Page 73 of Earth Girls are Easy… To Dominate
Olivia closed her eyes and shook her head. She rewound the beginning of their argument and settled on something neutral.
“I know you are learning, and I thank you for that.”She said calmly. “You didn't have to.”
“It is the right thing.”
Olivia nodded. “I didn't mean for my actions to undermine you. It was not my intention. I apologize.”
“As my Kou, you are supposed to do as I say,Kaias stated. He emphasized his point by slashing his hand in the air. “You represent me.”
“By that logic, don't you represent me?”
Shock crossed his face. He took a step back and shook his head. Olivia stepped forward. She placed her hand on her chest and slapped it.
“Do we not share a heartbeat now? Are you not human?”
“I am Vrex.”
“AND human,”Olivia insisted, “you said that when I said yes to this. Or were you lying?”
“It wasn't a lie,”Kaias shook his head. “But my duty is my people.”
“As is mine.”
“No.”Kaias's voice rose. It reverberated from his chest to Olivia. “Yours is from Earth. Like Bri-ahn.”
“You're wrong,”Olivia shook her head. “My duty is to learn and teach. I am to show that humans can relate to and embrace your culture. I am supposed to encourage a peaceful relationship between our people.”
“How can there be if you don't do as I say?”
“How can there be if you do not also respect me?”Olivia countered. “Disrespecting me is disrespecting our Heart Binding. You explained that we are one. How can one side demand so much from the other and not expect the same?”
Kaias shook his head. He looked away from her and began to pace around the room.
“Am I wrong?”Olivia continued. “Kaias, tell me if I'm wrong. And if I'm right, what can we do to respect us both?”
He stopped pacing and looked at her. “What can we do? What do you mean?”
“I want to show respect for your status, but I need that in return.”She said, “I need totrustthat you will do the same.”
Kaias snorted. He slowly walked towards her. Reaching for her hands, he touched the delicate skin of her palms. They were too vulnerable. Every bit of her was vulnerable, and yet, shewas standing up to him. This vulnerable human was holding her own, staring down at a god when his own people feared to look.
He squeezed her hands and brought them up to his lips. He kissed each finger, staring into her eyes.
“You are my Kou,”he said, “you are Lady Olivia Consort of the Abyss, Sister of Koureshtka. Say your name proudly. Wear it in your heart and demand others to call you it.”
“Eun-Ji and the other, though,”Olivia shook her head. Her fingers trembled at the power he was bestowing on her. “If I take that name, how can I do my job?”
“Why should you?”
Olivia choked back tears. She desperately wanted to touch him, to make him understand. Her life was her job. She loved teaching and learning languages. Every word had a meaning, a feeling. They tied her to reality and opened worlds no one else could see.
“Fingers.” She said softly.
“What?”
Olivia looked up into his eyes. She wiggled her fingers in the air for him to see.
“These fingers,”she said, “fingers.”
