I liked him. I had to breathe through my mouth to keep from purring when he said I was beautiful. He introduced himself as Colonel something-or-other. It was a long name, and it sounded eastern European. I couldn't have pronounced it if I had tried to. Not that it matters much. Most chimaera identify people by scent, not name. So, I'll probably remember him as Colonel Too-Much-Cologne. I couldn't introduce myself. I don't have a name yet.
He had a lot of questions, and they were good questions. Not abstract or repetitive. Very straightforward, very businesslike. I thought about having fun with him a bit, teasing and such, but he seemed too concerned about his job and his... well, interrogation, I guess, to have much fun. Plus, I didn't want him to get the wrong idea or a bad impression. Most humans tend to think we're shyly flirting with them when we make conversation, and he had on a wedding ring. Plus he was in his fifties, probably. Way too old. I'm only twenty one. So, yeah. Not happening.
It gets irritating talking to humans sometimes. Technicians and Engineers are used to it, but most chimaera give off signs similar to ones that shy human women use when they're flirting. Technicians and Engineers know it's just who we are. Other humans don't get it. We look around a lot, and when we make eye contact, we have to concentrate on it. Our senses are still animalistic in a lot of ways, and we like to know what's going on around us. So maintaining eye contact is something we have to put a lot of focus into and it has a tendency to make things kind of intense. Hence, humans thinking we're flirting. It doesn't help that they can't smell our pheromones. Chimaera know each other's moods fairly easily, cause almost every mammal gives off pheromones, be they natural born or chimaera. That includes humans.
Pheromones are produced by your body. They're usually subtle scents in the air, created by reactions to stress, arousal, pain, fear, anger. Pretty much your whole array of emotions give off pheromones of one type or another. We can smell it fairly easily, if the wind is right. Chimaera can learn to dampen those reactions, but it's very hard. It's a natural reaction, like laughing at a joke, or frowning at an insult. Some humans can sense our pheromones, but it doesn't really seem to be a conscious thing. The emotions have to be pretty strong for that to happen, though. Usually they figure it out before then anyway, just from looking at us. Our facial reactions are still partially human after all.
Ugh. I'm exhausted. I really need a bath. Well, that might help relax me too. Drying my fur always sucks, though. Takes for-freaking-ever. Ok, I'm gonna go get cleaned up before I go to sleep. Or try to sleep. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Good night.
