[Futurelandia] The Thanksgiving and Early December Post

[generalflirt]

[ It's been around a month since everything started to change. And frankly, a damn sure more things have changed even in that month. There's simplistic ones, such as Masaomi getting a vasectomy which even if he tried to keep it on the downlow, everyone found out about because of what a whiner he was for his week of medical abstinence and everyone felt after that for how he proceeded to fuck every relevant woman in the house and who would sleep with him out of the house into submission for the next two or three days. Everyone sort of had a rude awakening there.

But then, some changes were bigger and more serious. A new member joined there pack (Veroncia) not all that long ago, and it was much to everyone except some of the adult's surprise. Everyone had to learn their new pecking order and where she fit in with the rest of them. Masaomi and Nariko continued their rituals and continued their seeing other people, to mixed results from both. Audrey was hanging around the house more, though she hadn't had the recommended Talk with Masaomi about joining, despite making this something of a second home for her. And of course, Junko's training continued despite the week long hiatus from it.

Everyone was changing, and everyone was adapting. Yamato even had a sexy car now. And at the culmination of everything, a sort of milestone in the midst of everything, there was Thanksgiving, the lead up to it, and the follow up after it leading into December. A time when a lot of people hung out in one house, and then things got weirdly tense for a variety of reasons. God bess us, every one. ]

Comments

[futurelandia]

Thank you.

[ That's what comes out first, and he slumps back in the chair. He exhaled and runs a hand down his chin, stroking his beard. Melissa, damn the bitch, was the love of his life. When he was left by her, it ruined him. Ruined him. In so many ways. The man now was a ghost of who he was them, and he's pretty sure that his teenager daughter could see that. And it's probably because of that he's allowing himself to be this selfish. But it's precisely because of this same pain that he pulls the phone back up and,

He starts to type out "give you mate a big kiss before you leave" but then thinks better of it. He frowns at the phone, and sighs ]

Guess I owe you and that mate of yours a big Christmas gift, huh?

[ He's such a coward. And he's such an asshole. He needs her in his life to survive now, he's pretty sure. Or at least, his daughters and him benefit a lot from it. But if he had even the inkling he was contributing to breaking up two mates, he's pretty sure he wouldn't survive the guilt of it, knowing how it hurt for him. But playing both sides is so - ick. ]

[gunslingerqueen]

[She gets such a sense of relief from those two words on a screen, and she doesn't know why. But Nariko's happy to put the phone down, having lost much of anything to say in return, and she did have a quiz to finish out before Christmas break. But then the second text comes in and she's - it makes her stupid angry to read that. To be reminded that Joshua even thinks about Masaomi.]

you don't owe anyone anything

[Least of all Masaomi.]

Is Ariel doing okay?

[futurelandia]

[ It isn't something he always thinks about, her mate. But he is aware, well, that she has a mate. She has a pack. It's a balancing act in his mind, wanting to monopolize her time some - and feeling justified for that, at that - and wanting no part in the guilt he's sure he would feel if he influenced anyone to take actions similar to his Melissa's. It's something that weighs hard on his mind.

About as hard as the idea she really might not be that into him.

But she'd come back enough after running from him, e's pretty sure he made some sort of an impression ]

She's been fussy all day, but she's okay for now.

[ And he so does owe her ]

[gunslingerqueen]

That's good. I miss her. And you and Olivia.

[By the time she's sent that message the realization is only vaguely dawning upon her. She shouldn't have said that but it's, well, it's true.]

I'm sorry I'm trying to not be weird about it all and I'm not doing a good job

[futurelandia]

[ Perhaps she shouldn't have said that, but there's really no taking it back. The man's eyes glow a little at it, and he feels some skipping of both his heart and his loins. He's not really in love with her or anything, but he was leaning on her, and he did have a big crush on her and he really, really wanted to fuck her. Why wouldn't he be flattered? ]

Don't got to apologize to me for that one. I'll take an apology to my poor balls though.

[ There, he'll deflect it to make it shallower for them both ]

I'm still at work I swear I'm not purposely ignoring Audrey and Masaomi

[gunslingerqueen]

[And that's exactly what makes it so awkward, that there aren't any dramatic feelings, not really. He's kind of using her for almost the same reasons she chose him and there's some kind of unsettling irony in that. But the response helps and she finds herself smiling again.]

I'll apologize to all of you by wearing something very special. Slutty maid or hot pilgrim?

[She's kidding, obviously.]

Haha I'd figured. It's cool

[futurelandia]

[ But if he could make it fun for her, did it matter? If they both enjoyed their time together, was there still value in it? It's a weird thing to struggle with, but he also was sure he was doing it best anyway. And really, he probably needed it.

Still. ]

Oh hot pilgrim, for sure

Re: Haha I'd figured. It's cool

[gunslingerqueen]

[Still.]

Seriously? I would have guessed maid any day, I pegged you all wrong.

[futurelandia]

Hey, it's a holiday, might as well get in the spirit of it!

[gunslingerqueen]

here's hoping I can find a little hate with a buckle on it.

[futurelandia]

Though shit if I'm going to match I need to find an eagle feather

[gunslingerqueen]

we literally cannot be those people who match Joshua. Not even for sexy time.

[Yes she just called it that. Because Nariko is a tattooed dork.]

[futurelandia]

Was that too far? Been out of the game way too long I guess

[gunslingerqueen]

No, to be honest matching outfits just deeply concern me.

[futurelandia]

[ Snort. That could be a shallow thing, could be deep. He decides to let it lie at shallow ]

Got it, no matching. I'll just have to put on my most flattering pants

Cool with moving them ahead now?

[gunslingerqueen]

[It's entirely shallow and not even worth thinking about too much.]

And also the red plaid shirt.]

[A second message follows almost immediately.]

Yes it's my favorite don't judge.

Want to do the Masaomi bridge we discussed or skip to them? Either way yes

[futurelandia]

[ Oh man is she serious- ]

Lumberjack Bromwell reporting for duty!

[ But still... he will. Because she said so ]

Definitely still going for the bridge thread there

[gunslingerqueen]

I think I genuinely have a thing for Lumberjack types now and I only discovered this because of you

[They keep on with a pleasant back and forth for hours, and in truth she's probably spending more time with Joshua like this than she is with her own family. But she does put her phone down when it's time to really eat, to finish watching the game, and Octavio somehow corrals them all into playing touch football or something outside. It's cold, but fun, though Nariko spends a good amount of time trying to keep her head focused on where she's at and not in her own lingering thoughts.

But towards the end, as the kids head to their separate rooms and the Idiot Trio all go their separate ways, Nariko goes to find Masaomi. It's almost ten and she still hasn't gotten dressed, let alone started driving over to Joshua's. She goes to find her mate and hopes that he's alone.]

Hey.

Awesome, let's do it

[generalflirt]

[ By this point in the night he is alone. And all things considered it was a good day, a good Thanksgiving! the dinner was good and the discussion was fun, and the game (both the one watched and played) was cool. By the end of the night, the Alpha was seated by the back door, facing out towards the pool. He'd been talking with Ada, actually, but the woman had walked out ]

Hey yourself.

[gunslingerqueen]

[She looks at him for a long moment and just - Yeah, she just looks at him. There's something about the moment itself that reminds her of how much she loves Masaomi. It really had been a good day, even if she herself was a little off center for whatever reason. There's a very big part of her that wasn't to curl up in his lap and spend the rest of the night that way.

She doesn't, of course.]

I'm gonna go out. [Does she really need to explain it? Maybe.]

[generalflirt]

[ Oh she- ... He's surprised, in spite of himself. He always knew she could, and certainly nothing would prevent her from doing so, including him, but he feels -- something. There's some sort of a stirring within him, some spark which might become jealousy if it was flamed. But he knows that it's unreasonable, and so he turns to face her more completely and - ]

Ah, this late on? Alright.

[ He wonders if she did her nightly ritual with Yamato. Well, not like that's his thing to ask or not ]

[gunslingerqueen]

[There's a part of her that feels ... Not upset, but kind of split open. He was so calm about it, but then Masaomi was the one who didn't get worked up into a spin about it like she did. Maybe he was happy that she was finally being more aggressive. Who knew, and if she had any desire to ask then it doesn't survive very long.]

Yeah, sorry. I didn't want to interrupt the day. [Not that she would have in any sense. Running off to be with someone else's family while ignoring her own would make her the worst piece of shit. Lingering in place isn't much better, though, she doesn't know what else to say but it feels weird to just turn around and leave.

... She should have just left and texted him when she made it to Joshua's place.]

this failure of communication is so awful tbh

[generalflirt]

[ He realizes in this moment that she didn't interrupt the day, not at all. Other than the time spent in the game, the time spent watching the football one, and the time spent at dinner, he's not spent time with Nariko since this morning. That realization makes his eyes widen slightly, and a growing part of him wants to demand that she remain here with him.

But that wasn't fair.

That wasn't what they agreed on, and it wasn't what was right. Still, he does stand, he stands, and with steps that feel much more firm than his heart does, the Alpha comes up to her to wrap his arms around her and kiss her on the cheek ]

That makes sense. [ To say "I'll miss you" might mess her up, huh, and so he says, ] Good luck with things, then.

[ He considers asking who, where, and what she'll do. But nah, she'll tell him in time. Ah, but there is one ritual - ]

The best thing that happened to me today was when you managed to save that goal by not noticing it was coming. The worst thing was when I was forced to kick out Junko's friend.

It really is they have already fallen kinda far

[gunslingerqueen]

[She kind of holds him back, but it's loose and ... 'Non-committal' isn't the word to use, but they've always worked off of each others energy, and it seems they're both shaky for different reasons with the same general outcome. She kisses him back, and manages a smile when they'er apart again.

He really is just as ritualistic as she is, sometimes.]

The worst thing was finding out you had to kick someone out at all. [And by the time she'd heard about it and wanted to speak with Junko their daughter had insisted everything was fine, that Masaomi was right. That, too, had rung pretty oddly to her, but there wasn't a lot she could do about it now.] And the best was how much Emily loved the dress I made for her.

It's a sad. But then that's within expectations, they can renaissance

[generalflirt]

As well she should have! She looked great in it.

[ He laughs at that, locking his hands together as he smiles for her. He allows himself to bask in that memory, grinning wide for her, trying to feel like things are more settled than hey feel right now. It's not a bad feeling, not really, just a shakey one ]