Such Simple Little Things [m]

[Draconian]

Sharlee frowned at Gregori for a few moments, looking a little sad. How awful would it be to... Simply start to exist? Or at least have no recollection of what existance was like before. "I'm sure you'll know love eventually," Sharlee smiled, continuing on, walking still, "Most of the time it sneaks up on you. One day everything is normal and then the next you realize you love someone." A shrug and she smiled, looking over her shoulder for a moment.

"I'll warn you about any trees. We can take a break in about an hour for lunch, if you like."

[Zero]

Gregori sure hoped not. Sharlee was only trying to be kind, of course. She couldn't understand that he was not really a human, which meant that he did not feel like a human felt. He supposed she probably assumed he desired love of some form - whether familial or romantic.

No, love would only make things more difficult. A fallen angel would not fall in love! If someone loved him it would complicate things when he had to leave. He was going home. The last thing he needed or wanted was a weepy person that wished him to stay. Gregori did not, nor would he ever, belong here.

Daddy.

The word lanced through his brain, making him grimace.

He ignored it.

Gregori wasn't a father.

No one would call him Daddy.

That infernal word meant nothing.

Why did thinking about it make his chest heavy and tight? That word haunted him. How he wished it would go away.

"Thank you, and we can stop whenever you want. You're essentially the boss." Well it was sort of true. There might not be a formal employment arrangement, but Gregori was more or less acting as a guard for her. So that was like being in her employment.

[Draconian]

A smile and Sharlee gave a small nod, going quiet for the next hour or so until she got a butt-nudge from Doeshe. A jolt and Sharlee nudged the dragon back, turning behind her for her companion before she stopped shortly, moving the backpack from her back and placing it by the tree, to which Doeshe unceremoniously flopped down and tucked his head under his paws.

"Good book?" Sharlee finally asked, entertained before she started to pull of bits of jerky to eat.

[Zero]

A lot could happen in an hour. Or at least a lot of reading could be done. Gregori was devouring the book, by the time they had stopped he was nearly halfway through it. Several sections had him stumbling over the phrases and the meanings, but he doggedly had pressed through those bits - even managed not to bombard Sharlee with questions!

Until they stopped. The angel had been so engrossed in the book that he almost didn't stop walking in time, coming close to actually running right into the girl and dragon in front of him. Blinking Gregori looked up and then around them with wide eyes.

"Is it time for lunch?" He shifted uncomfortably, glancing back down at the book instead of answering the question right away. "Well, I think I am learning more. I had an idea about the manner in which humans mated - the basest of understanding of how it worked. This is...more than I had thought there was to the process. They don't even mention breeding as a purpose! Pleasure, on the other hand - is used in nearly ever sentence in some sections. I hadn't realized before that it was more often an act of pleasure or love than strictly meant for reproduction. Or is the book over valuing the aspect of enjoyment over reproduction? I am so confused."

Obviously Gregori had stumbled upon some of the more racy parts of the story!

[Draconian]

Oh dear.

Sharlee went several shades of red.

"I've... I'm..." Awkwardly she played with her hair, looking at him before she shoved some food in her mouth, holding out a bit of jerky for Gregori. "I've never..." She moved her hand towards the book, "but I've heard people an they sounded like they..." A small squint and she rubbed her arm, "sounded like they liked it." Another pause, "most people who do it on purpose do it for pleasure."

A look at the book and she bit her lip, "and there are ways to prevent reproduction."

[Zero]

Gregori might not have the best social skills in the world, but he knew that when someone turned that red they were either very angry or extremely embarrassed. Ah, human mating wasn't really a proper subject of conversation, was it? No, no...he sort of knew that! The angel had learned that humans had a sense of modesty - another emotion he wasn't very familiar with.

He shifted his feet sheepishly as Sharlee stumbled for words, realizing his mistake in trying to ask so many questions about a clearly uncomfortable subject. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I don't always realize that I'm being inappropriate. I just can't help it. I awoke knowing so much and yet so little and I have so much more to learn."

The angel stepped over to take the jerky, then sat with his back to a tree a few feet away from his companion. Considering the conversation she probably didn't want him to sit beside her! "Wait...did you say most people who do it on purpose do it for pleasure? There are people mating not on purpose? How do you prevent reproduction? And why would you?"

If it felt pleasurable then he could perhaps see why humans might engage in such behavior when not actively trying to reproduce, but actually attempting to stop reproduction seemed...unusual. Why would they do that? 

[Draconian]

So many questions.

Sharlee bit at her lip and pursed her lips before she move to kneel down, "it's alright Gregori, you can ask me anything you like. Even if it embarrasses me. I'd rather be embarrassed than you go... Not knowing."  Rubbing her hands together she  frowned at his other questions.

"Like.. What those slavers were going to sell me for." Looking down at her wrists she gently bit at her lip, "sometimes people force other people to have sex,"  more questions, "some herbs prevent pregnancy. I have a few of them in the bags on Doeshe and... Sometimes people just don't want children, so... They prevent it." Licking her lips she looked up at Gregori and tried to smile at him.

[Zero]

Oh.

Oh!

"I'm sorry. I didn't think." Yes, of course. Gregori had saved her from those men. He had known they were going to hurt her. He could sense the evil and wicked intentions. The angel hadn't really fully grasped the horror that Sharlee might have been subjected to if he had not been at the right place at the right time.

The priestess had called it rape, and even not understanding much of human behavior, Gregori had known it was repulsive and vile. No wonder he had sensed so strongly to protect her at the time.

"I'm sorry that they touched you. I know that they didn't...do that. But they still touched you, hurt you." He shifted uncomfortably, staring down at his jerky and looking torn between anger and pain. "Nobody will hurt you while I'm around. I promise."

[Draconian]

Sharlee reached forward and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. Being with him made her feel at ease. It was a strange feeling. While she should still be shivering and afraid, perhaps worried about broken branches and shadows the presence of the man that saved her had her feel... Safe. Safe and guarded. Like something precious and protected.

"Thank you." A small smile and she let her hand slip away, tugging the sleeves down to hide the red angry marks on her wrists, they would take a few days to heal, she knew. "I know you'll keep me safe," A clap of her hands and she smiled, eyeing his jerky before she nodded to him, "You should eat, you know." A small smirk at the book and then back to his face, "I know you're enjoying the book and how confused it's making you, but you're barely halfway through! There's lots of adventure left to go."

And part of her was far too entertained by his confusion about sex.

While she'd been embarrassed by the questions, they were at least entertaining and she'd hoped he'd ask her more questions. Probably ask what a few of the more raunchy words were. That she wasn't so keen on but as long as he didn't ask around anyone it would be fine, right?

[Zero]

More touching. Gregori still wasn't sure how he felt about being touched by others. He'd learned to shake hands in greeting, and had become familiar and okay with that. Sharlee touched him differently. He knew the hugging had been in gratitude, and he knew this was too. At least he was pretty sure they were expressions of gratitude.

He noticed the way she tried to hide her wrists. The angel had his wrists and neck covered up as well. A desire to hide away markings that were unpleasant was something he could understand. His were unusual and stood out. He didn't like it when people stared at them.

Gregori huffed softly and bit into his jerky. Hunger was one of those human things he truly wasn't used to yet. He hated feeling hungry, and eating was really seen as a bit of a chore. "Is there more with mating? I am not sure how I feel about reading that. It confuses me. If I understood it more maybe I would be able to enjoy it more."

[Draconian]

Sharlee gently bit her lip before looking off to the side. He wanted to read smut? A moments glance at him and she looked at the book, he wanted to read smut. "There are a few more. I'm..." A pause and she chewed in her own jerky giving the strange man a curious look, " you want one with more sex in it?"

[Zero]

"I...what?" Gregori blinked, looking up from thoughtfully chewing on his lunch. Did he want a book with more sex in it. That was another word for human copulation, right? "I want to finish the book I'm reading. I just wish I understood better. I have no real context or experience with the subject matter, making it difficult to relate to it or grasp it."

The angel frowned pensively and looked down at the book before shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe I am not meant to understand."

[Draconian]

"What?" In return to his 'what'. Sharlee stared at him for a long moment, "if you're that curious I can take you to a brothel." A gentle blush and she pursed her lips, looking at him for a moment, "that's where people go to pay to have sex. If you want to... Experience it, I mean."

[Zero]

"They have something like that?" The look on Gregori's face was probably pretty comical. A mix between shock, fascination, and extreme confusion. 

Humans had places - called brothels - where one could pay someone to engage in mating with them. The priestess had certainly never mentioned that during his time spent in her company! It had surprised him to learn that pleasure was a key driving factor in human mating habits, but this was even more of a shock to his understanding of human behavior.

The angel had assumed that even when done for pleasure and not breeding that it was generally an act done with a loved partner...or at least a familiar partner! "This is...why? I had thought the act held more significance than to simply be performed in exchange for currency. Does it not lose the value if done in such a manner?"

It suddenly dawned on him that Sharlee thought he wanted to mate with someone. He actually recoiled a little. "I wish only to understand! I am not...I should not breed with humans. I am not sure I am even capable of it."

[Draconian]

Sharlee gave a wide shrug, "I don't know. I'm sure to those that seek it out only want it for the... Um... Pleasure. Maybe it holds no emotional value anyway?" She chewed the jerky thoughtfully and stared at him for a while, entertained by his confusion.

At least 'mating' was as confusing to him as it was to her. Well, probably a little more confusing to him.

There was a brief glance at his waist when he said he probably wasn't even able to and she cleared her throat. "If you've got a y'know," she glance at his groin, hoping he'd catch her meaning, "then I'm sure if you wanted to you could." She looked him up and down, "you... Are human, right? Or... No? You don't remember what you were but you're human now."

Something like that.

[Zero]

Gregori wished he could just take it all back. Apparently human mating behaviors were just too much for him to grasp. His head was swimming with new information that he simply didn't know how to rightly handle. At least he was ignorant enough that Sharlee's pointed looking over of him didn't cause embarrassment.

"I am...yes. Human. I think. For now. And yes, I have male...anatomy." Imagine the angel's surprise the first time he had needed to use said anatomy for the simple human function of urinating - a task newborns understood. He'd also been quite surprised the first time he had experienced the male human phenomena known as "morning wood" - as it had been described to him, at any right.

"If it has no emotional value and its primary value is pleasure why have you never engaged in it?" Maybe that was an inappropriate question, but he was still trying to understand the idea of exchanging pleasure for money. Did a large number of humans do it? If the act held no emotional value then what reason would there be not to?

[Draconian]

Male anatomy.

So he was completely human! That was good to know. She wasn't sure if non-humans were going to be allergic to anything strange. Also the now known fact that he had all the appropriate bits. Sharlee stared at Gregori for a few moments before she licked her lips as looked down at the ground. "The act of... Mating... Has emotional value to me. If I'm going to do that I'd want to be with someone I loved and trusted." She pulled her braid over her shoulder to fiddle with it.

"The people that pay for it... Simply want the pleasure of it. Without the emotional bond. I guess." Sharlee looked around then stared at the ground, "I'm not very good with people, either so." A small smile, "I haven't really met anyone I'd... Want to mate with." Odd word.

[Zero]

So some humans could emotionally detach themselves from the act, and others could not. Apparently Sharlee preferred to keep mating as an emotional function rather than a purely physical one.

Gregori was trying to learn about humans in general, but was also learning more about her on a singular level as well. He wasn't sure how he should feel about anything. On one hand, if one had a physical need for copulation being able to achieve it without also being forced to emotionally engage a partner could be considered...efficient.

On the other hand...

The angel sighed and rubbed his temples. Thinking too hard was making his head hurt. It was all so very confusing. Thankfully he wasn't going to be a human for long if he could help it. Part of him felt a small pang of...something...at that thought.

"What is the other word you used? Sex? Is that different from mating or are they the same? I know that animals mate, is mate not the word typically used to refer to human reproductive activities?" He'd noticed that she seemed to hesitate a lot when using the word, as if having to think about it first.

[Draconian]

Reproductive activities.

Sharlee's eyebrows went up and she tried not to smile. This man was very technical. Very literal as well.

"It's the same thing. Mate is... Usually for animals. You can call it whatever you like though." There was a pause and she pointed to the book, should she tell him now the heroine fell pregnant? Sharlee was sure there would be loads of questions about that. Maybe she bit off more than she could chew when she told him he could ask her anything.

Asking her about sex and mating.

All she knew was from books.

There was a moment when she paused and stared at the novel like it had grown fangs. Hopefully he'd accidentally skip over that self-pleasuring part because she really didn't want to answer those questions! Maybe he'd already read it? Maybe that was for the next batch? Sharlee cleared her throat and smiled, standing up slowly. "Ready to head out again? Next time we stop will be for dinner and camp."

[Zero]

Technical was the only way that Gregori could really be! After all, he had virtually no non-technical experience. His emotions were underdeveloped - and jumbled. Love was too complicated for him.

Oblivious to the rest of what awaited him within the pages of his confusing story, the angel sighed and stuffed the last of his jerky in his mouth when Sharlee stood and asked if he was ready to go. He was no closer to understanding love or even human mating than he had been before he began reading.

"Yes, hopefully the more I read, the more clear things will become. If my questions bother you, just tell me to stop. I won't be...offended? That is the right word. I think." He hefted the book slightly as he stood, trying to find his place again, and to figure out how likely he was to finish before they stopped for the night. He was almost halfway through - perhaps by the time he fell asleep...or lost the light.