Darius continued to be surprised by the things Colene came up with.  She was a vessel of dolor, and that was significant mischief for his home Mode and their long-term relationship.  But she had other assets that bid fair to compensate.  She was learning telepathy, and perhaps magic also.  She was young, but she was pretty.  And, unfortunately, he loved her.

Now she had persuaded the dragon to make peace with the Felines.  Nothing like this had been done before on this planet; that had become clear.  What else would she accomplish, as her odd mind wrestled with their captivity in this dread Mode?

They retired to their chamber in the house in the feline village.  They shared a bed, but not sex, to his regret.  They were married, but she simply wasn't ready yet.

"What a day!" she exclaimed, lifting her face from the basin and toweling her wet hair.  She was in dishabille, wearing a bra he thought unnecessary and panties he still found shocking.  "What do you think?"

"You are lovely," he said.

She paused, glancing at her wild hair in the mirror.  "I look a fright."

"But a lovely fright."  Actually he found the wild hair appealing.  Yet there was that dichotomy.

"I'm not going to wear a damned diaper!"

She was referring to the traditional garb of women of his home Mode: the voluminous adult diapers that masked the untoward aspect, so as to prevent lascivious notions on the part of men.  Colene's culture confined diapers to babies; she found the costume demeaning.  He had seen her world, and so had come to understand this difference in costume, but he still wasn't entirely used to it.  She had the present aspect of a woman who was about to indulge sexually.  Yet he knew she had no such intention.

She must have picked it up from his mind.  "I'm sorry, Darius.  I'll put something on."

"Perhaps that is best."

"You know I will do it, if you-"

If he forced her.  She would not resist, but would be rigid with revulsion.  It would seriously damage their relationship.  "No."

"Well, we can still snuggle, can't we?"