Feeding Time {Stripe}

Dropbear watched, a little startled at her abrupt movement to slide the tray away, before eyeing her. The bear couldn’t suspect much of her intentions… But then dropbear realized it must have startled the girl by moving around a lot. The creature paused, a guilty expression crossing its face before it wriggle around again, which was actually easier without a tray in the way.

Dropbear instantly looked up from toying with the table the moment Emily started speaking again, and almost did a double take at the question asked.
Its mouth was agape for a few seconds before the creature tugged on its ponytail. “It’s fine.” The creature dismissed, toying with the grey-brown fibers within its fingers. “If you really have to know, I don’t go by any gender, physically I’m a female, but mentally… I don’t exactly identify.”

The creatures’ response sounded almost programmed, as if it was taught to say that answer, but the creature started to resume its activities on the table a few seconds later, only looking up to Emily for a second to bring up a topic, almost curiously.

“What gender would you be if a non-binary creature that was made by the hands of man possessed your female body?” Oh god now the bear actually wanted to talk about gender roles, and seemed scientifically smart at this subject, what is it's problem?!

Dropbear pursed its lips for a moment, before swiping at the table and edging a little too close to Emily, practically breathing in the females face. It observed her discomfort for a moment before a lopsided smile erupted on the bears face.
“You’re fun to play with!”

The bear giggled before sitting on the edge of the table and swinging its legs back and forth, licking its lips as it did so. Emily was uncomfortable, and Dropbear felt slightly sorry, but its face remained bright a it smiled, almost happy before flicking its legs back onto the table and rolling around on it excitedly, although it had acted like it ignored everything Emily had just said. The bears ears twitched furiously besides this, and it was processing her logic within its own mind.

“Lemme rephrase the question then, what if the creature possessing your body was male, and you had its mind?”

The bear wanted to know her answer, this ‘Emily’ before it was interesting and entertaining, and actually wasn’t too scared of her! Dropbear did a little four legged hop on the table before leaning on its hands, now cross-legged. If Emily studied psychology, then would she be able to know what was going on in Dropbear’s mind? Was that the only reason why the girl was curious at it? Dropbear bit its lip slightly, doubt consuming its mind causing its features to flinch before the creature relaxed and resumes its giggling.

Dropbear nodded, before curling into a ball and sniffing the table, letting out a small yawn before stretching its limbs. It opened and closed it’s mouth a few times, a string of saliva connected them as the bear tried to make them less dry before its ears perked up and a smile graced its face, turning to Emily and sitting up, it perched itself neatly on the table, crouching.

“I’ll tell you a secret, but shhhh.” Dropbear put a finger to its mouth, letting out a lazy gust of air before swiping hair out of its face. “I sometimes identify as a female.” Then the bear stretched its limbs once more and licked its canines, rubbing its eye for a second before a lazy smile took over the gracefully mysterious one. It stood up and sniffed the air, almost recoiling is disgust, the bear then dropped to another occupied table, gesturing over Emily with its clawed paw/hand things.

“Do you wanna go somewhere, the cafeteria reeks.” Maybe Emily was bored too, she seemed bored, or maybe uncomfortable. Dropbear couldn’t tell, but maybe it was the smell? That wouldn’t be good for her health then, staying in a stinky room, but if Emily insisted on staying here, dropbear didn't want to make her upset.