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

[generalflirt]

[ Nathan moved into tow and that was awkward, Yamato and Nariko probably have some sort of a relationship and that's awkward, Yamato's been trying to make new friends so that's interesting, and Masaomi and Nariko are hopefully solid as anything after that trip, Nathan and Yamato complications aside. There's a new pack member that Masaomi met at a party and Nariko met in class. It's been over a month since the new year began and the old one concluded.

A lot's changed and yet not a lot had at all.

And frankly, things were probably just going to change that much more in the coming days and weeks. this might be edited to something more poetic later once we conclude more stuff about that other log ]

Comments

[prettiestremix]

[You know, when was the last time she really sat down and did basically anything with her younger brother? She used to play his weird games with him and basically let him beat the crap out of her - did that stop around the time their parents changed their relationship? Or when Yamato got all ... Appealing? Or was it Veronica? For a moment Junko's pauses kind of stupidly, just thinking.]

Hey, what're you doing here?

[She makes it over to him, and tries to sound less surprised than she is - which doesn't actually work out too well, it's hard to be subtle right now because, man, he's - neither of them is so little anymore.]

[thunderchild]

I'm here a lot. What about you?

[ He shoots this back as only he could, arching an eyebrow and not really moving much at all to make room for her. He was shorter anyway, and his back was already against the wall, making there more than enough room for her to cramp her way inside. ... It'd been forever since they did something together. Maybe even since November. Months. He's not sure what caused it per se, but...

It's been a thing, at least. ]

[prettiestremix]

[Well shit.]

I was ... I wanted to see something.

[The idea of telling him that she wanted to see if she and Rin could fit here in order to mess around feels kind of screwed up. This really used to be her and Koji's space. Also there was no way Rin would fit.] ... I didn't know you still came here.

[What does he even do? Although of the three Koji's probably the most easily adapted to being completely alone.]

[thunderchild]

Yeah? [ He questions her in that moment, giving her an appraising look. But the young man doesn't hold it, instead closing his eyes and looking back at the wall. He wasn't mad at her, not really. He wasn't really mad at anyone, more just... ]

No one else could fit in here. [ Well, Veronica was as short as both of them, so she might be able to. But basically no one else, not even Audrey, could fit in her comfortably. He can't even stretch his legs out entirely. ] So I come here sometimes.

[ To be completely alone, and to think. He wad the most adapted to being alone, because ... well, just because, really. Quirk of all their personalities, or their birth orders, maybe. ]

[prettiestremix]

[She could see it just being a him thing. Junko wasn't necessarily dependent on contact either, but she did like to be around people without being fully engaged either - reading a book in the same room as her packmates and such. Yamato seemed like the most inherently social, which made sense since he took after their mom so much.]

Why didn't you tell me?

[It's really a shame that she doesn't realize how weird that question is until she says it out loud.] I mean, obviously you can, I'm not your boss it's just ...

[thunderchild]

[ It's entirely possible - probable, really - that he'd gotten far too used to the dynamic he has with Veronica in the last few months, because it seems like most of the conversations he has are with her these days. Her or Audrey or his classmates. Less with Junko or his brother or with the adults. Maybe he should change that, he'd been thinking about it. It's not like he's antisocial, but...

Either way, he doesn't give her a verbal answer, but he does make eye contact with her, giving her a curious look. He also reaches a hand out, taking hold of one of hers to pull her in closer, make sure they're actually touching. Tell her? Did she want this to be their place again? And would she have even come anyway? But more to the point, why would she say it ]

[prettiestremix]

[When he pulls she follows, keeps a hold of his hand even while she ends up sitting next to him, more or less. Thankfully the place is tall enough that she can sit up somewhat comfortably, but she doesn't know how to answer him and his non-verbal inquiry. If only she were as good at that as he is, talking without really talking.]

I came up here ... To see if Rin would fit, but, [She looks at their hands and squeezes his a little harder.] now I don't know why I thought that was okay.

[Even if it's just been Koji's for this whole time it's - she can't share it. It's either his or hers or both of theirs. Of course that idea is completely wrecked if he's already brought Veronica here, but it's how Junko feels nonetheless. There's not as much of an explanation for her sudden need to be close to her brother, though.]

[thunderchild]

[ Thought it was okay, huh - and she was still holding his his hand. She's being sentimental at this point. ]

You weren't sneaking out to see him all this time, right?

[ Rin, that is . And of course he knew she was sneaking around, did she think he'd miss it? He's not dense, the way Yamato is so often. He says this almost idly, but there is a point on it. He doesn't necessarily ignore what she just said, and it did make him blush a little, perhaps even smile, but he forces this out mostly to stop from feeling too sentimental himself ]

[prettiestremix]

[How the fuck did Koji know she was sneaking around? It's enough to make her tense for a second but she takes a deep breathe, and stares at the blanket underneath them.]

When'd you even find out about that?

[But that doesn't really answer his question and there's no reason to avoid that:] No, it wasn't him. Rin is - he's something else entirely.

[thunderchild]

I'm not dense, you know.

[ So he corrects himself, because... no need to be a little shit. He decides, might as well be fair to her. Something else entirely, huh? ]

Mid-December.

[prettiestremix]

I mean, I was really trying to keep it a secret! [So it's not really a matter of him being dense! ... Although she wouldn't have expected him to be the first (?), only (?) one to notice by far, so maybe his point stands.]

Christ. That's almost the entire time. [She could die right about now, but instead she screws her eyes shut and tries to not freak out, and then looks back at him again.]

You didn't tell dad, did you? He'd kill me if he found out who it was.

[thunderchild]

[ Oh wow. ]

It's something that bad? I totally should have blackmailed you.

[ Which is to say, no, he's not told anyone. His little smirk reveals some curiosity and some desire to exploit it... but. Either way, the boy lets it sort of linger in the air. He's not told anyone, he had no real reason to. and just maybe he wanted to be a good brother ]

[prettiestremix]

Bad enough that dad threw him out at Thanksgiving. I can only imagine what he'd say if he found out I didn't stop seeing Ethan, and hid it from him, too.

[Honesty is a huge thing for their pack and she'd really tossed up a middle finger at that with the whole Ethan deal.]

Christ, I don't think I've even lied to dad. I fucking lie to mom all the goddamn time. [Not about huge things or whatever, but, still.]

You're so lucky you ended up with Veronica, I still have to clean up my mess.

[thunderchild]

[ Ended up? Koji's cheeks color a little at that and he shifts his view away from her for a moment as if he was trying to decide how he wanted to react to that. In the end he decides to swallow and just respond to Junko's problems because responding to that takes way less energy than just ... like. Confronting Junko's assumptions. Maybe he should let her needle him, but...

Nah ]

What, that tool? Come on.

[ He rolls his eyes at that ] You can't not tell dad, you know.

[prettiestremix]

Oh, yes I can.

[She still fully intends to never speak of Ethan to her father - or if she does it won't be within the next decade.] I could probably solve the garbage crisis in the ocean and dad wouldn't notice if someone didn't come right up and tell him. [So, really, she only has to rely on Rin and Koji to avoid saying anything about her mistake.]

Look, it was just - I just wanted some attention and it was a mistake, and by the way don't ever get involved with someone who quasi-stalked you at some point or another? It's a horrible life decision.

[What's really terrible that Koji probably knew all that.]

[thunderchild]

[ . . . ]

He's still your Alpha.

[ Even if it's by technicality. He's not a stickler like Yamato or anything, but the fact of the matter is that if you don't tell him if/when he finds out later it's going to be a much bigger deal. Maybe him but definitely Rin and - even if Junko might not realize it - definitely Yamato would explode in the crossfire too. Koji's not really arguing the point too strongly, just sort of making a broad accusation.

Stalkers though man ]

[prettiestremix]

Why does that mean I have to confess every terrible mistake I make?

[There's nothing accusatory, or particularly angry about the question. She doesn't understand how it connects, and in a way she's linking the gravity of the situation to taking their dad's car out for a joyride when it's really a lot worse than that.

Okay maybe he wasn't properly stalking her but he had to have been doing some weird shit to know what he did about her.]

[thunderchild]

If it's going to endanger you or anyone else, it might be a good idea.

[ A beat ] Well, I won't be kidnapped or anything.

[ So no skin off his nose ]

[prettiestremix]

He's a creepy idiot, not a spy.

[But that ... Actually is a good point. If it's just concerning the matter of trust or the frankly shitty communication between herself and her family that's one thing. But when it comes to their safety, well, Junko could pull her head out of her ass. She just didn't happen to think Ethan was really that much of a threat.]

Even I was kidnapped you'd be here to keep the Secret Place alive, so that's clearly all that matters.

[That's kind of a bad joke, but whatever.]

[thunderchild]

[ Okay, he knows he's a jerk, but really? Also what's her beef with dad? He knows he talks with the man even less than her, but...

He gives her a look and then rolls his eyes before allowing her that moment. That's fair enough, because he sort of just rolled on right past her little commentary on Veronica ]

Yeah, I'll lurk in here until my bones are dust. It can be my crypt.

[prettiestremix]

[She was joking Koji relax.]

Nah, Veronica'd pull you out even if you had to be guided by her boobs.

[Though to be fair she seems like the type that could guide anyone from the edge of just about anything if you talked to her long enough. She's really nice, which is why she's great for Koji. She's not entirely sure they could have sat together and talked without a sex joke for this long, pre-bubbly girlfriend of his.

But after that she's quite, and of all things Junko lets go of his hand to effectively lay her head in his lap.]

I missed you.

These guys are cute. Just boomeranging this for a while?

[thunderchild]

She doesn't control me, you know.

[ But... oh.

This wasn't the way things were when they were young, was it? When they were young, they were equals. Both of them looked up to their older brother in their own way - Junko used to worship him when they both came into this crawlspace together, though that did change more around middle school for her. They got in trouble together, him and Junko, and their older brother sort of suffered for it all. But Koji...

Huh. He gives a little huff at that, not responding verbally. But he does reach down to brush aside her bangs a little, so he can look at her in his lap ]

they are. and just for that first part! Could only fit in one till I got some stuff done

[prettiestremix]

Didn't say she did.

[He doesn't answer but she laughs a little,] I'll consider that as an 'I missed you too, Junko'.

[She's partially teasing there, but this is nice. To her, it does kind of go back to those days, which were arguably better. Just her and Koji, before she felt anything for Yamato.

... ]

What would you have even done if I ended up all infatuated with you instead of Yamato.

Oh no that makes sense I figured it would be that

[thunderchild]

Well, I'd have you become a dick sucker on command, probably.

[ He answers her immediately, without giving it any real thought. Was this to say he had thought about it before? No, it was just because he had kind of just said something off the cuff. He missed her too...

He did miss her, honestly.

They did connect, did understand each other pretty well. ]

You know me.

[ But that's weighted - honestly, he probably wouldn't handle it like that. Okay, he might at first, but... he had a sweet side to him too. ]

[prettiestremix]

[She snorts a little because in what universe is she not that? She'd probably do it if he asked or just outright demanded, honestly. It's easy to be less uptight about it all now that she's got Rin and everything feels a little more stable.]

I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Ethan.

[There's a whole bunch of other stuff in there - she's sorry about not coming around more often, not trusting him more, not spending more time with him because she does love Koji, a whole hell of a lot more than he could ever really know. It was only a few small decisions, little quirks, that kept her from adoring him in much the same way she did Yamato, after all.]