He blinks in surprise at the trick, but he had been forewarned to expect the unexpected, and welcomes it.
"My father," Sorve says, offering the faintest hint of a smile. There is pride in his voice, and deep love. "I am sure he would have told me about you, but I have only just arrived." Diplomatic. Calm. ALMOST cold.
Therem waves Jack into a chair. "My child and I have written to one another much over the years. I had never seen his face, nor he mine. He has come from a little over a year in my own future." Nothing at all in Therem's voice betrays knowledge of what Sorve told him. Knowing of his own death.
Sorve offers no elaboration as to how different their two times might be, instead leaning forward to stare at Jack.
"You are very pale," he observes. "As are many here. How did you change the air?"
Therem does not have the same reservations about sex that Jack has. He clarifies, "Jack has been my partner in kemmer. He is a good friend. He helped me learn the ways of this place."
"Oh!" Sorve nods, and continues playing with Therem's hair, evidently making no assumptions about sex meaning anything but sex. "That was kind of you, Mr. Jack." Sorve, like his father, is quick to adapt. They both seem as at home as anyone here, if always a little more different than some.
Sorve looks at his father for clarification. Therem says something to him that does not translate. Sorve tilts his head a little. "Always?" he asks, and Therem nods. "Oh. That is unlucky." There is nothing, in Sorve's mind, inherently wrong with two men loving one another. Lacking genders, his world also lacks judgement concerning how people should love one another. To Sorve's mind, they are people first. It is unlucky that their anatomy prevents them from having children, and that nothing can be done about it.
"Still," the youth continues, "it is good to have found someone to vow yourself to. I have not found such a one yet. Some of the children in my Hearth tease me, that I am getting old, but not too old, and I have no siblings..."
Sorve seems to consider this as he braids his father's hair.
"I do not think it would be wise for me to be the first on my world to vow kemmering with an alien. It would be courageous, but a time of great change has come, not just to my country, but to my planet. Such things must be carefully considered. No one I found here could return to my home with me, unless they could pass for one of my people, and they would have to do so for the rest of their lives. I would not ask that of anyone, least of all someone I loved. No... Though if I am to stay here for some time, it would be nice at least to find a partner to kemmer with."
"Am I interrupting? It's just, you look a lot like each other."
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Sorve regards Jack with a curious but reserved expression.
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"I'm Jack, Jack of the Frost and it's very nice to meet you. I know your parent."
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"My father," Sorve says, offering the faintest hint of a smile. There is pride in his voice, and deep love. "I am sure he would have told me about you, but I have only just arrived." Diplomatic. Calm. ALMOST cold.
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"I hope."
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Sorve offers no elaboration as to how different their two times might be, instead leaning forward to stare at Jack.
"You are very pale," he observes. "As are many here. How did you change the air?"
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Jack thinks that explains it neatly.
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He smiles.
"Are you a very close friend of my father's?"
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Well.
"I met him when he first came here."
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"Oh!" Sorve nods, and continues playing with Therem's hair, evidently making no assumptions about sex meaning anything but sex. "That was kind of you, Mr. Jack." Sorve, like his father, is quick to adapt. They both seem as at home as anyone here, if always a little more different than some.
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Jack can't quite hide how pleased he is about this.
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"Will you have any children?" Sorve asks with kind if misinformed interest.
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As far as Jack knows.
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"Still," the youth continues, "it is good to have found someone to vow yourself to. I have not found such a one yet. Some of the children in my Hearth tease me, that I am getting old, but not too old, and I have no siblings..."
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Jack certainly approves.
"Perhaps someone here. Would that be allowed? Or too strange?"
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"I do not think it would be wise for me to be the first on my world to vow kemmering with an alien. It would be courageous, but a time of great change has come, not just to my country, but to my planet. Such things must be carefully considered. No one I found here could return to my home with me, unless they could pass for one of my people, and they would have to do so for the rest of their lives. I would not ask that of anyone, least of all someone I loved. No... Though if I am to stay here for some time, it would be nice at least to find a partner to kemmer with."
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