|
9:30am May 13 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 646
|
((I don't know that one, is it one of Germany's?))
Ivan acknowledged Alfred's statement with a nod and a vague shrug, before processing the rest of what had just been said. He now had a hand full of cute picture repository, and clear access to Penny. "Sounds good to me~" He answered, smiling. Given that the photos weren't going to change, he decided to prioritise getting to know the cat, and began to stroke her again. "You are a very pretty kitty, you know that? Da, you are quite sweet~" He informed the feline next to him, though there wasn't really any reason to converse with the cat. He felt like talking to her, though, and he figured that it wouldn't matter if he did. It wasn't as though she was going to tell him to pipe down, after all. "You looked very cute when you were a little kitten~ Of course, you still look nice now, but you are less puffy and small - now you are fluffy and big~"
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
|
|
10:01am May 13 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 11,785
|
((It's Germany's song yeah ;v;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QqFyzGcy3E
BTW Einsamkeit is German for Loneliness uvu ))
Penny looked up at Ivan and meowed before scooting closer to the source of the current affections she was receiving, responding to his words with deep purring.
In the meantime Alfred flopped into his computer chair and start booting it up, humming under his breath and tapping his foot as he waited for it to get to where he wanted it. After logging on and getting his mini-SD settled within an actual SD thing and getting it into his computer he started scrolling through the files in search of the one he wanted.
He smiled a bit when he found the one he was looking for, Russia with the bright blue butterfly perched on his nose. He couldn't help a definite fondness rising from within as he stared at the picture, waiting for several moments before he set it to start printing on some photo paper he still had.
Maybe he should start a new photo album with Russia? |
|
10:20am May 13 2014 (last edited on 10:23am May 13 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 646
|
((Thanks, I'll give it a listen. By the way, did you mean to call Ivan Russia in your post? Is Alfred subconsciously referring to him that way?))
The sound of Penny's purring was pleasing to Ivan's ears, and he was quite glad to be able to cause her happiness. It was kind of a warm sound, and one that told him that he was probably succeeding in befriending the cat. He
couldn't hear Alfred's humming, as he wasn't close enough, and the purring was much closer. He didn't know what Alfred was thinking about, but he would probably be touched that the idea of sharing an album between them was being considered. While continuing to caress Penny's soft pelt with one hand, Ivan opened the photo album he'd been handed with the other, and decided to show it to Penny. “Look, that is you, only smaller~” He told the cat, smiling. “That is when you were a little kitten, getting a bath. Was that your first bath from Alfya? You looked kind of confused, but also quite cute~”
He knew that she was unlikely to recognise an image of her past self, but he didn't particularly mind. He had an audience for his rambling who wouldn't tell him to knock it off, and cute pictures to look at while he bonded with the kitty, so he was happy.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
|
|
10:43am May 13 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 11,785
|
((Oh pfft I didn't actually xD I guess I mentally got caught up from listening to character songs.
But that could be a thing yeah :D))
Penny tilted her head slightly at Ivan's words, ears perking in response to his voice before she simply settled back down to nap, tail curled tightly around her as her purring evened out.
Alfred started to wander in a moment later, printed photo in hand, only to decide to lean against the wall and watch Ivan as he interacted with Penny, a soft smile on his face. It was a very fond-looking ex
pression, as if he were looking at something endearing that he'd been famliar with at one time and was coming to remember how much he'd enjoyed it. He didn't want to disturb the moment just yet. |
|
11:01am May 13 2014 (last edited on 11:09am May 13 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 646
|
((Stuff like that happens to me, too. Sometimes, if I'm thinking about one character when I'm trying to write about another, I end up putting down the wrong name - sometimes from the wrong series.))
It took a few minutes before Ivan noticed that Alfred had returned, as he happily chatted to the cat next to him, his fingers running smoothly over her fur. When he did notice, though, he looked up to see his home-stay host smiling fondly at him and Penny. It was a strangely nostalgic ex
pression, though Ivan supposed that it might have something to do with all the reminiscing over the kitty's past that they were doing. All the same, even if it was mostly to do with the cat, Ivan was
heartened to see that smile aimed in his general direction. It made him feel warm inside, as though he was a bottle full of hug. “Ahh, have you been there long?” He asked, hoping he hadn't made his friend wait too much. “I didn't notice when you arrived.” He added, feeling a little sheepish.
((I just listened to that Germanic song you recommended, and it's pretty awesome - sad, but awesome.))
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
|
|
11:37am May 13 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 11,785
|
Alfred chuckled softly. "I've only bee here a couple minutes," he responded, straightening up so he could head over and settle down beside Ivan and Penny. "What would think about use starting a photo album like this and fill it with things like this?" he asked, holing up the picture he'd printed out of Ivan with a small grin. "Document moments like this." It sounded like a good idea to him, and it could be something for Ivan to take with him if he did decide not to stay in America after the first years was up...but he wasn't going to say that out loud. He didn't want to ruin the niceness of all of this.
|
|
12:04pm May 13 2014 (last edited on 12:06pm May 13 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 646
|
“That does sound nice.” Ivan responded, his cheeks tinted with an ever-so-slight peach pink hue. He wants to take more cute pictures with me in them? He thought wonderingly, touched by the notion. The image that Alfred had captured earlier was rather cute, after all, so it did seem to fit the theme he'd noticed in the pictures he'd seen so far. “If we do that, I should be taking pictures of your moments also.” He suggested, “If it is a photo album that we will share, we should both appear in it, da?” He wasn't used to people taking pictures of him, apart from his parents, so he wasn't sure what to think of all this. It was definitely nice, though. Perhaps he should pull out some of the photos he'd brought with him at some point? It seemed that Alfred liked pictures, so it would probably go over well. Not just now, though, as it wasn't time to unpack yet.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
|
|
12:10pm May 13 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 11,785
|
Alfred grinned, seeming pleased that Ivan liked his idea. "Yeah, it'll be of both of us," he responded, reaching out to briefly pet his cat before he leaned forward and set the photo on top of the table. "Photos are a good way to reminds yourself of things you've forgotten in my opinion," he said after a bit, pulling his knees up to his chest to look over at his friend. "Because I kind of feel like I've forgotten about a lot of things sometimes. Things that used to be really important to me, that I shouldn't have forgotten. So I guess that's why I've been taking so many pictures; to keep myself from forgetting anything else."
|
|
1:09pm May 13 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 646
|
It was interesting, listening to Alfred's view on taking pictures, and it seemed to resonate with Ivan somehow. There were times when he felt that he was taking a particular picture in order to preserve the moment in time, to make it less likely to flit away and be lost to him. He'd never really analysed that, nor understood why he might feel like that, but it definitely seemed like he had been doing the same thing as Alfred - he'd even done so that very day, with the latte art. Even so, he also sometimes felt as though he'd forgotten something, but didn't want to remember, like he'd had a scary dream but forgotten all the details. Other times, though, he was almost-reminded of something he couldn't reach, and it made him feel kind of sad. Usually, times when he felt these things were spread far enough apart that he didn't notice so much, but it was starting to tug on Ivan's mind that there appeared to be a pattern of some sort. Knowing that Alfred had this too made it seem more... real. "Deep." Was all he said, though, because he couldn't figure out how to say all of what he'd just thought in a way that made sense.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
|
|
1:27pm May 13 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 11,785
|
Alfred nodded, soon moving so he could gently lift Penny into his arms to practically bury his face into her fur. "I really hope you don't think this is weird but I feel like forgetting the time I'll get to have with you would be the worst thing possible. I'm not really sure why, I just... I know for sure I want to keep that from happening." He looked over at the album full of photos of his cat, wondering if his and Ivan's album would end up bigger or smaller.
|
|
1:41pm May 13 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 646
|
Ivan looked across when Alfred picked up Penny and snuggled his face into her pelt, and was struck by an urge to photograph it, as they looked rather sweet. As he brought his camera out of his pocket to do so, though, he heard Alfred saying something to him. He froze, something deep in his mind jangling at his friend's words. For some reason, hearing Alfred say something like that made him feel somewhat bereft and cold, and his ex
pression reflected that. "I don't want to forget you either!" He blurted, unsure what else to say, but feeling moved to say something, anything, to reassure Alfred and chase away the empty feeling that was clawing at him. "We can take lots of pictures, and make sure that we have lots of memories, da? Besides, you are too brightly shining to forget, surely?" The topic made him feel uneasy, and he was fidgeting with his scarf again, but he soldiered on regardless. "I promise not to forget, even if I do go back to Russia, so please don't be sad."
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
|
|
1:53pm May 13 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 11,785
|
Alfred nodded slightly before he glanced down at Penny and held her out towards Ivan, offering a tiny, sheepish smile. "I'm sure she'll let you hold her," he said softly, wanting to try to brighten up the topic he'd ended up bringing up. "Also, um...thanks, Vanya," he told him, smiling a little wider. "I promise I won't forget you either. You're too cool to forget, man." He nodded slightly. "Anyone else who doesn't think so is obviously either blind or jealous."
On top of being cool he was also adorable, but Alfred left that out in favor of trying to avoid being awkward again. He didn't want to end up messing up again and ruining the end of their first day of living together and being friends. |
|
3:14pm May 13 2014 (last edited on 3:17pm May 13 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 646
|
It was a relief to Ivan when he saw Alfred's mouth quirking upwards again, and he felt less like he had something coiled tightly inside him. The proffered cat only served to make things better, and he hastily stowed his camera back in his pocket in order to take hold of Penny. “It is no bother, simply truth.” He mumbled, gently cuddling the warm furry bundle he'd been handed. He was flattered by Alfred's words, and he gave him a shy smile, holding the sentiment he'd been offered as closely as he was holding the kitty in his arms. Truthfully, he wasn't at all sure that he'd even be able to contemplate leaving Alfred behind when the time came, given how attached he already felt. Going back would mean going home, true, but the only people who would be waiting for him there would be his parents. Well, perhaps Dmitri also, but only in the hopes of cadging free stuff from abroad. The country that had birthed him was dear to his heart, but his heart's inclinations were not welcome there, come to think of it. Was it better to be lonely in your homeland, or happy in another's?
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
|
|
11:36pm May 13 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 11,785
|
Alfred gave Ivan what had to have been the most genuine smile he'd ever given anyone before he started to get up. "So, uh, want to watch a movie first or start on dinner first?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck a bit. "A movie would take a good two hours at least, but some are more like an hour and a half. I don't actually have a lot of those though." His ex
pression turned almost sheepish. "Or, hey, we could even just sit here on the couch and talk more, whatever you'd wanna do, Vanya." Anything to make him comfortable, to make the Russian happy and at ease here. This was going to become their little safe place...or so he hoped. Where neither of them could be judged by the people outside, where they were completely free to be themselves.
|
|
11:36pm May 13 2014 (last edited on 11:38pm May 13 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 11,785
|
((Whoops didn't mean to post twice sorry))
|
|
12:37am May 14 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 646
|
((It's okay, accidents happen. ^_^))
Ivan gazed at the beaming grin he was being treated to, and marvelled at its radiance, finding it soothing to look upon. "Hmm? Ahh, well, I do not particularly mind. Perhaps we should be making food first? Then there would not be tummy rumblings during movie time." He suggested, considering the matter he'd been queried on. He could tell that Alfred was trying to make him feel more at ease here, which he appreciated, and his own smile grew less tentative. He felt sheltered in this place, for whatever reason, and he certainly felt welcomed. "Besides, to make food, we will have to wash our hands - which means that I will find out where the bathroom is all the sooner, as there is only one sink in the kitchen to wash with. Also, once we have settled in to watch movies, inertia will set in." He added, deciding to tack on some reasoning, stroking Penny all the while.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
|
|
1:34am May 14 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 11,785
|
Alfred chuckled softly and nodded. "Food first it is!" he responded cheerfully as he took a couple steps back, hands laced behind his back as he waited for Ivan. "And there's plenty of room for us both to use the sink to wash our hands, man, don't worry," he told him with a soft laugh. "But if you want me to go ahead and show you where the bathroom is I can. Actually, yeah, having you know where things are is probably actually pretty important," he said crossing his arms and cocking his head with an almost thoughtful ex
pression.
|
|
2:34am May 14 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 646
|
"Da~" Ivan nodded, already imagining the delicious scents that cooking would produce. "Oh, I guess I didn't notice that. Ahh, but it would be helpful if I knew where the bathroom was anyway." He added, responding to Alfred's query. He had got up to follow his friend, after giving Penny one last snuggle and putting her down gently. Alfred's thoughtful-looking ex
pression was interesting, though not as cute as some of the others Ivan had seen him wear, and he wondered what was crossing Alfred's mind - well, besides bathrooms. Speaking of those, though... "By the way, I am curious - do you have shower, bath, or maybe both? I would be fine with any of those, I am just interested."
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
|
|
3:12am May 14 2014
|
Normal User
Posts: 11,785
|
Alfred padded towards his bathroom. "It's a shower bath thing," Alfred responded with a grin, stopping outside the door. "Uh, if you need we can go get more shampoo and stuff tomorrow. I wasn't really expecting to have someone actually pick me to move in with any time soon so I only have the bath stuff that I use," he said with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck a bit.
((I have a huge urge to draw Alfred -goes to do so-)) |
|
3:39am May 14 2014 (last edited on 3:41am May 14 2014)
|
Normal User
Posts: 646
|
((Looking forward to it~ Maybe I should draw Ivan some time... I'll have to see if I have the colours.))
While Ivan really would have been happy with a shower on its own, his face lit up a little when he was told that there was a bath. That meant that he would be able to immerse himself in lovely hot water, which was something he relished doing. “It is fine, I have brought washing things with me.” He responded, opening the door and looking inside. Since he was there, he walked in and began washing his hands. Given the amount of people who'd been on that home-stay host list, Ivan wasn't surprised by Alfred's assumption, and didn't react to it. That sheepish ex
pression made Alfred look quite sweet, though. “What hero's movie do you wish to show me first, once we have dealt with dinner? I have no particular preference right now, so it is wholly your choice.” He added, drying his hands and exiting the bathroom.
Gneiss, but not taken for granite~
|
|
