masanari | [Futurelandia] The Wonderful Christmas (and maybe into New Years stuff too)

[Futurelandia] The Wonderful Christmas (and maybe into New Years stuff too)

[ Their pack's Christmas tended to be one which was full and chaotic, despite the fact that there were increasingly less children in the house as Yamato and Junko (and yes, Koji too) all grew to maturity. In some ways, this was actually more "kids" than had been in the house for it than in a long time, what with their new additions.

Still: Masaomi, Nariko, Ada, Sullivan, Emily, Octavio, Tom, Yamato, Junko, Koji, Veronica, and Audrey - Twelve people with at least one gift for everyone else, often times more in the case of those who were more generous or had deeper pockets or more to impress others with. The sheer number (even if it had grown over time) is probably what prompted them to set up a grate tree in one of the living room spaces which was probably meant to be a formal dining room and then lay out all the presents from everyone wrapped up under it andt hen sprawled out for a wide area around it all. There's chairs set up in a circle around the room to give everyone room to sit and the first one there (Which if, of course, Masaomi) brought bags for the wrapping paper to go into a recycle.

Also Masaomi has on a santa hat and a fake beard. Both of which Ada picked out years ago, and he wears mostly out of tradition. It's similarly out of tradition that he got up at the ass crack of dawn to sit in the room and eat some rice before anyone else got up, wait for them all to filter on in here usually starting with Ada or Sullivan or in recent years his eldest son so people can start to make breakfast and be ready. But either way, breakfast and present opening in the morning! A white elephant gift exchange game in the afternoon! A big dinner in the evening!

Christmas is a time of togetherness, where there has to be some structure, but there's a lot which can happen beyond all that and often did. Movies watched, songs sung, and even if this year of different and strange for a variety of reasons... well. It was still their day, and everyone would enjoy it. ]

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[She's never used toys, though!!! But let's face it, he's definitely right and she's not against it so much as a little nervous and confused as to how something like that is supposed to feel. But hey, she'll find out later. Right now Koji pushes her and she stumbles a bit, tries to straighten her Christmas dress before she goes up to them.]

I can't begin to imagine what my life would be like if I wasn't here. Even though it was sudden, I feel like this is where I belong, there isn't a doubt in my mind. I love everyone here but I think we can all agree that this pack is made on you both, and we're better off for that.

[Here she kind of awkwardly holds out the little box.] So it only seemed right to get you a gift that only works when you both put it to use!

[No matter who opens the plainly wrapped little box the result is the same: It's a set of cuffed earrings. The piercing on one is a sun, and along the chain rests a little Beta pendant in silver, and the other is much the same except it's a crescent moon, and the alpha symbol that rests below the cuff.]

Veronica, this is wonderful. [Look, Nariko loves it instantly. It's incredibly personalized and she must have had it made, it was a lot of work and effort to go through for people she had only just met.]

[ It's Masaomi who opens the box, really surprised to see that she did it, but also grinning under the fake beard at the speech, glancing between Veronica, the box, Ada, and Nariko. andh e settles back down into the box to see--

Oh wow, oh wow oh wow. ]

Oh these are gorgeous. [ He says that reverently. He dangles the moon one in his hand, finding some pleasant irony in that these entail. The Alpha who commands the pack and the beta who supports him, and yet Nariko is the sun who gives life to everyone and the moon is the imitation of light which chases the son. Or at least, that's what he thinks immediately. And he - ]

Nariko, let's put 'em on. [ They can put them on each other even if it's a hassle right now ]

[It was that symbolism that sparked the idea in the first place, and it's certainly how Veronica sees them. They're hardly perfect - no one is, she knows that very well - but she's never seen a pair of mates so cohesive and symbiotic. It only seemed right that they should have something which might begin to communicate that to everyone who saw them.

Nariko picks up Masaomi's to put it on his right ear, carefully hooking the cuff along the curve of his ear while Veronica beams. It looks good on him! ... Even with that beard in place. Nariko can't seem to stop smiling at him despite the fact that she isn't wearing the matching one just yet - Masaomi has to put that one on! ]

[ There's a good chance that Nariko would have needed to remove one of his ear clips there to get them in, so he expected it to take a little while anyway. But Masaomi smiles as it's put in, and once he's pretty sure that the thing is secure, he reaches up to brush a finger along the symbols, clipping his nail on the stylized crescent moon. And he can't see it, of course, but he grins all the wider under the bread before picking up Nariko's opposite.

Hers would be the left ear, right?

So he'll motion for her to turn so he can carefully put hers in now, taking out anything which might need to be done and hooking the cuff in himself ]

[She lifts her hair out of the way and holds it back, she only has one little set of studs in today, but if he wants to remove the one that's perfectly fine with her. When it's done, though, she ends up mirroring his actions without realizing it, touching the delicate chain and the little sun that sits perfectly on her left ear lobe.]

Veronica. [The young girl tilts her head and when Nariko gestures for her to come closer Veronica listens, and is therefore unprepared to have her chin grabbed and be pulled into a short, sweet little kiss. Her eyes widen and her cheeks grow into three different shades of red in the few seconds that it lasts.] Thank you.

[.... Her brain might be partially broken but she finds the strength to nod kind of stupidly..]

[ Masaomi watches that kiss, wondering why he didn't think to do that. His own eyes scan the room, to Koji and to Ada. But he also nuzzles his cheek up against Nariko before he too tugs on Veronica and gives her as a kiss as well. For his part though, he can't make it look as natural as Nariko, his own kiss has a bit of heat behind it.

Perhaps it's an Alpha thing, but even when he's being sincere and sweet, there's an edge of sexuality to it.

But he smiles ]

Mmm, and Nariko, maybe we should thank her more elaborately later.

[ He was teasing her and Koji and Ada all at once with this, but he does lean to kiss Nariko again as well. ( and if she had an open piercing, he didn't need to remove anything, just was checking! ) ... Well, kiss her through the santa beard, but still, ]

[There's far too much sexuality in them both, though Masaomi's is certainly the overt brand, difficult for her to refrain from answering even if he's - well, he's not Koji, which is something that matters to her. But it also feels really good. And the suggestion that they might do more just - she nods again and] M-Maybe?? [She gets that agreement out before she has to scramble back to Koji's side, wrapping her arms around him.

Ada, meanwhile, looks both concerned and incredibly jealous at once. Nariko tugs at that beard, giving him a look about it. There's nothing wrong with beards but it's a little scratchy, that's all.]

Can I open this now? [It's Audrey that interrupts them all, and she's pointing to the giant box which holds her bike. She's unwrapped other things from Octavio, Sullivan, Koji, and Tom (did he get her anything special, or) but there are a few she's conveniently left behind.

[ Octavio and Tom both got her gift cards, and Sullivan got her a cute scarf, which saw Tom frowning because he should have thought of that, he struggled for gifts for her and in the end got her the gift card and a car charger cord for her phone because she didn't have one. Koji got her a pair of short shorts because he thought she'd be hot in them. But when Audrey speaks up, nothing else in the room matters for Yamato, even that Junko is in his lap-!

He speaks up and excitedly- ]

Y-yyeah! You should!

[ Masaomi's box for Audrey is smaller over there, but he grins, seeing Yamato react like that. (and come on, the beard is cool! ... He winks at Ada, and then pokes Nariko on the nose ]

[It's okay Tom, Audrey is really bad at this gift stuff which is partly why she's amazed at something so big being given to her. She arranges everything to one side (And she's going to have to give Sullivan a really big kiss for that scarf because it was adorable and she did love it) before getting up to begin pulling at the wrapping paper on the box itself. At least three big rolls were sacrificed for this thing!

The box underneath doesn't tell her what it is (Junko's idea) so she has to rip the tape off one side, and with a surprising show of determination she yanks the cardboard apart and...]

What the ...

[She has to tear some more to get it completely off and reveal the dark blue bike underneath. Someone should probably help her clear out the trash because it's going to take up a lot of space.]

Seriously?! Yamato, this is way too much, what were you even thinking?! [That's what comes out of her mouth but she's smiling, tracing her hands over the seat and the handles.] ... It's better than the one I had to leave at home!

[Because, as Masaomi and most of the adults, plus Junko would know? Her parents had been absolutely livid. There had been a lot of screaming and crying and, on more than one occasion, an attempt to smack her in the face, which was exactly why she hadn't wanted to tell them alone. They'd been so hurt, not that it was much of an excuse. Their form of retaliation was to let her take her clothes but everything else: Her pictures, nicknacks, things she considered valuable? They wouldn't let her, and Audrey hadn't wanted to fight over it by the time she actually made it to her room.

But this ... This made up for it in spades.]

[ Junko said she was taking the lead, but it's Tom who actually stands to help with the trash, mostly because he's opened a lot of his already and he wants to go out and text Shin anyway, so he'll round them up and when he's briefly out of the room he'll give the text (speaking of, Nariko can expect a call from Joshua later today) But--

Right now, Yamato is beaming at her even as he holds Junko closer to him, having squeezed her in anticipation. Koji at least is distracted by his mate so he can't be jealous that she reacts to much more to this than to his own shorts. But he also can't blame her. But still, the older boy weathers he initial reaction, and then he gives her a wide smile. He'd planned to say something cool here, maybe apologize again for breaking her heart (that's not cool Yamato) but what he says instead was- ]

I wanted to... you know. Impress you.

[ And yes, the adults are aware of what went down with her parents. And Masaomi remembers catching Audrey's mothers wrist, even. He still feels a little bad that he delayed her on that first day, and he (and he knows Sullivan) intend to try to get her stuff back. But.. well, good on Yamato. ]

[Uh, no Tom, Junko is not helping with the trash, there are men all over this house so why make her do all that. Please. But anyway. Said girl is happy to be held in anticipation, though, because Audrey's just not as comfortable with overt displays like Veronica's, or even how Junko had reacted. It's a lot better for Yamato to stay right where he was and just keep it simple. She's actually kind of proud of him for remaining so restrained.]

Well, you did. Good job.

[That kind of non-ironic compliment is almost a call back to their earlier days when she was so convinced she was in love with him and would be for the rest of her life. She used to compliment him back then every time he did something good because he was just that nervous. ... Maybe Yamato couldn't see it so much, but he really was so much stronger. So maybe Audrey's not very big on dramatic responses but the look she gives Yamato is absolutely full of love. Not the kind she expected to feel for him, but it'd just as good, and just as meaningful.

If there's anything that should make him absolutely sure that everything is okay between them then it's that one. They'll always be important to each other and that's really all that counts.

But because the bike is so big she has to kind of gently put it out of the way so no one is in danger of tripping over it. She leaves it in the corner but then holds her hands up like she thinks it might fall and break or something. When she feels good enough about it Audrey comes back to ... The last gift she's got is Masaomi's!]

This is going to be an adventure, isn't it? [Because Santa Alpha over there was really pulling out the stops, so ... She starts to unwrap!]

[ Yamato basks in that look, squeezing Junko all the more to try to hold back his excitement just as he had for his anticipation. That looks made him feel good, made him feel special. It's a very almost blasé comment, but the way it shows that they're okay, it shows love and that Audrey is thankful to him. And it's something... he wanted to express. yes he did want to have everyone be thankful to him and the selfish part of him did want them all to hop his cock, but he also wanted to show how grateful he was. To Junko for getting him on the path. To Audrey for steering him on it. and to Nariko for ushering him into the right direction in the end.

He loved them. He was grateful to them.

Still, not sure hoe to respond he gives a wobbly smile back at her and... thumbs up. (PS Junko you're mean but Tom is indeed walking around to put all the wrappers on Audrey's big box so he can take them out of the room. It won't be all of them but it will be most of them.

But yes, Masaomi's will indeed be a trip, and he hopes that she can see the symbolism and appreciate it. Because inside the small box is...! ... A pink collar. But it's not just that, it's a punk collar with gemstones tastefully pressed in a ring around the material and at the end of it is a tag, and the tag reads on one side "Beloved Toy" (he had considered some other phrases, but he thought this one got it out best) - She has a place here. She belongs here. She could accomplish everything she set out to do (or at least he hopes she doesn't feel tethered by this) but now even if she does or doesn't have the tattoos yet, there's a physical representation of their agreed terms of her joining! ]

[No, she doesn't feel tethered. If anything it builds upon the feeling that she'd begun to experience ever since she wanted to officially join. For as weird as everyone is and for as incredibly sexual as they can all be they're still together. They're still a family that responds to one another's needs. She traces the letters of those words and can't help smiling at that first word - beloved. He definitely got right. Even though it was kind of harking back to her status as pack whore it didn't feel exploitive or anything, and even she was surprised at how nice that was.]

Shit, I didn't know you guys were allowed to put accessories on me! [She's so bad at this. Christmases at her house were always cold and tense. No one ever got much and they sat through dinner like it was a funeral. But she takes it out of it's box and puts it on herself without any real trouble since her hair is up and out of the way. She doesn't need a mirror to know it looks good on her, and there's no denying that it brightens her up, too.]

Thank you, Alpha. You're a lot better at t his gift giving thing than I had thought you would be! A true Christmas surprise.

[... This collar obviously does nothing to restrain her attitude.

Annnd, she's pretty much done so it's time to start on the adults!! Who goes first? Masaomi can pick.]

Edited 2016-01-05 17:24 (UTC)

[ And in harkening back to one of the promises he made during that first time they shared together (and to make Sullivan's cheeks color and probably embarrass or make a few others in the room mildly perplexed, Masoami reaches down into the couch he's on with Nariko and pulls out from under the cushion...! a pink dog leash! ]

Well, to be fair, I got a gift for myself too!

[ He had promised he would walk her naked with just a leash and collar. So... ]

To think I wouldn't be great, though...

[ He laughs, shaking his head as if that was ridiculous. Gooosh. That said, whose next? Well, Yamato is looking at Ada waiting for her to get to his hat, but Masaomi - well. He's eager to see Emily react to her gift or any of the idiot trio get to theirs. and of course Nariko (apparently opening his own gifts needs to be coached of him) ]

Edited 2016-01-05 17:29 (UTC)

Oh, geez! [Audrey isn't too much better off than Sullivan. She isn't really shocked that Masaomi actually did it so much as ... Just amazed that he cared enough to really go through with it? Yeah, that's the feeling she's getting. She puts her new scarf on and Sullivan had better be sitting because he gets a lapful of blonde.]

Can you really blame me for being surprised? [Masaomi's more ... Cost-efficient nature wasn't a big secret! But she waves a hand, and, nah, Emily's already opened her gift from Masaomi but - he'll probably notice that she's hiding it a little awkwardly, making sure to keep the amount of pieces hidden.]

How'd you find this? [Emily, in the vein of Audrey, isn't the type to jump around one way or the other. The excitement is in her body language and the fact that she's holding it closer than the rest of her gifts.

Ada, meanwhile, does make it to the hat and she's ... Shocked to see it, really. She hadn't looked at who gave it to her and when she registers the name.]

Yamato? [There's a question in that alone, or maybe a few: How did you know to get this? Why did you? ... It's a reaction that might make it hard to tell if she's actually happy or not, but that's kind of just her nature.]

[ It's true, he is known for being perhaps even overly frugal in years past and while many of his gifts in previous years were off-beat and pointed in much the same way these are... he didn't allow himself near as many funds to purchase all of these. And what's funny, to him at least, is that he's not nearly gotten to the most expensive one yet. ... Well okay, the Yamato one might be the most depending on if you counted the property or not.

But.... he winks at Audrey, and watches with some surprise when she goes to get into Sullivan's lap. The man was sitting in one of the arm chairs which were moved into the room, now that his and Octavio's dance off was done. And he is just as surprised as anyone else to see Audrey plop herself in his lap! ... And he looks down at her collar, not sure if he should touch or what. And he tries to pretend he wasn't going to get an awkward boner.

Still, Octavio is taking this time to try to find his gift from Masaomi ]

Some of those had to be improvised, but I found a customs website. [ This is with a wry smirk at her, from Masaomi. But as for Yamato, he jumps a little and- ]

I- I saw you in-- one like that- in. A picture? Once? I think I might've remembered it from when I was little too? Um. Is it okay?

[... Why was it so surprising! She liked Sully! And of course he's going to get a boner did he think she wanted to just sit here and be bored the whole time? That'd be boring as shit. She's content where she is while Emily ends up grinning right along with Masaomi.] Point for creativity, I'll be sure to model them for you, soon. [Probably even before her boyfriend! But maybe that was only right. Now she feels kind of bad for only getting him a board game! Sure, it was one he had mentioned wanting, but still.

Yamato answers her and Ada can't ... Tell him. Veronica's still in the room and she's not quite sure that she wants to tell the kids in the first place. It was less about trusting them and more along the lines of accepting that shit happened, and it probably couldn't remain a secret if three teenagers were aware.] It's okay. It's completely okay I just ... Didn't think you remembered.

[The hat itself was the one thing she'd managed to bring back to the states with her that had once belonged to her mother, an artifact of her parents first meeting, actually. The original had been worn down with time and very reluctantly put out of commission. She used to take the kids to the park and wear it all the time.] It's perfect.

[She smooths her hair out to put it on, and that's when she smiles, very soft and fragile, like it's a happiness that could tumble away and break. It doesn't, though. And it won't.]

[ Yamato, for his part, is just shallowly relieved that Ada at least likes the gift. He beams all the more widely when she puts on the hat, and he actually starts to say something like "it looks good on you" but that smile ... well, it gives him pause. Not because he's worried, but because the way she looks then, he doesn't think he's ever seen that look before. And whatever he might've said seems to be one upped by Octavio on the other side of the room because- ]

You could be Audrey Hepburn like that, what a hat!

[ He should have made a joke out of it. Oh well, he can at least clap for her! A clap that Sullivan echoes over Audrey's body and Tom. who just came back into the room, echoes largely because is that what they're doing? And once all three idiots do it, Yamato does it because... are they doing that? Is that what they're doing? and Masaomi does it because yolo.

As for Masaomi, he - ] Oh, I know I'm looking forward to that. [ And he loves that board game, okay! He's going to force people to play it with him later today. As for him, he leans in on Nariko and - ] Actually, how many people need to model things for you here?

[.... Why the fuck are they all clapping. The look Yamato witnessed falls away rather quickly at their antics, she keeps the hat on, but:] You can all stop, now. [It's an order, in her firm, stern voice which is usually reserved for the children. But sometimes the three of them, plus Masaomi, are really goddamn stupid.

Across the room .... Nariko's really spent most of this whole period just leaning on Masaomi or occasionally shifting to pay attention to one thing or another.] Not as many as you'd think, and certainly not in the same manner. [She'd made Junko and Audrey matching dresses, given Emily a new sweater - she'd been very tame about her gifts this year! Which was probably a good thing considering the leaps Masaomi was making in that department. She does, however, take this opportunity kiss him again.

As far as the Idiot Trio is concerned! Nariko got Octavio a few books in Spanish (one of which was her favorite and more than a little steamy, there'd be a note requesting that he read it to her for 'practice' and all that), a thermal mug, and a seashell she'd picked up from her hometown before they left. Junko got him a set of lizard magnets, and shirts. Ada and Emily bought him gift cards to his favorite places to eat, and a plush lizard as his gag gift for the year!

Sulilvan got the whole series' of his favorite old cartoons, some with limited edition memorabilia from Nariko, along with a new matching pens, and new silk ties. Junko got him some clothes related to the aforementioned cartoons, while Ada honestly got the man some porn and sunglasses. Don't ever say she doesn't have a sense of humor!

Tom got a bevy of gift cards so the man won't go hungry for ages. From Audrey, specifically, he got two new, rather fancy and flattering hats. Junko got him wristbands and the watch was from Yamato, of course. Veronica got him Star Wars shirts as well as some of the comics, and Nariko got him ... A plane ticket. One for him, and a note pointing out that the other is for Shin. As soon as he gets time off he's got a 'dude' getaway ready and waiting for he and his friend.]

[ All of them have by now opened at least a few of these, Namely Tom's gotten most of his gift cards out and he's been hording them together as if he were some sort of gift card overlord. Oh, but he is glad to not go hungry. All of them have different moments to pause in the midst of their openings beyond just generic thanks. For sullivan, it's when he gets the porn and sunglasses and--

... And despite Audrey being on his lap and his budding boner (or perhaps because of that) he laughs in a flustered sort of way and more to cover it up than anything he puts on the sunglasses and tries to do a fonz pose which doesn't at all work for him in Adas direction. Audrey, free free to stop in. ] Heeeeeey.

[ Octavio's point of excitement is the novel that Nariko got him, and even though his hand is on the one which must be Masaomi's, as he flips through the novel and reads Nariko's note, he makes sure to make eye contact with her and then wipes his head, as if he were pushing sweat off it. And for the room at large, he throws out, ] < I will have to make sure to study well. > [ In Spanish. ... And he sounds way hotter while doing his native language than he ever does in English. ]

[ And as for Tom - it's the hats. It's Audrey's gift and - ] Oh man, girl, really?! I'm going to make these look good!

[ And in fact, he goes to fix his hair so he and put one of them on. (he has yet to open the plane ticket)

As for Masaomi, though, he's just waiting for any of the three to get to his gifts for them. And he does it by way of holding Nariko closer giving her a curious note - she had been studying and practicing hard, did she not have any good ones she wanted to see the results of on a creator level? Also he wonders if he should have gotten more a gift for Joshua beyond a box of white chocolates because he heard he actually likes white chocolate. He told Nariko to hand it off, and he similarly got a small gift for Charlotte and Lisa. ]

[Audrey just quietly puts Sullivan's arms down after a few seconds of baleful staring from Ada. Stop, Sullivan just -- Shh. Enjoy your old shows or whatever, Audrey will pretend to listen if you want to go on about them! Although her attention does shift to Tom as he gets the hats.] Obviously! I wouldn't pick anything for you that didn't make you look even better!

[He gets a wink and unlike Yamato's attempts she manages it just fine. Nariko can't help grinning at that.] We'll probably end up practicing together. [She's a lot slower, choppier, but she's at least understandable - Octavio's still got her beat no matter how rusty he might be, and his tone is far more exciting but that's what happens when you speak in the mother tongue! ... Unless it's Arabic.]

The one thing I really want to see hasn't been opened yet, that's all.

[Because it's Masaomi's. She bought him two full piece suits, new ties, cufflinks, and shoes included - the whole gamut, one set in a rich black, the other an eye catching mix between black, off-white, and his ever iconic yellow. But the last one - she'd started working on it since she signed up for classes, and was still unbelievably terrified that he might not like it. In that sense she was more the nervous creator than the excited one, she could only feel anxiety until she saw the reaction one way or the other. She's also gotten him first editions of his favorite books, no matter how much hunting down it took on her part, and some sillier books along the lines of jokes or general weird humor. Of course there was still one last gift but she'd have to leave Masaomi to go get and ... Eh. That can be put off for a while longer.]

[ Come to think of it, Masaomi hadn't opened any of his gifts. ... Nariko hadn't really opened much of hers either, right? It seems that other than Veronica's, the two of them would be last. The Alpha, though, briefly looks around the room to see who she might have meant--

Oh, wait, it was him. Wasn't it? His cheeks color under the beard and he shrugs against her body. Okay, okay, you win. (Also he thinks her Arabic the few times he's had a chance to hear it sounds sexy thank you very much. ... That said the Spanish there wasn't bad either. He should learn Spanish, how hard could it be. Oh well, at least he has his Japanese! ... that no one else really speaks well at all. ]

Yeah, I bet you wouldn't. [ Tom says this and gives a somewhat throaty chuckle, spinning the hat on his head a little before he's got it on just how he wants it and then gives his own little hat tip pose to Audrey, then Emily, and finally, somewhat accidentally, to Octavio. Mostly because Octavio clearly has hit on the Alpha's gift for him. ]

Oh no, oh nononono -- this isn't-

[ That's Octavio, and finally, he pulls out...! A flash drive? There's also a note in the little box, but - ]

Afraid so, my man. [ That was Masaomi, and Sullivan leans over to look took, and he (and therefor Audrey) are close enough to read the card. Apparently, on that flash drive is the full discography of a band, including a recording of one of their concerts. ]

How could you have this? I do not have this-

[ and Masaomi shrugs ] I knew some people in Arizona. One of my brothers lives out there; he's the one who saw the concert.

[No one speaks it well, sure, but Junko would be a very willing student, Masaomi. Anyway! Audrey goes left and right because she still isn't ready to give up her perch, but she doesn't get the big dela about the flash drive or the band or whatever. Her brows raise and she asks the question that the Kida kids (plus Veronica) are too distracted to even care about.]

You can usually buy discographies and stuff online, what's so special about this one? [She doesn't mean that unkindly. Masaomi's gone out of his way to give really awesome gifts so there has to be something, she just doesn't know what it is. And neither does Ada, who takes this opportunity to go over to Masaomi and Nariko. Among that whole pile of gifts is one of the two Ada got Nariko, and she pulls it out here, essentially asking the woman to go ahead and open it now, even though she and Masaomi keep waiting until the end - maybe because the kids would be mostly distracted by then, right?

Nariko looks at it and shrugs.] I'll open it first.

[Ada nods but - she doesn't leave, either. She has to sit on the arm of the furniture to pull it off but she stays next to her best friend, and Nariko wraps her free arm around her.]

This is-- it is the discography of the band my older brother formed in college. They never digitized anything, it should only be on cassettes...

[ Masaomi chimes in with - ] One of the members converted them to CDs later and those are the mp3s from it. I've also got most of the cassettes, but... shipping, you know. [ And he shrugs a little, to which Octavio blinks... and then he smiles. And then he thanks his Alpha in Spanish, running his finger along the flash drive.

... Most of the adults will know that Octavio's older brother is dead, and has been since before he joined the pack. He flies out to Arizona every three years or so to go to a mass family grave visiting party. Sullivan and Tom, aware of this fact, don't open their own gifts just yet. Or at least, not Masaomi's. Tom did open Nariko's and sort of breaks the moment by going - ]

Wait, what the fuck?!

[ That's an excited "What the fuck," by the way. Examining the ticket and the notice and - what. what. ... Also Sullivan finally works up the courage to put a hand atop Audrey's head and brush her hair a little. He hasn't opened the last of his gifts either, so maybe that should be pointed out to him, he's still got Masaomi's and maybe anyone else's who needs specific mention

And Masaomi glances over at Ada - ah, are you going to open that one now, Nariko, or wait a bit more? ]

Oh. [Audrey ... Had no idea about any of that, of course, and now she feels kind of shitty for being so blase about that. Depending on how close Octavio is she reaches over to give him a hug, and it's a rather big, loving one despite her size in relation to the fully grown man. But before anything else can really happen there's Tom!! And it's Nariko's turn to explain:]

Rami has a great vacation house and he's more than happy to let you guys put it to use for a week. You've been working really hard, Tom, and it's been a while since you could hang out with your friend, right? You both need the break.

[And everything else that might come along with it or be implied or occur it entirely up to him. But just being able to give the freedom of it while acknowledging how dedicated Tom was - she figured that was about as poignant as she could get. But - after catching Ada's expression Nariko shrugs and, okay, she can stand to open one, right? So she does, peeling it off carefully just because she's not in much of a hurry. The box its in is quite plain, and she lifts the top and inside is a royal blue corset. The same one she'd mentioned on their unfortunate trip to Nariko's 'home'town.]

I decided that you'd look too beautiful in it to not have it. I'm sure Masaomi will end up appreciating it.

[Nariko, in turn, doesn't say much of anything at first. She traces the heavy fabric and boning underneath, it's sleeveless and rather harmless looking when laid out flat, but it'd inevitably hug every part of her figure. And push her tits up like nothing else.]

Is there a reason you can't appreciate it, too? [She had promised Masaomi, and come on, the best way to endear a woman to sex was to buy her sexy clothes. ... Or maybe that was just Nariko? That was. Probably just her!]

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why do I get the feeling Sullivan/Audrey is going to be a genuine pairing

Because I carefully plotted it (no he's just eager to please)

The eager to please would pair well with the one who wants to be pleased so it's ~fate~ clearly

Yes that seems right he's eager to please but also a little forceful and awkward

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Oh what a cute new account.

Figured it was about time Emily got to join in!

Oh yeah totally I agree I need to whip out the Idiot Duo soon

Yes soon

Might as well use it now tbh

smothers the idiots with affection and enjoy YES

GOOD I'm pleased to have them out.

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