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Bella didn't mean to take so long about eating her dinner. It's just that this book is really interesting. Supplemental history reading, recommended by the professor, by a different author than did their textbook, one who can really write, she'll have to find the rest of his work - and now she's one of six students left in the dining hall and it's closing. Four of them are a group of dwarves who she can only assume live in the dwarf housing; individual dwarves sometimes find their way into Harlowe and there is even one in Thatcher, but not a bunch of them. The other one's a mermaid.
Bella doesn't think the mermaid lives in Thatcher, which makes it Harlowe, but Thatcher's on the way to Harlowe from here.
She knows not to go swimming with her and this will have to do.
She goes up to the mermaid.
"Excuse me. I try not to walk around outside by myself. Are you heading towards Thatcher? Harlowe's right past it," she adds.
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subtly_artistic
Celo approaches.
"...Do you mind if I read you while I'm at it? It's still not a sex thing, but it's got enough in common that I can probably pick up useful stuff if I'm looking."
"...Do you mind if I read you while I'm at it? It's still not a sex thing, but it's got enough in common that I can probably pick up useful stuff if I'm looking."
"Like - nymphs can tell what people's bodies like, what feels good to them and what doesn't, just because sex is what we usually use that for doesn't mean it goes away the rest of the time."
"Sure," he say cheerfully.
So, neckrub!
subtly_artistic
Huzzah! Bella has had a day. There is some tension in her neck.
Celo can help her fix that!
Mm, neckrub. He likes doing nice things for her, and he likes physical contact, and he likes the feedback from his nymphly senses telling him in detail where and how he's helping. Pleasant warm snuggly feelings ensue.
Mm, neckrub. He likes doing nice things for her, and he likes physical contact, and he likes the feedback from his nymphly senses telling him in detail where and how he's helping. Pleasant warm snuggly feelings ensue.
It's true, he is! The nymph thing definitely helps.
subtly_artistic
Apparently!
Bella's life is not hassle-free, but nor is it a constant barrage of stressors. Eventually he's accomplished most of the ostensible purpose of the neckrub. Still feels nice, though, what with him being very careful to moderate the pressure to exactly what suits -
She sits up straight, abruptly.
"Stop."
Bella's life is not hassle-free, but nor is it a constant barrage of stressors. Eventually he's accomplished most of the ostensible purpose of the neckrub. Still feels nice, though, what with him being very careful to moderate the pressure to exactly what suits -
She sits up straight, abruptly.
"Stop."
"Huh? Oh," he says, letting his hands fall away.
subtly_artistic
"Thanks," Bella adds, rearranging her hair to fall over her neck again.
"Anytime," he says, grinning.
Celo decides to eat some pie.
subtly_artistic
The next day, Bella goes to lunch after Intro Perception - accompanied by a small group of classmates, who disperse when they get to the dining hall - and collects her food and sits at an empty table.
After a few minutes, Jala sits down next to her.
"Octopuses!" she says triumphantly. "Octopuses are people."
"Octopuses!" she says triumphantly. "Octopuses are people."
subtly_artistic
Bella pulls out her notebook and writes this down. "All of them or just some species?"
"All of them that I've heard of. I haven't personally met every single octopus in the oceans," she laughs.
subtly_artistic
"Okay." Write write write. "I'm probably going to have to get in touch with some sort of marine explorer type about this."
Jala shrugs.
subtly_artistic
"And it might make the most sense to save the entire thing until I've done enough subtle arts classes to be able to mindtalk without having to share a language, so I can have actual conversations with the people I'm 'discovering' instead of just noting that they exist."
"That might help!" she agrees, giggling.