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7:33am May 21 2014
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Alfred spent a little bit longer in his shop since he wasn't sure what all to look for, deciding to pick cards with different kinds of fields since he couldn't find any sunflowers. He glanced around, tensing and berating himself for suddenly being so afraid of being in here. Nothing was going to go wrong, he scolded himself. It was a hugely public place and it was alright, nothing was going to happen to the two of them besides possibly being knocked around by the crowds.
He exhaled heavily before he moved to pay for the postcards and hurry out of the store, glancing back reflexively before turning to start towards the toy store, an immense feeling of relief washing over him when he saw Ivan there. He trotted up and offered out the postcards he's found, smiling sheepishly. "I think I know a way to use one of our photos as a proper postcard if none of these work," he offered. "We have plenty of pictures of sunflowers and such after all." He stepped a bit closer, recognizing that he felt better knowing that Ivan was there and nothing had happened, despite knowing that nothing could have happened in that short amount of time. What was going on with his mind? He wasn't usually this...paranoid.
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7:45am May 21 2014
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Ivan sighed with relief, smiling widely when he saw Alfred coming towards him. He felt immensely better just seeing him, though he didn't know why - as though all the tension he'd been experiencing had simply dissipated when exposed to the sunny American. "Spasiba, Solnyshka, these are quite pretty~" He chirped, looking over the postcards he was being shown. "I also found a few, with daffodils on them, so it looks as though I will have plenty of nice things to send~" He continued, before considering the notion that had just been suggested. "Hmm? Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea! If we do that sort of thing, then I would probably never run out of pretty postcards~" That, and if some of those pictures had him and Alfred in, he could show his parents what his new friend looked like as well as tell them about him. His ex
pression softening fondly, he deposited the postcards he'd been offered into his bag, pulling out the daffodil ones to show Alfred. "By the way, could we look inside the toy store while we're here? I - ahh, well, I like cute and cuddly things, da? Though, you already know that..."
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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8:01am May 21 2014
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Alfred grinned when Ivan seemed to like his idea of making postcards as well, automatically reached out to take hold of his hand once he could, which helped to quell his own anxiety as it had mentally assured him that this was truly Ivan and that he was truly here and truly safe. Why he'd be worried about that he did have a clue, however. "We can totally check out the toy store, Kotenok!" he said happily, moving to start leading him towards the entrance. "And then after this I can go find those games I was telling you about that I think you'd really like," he said, grinning wider, feeling as though all of his energy had been taken and then given back by leaving Ivan's side and then returning. Honestly it kind of made him not want to do it again. "Oh and by the way your daffodil postcards are pretty too," he said, smiling. "So we have lots of postcards for you to use to send to your parents!"
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8:57am May 21 2014 (last edited on 9:00am May 21 2014)
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The warm sensation of Alfred's hand in his chased the last vestiges of paranoia from Ivan's emotional state, grounding and reassuring him, and he smiled. Best not to mention his internal panic, in case it sounded silly, but he was very glad to leave it behind all the same. “That sounds like a good plan to me~” He answered, following Alfred into the store. “Thank you~ Ohh, and I am sure that they will like all of them~” He added, slipping the daffodil postcards back into the bag. There were plush toys of all sorts surrounding them, in many sizes, shapes and colours. Some were bears, like Anatoly, while others were birds or monkeys or unicorns, and some were not even animals at all. Most of them were very fluffy, though some were merely soft, but all of them were obviously suited to snuggles. “Ahh, so many cute things~” Ivan breathed, approaching a shelf laden with puppies of varying fur and eye colour. “Look, I have found you!” He giggled, waving what looked like a Golden Retriever with azure eyes at his friend. Thus far unnoticed, at the back of the store, was a shelf piled with plush versions of the state symbols of Kansas. There were buffaloes, ranging in size from tiny to huge, and all in accurate hue. Similarly, there were honeybees, Western meadowlarks, ornate box turtles, barred tiger salamanders... and sunflowers. This range was mainly intended as memorabilia for visitors, whether from other states or from other countries, but it was not simply flimsy stuff to tempt tourists with – those plushies were eminently huggable.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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9:06am May 21 2014
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Posts: 11,785
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Alfred followed after Ivan as he wandered through the store, laughing softly when the Golden Retriever was waved before him. "That you have!" he said happily, releasing Ivan's hand in favor of wandering over towards a rack of felines, pulling out a creamy-colored one to hold out for Ivan, laughing softly. "Doesn't have eyes like yours, but it's about as close as you can get here I think," he said, only to turn his head and bl
ink. He carefully set the kitten back down before he wandered over towards the plushes in the back, grinning wide as he lifted out a sunflower and turned to present it to his Russian friend. "Look! I found a sunflower you can hug!" he chirped, trotting over to offer it out to him. "It's kind of velvety and soft too!" Seemed like a perfect thing for Ivan, since he loved soft things and sunflowers.
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9:22am May 21 2014
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Ivan was glad of Alfred's quiet laughter, and the smile that lit him up so. It was good to see that his friend found the comparison amusing. "Ahaha, you are right, it is like me~" He responded, viewing the kitten with interest. The eyes were more blue than purple, but it was certainly close enough. Finding plush versions of one another was fun, he decided, grinning. Hmm? What is going on? He wondered, when Alfred put the kitten back down and moved off towards the back, only to be astonished moments later. He squeaked in delighted surprise, his eyes going round as they regarded this new sight. "Ahh~! It is lovely, Solnyshka~" He responded happily, gently taking hold of the proffered plush and hugging it close, stroking its leaves. A sunflower, so bright and warm-looking, but one which would never wither - one that he could, as Alfred had said, cuddle without fear of hurting it. "For a plush, it looks quite real..." He murmured, gazing at the yellow-wreathed head of the toy flower. "I love it~" He cooed, deciding to include his friend in the hug. "Thank you for finding this~"
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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9:36am May 21 2014
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Posts: 11,785
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Alfred happily got in on the hug, smiling wide as he laughed softly. "We can go ahead and get it if you want," he said once he pulled back a little bit to properly look up at Ivan, blue eyes bright and happy. He'd managed to find something else that the Russian liked, and seeing him so innocently happy sent a whole bunch of butterflies fluttering through him. And it helped that the sunflower didn't seem to cost a whole lot. He was glad that he was able to make Ivan smile so much and so very openly, and now that he thought about it the price probably wouldn't matter to him so long as he could keep on making the man smile.
He wasn't even sure what compelled him so strongly to make sure the Russian was happy, that he was able to freely smile and laugh like everyone else. He found that he didn't really care what the reason behind it was, though. What mattered was them being able to mesh so well together. |
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10:57am May 21 2014 (last edited on 11:00am May 21 2014)
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“Da, pazhaloosta~!” Ivan exclaimed with enthusiasm, his eyes lit from within by some inner glow of satisfaction. “It is far too beautiful to leave behind...” He added, his tone a little softer, as he peered over the petal sunburst between them. His own butterflies were dancing through him, and he was beginning to understand what that could mean. I... He is able to warm me inside so easily... I feel anxious when we become separated... He makes me laugh and smile as I thought I could not, and he gave my dreams to me... I wanted to kiss him...Ohh, and he is so lovely to look upon! Have I become... infatuated? It would certainly explain a lot, but what can I do if it is true? I could not bear to lose his trust, not now, but surely I should tell him? Ahh, but I do not even know whether he even could feel that way about me – there is no guarantee that he doesn't prefer ladies. Maybe I should... ask? Not here, not now, but soon? I told him about me, after all, so it could be seen as only curiosity... I have to be careful. To rush is to fall, and I do not even fully understand what is going on with me... Ohh, what a mess... Alfred's eyes looked so merry, bright and smiling pools of sky – it seemed as though he was glad to have brought happiness to Ivan. It was nice, knowing that someone liked to make him smile. He'd flushed pink behind the sunflower toy, though he hadn't realised it, and he knew already that this plush would take its place among his most precious belongings. He loosened his hold on it and on Alfred, in order to allow the American to purchase the cuddly bloom, apparently finding the end of his scarf suddenly fascinating.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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11:28am May 21 2014
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Alfred looked up curiously at Ivan, watching his ex
pression beginning to change and noticing the color rise to the Russian's cheeks. He wasn't sure what had caused it or his sudden shy-looking demeanor, but for the moment he had to turn to pay for the toy, taking only a moment before he was holding it back out for Ivan, smiling up at him again. "Are you okay?" he asked gently, remembering how the larger would play with his scarf when he was anxious over something. It was odd, how natural trying to translate Ivan's body language felt to him, despite them only knowing one another for two days. "You seem like you're anxious about something," he clarified a moment later, automatically taking a step closer and reaching out to gently take hold of one of Ivan's hands. Today was Ivan's day to be happy, not anxious after all.
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11:39am May 21 2014
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Posts: 646
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Ivan's eyes flew up to meet Alfred's, and he took hold of the sunflower gratefully, smiling bashfully. "Spasiba~" He murmured, cuddling the toy to him. He noticed that his friend seemed to be both curious and concerned, and it was only then that he realised that he had turned pink. "A-ahh, I am fine, Solnyshka." He responded, hastening to assure the American that there was nothing wrong. "I - ahh, you are doing so much for me... You have surpassed all of my expectations, and still you keep surprising me. I am... touched. People do not ordinarily go to such lengths to make me happy, and I am unsure how to respond to it." He explained hesitantly, taking Alfred's hand as soon as it was offered. "Nothing is wrong - I am simply... overwhelmed by your ready kindness and generosity." There was no way he'd be able to articulate the other stuff buzzing around in his brain right now, so he left that for another time - there was no way he'd blurt anything related to it out in public. As it was, his blush had not subsided in the least, and he felt somewhat exposed, and he took to hiding his face a little behind his new plush.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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11:49am May 21 2014
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Alfred nodded a bit, seeming to accept this answer before he smiled. "Well, I think you deserve to be as happy as possible" he responded gently with a slight tilt of his head. "So hopefully you'll be able to adjust since I plan on keeping my promise of getting you used to smiling," he stated, grinning wide. Why he felt the need to do so as desperately as he did he was unsure, and why he sometimes felt butterflies and things like wanting to kiss Ivan were also unclear since they had only just met and usually Alfred took a while to form this kind of attachment to someone. But with Ivan, it was immediate and it was /strong/. As it was, however, he was unaware of Ivan's inner turmoil as his thoughts, so smiled for his friend and tried to ease whatever he may be feeling that seemed to make him uncomfortable.
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12:26pm May 21 2014 (last edited on 12:27pm May 21 2014)
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“... That is very nice of you to say...” Ivan responded softly, relaxing a little in the wake of the blond's grin and breezy reassurance. “I think that there is no way that I could not, with the way that you are able to keep my mood in the clouds.” He added, at the same volume, his blush slowly beginning to fade – but still quite obvious. While Ivan had felt attracted to people before, it had never been this swiftly, nor so fiercely. Nor had he ever thought that he might be able to tell the focus of his attention before, for that matter. Alfred, though, he felt would not become angry with him, or spurn his company because of his feelings. He wasn't sure why he thought this, but he did – though he still wanted to be careful. He could not risk putting his foot in his mouth with a subject matter as delicate as this one. “... I never doubted your word.” He concluded, almost whispering. “Ahh, is there anything in here that you would like?” He asked, managing to pull his volume up from its decline to rest at a near-normal level. “If there is not, then we could move on to another store...”
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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12:33pm May 21 2014
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Alfred shook his head slightly when asked if there was anything there that he wanted, starting out. "Want to head tot he games pace now?" he asked, smiling wide. "I can show you those games I was talking about now. Like Animal Crossing could be a way for you to spend time while I'm at work or something, he chirped, fingers still wrapped around Ivan's to gently lead him along. "Or, well, assuming you like it, at least. You do like cute, though, so I think you should. And I think I already have a copy of Super Smash Brothers so I can show you a cute fighting game..." He smiled wider. "Things we can play together!" he chirped happily, seeming to be gradually more excited about having a playmate when it came to stuff like this.
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1:12pm May 21 2014
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"Oh, da, that sounds like a good idea~" Ivan responded, lowering his sunflower slowly as he felt less uncomfortable. He followed Alfred out placidly, smiling, and enjoying the gentle tugging of the American's hand leading him onward. "I do like things like Animal Crossing, so there is no problem there~" He added, recalling that his friend had told him of a new version the previous day. "From what you have told me, I think I will also like the smashy game, so that is good, da? Ahh, I like the idea of playing together with you - games are fun, and you are as well, so that is double~" Alfred's excitement was as cute as it was obvious, and Ivan could now put this perception into perspective, given his new insight into his own mind. Surely, there was nothing wrong with simply enjoying what he was witnessing for the moment, was there? He hoped not, but he didn't see what could be wrong about it. His friend's sunny disposition was on display for all to see, after all. "I do not know how to play that one, though, so you would have to teach me..." He continued, a small smile adorning his features. "Ahh, do you know if there are any with baby animals in?"
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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1:30pm May 21 2014
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Alfred grinned wide. "Well that's good!" he chirped, looking back at Ivan happily. "When I'm off we can do stuff like that together then." He nodded a bit, then tilted his head. "As for baby animals, uh...there's Nintendogs, Dogz, Catz, Nintendo Cats, Horsez...all kinds," he said thoughtfully, tilting his head slightly. "Uh, I can show you what they're like on YouTube really fast if you want me to so you choose?" he asked, looking back at the other curiously. He'd hate to get something for him and him not like it at all, so he wanted to be sure he'd enjoy it. Especially since he doubted Ivan would want to hang around Cafe Americana all the time while he was at work. The smell of coffee and lattes could get old after a while, so being able to give Ivan ways to pass his time seemed like a really good idea.
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1:38pm May 21 2014
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"That is sounding good to me~" Ivan smiled, following Alfred - as he didn't know where they were headed. "Ohh, so there are a lot of them, then? I'm not so interested in the horse one, but could you show me the others, please? It would help to have a preview, and I would get to see the cute animals in advance~" He added, realising the usefulness in the option that his friend had presented. He doubted that he would dislike any of them, but he didn't want to feel as though he was digging too deeply into Alfred's generosity, so he wanted to only pick the ones he liked best for now - others could come later, he felt. He didn't know what Alfred was thinking, but he probably would have agreed that waiting around in a coffee shop would get tedious after a while, however much he wanted to spend time with his friend. It would be good to have something to fall back upon.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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1:48pm May 21 2014
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Alfred nodded and paused long enough to pull out his phone, starting to walk slowly as he began to search up videos for Ivan to watch, offering out his phone for the other to take with a smile. "You should be able to get to videos of the other games from there," he told him, tilting his head a bit. "They're both pretty cute but they play pretty differently. Dogz actually had a bit of plot to it too whereas with Nintendogs you can talk to the dogs and give them commands vocally to train them." He had a feeling that Ivan would like Nintendogs more since it was more like he was really playing with a puppy as opposed to Dogz, where he was clearly not.
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3:00pm May 21 2014 (last edited on 3:24pm May 21 2014)
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Ivan stashed his sunflower in his pocket – though it was long enough that you could easily see what it was in spite of the depth of the Russian's pockets, and took the phone as it was offered to him, trusting Alfred to lead him straight while he looked through the videos available. “Oooooh, they are all so sweet~” He reacted, finding the little fluffy animals somewhat adorable. He was quiet for a while, simply gazing at the screen, clicking on more videos, and occasionally making little squeaky noises. After a while, though, he had reached a conclusion. “I think that the ones I like best are the Nintendogs ones, with the kitties in as well~ Do you think they will have the one with the Golden Retriever? That one is the one I prefer the most.” He informed his friend, curious as to what his answer might be – and hopeful that it would be positive. He handed the phone back to its owner at this point, and retrieved the sunflower from his pocket. It felt soothing to carry it around with him, like holding a part of a pleasant dream. It didn't matter that it wasn't a real flower – it was close enough, and it made him feel happy.
((Do you think I should introduce Vodka yet, or wait until they're in town another time?))
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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3:24pm May 21 2014
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Alfred chuckled softly. "Honestly I thought that's what you'd say," he responded, sliding his phone into his pockets. "And I think that one has all of the breeds in it, but I'm not entirely sure since I haven't played it," he said softly, tilting his head a little bit. Was he preferring the Golden Retrievers because they seemed to remind him of Alfred? "If not I think we may be able to trade it in the next time we're out in town for something?" he offered, looking up at the other with a curious tilt of his head. "Unless you wouldn't mind it?" He honestly wasn't sure what all was in the Nintendogs and Cats thing.
((That's a very good question ovo If it's now they have plenty of space left in Alfred's car for more cat stuff should he decide to join them on their way home)) |
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3:34pm May 21 2014
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"It is? Well, you were correct." Ivan responded, slightly surprised that Alfred had guessed which ones he would prefer. Still, he reasoned, it could be because he was quite fond of petting Penny whenever she was within reach - and the Nintendogs had a lot of that sort of thing in it. "I do not mind it if there are not all of the breeds, do not worry." He added, smiling. "Oh, and while I would prefer the one with the Golden Retriever in, I would not be averse to trading. I can be patient, if it is not there." The association was there, linking Alfred with the cute puppy in Ivan's mind, but it was not the only factor. He had actually liked that breed before he'd met the American, having compared the two because he liked the Goldens. It was their sunny pelt and friendly disposition that had first warmed him to them, but he liked them even more now that there was someone really nice who reminded him of them - and of whom he was now reminded in turn by the dogs.
((I think I'll wait until they're at least out of the game store, possibly after a book store. I'm planning the cat to emerge from behind a postbox.))
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
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