@remotespontaneouscombustion sent:
"Why are you… like this?" He gestures vaguely. "You act so much like a Contractor, but you're just as human as any other. Is this harder on you? Do people suspect you more?"
His tone is flat, but inquisitive. No intention to interrogate, only sincere questions.
'WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS'...?
From his seat, as he leaned lazily on the table, Svern looked at Maki; his eyes half-closed, almost disinterested. Certainly, the dull shine in their amber colour mimicked the flat stare often common to a Contractor's gaze, and he was as much of a callous, duplicitous liar as the stereotype held. He fit in better with Contractors than he did with 'normal' humanity.
And yet, he was indeed 'just' an ordinary human.
After a moment, he planted his chin on his hand and sighed.
"Who knows? If you want to be technical about it, it's just the way my brain happens to work"—with his free hand, he placed a finger against his head—"the result of genetic lottery, and a bunch of other little things."
"Contractors aren't the first kind of weird people to have ever existed, you know. You guys just happen to get a few extra gimmicks thrown in with your special brand of strangeness. Ahh, but maybe if I could be bothered to feel jealousy, I'd be jealous! I've been living like this from the day I was born and what compensation do I get for it? NOTHING AT ALL!"
His arms were thrown up in feigned dramatics, then shifted into a stretch, before he leaned on the table again. "I could say it's a pain, but not really. It's just how it is. Being a Contractor's not so awful either, right? Aside from other people making it a pain, and having to pay a price every so often."
Svern smiled, catlike. "As for the other thing... remember this, Maki."
"Nobody ever suspects me unless I want them to."
