cantilevers | Inbox (Etraya)

[Meanwhile, Kirk is still not comfortable to look back at Vander]

I suppose so. It seems I don’t have much luck with humans, even when I was one.

[He noted the continual refusing eye contact, and he didn't press. That's likely part of Kirk's coping mechanism when facing off against painful memories. He knew more than a few people who were the same back home.]

Well... I'm human. [For now anyway.]

[A soft huff]

Right. It’s part of why I keep saying you spoil me.

[He lightly elbowed Kirk in the ribs.]

I thought I spoiled you because I let you neck me whenever you are hungry.

[In more ways than one. Maybe they both needed the escapism, though perhaps he was the only one between them that recognized his own tactics.]

[A corner of Kirk’s lip twitches]

That as well. You’re a strange human to be friends with, Vander.

[Though he’s certainly not complaining]

Am I? You probably wouldn't be the first to think that about me.

[There was opportunity to ask what made it strange, but he purposefully let the opportunity pass without question. If only Kirk knew the dangers of being friends with someone like him, but wasn't that just the same with many people? Their capacity to hurt wasn't just a human trait at least.]

That probably says something about you.

[All said in monotone but maybe it’s a slight tease too]

It probably does. Maybe I just come from a place with a lot of sentient species, so nothing about this is particularly odd. Or maybe I'm just aggressive about my friendships.

[He had no doubt it had nothing to do with either of those things. In fact, perhaps a shared deep sadness that they bottled up most of the time was the likely cause of their friendship and continued association.]

“Aggressively friendly” would explain a lot about us.

[And Kirk doesn’t regret letting himself open up to Vander so far]

Well, you sort of just capitulated to save yourself long term suffering of trying to resist. I'm used to being the aggressor.

[He and Hernan were kind of alike for that.]

[That almost gets a smile out of Kirk]

You wore me down with your extroverted personality.

You mean you surrendered into friendship because the alternative was a losing long-term fight I would win anyway. You saved yourself a lot of energy, promise.

[And it seemed to him that Kirk desperately needed friends, especially now that he knew about the Will and Tina part of his life. Loyalty was important, and Kirk was a nice guy. Awkward but nice.]

[Kirk huffs a short laugh. He’s heard that kind of talk before. It seems he has a type when it comes to close friends]

Clearly. Taking a little bit of your blood just makes us even.

[Vander forced the tension out of his shoulders when Kirk laughed, shifting his stance purposefully to be more welcoming and warm rather than simply respectful and attentive.]

What's a little blood between friends, right?

I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.

[Kirk finally look back at Vander, feeling a lot less tense now]

You volunteered after all.

I did, and I haven't had cause to regret the decision either.

[It was what he could do to help after all.]

It helps I’ve been trying to careful. Have you ever allowed yourself to be bitten like that before? Not just nipping.

[Kirk is curious and has noticed how much biting seems to be a turn-on for Vander, even when it’s a harder bite]

You would be the first one I willingly allowed to take my blood, if that's what you mean.

[He knew that Kirk was probing towards his kinks, and he decided to make the other make a little bit for it.]

I suppose I've been bitten by razorfins, rats and other little critters before too. That counts, I guess?

Somewhat. Those sound like hazards to living in your hometown.

[Kirk’s eyes glance at his neck]

I mean erotically.

There are hazards in everyone's hometown. I've actually been bitten more in fights now that I think about it.

[He glanced at Kirk, corner of his lips twitching up.]

Oh. Yeah, I like it. I had a partner where that was their go-to form of affection.

[Kirk looks mildly amused]

Ah, I see.

[Kirk hasn’t work out yet what his definitive go-to affectionate move is yet]

Another reason to like me then.

[Joking of course. He knows their friendship is deeper than that]

There are plenty of reasons to like you, Lamprey. Your little razor teeth are just one of many of them, promise.

[Despite that they seemed the have literally opposite interests, they did manage to get along very well. Perhaps he simply gravitated to people who thought of themselves as monsters. Who knew.]

You'll find your own hot buttons with practice. Observation helps too, though I don't think this place has a brothel.

Mm. I doubt it too. If there was one, it would be busiest place in Etraya.

[No mystery why it would be]

I wouldn’t want to go to one anyway.

I doubt that actually. People seem more than keen to find each other without having to pay for it.

[There were plenty of flirts in this place from what he had seen. People filled the time one way or another here.]

It's good for observation, but they aren't anywhere I felt the need to spend money on.

[In a nonjudgmental tone]

Is that part of how you learned then?

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