"Yeah, that looked exhausting," she agrees, finding and patting his hand. "Good job, it was very well thought out and clear. Give me a bit to properly reply, I have to go and put my own thoughts into words. It's terrible."

This is a lot to deal with, but actually this is an interesting problem. Furthermore, it's an interesting problem with someone she knows, and it doesn't involve anyone outside doing anything or being incapable of being helped or something. After being confronted with a problem that was probably too big for her, and needing to let it go, having a smaller one with fiddly bits coming from places she understands is sort of... soothing. Like relaxing into a semi-familiar puzzle after walking away from something bigger.

"... So the first reply I'm thinking of is that the... concerns about inexperience and power imbalance are very reasonable, but feel to me as kind of... Misaimed? I'm unique. Mostly. Mostly unique. Is there anyone in the world I could actually have a, an unquestionably balanced power dynamic with, as a mind reader that's like three hours old but with probably hundreds of years of fuzzy memories and knowledge that I can draw on even when I can't... quite remember it all? Because I kind of think that the answer to that is 'no.' Not even with my siblings, not even if they have the exact same abilities, which they wouldn't, because even the closest in age would now be older by at least a decade. Which doesn't mean it doesn't matter, just. I don't think I slot neatly into, into categories here. Have I seemed, um, easy to lead around or bad at expressing myself? Mostly I just feel like I've been doing precisely what I want, and you've been following and supporting me because you like me, and you like what I'm doing. Which actually feels like the power imbalance is tipped in my direction, not yours, but that wasn't the flavor of your thoughts."

On the one hand, fair. On the other, does she have any memory of ducks?

.......he did not mean that in a dehumanising way, just, uh. Well how likely is it that, out of everyone in the world including her siblings, he's someone she'd want to spend a lot of time around? He has met lots of other people and found most of them to be terrible so he feels like he has a good basis of comparison here! Whereas she hasn't and she does admittedly have good opinions on what good people are but of course he'd think so, and he's being nicer to her than he would be to other people because he likes her.

His thought about ducks sends her into a fit of giggles.

"I, I don't know if I have any memories of ducks, but I know what they are anyway," she says between giggles. "A duckling! Following you around! I'm sorry it's just so cute." Giggle, giggle.

Yes! And they imprint on people when they hatch. So: duckling.

Giggle!

"I cannot deny the, the similarities!" she giggles. Leaaaan. "I mean, maybe that's a little of what's going on, I have definitely been sticking with you out of familiarity, but I also don't think it's all of it? I could have started following around Meuk, he was perfectly nice and I liked him. I bet he would have absolutely gotten me a room somewhere if I'd asked. But he also has his own stuff going on and wouldn't drop everything to follow me around, which is... what I have observed you doing. So maybe you are actually my duckling, it's just I'm the first person you've really liked."

..............

...........................

He is not sure how he feels about that.

"I don't have a stable job," is how he justifies it aloud, even though obviously she's reading his mind so she knows it's just a justification.

Well, kinda. He doesn't do much during his days, he reads and sometimes eats out and every now and then does the odd job that requires a speedster and/or teleporter (he mostly tries to keep within the law but, uh, the execution from earlier should let her know what he thinks about the law in general). Meuk definitely has an actual job though.

"Yeah, he does. So, no following me around while I do whatever I want. And I like having a teleporting speedster following me around as I do whatever I want, offering commentary and support!"

Pause. She blinks, then frowns. "... I haven't been cleverly manipulating you into doing what I want, have I? I haven't been trying, but it might legitimately be ingrained habits from sire-dearest."

Is it clever manipulation if he wants to be doing it?

......well, maybe, but it sounds like just "being convincing" or "being likeable" or something. If the way someone cleverly manipulates someone else is by making them actually want it he thinks this is probably fine?

She hums thoughtfully.

"... I guess, yeah. And I don't... want to discard you? Because that seems like the right word for what my sire does. Discards people when they're no longer useful. If we go our separate ways I'd want to... leave you in a good place and wish you well? Have made your life nicer or at least not worse?"

Yeah, same.

...............he'd be sad. If they parted ways. It's only been a handful of hours but he doesn't think he has very often thought he'd be sad if he parted ways with someone. Maybe the closest would be Fulsome? He'd avenge Fulsome's death if someone killed him, probably.

"I'd be sad, too," she admits softly. "I like you. As a person, I mean. It's admittedly also super convenient that I can hide behind you if anyone tries to kill me, but emotionally I like it more that I can hug you in a crowd and everything else can fall away. And that you're patient and thoughtful and letting me... think and act for myself. Also your sense of humor. You're very funny."

That may literally be the first time anyone has ever said this to him, he is starting to take the duckling hypothesis more seriously now.

"No, really! Though it's very plausible that other people wouldn't know, a lot of it is how amazing your thought process is instead of what you directly say, but. You're funny!"

If she wants to die on this hill he's not dissuading her from it.

"I do not expect anyone to attempt to kill me on this hill and so I see absolutely no reason not to stay," she sniffs.

Other people will just definitely think they have a thing going on, though, it's very stereotypical for romantic partners to find each other funny even when they're objectively not.

"Oh. I guess we might want not want to give people that impression?" Pause. ".... Though I kind of think that if you follow me everywhere, and I live with you and cuddle you and hide behind you when I'm nervous or in large crowds they're going to think that regardless, so. That might be a lost cause unless we put a lot of work into it. And I don't think I really... care if people think we're romantic partners."

Aleks... kind of doesn't care what other people think but he does care what the truth is.

"Oh! Yes, that's a good way to phrase it. I also care what the truth is. It matters to us what we are, but their thoughts don't." Snuggle. "..... I just um, have no idea what the truth is. Um. .... Remembering sex with Salimeri kind of made me want to attempt to seduce you in order to drown out sire-dearest's touch memory with one of my own so I could more easily not think of it again, but also I thought that was a bit too cold and selfish and that you... deserved better than that. So um. I didn't attempt to do that? It did occur to me as a thing I might want to do."

Aleks is, uh, not a virgin, but kind of only technically. He's had sex only enough times to find out he is thoroughly uninterested in it.

Though there's a part of him that wonders if she'd be an exception to this as she is to most other things.

Well now he has a blushing castoff. Still in his arms, but definitely a shade of pink.

"I was also kind of scared of trying because I value you a lot and didn't want to, um, make things weird or or or have a baby's first crush equivalent that you were uninterested in and found awkward and. Um. I guess I could probably stop talking now but it doesn't feel fair for me to be able to see all of you and for me to not tell you what's going on with me in return?? And also I would rather you know than not I just don't know what to do with any of it so um."

If he were younger he'd probably blush, too. Now he... thinks he has probably grown past feeling embarrassed about things, maybe. He mostly thinks she's kind of adorable.

But yeah he also doesn't really have anything to offer, here.

She gives a little nervous giggle.

"Well at least we're even, I guess!" she mumbles, then scoots to bury her head into his shoulder. "So this all sounds like a 'probably' but also like we might need to leave it alone for a while so things are, are. I don't know. More structurally stable??? Does structural stability make sense in relationships, it seems like it should, but. I am actually lacking a lot of context for how to build stable and healthy relationships, considering."

See, the fact that he is also lacking said context should be a red flag for her, that much he's pretty sure of. Why would anyone want to be with the little misanthropic mess that he is? Surely she could find someone better. Golden boy was pretty, wasn't he?