masanari | [Futurelandia] An Eventful Valentines and beyond (happy new year)

[It's a fine enough impression! He's a sensitive dude whose probably incredibly stressed by the move and other shit that might be going on in his life! She's half convinced he's probably a power bottom or something like that but hey, everyone can be what makes them happy! Junko isn't a prude anymore! But he looks like he wants to let it go, so they do! And she goes back to the food.]

I started learning how to embroider, which is boring for everyone but me. [And she knows it is, although Audrey got a kick out of her 'You're a Bitch' embroidered pillow! So that was nice.] I like antiquing, cute clothes, watches, and indie video games. [And that's why no one expects her to play generic shooters with her brother.]

And sex. But, y'know [A hand wave that's meant to say teenager.] Also, school.

[She'd tell him to not spoil her but there's not a lot Junko can be spoiled with.]

Get out of here, you're telling me you like school?

[ He thought that was his deal! Nariko... well Nariko was always smart and she had some friends which pushed her for school. But when she discovered sex she just had no time for it all. Both of them enjoyed being out of the house, but it's still not something he's sure his sister would have listed on a list of likes when she was Junko's age. Sex was, but she might not have said it to an adult. The combination of both makes him blink, but he leans back up against the counter as he processes the list.

Video games...

He never got into those. He suspects, ultimately, it's his mother's influence. Cute clothes and watches? Well, he can try ]

You really are making it hard on the spoil front here, kiddo.

[ He shouldn't try to project an age difference on her. There was on, a fairly significant one, but she was a teenager and probably a legal adult. ]

My goal in life is to cure awful diseases. Liking school is a basic prerequisite to such a big goal.

[Junko's love for school is a mirror of what Nariko would have likely felt if she'd, y'know, been in a stable home. Of course Nariko would have wanted to do something in Mathematics where Junko is pure Science, but still. It's a similarity that Junko unwittingly shares in a broad sense.]

You shouldn't spoil me anyway, so I can't complain about that too much.

[This is not true, she actually loves shopping sprees but is not selfish enough to admit it. And, anyway, isn't Nathan near her mom and dad's age? Junko will be a legal adult in a small while but Nathan's still got more general life experience so there's no need to feel insulted.]

[ Well he is Nariko's younger brother. If anything, he's closer to Rin's age. Or well, a midpoint between those two age brackets at more or less thirty-five. That said, he nods along with her. ]

Oh, that's pretty badass. Makes sense too, doesn't it? [ Nathan looks somewhat nostalgically around his kitchen, the one he's only barely familiar with, but which he sees through into a time when Nariko was young, and he looked up at her ]

But come on, I'm Mr. Estranged Uncle, it's pretty much my job to spoil you and your brothers are least for a year.

[Anyone above 34 is old enough to qualify for egregious life experience, mostly because Junko will be the type of woman who gets to 30 and thinks her life is falling apart, so. There's that.]

Please don't spoil Koji, there's a reason we call him a little shit as it is. He'll try to take complete advantage and you shouldn't let him! Yamato should be fine, though.

[At the very least she can trust that if her older brother does make a request it'll probably be reasonable. Of course the chances of him doing that as Nariko's mate, to the brother whom she loved so thoroughly that it didn't seem at all platonic ... Well.]

If you're still looking to spoil someone by the time you've figured out everything with your job, I'm sure I can have something put together by then.

[And it'll be awful, like asking for ten thousand mechanical pencils.]

Hey, you don't need to worry about me and my job and money, let me worry about that. [ Honestly, he still has a huge inheritance from the funeral, one he's done very little with other than pick up this house and the associated furniture, which dented it, but not severely. Unlike Nariko, he didn't split it several ways, so his is ... substantial.

No ned to play that up though, he hasn't thus far. ]

But I'll take you up on that regardless. [ A beat ] But come on, I came over to meet him too!

I always worry.

[It's like when the Hulk said he was always angry, except less cool.]

And, I know, but I'm just trying to warn you ahead of time! My brothers are unique people.

[That's the best way to put it. Speaking of which, where were those two anyway???]

[ Way less cool. And it makes him worry a little, worry enough that he brushes the top of her head with a smile, trying to assure her that there's no need to worry! None at all! ]

Isn't everyone supposed to be unique?

[ Koji and Yamato were involved with the moving - Yamato himself was helping with the heavy lifting as someone who is pretty tall, and Koji... was trying to avoid doing anything. Case and point, having been dismissed from his post of "vaguely near Joshua" he now is walking into the kitchen with his hands in his pockets.

Hoping neither of them notice him.

He was here for a drink, they had juice or something in here right? ]

[Everyone is unique but Koji and Yamato are unique. And really if Koji doesn't want to do anything he should linger around Veronica, she's literally just unpacking kitchen stuff and doing it as slowly as possible because ... She doesn't want to do anything more than that ....

But how can Junko not notice her brother? He's too fucking tall and he sort of skulks in and goes for the fridge without even saying hi to her!]

Hello to you, too.

[You doomed yourself by trying to be innocuous, bro.]

[ Yamato was not stealthy, not like Koji was. And Koji might've been hanging out near Veronica! Or... not... he could do either! Still, Nathan looks up to see Yamato too, the tall boy caught as if a flashlight were shined on him. He stands there, looking at her and him with wide eyed, seeing him and how his hand was on her head and...

He waves ]

I was just passing through!

[ Nathan, though, snorts and takes his hand off Junko's had to walk past her, smiling at Yamato and going over to clap him on the shoulder ]

Hey, come on, I wanted to meet you!

Yamato ....

[Dude, why are you being so stand-offish with their new uncle! He should be excited! After all, wasn't family a big deal for him, too? Maybe not in quite the same way as Nathan but all the same! But now that she's free of residual touch Junko can sit down in Emily's spot, downing the rest of her pasta salad.

Seriously why is he being weird, now she's actually concerned.]

[ Honestly, he was just guilty at being caught trying to get some juice. But when he sees past Nathan's shoulder he sees that Junko's got some pasta salad herself, pouts a bit, and shakes his head. Nathan though, grins and gives Yamato one or two more shoulder claps before pulling the boy into a surprise hug.

Yamato blinks once, then twice... and then smiles and wraps his arms back around him ]

See, that was pretty easy!

[ That was Nathan, and Yamato smiles and squeezes the other man ]

I'm glad to meet Nariko's brother too! It's pretty great.

[ ... Nariko? ]

[Okay, see, that's much better! While Junko remains a quiet observer to all of this she can't help noticing some similarities here. They're both very tall, and while Yamato does take some of his features from Masaomi there are some others that were harder to place but next to Nathan ...]

Oh, man.

[It's a little faint but there's definitely a similarity in overall body structure and some of the facial features.]

She was totally right.

[ But why Nariko... No one has explained to Nathan the whole super incest thing, nor the idea that Nariko had a second mate. For all he knew she was just in this pack and fucking numerous people while her husband - sorry, "mate" - was a goddamned idiot and took her for granted while he was fucking other people. And yet they were still connected and she looked healthier, happier, at the airport than she'd been in a while. Positively glowing.

Still, it's Yamato who speaks first, looking over Nathan's shoulder to ask - ]

What?

[ Nathan, for his part, claps Yamato two more times on the back and breaks the embrace, turning to Junko to let her answer ]

[She rests her chin on her hand, examining them both with a surprisingly gentle smile.]

Last year - Mom was saying that Yamato really resembled 'someone' and she kind of never said who she meant? But, like, it's sort of like looking at a vanilla and chocolate version of the same person! I guess Yamato ended up with some of grandma's family traits.

[It's incredibly neat, given that Yamato's complexion sets him apart from Koji and Junko, so it's always kind of bummed her that he didn't have someone to relate to a little more, there.]

You're both tall and kind of broad shouldered, you've almost got the exact same neck, too! The brows and cheekbones match, too.

[She got an A+ in her anatomy class, can't you tell? She shrugs, though.] It's cool!

[ Do they look that similar? In unison, both men look at each other, seeing each other through their differently colored eyes. Of course, both see the skin tone first - Yamato's complexion is totally his mother's, maybe even edging a bit darker - but after that when they squint, they can see some of the similarities. Nathan in particular feels a strong sense of pity for Yamato, asking, ]

You never had asthma did you kid?

[ Breathlessly, Yamato answers, ] No, not really.

[ Did that mean he had a strong European person brow? Yamato never noticed that, and in fact reaches out to his forehead to touch it ]

No, he was just a complete dork before he got all cool.

[The fucking YuGiOh phase!!!! She'll be eighty-four and still cackle about that.]

Which also fits, because wouldn't you have been a music nerd in school, Nathan?

Yeah... yep. And I read a lot, but that's apropos of nothing. [ A dork? Nathan almost looks hurt! But it's a joking sort of hurt, and he nudges Yamato, whose cheeks flush a little as he mutters out something which might have been "wait I'm cool now?" ]

An-anway, can I get some juice or something? I heard there was juice.

[ And Nathan answers ] I think there's some, yeah.

[ Apparently, both men are trying to drop the dork thing. Junko can push it though if she wants... Yamato makes to walk past Nathan and collect some of the juice. If there is anyway. Or water ]

[Of course her future Alpha was cool! Did he seriously still think that he wasn't?! Yeesh. But since they've both set on the juice she rolls her eyes.]

Top shelf in the fridge.

[Nathan would still have to shop properly, but there would be leftovers from the food and some basics had already been picked up, too. You never go hungry when you're involved with a pack.]

Hey, if it's alright ... What was grandma like? I mean - if she was ever nice to begin with.

[The way she voices it just says that she already doubts her own question.]

[ Nathan looks like he was struck the moment that she asks that. Yamato doesn't see the expression because he was getting the juice (orange juice? Man, he was hoping for something else... oh well) and taking it out to go and get the cups. ...Where are the cups? But he can sense something of a wind blew through the room, and so he pauses to look back at Nathan.

... Who feels super on the spot.

And he swallows. He inhales deeply to try to right himself, and he looks hard at Junko, trying to hide his own terror. He's not sure what it's from really, being questioned by a member of his family? Having to reconnect with those memories? The fact his own memories might not even match with Nariko's? He stands there for many long seconds and... And what was she like? What was... Amelia like. ]

When I was really young, I don't remember things being... that bad. [ She worded it like that, so she knew something was off ] We were a family, after all. [ Family. ] But then it got worse, and when she was older... well, maybe she felt guilty or just got too ill, so I connected with her again, and she was back to being... nice.

[ Within being overly judgmental. Nathan explains it all in broad strokes, as if afraid to quality anything, as if afraid to have an opinion about that woman even now, or at least to voice it, like her ghost might appear, or like he doesn't want to clarify it to Junko. But he tries to give her a good answer. ]

[Junko has the mild benefit of knowing the effect it's all had on Audrey and while the severity and specifics may really be up for debate it's kind of the same thing. If nothing else the pained, stunned kind of expression that seems to come with awful memories or feelings that are difficult to contend with. Once she sees that look on Nathan's face she feels awful for even wanting to ask the question, let alone actually speaking it.]

That's good. [They're the most delicate words she's spoken all day.] I mean, for you. If there was a period where it could be nice.

[But doesn't that mean that never happened for their mom? ... Talk about all around complicated.]

[ Even if it's gentle, it's not something he's ready to confront, any more than he's ready to confront his sister and how he doesn't feel that way anymore. Even if she wanted him to. Maybe. Honestly, he might want to discuss this even less. He hums a little, looking over at Yamato.. who is pouring his orange juice, very slowly, and looks back at him a bit dumpstruck ]

Uh--- hey?

[ Yamato said that, and Nathan pushes a smile on before asking, ]

So what do you do, Yamato?

[ Yamato blinks, still pouring the juice (it's near to the top, might risk overflowing as, put on the spot) ] Uuuuh... tennis? I like that...

[ What else does he like.

Junko help it feels weird. ]

Yamato.

[Junko says his name a bit sharply to make sure he doesn't ruin the counter with orange juice, especially since she doesn't plan on cleaning it up for him.]

There's also card games and his car, to which he remains stupidly proud of.

[Granted, he basically got it for free and it wasn't some ten year old piece of junk, so it makes sense, and Junko's playing it up because she's actively trying to alleviate the awkward.] Mostly it's tennis, though. You should come to one of his matches! It's really amazing to watch.

[ What, what did he do wrong--- oh! Fuck, oh, the juice! The boy blinks, blushes, and quickly rights himself to not spill all over Nathan's counter. He blushes a bit and.. ]

N-not... that into the car. I mean, it's a cool car.

[ Nathan gives him a little look, and shakes his head ]

Hey, a car's usually one of a man's first big accomplishments even if they didn't do anything. But hey, what do you play? [ Nathan says with his hand pantomiming dealing cards.

... Which makes Yamato blush further. But trying to remain resolute... ]

W-well I kinda got back into the Pokémon card game and I've been playing a lot of hearthstone...

[ . . . Oh . . . ]

[Oh my god this is like low-key awful isn't it, Junko's incredibly tempted to watch them be weird at each other, as if they both totally lack the mental facilities to keep a normal conversation going, or continue helping them out bit by bit.

In the end she's incredibly grateful for the umpteenth entrance that's occurred within the last forty-five minutes.]

Motherfucker!

[When Audrey is hurt she curses like a sailor and there's a very obvious stream of blood trailing town her forearm and she's trying to keep it from dripping but also keeping it above her head so she doesn't bleed out. She has to skate behind Yamato to get to the sink and start washing her bleeding finger.] Fucking boxcutters who in the wor- Oh, hi.

[There are other people in the kitchen, being one of them, Junko rolls her eyes.] And that's Audrey.

[Said girl is very blatantly staring at Nathan.] Holy shit, he's cute! Scruffy, [It's the beard.] but cute!

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So I rolled a dice to see who would show up.

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PS a lot of this I'm making up tell me if you disapprove

Nah it's all good! teeechnically his description isn't at all inaccurate

Based on other discussions and such I assumed his is a mostly verbal abuse

yup! a lot of verbal sweetness/cruel/sweet again

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