Chapter 3 #4
Like most of the domini, they preferred sheer clothing.
Their belts were just wide enough to hide the goods downstairs, but they displayed their breasts without shame underneath the layers of beautiful, sparkling, but completely see-through, dresses draped artfully over their stunning, fit bodies.
One was taller, but the other had a slightly longer tail.
Both had hair to their waist, perfectly straight, because the domini didn't have curly hair in their species.
Their faces were painted with camouflage safe paint – meaning their skin wouldn't change to the paint's color – in a band across their three eyes instead of neatly on their eyelids like Holly was used to.
More like war paint than anything, but she was pretty sure that was intentional.
Holly was very well aware that she was being mocked, but she continued to stare back at the domini females until a look of annoyance crossed the tallest one's face.
She took Holly's stare as an invite to come closer.
“Hello, humans,” she greeted in a cloyingly sweet voice that finally got Hattie's attention. She turned from the candy seller with a box of sugar flowers in hand.
“Hello,” Hattie returned brightly because she was a sweet cinnamon roll who couldn't read the obvious disdain on the female's face. “Nice to meet you. I'm Hattie. This is Holly.”
“Honored Vora Vakara,” she greeted in a way that almost sounded nice. “I'm Sixth Scholar Valorii. This is my friend Brava. We just got into Calvitorum yesterday. I must say, we are just so excited to finally meet you humans in person.”
Sixth Scholar. Then, she was here to serve Romival.
He was the First Scholar, which meant he was in charge of education and research of the entire planet, serving Atem directly as part of his council.
But he also had his own mini-counsel comprised of the Second through Sixth Scholars that were each leaders of education of the five regions of Turv – the equivalent of countries if Holly understood it right.
That meant Valorii was also an uber nerd. And she was hot by domini standards. And human standards too, if Holly was honest. The muscles were only adding to the appeal. Really, it was just the sneer hidden in her smile and the mockery in her eyes that ruined her good looks.
Not that Hattie seemed to notice as she waved at them both. “It's great to meet you!”
Valorii chuckled. Holly's fist tightened as she recognized, hidden in the sound, the amused disbelief that Hattie was oblivious to her barely hidden mockery.
The small action didn't go unnoticed and both females broke into laughter at the very idea that Holly might become violent.
Holly was only too well aware that, compared to domini, humans were ridiculously soft and weak.
It went beyond even just the lack of claws or fangs.
Human skin was quite literally softer and thinner than domini skin.
Like comparing sturdy leather to airy lace.
Hattie, unsure what joke she missed, and unable to see Holly's fist, just looked between the three of them, a confused smile on her face.
“Come on,” Holly said, pulling on her arm. “We should get back.”
“Valorii, did you find the datapad shop?”
Before she could make an escape, to Holly's dismay, another beautiful domini female appeared. This one was wearing a more casual dress, her hair back in a simple tail. She was tucking something away in her hip pouch as she approached.
“Ryna!” Valorii greeted, real warmth entering her face as she looked away from Holly. “Look. I found the humans. They're even smaller than on the holovids.”
Ryna blinked and looked at them like she had just noticed they were there. Holly found herself stepping in front of Hattie. Wanting desperately to shield her sweet friend from any further derision.
“Fascinating,” Ryna said, though her tone didn't sound fascinated at all. “Valorii, I don't have time for this. Did you find the datapad shop or not?”
“Vas. We got what we need,” Valorii smirked at the humans again. “I just thought I'd see what all the fuss was about. I just can't imagine why our Dominani is so fascinated with these things.”
“Er, we can understand you,” Hattie said, sounding more confused than insulted. As though there was a chance these females didn't know they had gotten the neural imprint of their language long ago.
Valorii and Brava laughed together like Hattie had said something stupid.
Holly felt her face burning bright from the embarrassment.
She was only grateful that the lights were currently cycling through pink and red so it wouldn't be visible.
She didn't want to hear about how stupid the human camouflage reflex was as well.
“I really don't care,” Ryna sighed, and Holly wasn't sure who she was responding to. “I have to study, Valorii. I told you that. If you got the new datapad, let's go.”
“Sure, Ryna,” Valorii chirped brightly, turning to follow her. “The humans aren't worth more than a passing interest anyway.”
Hattie stiffened at that parting insult, frowning as she stepped out from behind Holly. “Wait... They were making fun of us, weren't they?”
Holly gave her a smile, taking the box from her hands. “Don't worry about it. What flavor did you finally decide on for Alanna?”
Hattie looked after the trio for only a moment before focusing back on Holly. She smiled, all traces of discomfort gone.
“You remember that little blue fruit they serve with blood drinks around here? Kind of looks a little like an orange?”
“The one that keeps the blood from congealing?”
“Yeah. Apparently, it's really good on its own. I got her one of those. I figured she'd be adventurous enough to try it first and tell the rest of us how it tastes.”
Holly chuckled, agreeing with the decision. She was sure that the blue fruit didn't taste like blood, but the fact that she only associated it with blood made her reluctant to taste it. She already had trouble trying new things at the best of times, adding the blood angle didn’t help.
Steering the conversation firmly away from the mean girls – couldn't escape their kind even on a completely different planet – Holly and Hattie made their way back through the market.
A few more shops caught Hattie's attention and she left one of them with a new hip pouch before they got back to the hover.
They finished the trip without further incident.
Holly tried not to think about it, but that derisive expressions on those female’s faces as they looked down on Holly, like she was something stuck to the bottom of their boots, was hard to get out of her head.
Everyone on this planet was so brave and strong, it just made her think more and more how calling herself a warrior was an absolute joke.