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[serialskiller]

Messages will be answered when I'm done with this episode of my serial.

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[serialskiller]

It hesitates, not reaching out immediately again. Quiet as it pauses to gather it’s own thoughts.

“I’m. Trying to learn how I want to touch people. How I want others to touch me. I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m not used to just. Being able to. It’s still a lot sometimes. I worry about doing it wrong. I worry about doing a lot of things wrong.”

[decrypter]

She nods, taking that in, and more time to breathe soothes her mind. Her hand is still there, she's not retracting it, but she stays where she is while she finds all her words again.

"...if you're doing something that I don't like, I'll tell you. And vice versa - if I do something you don't like or want, tell me, so I can avoid it. Would that make it a bit easier?"

She already makes sure around it that she never says anything that implies that personhood equals humanity, and lets it decide how close it wants to sit.

"I want you to feel like you can worry less around me."

[serialskiller]

"I do worry less around you. Being around you has a positive effect on my performance reliability. The world feels steadier when I'm near you."

And these are all aspects of love, too.

[decrypter]

Hearing that, her expression shifts to a smile - a tiny one, but a real one, not made from politeness or to make someone else at ease. Just a little thing as her chest aches in a certain way.

"Then please, trust that I'll tell you if I'm not comfortable?" It doesn't have to mine her reactions for the truth. It can just have it outright.

[serialskiller]

It brushes its fingertips over the palm of her hand, before quietly shifting to holding it again. "Okay. I will."

[decrypter]

"Thank you."

Very, very gently, she squeezes its hand.

"And I'll trust that you'll do the same, if you're uncomfortable."

This goes two ways, Security. The very last thing she wants is it to feel like it needs to bottle up discomfort, if they're trying to figure this out together.

[serialskiller]

"I will. Uncomfortable, overwhelmed. I'll let you know."

And it just. Just holds for now. Lets this be enough for its fluttering circulatory pump.