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Aw, crap. That hadn’t been very dainty or graceful. Maybe he didn’t notice.

“That was a cute laugh,” said Dimas, looking right at her.

Wait, what?! Did she hear that right?! “Ah--uh! No, it wasn’t!”

Dimas was silent again, however.

She didn’t know what to say. Thank you? Should she blush? Wait, was she already doing that? What had she just said, again? No, it wasn’t? Why the fuck had she said that?! Taking compliments was easy as shit! She’d done it a million times!

She averted her gaze again, trying to think, to refocus. Calm down. It was just a game. A game she was good at. There was no reason to panic. Dimas was just a man. A tall, strong, and beautiful man who might even have a great personality, too. Jury was still out on that one, but it was looking good so far.

Looking damn good.

Oh, boy...

“...So did you want to hear a fable of Lhutwë?” said Dimas. “Or was that a polite way of saying no?”

“No! I mean, yes! I’d love to hear it!” At the moment, she could listen to him talk about paint drying or his car or just about anything, really.

“Are you certain?” he asked. “I promise I will not be offended.”

“Of course! Tell me!”

“Very well...” The man took a moment to observe his hands, as if to find his words there. “There are many stories of Lhutwë to choose from, but the one I have in mind is the story of how he came to choose my ancestors as his most beloved people.”

“The Armans, right?” said Madison.

“You know of them,” Dimas observed.

“Only a little. The common knowledge stuff. Peace-loving people of the rain, until a great war came along, and they kicked everyone’s butts.”

“A flattering summation.”

“Was I wrong?”

“I suppose not. But there are many important details being left out.”

She nudged herself ever so slightly closer. “Well, tell them to me, then.”

He eyed her briefly before nodding. “If the tale is to be believed, then my ancestors were not born into the rain.”

“Oh? Uh... what does that mean?”

“Our land. It was not always flooded as it is now. Nor did the Waress Mountains exist. Lhutwë was the one who bestowed them both upon us.”

“Ah... but, uh... haven’t mountains existed for, like, ever? Like, a lot longer than humans have?”

“Yes. And radiometric tests have confirmed as much for us, as well.”

“So I guess that’s why this is just a fable, then?”

“Indeed.”

“Right. Okay. Please continue.”

“The story tells of a time of immense strife and poverty for our people. However, the story also says that we had such nobility of spirit that these tribulations did not break us, which was why Lhutwë chose to grant us his protection. Again, a rather flattering portrayal, no?”

“I’m not judging. Yet.”