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 Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 6:22 am
"You wouldn't have. The Negaverse would have eaten you alive." It wasn't something he really wanted to think about. Someone as impressionable as Almandine would have been too easy to manipulate and there was no telling what the Negaverse would have done to him. Too long and he wouldn't have been the sweet guy Arachne met anymore. But they didn't have to worry about that. "We'll get you out and you can join the little group I'm part of. Plenty of other senshi to help you settle into being a white moon senshi, other senshi to call if you're ever in trouble, friends to help you settle into your new civilian life who understand the whole mess." He reached up to run his fingers though Almandine's hair. "You wont have to worry about being lonely or alone ever again."
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 9:11 am
He didn't like to think about the idea of being steeped further and further into darkness. The Negaverse had never seemed important to Almandine before; he had just believed things to be simpler, but now that he was working towards switching sides...
And if he stayed in the Negaverse, how much more would he even be able to see of Arachne? The thought alone was daunting.
"Little group?" Almandine repeated, eyes fluttering at Arachne's fingers in his hair. He tilted his head into the touch instinctively, liking the feel of it. "It would be...very nice to have more people to talk to, I suppose. I'm not..."
There was a pause while he sorted through his thoughts.
"I'm not exactly the most well versed in associating with people," Almandine said eventually. "I don't have much experience with that."
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 12:09 pm
"Mmmh, small group of us who look out for each other." He smiled, leaning back a bit so he could see the other senshi while still touching him. "Sort of like a family only not ones you have to worry about." Sometimes the group did feel like a family more than just a collection of friends. It seemed easier to think of it that way instead of just thinking of everyone as a friend. "When we get everything settled I'll introduce you to everyone. Everyone has their own little quirks so no one's going to think anything bad of you if you're not perfect at socializing. Hell, Mag Me''s boyfriend's awful at being around people."
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 2:30 pm
One of Almandine's hands slid to the back of Arachne's neck absently moving as he listened. "I'm not very close to my family," he said, with a slight frown. "We've never really been the sort of family where we...talked about anything. Especially nothing of significance."
It felt strange admitting this, because he rarely did. And it wasn't like he disliked his parents; they were all very cordial with one another, but they weren't close. Not the way other families were, the ones who got together for holidays and events, the ones who went to their children's school events, their games, their plays.
Almandine tilted his head, resting the side of his face on the top of Arachne's head, feeling the soft brush of his hair against his cheek. His gloved fingers were still unconsciously siding along the back of Arachne's neck.
"I don't know what that's like. Having a group of people to be a family with."
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 3:04 pm
"We'll you'll get to have one now." He smiled, hands running along Almandine's back slowly. It would be nice to have someone else to introduce to the 'family' and another person to join it. So far it had been good not only having the family but getting to come back to it. Even if the first introduction back hadn't been all that pleasant. It was nice ot think that for once he'd be the one bringing someone new into the group. Corvus would, most likely, be proud of him and hopefully would let him train Almandine and not just Thisbe. It would be strange though, teaching someone he cared about as more than just a friend. "You'll fit in just fine and I know they'll all like you."
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Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 6:40 am
The feel of Arachne's hands up and down his back felt warm and soothing; a reassuring touch that helped ease some of the uncertainty in Almandine's mind. After a moment, he lifted his hand from the back of Arachne's neck and brought his fingers to his lips; his teeth bit down on the tip of a gloved finger, and he tugged his hand free of it before tucking the glove safely into his breast pocket. Newly bare fingers moved back to Arachne's neck, just wanting to feel warmth under his fingertips.
He turned his face into Arachne's hair and closed his eyes, breathing in the nearness, the familiar, comforting scent of him.
"What if they don't?" he mumbled, barely audible, the uncertainties rising in a way that he wasn't used to, almost wasn't aware of. "I'm not...like most people, I don't...speak well. With others."
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Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 3:08 pm
He was a bit surprised to see Almandine take his glove off but after feeling the warm fingers on the back of his neck he understood why. It felt good to actually have warm skin touching him rather than just the hint of warmth through fabric. He was tempted to take off his own but he'd still be blocked from skin by the other senshis vest and shirt. "You can talk to me just fine. It's not that you don't speak well with others." He smiled softly, a soft laugh shaking his shoulders for a moment. "You just speak differently. And here's the thing, you matter to me and i know my friends. That's what will matter to them, they'll make an effort to like you and I don't see how they couldn't."
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Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 7:12 pm
He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed - or needed - physical contact before this. Almandine smoothed his fingers up and down the back of Arachne's neck, feeling the warmth, the slope of his throat, the gentle indentations, the strong vein.
"Do I talk to you fine?" Almandine asked. "I sometimes...don't feel as if I do."
He sometimes felt as though what he said was the wrong thing, in spite of always taking the time to consider what he said before he said it. Almandine still had his face pressed into Arachne's hair; he inhaled deeply, nuzzling into the smooth, dark locks.
"You matter to me too, for the record. A great deal. But I..don't have anyone to introduce you to. I'm sorry."
He was growing frustrated again at the inequalities between them. Why was it that he had nothing to offer when Arachne had everything?
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Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 7:30 pm
"Fine enough that I know what you mean." He nodded slightly knowing Almandine would be able to feel it. "Sometimes you don't quite use the right words or can't seem to exactly find what you want to say but I know it's hard for you so I make an effort to understand." Arachne at least tried to. Sometimes it took a bit to figure out what Almandine meant and he had to hope he guessed right but it was worth it. Sometimes he liked the conversations with Almandine more because of it. He had to actually concentrate on what the other man was saying. He was forced to actually listen instead of thinking over the other man's words. "Hm, how about you introduce me to places instead then? It's been a long time technically since I've been in DC so you could take me to some places you like?" He wasn't sure that would be a good compromise but Almandine seemed like the sort who would have places they liked to be. "You can share what's important to you with me."
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Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 8:13 pm
Almandine was silent for a long moment, the fingers on Arachne's neck stilling. Something in his chest felt like it was pressing out against his ribs, fluttering madly, trying to escape; a steady red flush was beginning to make its way across his face, burning across his cheeks.
He shifted, arms sliding around Arachne's neck, and Almandine buried his face next to Arachne's, body curving into body.
"No one's...ever said that to me," he mumbled, barely audible, muffled against his arms. "I don't know how you do it. You seem to...understand what it is I need to hear without me even realizing it."
It was so unfamiliar, such foreign terrain. Almandine gave a nod, brushing against Arachne's hair.
"...I can do that."
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Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 4:36 pm
It bothered him a bit, more than a bit, to think that no one had ever done such simple things for Alamandine before. It wasn't as if he was doing anything that should be considered special. IT was just being a decent human being and Almandine acted like it was special treatment. It wasn't right. "I'm just saying the truth Alma, promise. It's stuff you should have heard before. So I'm kinda annoyed on your behalf that I'm the first one saying it." He ran his hands up and down the other senshi's back, happy to let him curl up against him for the time being.
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Posted: Fri Dec 01, 2017 8:41 pm
It might have been stuff that he should have heard before, but he'd heard none of it, none of it at all. Almandine's life had been spent with everything being a certain way, and this was not a part of the plan; it made him feel off kilter, in the best possible way that was also the most confusing and uncertain way.
I'm just saying the truth.
Almandine tilted his head enough to press his face into Arachne's soft hair again.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "I don't know...I don't know what I would..."
He paused, cleared his throat, then amended, "I don't know that I want to find out what things would be like without you around anymore."
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Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 6:45 pm
"Good thing you won't have to worry about that, hm?" He smiled, reaching up to run his fingers down the back of Almandine's neck. It wasn't a promise he usually made, tried not to make it, but with Almandine it seemed easier to say. He didn't want to leave the other senshi on his own. It would be terrible and he didn't think he'd be able to do that. "Don't have to worry Alman. I'll do what I can to make things as easy as I can and I'll take care of you when you need someone to." Arachne knew Alma could take care of himself but sometimes it was nice to have someone else do it.
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Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 6:32 pm
He shivered a little under Arachne's touch. Almandine leaned back, just enough so that he could press a kiss to Arachne's forehead, lips lingering, and then drew away, keeping his arms around Arachne's shoulders and himself in his lap.
It felt too nice to move away.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "I'm glad of it."
And he was. Very, very glad that he had Arachne to keep him safe, to watch out for him. Almandine wasn't sure he could do things alone anymore, or at least, not without Arachne. His fingers brushed against the back of Arachne's neck again.
"Will you kiss me?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:12 pm
All of the soft kisses and the little touches seemed to go straight into him, pleasant little stings in the middle of his chest every single time. It wasn't a feeling he was used to but he was starting to like it. The sensation was so far removed from the lust he was used to. Like everything else that had come up since he'd moved back to Destiny City it felt strange but a good sort of strange. The fact that Alma was too adorable for words didn't hurt either. Smiling he leaned in to brush their noses together. "How could I refuse that." His voice was soft as he tilted his head just enough to press their lips together. Arachne didn't think he'd ever be able to turn down a request like that.
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