The Penny Drops (Sea the Depths Book 1) by Karmon Kuhn (warren buffett book recommendations TXT) 📕

“I see.”

I was still curious but I was too excited about the food to continue talking. I picked up the croissant and mimicked the steps to eat it. The moment that it hit my tongue, I could understand why so many of my community members loved human food. I had heard about the nutrient-barren foods that humans ate being delicious, but this was beyond delicious. I’d never enjoyed food so much in my life, and I had to fight the urge to shove the whole confection in my mouth immediately.

On impulse, I smiled, and I was proud that I was already building some cultural reflexes. Hopefully, I could learn some colloquialisms as quickly so that I wouldn’t be as easily identified as a foreigner. So far, my missteps had been minor, but I needed to fit in to avoid discovery. No matter how short or rushed my training, I knew better than to reveal myself as strange.

“Do you like it?” Penny asked, excited to hear my answer.

“Yes. Very much.” I responded and then added, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I thought this might be a safe choice. Are you a coffee drinker?”

“No,” I said, “But, I like to try new things.”

“You haven’t had a cappuccino before?” she asked.

“No.”

“Well then, you’re in for a treat. A cappuccino with a croissant is about as good as it gets!”

I assumed that she was being hyperbolic and was proud of myself for recognizing this. But, rather than congratulate myself on these small wins, I put my mental efforts into furthering the bonding process.

“I know that you are a nursing student. What else can you tell me?” I leaned forward and pulled my long dark hair away from my shoulder. I uncovered my neck to show interest and vulnerability as I’d learned.

“Hmm. I love to read, I’m a cat person . . .”

I interrupted her at this, startled. “What is a cat person?”

“Oh! Sorry, I meant that I like cats. People always say that they’re a dog person or a cat person depending on which one they like better. I like cats. I have two.”

“Two cats. They’re domesticated animals?” The clarification calmed me. She must be an appropriate human tsùges̈ss and not some “cat” species of which I wasn’t aware.

“Yeah! Pets! Here, let me show you pictures!”

At this, she pulled out her device and pressed it several times, progressing through a number of different visual displays. Then, she showed it to me with pictures of two hairy creatures. They both had four legs and long tails. Their hair was multicolored, one with light and dark gray stripes and the other dappled gray and orange. They pranced around or yawned lazily in their individual photos, and in some of the pictures they even laid next to each other for warmth or perhaps to show affection.

“Those are my babies,” she said, and again, I was confused and alarmed.

“You mean pets,” I clarified.

“Hahaha. Yes. Literally, they are my pets, but figuratively, they feel like my kids. I love them a lot.”

“They’re quite cute,” I commented, hoping that cats were in fact cute animals.

“I sure think so,” she agreed, “I really miss them, though.”

“Why do you miss them?”

“My apartment complex doesn’t allow pets, so I had to leave them with my dad in Indiana,” she answered. The sides of her mouth began to point downward and her eyes glittered a little with moisture.

“I’m sorry that you are far from them,” I said and boldly placed my fingers atop the hand that she kept folded on the table.

She looked up at me, and her lips spread across her cheeks in a pleasant grin until the counter attendant yelled our names, and Penny left to get our cappuccinos. As she stood, I detected a hint of musk, the fragrance of budding attraction. As well as I could attract with close proximity through air, skin contact was better, and fluid transfer even more effective still.

She came back with two cups full of a frothy, white liquid with a deep brown pattern on the top, like ripples of water. It was so hot that the air over it unfurled visibly in cloudy whisps.

I watched as she blew air over it and then, carefully took a drink.

“Mmm,” she moaned. “Try dipping a bit of the croissant in.”

I tore a corner of the croissant off and dipped it into the cappuccino, swirling the pattern away, and then put it into my mouth. I had never had flavors quite like these before, and again, I better appreciated human food as many of my people did. The sensation was warm and welcoming. The flavors gave me so many elements to focus on. I closed my eyes and simply enjoyed it.

“What do you think?”

“These are both delicious. Thank you.”

“Absolutely,” Penny said, and then continued, “So, tell me more about you!”

“I also like to read. I find books and language to be great tools for understanding the human mind,” I was unsure if I should share so honestly or if I should create a persona separate from myself instead.

“I completely agree. What kind of books do you like to read?” She mirrored my behavior from earlier and showed me her neck and clavicle. I silently congratulated myself on how quickly the bonding process was progressing.

“I enjoy novels, but nonfiction and magazines are enjoyable as well. I most recently finished a volume of Brave New World which I found to be fascinating.” I swirled another bite of croissant in my coffee in anticipation of her answer.

“I read that in high school, and I honestly really loved it. Dystopian literatures on point. Scary sometimes. Have you read anything else by Aldous Huxley?”

“Yes,” I answered, “I also studied The Island which was an interesting read. I appreciated what Huxley considered to be a utopia.”

Another true statement, even though I knew that he was wrong. Living in a community with specialized education, access to healthcare, ample food, available work, and all