With a few deliberate coughs, Orion readied himself to ask the question that had been weighing on his mind since the tree nymph appeared before them. "May we know your name?" he finally inquired, his voice as steady as he could manage.
As his words hung in the air, Orion's gaze was fixed on the tree nymph's face, waiting for her response. In a sudden flash, her eyes flew open, a look of confusion creasing her delicate features. "My name?" she murmured, clearly taken aback by the request. "Why do you want to know my name?" Her bluish brows furrowed together as she scrutinized Orion, suspicion flickering in her eyes.
As Orion observed the tree nymph's reaction to his question, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. 'At least she didn't completely ignore me,' he thought.
Feeling emboldened, he decided to press on. "Well, the last time we had a lengthy conversation with a tree nymph, she told us her name," he began, his tone even and measured. Pausing for effect, he added, "I think her name was Dariya."
In an instant, the tree seemed to come alive, shaking vigorously before abruptly stilling. Orion held his breath as the tree nymph stared at him, her expression one of astonishment with her lips agape. "Dariya told you her name?" she asked incredulously, her voice tinged with doubt.
As Orion nodded confidently, his mind was already racing with the implications of Dariya's reaction. Clearly, she didn't introduce herself to just anyone, which made it all the more surprising that she had done so with them. Perhaps they had earned her trust in some way?
"We even told her our names also," Orion added, a small smile crossing his lips as he reminisced about the encounter. However, his expression quickly changed to a genuine smile as he noticed the tree nymph deep in thought.
Suddenly, she turned her head towards Sura and Ursa, her eyes scanning them intently. "Is it true?" she asked, her voice laced with scepticism. Without hesitation, both of them nodded their heads in unison, confirming what Orion had said.
In a matter of seconds, the tree nymph's eyes were once again fixed on Orion, studying him from head to toe with an intense gaze. After a few tense moments, she finally released a heavy sigh and spoke. "I will confirm it for myself anyway," she said, her voice tinged with mistrust. "But the fact that you know her name already tells me that you are somehow connected to her."
As the confusion melted from her face, a curious expression took its place. "Fine, my name is Malaia," she announced, her eyes sweeping over the trio. "What are yours?"
Orion felt a surge of excitement as he realized that they were finally getting somewhere. "I'm Orion," he said, introducing himself first. "And these are my companions, Sura and Ursa."
Malaia nodded her head in understanding before turning to Orion and asking, "So, what is your question?".
Even Sura and Ursa couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity wash over them at the prospect of what Orion was about to ask. They leaned in attentively, waiting for his next words with bated breath.
Orion didn't hesitate for a moment before asking the question that had been on his mind since they had first encountered a tree nymph. "Do tree nymphs have vaginas?" His words were direct and to the point.
Sura and Ursa couldn't help but ruffle their eyebrows in confusion at Orion's seemingly simple inquiry. They had expected him to ask something more private or personal, but instead, he had posed an unexpectedly straightforward question.
Malaia couldn't help but smile at Orion's question, finding it amusing how she had expected something much more personal or invasive. Chuckling to herself, she shook her head and responded, "No, we don't have vaginas."
But then, a thoughtful expression flickered across her face as she added, "Although, we do have something else. But I don't think it's quite the same thing."
Orion's face, which had previously been marked by disappointment, suddenly lit up with anticipation. "Can I see it?" he asked eagerly, "Maybe that way I can understand the difference better."
Malaia couldn't help but feel a bit amused at Orion's question, considering that it was the first time a human had ever asked her something about herself since her tree was planted. With a smile, she commanded the vines that had coiled around her lower body to untie themselves.
In an instant, the vines sprang to life and began to unravel from around her fleshy thighs, leaving her exposed to the outside world.
Orion's eyes widened in surprise and curiosity as he gazed upon the stunning sight before him. He watched intently as Malaia stretched her left hand below her pelvis, revealing a mesmerizing view that he had never seen before.
Instead of the expected sight of a vagina, Orion was greeted with the sight of a deep royal blue flower petal, fully bloomed and stretching outward from Malaia's intimate area. As he looked closer, he could see a small opening in the centre of the petal, almost like a delicate little mouth, which seemed to pulse with a soft, ethereal glow.
Orion gulped involuntarily, his mind racing with disbelief. 'Don't tell me?' he thought to himself. He never imagined that he would one day witness the personification of a vagina in the form of a literal flower. But it seemed that today was the day, and he couldn't help but stare at the flower petal between Malaia's legs, his mind imprinted with the image of this unique and fascinating discovery.
Malaia couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at Orion's expression. It was almost endearing how he seemed both fascinated and bewildered by the sight of her flower. Though she could sense that he was far from naive, there was an undeniable sense of innocence about him that she found charming. With a mischievous glint in her eye, Malaia teasingly asked, "Do you want to touch it?".
Despite Orion's distraction, he remained attentive to every word that slipped from Malaia's lips. Without missing a beat, he responded with a simple "Yes," accompanied by a subtle nod of his head.