Page 81 of Darkness

“I see. And how—”

“I’m not going to talk about the differences between human sex and traveler sex.” Not now, at any rate, when doing so might reveal more of Farren’s possibly inappropriate attraction. His heart couldn’t take talk of sex with Morrisey present. Like whenever someone at work went on a diet and complained about doughnuts left in the breakroom.

Morrisey held his hands in a defensive stance. “I was just gonna ask how you adjusted to sleeping horizontally.”

“Oh. I'm still adjusting to it, even after a decade.” Snuggling in covers was nice, but would be nicer with another warm body. Humans seemed to enjoy sleeping with another. So strange. Even stranger, they sometimes referred to sex as "sleeping together," whether or not actual sleeping was involved.

Morrisey muted the TV. Farren hadn’t even realized they hadn’t been paying attention to the movie. “Do you often miss your old home?” He gestured toward the hanging bed.

Farren swallowed down a world of hurt. “Yes.” He and Kele had worked hard to create their dwelling and had even begun enlarging it for possible spawn one day if they bonded. No. Farren slammed the door on memories too painful to relive. “But my life is here now.”

“Mind if I ask how your human body differs from your old one?”

Curiosity without ridicule. “You know, many people ask for a demonstration. Like a magic trick.”

Morrisey attempted to hide a blush by turning up his beer bottle. He swallowed, regarding Farren with a thoughtful expression. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

Morrisey? Not meaning to be rude? Or even more shocking, blushing? Farren exhaled deeply. “Sorry. I’m afraid I’m sensitive.”

“Some travelers look like animals,” Morrisey said, “while some appear like one face over another. Paramedics and nurses appear blue. Arianna looks fairly human, but with eyes like a goat. I was just curious about how you really looked.”

Oh. Those odd impressions of Morrisey’s. A matter to which Farren had given some thought. "I don't know for certain, but I have a theory about that."

“What theory?”

“Your human mind isn't designed to see us in our true forms, so it attempts to construct a visual representation. How you see Arianna is your mind telling you ‘other’ or ‘unfamiliar.’ The two faces indicate two entities. Actually, it’s not faces you see, but auras. You see occisors as beasts because your mind tells you they’re remorseless killers. In one way, you probably see the danger better than I do. Also, blue is a healing color, so you subconsciously associate blue with healers.”

“Do different travelers have different abilities?”

“Do all humans play violin? Can they all sing like songbirds?”

Morrisey’s face colored again. “I get your point.”

“We also have a hereditary tier system.”

“How does that work? Isn’t it awful not to have control over what you do in life?”

“It’s not a lack of control. I’m Magestra.” Farren was extremely proud of his heritage. “Lots of occupations fall under the heading of law enforcement. Being born into the Magestra class just means I have abilities useful to such a calling. Princeps are our rulers. Again, so many avenues one could take, because we can’t all sit on the council. Some become local officials, born to lead, but on a smaller scale.”

"What happens if someone from the working classes wants more?"

Farren scrunched his nose. Why would anyone want to be something other than what they were? “A few have succeeded, but you must understand. We were born to certain callings. Few of us want to go against our upbringing. Some who do turn criminal. The tiers keep us in check.”

“Keep you under thumb, you mean,” Morrisey groused. “How did you stand it?”

Farren fought back offense. “What was to stand? I loved my job, a job I had in common with my… parents.” From earliest memories, all he’d wanted was to follow his ancestors’ example. Any spawn he and Kele managed would have been tested to place them in the suitable class, as Kele and Farren’s classes didn’t match, but were acceptable enough to be embraced in society.

Morrisey pulled the beer bottle from his lips. “I caught your hesitation. What did you intend to say?"

How could Farren explain? “Parents aren’t the same there as here. We travelers refer to ourselves as male and female in Terra, but those traits come from the physical forms we possess. Gender doesn’t exist as you know it in Domus.”

Morrisey straightened, shoulders back. “Having no gender certainly wasn’t mentioned in the information Leary gave me. Without gender, who are you attracted to?” Farren heard the unvoiced, Are you attracted to me?

"Because the initial Farren liked men, so do I, but it's more profound for most travelers. We never simply shared our bodies. We shared everything we were.” An experience Farren feared he’d never have again. “Some of us bonded, combining our energies.”

A niggling of doubt entered his mind. The one time he’d attempted a temporary sharing of Morrisey’s mind, his spirit had begun the bonding process. Normally, a full bond took several months. Theirs grew almost by the minute.

Morrisey didn't appear to take notice of Farren's sudden quiet. “Like you bonded to your partner?”

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