"So you've never been to Gaia? Not even once?"

"Nope."

Zoid took a sip of his drink, sitting back. 

"Never wanted to, never needed to."

I couldn't help but put my own cup down, tilting my head and blinking.

"You know, I think you're the first human I've met that didn't think of Gaia like some kind of amusement park."

"An amusement part where the attractions will eat you? You know we made horror movies about that, right?"

"Yeah, and people still built ones themed after those movies."

He tilted his head back with a shrug.

"I mean, I've heard of the whole menu system and everything, but I already spend all day in spreadsheets and software. Last thing I want is to staple that to my face."

My head tilted further, brows furrowing in confusion.

"You don't want to go because of the menu system? That's-- You know there's people from Gaia that make the trip here and back just to activate it for themselves, right?"

"I do, and you'll notice that I'm not one of those people. Not even from Gaia."

"You sure? 'Zoidberg' is a pretty Gaian name if you ask me."

He rolled his eyes, stopping mid-sip to reprimand me.

"Are you really gonna keep it up with the Zoid bit? It's--"

"Oh would you look at that, it's almost time to close. "

He scoffed, downing the rest of his coffee and closing his computer as I got up. I flipped around the sign and flipped off half of the cafe's lights. I leaned back against the counter, looking at Zoid. He was still putting things in his bag, but I looked over in time to see his eyes dart back from my hooves. 

"My chest is up here."

He coughed, hiding a laugh.

"What kind of perv do you take me for?"

"Better a perv than a racist."

"You would say that."

"Oh, because I'm a Satyr?"

"Er--"

"Just kidding. But don't hide the fact you're staring. You'll quit staring sooner if you get in all the looks you want."

He sighed, zipping his bag closed.

'You shouldn't have to just take stares like that, though."

"You realize my horns are on the shop logo, right? You're supposed to stare."

"Just because you're not from Terra doesn't mean-- oh."

He scratched the back of his neck, not sure what to say. I answered anyway.

"I know not everybody gets used to it."

"Used to Gaians or used to getting stared at?"

"Both."

He went quiet again. His stuff was all packed, but he didn't seem very eager to leave.

"I remember the first time I came to a big city in Terra," I started, "and found a window overlooking an intersection. I spent... half an hour I think? Just watching, staring. No horns, no tails, hell, I could only even count out four or five different eye colors, two of which I found out later were probably contacts."

I crossed one hoof over the other, tapping it softly against the tile.

"I couldn't help but stare. Gaians aren't exactly united, but when you got enough of us together there was at least some variety. In that intersection there just... wasn't. I could've sworn people kept coming back only to realize their nose was a little different, or they were wearing different colors. It was like the same thousand people over and over again. I was there until someone snapped me out of it."

I found myself reflecting on the memory deeper than I meant to, and I kept reminiscing;

"I'd never seen so much of just... the same. I mean, I'm sure that if you were to meet another Satyr you'd think she was my sister, but still. The amount of humans I saw pass in that one stretch of time was probably as many as I'd ever seen before in a month? As many Satyrs as I'd seen ever? And just... I know I sound like a broken record, but I swear it was so much of the same it was mind-numbing."

My reminiscing started to turn inward. That whole week was practically burned into my head. I went quiet.

"You... don't happen to actually have any sisters I could run into, do you?"

"No."

He tried to lighten the mood, but I brushed him off on reflex. I tried to reciprocate a little after shutting him down. 

"Not that I know of, anyway."

It fell flat. I kept up with it anyway. 

"I doubt any of them would've come to Terra anyway. He might sleep around here and there, but If you land a Satyr husband you're more or less set."

He looked aghast. 

"How do you sleep around 'here and there'?"

"Same way you do anything else. Stay out late one night, have your wife go and find you in another woman's place in a threesome with her and her husband, make it a foursome because all of you are drunk, and get into a headbutt with him about it when the two of you get home the next morning."

"That... doesn't sound healthy."

"Healthier than being betrothed."

He visibly winced.

"Well, a little healthier," I tried to cover, "Depends on the couple. Mine didn't start off too bad."

I could tell he had questions after I used the phrase 'start off', but he didn't raise them. I could tell he'd been getting more and more uncomfortable since I started talking about shitfaced polyamory. 

We both stood there for an awkward moment before I cleared my throat, standing up with a nod to the door.

"But yeah, outworlders are weird. Anyways, we're closed."