While waiting for a film festival to set up screens and projectors, we get to watch a live skit. It's half dance-ritual, half one-act play, with half a dozen Deer Dancers. At first glance they seem like masked human dancers, but their deer faces are mobile, expressive... alive. Their bodies are upright, lightly furred, bare except for loincloths.

Despite their short fur, some of the women seem uncomfortable being topless, hiding their breasts with their hands, or awkwardly posing with back to the audience, head turned to deliver lines. Since they're young, lean dancers, the shyness seems odd; I'm not even sure what gender one dancer is; big pecs on a lean body, or small breasts?

The skit seems to be in a singles bar, following them as they meet and date. Most of the characters are bi. Writers carefully show every possible permutation of straight and gay couples--each actor dates 3-4 others.

I notice they tend to come together in clinches and deer kisses quickly--I think the shyer women feel relieved, because in a clinch, they can hide their breasts against each other. Embarrassment is like a sticky nuclear force pulling them together... (I'm sure human couples never get drawn together by embarrassment and a need to hide...)

I also notice... I feel worried. All that swapping of deer spit. I read deer saliva has prions in it like the ones causing Mad Cow disease. So it's dangerous for humans and deer to kiss! Of course if these are masked humans the risk is zero (for THAT at least; for Covid, maybe not), and if they're deer PEOPLE, they've probably solved the prion problems of their medically ignorant ancestors.

But till I know, I can't be sure they're safe for ME to kiss. And I want to.

NOTES IN THE MORNING

• Deer people:
  1. The Deer Dancers of northern Mexico. Saw them years ago, was impressed how well they caught cervine body language.
  2. Saw some old drawings of deer people by Ken Stone.
  3. Recently edited my psychic dream Boys Don't Cry, which has Deer Dancers--but not bi or breast-shy. Yet those are the unique elements of this dream; so it's not a simple replay.
• Health risk from deer saliva:
  1. Literally true according to Science News a few years ago. Doggy drool, despite its unsanitary reputation, speeds healing, while human spit does not. Cat drool is allergenic to some, neutral to others. But deer drool is dangerous! Though not, apparently, to other deer.
  2. Today I had lunch with a friend outside my bubble for the first time in months. Worry about Delta variant of Covid?
  3. I petted my friend's cat a little; allergies? Nothing immediate. Will I be sick tomorrow? (Answer: no.)

I read Alison Bechdel's new book, The Secret to Superhuman Strength. Basically it's her body-image autobiography. She was surprisingly slow to figure out her sexual orientation--tried guys. But from day one she was very clear about disliking femme! She felt breast dysphoria, hid 'em even from girls in locker rooms...

Bi but breast-shy.

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