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Calla hadn't gone to the grocery store. It was her week to do so, but she was busy... with some big break in an article she was writing. Or something. Honestly, this might have been a cleverly crafted scheme for him to slip into the store and get all the unhealthy food possible because all there was left in the house was... organic.
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His twin might not appreciate him blowing through their money on garbage, but he also saw her eat that garbage so really.. this was a nonissue. Stalemate. Haha.
[break][break]
Kieran went about his trip as he normally might, hitting all the key aisles with the speed necessary to beat most of the coupon clippers. Restock day was tomorrow, which meant all the sales were up and the shelves were emptying. This was the perfect day to get good food at a cheaper price. Of course, Kieran knew all of these things being that he was a food connoisseur.
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Next stop, he was in desperate need for his favorite brand of dumplings. Maybe a side of noodles or soup, a little douse of dumpling sauce on the side. Kier took this business quite seriously in the grand scheme. Only, he wasn't the only one to reach for the bag with great speed. "Oops uhh sorry." He laughed nervously before regarding the redhead. He wasn't ready to relinquish ownership of this lonely bag of dumplings just because their hands touched.
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He frowned for a moment, "Oh hmm I know you from somewhere, don't I?" How rude, to forget the guy's name.

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emerson whitlock // sleepless in slateport

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[attr="class","star2"] The dumplings in question were of the utmost importance. The flavoring was better than the other brands available at that particular store. Plus they were shaped like little togepi and it was freakin’ adorable. He had to have them. So if this guy thought that he was gonna back off just because he was immediately flustered by the unexpected contact (which he was,) then he was about to be sorely disappointed.[break][break]

“Uhh, haha, oops.” He fixed the other with a wobbly smile, hand unwavering on his edge of the bag. Wait. Did he just say ‘haha’ and not, like, actually laughing? He did. He was gonna die, right there on the spot. Bury him in the frozen foods aisle. At least he’d be preserved like that caveman caught in an avalanche that explorers found centuries later. Or…something like that…[break][break]

Emerson tilted his head, frowning as he tried to place the other. He did look familiar, didn’t he? “Yeahhh….oh!” His eyes brightened, “You're from the ranger station, right? You had all those wifi issues a week or two ago.”[break][break]

He was pretty sure, anyway. Unfortunately, the curse of his easy embarrassment around others was that when he saw a cute face, he didn’t typically forget it. So, if he was wrong, this guy was about to be relabeled in his mind as “Supermarket Dumpling Guy.”[break][break]

If he was wrong, he was grabbing the bag and running. “Killian…Keenan..Kiers..tan?” His eyebrows pinched together in thought. “The chatty one.”[break][break]

Please, please, please don’t be wrong about that at least.

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Kieran Roth // sleepless in slateport

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Despite the immediate friendliness, Kieran was fairly certain the other was of the same thought on this. It was a competition. Kindness aside, neither of them were about to relent. Under normal circumstances, his overt friendliness would require him to step aside and allow the other the right-of-way. However, food especially of a limited resource, was a whole other matter. It sparked in him a edge of selfishness that didn't otherwise exist in other contexts.
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That didn't mean he was going to break out of his usual character and be nasty, that wasn't in his nature. Though, at the same time, he didn't know what that meant then. Usually, it meant the other would have to bully it from him but this guy didn't exactly seem the type. They were at a stalemate then.
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Kieran brightened though at the other's recollection. He suffered from an internalized sense of mediocrity, meaning he never believed himself remarkable enough to bother remembering. There was always a great surprise whenever anyone recalled who he was and, even more so, his name. Of course, the other was off the mark— but he was CLOSE! That counted, right? "Haha yeah, that's me! I'm a bit technologically challenged and things tend to break when I'm around them." That was an understatement.
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"Kieran, the name... my name. I should probably start with that." He rambled, recalling he'd never actually corrected him. It was entirely in his nature to change so that he didn't have to correct anyone. However, going around as kiers-tan didn't sound all that great. He regarded the dumplings again. "Probably want this bag, don't you?" He sighed despondently, feeling his better nature kick in.


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emerson whitlock // sleepless in slateport

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[attr="class","star2"] The other positively beamed at Em when he correctly remembered him. He nearly heaved a huge sigh of relief, but he miraculously kept it together. It was a look that made his stomach flutter. No one ever looked at him so enthusiastically. And Emerson didn’t know how to respond to it, so he met it with a small, tentative smile of his own.[break][break]

“Eh, happens to all of us at some point.” Well, not really. Not to him. Technology was a language that came easily to Emerson. Way more easily than holding a common conversation.[break][break]

“Kieran,” he echoed absently, as if committing it to memory so that he wouldn't forget again. But why would he do that? It wasn’t like there was going to be a next time to a secondary chance encounter. But the idea of being left clueless and forgetful sounded mortifying to ridiculous levels. So even if he never saw this guy again, Em would remember. Kieran. Just in case.[break][break]

“I’m Emerson.” Quickly volunteered before his face reddened again. Why’d he do that? The other hadn't asked, and now he’d think Em was overly friendly. The redhead’s stomach twisted itself knots, cheeks hot as he tried to avoid fixating on the other’s face for too long. He wasn’t a weirdo! Really!![break][break]

Neither had withdrawn from the dumpling stand off yet, but his fingers were getting cold from the freezer. Kieran, however, surprised him. “Yeah..” he replied, but why was he suddenly feeling so halfhearted about it? Normally, he’d snatch the bag without remorse if it was relented in the way the taller man was doing now. But the stab of guilt in his stomach made Em pause. He has nothing to feel guilty or bad for, so why did the idea of taking the togepi dumplings from Kieran, with his big, sad eyes feel immediately like a war crime?[break][break]

He was supposed to be the one with the sad eyes! Him!! Emerson![break][break]

Em sighed, hesitating, though he did finally pull the bag out of the cold freezer. “I mean, yeah,” he repeated, waffling. Say thanks and run, dummy. “A-are you sure..?”[break][break]

wait, no!! He was going off script. Uh oh.
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Kieran Roth // sleepless in slateport

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“I doubt that for you, you got that techie touch I’m sure.” In some way, Kieran envied people with that kind of skill. Or well… just any kind of refined and central skill. Kier wasn’t sure if he had any detailed talents like that. Sure, he could talk to people without problem, but plenty of people could do that. It was like a helping hand that could guide people along their path. Meanwhile, he felt constantly adrift and totally lost.
[break][break]
“Nice to meet you, Emerson.” He smiled, noting the tinge of red on the other’s face. Clearly, Emerson didn’t seem to be all that comfortable in public so Kieran reeled it in a little bit. He could be overwhelming at the worst of times. His personality was simply to be passionate, no way of reconditioning himself out of that, but he could respect people that weren’t the same way.
[break][break]
It was a little hilarious though that despite the niceties they were both in direct competition over a bag of togepi dumplings. For people like them, food was a conquest, but even then it was still a bit ridiculous in retrospect.
[break][break]
The realization sparked an idea though. “I don’t wanna be too forward or uhh… insert myself where I’m not wanted, but I happen to know a top-secret recipe for dumpling sauce if you’re interested in sharing. Or not, you’re free to have it, I think your hand was a half-centimeter closer.”


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emerson whitlock // sleepless in slateport

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[attr="class","star2"] “First time for everything though, y’know?” Emerson shrugged, “could make a problem worse thinking I have an easier fix than it really is.” It was a bit of humoring, sure. But he wasn’t really the sort to go on about how good he was with tech. Always apt to diminish himself, even in his obvious skills and talents. But he felt he had a point, as well. There was no guarantee he’d remain handy forever.[break][break]

Not to mention the fact that…he wasn’t exactly always helpful in the way Kieran probably assumed. Not conventionally, anyway.[break][break]

“Thanks, ummm, ditto. Not Kierstan.” He could at least play off of his blunder by making fun of himself, right? Right. That had to work. Self-deprecation was probably the best tool he had when it came to socializing. He was a walking error alert, so better to call attention to it himself rather than be called out and ridiculed for it. Not that he really expected that from this guy, who was way smiley.[break][break]

He didn’t really mind that, though. It was sort of a relief that he was humoring Em’s easy embarrassment without growing exasperated the more he bumbled on.[break][break]

However, he didn’t feel nearly as silly over the dumplings. The guilt over claiming them with finality lingered, though. Emerson was inherently selfish when it came to his snacks, so the fact that something about the other’s friendliness threw him and made him second guess that was a bit odd.[break][break]

At first, when Kieran spoke, Em was sure that he hadn’t heard him correctly. He blinked a few times, sluggishly. “Like…my apartment..?” The jacket hood settled on the top of his head slipped off as it tipped to the side. Too forward? Then the furious cherry red returned. “You mean you want to come over? To my place? Me?” He pointed at himself.[break][break]

As if he didn’t believe it, because yeah, he sort of didn’t. “I mean…I like, er, dumpling…sauce…”

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Kieran Roth // sleepless in slateport

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“Suppose that’s true, but then you’d be eligible to join my club: The fastbreak kids who break everything. Still working on the title.” That was to say that Kieran did a lot more breaking than he did fixing. He was fairly certain that he had a curse, even if Calla assured him he was not, though she too suffered regularly from his bad juju. It didn’t exactly help him gain independence considering how frequently he almost died.
[break][break]
Not Kierstan. That made him laugh, “You’re free to call me whatever you want though.” He probably would permit it even if the other forgot his name and called him by the wrong one. Though he hoped he wouldn't, that would be a little disappointing.
[break][break]
Kieran was more inclined to come to a truce rather than persist at a stalemate. It was simply his nature to relent even when it pained him. In this case; however, he wondered if a compromise could be made. Maybe it was a last ditch effort. Really, it wasn’t a huge deal, he’d just come back and get them when they were restocked, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be disappointed.
[break][break]
But… maybe he opened an entirely different can of worms.
[break][break]
The other turned a touch frantic, maybe it was over his choice of words? Wow, he probably sounded like a weirdo or a pervert or something. “No, I mean not like that… we don’t have to. Sorry, that was probably a bit intrusive and dumb of me. I can be kind of stupid from time to time. I swear I’m not a weirdo… though I suppose that’d be what weirdos would say.” Ohhh, what had he done?
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“Well it’s kind of just a mix of soy, sugar, and rice vinegar so it’s not really top-secret.”

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emerson whitlock // sleepless in slateport

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[attr="class","star2"]Em laughed, nose wrinkling. “That’s uh. That’s a long name. I’m sure you don’t break everything, though.” Maybe he was cutting the other some slack, he didn’t know. But surely he wasn’t that clumsy, right. “Sounds like a fun club to join, though. If you’re in it.” Oh, ugh, murder him. Now. On the spot. What was that?[break][break]

“No um, uh,” a nervous laugh bubbled free and he tucked some long strands of red behind his hair, “Kieran’s fine. Just a joke.” He peered up with a small smile, before his eyes dropped down to the dumpling bag again.[break][break]

The other man was definitely way more accommodating than him. Not that Emerson wasn’t, it was more like…Kieran was just better with people than him. That much was obvious. Em was accommodating in a frantic, overly-apologetic way that he couldn’t seem to break the cycle of.[break][break]

Oh. Oh no. Emerson shook his head rapidly, both hands lifting to wave in front of himself slightly. “No, no I didn’t think- I-I mean, not that I don’t, uh- errr,” he took a breath, and then huffed quietly. “It’s okay, I’m just not used to…” People wanting to hang out with him? Since when? “Not used to people.”[break][break]

Well now that sounded stupid.[break][break]

He pushed the bag into Kieran’s hand. “Sounds top secret to me, I mean. That would be cool. If you came over.” He bit his lip in an effort to stop verbally tripping over himself.

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Kieran Roth // sleepless in slateport

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"Yeah, it's a work in progress name." He laughed, scratching at the back of his neck. He felt a little ridiculous, considering how little he knew the other at this point. At least it wasn't the first time they met, right? "I break a lot of things though, on accident... not on purpose." He had to clarify before the other thought it was like... a strange kink or something.
[break][break]
Yet, of course, he had to go and make things awkward. Once again, breaking stuff wasn't always a physical act. He could have smacked himself for bringing this on him. He had half the mind to excuse himself and run away, leaving the other to the dumplings. That would have been the smart thing perhaps, then again, Kieran wasn't really the smartest guy in the world.
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"Oh... I understand that, I'm sorry for intruding then. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable." He'd rather die dramatically than ever be a discomfort for someone else. He couldn't understand why others didn't want to be around Em though, he seemed like a fun guy.
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"Yeah?" He sounded dumb, hopeful. He smiled at that, "Okay cool! I just need to grab a couple ingredients, I'll meet you at the front of the store." Then he took off to grab the few ingredients he needed. It didn't occur to him whether or not the other would be there in the end, but he did feel a little apprehension to being stood up by the time he made it back up front.

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emerson whitlock // sleepless in slateport

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[attr="class","star2"] “Well, I mean, at least it’s not on purpose. I don’t think you can be faulted for it in that case, ‘cause that wouldn’t be too fair, and uhmm…yeah…” He sucked in a nervous breath, teeth sinking into his bottom lip as he looked up at the other. It was always so annoying– he felt so small in comparison. And right now, because he felt emotionally small, it made him feel that much more tiny.[break][break]

It felt like his fault that Kieran was now forced to scramble and backtrack. He’d somehow managed to muddle things by his general embarrassment in existing as a tangible entity, and that had become misinterpreted. Why did he have to be so weird? It was a wonder that the other still seemed interested in hanging out.[break][break]

“I’m not…I mean you’re not intruding or something.” Okay, so maybe he was a teensy bit uncomfortable, but it was all due to himself. Kieran had little to do with it. Nothing at all, in fact. Emerson rarely, if ever, felt comfortable in busy, public spaces. He was trying to be better about it, but all the same.[break][break]

Even if he was being awkward, the opportunity at least presented the chance to be away from somewhere so open. In the space of his home, where he was much more comfortable in his own skin. So Emerson nodded, a wobbly smile slipping over his face. “Yeah. O-okay. That sounds good, I’’ll, um, meet you there.” His face still felt too hot, but with the bag of dumplings in hand, along with a few other items, he found himself on autopilot until he was standing at the exit with two plastic bags.[break][break]

Hopefully it hadn’t been enough time for Kieran to change his mind.

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Kieran Roth // sleepless in slateport

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Kieran prayed that he wasn't overstepping his boundaries. This had to be his dumbest moment yet, he'd just invited himself over. What a rude idiot. Now poor Emerson was just having to go along with it so he didn't hurt his feelings. It really was a monumental failure on his part. As he hurriedly went about grabbing the ingredients, he pondered if it would be best to come up with an emergency. It would be kind to give the other a better out than what he'd given him.
[break][break]
Once again he'd managed to make things awkward and uncomfortable. This was exactly why he was single and Calla wasn't.
[break][break]
In truth, he half expected Emerson to take off. So maybe that was half the reason he'd handed over the dumplings, at least then the other could make the choice. Kieran wouldn't even blame him if he did, not even slightly. Though he might feel a bit bad about it.
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"Oh hey," he murmured stupidly as he realized Em was still there... waiting for him. The surprise was evident and he quickly shook the expression from his face. "Ready to go?"



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emerson whitlock // sleepless in slateport

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[attr="class","star2"]What had he gotten himself into? Emerson had to have asked himself that question multiple times as he checked out with the few items in hand. As he stood there waiting for Kieran to return...if he'd return. A concern he didn't have to linger on for long as he caught sight of that long, silvery ponytail and kind, violet eyes again.[break][break]

Inexplicably, his heart skittered. Breath fluttered in his throat before he swallowed the feeling down.[break][break]

"Uhh, hey!" he replied, hand raising awkwardly in a wave. "Yeah, I'm good to go. Luckily I live nearby, so it's not really a long walk at all." That said, he moved through the doors, expecting Kieran would follow. Softer heat burned at his face at the realization sinking in that he hadn't just been ghosted.[break][break]

He was fully prepared to blame that returning color on the nip of the cool air outside.[break][break]

True to his word, the walk was a short one. No more than a block down into the lower district. As he led him up the apartment building stairs to the second story landing, he glanced back. "Sorry in advance for all the dedenne fur everywhere." And minccino fur. And assorted different mice furs. What if Kieran thought he was a slob? Emerson realized too late that he hadn't prepared for this.[break][break]

Though in all truth it wasn't wildly messy, contrary to his worries. Especially not the kitchen, which was weirdly immaculately clean. He moved there - getting out a large pot to boil water for the dumplings. "Make yourself comfortable, though."

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Kieran Roth // sleepless in slateport

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