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

[She pushes at his finger, non-threatening, for the fun of it.]

The missing twenty percept accounts for the weather, it'd be ridiculous to try and get in there after the middle of October, after all.

[To make up for the fact that she's not done thoroughly washing her mate's body, Nariko gives him a little kiss before going back to her task, humming along.]

Weirdly enough, maybe only sixteen percent in the kitchen!

Well, that is where we eat, you know!

[ He spreads his arms when she gets back to it, trying to make it easier for her. But now he's running the calculations in his head (well, "calculations") and he laughs at the idea of it. So they do it in the pool that often... ... Hahah, he remembers throwing her in, back then. That feels like a lifetime ago. ]

I think most people don't link food and sex that much!

Not unless they've got a thing about it already, probably not.

[Nariko seems very intent on paying extra attention to little places: Between fingers, the bend of the elbow, every conceivable nook and cranny.]

And to be fair my housewife days are over so I don't spend a lot of time thinking about how many different ways we can do it in the house, specifically.

Eeeeh, so now you think about it on your campus or in public?

[ See how he turned that around on her? see? That said "her housewife days are over" she said right before they're about to have a lot of kids... but on the other hand, he had only just told her she didn't need to and ought not to be a housewife and abandon her ambitions and passions. They can balance and ultimately...

It makes her more free, right?

And so, while he was still being theatrical now, including licking briefly at the air in response to the idea of foot kink, a more gentle, sincere, small smile did play out on his face ]

[No matter which way it's spun, she won't be a housewife and the most surprising part of that realization is how much it doesn't bother her. Sure, there's a little sting, knowing she'll likely have to trust her eventual children to basically anyone that isn't Ada (because, no), but it's the way things are now.]

I'm generally thinking about other things on campus, to be honest. [Sexual things, sure, but not exactly with Masaomi. But that whole thing is kind of weird and the way she quickly steers away from it might be vaguely suspect.]

Come to think of it we've basically made good on the original promise, and there's only so many ways to skin a cat in the same place.

[When they'd first moved in they'd promised to bang in every single room in the place, though Nariko had tried to make the nursery an exception that ... Hadn't lasted.]

[ Come on, Ada's pretty legit! Gosh! ... Mostly!

You know he was going to to just let her push that that with the campus because, well, campus. she probably needs to study and such... But the way that she steers past that does make his eyebrows go up, and it results in his tone almost seeming awed and surprised as he answers ]

Eeeeeh, you almost make it seem like we've gotten boring...

[ Which, of course, allows him to wheel back to, ]

So what is on campus?

When have we ever been boring?

[The fact that they actually committed to such a grand task when considering how fucking huge their home is? That's far from boring to begin with! But it does seem as if she's ended up in a bit of a trap, and rather than try to insist there isn't anything at all Nariko ... Dumps water over her mate's head. Because she is a grown adult.]

His name is Krieg.

[Said while she gets behind Masaomi's ears, before forgetting. It's an awful place to try and remember.]

Pretty much never.

[ But hey, this is much more interesting! He grins a little, and he leans in towards her, smirking a bit as if he were some sort of schoolboy teasing her about a crush. Which in a way, he might be? But at the same time he can't help but be amused at the idea that this is really happening ]

Ooooh?

[She'd say there was nothing special happening but he's definitely getting a kick out of this and it's almost like she can't help wanting to minimize it.]

It's just - you know. We get along and share most of the same classes until Fall. It won't go beyond that, I'm sure.

[Will it ever feel like she isn't admitting to cheating with this? Maybe not, that or she's just embarrassed about the entire thing in general, given how it all began.]

[ Back at the beginning, honestly, a lot of the allure was in the idea that she would go out and be with other people. That was exciting in and of itself. Then as that became more normal, until the funeral, there was something to be said about the fact she was doing it too validating him. Now, all of that seems a little ancient, and he's just genuinely excited to know she's making other connections.

It's still... different. Near twenty years of history isn't erased. But at the same time-

... If she's going to be cagey like this, he can't help but arch a brow at her ]

[But at the same time, it's still been less than six months since they've decided to do this, and Nariko's major attempts at this whole 'open' deal had landed her with Joshua who, at the time, probably could have put a major dent in between them if he'd really had the balls for it (and thank goodness he didn't, hindsight and all), and Yamato as her second mate. It was really beginning to feel as if she was simply, instinctually awful at this.

She's mostly finished washing him so she reaches up to twirl a lock of hair between her fingers.]

I mean, there's a gym so we go work out together and then fuck in the locker room, [She pauses.] and the quad, behind the science building, and in the cafeteria. I'm pretty sure they're trying to bolt that room, I think that cleaning lady picked up on us.

[That's less cagey, right? Look, she's trying.]

[ Significantly less cagey, and he raises his hands to show that he doesn't want to pry too deeply into it if she doesn't want to or doesn't feel comfortable. After all, it has been less than six months and the boundaries are not incredibly clear on how forthright they need to be, even if it has been established (at least in his head) that they can be fully transparent and in fact ought to be if it's something at all serious. But for something like this...

Really, it's more novel than anything. and he giggles at the twirl of his head ]

Okay, okay, so I have to know, how old's the fellow?

[ Because that's kind of awesome. ]

[It's an entire matter that's likely fallen beneath the cracks for them, because it was enough to stop being angry with him and with herself. She hadn't exactly planned for the changes that occurred in that almost-twenty-years time frame, so transparency isn't the issue so much general confusion and her own brand of overthinking.

Which is exactly why questions are far more helpful than leaving her to ramble.]

Thirty-five. He's a late start like Amanda and I. Those two, and Trisha and Marcus and Emily are basically who I spend all my time with.

[But this really isn't about her School Life Days, even she's aware of that.] We have a lot of classes together but he saw my tattoos while I was lifting and we started talking. [... Oh, she's missing a detail, here.] The first few times ... I let him think he was getting away with feeling me up before we actually started sleeping together.

[... If she'd started with that it wouldn't have been so awkward. Oh well.]

Oh, you know, I didn't even really know that you used the school's gym. I mean, you've always worked out and it's there so why wouldn't you, but I guess my brain never connected that.

[ You know, maybe a School Life Days talk would be novel as well... well, it'll come back to him. It's possible that whole second life she has there is something better left to her. After all, it's not like she's too involved with his work life. ... You know he really needs another hobby. It's a random thought to have now, but it's one that lingers a bit more than he's comfortable for, and he pushes past it with a little laugh, leaning forward despite being full of suds to kiss her ]

I knew the tattoos were a charm point though! It's impossible not to love them!

[ Maybe that's just him ]

I'm sure the fact that he has quite a few himself has something to do with it. [Birds of a feather and all that.]

It's probably because I used to work out here before Ada decided to take over the room we've been using as a mini-gym.

[And before Ada and Nariko weren't on good enough terms to avoid dropping the room's temperature just by looking at each other. Nariko was up there pretty frequently, and then she'd just go for a run around their neighborhood with the sunrise. But she had to get up for school anyway so it saved time and heartache to use the one there.]

I'm going to pick sixty-nining after cardio and a shower on any given day, basically.

[ He's still sad that Ada and Nariko are on bad terms. They had been warming up to each other after December, he was pretty sure?! But no they're right back to the bad place they were back in October, so... so whatever. He smirks and decides not to point that right now, instead reaching around for some soap himself so that he might start to sud her up too. See, he can wash her in turn ]

Sounds like you've been having fun with it. [ It's said with no lead on or malice, he's actually just pleased she has that life ] Aside from that cleaning crew of course, that's pretty rude!

[When Ada stops involving herself in the fact that Yamato is growing into his alpha instincts, they might be able to get onto cordial terms. But ultimately they're both strong and territorial women - it's going to be what it's going to be.]

It's been interesting. [It is also very much a second life, to go along with the new third one.]

I'm pretty sure it's what they get paid for, I don't really feel bad about it.

Mmmm. Putting aside your crush though, [ He doesn't know if it's a crush, he's just teasing her a little. And honestly, from his tone and the sparkle in his eyes, even if he does intend to let the topic go there's no way he won't loop back to it. He's way too nosy about the weirdest things sometimes, even if he tried to be "coy" about it all. ] how has school been going socially? You mentioned those friends you've made, but I'd also not had time to sit down and talk with you about it.

[ And now he's putting a luffa in her face to brush it so they have time now. Why not? ]

[Since they'd already edged into the topic itself the question isn't really that surprising it's just ... It's going to be boring for him to listen to, right? Not that it's a reason to avoid answering, it pretty much is what it is.]

It's been going really well. It's true that a lot of them are closer to Emily's age or a little younger, but there's quite a few adults who are going for second degrees or continuing their education! I was going to join some of the clubs but I won't have time for it, unfortunately. [She's genuinely downtrodden about it.] Oh, and speaking of Emily: We don't share any classes but we manage to have lunch almost every day together, it's been nice to talk to her alone and out of the house.

[Whatever part of her he's involved in washing is submitted easily as she hums.] I feel bad for always having to turn everyone down. Everyone is incredibly nice.

[ He never went to college, so honestly, the whole thing is a big mystery to for him. But he jumps a little and... no time? Well, she was soon to be a mother and she has a lot of divided attentions, so that's legit. But still, ]

Turn everyone down?

[ He says this with some mild confusion, because he missed a bit of context there ]

Still, that's good you're not the old one out, that'd be rough even as beautiful as you are.

Yeah. Someone always has a party or an event or a movie or an exhibit to go to, and I can't make time for stuff like that.

[So she ends up telling everyone 'no'. It's kind of a miracle that she's still got friends in the first place, though the closer ones are around her age, so it's very likely they understand she has other, more important responsibilities.]

I was worried about it, too, but there's a niche and I fit pretty well into it. Junko keeps making fun of me because we both end up studying pretty hard.

[ It's still weird that one studies so much for a fashion degree. He's not really sure he gets it. But all the same, it was her call and her passion, so it makes sense to him. Still, he tilts his head and... ]

You could make time for a movie or two if you wanted, I think.

[ That said, maybe he's going at it from a place of ignorance of how much time she has eaten up between him, Yamato, kids, and their pack. Plus, if you went to one thing, it would lad to another thing and... there's no need to run her across even more directions than she already is. ... He giggles a bit at the idea of Junko teasing her, though. ]

That was probably inevitable for you. But you even have a group of friends! That's pretty much the thing that all those shows tell you is the dream of the college experience!

Edited 2016-07-18 05:37 (UTC)

If I don't even have time to be with myself, then I don't have any time.

[But she knows it's a matter of genuine ignorance so there's no fire in those words. She doesn't have the same responsibilities within their pack nor does she supersede Masaomi in any way but Nariko does make a great effort to actually talk and spend time with everyone in their pack.]

It is, but it felt a lot more authentic the first time around. No one really treats me differently but I'm still part of the older crowd.

[She'd managed to have her fun with the first two years before she dropped out and ended up taking over her father's pack!]

[ He hums a little at this, feeling maybe the lightest bit admonished, but it's not a bad feeling. They don't know everything about each other perfectly, and that's why some little things you wouldn't think of need to be clarified sometimes. and it seems that her schedule is just as if not more ragged than his own. He considers that in the moment where he washes water over her, content that he's gotten soap everywhere it need be.

And he thinks out loud, ]

Well I wouldn't really know either way. [ He applied for and has done some (largely online) classes, but he never went to a university proper or anything. His career was self-taught and banked a lot more on his charisma early on, a natural affinity after that, and experience in the twilight years. He never had the whole live in a dorm go to college proper experience just... because when he was young it didn't seem like a priority and then there just wasn't time.

He hums ]

So when do I get to be a model?

Whenever you'd like, really. A mannequin isn't as dynamic as a body, after all, and men's clothes are finicky.

[But it wasn't exactly a big secret that he didn't really get it, so she'd figured he might prefer to stay out of the whole thing. Then again she'd thought that about the life she lead at school, too, and here he was asking about it, so it only proved that Masaomi was incredibly good at throwing her off.]

You still don't want to try going back for something?

[It's not as if he doesn't have the resources, and Lisa's his secretary as much as she is his protege, right? Or whatever is going on there.]

Yep!! Sorry it took me a little while to come back

Hey no it's cool!! Had an okay week?

Nope it was basically awful and I am so glad it's over!! How about you tho

Oh gosh that sucks. Pretty bog standard on my end! Doctors and Dentists appointment next week

that's good though - though hopefully nothing too awful with the visits

Nah it's just been a year each so I'm checking in for both

oh good! the dentist is what knocked me out for three days, so I'm glad yours will be better

rofl I hope so anyway theres a chance there'll be something amiss but I think it'll be ok!!

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hi!!

heya!