Page 6 of Legends and Longing

Could the meaning of the word spank have changed?

“They also typically do not involve extensive role-play where they take on alternate characteristics in order to promote submission and emotional connection.”

What?

“They also do not typically involve toys, both child-like and sexual in nature, costumes, or restraints.”

It seemed like we had gaps in our information on Earth…and humans…and mates.

Yes, I was going to need their language as soon as possible.

For research purposes, of course.

As the highest-ranking cultural historian, it was my duty to understand as much of their behaviors as possible.

Chapter 2

Raxius

What was the confusing male doing?

The way Professor Zorin circled the main group of Earth people should have made him look like a predator ready to attack.

It did not.

Instead, he moved back and forth like a bird looking for food…or possibly attention if he was domesticated. It was impossible to ignore even if that was what manners required. The people of Earth did not seem to understand local behavior rules because they kept tracking him and slowly rotating the circles they had grouped themselves into.

Were they doing it deliberately?

Was it a herd instinct they had developed on Earth?

The more I watched, the more I realized the frustrating professor had probably done something to make them wary. He did that to everyone he found interesting, but it was possible no one had told them.

Why had no one told them?

Searching the large hall where the people of Earth had been moved to after their arrival, I studied their behavior to understand what was strange about the situation. Council members and academics alike were scattered all over the room in small groups but most were standing apart from visitors.

It took longer than it should have to realize the problem. Most did not seem to be able to speak to the people of Earth aside from one or two that were talking with Klynn and the visitor he was addressing.

Had the spell gone wrong?

Why were we not informed?

If I was supposed to help support gaining knowledge from the people of Earth, I should have been informed that we could not speak to them.

Studying the groups they had bunched themselves into, I found Toman off to the side and moved to address him. We had been previously introduced when he had been chosen to go through the portal, but he had made a positive impression in the quick meeting.

Hoping that he was still competent and less frustrating than Klynn, I paused near what seemed to be a mated Earth couple. It was good to see they could bond, but everyone went still as I stood quietly. It was much better than the way they had been circling, but it still did not give me any information.

They stared worse than Professor Zorin.

Were they as odd as he was or was it a behavior from Earth?

“Toman. Welcome back.”

Ignoring the newcomers, I focused on the familiar face and did my best to appear calm. It did not seem to be helping the people of Earth based on the way their speech increased in speed. They sounded like the birds Professor Zorin was still doing an odd impression of.

Toman made some kind of long breathy sound that had the male at his side responding to it for some reason. I was fairly certain he thought something was funny but the excess of facial expressions made it difficult to process.