As the night wears on

Val Etilen wrote:

Val looked down at the tendril and turned his wrist under it curiously.  
"It's a bit of a port city.  The last few weeks have been a trickle of activity, but since this interplanetary summit, it's been quite the adventure.  Especially for me.. there are quite a few races I've never encountered before.  And I like trying new things."

"Oh? What kind of races have you tried?" said Da-an. With no discernible lips, it was difficult to tell if Da-an was smiling, but their inflection was at least flirtatious, although still oddly buzzing.

Val covered his mouth with mock modesty.
"That would be telling, Da-an. Though I will say I've only ever had humanoids."

"But I bet you have fascinating stories!" said Da-an.
"I mostly stay in greenhouses, I don't have the opportunity to see very many things," they paused, "I just like to live vicariously through anecdotes."

"Well... I can tell you some stories, but... there comes a time when one must learn by doing," Val said with intent. "Does your species reproduce sexually at all?"

"Through cross-pollination," said Da-an. "Stimulation for the purpose of pleasure is a separate matter."

"I'm glad to hear it is not unheard of," Val said. "Oh.. I am a male of my species. In case you didn't know. Do your people have genders?"

"We are both genders, and neither. We possess the ability to pollinate, and be pollinated. I know you're a male. You're not the first humanoid I've been around," they said defensively.

"Well! Excuse me," Val grinned, liking this exchange of information. "I suppose I am not the first humanoid you've propositioned either."

"Not exactly, no," said Da-an. "There aren't a lot of Phylosians left, I can't afford to be that exclusive about my company."

"Oh," Val said, sobering a bit. "May I ask why you are so rare? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"You might call it a strain of bad luck, or the price we pay for being members of the galactic community. By way of space travel, a plague was brought back to our planet which nearly demolished us. The Federation has sent scientists but none have been able to cure the plague or help us recover the loss of genetic diversity. It doesn't sadden me to tell you. All that remains for me now is to procure a legacy for myself and my species during whatever time I am permitted to live. There's nothing else left."

Val gasped, the situation reminding him of a story he heard once, but he couldn't quite remember details. "One of the human aid workers I met as a child told me about something like this... that an isolated species, or even an isolated community - can be devastated by an infection which is mild in a visitor. I think it must have happend on Earth too."

"Some geneticists have tried to retain our species, but our physiology is complicated, and clones have had a poor success rate. The circumstances must be right, and we can only propagate on Phylos II due to the specific soil content. This is all bleak conversation for the evening, however."

Val smiled. "Sorry. Well, you will have to educate me on the particulars of Phry.. losian pleasures."

"We enjoy friction, tightness, and suction around our tentillum," said Da-an, waving a small tentacle in the air for emphasis.

Val actually felt a flutter of shock at the mildness with which Da-an answered him, and that was rather exciting. He placed his hand at the collar of his shirt and toyed with it.
"Well... I'm glad I won't be a complete novice, then."

"You strike me as adept at your job, I'm sure you can handle yourself well," they said. "I'm looking forward to my station tour," they said, finishing their third water. "But for the night, I must rest under a spectrum lamp. I'll see you tomorrow."
As they walked away, one single tendril stroked the line of Val's jaw, tickling him under his chin.

"I'll see you on the Promenade," Val said with a grin. "Good night."
Val finished his Kanar slowly, pondering what was to come. Well, this is why he moved off-world. To see new things, to meet new people, to stroke new appendages.