Chéri found the easiness they could use to communicate with Mehmet incredibly soothing and talking about that sort of practical matter did them good in more ways than one, but they also ended up feeling sorry for the poor man. Allergy was not a widely known concept at the time and Chéri took the chance to make a joke “Am I making you sick, sir?” It was not mean-spirited. It actually meant they were feeling better.

There was a chat about a hypothetical lady. Yes, of course, that was for a lady. Chéri found themselves pushing their lower lip out a little, in some form of a letdown. It just wouldn’t do. “So it doesn’t work. It can’t.” Chéri concluded.

The joke about the hat coaxed a giggle out of them though. They sighed and then bent their head to the side.

“No?”