286 Don't Stand Out

KALLE 

As Gahrye's hands slipped to the next button on his leathers, Kalle gasped and whirled around, putting her face in her hands. She had heard about this side of the Anima. Their lack of self-consciousness.

"Oh! Um," she squeaked. "When adult humans change their clothes, they usually go into a different room so they aren't… you know… naked in front of each other."

"Oh, right," he hesitated. "Elia told me that. Sorry," he said, his voice low and deep, hushed. She couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or irritated because she couldn't see his face. She still had hers hidden in her hands. "I'll just… go," he said.

Mortified, she listened to him move across the room. Well, not really, because he made basically no sound when he walked. But she could feel him walk away like she felt the sun move behind a cloud.

She wanted to sink into the floor and die.

She wanted to climb him like a tree.