Ronen Sangster blinked and set the plate of biscuits down. It wasn't anywhere near the first time he'd received this reaction from another tamer and at least the girl from this morning just seemed shocked more than confrontational about it. He smiled gently at her before replying with, “As of sometime this morning, yes. I'm a boy.”
The dusty brown haired female tamer baulked and fumbled with her words, many of which were variations of, “Wah?”
Ronen put an arm around the blonde bombshell (figuratively, not one of the explosive breeds) sitting beside him. “My taming sessions with Felicity usually end with me allowing her to afflict me with temporary gender dust, and I hadn't reverted until sometime after midnight last night. So I can understand your confusion. My name is Ronen, by the way.”
The female tamer sat down within arm's reach of the food Ronen had offered her before her outburst. “Conor.” She made a gesture with her hand towards the biscuits and Ronen nodded in response.
“Help yourself to any of what's here, really. I don't have any way to store it and the store didn't sell smaller packages than this.” Conor had been in the middle of nibbling a biscuit, but as soon as the entire meal had been offered she grabbed a thick strip of kattle and devoured half of it before breathing.
Ronen fought back laughter witnessing just how little dignity Conor ate with when the female tamer looked up at him. “Do you mind if my pokegirls have some too?”
Ronen looked at all of his pokegirls, who had started with full plates. “Sure, I don't think we'll be needing seconds so help yourself.” Conor grinned and then let out a sharp whistle. Behind her the tent she had spent the night in shook and three forms shot out of the opening. A Sparkanine emerged first and stopped right at her mistress' side. Then a Growltit shouldered her way out before the last pokegirl, a Sundog. They all sat on the ground to wait for their mistress' word.
Conor explained to her harem as she prepared a plate for each of them. “This is Ronen and he's decided to share his breakfast with us.” The three dog pokegirls all said their thanks in unison and then sniffed the air; tails sweeping dirt behind them as they wagged. Conor handed out the plates and then sat back down. The three dog pokegirls all watched her expectantly and then when their tamer gave a hand signal, all three attacked the food on the plates like they had been starving, each one going for the fried meat first. The Sparkanine ate hers the fastest, and stole a strip of the Sundog's. The Sundog's ears fell back but she only whimpered and cautiously reached for the Growltit's plate. She backed off when the fire type let out a warning growl and the plant type sulked at her misfortune until her mistress gave her half of a strip from Conor's own plate.
“You have some very beautiful dog girls.” Ronen told his fellow tamer, and all three pokegirls' tails wagged harder at the praise.
“Thanks. The Sparkanine is Comet, the Growltit is Fancy and the Sundog is Blossom.”
“Juniper, Didi, and Felicity.” Ronen responded by motioning to his High Elf, Bardess, and Dildoqueen in that order.
Conor eyed the Dildoqueen as she ate. “So... sorry if this intruding but are you...?”
Ronen had been anticipating the question. “I got Felicity when I wasn't sure. But no, I prefer females.”
Conor arched an eyebrow. “Then why did you keep her?”
Ronen shrugged. “I like having her around. Do you mind if I ask an intrusive question in return?” Conor shrugged to indicate she didn't care. “Why do you hide your tail?”
Conor's eyes got big and her gaze snapped to the male tamer across from her. “How did you-?!”
“It stood out when you figured out I was male. I think it's a nice tail and it suits you. You're very genuine about how you feel, something I've always admired about dog types.” Hesitantly, Conor removed her hoody from around her waist and her cap, which hid a pair of pointed, brown furred ears. “Lupina, right?”
Conor gave him a half smile. “Wolf Queen, my mother. I... hide them because most people just start treating me like I'm already a pokegirl if they see them. I've waited almost half my life for threshold to get me. Now... if it wants me it'll have to catch up.”
“I don't think it will.” Conor blinked at the (beautiful, a part of her mind kept telling her) male tamer across from her.
“...Thanks.” It didn't mean much. Ronen wasn't a doctor or a researcher or anyone who would have any authority on the matter of thresholding. But his words still made her feel better. He was the only one to ever tell her she could beat the looming threat in her genes. She fought down a fluttering feeling in her chest. “You... you want to travel together, for a while?”