Sorana weaved her way back to their table with the third round, elbows tight to her side to avoid any bumps and spills. She'd barely sat down before First Bloom spoke.

"I have a couple human behaviours that I need clarified."

"Oh? Something new come up in the meeting?" asked Sorana, taking a slow swig of beer. Elf beer was... interesting, but alcohol was alcohol and she wasn't fussy.

"Indeed," said First Bloom, ears dipping and eyes widening. That usually meant she felt she had the upper hand. "You were looking at me for a long time. Staring. What does that mean?"

Sorana was thankful for the drink covering part of her face. She took another sip to give herself time.

"Oh, I was just daydreaming. I wasn't looking at anything in particular."

"Ah, slacking on your duties," said First Bloom, lips parting into a toothy smile. "And the reddening of the cheeks? What was that for?"

Sorana provided another involuntary demonstration of the effect as she choked on her beer.

"Nothing, nothing. Embarrassment," she said. "At slacking."

"Ahh, of course."

First Bloom took a drink from her own glass, then leant forwards towards Sorana.

"You know," she said, an extra sing-song quality creeping into her voice, tones of honey baiting a trap, "to practice your language, I read many human books. Many novels."

"No video?" asked Sorana, attempting to remain calm under the growing intensity. Stop looking away. Casual eye contact. Casual, casual! Stop staring!

"A little, but I'm afraid it was mostly non-fiction; scientific documentaries and such. Helpful, but not nearly so much as your fiction."

"A-ah," stumbled Sorana, "then you have me at a disadvantage. I mostly just got to study your textbooks."

"Mhmm, yes, we were perhaps overly protective of our cultural works to begin with," said First Bloom, backing off a little to take a contemplative drink.

"Perhaps you can recommend me some," suggested Sorana, hoping to move the conversation forward.

"Perhaps," agreed First Bloom dismissively, before leaning back in, closer this time. Her ears dipped even lower, and her smile opened up. It reminded Sorana of a predator baring its teeth. "But you miss my meaning. Deliberately so, I think. You are not nearly so clever in Elvish, you know."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Yes you do, but I shall make myself clear. Your stories explain the meaning of many human expressions; I am not as naive as you may believe. So I ask again: What did you mean by the staring, Peaceful Sky."

"I'm still not sure on that translation—"

"Come now, Sorana, do not a᷆lne᷅it͠h."

"Alneith?"

"Avoid. Distract. Delay."

"I was just looking."

"At?"

"You."

"Hmm?"

"Your hands, your face, your ears."

Sorana struggled under the stare, and the ever approaching elf had begun to make it difficult to hide behind her drink.

"For what purpose?"

"Just curiosity, okay?"

"Curiosity about what?"

First Bloom's eyes sparkled, like scintillating stars against void black space. Between that, the alcohol, and having to think in Elvish, Sorana was falling apart.

"Nothing. Just the differences from humans. It's nothing."

"Of course, Sorana, it's nothing. That is why your whole face is now aglow, correct? And was it nothing the previous, oh, dozen times too?"

No, no no no. Just nod, Sorana. She's guessing; messing with you.

"My dear Sorana, my Tall Grass under Peaceful Sky, did you not think I would notice? Did you not think I was likewise studying you as you studied me?"

She turned her head to the side, just enough to give Sorana a better view of her ear, which she twitched temptingly.

Whether it had been meant as a provocation, Sorana wasn't sure — this was uncharted territory — but she found herself having to stop her hand halfway towards reaching for it. She froze, before yanking her arm against her chest.

First Bloom relaxed her ears down low before rolling them back to their usual height. She had an air of smugness to her, of learning something, of winning, and something Sorana did not have the brain capacity to analyse right now.

"WellI'mgonnagonowgoodbye," Sorana rushed out in her home tongue, as she gathered her coat and bag.

"Speak Elvish dear, I can't understand you."

"I, eh, go... need to... Goodbye."

"Already?" asked First Bloom, grabbing Sorana's sleeve as she tried to get past. "Were you not interested in doing something else?"

Sorana let herself give the slightest nod, eyes still locked on the distance beyond the exit.

"In that case," said First Bloom, predator smile growing once more, "Why don't you and I go somewhere quiet."