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She frowned and said, “What the?” but she did not reer

“Tell me what you see”

“I see er in my nose”

“And do you re you to do that?”

Her answer ca in her er out It’s stuck”

He shook his head “No, you can’t stop until I tell you to stop Watch Saffron? Pull your finger out of your nose Oh, and you can move—if you like, that’s up to you”

For what felt like a very long tier, then up at him “You’re one of them You’re a mutant Like on TV You’re Rockborn!”

“Well,” he said with a sort of shy shrug, “I’m not a monster”

“No” She stood up and walked slowly around hi hard and reached a tentative finger to touch his cheek “Are yougreen?”

“Only after too many burritos,” he said Then, in a more normal voice, “It seems like I am But people don’t seem freaked out”

“Freaked out? Why would they be? You’regorgeous Iat you”

It was an odd feeling, being inspected this way He was simultaneously vulnerable and all-powerful And yet it felt erotic

“The casino downstairs is full of cops and security and aht there had been so Was that you?”

He nodded

“Why?”