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

[She really wants to ask why this is even such a problem for him. He was the one to turn her down, he was the one who couldn't be pleased with the opportunity and instead he wanted the whole scenario, and went for broke. In what universe does he get to be the pent up one? He's had years to get over what he feels, she's just starting!]

I could have put a lighter to your mouth and you would have breathed fire.

[In other words: Of course he'd been drinking. It had been terribly obvious.

But since this isn't a good conversational path:] You met everyone, right? I think they're all pretty tired, except for Lana, so hopefully all the introductions have been made.

I swear to Drunk I'm not an alcoholic.

[ That's not at all how that joke goes, but he tries it anyway, hoping that he can at least reassure her a little bit. He knows it won't but.. it'd be nice if it did, right? It'd be nice if he could make her let go of it. And really that's...

( Incest... )

Did she know? Did she know her kids were fucking? And she had come on to him at the funeral, or at least it felt that way. But way back then, all those years ago, she had said it was wrong. He had tried for years to tell her that he was normal now, that he was past it. Was all that pointless? ]

But yeah! I met everyone... Uh. I like that Joshua guy a lot, and Ada, she's pretty cool. [ A beat ] I love Junko, and Yamato's a real spitting image of... uh, someone. Maybe he's like me, haha.

[That's not even a funny joke but she rolls her eyes all the same, ends up wearing a grin.]

Yamato's a lot like you. [Thankfully he had enough of Masaomi in him to avoid the awful pitfalls, though. Of course they'd ended up in an entirely different series of issues with him, but nothing could be perfect.] And I'm not surprised you like Junko, either. She's always been excited to meet you.

[Nariko really hopes that he managed to make a good impression on her, even if he pissed off everyone else or set off their alarm bells.]

She sounded like it! I... I guess I was a little surprised that you told her enough about me that she could be. Good surprised though.

... Koji's also a really cool kid.

[ Even if he knocked up his girlfriend thing.

And here he goes, just praising her family. But then, he did move here for family, so why not speak animatedly about it all? ]

I didn't, really. She found one of my old albums and thought you were an ex-boyfriend, I corrected her without thinking ahead.

[It'd been left at that, but it was enough for Junko to work off of.] Her and Yamato, I think, have wondered about our side of the family a lot. Koji doesn't really think about it one way or another, might be a side effect of that whole 'cool' thing.

[Hey, she has a great family - they deserve praise!]

Naw, no way. Sure Yamato's brain is probably the one working the hardest maybe even for the least result [ Haha. It's a bit of a self depreciating laugh he does here, because he wasn't blind. They were pretty similar looking and it wasn't a coincidence, he suspects, he felt an immediate connection to the boy. Nathan looks off towards the glass door that sees the rest of the pack for the most part on the other side. He finds himself looking at the most eye catching thing - which is Emily's hair, randomly. ]

But Koji? Way observant, there's no way that he's not thought of everything to try to keep himself cool.

[Nariko kind of snorts because he's probably right, though she does have to actively refrain from snapping at that first comment, just because, to her ears, that was a bit of an insult to her mate, thank you very much.]

I'm amazed you've put such thought into them. You'll make a good uncle.

[She traces his line of vision and - tries to make a decision it's ... She doubts Masaomi would be pleased about it and there's really no telling with Nathan right now, but:]

... She's attracted to you, y'know.

[ Nathan as mostly just letting his eyes wander, not really having any objective to it other than to not look at Nariko. If he looked at her right now, in this context, it would no doubt make him... It would make him be irregular, make him be like that again, and he needed to control himself, repress that scent of his somehow. As such, he doesn't actually immediately connect who she's talking about.

They were talking about her kids, which was making him smile, and then that and... Well. In context, he thought she meant someone else. So he looks at her now with a mix of horror and embarrassment as he says, ] What?

[ Softly, but now with total eye contact ]

Emily. [Just in case it wasn't entirely clear.]

I'm not saying it has to be now or whatever. [Irina's nowhere to be found and that's pretty recent, so she isn't trying to imply anything it's just ... He can be around her, around their family, without it being awkward. It's unfair to use Emily as the symbol of that, but still.]

Just - it's possible.

[She would try to let go of him in the right way, since he so clearly didn't want her anymore, and this was an option.]

[ Oh. What the fuck was he even thinking? Of course she wouldn't have meant- (incest...) but on the other hand, he swallows, trying to repress both his twisted scent and his terror in the moment. She didn't want him to be abnormal, she rejected him for being abnormal.

But if she was this abnormal, if they were-

The man groans a little, but then regrets that he did it the moment after he did. He runs a hand down his face more to center himself than anything, and glances back outside. Emily's outside of view now, leaving Tom looking annoyed at the food but trying not to show it and Junko on her cell phone doing something in immediate sight. ]

I mean, you don't need to set me up or anything. [ He didn't mean to say that ] So - don't worry about it, right?

[ He didn't mean to say that either. ]

[...]

Fine, okay.

[Nariko reaches up to rub the back of her neck, run her fingers through her hair - whatever. It seems only right that she somehow lose the right to be his sister, too.]

Well, you're the guest of honor, so you probably shouldn't hide in here all night.

[ . . . He clearly just upset her.

He considers, for a moment, getting up and going out there. Or maybe just getting her husband - sorry, mate - to come in and help her out. Maybe he should go and snog Emily to try to make her feel better? All of those are dumb and irrationally though. So he shakes his head, swallows, and tries to be a good little brother.

( Little brother- ) ]

I'd rather be here with you, Nariko. And... [ He laughs, a bit forced, but, ] I'm the little brother here, so come on, you don't need to listen to me about what you need to do. So set up away, I'll see all the dates!

[ He looks down at his hand now, thinking about... ]

I mean, I'm single for now.

[ He hadn't spelled it out, but it's probably obvious ]

[None of that would really make her feel better thought. Not Emily or even Masaomi or Yamato. Nathan is an issue unto himself, one that precedes Masaomi, which is what makes a lot of this so difficult. She does smile at that little mention but it's pained, that thing which is a dig but isn't meant to be one - I'd rather be here with you. Right.]

I think half the problem was how demanding I was, so - like I said, it's fine. I just worry about you.

[It's more like it drives her completely fucking insane that he'd even think of a woman that isn't her, but. That's not what she's allowed to say.]

Come on.

[She's heading for the glass door because out of the two mates she's got one of them needs to hug her.]

[ > As if he ever thinks of anyone other than her

Nathan frowns to himself when she gets up, and he reaches out for her, as if he was going to grab her and... And what? He's not even sure what he intended, but he sighs all the same and stands, hanging his head just a bit. He doesn't like that he upset her, and he really doesn't want to see one of those other guys drape themselves all over her. He bites his lip, regrets it immediately because his facial hair got a little too long, and gets into step behind her. ]

I don't mind it - it's a little nostalgic, yeah?

[ . . . ]

That's implying that you enjoyed my constant hovering, you know.

[Because she had, even as he'd gotten older. Nariko had become so used to constantly worrying about how they were going to eat, when to get him to school, what extra activities to get him to and supply for, visits with his father, bed on time. Really, Nathan was the target for her overambitious, really very obsessive kind of love, and she knew it could be a bit much, to say the least.

Since she's missed the attempt to touch her Nariko goes ahead and opens the door to the backroom.]

[ Well then... Backyard ho! Tom straightens himself as he sees them coming out, giving a polite wave with a hand holding a fork in it still, but then retreats past them to go inside, whispering "bathroom" as he does. Honestly though, he might be a little annoyed Audrey left and that this guy might've caused it?

As for Nathan himself though...

It's been more than long enough to be nostalgic. They had barely, barely been in each other's lives (and in no small part because she severed their contact and had refused his attempts to reconcile) for fifteen years. Even if he didn't enjoy the hovering, it's more than long enough to remember it fondly. And so he laughs a little, and settling up next to her, he wraps one arm around her and replies, ]

Do you remember that time that I decided I actually wanted to stay up late?

[ He was never that rebellious to her, really, but there was one time he was just dedicated to it because he wanted to see the premiere of some show he doesn't even remember the name of now which came out at 1AM. He was about ten at the time ]

[Alright, so, that's ... New. To say the least. This is probably the most contact they've had since he got off the plane and everyone hugged. But it's fine, she'll just go ahead and move to sit at the outdoor table, where there's enough room for the both of them.]

Yes, you kept trying to hide it and I had to keep waking myself up to make sure you'd actually gone to sleep.

[She couldn't just let him watch the show and be tired the next day, let him learn his lesson on his own because she'd worried about him being cranky the next day - is he still an awful morning person? For some reason she doubts it, because once upon a time she was the taller and stronger one and now he completely dwarfs her.]

... You were always so good, though.

[For as much as she had hovered Nariko would have been completely lost without her brother, she wouldn't have had a reason to fight back.]

[ Honestly? Still not great at them. But that's something which can be pushed aside, because right now he needs to focus hard on keeping his side-hug thing for her chaste, ignoring how she feels, how she smells, how he can feel a brush of her breast again him. How he can hear her breathing...

The whole thing is weird, overwhelming.

He groans a bit as if it were at the response, and reaches a hand out to -- what does he intend to do? In the end, he pinches her nose a little, lets go of it, and sits down next to her ]

I wanted to be good for you.

[ And because their mom was abusive and he had to be good to survive and not get the shit beat out of him too (or so he saw it) but details, and he can romanticize it. The world is only the two of them here, even at the outside table. The fact that Octavio is sitting there with a beer and that Olivia is nearby, trying to pretend she's talking to Yamato is lost on him.

What anyone else is doing is lost on him ]

[Of course because he pinches it her nose scrunches up like an irritated rabbit, but she doesn't try to move away from him nor is she particularly upset at the gesture. It's a little weird to back up with his answer though, because it's painful and weirdly consoling to hear at once. Yes, Nathan had managed to slip by if he was abiding and 'good', while Nariko herself could never be 'good' enough.]

You're ... [What is she supposed to say?] You were good enough to keep me sane, so that's something.

[What an awkward response, she feels kind of stupid for it and therefore automatically looks at Yamato. Junko's discussing something with Emily nearby, and Ada's probably talking up Joshua, too, making sure to keep aware of her surroundings.

Nariko is, in contrast, completely aware of everything around her, but she's especially cognizant of how Nathan is touching her. Yeah, this is weird.]

[ Koji and Veronica were still inside in the master bedroom, and Masami was either with Joshua and Ada (until he's kicked out for third wheeling) or with Koji and Veronica to see how they are (and probably same there).

For his part, though, Nathan keeps his gaze fixed on her, but takes his hand back to himself. He smiles at her, trying to seem reassuring... but he fails at it. The fact is, it's hard to be reassuring when they are implicitly talking about their mutual trauma which that funeral should have buried, but apparently didn't. He traces Nariko's lips with his eyes, looks over her eyes, her hair... ]

Yeah. [ That said, he was more charismatic than this! He was, ] But, that's in the past now, right? And here we are, together again, the best siblings. Except for your three, of course. [ He laughs at this, glancing at the two who are visible around them and then focusing quick back on her. (Incest...) Not that he can know in her head it might be more like two than three. Well, other than the one in her uterus ]

[It's not something that's ever entirely buried, but it's ... Gently tucked away after the right amount of work and dedication. But it isn't right to talk about it at the moment and she's happy to move on to something else.]

Except for those two. [She hasn't realized her mistake this time, because for all of the difficulty when she isn't thinking about it Nariko doesn't feel unsafe or worried about being near Nathan - lying to him over and over again is a dedicated effort. So, yeah, two - Junko and Koji, who really were quite close to one another, and would never be torn apart in that way that all healthy siblings understood.

Apparently hearing some vague mention of herself Junko turns to look, and notices them there, she waves a bit excitedly, and Nariko does the same.]

I really do hope you'll spend time with them.

[They're both pretty grown so it'll be more difficult, but hardly impossible.]

[ Two? ... Was she discounting Koji for some reason? He didn't think she would ever do that, so he looks very confused at her until Junko waves, at which point Nathan turns to the younger woman and the redhead who was across from her, smiled, and waves back at the two of them. They're close enough to hear them, and so he says directly to her ]

I'm looking forward to taking you out somewhere.

[ Or something. He turns back to Nariko. ]

Of course I will! I wanted a family the whole time you know!

Didn't I tell you not to do stuff like that?

[Junko was very obviously joking, though she hadn't meant to encourage anyone spending money on her, it kind of seemed like a losing battle for her. Seeing her daughters enthusiasm gets a smile out of Nariko.]

Don't listen to her, she likes being spoiled, just like me.

[It was an awful trait to have passed on, but she can't bring herself to feel guilty and jealous at the same time.]

Just be careful with her.

[Mostly because Junko was her only daughter and not even her brother would be safe if he hurt her on purpose.]

I'll be on my best behavior! Don't worry!

[ He raises his hands in mock surrender, but also winks over in the direction of Junko and Emily before focusing back on Nariko. He doesn't notice the jealousy because why would she be jealous? That's just... silly... right? He keeps his lips turned up a little. ]

Good.

[She manages to avoid bristling when Junko gives him a little smile back.]

And while you're at it don't forget I'm here, too.

[Because she can be jealous over anything, thank you very much! She pushes his knee with hers under the table, light and playful except possibly not because, well, don't forget her!]

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