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Once again, Aiolos was out at night. She should’ve tried to see if she could get Grieve to come with her since having a partner would help [and Grieve knew where the tastiest foods were…Except chicken…]. But she also didn't want to bother the taller senshi without a good reason. She should be capable of staying out of harm's way! Yeah! The bird senshi chirped with all the confidence that she really wasn't feeling while searching for her new target of the night: glitter. She had heard of the sparkly decoration and knew she just had to have it! But…She didn't exactly know just where to get it.

So, she figured she might find some on the ground while she was out on patrol, that is where she found most of the hidden treasures that decorate her room at the Bells.

———-

After things had luckily calmed down and he had met his quota, Okenite still wandered while powered up. It was slightly safer this way with the added benefit of speed to his escape when needed. Something was different about the sky tonight, something he had read about in the local news but through the muddled attempts to guess why it was different he begrudgingly accepted it was probably more magical than scientific. Not that he hated magic but he felt like it was a throwaway answer when he was so used to researching things and finding out things the hard way.

Walking up a hill, he felt something beneath his shoe and looked down, another of those charms which luckily didn’t break beneath his foot thanks to the soft grass. Picking it up, he looked at it in the moonlight before jumping slightly as he noticed another signature nearby. It felt familiar? Maybe? It was still hard for him to tell and he preferred to be cautious than to not be.

Sliding the charm through one of the button holes on his uniform, he moved ahead slowly until he saw a familiarly bright colored senshi. Smiling, he perked up and waved. “Aiolos!”

———————

The small senshi startled for a second, sensing chaos, but as soon as she heard her friend’s voice, she turned to face him with a smile, “Okenite! H-Hello!” she started moving towards the friendly agent, stopping in front of him, “How is?” she was carefully assessing him for any injuries. She didn't like how he was so hurt the last time, so she wanted to make sure she was doing her duty and healing anyone that needed it. As she slowly started moving around him, she looked up with inquisitive eyes, “No hurt? O-Okay?” Her hands were in front of her, ready to call upon her power if need be.

———————

Glad to see her and see that she looked well, he let her look at him and stretched a bit to show he was okay. “Good, good, I just came out tonight to wander around and look at some of the decorations out.” It was a nice break from things, and he held up the one he had found.

“I found it in the grass, they seem to be all over the place, and people are giving them out. I saw one that reminded me of you.” Digging in his subspace, he pulled out the few ones he had found and offered the one that he thought matched her the closest.

“I think it looks nice, right?” Smiling as he offered it, he then nodded again. “No, I’m not hurt, well maybe a little sunburnt on my face, but that’s normal this time of year.” Poking a bit on his cheek, he could feel it was a bit warm to the touch, so maybe he hadn’t been keeping up on sunscreen as much as he had needed to while powered up. It wasn’t as much of a priority while out when he had to consider so many other things.

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Oh okay! He was well and not hurt! That made her extremely happy~ Her earwings flapped with excitement from being happy, golden purple eyes going large and round when he showed her the shiny charm. She was just about to ask for it when he said he found one that reminded him of her. “Can see?” Oh! He had so many shinies! But there was one that stood out in particular: A shiny opal one that seemed to draw her gaze as it moved to and fro. As soon as Okenite offered the star to her, she took it slowly, beaming up at him like he had just offered her the world.

So far, he's given her food [twice], touched her tail feathers [that caused her to blush a little], and now he's given her a very valuable shiny object for her to take back to her home….

Aiolos tilted her head a little while she thought, then gasped and grabbed her head wings to cover her blushing face. Sure, Okenite was probably just being nice but…Maybe she should try to tell him about Aiolan customs? But then…What if she doesn't explain it right and it scares him off? Not only would she lose a friend but…A potential suitor? Huh…All her life she never thought such a thing would happen since she was Aiolos and she had to be this omnipresent being. But now that she was on Earth…Maybe she was free to do what she wanted?

With her decision made, Aiolos touched her forehead to bring out her baton. She knew what a sunburn was and those could be very painful! “Take? I heal burn yes?” She chirped and smiled while waiting for him to take it.

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Seeing her so excited about such a simple thing made him feel nice and warm inside, it was so genuine compared to how he was used to interacting with people at work and in school. Honestly he found it both odd and fitting that the first person he would be a bit more open with was also a bird alien. There wasn’t that same level of having to watch his back for professional back stabbing or anything that might cause him trouble, though he guessed if any other senshi or agents saw them together, it might cause them both problems…

Shaking the thought away as he watched her hide her face with her headwings again, he thought it cute as can be and wondered if she was embarrassed because he was bringing her things. He wanted to know more about her, which was frankly new when it came to people for him.

Looking down at the baton, he blinked and hesitated for a moment, remembering how she had passed out last time. But if she had already brought the baton out, would it still cause the problem? It wasn’t like he knew, nor was he certain she knew either.

Thinking for a moment, he did reach up but didn’t grab it just yet. “Will you be okay if I grab this? Last time you fell asleep? A sunburn isn’t much of a problem for me; I get them all the time in summer here. It doesn’t hurt too much, honestly.” Poking his own cheek hard in a few places to show he wasn’t hurting.

“I just don’t want you to put yourself in danger over something very minor, is all.”

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It didn't hurt? Aiolos tilted her head to the side inquisitively, reaching up to poke his cheek. It was warm but he didn't wince so that was a good thing? “Sure no hurt?” she poked his cheek again, putting her baton away since she did pass out the last time she used it. If he said it didn't hurt then she would have to take his word for it. The senshi looked down at her feet, suddenly thinking about something. Well, it would be fair to explain or at least attempt to explain what Okenite was doing before things got out of hand and she scared him away. “U-Ummmn….” she played with her hands nervously, “O-Okenite…Dont…Know…Aiolan things?” she wasn't sure how to say customs yet, but maybe he would get the gist of it. She continued, pointing to her tail. “T-Touch…Very sensitive? B-But…” she was blushing now and tried to clear her mind so she could get this out, “O-Okenite touch so…O-Okenite give food and shinies…S-So…”

She frowned, clearly frustrated.

“O-Okenite want…Ummm…Be with Aiolos?” She pressed her hands together to show what she meant but she wasn't sure if it would bring the right meaning, so she would try for the more direct approach. “O-Okenite…Uhhh…M-Mate? Yes?” That's how they said it on Earth right? The nature shows she watched kind of explained it a bit so it should apply here.

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Puffing his cheek out lightly as she poked it, he nodded. “Nope, not really. I get sun burned often in the summer, maybe I should get back into the habit of wearing a hat…” Glad that she was considering herself when it came to things, he laughed a bit as she poked his cheek again. Wondering what was going on as she looked down and things seemed to shift, he tilted his head and went to reach out slightly for her.

“No, not much other than what you’ve told me so far.” Confused, he could tell she was nervous almost like something she was saying might upset him which he couldnt exactly understand either. Looking at her tail, he remember when he’d touched those feathers that one time and then he listened to her bringing up other things and he felt something shift slightly towards worry in his chest.

Oh no. He’d not considered things had he?

Looking down at her hands, he swallowed slightly then looked up at her, now very much nervous as well. This hadn’t been something he’d exactly considered had he? Yes he had brought her things and offered to help her but that was just being nice, being polite and repaying her for the help and not attacking him on sight like all the others.

How would that even work? Dating wasn’t new to him, not at all, but never like this and how would things even work? If she was on the other side wouldn’t that put him at risk if he powered down? So many things started to spin in the back of his head as he stood there, shocked but otherwise as calm as he could manage as to not freak her out. He did enjoy her company, that was true, and he did look forward to seeing her, but she wasn’t human and he wasn’t sure how things would work.

More than that, what would Lavendulan say or any of the superiors above her? The last thing he wanted was to lose this job or suffer what seemed like even worse consequences. But at the same time… he also didn’t want to not see Aiolos around anymore which might happen if he brushed her off.

The at the more direct mention of being a mate he choked on his own breath and started coughing, “T-that’s not what they call it on earth for humans.” It took more than a minute to catch his breathe and in the end he flopped down to sit on the ground. This was so complicated.

“H-how would that work? I do like seeing you but I’m not Aiolan?” Trying to go at things gently as he motioned for her to sit as well.

—---------------

Oh no! Did she scare him?! Was she too direct?! Her head wings started flapping around like she was panicking, “I….S-Sorry!” what did they call it on Earth?! Maybe there was a disconnect with the language and dialect? When Okenite flopped to sit on the ground, the smaller senshi was instantly trying to figure out what to do. But then he motioned for her to sit and she did so very carefully just in case she would startle him. “U-Ummmn…Uhhhhh” Now she was red hot with embarrassment. How DID this work with non-Aiolans? It was possible…She’s read in the library about her people mixing with those they came into contact with on other planets but she didn't think any of them made it to Earth?

“I….Don't….K-Know?” there was a bit of a chirp at the end, and she looked down at her hands, twirling them around nervously.

—-------

Rubbing his face slightly he took a moment to think how to even begin. Well first would be to help her understand how language and connotations worked. “Well… when humans are together, just in the beginning they are dating, but then if it’s more permanent then they are married. Mate… well that works more when it comes to animals.” Rubbing at the back of his head again he sighed.

At least they were both equally confused about the particulars of things which meant he wasn’t alone in all this. “Well dating could maybe be… do they have courting on Aiolos?” Trying to see if it related to something on their world, he was grasping at straws while trying to keep himself calm and to ease her worries as well. Though the chirp that came through did help in that. He noticed they came out more often with stronger emotions or nerves so that was something he should remember.

Fiddling with his hands he felt awkward. “What you call mating, is something that… well… is not done quickly for some humans on first or even a few meetings.” Not to say that he hadn’t seen it happen or experienced it second had from partners who had cheated on him. God he was struggling though this though and he closed his eyes for a moment.

“I do like your company and being around you, so I do want that to continue.”

—-------------------------------------------------

Dating? Hummmn…

“What…Marrrrr-eeage?” was that something like a life bond? Those were…..VERY rare for an Aiolan, almost to the point that it was more legend than truth. Courting? She tapped her chin, trying to find an equivalent. “Y-Yes~ Courteeing is…What do before mating?” If an Aiolan is interested in another, they begin with touching tails to start off. They give each other a feather from their plumage and if they want to continue, they have to hold onto the feather for at least a month. If they lose it or it goes missing then it's a sign that the courtship isn't meant to be. “What….Ooomans call mating?” When Okenite said that he liked her company and being around her, that caused her headwings to cover her eyes while she felt…Elated? Embarrassed? Probably both.

“A-Aiolos…I like Okenite company too~” It was a start at least. Maybe when she learns Earth language better, she could explain how customs worked on her planet.

—-------------------------------------

So this wasn’t going… terrible. At least the first question was easy enough to answer. “Marriage is when two people decide they want to stay together for the rest of their lives.” Though he did leave out the more complicated aspect of divorce and all the other messy things that came alongside human society.

Nodding as it did seem like they were on the same page when it came to what was a less involved thing, he was relieved on that. “Yes dating, like courting, is when people are deciding if they work together in a relationship, or pair?” Not sure if the word might be easier for her to understand. It seemed like there was enough of a culture that there were at least some sort of concepts that were understood equally.

Taking another breath at the mention of mating, he felt his face warming with embarrassment and honestly he felt like being able to hide it behind wings like hers might not be a bad thing. Pressing his hands over his face much like she was in a way, he took another breath and tried to prepare himself. “Mating is uhh…. Sex.” Getting so very quiet as he brought it up, it was awkward in a way he never had felt about the topic before. Maybe because of the difference in understanding but he also had been blindsided by this all and he felt like he was doing as good of a job as he could considering things.

With a relieved sigh, he was glad they were on the same page. “Okay, we can start with that then and figure out the rest, is that alright?” Pulling a small bag from subspace, he opened it and set it on the ground between them so they could both snack on the pistachios inside. “Pistachios, like you asked about last time.” Nodding to them, he fiddled with the shell on one and cracked it open before putting it in another small, but clear, bag for trash.

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Sex?......That was not a word she understood.

But she figured that was something to maybe talk about another time? “Okay…Can figure out later~” Everything was quickly forgotten as soon as the pistachios were brought out. Following his lead, Aiolos picked up one of the shelled nuts, fiddling with the shell for a bit before it popped open. She put the shell in the same clear bag that Okenite had placed his and put the pistachio in her mouth. Oh…OH!

These were delicious!

There was an excited trill and she was picking up the next one, popping it open and eating it with a smile of satisfaction on her face. So good! Maybe next time she could give him one of her feathers? That should be appropriate right? She would think about it later, for now, she had tasty pistachios to eat!