Seven

Chapter Three

We have successfully avoided talking for almost the whole ride, but now - a few minutes from reaching our destination - I can't bare the silence anymore.

So, I ask the most random question I can come up with. "Um- What are you?"

"Huh?" they look at me confused. "What do you mean?"

I guess it was a bit too random, but since I've asked already, might as well just elaborate. "Like- what species are you?"

"Uh-" that makes them even more baffled, but they bring themselves to answer eventually, "-you have a habit of asking things that have nothing to do you," they point out.

"I'm just curious."

"Well, I'm a human; obviously."

No human would say it like that. "Have you ever looked into the mirror? No sane person would ever identify you as a human; at least not up close."

"Ah, are you talking about my hair? It's dyed; you moron."

"Oh, and you are also wearing contact lenses?"

"Yes."

"That glow-"

"Indeed- I mean, no! Of course they don't glow! Are you high or something?! Did that jump seriously mess you up so much?"

"And your hair does too."

"Shut up!" they curl up into a ball; trying to hide away from my vision. "Nothing about me glows!"

I can't help but snicker; this is just too entertaining. They try to cover up their hair with their hands, but it fails miserably, as most of the golden locks just fall through the gaps between their fingers. "Maybe a blanket would work better," I point out teasingly.

"Ugh," they exhale frustrated, and straighten up their posture; defeat evident on their face.

"So?"

"If you really need to know so badly-" I get excited for the answer, "-I'm an Iliopedion."

Oh, I've never heard of this species; must be quite rare.

"We are quite rare though-" called it. "-so you probably don't know much about us."

"Yeah, but you must be in some way related to humans, right? Your physical structure seems almost identical."

"Hah, you would be surprised-"

"What?"

"Never mind. Yes, we share some genome with the humans, but the rest of it is unique, which makes us superior in almost every way."

That's a little rude. "Yeah? Tell me some, because from what I can see-" I highlight their size, "-you look inferior in almost every way."

"You mean my height?-" Not only the height. "-Has it ever occurred to you that being so obnoxiously big can be inconvenient, and down right dangerous at times?"

Being tiny and weak also isn't the most useful-

"That's why we see our size as an advantage; it lets us be more-" they think for a moment "-insignificant, thus being harder to target."

Ah, that's the word they were looking for; insignificant. What a way to mask your deficiency.

"But also, I'm actually not that small at all," they add in an offended tone.

"Oh seriously? Your head doesn't even reach my chin-"

"It does! We can try right now!" they yank my arm, and try to make me stand up, but since we are in a such cramped environment, I immediately bump my head against the ceiling.