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Sandy still didn’t trust him, or her, but it wasn’t like she had anything better to do.
Silently, she set aside her basket and stood, adjusting her skirt – one of hers, not the ones that were too tight from this planet. The carpet was soaked, and so was she. Without speaking to Drevor, she returned to her room to change. He followed but stopped outside. She took her time cleaning up, half hoping he would go away, but when she emerged, he was still there.
“This way?” He asked, gesturing forward.
Sandy turned and walked alongside him as they moved towards the entrance. Drevor kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes, but she ignored him as she let him lead her out and through the part of the manor she wasn’t usually allowed in.
They came to a sitting room at the front. It was decorated with more beige and wicker furniture, all awash in bright sunlight that was streaming in through the wide window that looked out over the front courtyard.
Knowing what she did now, that beige was considered a girly color, she looked at all the décor through a new lens. If all the beige was hot pink and all the yellow was purple and all the white was pale pink, if this room was garish instead of neutral…
Thinking of it that way, Elffa really had no taste at all.
She concealed a smile as she instead focused on the female already in the room. She looked up as Sandy entered, lowering a smooth, shallow cup filled with steaming tea, a smile already forming on her brown face. Her feathers were darker than Elffa’s, though her eyes were the same black – dark eyes seemed to be a trait of the species. She was even more slender, somehow, but taller. She was wearing a white dress, tight at the bust, sleeveless, with a ruched skirt to her knees and a pair of delicate slippers. She was really pretty, and her wide smile upon seeing Sandy appeared genuine.
“Oh, wow! You must be her!” She squeaked excitedly, rushing over. She stopped just short, smiling at her unabashedly.
“May I make the introductions?” Drevor asked. “Lisra, this is Sandy Tollman, a human from Earth. Sandy, this is Lisra el Offulay. She is Sal’s mate, and it was her fervent wish to meet with you today.”
“I didn’t let them say no,” Lisra chuckled behind her hand. “I’ve been pestering Elffa practically since you got here. She said you couldn’t possibly meet anyone yet since you were still getting used to the planet. I hope it wasn’t too overwhelming.”
Sandy gave her a polite smile. “Not at all. It’s nice to meet you, Lisra.”
Drevor shot her a quick look but said nothing about her willingness to speak to her and not him. Sandy didn’t trust her either, but she also had no reason to snub her. Politeness was always best to start. Elffa and her team were currently the only ones enjoying her censure.
“You as well,” Lisra beamed. “I practically had to threaten Elffa to make this happen. Though, I can understand her reluctance to let you out.”
“Do you now?” Sandy asked neutrally, gesturing forward so they could sit on opposing sofas. Plain beige, girly sofas, she thought to herself with an internal snicker.
“Oh, of course!” Lisra sat, reaching the tall pot of tea and the second cup meant for Sandy. “I’m open minded. I’ve traveled to many planets with Sal for their games, so it doesn’t affect me anymore. But Elffa must think of the anti-human sentiments.”
That gave Sandy pause as she was lifting the cup. “Anti-human sentiments?”
Lisra blinked, then grimaced. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did you not know?”
“No.” Sandy glanced over to Drevor who was sitting unobtrusively in the corner. His expression was blank. She focused back on Lisra. “Can you tell me about it?”
“It’s really nothing that bad,” she hastened to say, chuckling uncomfortably. “I mean, of course, any prejudice is a bad thing. I’m not trying to diminish it.”
“Lisra,” Sandy grinned at her flustered babbling. “It’s okay. You can just tell me honestly. I’m a big girl; I can handle it.”
She grinned weakly. “It’s just because humans are so blatantly sexual. For us – telfay, I mean – females are meant to be modest and subtle and understated.” She put a hand to her own chest, head high, shoulders back. “The ideal beauty of telfay is a female who wears modest clothing, with rich, deep brown, smooth feathers, who speaks softly, and carries herself with grace. Humans females are… rather opposite of that. It just makes it easy for others to be judgmental, that’s all.”
“What about males?”
“Males can’t really help but show off. Their bodies are beautiful. It’s like art,” she smiled, her eyes sparkling. “It’s the height of masculinity to be confident and honest and bare. It’s expected of them.”
“I see. So, the problem with me is…?”
“It’s just difficult for humans to appear modest and understated,” she admitted. “Your bodies are much more voluptuous than ours.”
“Your clothes also aren’t designed for our bodies.”
“That’s true too. They don’t really account for your curves.” Lisra looked between them. For though Lisra was taller than her, she was inhumanly slender. Like comparing a pear to a banana. For clothes designed to go on such bodies, of course they’d look odd or obscene on Sandy.
“So, that’s why humans aren’t liked here?”
“It’s just a matter of perception. It says nothing about who you are as a people, just because you look like, er… well…”
