
“I do not have tentacles. Stop that.”
I was attractive and not…that.
His mental giggles and mischievous expression had many of the other Earth people smiling or shaking their heads, but it seemed to be what prompted the others of my planet to come closer.
“What are they doing?”
The confusion over what Professor Zorin was saying had the people of Earth going very still and completely silent again.
We were going to have to give him English first because he was going to have lots of questions. For the time being, I shifted my focus to him and did my best to mentally shift back to what Wren called my native language.
“I will need a more detailed question. They are doing a lot.”
Yes, part of my response was what Wren called sarcasm, but it had been a ridiculously vague question. The diner men would’ve been more specific.
Wren was following along through our bond, and did an admirable job of keeping his delight to himself. His expression was pleasant but mostly blank as well which seemed to put Professor Zorin more at ease.
“Yes.”
