Chapter 8
Agent Murphy
What. The. Fuck.
How had our resident Nervous Nelly ended up involved with Professor Zorin’s shenanigans?
Shiloh was the last person I’d expected to see as we’d been ushered into what was basically Zorin’s living room. I managed to keep a fairly neutral expression based on how calm Shiloh stayed, but he made it hard to take in the rest of the simple room.
Shiloh?
“Let me introduce you to the others who are having dinner with us this evening.” The strange professor played it off like there was nothing weird about the situation at all as he greeted us at the front of what I thought of as his apartment.
“The human Shiloh that came through the portal with you. The local Raxius who is a dragon.”
Glancing around between us, the professor gave the impression he was having emotions but his expression was too blank for me to be able to guess what he was feeling or thinking. “I have been told you appreciate that information even if it is not necessary.”
Oh.
“Humans in general don’t seem to be able to automatically sense that in your people, so thank you for clarifying it.
” I really should’ve taken more time to think about what would be rude or not with them.
“The people of Earth classify ourselves in a variety of ways, so it seems to be almost an instinct with us to search for how to classify others that we meet.”
We did it way too often for it to be something random.
If I had to guess, the professor would’ve frowned if he’d been from Earth. “As you would say, right off the bat I know we classify based on dragon or mage, and mated or unmated.”
Something about his expression looked more serious as he shifted his gaze to my very quiet Klynn. “Can you think of other ways we classify ourselves?”
Was it a serious question or one he was using to include Klynn in the conversation?
Had he really not noticed how his people classified themselves?
“We further classify dragons into our…regional history. There is a more specific English word for that. Ice. Water.” Klynn glanced between me and Shiloh, including him because my…well, my Klynn was polite. “Shiloh, I’m sure you have a better vocabulary for this conversation.”
He just blinked.
A lot.
After a few seconds, he nodded slowly. “Yes, but you did a very good job of explaining it. Do…do you classify yourselves in terms of sexuality?”
Based on his wide eyes, I had to assume he hadn’t meant to ask that.
But before he could get an apology out, because we all knew that was what was coming next, Klynn charged right in to answer.
“No. Not in the way people of Earth do. It is generally explained here as knowing your mate will be male or female.”
That was interesting.
“Oh.” The nervous young man’s eyes darted between the two confusing locals and seemed to have figured something out. “That makes sense.”
They’d obviously been going in circles about something, but Klynn seemed pleased to help. “The English words for describing sexual desire may not translate completely. The people of Earth, especially humans, break it down into many more classifications than we currently use.”
Shiloh went back to blinking but after a few seconds he snapped out of it. “Do they just not exist here or you’ve never thought up words for them? On Earth anything beyond gay, straight, or bi seems to be mostly a human thing, but I wasn’t sure if that was because of the mate bond or cultural.”
It seemed like he had a curious mind under his shy panic.
“That is an interesting question.” Klynn shifted his stance which somehow signaled to Zorin that he needed to invite us to sit. As the professor waved a hand toward two of the low-backed couches they seemed to prefer, I realized the gesture might’ve been for Shiloh and me.
Had there been another indication that we should’ve moved deeper into the professor’s home?
As we settled in the nearly blank living room, Klynn and I on one couch and the three men spread out as far as they could on the other, Klynn stayed focused on the question Shiloh had asked.
“I think it’s a combination of both, but I believe the mate bond is a larger influence.
That is our primary focus and not exploring who we are in a larger sense. ”
“The type of dragon you are and what type of magic a mage uses best seem to be something your people are more focused on.” They definitely used it to judge each other and organize themselves socially, but I was too new to their culture to see the nuances.
Just reading about it in a government brief didn’t give nearly enough context to their interesting behavior.
The professor seemed fascinated when Klynn nodded to give me clues about what he was thinking. “You do that?”
I was pretty sure he meant the nod or just responding physically, but something about the question got Klynn’s hackles up. “That is not a clear question.”
I was having to work at keeping a straight face but Shiloh was struggling harder, and the still-silent Raxius was confused if I had to guess.
Our nosy professor went still before relaxing back in the seat and letting out what for them was a dramatic sigh. “I require information.”
And he wasn’t above using manipulation to get it.
Oh.
Raxius twitched.
Did he find it funny? Frustrating?
Shiloh had clamped his lips together and was sitting completely still, so I knew he was doing his best not to react…and probably laugh.
“I am not the right person to practice human manipulation tactics on.” Klynn’s gaze darted to the other two men beside the professor, but he didn’t call anyone out. “I attempt to respond in visual ways so that Agent Murphy understands my thoughts quickly.”
He was adorable even though he was somehow making the words sound like he was sneering them out while being damned near robot-level neutral.
Did they have ways of emoting that we couldn’t see or hear?
Was it magic of some sort?
“It does allow for interesting additional ways of communicating.” Zorin seemed to be up for learning anything that would let him have his way faster. “More study will need to be done.”
Was he volunteering for that or just putting the idea out there?
It was like deciphering a completely new language even though they were technically speaking English.
“Until that time, clearer questions are necessary. They do not have to be in English if you are not comfortable with that.” Klynn’s gaze shifted quickly to the still-silent man. “Has Raxius been given English?”
He’d been following as different people spoke, so that’d been my assumption, but I was glad Klynn had asked the question.
“Yes.” The professor’s simple response had me wondering if there was a story behind it but that might’ve been me being suspicious.
“Good.” Klynn focused on me that time before sweeping his gaze around at the different people.
“We are willing to answer a variety of questions but understand some might be deemed too personal. We will not be offended if we have to claim personal. However, we can use safewords, if that is something you would like to practice?”
Oh, jumping right in, were we?
Was he testing the waters or trying to figure out what was going on?
Both?
The professor was glancing around like his brain was going a thousand miles an hour, but Shilo was back to quietly blushing and the silent man seemed to be processing something.
After a few seconds, Professor Zorin realized he was still their spokesperson.
“We understand the concept of safewords but I think claiming personal will be sufficient in this situation.”
“That is good to know.” Klynn was definitely steering the show as he settled into the conversation. “It feels important to remind you that safewords should be used in any situations where clear communication is necessary.”
I couldn’t tell if he was focusing on Shiloh or Raxius, but he seemed to think one of them needed the reminder. “They are mandatory in any relationship where domination and submission are being used.”
Well, at least I knew I didn’t have to worry about that with him.
“What other points of that type of Earth-based relationship do you need help communicating?” Klynn jumped right into the heart of the matter, making me wonder if that was just how things were with them or if they did it when they were frustrated.
Meetings had felt similar, so I’d assumed it was just how they interacted, but I wasn’t so sure anymore.
Either way, I understood why he’d started there but I had one thing I wanted to double-check first. “Raxius? Have you consented to this conversation? Consent is important for discussions as well as actions, and it is for anyone no matter how they participate in those types of relationships.”
The Earthling understood what I was saying but the two from this side of the portal went still again. If they’d been from Earth they’d have cocked their heads like dogs, but for them, going still was probably giving the same vibe based on how Klynn seemed like he wanted to sigh.
“Consent is clearly explained in the language transfer and exists here. It is not confusing or surprising.” Klynn wasn’t impressed about their behavior. “Please explain your reaction.”
Zorin and Raxius both jerked and I thought were shocked at being called out for reacting. I was expecting Zorin to complain or try to manipulate us again, but I was wrong.
“There are a variety of types of relationships.” His tone was so neutral I couldn’t hear if it was technically a question or not, but I nodded. “Understanding those is…complicated.”
Well, that might’ve narrowed the problem down a bit.
Maybe.
“Yes.” Klynn was in his element dealing with his people and the BDSM variations he’d read about, so I let him take charge.
“The basic variations on the main dynamics are Dominants, submissives, and the people who are labeled as being a switch. They switch between being Dominant and submissive depending on the situation and their feelings.”
He was sexy when he went into dirty teacher mode.