<I can't, and that's a mercy,> he says dryly. Esplin never got around to acquiring a Leeran. <I am pleased to be able to speak to you.>

Is he pleased? Disconnected, really. It's hard to feel grounded and present in his body, when it hasn't really been his for so long.

<Do you want me to morph? I can be a human female not far out of the appropriate age for that sort of game, if you like. It would be disturbing to watch but not dangerous.>