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 Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 5:48 am
Andreiya had a hamster. No, a roommate that was a hamster. It was different. He didn’t own the hamster. It just lived with him.
He’d had it for a few days now and didn’t really know what to do with it except…hide him.
Even though Lionel had made a really good point about how much Steve loved him and how they would be roommates and he could protect him, he was still worried that the other members of the Vanguard would disagree. He knew they could. He’d spent hours planning what arguments they’d give him, and he was angsting about what he’d have to do if they told him to get rid of him.
Or kicked him out of the Vanguard.
Honestly, he was horrified of the potential repercussions. He didn’t know what he was going to do about any of it except hide.
Which was easy enough, honestly; he was already secretive about his room. About his room filled with stuffed animals and heavy blankets and fun lights. He tried to reason–to himself, at least–that this was just a substitute for the comforts of home and he was filling in the gap with things that made him feel safe, but he also didn’t think that argument was really going to hold up if anyone in the house actually pressed him about it.
But, he was trying his hardest to research and find ways to improve Velenia and that had to count for something.
…Except, when he heard a knock on his door he expected the worst. He’d been found out, he knew it. They were going to call a meeting. They were going to evict him. He was going to be outcast, stranded on Earth. He thought he might pretend like he wasn’t there, but he knew that was going to be an ineffective tactic.
He waited. Panicked. Answered the door.
Just a sliver, enough that he could see–oh, just Aliez?
“Hello,” he greeted, and while he relaxed somewhat he did not open the door anymore. He didn't want to reveal much of his room–it had gotten worse since Aliez had last seen it.
Oh, and Steve was here now, too.
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2022 1:10 pm
Andreiya had been acting… strange… Like he was upset about something. Maybe he was hurt again? So of course Aliez was worried. He didn’t want his friend, or any of the other Velencians, to be hurt.
So, he did the only thing he could think of, which was talk to Andreiya.
Okay, not just that. He’d also made some cookies because he was trying out new things to make for everyone.
“Hi,” Aliez greeted in return, holding up the plate of cookies. “I left another plate in the living room for everyone else, but wanted to see if you’d like to try them? They’re peanut butter -- which is a kind of legume that is made into a paste and can be spread or mixed into things. From what I understand, some of the others enjoy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I believe it’s popular among human children as a lunch food.”
Oh, he was rambling a little. Maybe he just wanted Andreiya to have a chance to relax some more before giving him a chance to say anything in response.
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2022 8:27 pm
Andreiya didn’t want to like sweet things. He didn’t want to like how good they smelled just as much as he didn’t want to like how good they tasted, too.
He wanted to resist. He wanted to refuse.
No, he wanted to eat them. He took one off the plate and nibbled on the edge while he listened to Aliez.
It was as good as he imagined, so he nodded approvingly.
“That was very educational, thank you. I like the sweetness. This is not healthy?” he asked, even if his heart already knew the answer. But, Aliez was the most medically inclined. If he brought them for Andreiya to eat, he could eat them.
“I have no desire to eat in moderation, I would gladly consume the whole plate if you left it with me.”
He did not move from the door frame, and despite his manners telling him to invite Aliez in–as would be polite–he did not.
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2022 5:52 pm
“There are certainly less healthy things. You may scan it yourself if you prefer,” Aliez said, sounding a bit worried that maybe Andreiya would question his abilities if he was giving out snacks instead of requesting his fellow Velencians to eat only the healthiest of Earthen foods.
Which… were sometimes more difficult to come by than he would have liked, due to inconvenience or taste.
Andreiya didn’t move after he took the cookie. Aliez shifted on his feet, and glanced up and down the hall as subtly as possible.
“Is everything okay? You are not injured, are you?” he asked, because if there was something wrong, well…
“I care for your wellbeing. Not just medical,” he added. It was important that Andreiya knew he was important.
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Posted: Sun May 29, 2022 7:45 am
Andreiya looked at him for a long moment. Looked past him, over his shoulder. Scanned the hallway. Settled back on Aliez.
“No, I am healthy. But. Things are complicated. It is…”
He was quiet for a moment and then relented a little.
“Just complicated. I have a burden I have been carrying. It is heavy. It is a secret. I am greatly conflicted and yet have an argument to absolve my guilt. I would invite you into my room to tell you, but you must promise that you will hear me out. And you cannot tell anyone, Aliez. At all. Not even Vyn. Not even the Commodore. Can you keep a secret like that?”
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2022 4:55 pm
So there was something. Aliez kept his expression as neutral as possible, although there was always obvious concern for his friend. And if it was something that greatly conflicted Andreiya, then it must be important.
“I will not tell anyone, unless your life is threatened,” he reminded him of his promise to secrecy. Just as when Andreiya was hurt, Aliez wanted him to know that he could trust him. With so few of them there on Earth, they couldn’t afford not to trust each other.
“What is it? Are you in trouble, or in danger?” Aliez frowned, worried.
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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2022 3:30 pm
Andreiya shook his head. “No, it is nothing of the sort. It’s just…”
He sucked in a breath and puffed his cheeks out just a bit before he finally relented. “Come in, I can show you. But you cannot tell anyone!” he insisted, and quickly ushered Aliez in.
Andreiya’s room was colorful. More colorful than it needed to be, in all honesty. It was not up to Velencian standards. Soft pastels and gentle neutrals dominated the colors in the room.
He had a window, but the curtains were pulled closed. His bed was made, the room was clean.
Just full of things.
He had large pillows on his bed–soft, and based off of Earth animals. Mostly hamsters and other small rodents. He had shelves full of stuffed animals. He had blankets. And blankets. And blankets. A lava lamp, already on. Some pretty lights. A decorative rug.
A cage, in his room, with many colorful tubes.
He looked at Aliez visibly desperate for him to be understanding. “I have a roommate.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2022 6:19 pm
Aliez quickly moved into the room before Andreiya could fuss more, and glanced behind him to make sure the door was closed. The room was bright, but then again, Aliez was aware that his own preferences for things was probably a little weird, too. He poured over books and wore heavy knit sweaters, so he couldn’t exactly tell Andreiya what he could and couldn’t enjoy.
Still, it was surprising to see someone like Andreiya with a room like this. And all of the stuffed animals and strange lamp.
The desperation on Andreiya’s face was alarming, but Aliez quickly settled his own expression and nodded to make sure Andreiya knew he understood--
A roommate??
That was… normal… right? Although… did they share a bed perhaps?
“This is a bad thing?” he frowned in confusion. He didn’t care if Andreiya had a roommate but--
Something out of the corner of his eye moved and caught his attention. The cage with the tubes. Something was inside.
“Is… that… your roommate?” Aliez asked, staring at the creature that looked so small and furry.
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2022 10:36 pm
Andreiya was clearly a bit worried about all of this, and while he carried himself with an air of confidence, now he just looked ready to unravel. “Yes,” he answered, not quite shamefully. He drew in a deep breath, so much so that his lungs burned, and it seemed like he needed every last bit of it to give him the strength to stand up straight.
“I cannot claim him a gift, because he is not a thing, but a human presented him to me. I told him I cannot keep pets, and he told me that I was mistaken. He said he clearly wants to stay with me, and that I am doing him a favor by letting him do so. He made a compelling argument. He will need someone to clean his cage, and feed him. If you let them outside, something bad will happen. They will get eaten, or starve, or hurt. With all of the stupid vehicles or oblivious people. I am conflicted. I like having him here. Seeing him brings me so much joy. But I am distressed, because–”
Well, obviously, he just did. It was self explanatory.
“I have bonded with him, Aliez. He is my friend. You cannot tell anyone. Please. Would you like to meet him? He likes to be held. And he is so soft.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 10:18 am
Aliez stared at the small creature. He was silent for Andreiya’s explanation, although his frown grew more pronounced at the reminder of what humans were capable of doing. Their disregard for life, and how small creatures like this didn’t seem to stand a chance on their own.
“I would very much like to hold him, please,” he agreed. He tried to blink away the tears that pricked at his eyes, although he wasn’t sure he understood his emotions. Maybe he was reminded of the creature that died in his arms, or maybe because he was angry that someone would insist that their culture was correct and insist that Andreiya was wrong. Maybe he was just sad that his friend felt like he had to keep secrets from those who were supposed to be his family.
He lowered himself to the floor and waited patiently until Andreiya could remove the creature from its cage. He held out his hands and carefully held it in a way that would not harm it, nor would it give him the opportunity to escape.
“I am proud of you for your bond with him. The Commodore told us we should learn all we can about Earth. Perhaps this is what you are meant to do. Does he have a name?”
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 11:57 am
“His name is Steve,” Andreiya said, eager to share this information and eager to pass the hamster over. He was an agreeable thing, friendly and curious. He stood up on his back legs when Andreiya appeared by the cage and practically scurried into his hands. He held the creature for a moment and smoothed his fingers over the hamster’s back before gently lifting him from the cage. He domed one hand slightly over the hamster to make sure he didn’t jump off his hand while he moved, but it was well behaved and seemed to like the attention.
When he held the hamster out to Aliez, Steve sniffed at his fingers and then waddled into Aliez’s hand curiously.
“He is curious and friendly and his body is squishy and jiggly. He likes to eat boiled vegetables, I will get some and you can watch. It is relaxing, and he is very happy and it makes me happy. He has a little ball that he rolls around in but sometimes he hits the wall and I worry it will make the others suspicious. He likes his cage, but I am going to attach more tunnels for him so he has plenty of space and can explore. I want him to like this room as much as I do. You can come visit him whenever you want. Especially if you are sad. I trust you.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:39 pm
“Hello, Steve,” Aliez greeted the soft creature that waddled into his hands. He held the hamster carefully so it wouldn’t escape. It was so small, and if it did manage to get out, Aliez didn’t want to know what would happen to it. He didn’t think anything should be kept against their will, but Steve was so small and fragile. He would be very upset if anything did happen to him.
And maybe he didn’t give Andreiya enough credit for being as intuitive as he was. Or maybe it was obvious that Aliez was sad more often than not these days. Fae-Fae had also tried cheering him up.
He held the little creature closer to him and nodded, grateful that Andreiya trusted him. He was grateful to all of the Vanguard for being patient with him while he tried to get back on his feet. Metaphorically of course. The battle on the hilltop had taken a lot from him, as did the information they’d received after about Lyndin and Velencya.
“Thank you, Andreiya. You are a good friend. I do not want to do anything that will break your trust. If you need help with him, let me know.”
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