Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 86074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Exactly!” Lili said. “The two of you remind me of Greek statues—the way you’re so muscular and your features are so chiseled.”
“What kind of statues?” Dark frowned.
“I mean you’re classically handsome,” she explained. “And I would know—I have a PhD in Xeno-Art History, so I study beautiful art all day.”
“You think we look like ‘beautiful art?’” Dark asked doubtfully.
“Well…your brother does,” Lili said, nodding at Light. “You’re a little more rugged, yourself.” She leaned in to study his face. “You have a very strong jaw under that beard, I bet.”
“I don’t know—I guess I never thought about it,” Dark admitted. Putting his unenhanced hand to his face he felt his jaw and frowned.
“I’d really love to sketch the two of you,” Lili told them.
“Sketch us?” Light asked.
“Draw your picture,” she clarified. “I mean, I’m not good enough to do it professionally—that’s why I chose a degree in Art History instead of just Art. But I do love to draw and paint—you two would make such interesting subjects—a portrait of masculine beauty—you know?”
“I don’t think either of us ever thought about anything or anyone being beautiful or pleasing to look at before.” Light sounded thoughtful. “Appreciating beauty isn’t something that’s really possible when you have no emotions—at least, not on a visceral level.”
“Well, now that you both can have feelings, you ought to let me take you on a tour of a museum,” Lili said excitedly. “I’d love to show you some of the beautiful art that I write about and teach about.”
“We would love to go with you and see beautiful art,” Light said, smiling.
“Though I might just spend the whole time looking at you,” Dark said honestly. “I’m not sure I can imagine something more beautiful than your face and your curvy body, little one. I could look at you all day.”
Light frowned at him.
“Dark! You can’t talk that way to Earth women. The humans have a name for that—it’s called ‘sexual harassment’! You’re going to drive Lilibet away!”
“No, no—it’s okay.” Lili put up a hand to stop him. Her cheeks were getting hot again—Dark could tell through his scope—but she was smiling too.
“Are you not offended by what my brother said?” Light asked her anxiously. “We were told that saying such things to human women would be considered offensive.”
“Well, if a human guy said them to me, I probably would be offended,” she admitted. “But with you two, it’s different. I told you to talk about your emotions and tell me what you were feeling, so I’m not upset—just a little flustered, is all.”
“I’m guessing most humans aren’t as blunt as my brother?” Light asked as Dark frowned at him.
“Well, no—though a few are.” She frowned. “That man who was chasing me certainly was. He came up to me in a bar before all this started and was hitting on me.”
“He was hitting you?” Dark felt his eyes starting to get hot as the ever-present Fury that lived inside him like a lake of hot lava began to bubble up.
“No, no—hitting on me,” Lili said quickly. “That means he was making sexual remarks and trying to get me to go with him—I guess that’s the best way to explain it.”
“What kind of remarks did he make?” Light asked, frowning.
“Oh, well…” Her cheeks got even hotter—they were positively glowing in his scope’s vision, Dark thought.
“I think maybe you’re the one embarrassing her this time, Light,” he told his brother. “She doesn’t want to fucking talk about what the human male said to her.”
“No, it’s just—some of the things he said weren’t very nice,” Lili told them. “When he couldn’t get me to engage with him by using compliments, he started saying nasty things—talking about, you know, my weight.”
“What about your weight?” Light asked, looking honestly mystified. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Well, some people—a lot of people, actually—would say I weigh too much.” Lili lifted her chin. “But I say this is just how I’m shaped and it’s too bad if they don’t like it!”
“Well, I certainly like it,” Dark said honestly. “You’re a fucking Elite.”
“He means a female that the Goddess has blessed with extra bountiful curves,” Light explained. “A female with an Elite figure is the Kindred ideal.”
“Especially the Twin Kindred ideal,” Dark put in. He frowned. “So this human male was trying to make you feel bad for being extra beautiful? I don’t understand.”
“Extra beautiful? Thank you!” Lili laughed again—the light, bubbly sound somehow reminded Dark of the fizzing bubbles in the Earth beverage called champagne. It was a very pleasant sound and it made the corners of his own mouth twitch, as though he wanted to smile and be happy just because Lili was laughing and happy. Did that make sense? Could emotions spread from one person to another?
He wanted to ask about that, but Lili stood up from the table.