Text | un: PrincessAllura | time for more silly network shenanigans

[quintessent]

Name: Princess Allura (un: PrincessAllura)
Date: 9/10
Format: Text

I have a question directed to the Earthlings who were brought here.

Before I came to this planet, my experience with humans was brief. As such, my knowledge of their culture is largely limited and something I have been working at understanding for some time now.

To get to the point: I am curious about human friendship rituals. Is handholding a common practice among friends?


…


And what about kissing?

[AHEM. Not lingering on that one for too long. Definitely asking for a friend and not because she’s been casually smooching her bond for awhile now and still they are acting like it means nothing. As you do.]

I only ask this because I have seen a lot of different behavior since I arrived here that is different from the culture I was raised in and do not wish to misinterpret the meanings. Thank you.

Comments

[bloodwit]

You'll find that, with humans, the meaning of a 'kiss' is going to also vary depending on where they're from, what they value, etc. I'd be surprised if you found a blanket answer.

[ considering he's definitely seeing some, uh, different types of responses here. ]

For example, back home, if I had kissed my friend? He'd probably interpret that as romantic and thus be taken aback by it. We may hug, but I would not generally hold his hand. Here, if I kissed a Bonded friend, or did any of the aforementioned?

Less concerning.

[faithlikeaseed]

[somewhere, a faun takes notes....... ]

[bloodwit]

[ begone thot ]

[quintessent]

[Bless Viren, being the most reasonable one.]

That is one thing I was wondering about. The nature of bonds makes it natural to seek physical closeness with a bonded partner. Encouraged, even.

So you don't see kisses here as being inherently romantic?

[bloodwit]

It's so common, and like you implied—encouraged between Bonded—that's it's difficult for me to see it as inherently like that...

Then again, if it's kissing between Bonded, you may be able to get a better idea as to how exactly they feel about it. They may think nothing of the gesture, they may think everything of it.

[quintessent]

Usually it’s a big mix of feelings. It’s a little difficult to sort through.

[Ah!]

I mean hypothetically. Between bonded. It might be easy to confuse emotions. People often say things differently from what they are feeling.

[bloodwit]

[ you know allura he WAS going to give you the benefit of the doubt, that this was purely hypothetical, until that... ]

Then someone might wish to consider asking their hypothetical Bonded how they feel about the gesture.
You know, hypothetically.

I, at least, can understand that it can be emotionally taxing to be left to wonder how someone feels about you.

[quintessent]

[She's not a very good liar. Some would consider that a strength.]

You are probably right.

Hypothetically.

I probably should have started with that.

[At least she's self aware enough to know where she fumbled.]

[bloodwit]

I wish them the best of luck. Sincerely... If it's a misunderstanding, those can have very grave consequences. [ he misinterpreted a relationship once, allura. it was terrible. ]
In this fantasy scenario.

[quintessent]

[That doesn't make her feel nervous at all! Good thing she's not hypothetically bonded to the person she's developing these feelings for so he won't be able to feel it.]

Thank you Viren.

[For the luck she definitely doesn't need.]

[bloodwit]

Of course.