[He has to put in effort not to laugh at that opener.] Grandpa Momo, that's me! It's not strictly at twenty, but you do grow an extra molar at each end of your jaw when you grow up. They're called wisdom teeth. Do you think you're starting to grow them in or is there a monster thing that could be making your jaw hurt?
[Because that's typically how one notices their wisdom teeth are coming in.]
Yeah, it started right after the full moons. I asked someone and she said it was normal for someone my age and gave me some cream. But... I don't know anyone else whose had this.
[But 20 was a pretty lofty age where she was from. ]
It's stopped bleeding now, but talkings a pain. [without the numbing cream she had a lisp, with it she sounded like she had a mouth full of paper. ]
Do you hang out with many older people? It does seem kinda like a lot of people in your world would've had bigger problems. [What with the whole fighting giant people-eating monsters situation and all.]
Is it just in the back of your mouth? The full moon timing makes it a bit hard to tell, but if it spreads anywhere other than just near the hinges of your jaw then it's more likely to be something else.
I only know two people older than me. Captain midget and the commander... [The average lifespan was pretty low.] It's hard to tell. It's near the teeth at the back.
[There's a sigh. She wasn't going to know until later, was she?]
Yeah, I was wondering if that might be it... [Considering how old-timey her world seemed to be in some respects, it makes sense that short lifespan would probably still be a thing even without all the combat.]
You might have to wait to figure it out, then, but probably not too long. Wisdom teeth take a pretty long time to grow in fully, so if it grows noticeably in the next week or so then it's definitely something else. If it's a Monster thing then I figure it'll probably keep growing quickly enough? [Monster changes sometimes drag out a bit, but not usually the same single change as far as he's seen.]
Wings are a lot bigger than anything that's gonna come out of your mouth, though. But it's more that even if it doesn't grow out completely, it'll probably make some progress in that time. But wisdom teeth can take years.
[So he feels like there's a contrast to be had there nonetheless.]
Oh, so you do get bonus arms! My darling still wins the award for extra arms, though I guess not having them all the time is both a blessing and a curse...
I guess, that's still not a comforting thought. I can't really think of anything else that can grow at this point though. [Extra teeth, or unknown monster thing. Both sounded bad. She'd give another huff.]
The arms I had in the dream were covered in spines, does that get me an award? [It's dry, no she's not expecting anything and attempting to joke. She has to complain about it and the bullshit she's going through. Instead of just accepting it, even though she was noticeably resigned at this point.]
I guess it's more a question of exactly how buggy fae get? Bugs do have kind of weird mouths, so it might be a mouth part humans don't usually have.
[It doesn't sound like her entire mouth is changing, which seems like a blessing considering how horrifying it'd probably make her look, but a smaller change seems plausible.]
Hmm, spines are pretty cool...you can have the award for most hostile arms, then! [You get an award, and you get an award, etc. etc.]
[Thankfully, this was audio and not video or in person. Otherwise, he might have gotten to see her just staring into space as she tried to picture that.
...Terrifying.
As it is, he still got a pause as she started recording again. Then a snort of a laugh.]
...Thanks. They were actually useful in that dream, nearly cut one of the creatures that attacked me in half.
Maybe they thought it was about time they started pulling their weight! Can't let themselves fall behind the strength of your other arms and all.
[Even though bug arms don't have muscle and this entire train of thought is just silly.] But at least you know for sure what they are now. Have you heard anyone say how long it might take for Monsters to stop changing, though? You've been here a while, so I have to admit I'm surprised something new is growing in this late.
I...I don't think I can lift anything with them. [She was taking that somewhat seriously. Her second arms hadn't had hands... Well maybe she could lift things. If she stabbed them first.]
I don't know. The people who've been here the longest have been here just over a year. Though some of those are still changing. [Maybe. Did their horns growing bigger, splitting into another pair count as changes?]
Pulling their weight doesn't have to be literal, you know... [Clearly any stabbing force they might have is enough to live up to the destructive force of her other arms.
That sounds like a whole lot of time to still be changing after, though, and Momo gives a bit of a low whistle.] Major changes or just stuff moving around? If I was here a year and suddenly started growing something new I'd probably be asking for a refund.
I think you need to work on your luring tactics! [Momo could probably offer a few lessons in being sneaky to get people into her grasp, but he'll not mention that for now.]
But yeah, that sounds normal. Fur coats especially, I guess any Monster that's got traits of an animal with summer and winter coats is going to have that puffing up and then shedding. [The other point has him thinking more questionably, though.] I wonder if the horns are an extra set for mating season? Since deer usually shed their horns after that, but I've never seen that happen to a faun.
It's not fishing if you're grabbing. [A snort.] At least that's what I was told when I used a net.
[It'd been a long time since she'd gone fishing though. Then Momo...killed all thoughts. Getting a splutter as she slowly repeated the words.] ... Mating season?
No, I mean as in luring people into your nefarious clutches! [Someone's primary knowledge of mantises is the females' habit of biting their mate's head off.
As for her reaction to the mating season thing, he can't help but laugh.]
Some Monsters have them, you know? I've mostly just heard about it so far, but I've definitely heard it from enough people that it seems to be a thing for certain Monsters.
Because that's how nature works...? Monsters draw from animals in a lot of other ways, why would this be any different?
[Momo sounds genuinely confused that this is a sticking point for her, though he's also kind of thinking that human mating season is basically all the time, so it's not that big a deal.]
That pregnancy post? I guess, but since physical contact is supposed to help Bonds, there's kinda other reasons for Monsters to have mating seasons, don't you think?
[Can't get much more physically contacted than banging, which Momo is of course going to bring up considering he not only is Bonded to his boyfriend but said boyfriend is equipped with several potentially horny appendages.]
Maybe they're "enough", but there's a lot of people in romantic Bonds too, you know? Or people who just want to be intimate together like that. So it can't hurt to give them that extra nudge to do it more often!
[He's mostly thinking of it in terms of people who already do it, since others he imagines would find other ways to cope with a mating season.]
Oh, the "breeding like rabbits" part? [Momo can pretty much immediately guess what the problem with her hearing about puca had been, which may or may not say something.] Yeah, I've heard fauns can be a bit racy too? But rabbits definitely have a reputation for it, so puca being like that makes sense.
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[Because that's typically how one notices their wisdom teeth are coming in.]
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[But 20 was a pretty lofty age where she was from. ]
It's stopped bleeding now, but talkings a pain. [without the numbing cream she had a lisp, with it she sounded like she had a mouth full of paper. ]
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Is it just in the back of your mouth? The full moon timing makes it a bit hard to tell, but if it spreads anywhere other than just near the hinges of your jaw then it's more likely to be something else.
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I only know two people older than me. Captain midget and the commander... [The average lifespan was pretty low.] It's hard to tell. It's near the teeth at the back.
[There's a sigh. She wasn't going to know until later, was she?]
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You might have to wait to figure it out, then, but probably not too long. Wisdom teeth take a pretty long time to grow in fully, so if it grows noticeably in the next week or so then it's definitely something else. If it's a Monster thing then I figure it'll probably keep growing quickly enough? [Monster changes sometimes drag out a bit, but not usually the same single change as far as he's seen.]
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Maybe...It took my wings months to grow though, and these arms- You were right about those. I saw them when we tried to wake those people up.
[A praying mantis huh...]
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[So he feels like there's a contrast to be had there nonetheless.]
Oh, so you do get bonus arms! My darling still wins the award for extra arms, though I guess not having them all the time is both a blessing and a curse...
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The arms I had in the dream were covered in spines, does that get me an award? [It's dry, no she's not expecting anything and attempting to joke. She has to complain about it and the bullshit she's going through. Instead of just accepting it, even though she was noticeably resigned at this point.]
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[It doesn't sound like her entire mouth is changing, which seems like a blessing considering how horrifying it'd probably make her look, but a smaller change seems plausible.]
Hmm, spines are pretty cool...you can have the award for most hostile arms, then! [You get an award, and you get an award, etc. etc.]
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...Terrifying.
As it is, he still got a pause as she started recording again. Then a snort of a laugh.]
...Thanks. They were actually useful in that dream, nearly cut one of the creatures that attacked me in half.
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[Even though bug arms don't have muscle and this entire train of thought is just silly.] But at least you know for sure what they are now. Have you heard anyone say how long it might take for Monsters to stop changing, though? You've been here a while, so I have to admit I'm surprised something new is growing in this late.
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I don't know. The people who've been here the longest have been here just over a year. Though some of those are still changing. [Maybe. Did their horns growing bigger, splitting into another pair count as changes?]
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That sounds like a whole lot of time to still be changing after, though, and Momo gives a bit of a low whistle.] Major changes or just stuff moving around? If I was here a year and suddenly started growing something new I'd probably be asking for a refund.
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Growing second sets of horns, fur coats. I think it's just...aging things. [Like how a rodent's teeth never stopped growing.]
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But yeah, that sounds normal. Fur coats especially, I guess any Monster that's got traits of an animal with summer and winter coats is going to have that puffing up and then shedding. [The other point has him thinking more questionably, though.] I wonder if the horns are an extra set for mating season? Since deer usually shed their horns after that, but I've never seen that happen to a faun.
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[It'd been a long time since she'd gone fishing though. Then Momo...killed all thoughts. Getting a splutter as she slowly repeated the words.] ... Mating season?
[Momo...They're people not ?? Actual animals???]
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As for her reaction to the mating season thing, he can't help but laugh.]
Some Monsters have them, you know? I've mostly just heard about it so far, but I've definitely heard it from enough people that it seems to be a thing for certain Monsters.
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But...why?
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[Momo sounds genuinely confused that this is a sticking point for her, though he's also kind of thinking that human mating season is basically all the time, so it's not that big a deal.]
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Too flustered to say that though. Or too afraid to learn that Forbbidan knowledge. She just sighs, catching her breath again.]
...Wasn't someone asking about children the other week?
[Why have mating seasons if no babies? Yes, this is the escape route she's choosing.]
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[Can't get much more physically contacted than banging, which Momo is of course going to bring up considering he not only is Bonded to his boyfriend but said boyfriend is equipped with several potentially horny appendages.]
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[Because the idea of banging Emet-selch was a NO. Tendou....also no. She'd hug Tendou, they'd napped together. But that was it.]
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[He's mostly thinking of it in terms of people who already do it, since others he imagines would find other ways to cope with a mating season.]
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...This is like being told about puca again.
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