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10:49am May 20 2014
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Alfred grinned openly. "Then when it comes around how about we mix our Christmases?" he suggested, looking over at Ivan. "Because for Christmas dinner here we have stuff like turkey and stuffing, and...well it's pretty similar to Thanksgiving, honestly, but it's probably because both are meant to unite familiaes and stuff like that," he said, nodding a bit. "So we can do both Christmases! I can show you ours in December, and you can show me yours in January?" He grinned a little wider. "Because I mean, Russian Christmas sounds really cool so it kind of seems like it'd mesh pretty well? I eman, if not we can make a little hodgepodge of both of them together, both of us making our favorite dishes that we want the other to try or something?" His grinned became more sheepish. "Though I guess May is a bit early to try to plan Christmases, huh?" he said with a quiet laugh. But he did want to experience one of Ivan's Christmases, if not this time then sometime in the future. He was truly, honestly interested. "Oh and you know that with us Santa is a jolly old man with a white beard and a sleigh of reindeer, right? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen," he recited, grinning. "And sometimes Rudolph is added in there, a reindeer with a glowing red nose used to light his way through the sky at night."
Then he smiled wide. "And we can totally carol together, man. And since there should hopefully be snow we can have snowball fights and basically not act our age in the least...minus being able to drink actual alcoholic eggnog since I'll be legally able to drink by then."
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11:13am May 20 2014
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It looked to Ivan as though Alfred really was interested in what he had said, which made him feel happy. "Hmm, I like turkey - not so much when it has gone dry, though. When is Thanksgiving? I have heard of it, but I know only that it is American, and it involves stuffing one's face with turkey and other things." He responded, chuckling. "I would certainly be happy to show you what my Christmas is like, and I would enjoy learning about yours as well~ I am glad that you like what I have told you - I was worried that you might find it a little dull - though I am not sure how a hodgepodge would work if we were to use both days. It is fine if you do not want to eat any of the cabbage, though, do not worry." He giggled a little when the month was mentioned, amused. "Da, this is so, but I thought it would be an interesting topic - I chose it as something that would have a parallel here, so that we could compare. Ahh, and I know about your Santa - he is a big fellow, da? Ahh, but I have to wonder about those reindeer - it makes me imagine needing an umbrella on the night before Christmas~" He snickered, "What is behind their names, by the way - if you know? I thought that Cupid was a love deity from mythology... *Snrk* Ahh, but that nose is funny~" Then, upon hearing what Alfred had to say about carolling together and playing about, Ivan's ex
pression brightened. "Ohh, that sounds wonderful~ It is good to have something like that to look forward to."
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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11:34am May 20 2014
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Posts: 11,785
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Alfred giggled. "Yeah, umbrellas do sound like they'd be helpful on Christmas Eve," he said with a laugh. "Thanksgiving's in November by the way. and yeah it's basically the day were you stuff your face until the turkey knocks out out for a few hours," he said with a laugh. "When I moved out of my parents' house I didn't really bother too much with making Thanksgiving dinner since it was just me but since it's the two of us we can totally have a nice dinner and end up eating leftovers for days, because leftovers are great and all you have to do usually is microwave them to heat them up." He grinned. "As for the reindeer names I have no idea where they came from. Maybe it's just to make it easy to remember?"
But then he smiled. "This is going to be really great though!"
((One day it will dawn on Alfie that maybe he should eventually introduce Ivan to his parents |D)) |
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2:01pm May 20 2014
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Posts: 646
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Ivan was glad that he'd managed to make Alfred laugh with his little joke, and he chuckled as he listened to what his friend had to say about Thanksgiving. "Ah, right - so you eat until you must sleep? I suppose that must be the turkey's revenge, da?" He snickered, amused. "Mm, I see why - it is not as fun if it is only one person." He agreed, "I like the idea of doing that - it will be nice to celebrate with you, even if it is not a holiday I know well~ Besides, I agree with you about the leftovers." He added, already able to imagine the food. Perhaps they had been discussing so much edible stuff because they were hungry? Well, it was a good thing that Burger King was now in sight, then. "I suppose that is as good a reason for the names as any - Blitzen is a nice one~" He mused, smiling. "Great, da~ Ohh, we are here!"
((I wonder what that'll be like? :3 Ivan's going to be writing home about his new best friend~))
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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2:23pm May 20 2014 (last edited on 2:23pm May 20 2014)
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Alfred grinned. "So do you want to head through the drivethrough or do you want to go in?" he questioned, looking over at his friend curiously. "Because if we go through the drivethrough we can head home or eat on the way to somewhere else," he said, pulling over to where they could easily pull into either the parking lot or the drivethrough. "Oh and would you happen to have anywhere else you'd like to go? We could head to a store to get a couple more games for the DS I'm giving you since the ones I have aren't the cute ones you said you liked," he said, tilting his head slightly.
((Well Alfie'd likely ramble on for ages xD)) |
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2:58pm May 20 2014 (last edited on 3:02pm May 20 2014)
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((Probably. :3 I wonder if they'd have any questions for the random Russian their son had brought to meet them? By the way, Ivan has no idea right now that Alfred likes guys - and he's starting to gradually realise that it's something he might need to know.))
“Hmm, the drive-through, I think.” Ivan responded, “We don't need to go in and look at the menu, because we have already decided what to eat and drink, and I would be interested in wandering around to see what is in town.” He added, “I do not yet know enough about what there is in Kansas to know if there is anywhere specific that I would like to go, so it would be useful to get a look around. Maybe I could find a good book store? That, and finding cute games~ You could show me around, da?” If he went into enough shops, and got at least one bag, he could probably purchase and conceal his intended gift without causing his friend suspicion. At least, that was the plan. Maybe he could also distract Alfred by acting cute about something? The idea that he was adorable was still new to him, but that didn't mean that he was above using it if he thought it would be useful. Perhaps he could ask his friend to find him something specific, and pull out the big wobbly Puss in Boots eyes? What to ask for, though? A postcard? Yes, he could ask Alfred to find him what – in the American's eyes – was the best postcard of Kansas to send home to his parents. That would probably do the job, and with the added benefit of taking care of something he needed to get anyway. Perfect.
((Ivan's scheming~))
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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3:21pm May 20 2014
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Posts: 11,785
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((-giggles- Oh what a wonderful thing to scheme about))
Alfred nodded and turned to pull into the drivethrough. smiling wider than before. "Alright then!" he responded rather happily. "Tour day it is then! Can't promise I'll be a great tour guide but I can certainly try my best!"
Once they arrive to where they needed order Alfred did just that, only to end up pausing and looking over at Ivan. "Was the milkshake all you wanted to drink?" he questioned, cocking his head a little bit. He, himself, had gotten a large Coke because he had always needed a larger drink than average to satisfy his thirst. He'd never really been sure why, but it was something he'd learned to question less and less as the years went by.
((Also I'm probably gonna wait until Ivan asks for Alfie to reveal that he's pretty fond of guys as well |D He just kinda figured that it was obvious since he's been running around holding Ivan's hand and cuddling with him and stuff)) |
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3:32pm May 20 2014
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((Scheming nice things is fun~))
"That is all I can ask~" Ivan responded, pleased. Yes... He thought to himself, resisting the urge to smirk. For some reason, he rather enjoyed scheming, but the only people he usually got to plot surprises for were his parents. This was going to be fun... "I am sure that you will do fine - you have been quite informative so far, da?" He added encouragingly, before listening as he was asked about his choice of drink. "Da, just a vanilla milkshake please~" He confirmed cheerily, "They come in different sizes, do they not? Whichever of those you think would fit me is fine~" He was looking forward to having a nice cool drink, but he didn't need as much to drink as his friend did - not that he knew that Alfred tended to need a lot of liquid.
((Seems fair enough to me~ I'll just have to figure out a way past Ivan's bashful. He just thinks that Alfred's super friendly. :3))
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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3:45pm May 20 2014
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Posts: 11,785
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Alfred nodded and relayed the message of a vanilla milkshake, smiling when he was told to drive around to pay. It wasn't exceptionally busy, so it wasn't long before Alfred was being handed their food and drinks. The drinks were placed in the cupholder and the bag offered out to Ivan. "You can go ahead and get your food out and start eating. I'll eat once we get where we're going," he told him with a grin , completely unaware of Ivan's scheming. "If you're still hungry after you finish yours you can help yourself to my fries too, by the way," he added before he turned to head off towards the shopping area.
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4:27pm May 20 2014 (last edited on 4:34pm May 20 2014)
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"Ahh, it feels so warm~" Ivan uttered, holding the bag on his lap. "Oh, thank you~" He added, digging into the bag to find his burger. "I appreciate the offer, but I promise that I will not eat too many of your fries if I am hungry enough to have some of them." He finished, pulling out his Big Beefy Whopper and unwrapping it. Taking a bite, he could taste the beef and the bacon flavours mingling together with the egg and melted cheese, topped off by the bun and the sauce, with the tomato adding juiciness. He hummed slightly as he experienced this flavour, finding it quite enjoyable, and proceeded to munch with gusto - occasionally making other little noises of appreciation. He wanted Alfred to know that he liked the food that he'd been given, which was from what he had already guessed to be one of Alfred's favourite food outlets.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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4:39pm May 20 2014
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Posts: 11,785
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The American giggled again, grinning slightly. "You sure sound like you enjoy it," he said happily, quickly reaching over to pull out some fries and munch idly on them, smiling. He was glad, though. Ivan was liking the food there so far and Alfred liked what Ivan had shown him of Russian food, so so far their tastes were mingling pretty well. "We should be at the shops here in a couple minutes," he chirped, in fact pulling into the area a couple minutes later, like he'd said. "So which place do you want to go to first?" he asked, smiling wide.
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4:51pm May 20 2014
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Posts: 646
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"Mmmm, da~" Ivan responded, licking his fingers - as he had inadvertently gotten sauce and tomato juice on them, and he didn't want to get that on anything, not having a napkin. He'd moved onto his milkshake, slurping that more gradually than he'd eaten his burger. It was creamy and mellow in flavour, and the chill of it a pleasant counterpoint to the warmth of the day. "Sounds good to me~ Ahh, well, I do not know yet... perhaps a book store?" He had to wait until Alfred wasn't driving in order to pull out the big cute, as he didn't want to cause an accident, but he would mention the postcard idea as soon as he felt he could pull it off. This moment arrived once the car had been parked, and they'd climbed out. Ivan stopped, as though remembering something, and he turned to Alfred with a look of realisation spread across his features. "Ahh! I need to find a postcard to send to my parents - they will be expecting one from me... Ahh, but I do not know where to find any... Besides, I do not yet know what sort of postcard would best portray this place. Do you think you could help me? I'm sure that you could find something really good~" He requested, his eyes going a little rounder and wider, ex
pression imploring. "Pazhaloosta?"
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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4:58pm May 20 2014
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Posts: 11,785
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Alfred nodded at the mentioning of the bookstore, looking over at Ivan once he had realized something. Then he smiled a bit at the notion of him sending a postcard to his parents.
...Which reminded him that he should call his at some point to mention he'd made a friend. When he'd turned to look at his friend again, he was faced with a truly kitten-like, absolutely innocent and adorable ex
pression. A slight tinge of pink dusted his cheeks before he nodded and smiled sheepishly. "Of course!" he responded, reaching out for his own drink to start drinking it and climbed out of the car, rubbing the back of his neck. "We can go ahead and do that first, then. They might have a card with sunflowers on them if we look hard enough," he mentioned, grinning sheepishly as he waited on Ivan before starting off towards where he knew postcards could be sold. "And if there's no sunflowers we'll be able to find something I'm sure." |
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5:06pm May 20 2014
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((More of Ivan's cunning plan~))
Ivan's ex
pression lit up like a candle in response to Alfred's words, smiling widely. "Spasiba!" He chirped, "I know that I will be able to find something good if you are helping me~" As far as Ivan knew, there were likely to be more than one shop selling postcards, so it would not be illogical for them to split up in order to further their goal, possibly nominating somewhere obvious-looking as a meeting point. This being the case, it would be a relatively simple matter to slip off in search of something else - some of which might even be in proximity to postcards. If questioned by Alfred, he could always say that he thought that there might be some postcards in the shops he'd ventured into. That might even work for a flower shop, which he could claim to have checked in case they had sunflower postcards. As far as he could tell, this was all going according to plan. The cuteness of Alfred's blush was a bonus, and one he quite liked, though it stirred up interesting feelings again. Sooner or later, he was going to have to work out just what to do about that, but he could delay that for a little while - he had other, more immediate concerns.
((Gotta go, see you tomorrow~))
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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10:56pm May 20 2014
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Alfred smiled at his companion. "I'll do my best," he responded with a nod, turning to step into the shop. He was unaware of his carefully Ivan was planning all of this, intending to go ahead and get a postcard for the Russian to send home to his parents. He found himself wondering what he'd write about, his head tilting slightly as he pondered whether or not he'd mention the sunflower field, or possibly the nightmares that Alfred had tried to chase away using them. Thinking on that he found himself smiling, glad he had indeed decided to find a place like that for him and Ivan to go, a safe place to remain after nightmares grip them and pull them out of their sleep at night.
Then he wondered if maybe they should have a way to sleep under the stars there. He was sure Ivan would be elated to wake up surrounded by the sunflowers as the sun rise in the sky. |
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12:44am May 21 2014
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"Ahh, I see more than one place with postcards..." Ivan began, looking around, and trailing off as though uncertain. "Perhaps we should both look around? We would be able to cover more ground that way." He added, after a pause. He didn't lay on the uncertainty too thick, though, in case Alfred thought he was too nervous to allow to wander off on his own. He felt a little guilty for his deception, but the ruse that he had chosen was actually true, so he wasn't technically lying to his friend. He really did want to find a nice postcard to send to his parents, and wasn't sure where he'd find the best one. For all that he'd be carrying out his plan, he would not neglect his part of the postcard search completely. Ivan was looking forward to writing to his parents - he had so much to tell them! About going for coffee and finding a new friend, about the foods they'd shown each other, about the sunflower field... Maybe also about the nightmares... They might have some advice, or at the very least, hearing from them about what they thought on the matter could be comforting. He wasn't going to tell them about his decision to stay just yet, though - he'd give that some more time. The plotting Russian had no idea of what sort of idea Alfred was cooking up at the moment, but it was fairly safe to say that he would be astonished if he knew.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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1:04am May 21 2014
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Alfred blinked,then looked slightly hesitant. "Oh, uh. Where should we meet back up?" he questioned, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. What was that...almost panicked feeling that washed over him at the thought of splitting up? Surely Ivan's size alone would mean he'd be safer than Alfred, despite being unfamiliar with everything...so why was that feeling in the back of his mind that told him no, to stay with Ivan, to stay in a group? It was a feeling he'd never experienced before, but he decided to give the other the benefit of the doubt. If something happened Ivan would know where he was; he was worried for no reason.
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1:16am May 21 2014
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Why am I feeling reluctant? This was my idea, part of my plan... Nothing is going to happen. We're in the middle of Kansas, for goodness sake, not a troubled place... Right? Ivan thought to himself, uneasy, as he listened to Alfred. His friend also seemed nervous about the idea, to be honest. He filed that away mentally to review later, and pressed on - he'd come this far, so he would go through with it. No sense in letting a little paranoia prevent him from thanking Alfred properly. "Ahh, how about over by that toy shop there, the one with the giraffe in the window? That is plenty obvious, da?" He suggested, privately hoping for a chance to check that out as well. There was still a peculiar anxiety in the back of his mind, but he tried to ignore it, keeping it out of his ex
pression. It will not be long - I can see a florist already, and somewhere that might sell the other thing. I might also find postcards there, so I could be in and out in only a few minutes - there is no need to worry!
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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5:27am May 21 2014
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((My house is so cold Omg))
Alfred nodded slightly, giving his friend an almost uneasy smile. "By the giraffe it is," he responded gently, reaching out to place a hand on Ivan's shoulder before he turned to head inside of the shop he'd chosen in order to look out for postcards Ivan might like to use to send to his parents. He tensed up slightly when people passed behind him, but he wasn't sure why. He didn't usually feel this tense in a place like this. He was too relaxed and carefree to get nervous around people, and yet there he was, trying to make himself as small as possible to avoid some unseen threat. What was going on? |
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6:03am May 21 2014 (last edited on 6:27am May 21 2014)
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((I hope it feels warmer soon.))
Ivan was grateful for the smile, however uncertain it was, and the brief moment in which Alfred's hand had rested upon his shoulder. He didn't know why this separation was making him so anxious, as though a chilly trickle of dread was seeping through him, but he gave his friend a smile in return – though it was mostly only surface level. Once the American had turned and entered a store, setting off an odd pang of loss in Ivan, the Russian schooled his ex
pression into one of bland disinterest and made a beeline for another shop. For some reason, the ease with which the doors opened to admit whoever approached them unnerved Ivan, and he was unwilling to stand with his back to them for more than a moment. Without Alfred there, he felt lost and cold, for all that he had not lost his bearings. Thankfully, it did not take long to locate an appropriate receptacle, and in a colour he felt would suit. He browsed the post-related items as well, but decided that they were inadequate, so he only purchased the one thing – which he stashed into his pocket.
From there, he moved swiftly on to the florist. The sweet-scented air within helped to calm his nerves, and he took a moment to calm himself. Then, smiling pensively to himself, he perused the wares available, occasionally lifting a bloom's petal-wreathed head with a moth-light touch – so as to view the blossoms better. This was something that he could latch onto, to help dispel his disquiet. Perhaps some of those sweet little white bell-like flowers, the ones that looked like small and dainty skirts made for fairies? If he combined those with some other small flowers, he could make a miniature bouquet. Yes, that would do nicely. He caused the florist to arrange such a pixie-sized posy, including some pale purple flowers with four petals each and soft-seeming pink-purple blossoms as well – five flowers, all told. He opted to tie the green stalks together with a slender ribbon of muted gold colour, forming a little bow. Such a delicate-looking thing, this tiny nosegay, but he would look after it.
He secreted his purchase carefully and gently into the ob
ject he had obtained before, then placed that back into his pocket and looked at the small selection of stationary. There were plenty of flower-related cards and things there, though none with sunflowers. He picked up a few daffodil postcards, though, as a plan B. These, and some pamphlets on caring for different types of flower, went into a small plastic bag, providing a partially-decoy evident purchase – which would hopefully deflect any notion that he might have put anything in his pockets. After all, why would he need to, if he had a bag? He exited the florist, relieved that this little exercise in avoidance would soon be at an end, and headed towards that giraffe as though he thought it would tell him the meaning of life. Alfred would be there soon, he was sure. Absolutely nothing could have happened to him in the brief minutes they'd been apart. Nothing...
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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