“Yes, erm, kissing. It is when two people press their lips together. There’s more to it than that, I believe sometimes the tongue is involved. But I confess, I’ve never had the opportunity to try it so I don’t know much else.”
“Pressing their lips together?” I ask hesitantly.
My mouth is much bigger than Destiny’s, my lips are obstructed by my lower-fangs and make puckering my lips impossible. How will we be able to do this kissing thing?
“What else, Josep? Tell me everything you know about human courting. Please.”
By the time I leave the office, while I have very little actual work done, I at least have a decent plan in mind to start courting my girl.Humans are strange creatures, but sweet, in their strange ways. Their courtings are full of flowers and dancing and sweet treats, so very different from Dhugaren courting rituals. I surprise myself with how much I am looking forward to it.
I need to do some research first, before I see Destiny again. The next time we see each other I want to have a grand gesture ready, something that will really wow her and show her I mean business when it comes to making her mine. I may not ever be worthy of her, and it made me a selfish asshole to admit it, but I have to have her regardless. I’ll just spend as long as she’ll let me showing her how special she is and giving her everything this station has to offer.
But first, flowers. And there’s one person I know who knows flowers.
I head to Minnik’s office directly from work, rationalizing to myself that if I don’t make an appointment, I am not going as a patient, simply one citizen visiting another, seeking advice. With these thoughts, I head into the main corridor, deciding to peruse some of the pottery I saw Destiny fawn over in the market yesterday. Perhaps a small token would be a good gesture to start.
12
Destiny
“It was so embarrassing!” I groan from the service counter, where I am leaning dramatically, holding my pounding head in my hands. “You should have seen him, Furga. He had no idea what I was doing. He probably thinks I’m a crazy person!”
“I told you, kissing is a foreign concept to us. He probably just thought you were constipated,” she tells me from her place in front of the big data screen.
I can only groan and hide my face in my hands again. Leave it to me to be the first to try and kiss an alien. Maybe I reallyamtoo reckless…
Furga is tapping away on the big data screen attached to the counter this morning. She explained when we first arrived that in the mornings, while it is slow, we need to pack all our orders. Some citizens request their orders be delivered.
“There’s not many of those here today,” Furga tells me. “Most people come to pick up their own orders. There’s just a few exceptions. Folks who have a hard time leaving their apartment, that kind of thing.”
The English language package downloaded overnight, so now I can actually help Furga with the workload here. Despite my pounding hangover headache I hop from my seat and follow her into the back of the room when she starts to shop.
“This order is for Stomawk, a friend of mine. He doesn’t leave his apartment much, because of the stares,” Furga sounds sad, which even after only two days, I know is not like her.
“Stares?”
“Yeah, Stomawk is a Rankian. There’s only like fifteen left in the whole galaxy. I think there’s a few of them are here on Sanctuary. They keep to themselves, though.”
I rack my brain for information on Rankians, but I don’t even think the orientation video mentioned them.
“Are they…er… particularly unique looking?” I ask, gesturing to my own face.
“I think the horns just scare people off. They don’t bother me, though. Stomawk is a big softy, really. Well, maybe not asoftybut he’s friendly. Well, maybe notfriendly, but he’s been through a lot and I figure he could use a friend. And he always throws things wildly off target. I don’t think he actually wants to hit me, he’s just defensive. And paranoid. Who could blame him, though? So few left. I can’t even imagine…” Furga finally peters off her rambling, but the damage is already done. I’m picturing the biggest, meanest set of devil’s horns on a giant, grumpy beast. After all, Dhugaren’s have horns and no one is afraid of them. Well I was a tiny bit, at first, but only because one of them pushed me down.
“You have horns, Furg. Why isn’t anyone afraid of you?”
“Excuse me, our horns are beautiful and majestic. Rankian horns are,” she shudders before continuing, “really scary. There’s a lot more of them, for one.”
“What do you mean? They have more than two?”
“Yep, they have a ring of them around their skull. They call it their defensive crown.”
I picture a dinosaur who lived on Earth a long time ago, with a rounded dome head surrounded by spikes. Perhaps that is similar to what Furga is describing?
“Let me go with you to deliver the orders. I wanna meet him.”
“Why, do you think he’ll know what kissing is? Khur will be very sad to hear you moved on so quickly.”
“Oh my god, Furga, be for real. I am not going around kissing citizens willy-nilly like that. It was a miscommunication. One that is still threatening to kill me via mortification.”
