A level 2 Deathworlder looks much like the old lycanthropes of legend. However, Human children are entranced by their soft fur rather than be afraid. -- Anon Guest
She had heard a word so often that it may well be a slur. The Humans in her aura tended to call her a "werewolf". As far as Mani could tell, they didn't mean anything horrible by it. It was just a nickname. And anyway, Deathworlders tended to stick together with their odd variants of friendly hostility.
It was the kids that gave Mani pause. On a long trip from A to B, there was a small family containing equally small children, who stared. They had the license of still learning their manners, but it was starting to grate.
Mani finally surrendered to the potential aggravation and walked towards the small family. If there was any mood amongst the Parentals, it was a general aura of, "oh no..." Anticipating trouble and running through the de-escalation scripts.
"Is there something you want to ask," Mani said, fully prepared for a breathless string of rude questions.
The kids were agog. The elder of the twain said, "Can we pet you, mx puppy?"
The parents, for the record, hid their faces in shame.
Mani offered them an arm. "As a Deathworlder, I'm more accustomed to cogniscents being afraid of me."
"Clean hands," said a parental, getting out the washcloth. "We don't touch people with sticky hands."
"Thank you," said Mani. "I was anticipating a much more stressful interaction."
"Honestly, so were we," said the primary Parental.
The youngest child, still working on upright locomotion, used all of their arm in patting Mani's head. "Goggie.. goo' goo' goggie."
It was a new and strangely rewarding experience all the same.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / amyinlondon]
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