Page 23 of Culture and Curiosities (Blue Ridge Charm #1)

Toman

“I do not know how to get to all the individual questions, my mate. The topics are too spread out. No. Diverse.”

Deputy Talon had made Kenzie slow down, but I could understand why he was excited. He was having dinner with an alien, so it was right out of a book according to Wren.

“We’re just going to have to do our best and not worry about all of them. There are just too many to do it that way.”

“You have a beautiful house.” As we sat down with Kenzie in their living room, my mate attempted to find a simple conversation, however, Kenzie was not a simple dragon.

He kept asking what Wren was calling good questions .

“Where is your house going to be?” Kenzie’s wince gave the impression that his mate responded privately from the kitchen where he was making dinner.

“And thank you for the compliment. My family helped me build it. They do custom projects for other people too. We could make you pretty shelves for your toys if you stay here.”

Was he bribing us to move to their town?

As I tried to understand the meaning behind his words, Wren went very still and images of shelves that he had seen on his computer flashed through his mind.

“How pretty do you think my shelves would be?”

A bribe.

Yes, I had been right.

“ My mate .”

My tone seemed to indicate my feelings because he sighed dramatically. “Daddy’s not going to let me get bribed, but thank you for trying. We’re going to have to figure that out ourselves.”

Kenzie pouted, not liking the direction the conversation had taken. “They’re very nice shelves and I have secret rooms I can show you. Lorne is very creative and devious. He just looks sweet and innocent. He’s not. But that means he can help us make you a wonderful secret hiding spot.”

Kenzie was sweet but had clearly not been told no enough.

“Oh.”

This was not a subject that we could plan in their living room, no matter how attractive it was. Reminding my mate of that fact seemed important, however. “My mate, I can see the temptation is great to have a home with a hidden room, but we must discuss the details first.”

Their matching pouts had me pushing back on the immediate need to make them happy. It must be something to do with being a Daddy, but I was not as weak as the other men in town. “Would you both like to help me put together a list of all the topics we must discuss first?”

It would have gone smoother if the deputy had not started laughing in the kitchen, but keeping my thoughts quiet helped my attempt to change the subject.

“You…you should probably meet his friends and family first.” Kenzie was right, but his expression said the sentence had been painful. “And…and you’re going to want to see that side of the portal first.”

Sighing, Wren leaned into me and rested his head on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll bring you back pictures as long as the portal doesn’t fry our electronics.”

The new information seemed to distract Kenzie even better than my conversation topic. “Do you think that’s possible?”

As Wren nodded and charged into a discussion that sounded like he was living in one of his space shows, I thought about what the dragon Kenzie had said. We had deliberately not been discussing that far into the future because neither of us knew what it should look like.

Our only firm agreement was that we could not live next to his mother, so Wren had declared the entire state of Texas off limits.

I wasn’t sure our present location in North Carolina was any safer based on her ability to get the neighbors to spy on him, but he was quickly making friends in the local community.

“Yeah, I like everyone. They’re fun.”

His quiet admission in my head didn’t distract him from his conversation with Kenzie. “If transporters wouldn’t mess with it then I think we’re going to be fine.”

“What about the Star Gate? Would that affect it?” Kenzie frowned but the expression was thoughtful. “I don’t think they had problems either but the technology isn’t the same. We can’t dial anywhere else.”

They were still discussing entertainment, correct?

Wren’s giggle coming through the bond made me question that for a variety of reasons.

“It’s our only frame of reference…unless you want us to talk about where we should live?”

My mate was wonderfully devious and clearly fit in with the locals.

“This conversation is thought-provoking, my mate. Please continue.”

“What if we took an old-fashioned camera as well as newer stuff?” As Wren and Kenzie shifted the discussion to what seemed to be real technology, I thought about where we might live and the different options.

My mate was at the edge of my mind, watching my thoughts, but he gave Kenzie his attention and let their conversation shift naturally. When it turned to goals and the planning of our gate trip, I pushed my own thoughts aside and focused on their discussion.

“That is a good question, but I’m not sure who should be in charge of that decision.” Should anyone have the power to control the access to the portal? “I’m not sure your council would want such a great responsibility.”

“They shouldn’t be trusted with it either.”

Wren seemed to be doing his best to be polite, but Kenzie sighed as his Daddy laughed from the kitchen again. “Daddy said that wouldn’t be a good idea…no matter what they actually think.”

Glad we were all on the same page, I tried to come up with a compromise that would please both sides. “What if we kept a log and took travelers’ pictures? That would at least help us to track who has come through to this side of the portal.”

Nodding slowly, both men thought about it for several moments. Kenzie must’ve been talking to his mate because his head cocked again as he responded out loud. “What about the other side?”

“We have remote monitoring set up. It’s not like your technology but it will help.

My biggest concern is your people coming through the portal and being unprepared for the desert.

” A dragon could shift and fly to safety before it became a health concern but their mages did not have the same skills to travel over long distances.

“Your people are curious but may not understand the risk.”

Kenzie’s wince said he agreed with my thoughts.

“Yeah, we’re kind of impulsive so that’s another reason to make sure it’s monitored.

But what…what if we do grown-up field trips?

You know…those group travel things like old ladies and single people do when they go play tourist. We set up specific times and have real grown-ups who’ll watch everyone. ”

Wren’s excitement was obvious in his thoughts and his wide eyes. “Like find your mate trips or go explore the waterfalls of whatever or the jungles of special place.”

Field trips?

My mate provided an explanation and also explained the concept of tourism.

Humans were fascinating.

“They don’t have tourists.” Wren must have interrupted Kenzie’s thoughts because the dragon looked very confused. “Really. He had no idea what that meant or about field trips.”

“They don’t have field trips either? That’s sad.” Kenzie thought the situation was serious enough that his mate came out from the kitchen.

“You okay?” The deputy kissed his mate’s head and frowned. “I’m sure they do other fun things we haven’t thought about.”

Which group…the one called tourists who traveled for no purpose or the school-age children?

“Kids need to go places.” Kenzie’s response answered my question but I still didn’t understand the cultural context. “They need to learn how to safely cause havoc and when to behave. How do they practice being independent?”

What?

Wren’s chuckle floated through my mind, but I wasn’t sure what he found funny, me or Kenzie.

Independence.

Traveling.

Understanding when to behave.

“I think there is a cultural difference missing in our discussion.” At least there was a perception difference missing.

When Kenzie pulled his Daddy down into his chair to be cuddled, I took that as permission to continue the explanation. “We were always a small population, so we lost nearly an entire generation of children in one moment.”

I didn’t have an English word to explain how our people had felt. Just reading their writings was beyond heartbreaking.

“Our trust had turned into what you call overconfidence and arrogance.” We were magic itself…who could come against us? “No one was the same after that.”

Understanding grew on their faces and I knew they understood as best we could.

“Children were not allowed to wander. The central school system we had set up was dismantled. Children were educated at home after that and were not allowed to leave home until they were of age. Families with children stayed close together for physical and emotional protection.”

Kenzie let out a soft sigh. “They had one really bad field trip and no one left ever again.”

“How hard was it for them to send your party through the gate?” The deputy’s serious expression gave me the impression he understood the depth of sorry people could feel.

“On that side of the portal we keep our emotions private, but when the idea was put forth the entire room went silent.” Several leaders had just stood and walked out. “No one wanted to be the first to approve the idea even though it had to be done.”

We had to know what had happened.

“You’re very brave.” Kenzie took his Daddy’s hand and held it tight.

“I’m glad you get to go back and tell them we’re all happy.

Our ancestors were young, yes, but all the family stories and diaries talk about building their new life and falling in love.

They made good lives. I promise. Some were even silly and naughty. ”

“That will bring comfort to your families that are waiting on the other side.” Something I said made Kenzie blink and he leaned closer to his Daddy.

I wasn’t sure if I could ask what he was thinking, so I waited as Wren snuggled closer to me and whispered through the bond.

“I’ve had more time to process all this and think about it. They haven’t.”

“What do you think they’ll…what will they think of us? We’re very different.” Kenzie paused, looking at his Daddy who picked up the rest of their thoughts.

“The children and adults here formed a happy, loving society but one that seems to be very different than the one they might’ve grown up in.

We have relationships and lifestyles they’ve never heard of, and your people here are much freer with their emotions.

” The deputy chuckled as Kenzie nodded at the understatement.

“Some of that we can keep private because it’s not always anyone else’s business no matter how free we are here.

But how will they deal with what they figure out and how different you guys are?

” The deputy asked what Wren had deemed good questions, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about private versus pretending to be someone different.

“I know that a lot of my people won’t understand how free you are with your emotions or the other relationships that make you happy.” I was becoming very good at using understatements as well. “But they will be excited to meet you and will be amazed at seeing how our people thrived here.”

For most, that would keep them distracted for a very long time. “That is the part we will focus on, but we will have time to figure it out because anyone introduced to you will need to be given the English language.”

Our people on Earth did speak a variety of languages, but they used English as a common one between the groups.

Three heads cocked, but before I could question Wren, Kenzie spoke up again. “Um, Wren gave you all the naughty fun bits of English as well as the practical stuff. How does that spell work? My mother gave me very strict instructions not to let anyone act like the diner men around kids.”

Oh.

Wren gave me the image of myself, head cocked in their thinking pose.

“You’re cute when we confuse you, Daddy.”

His giggles chased the seriousness hanging over me away.

“I must be cute all the time then, my mate.”

“I haven’t spent much time around children.” Even when I was one. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

The more I did, however, the more I realized many of the topics discussed in the diner would anger my mother as well.

“Moms are smart…we should probably have one come hang out on the council tomorrow to point out anything else stupid we’re doing.” Kenzie’s sigh had his Daddy trying not to laugh. “We’ve got lots of polite ladies and scary ones…but not enough who’re the chase you around with a spoon type of ladies.”

That image translated across cultures even with the emotional differences in our people.

Shrugging, Kenzie wrapped one of his Daddy’s arms around him like a blanket. “My father says they’re important to society or else we’d do stupid shit and kill ourselves off.”

As a species…maybe not…with the locals…yes, I could see how women who kept society in order were important.

“We will keep that in mind, but for the time being we must find a way to transfer an edited version of the English language to new speakers.” That was not where my magic was strongest, so I had no idea where to begin. “Anything diner man related must be removed, correct?”

The deputy groaned. “God. Yes, anything from them has to be censored.”

“They thought my mochi was naughty.” Kenzie huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “My mother says they need child locks on their computers if they keep being naughty in public.”

Most of what he said was clearly understandable, but I was missing an important piece.

“Mochi?”

My mate had not used that word and it was not one I had encountered before him.

Ah.

Another not-English word.

As soon as his giggles stopped, my mate gave me the actual image and quickly recounted the story.

It must have been obvious what he was doing because Kenzie made more dramatic sounds and the deputy was shaking with laughter he was trying to restrain. Even trying to hold back their emotions was dramatic. My people were never going to understand their liveliness.

“You made lovely desserts. I have no idea what the diner men were thinking but they were inappropriate.” Giving him the answer he desired had Kenzie sending me a wide smile and made my mate giggle again.

“You’re so charming you might end up becoming a local too, Daddy.”

My teasing mate was enjoying himself too much.

“I can’t decide if that is a threat or praise, my naughty mate, so it seems a punishment is in order when we return to our room.”

I might not ever be a local…but I was learning the culture and that was what mattered.