Page 101 of Guiding Desire

“The first gift I’ll ever give you,” Senlas said.

“You’re giving me this? You can’t. It’s from your collection, isn’t it?”

Senlas opened the fridge and examined its contents. Maro had left more sorono hummus in there, three flavors, it looked like. There was also savory mung bean pancake layer cake, a meal traditionally prepared and eaten when people agreed to form or join a family unit, although it was something more popular with regulars.

“Of course I’m giving it to you. I just did. Now it’s yours, kitten.”

“But Senlas, this is a precious thing.”

Ha, so you do get it, my little kitten.“That’s right. A precious thing for a precious person.”

Senlas watched Orrey from the corner of his eyes. The Conduit looked like a horn cat who had his fur stand up in bristly tufts only to then relax. He gazed at the little book.

“You make me feel like not accepting this would be rude, but it’s too much. Just from looking at this, it would be better housed in a museum or the library archives than anywhere I could put it.”

Senlas grinned and lifted out the container with the layer cake. “Then give it to a museum. It’s yours now, and you can do what you want with it.”

Orrey nearly jumped out of his seat. “I wouldn’t!”

“Have to keep it then.”

A long groan from the other end of the apartment announced that Taros had woken, or partially woken. He stumbled toward them, and Senlas watched while he cut the layer cake in neat slices, also using his powers to take out the sonoro paste and more three-color crackers.

“I…I’ll take this to my room. I don’t want any of the food to get on it,” Orrey said and hurried away and past Taros, whose purple hair was messy yet still looked passingly fashionable that way. “Excuse me.”

“Sure, beautiful.” Taros ambled toward the kitchen and leaned on the counter. “What’s gotten into him?”

“I gave him a present.”

“Metaphor?”

“No. I gave him a book.”

Taros leaned back and craned his neck to look up at the bundles. “Does he know you have plenty of those? Not that special to give one away.”

“Are you sure you want coffee?”

Taros groaned. “Fine. Marvelous gift. Maro make that layer cake?”

“Looks like it. I volunteered you to help Orrey shop.”

Taros cocked an eyebrow. He took the time to dye those purple as well.

“Shop for clothes. Something that’ll make him feel more like he fits in.”

Taros brightened. “Are you saying you’re letting me make your beautiful Conduit even more beautiful?”

“So he doesn’t feel so self-conscious. Keep that end goal in mind.”

“Or else?”

“Yeah.”

Taros giggled. “You try to look all kinds of scary, and you so aren’t.”

Senlas felt Orrey approach. At least he thought he did. He also heard his light footfalls but feeling him just sounded better in Senlas’s head.

“Can I help set the—ah. Couch, I suppose?” Orrey asked.