CHAPTER 241: CHAPTER 241 - HOLES IN KNOWLEDGE & PERSONAL SECURITIES

"I did assume your sister was Simone, but was that correct?"

"She’s been doing assistant work for different photographers and designers since before she graduated."

Zoé nodded and spoke, seeming more comfortable now that we weren’t discussing money - or her stomach issue. Though it could also merely be that I just implied to her boyfriend that he *should* do a little better and that resonated with her?

"When she mentioned a ’Citra’ was going to be part of an interview today, I remembered that day Paul got... all excited from meeting you. So, I told him."

"I mean, how many people with that name could there be in the city? It’s definitely not like mine!"

Well, he has a point. I’ve ran into at least two other people with nametags at grocery stores named Paul... and even in my world, my name was not one of the common words used as one.

"Also you seemed so... I don’t know, like someone who could do modeling. When you weren’t acting."

"Flattering."

My words to his praise came out dry, though I was privately pleased. What vain person does not like hearing that they would be a fit for having their picture taken and seen by others?

"Did she tell you where this interview was taking place?"

"Not exactly. She mentioned that it was for Frost & Ember when she was complaining to Zoé about having to work with a ’grad student photographer’ today. We looked it up from there!"

Enterprising little stalkers. Though I suppose I should appreciate the initiative - or else I wouldn’t have met and found someone to test that scan on.

As my wolf points out the number of people like that in my life in this world - stalkers, not those I could have scanned instead - the server returned with our drinks. I noticed the way she arranged them with particular care... especially making sure the hot tea and coffee was not too close to the edge.

Which feels like someone who either has spilled a hot drink in their own lap or watched one too many people do it themselves. I’d wager on her own, as most people learn better about harm from self-inflicted mistakes.

The girl wrapped her hands around the hot mug and stared at it as I did the same for my coffee. When I noticed and looked up at her, she hurried to take a sip as if trying to prove she was not copying me.

With less haste, I tried some of the bitter substance again. It’s still not something I think I will get used to, but I’m trying to find why the humans *like* it so much beyond the stimulating effect it has.

The boy fidgets in place and eventually reaches for his phone, seeming to start texting or something similar while the others around him are quiet. Which I guess just further proves that the humans - or the werewolves living as them - require lots of gratifying stimulation.

For a few moments, I consider pulling out mine and playing my fox game. But it seems like a rude thing to do when I’m functioning as their host. Still... I reach for it and open the camera to make good on my promise.

Taking candid shots while he is not looking, but his werewolf girlfriend absolutely is. Her awkward smiles and sidling closer for the shots is cute. As is her head shaking frantically ’no’ when I make a kissing face while turning my head.

Implying that she should peck his cheek for the next one - I guess they are not *that* close yet! Her motion that time finally alerted him... and Paul looks up between me and Zoé as if he just realized how little attention he was paying.

"Uh..."

"Give me your contact information and I’ll send you the good pictures."

"No!"

She says it a little loudly before looking around at the people she disturbed. Her head ducks down as she pulls out her own device, poking her thumbs at it before pushing it in little frantic taps across the table while hiding her face.

But all I see is just a bright screen with a white square with a bunch of squiggly puzzled black squares. Glancing back up, she is refusing to look at me and Paul is staring at her like she is a mysterious creature.

Waving my hand to get his attention, he sees that I am troubled and tries to explain.

"You... uhm, scan it with your QR Code app. It’s probably her info?"

It does not take him very long to see that... although he has used some human words, they have not translated to me. Patiently, he asks to see my phone to find what sort it is and what I might need to press.

With the image centered on the screen, a quick ’dialogue’ pops up to follow that lets me add her to my contacts. I see that I’ve not only been given her name, number, and email... but it also lists an address on it.

Saving it under the nickname ’Cute Zoé’, I quickly crop the image I wanted for her bubble photo before checking out where the pin gets dropped in the city for that. I see that it is in one of the suburb sections that I had not yet been to and turn it around to show her while tapping on her arm for attention.

"Young little stalkers, please be careful when you do things like this. I’m sure I could have found this out with time, if necessary... but there is no sense in making it so easy for someone with unknown intentions."

"...But you were sending her photos. Wasn’t that your intention?"

Looking over at the teen who didn’t see the problem with it, I frown before looking back at the one who clearly did. She is already holding her phone and figuring out how to change the settings on... whatever she did to show this ’QR Code’.

"You may need to be the one to nag him. A lot. I do not think he will make it in the world without your assistance."

"Hey!"

"...You’re right."

"H-hey... you took the wrong path here twice until I turned on my voiced map directions..."

Grinning at his displeasure and the example of her own ’problem’, I leaned over and whispered something in her ear. She looked a little shocked and guilty, but nodded at my assessment.

"No, wait... what are you two whispering about?!"

"Just girl talk."

She nods at him before covering her face with her phone in one hand and drinking her tea with the other. So adorable, so precocious!

Right. No need to let him know. That she knew they were going the wrong way. That she didn’t mind getting them ’lost’.

My wolf approves of my silence on the matter, for once... which I take as coming around to my particular use of time with them. But really, what did it want me to do as I waited for food? Howl Kyrie’s name into the sky repeatedly until she showed up?

Silly wolf. I would never do such a thing.

This world has phones, after all. So if I wasn’t trying to let her have some space for the day to process what I told her?

...I’d probably just send a selfie of me and the food.