driftfleet | may mingle (blameless!)

[he winces a little in sympathy] I know how that is. There's a number of people here from - a future. They're all a good thirty years or so ahead of me.

That's - good, though. He's a good kid. [he tilts his head] Really?

Uh-huh! Back home, there's a species called the Chiss who look a lot like him! I mean-- with the blue skin and all. I was so excited at first-- everyone here's a human, you know? [Something seems to occur to her, and she continues on quickly:]

Oh! Not that humans are bad, but... well, it's kinda weird when nobody else is used to non-humans. [Flippantly:] Do you know how many questions I have to field per day?

[he blinks a few times before he can't help but smile] Probably as many as I've had to field the past month. I understand the sentiment very well.

[says this guy, who looks completely human at the moment] I'll admit I want to ask too, but only because I'm curious, not - because I'm not used to non-humans. But I didn't want to be rude.

[Ahsoka rolls her eyes with a smile and well-meaning good humour.]

It's okay. I'm used to it. Go on, what do you want to know? Is it the horns? It's always the horns.

If I say it was the markings and the horns, am I forgiven for asking in the first place?

[he does look apologetic, though] I can make it fair if you want.

[Ahsoka laughs.] I'm already used to humans. [She hasn't put two and two together yet.]

The markings are an evolutionary throwback to when we survived in nature-- they're camouflage, they help us to blend in on our home planet. Same with the stripes on our horns. Everything on Shili is bright, multi-coloured and patterned. So we are too.

[Then she uses one hand to point to the top of her stubby little cat-eared-horns.] These are actually called montrals. They're not quite the same as horns. They're sensitive to vibrations in the air, so we can tell where things are around us even without sight or hearing. They grow bigger as we get older. Pretty cool, huh?

[she has his complete attention. He loves learning about other humans and non-humans - how can he not, when he's dedicated his life to understanding them both at a genetic level?]

That's - wow, that is really cool. [congratulations Ahsoka, you're the first person to get him to use that word genuinely] Your planet sounds amazing, too. That sort of stuff - other planets and all - that's . . . far, far in my future. So hearing about it is - thank you.

[and - because he is about fairness, he grins] I never said I was human.

Yeah-- you and just about everybody else here. It's weird how many people here aren't familiar with space travel!

[Pause. Digest. React.]

... Wait. You're not human? Oh! Are you using one of those-- hologram things like Kurt too?

To be entirely fair, I'm from the 70s. My Earth only recently traveled to the moon.

[he shakes his head] I use a serum. I don't think a hologram would work as well, given - uh, what I actually look like.

["The 70s" means absolutely nothing to Ahsoka, being both unfamiliar with Earth history and also how their dating calendar works. In the Star Wars universe, the base 0 calendar year resets almost every time there's a major galactic event.]

A serum? You mean you change your appearance... physically? How does that work?

[why Star Wars universe, why]

It suppresses the cells that - make me look the way I do, essentially.

... That sounds like a major hassle.

It is. [he isn't going to lie; he doesn't like that he takes it] I get yelled at a lot for it, too.

Yelled at? Why?

I have a friend or two who think I shouldn't hide. Which - is what I'm doing, really.

But I'm not - used to walking around out in the open like that, either. It's a very old argument.

Huh. But... correct me if I'm wrong, but-- from what I've heard, humans aren't very receptive to non-humans on your planet, right?

No, they're not. [he nods] On my particular world, it's - complicated, because the world just learned about us. So they're sort of figuring out what to do with that information.

["Figuring out what to do" sounds like the nicest euphemism Ahsoka ever heard.]

... So you're defending yourself.

[the worst part is how true that statement is]

I - yeah, you could look at it that way.

[Ahsoka looks distinctly unimpressed-- not with Hank, though.]

... Kinda sounds to me like you need new friends.

They mean well. [it gets to him sometimes, but he knows that much] And - it isn't as though they don't have to deal with the same thing. They're just better at it than I am.

Yeah, but they don't get to decide what you feel comfortable with!

No, they don't. [he's in complete agreement] I guess - luckily, I'm very stubborn when it comes to certain things. And they - understand. It isn't arguments all the time.

[She crosses her arms over her chest, still a little unsure.] Well... good.

At least-- at least you don't have to deal with that here.

[he smiles a little wider and nods]

No, I don't. I get a lot of questions, though - like you do. But I can't really blame people for wanting to know, either.

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