"Look, some people prefer ," Alex said. "They're non-binary or mid-spectrum or whatever. If they want you to use , then that's what you should do. But for me, personally, I don't want to use the same pronouns all the time, because that's not me. I change a lot. That's sort of the point. When I'm she, I'm . When I'm he, I'm . I'm not . Get it?" "If I say no, will you hurt me?" "No." "Then no, not really." She shrugged. "You don't have to get it. Just, you know, a little respect." "For the girl with the very sharp wire? No problem." She must have liked that answer. There was nothing confusing about the smile she gave me. It warmed the office about five degrees."
"The last I saw of Percy and Annabeth, their Prius was turning the corner on First Avenue, Percy singing along with Led Zeppelin on the radio, Annabeth laughing at his bad voice. Alex crossed his arms. "If those two were any cuter together, they'd cause a nuclear explosion of cuteness and destroy the Eastern Seaboard."