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 Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:17 pm
Lionel had made sure to send lots of pictures of hamsters to Andrei, the code name for Andreiya, and finally couldn’t quite stand it anymore, inviting the male over to his house for dinner and a movie. Sure, Alvin and the Chipmunks weren’t hamsters but…he couldn’t quite think of any movies that actually involved hamsters, so…this was the best thing that he could think of.
Tonight was nothing more than just…showing his friend that Earth didn’t completely suck, even if it really did. He had a basket filled with different hamster toys, cute ones, fat ones and squishy ones, and even a hat with small ears that the internet had said was a hamster hat…even though Lionel suspected that it might have actually been a bear hat but…whatever. Hopefully Andrei wouldn’t know the difference.
He had also gotten the Velencian a hamster, hoping that this wasn’t overkill, but…it seemed like a nice gesture. It would be something he could take back if he had to go back to space, and it would be a friend to have when senshi or other stupid officers decided to treat him poorly.
The dinner…or snacks, really, were waiting on the coffee table, kept warm by small sterno canisters like a proper buffet. Salad and french fries with a ton of different toppings, and then small, fat hamster shaped dumplings filled with red bean for dessert. Why not do everything as a theme.
His friend was worth it.
[quote="Kyuseisha no Hikari]
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:30 pm
Andreiya had never been invited somewhere. Not like this, at least. He didn’t know what to expect. Humans were weird, he’d googled all sorts of things before he’d agreed to meet with Lionel, and even now he was either going to have dinner, or be axe murdered. And Lionel was in the Negaverse, so he didn’t really know.
He didn’t know how he felt about revealing his ‘civilian identity’ as well, but he knew that if he messed up, Commodore Lyndin would know what to do. He could fix things. But, Andreiya–no, Andrei, right now–was going to do his best to make a good impression.
It wasn’t quite as chilly as it had been when he’d first arrived on Earth, but he still had the opportunity to wear the clothes he liked–straight pants, an oversized sweater, and comfortable boots that went up to his calves. He liked the neutral colors of everything, and was very careful to make sure he matched.
He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to bring something, so he’d stopped to pick up some coffee-drink-things that he’d seen an ad for on his phone.
If he got murdered, he made sure he left a note on his bed so everyone would know that it was Lionel who murdered him, and they could extract fair justice for his death.
But, he hoped he wasn’t here for anything bad. He double checked that he was at the right address four times before he made his way up to it. Carefully balancing the cups in one arm, he held his breath and knocked on the door.
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:34 pm
When he heard the knock at the door, Lionel grinned and moved to open it up, blinking slightly at the fact that he wasn’t pink...but obviously he wasn’t pink. This was his civilian guise, so why would he be pink. “Hey, Andrei. Come on in!” He reached out, taking the cups so he wouldn’t spill the drinks, Lionel nodded towards the entryway. “If you don’t mind, go ahead and put your shoes here? And then help your self, food’s on the table, and your presents are over by the window, I hope you’ll like them.”
He looked almost too excited to hold it in. “...His name is Steve, by the way. Just in case you were wondering, and he’s yours! A gift, from me. Obviously.”
Putting the drinks on a side table, Lionel took hold of Andrei’s hand, tugging him towards the presents the moment his shoes were off and gestured at the toy hamsters, and then at Steve himself. “...Ta da!”
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:55 pm
“I did not bring you anything,” he said uncertainly. “I mean, I did bring you a drink, but I have not been invited anywhere like this. It is strange to me so please forgive my manners.”
He was a bit flustered but didn’t resist Lionel’s enthusiasm. He’d toed off his boots as asked, even if his feet felt suddenly cold without them. At least his socks matched; he was not ashamed that they had cute little hamster faces on them. It was fitting, for this hamster themed evening that he knew nothing about.
And then, he saw him.
Steve.
“...What is he doing here?” he blurted, and though he hurried close to the hamster he did so with extreme caution and care. He didn’t want to scare him! “Is he your roommate? You did not tell me you knew a hamster!”
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:57 pm
Lionel grinned broadly, even more pleased with Andrei’s reaction than he would have thought possible. “He’s here to come home with you! I figured he’d be a good friend for you, and someone you could look at and know that not all people from Earth are total jerks. Plus I thought it would make you happy, and I was right!”
Goodness he was cute. Innocent in a way most people weren’t on this planet. It was almost refreshing. And the fact that he had hamster faces on his socks...that just made everything even more perfect. “I hope you like him, Andy. I know you’ve had some lousy times so far here but…I want to help you make good memories, and hopefully have those overtake all the bad ones, if that doesn’t sounds too stupid.”
Plus the honor of being friends with an alien. That was always going to be the icing on the cake.
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 4:52 pm
For a moment, Andreiya just stared. He was captivated by the little creature, absolutely smitten, but then something like dread and worry quickly crawled over his face. He turned to Lionel. “I love him. We would be good friends. But I cannot take him, my people are very against enslaving other species. It is a personal offense, I could get in trouble. Oh, but,” he turned to look at him and crouched a little lower so he could get a better look at him.
“I love him,” he whispered quietly. He wanted to hold him.
He did not want Steve to become his dirty secret, but he had never been so close to a hamster in private.
But he didn’t want to disappoint Vanguard. He didn't want to disappoint Commodore Lyndin!
But, Steve...
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 5:17 pm
“Enslaving?” Lionel blinked, his smile faltering. This…hadn’t been anything he had expected hearing, but…
“How is it enslaving? He would become your roommate. Andy, he’s not someone that would be able to survive being released or anything. Hamsters like this are bred to be companions to people. It’s not slavery, I promise. He’d be nothing more than your friend.”
He paused and snorted softly. “...if anything, he’s getting the better deal, you know. He gets someone who loves him, cleans his home for him, feeds him and dotes on him, and all he has to do is look cute! That almost doesn’t seem fair to you.”
God, he hoped he could convince Andy. There was no way that Lionel could keep Steve, no matter how cute he was. Especially if things went the way he was hoping them to go.
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 5:45 pm
Andreiya was quite for a moment; he looked almost statuesque, just stooped over and admiring the hamster as he scurried around in his cage. It almost looked like he’d totally zoned out and hadn’t heard a thing that Lionel had said, but finally, he nodded.
“When you put it like that, it sounds like a symbiotic relationship. I did not think of it like that before. I can use that.”
He was talking to himself, thinking about a phantom argument in which he had to defend his new roommate, Steve. Who was perfect, and beautiful, and so full of life and so cute.
“I have always wanted to be friends with a hamster,” he said quietly. “I would go to the pet store to watch them. I have thought they were all cute. But Steve is the cutest of all. He will be my best friend.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 6:18 pm
Lionel smiled and nodded. “I don’t see why you would have to argue for it anyway. He’s your friend, not your slave. I promise. There’s nothing wrong with friendship, and I can’t see your fellow…uh…” He paused, trying to think of the correct word and then shrugged. “Can’t see the other Velencians arguing with you about that. I’m glad that you like him, Andy. It makes me happy. And I think he will be your best friend, anyone would want to, really.”
He patted Andreiya on the shoulder lightly and nodded towards the food. “Come on, let’s eat and watch our movie, and then we can spend some more time with Steve, okay? Heck, if you want to hold him while we watch the movie you can do that too. I bet he’d like to sit in your pocket, it would be really cozy for him.”
The only issue now was if Andreiya would be upset by the hamster buns but…
….hopefully not. If he was…well…
Lionel was sure he could talk his way out of upsetting the male. Easy peasy.
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 7:03 pm
Andreiya stared at Steve for a moment longer and then nodded. “I want him in my pocket,” he said quietly. “If he would like it. My pocket is very big and very soft. And I love him and I want to hold him. You will have to teach me how to understand his behavior. I do not speak hamster but I want to know what he is trying to communicate.”
Finally, he stood up; his eyes never left the hamster.
“Thank you for introducing us, Lionel. I will do my best to make him happy. My room is full of hamsters. Not real hamsters, they are stuffed hamsters. I know it is superfluous, but they make me so happy. I go into my room and I am happy. It is not practical, but I love it. I love them. And I am very excited for tonight.”
…He was pretty sure he wasn’t going to be axe murdered, so all he could do was look forward to a movie (???) and food.
And, friendship.
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