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

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

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She snags it out of his hand, but not early enough to stop the message from going through. Hurriedly, she types another response, flustering.]

Why did you do that? [Said in the middle of typing,] Now he's going to think I wrote that.

Wait, but I wasn't done yet!

[ Oblivious to the problem here, apparently... ]

[Holding it up high above her head, even if he hasn't reached for it.]

I am being serious Keith. Send your 'troll' messages on your own device!

[Someone recently explained what a troll is to her.]

[ He doesn't reach for the device again, but he does give her a disgruntled look. ]

I'm trying to keep the trolls from messing with you. How am I the troll here?

I don't know! I only learned what a troll is three dobashes ago!

[She lowers her hand, looking back at the screen with a worried expression, not meeting his eyes.]

The whole thing was a big mistake anyway.

[ His expression softens at that. ]

Allura, it's not your fault that the network isn't helpful when you're looking for answers to stuff.

[ Though having said that, he takes a sudden interest in the wall. ]

Not that I've done that before.

[ Quickly he raises his hand up to his chin to make it look like he's sage pondering, but really it's because his face is threatening to turn shades of pink. He clears his throat. ]

..Anyway. I uh... I'm guessing you've heard enough about Earth customs for today?

It works much different from the network systems back home.

[There was no space Altean social media. ~~Or was there?~~

At the last part she ducks her head, but her eyes travel over towards, him, trying to get a read on his expression. Boy, she’s feeling warm right now. But the network post wasn’t entirely a waste. There was at least one good point that came up over and over again.]

No. [She needs to stop avoiding this. She is a Mature Adult (thanks Louis). Pressing her mouth into a thin line, she turns toward him, hands moving to cross in front of her.] Actually I would like to hear more. But I should have been asking you from the start.

Me?

[ He doesn't point a finger at himself, but he does look owlish for a second. ]

I know I'm from Earth and all, but I was honestly kind of a recluse so I couldn't tell you anything about friendship rituals or kissing.

[ .... ]

Wait.

[ Deep Breath. ]

... were you not actually asking about Earth customs?

[Here Allura's cheeks puff up, catching an exasperated sigh before it escapes, instead letting it meter out slowly. There's a last second debate with herself to let it drop if Keith really was none the wiser. She takes a breath.]

No. Rather, I suppose I was. A bit. Because you are from Earth.

[A breath.]

And the only person that has kissed me.

Oh. Well I...

[ Despite knowing this conversation was bound to come up eventually, it's hard not to be flustered and tongue tied. Resisting the urge to immediately shove his hands in his pockets, Keith clears his throat. Surely, if he keeps telling himself that he isn't embarrassed, his face will get the message and stop feeling so warm? ]

It's ... I don't know what kissing means to other people from Earth. I just...

[ He trails off, furtively glancing around to see if anyone else is around. Mercifully they aren't, but Keith still gestures at her room. ]

Can we talk about this inside?

[He doesn't immediately deny it, or avoid it and she can feel her own heart rate pick up, heat burning at her cheeks as a hundred different scenarios play out in her head. Many embarrassing. Others just difficult and complicated.

She nods stepping to the side to let him inside. ~~Trapping him in the conversation that is to come.~~ The door shuts with a click behind her but she stays where she's standing by it.

And despite the flood of thoughts that were threatening to spill over, silence settles heavy. Arms still crossed but she forces them to relax, to hold straight at her sides. He probably doesn't need the bond to feel all of her nervous energy practically radiating out of her, in this case.]

[ Keith takes a few extra steps into her room, intending to take a seat on a chair. However, seeing as Allura remains standing by the door, he stops abruptly and then leans against the wall like that was his intention all along.

This isn't like being called into Commander Iverson's office to be yelled at, but her apprehension adds to his own and his heart starts to race. Taking a deep breath he waits to see if she'll start the conversation, but when she doesn't he drops his gaze down to her feet. ]

I... [ He bites the inside of his lip, forcing himself to unfold his arms. ] I've never kissed anyone before. Wasn't all that interested in that stuff. [ Hastily: ] That doesn't explain what kissing means to me, I realize.

[ He takes a deep breath, trying to ignore how his stomach seems to have been replaced by wriggling worms. ]

But I just... wanted to. With you.

[To say that she was expecting a denial, or at least some reluctance, would be disingenuous. Despite her hesitation she trusted that she could have an honest conversation with Keith. But still, she's surprised when he goes right into it, feeling his nerves through their bond makes her feel a little better in a way. Commiserating, even if he's the one that's been tying her stomach up in knots for movements.

I wanted to. With you. Makes her stomach do a full flip and she takes a breath, feeling warmth spread up to her cheeks and down through her chest. But what does it mean? She hasn't moved from her spot, somehow afraid that if she does it will break the moment and they'll go back to the way that it was. It felt too delicate, too precious.]

...Do you still want to? [Her stomach does another flip at her own words and she hurries ahead, wringing her hands and speaking too fast for him to get a word in,] I understand if it is a product of bonding and I have always been as eager a participant. But I-I confess that I cannot say that it has not always been entirely platonic on my part, and it would be wrong for me to let it continue without saying something first.

[...That's a lot of words for I want to kiss you too.]

[ The initial question makes him fluster, though as her explanation continues he can't help feeling a little like he needs to pinch himself properly awake. Any second now, he'll be back in his own room telling himself he's not disappointed. Seconds tick by. ]

Really?

[ Oh no, why has his voice gone up in pitch? Keith clears his throat quickly. It's hard to know how to speak when it's like his entire body is nothing but butterflies and the rush from being spun around. ]

I mean . of course I want to. [ ... ] I don't mean that in a creepy way. Of course I only want to if you want to. [ Face heating up mid-ramble, he scrubs his face then starts over. ]

I dont know what I'm trying to say. Probably because I've never actually felt this way about anyone before.

[Oh no. Her composure is rapidly crumbling, and she puts her hands on her face, like she can stop the heat from radiating out of them. Ancients, but it feels like there's still a necessary piece of the puzzle missing, because surely he's not saying what it sounds like he's saying and if he is she hasn't thought this far ahead to know what to do about it.]

We need to... just hold on a tick. [She says like they need to calm down, despite the fact that they're both just standing on opposite sides of the rooms, but between their bond it feels like her heart is going crazy. She crosses the room to stand in front of him, hands dropping to hold stiffly at her side,]

In as plain of words. Are you saying that you want to kiss me [A breath.] romantically?

[ Aaaaaah fuck. Maybe he's said too much? Folding his arms, Keith tries (badly) not to tense up as Allura approaches. It's not that he means to be ambiguous exactly, but the question she asks is so direct that it makes him swallow nervously before answering. ]

I know you're a space princess and I'm just some guy that happened to bond with Red, but ...

[ He lets out a deep breath. ]

... I wouldn't kiss anyone I didn't like a lot. And I don't want to kiss anyone else. So....

[ So. ]

[So.]

[She kisses him.

Before she can stop herself, or psyche herself out further, it just takes one step forward and she leans the rest of the way to cross the distance between them - her hands stay at her sides, making the press of her lips against his the only point of contact between them. It's chaste but meaningful - for the first time not just riding a high of emotions and figuring out what it meant later. And as she pulls back, the heat on her cheeks is obvious, turning her skin a dusky rose color.

And she smiles,]

I want to kiss you too.

[ Keith had been bracing himself for more follow up questions, but not a kiss. The affection and its now recontextualized implications is over just as soon as Keith has started wrapping his mind around it, leaving him staring at her owlishly and a little stunned into silence.

A few beats pass by and it occurs to him belatedly that he ought to be saying something instead of whatever the hell he's doing right now. ]

Is this real right now? [ The question is blurted unthinkingly. ] You were talking about Australian kisses and -- [ He laughs a little dazedly before smiling in earnest. ] I ... wow?

You know, I still do not know what that means...

[She says, a little breathlessly herself. The last few dobashes moved so fast even if it's been months since the first time they kissed, and countless hours of wondering what it meant. Speaking of-

She tugs at a loose strand of hair, looking sheepish and quietly fretting.] I should apologize. I should have come to you with my question sooner.

[Her words trail off, not really sure of a good excuse for avoiding it. Other than it was complicated, and she didn't want to make things complicated between them.]

[ That makes him laugh again, partly out of pure giddiness and partly out of nerves as he doesn't actually want to have to explain Australian kisses now or any other time. ]

I didn't exactly ask you about that either.

[ Sheepishly, he rubs at the back of his head with his hand. ]

I know I should've, but y'know... I got nervous. And I'm not so great at the whole heart to heart thing. [ He glances up at her face then: ] But I'm trying.

[It feels like a flutter of butterflies in her stomach. Now that things have been said and done and she still has so many questions about what it meant for them going forward, she didn’t want to break the spell of this moment. She felt warm and happy in a way that felt silly and simple in a way that few things in her life were.

Hands reach out and take his shyly. Like so many times before, but it wasn’t just about the bond this time. Now they both knew it.]

Well. I am glad that we cleared it up. [Thumbs run over his knuckles,] I should allow you to get back to your rest. It’s the middle of the night for you.

[ Keith looks down at their hands, instinctively turning his palms to interlace their fingers. There are a lot of things he's still getting used to about being a fully fledged vampire, but the way he feels warm all over when Allura holds his hands and smiles at him is exactly the same. He smiles a little brighter, not quite able to keep a happy laugh to himself. ]

You say that like I'm actually going to be able to go back to sleep now.

[ He starts tugging one of her hands towards his chest, then remembers belatedly that he doesn't actually have a heartbeat anymore. ]

Oh. [ He closes his eyes, then focuses on sending her just a pinch of vibrant energy through their joined hands. Grinning, he continues: ]

Want a boost for the rest of your day?

[She's not sure what it is about that statement that makes her cheeks feel even warmer. Maybe that's just how it is now. Feeling warm and happy and a flip in her stomach whenever she hears a truly happy laugh out of him.

Her eyes raise to meet his, fingers curling around his hand in kind.]

It feels like I've just drank the largest cup of coffee already. [She laughs, light and airy and nearly dizzy from everything that just happened.] But yes, I do.

Okay, coming right up.

[ Giddiness all but radiating from him, he tries to focus on their bond. This is a dangerous kind of cycle where her cheer only amplifies his own and it always ends in aching cheeks from smiling too damn much. For once though, it isn't really followed by lingering questions which is a new thrill all on its own. After sending her a pulse of energy, Keith looks up at her with a grin. ]

There. I think I might actually have a shot at falling asleep now. [He gives her hands a squeez before letting go. ] So ... goodnight?

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

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these awkward nerds.

they're trying...!!

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