Page 32 of Culture and Curiosities (Blue Ridge Charm #1)
Toman
“What?”
Considering I had repeated myself three times, I didn’t think doing it again would help, but I did my best to break it down in a different way.
“They have a variety of unique relationships that occur inside and outside of bonding. In my own relationship, I am the caretaker for my mate when his inner predator gets to be too much and he needs to escape it. Their society is stressful and they cannot shift on a regular basis. They are called submissives and it can be shown in a variety of ways. They have sexual toys that they use in those kinds of relationships as well. None of this should be given to anyone younger than bonding age.”
I was starting to understand why Wren sometimes rolled his eyes at the council meetings while saying duh . Professor Zorin simply stared at me like the words weren’t processing. I even thought for a moment to make sure I’d been speaking the right language.
“They seemed to have learned this from humans, but many of our people participate in the different roles and styles of relationships. A large portion of them are sexual based, but it is not always required. It is, however, always for adults.”
Professor Zorin blinked and frowned, but it was less shocking than his initial behavior had been. He’d been so surprised, he’d looked almost human.
“Spankings? For pleasure?”
We were going back to that again?
I guessed it was harder to process…but it did not help me to understand why he kept asking about them. Repeating the information without changing the questions or discussion did not seem useful.
Were any of the people we’d brought through the portal experts in the human science of psychology?
Would that help?
“The pain and pleasure centers of the brain can get crossed under specific circumstances for certain people. They are not bumping into a door and getting aroused, but the combination of being in a submissive headspace and in a situation where desire has already been aroused, it can be pleasurable.”
He didn’t look like he believed me.
“My mate shared a faint echo of his feelings through the bond. He enjoyed it and I have heard others of our people agree with him.”
Several while at the diner and again in the council meetings.
Wren said it was called oversharing to do it in those places but it was coming in handy to be able to give the professor other accounts besides my own.
“Some even frustrate their mates just enough to earn a spanking which is sometimes called a word that is a mix of fun and punishment. The people who speak the common language of the land outside the portal create new words on a regular basis.”
Someone needed to study why they created new words on a daily basis. Wren thought it had something to do with their countries’ need to push boundaries and explore, but I didn’t have the background to be able to decide. A scholar would definitely be needed to understand them better.
“They spank for fun under specific circumstances because it helps fulfill a need and calms their inner predator?”
Professor Zorin was clearly looking to make sure he was processing the information correctly, so I showed him my agreement and took the explanation to the next step.
“Humans and mages also participate in the behaviors because of overwhelming feelings or thoughts. Having a partner or mate to help them handle those emotions makes them happier in the long run.”
I had heard enough stories from humans and our people alike to be confident in my explanation even though I didn’t always understand the details of their behavior.
“Being what is called a Dominant or another variation on the word that denotes specific meanings is a noble role, but one that is considered private in most areas of human culture. Our people around the portal are open about it. That is unusual for Earth, however.”
The professor was quiet for a few moments and slowly seemed to gather up his shock and surprise enough that he no longer looked human. For a moment I wished for a peek into his thoughts but that would be invasive and weird as Wren would’ve said.
“I understand why this information needs to be guarded until someone is of mating age. I will start working with the mage council to see if they can separate out the information better.”
He didn’t seem sure about how to accomplish it, but he was stubborn enough that I knew he wouldn’t give up easily.
“I think that is the best course of action.”
But…
“How would you like to proceed with getting the language of English? I understand if you do not want to do the spell until we have found a way to filter the information, but I will leave that decision up to you.”
“No. I won’t wait.”
“He made that decision really quickly, right?”
Wren had stayed quietly in the back of my mind as I’d spoken to the professor, but I could understand why he’d spoken up. It was…interesting and I had to agree with my mate’s thoughts.
“Yes, he made that decision very quickly, especially for one of us.”
Our people in leadership positions were usually slow to process and slow to act. It was so common it was a joke amongst the average person on our world.
“I’m not going to assume anything but just be ready to answer weird questions, Daddy.”
Mentally sighing, I was glad I wasn’t as used to showing fascial expressions as Wren and his people were. I would not have been able to keep my thoughts to myself otherwise.
“Then come sit down in the tent and I will provide the information for you.”
He had agreed much too easily, but I pretended not to notice.
“Just remember that the spell continues to work on the language but it will not be perfect at first. My mate has given me an extensive understanding of their vocabulary but nearly every word in their language has numerous others that could have been used instead. Body parts. Emotions. There are countless examples and it makes it difficult for the language spell to process the information in the beginning.”
The subtle changes in his posture said he was taking my advice seriously, but I knew that firsthand knowledge would be the only way to accurately understand it.
“I will remember.”
Stubbornness had truly set in, so I didn’t question his decision as we slowly walked back to the tent.
Our people were watching us curiously and it was back to feeling like we were bugs at the zoo, but Wren’s people were pretending they weren’t curious and it gave them a look like they were in the diner or in a human cartoon.
It was not believable at all and just hearing my thoughts about it had Wren giggling through the bond.
“They’re at least trying to be polite and even Agent Murphy reminded everyone to be nice and not make the professor uncomfortable as he’s learning about all the new fun stuff.”
That man was interesting, even for a human.
“I feel the need to remind us both that we should not speculate about his past, my mate.”
Wren’s sigh said the reminder was timely.
“I know.”
He gave me his agreement but I could feel how much it frustrated him to admit it.
“Just because I understand it doesn’t mean I like it. I’m kinda nosy.”
That was not a surprise.
“ Daddy .”
He tried to sound frustrated but the way the word stretched out in my head made him sound little and whiny.
“I’m not little. I’m a big boy.”
Really?
“Mostly a big boy.”
As he grumbled quietly through the bond, filling my mind with frustrated sounds and adorable pouting emotions, I gestured for Professor Zorin to sit down on one of the large, two-person seats before turning back to my mate.
“This won’t take long but we must have silence and focus.
I’m going to lower our bond and will ask everyone to be quiet for a few moments. ”
Wren nodded, but his smile said mischief would follow. “Or he’ll end up learning Pig Latin instead of English.”
“That would not be helpful, my mate.” It would be memorable based on his definition of the made-up language. “With your memory, I could also end up passing along any number of odd languages.”
His mischievous grin said that was a possibility. “I read a book on speaking Klingon in middle school.”
No.
Whatever he read through the bond or on my face had him giggling and most of the group around us who spoke English were trying not to laugh as well. My people were still incredibly confused, however, and were just circled around the tent watching the zoo animals react.
“I’ll be good, Daddy. Just don’t get hurt.”
“I don’t think anything will go wrong and possibly couldn’t go wrong. Our intent will lead the way. We just need quiet and focus.”
As he nodded again, a bit more of his little side peeking through the bond, he sat straighter across from us and gave everyone a warning glance to behave. “We’re ready.”
Since the professor was taking the language from me, I quieted my own mind and lowered the bond until Wren was only a faint echo in my mind.
Thinking about English and about how the words sounded and the explanations Wren had given me, I closed my eyes as Professor Zorin began working the magic that would copy my knowledge of the language over to him.
Silence stretched out and I could feel the magic growing as I thought about making sure he understood the words and the meanings behind them. If intent mattered as much as we told new mages it did, I wanted there to be no question about what I wanted from the power gathering around us.
As it popped and the pressure it’d created faded, I opened my eyes to find every gaze on us and nearly everyone holding their breath.
It was too tempting so I frowned at Wren. “Iyay ovelay ouyay, ymay atemay.”
Everyone but Beatrice and Wren looked either frightened or confused, but she giggled and he nearly fell out of his chair he laughed so hard.
Before the people of Earth could figure out my joke, Professor Zorin gave a small huff. “Please stay on track and explain why I now seem to understand several languages that do not match each other.”