masanari | [Midlandia] Just One Note

Good.

[She'll have to try and condense herself a bit, so ... Wish her luck. But she at least waits until they're out of the house before starting in on anything.]

Mikado, I like you. [Starting off strong.] You're really sweet and smart and I'm pretty sure that if I even slip up once you're gonna notice. But then you also seem like the kind of guy where, like, if something was really embarrassing you'd be polite enough to not say anything because you don't want to make anyone feel bad!

[This is the condensed version.]

Which is why I want you to know - if you don't like me or anything you don't have to act like it's a real date! I mean, we just met, right? And while it'd be insanely cool to say I met my soulmate at such a young age that's not how real life happens ... So I don't want you to stress! Let's have fun.

[She squeezes his hand.] If something else happens then it'll be for the right reasons!

[ That's... all really sweet. Really sweet and it surprises him that this is something she spouts off in a ramble that feels equal parts practiced and impromptu. and does he like her back? He's... pretty sure she does, especially if she can already say that she likes him after so short of an an encounter. And so she does allow her to finish but... ]

But it is a date, Nariko-san.

[ Again, it seems he's a straight-shooter. ]

It's strange and Masaomi sort of forced us both into it, but I still agreed, so it's a real date no matter what.

[ That said... ]

B-but I think we can have fun anyway, right?

[She ... Totally hadn't expected that answer! Thrown off, Nariko reaches up to fiddle with her hair, as if she hadn't spent over an hour making sure it was as close as perfect as anything could be.]

Absolutely! I just - I'm also really glad to hear that!

[In her own way Nariko'd been sort of worried that he might feel pushed into the whole thing. Suddenly it feels like a bit much that she went ahead and grabbed his hand like it was no big deal. It was kind of a big deal, but now she doesn't want to let go.]

I hope he has something kind of normal planned for this. Oh, remind me to take a lot of pictures, okay? I want Nathan to have one of all three of us!

We could take one now. [ Even if he wasn't in it... which didn't seem that right in some ways, but the young glasses wearing kid throws some shade wit ha casual shrug, as best he can manage ] He'll just goof off in most of them anyway.

[ But still, she's glad to hear it? Even as he mustered enough strength so say that so clearly, he was still embarrassed by it. Still... well, feeling a little awkward. He coughs, and keeps his hand in hers, not wanting to release it either as they get out on their leisurely walk past the house and into the neighborhood

Something kind of normal... ]

[Normal could be a theme park or a museum or the park! But she couldn't help thinking Masaomi might wander outside of anything like that. Still, Mikado's got a good point, and that successfully distracts her!]

You're right! Bring it in, Mikado!

[Picture time, and she's already got her phone out and picked the front facing camera. They'll just have to be a little late for wherever they're supposed to be, because she leans in to him a little closer and raises it.]

O-okay!

[ So lean in on her, right? Does he lean on or off her? He's not sure about that, but they can at least be shoulder to shoulder, right? They're similar heights to begin with. He adjusts his glasses without much purpose as he brings it in.

He should ask her for these. Or take one himself? He considers it too ]

[She leans in on him a little so that, despite their similar heights, it'll look a little more like she's tucking her head in towards him, which is clearly the more adorable result! Nariko doesn't just take one, it's three successive shots. When they're done Nariko looks at the result.

... Mikado really is super cute. It's obnoxious.]

Want me to send them to you?

[And she can do that while walking!]

I was just about to ask to take my own... so, please.

[ He sighs a little.

Man.

That felt good though, fun and empowering at the same time. She was the real cute one, particularly wen she was in a good mood like this. She'd been shown to be able too be bratty, but not too bad yet ]

[No problem!! Hey, let's just assume everyone has everyone's number here so Mikado's phone should go off in the relative future! Nariko spends a few extra seconds looking at the picture before she goes back to her phones menu and it's dropped into her purse.

This is usually where she'd fill the air up with some senseless chatter, but there's something easy about being with Mikado, and she doesn't feel the need to talk for it's own sake. It's ... Perfectly nice to just be around him.

Huh.]

[ Or more like they do a silent exchange of numbers there, Mikado sort of showing his so she can text him and then they have each other. But either way, that's... good that she up and liked it. For now, he just needs to keep himself in order - but he's surprised that he feels a comfortable silence. He considers if there's anything else to say, some apology to make for Masaomi or things he wants to know about her.

And there are many.

But the young man doesn't need to say any now, not unless she seems to want him to. So he adjusts his glasses one more time, squeezes her hand, and then leads her the remaining steps towards Wilcox Park. And they head on in ]

[Well, that too, oops. But there's no apology so far! There will probably be some later because Masaomi is himself, but they're good now! And it's not like she'd turn down any questions he might have! And she'd even tell Mikado the truth! Or at least most of the truth, and that's still more than she'd give anyone else.]

Oh!

[It is normal! Okay, good. Good job, Masa-Masa!] So, now that I think about it, he told you where to be?

[ ... That creates a little sense of anxiety in her, but.]

[ He blinks in surprise before nodding. ]

Yeah. [ A beat ] Oh, sorry, he didn't tell you, I should have thought of that. [ He shakes his head and gestures widely at the park at large. He's got a spread of open field around them and he's got some people jogging or biking or the like ] He's got this plan for a picnic... M-must have meant to surprise you.

I'm already surprised, so I'll just stay at this level until we see him.

[A picnic is such a nice idea!! It also relies on the idea that they can talk for long periods of time which will be met with some mixed results, right? It's kind of hard to be around two guys and not kiss them, even if it is in public. Also, how are the gifts supposed to work, here? Masaomi had seemed kind of serious about that.]

Do they have swings here?

[She totally wants to go on the swings.]

We didn't really plan the gifts either... [ He sighs at this, shaking his head at the lack of planning here. He grumbles something about hoping Masaomi actually managed to get their food picked out, and puts the hand not holding hers into his pocket, as if he meant to pull out of his cell phone. He doesn't, but only barely.

The young man blinks at the question and, ]

Maybe?

[ It's more one of this big bike park and dog walk and benches parks, but there's got to be a kids section over on the other side... there is, right? He was on the slide when he was younger... Oh. ]

Wait, no... yeah, there is.

Well, this was very sudden.

[She says it in such a way that implies she won't take it very seriously if there aren't any gifts at all. She did sort of get Mikado and Masaomi something but in a sense they were both hand me downs, there's more sentimental value than it being cool or whatever. She'd maybe feel guilty about that if she'd had more than, what, thirteen hours, to find something.]

It's such a nice day for this, too! I should have worn the green dress, though! I could have rolled down the grass!

[Ahh, well, it's not like the park is going anywhere, and this'll be a great place to drag her brother to.]

So you're gonna push me then, right? [On the swings.]

[ He is-- ]

Masaomi's stronger than me...

[ For pushing. But all the same he blushes and pictures it in his head. Other than being a little shorter and that's terrible, it's a romantic image, a pretty enticing one all things considered. As for the whole gifts thing, they were meant to get one for each other coordinating with each other if he heard Maaomi's babble right. So in theory he and Nariko should have teamed up for Masaomi and him and Masaomi for her. such a thing wasn't really how it's gone down now, but...

A green dress, huh... ]

You look nice, though, I -- I don't think you need to worry about it...

[That's probably what Masaomi said but all Nariko really took away from it was 'everyone gets a gift'. She will ardently bullshit her way around that truth for at least six months.]

I don't want to get stains on it, but this place looks so nice, too.

[Look, she wants to indulge in every single excuse to end up a mess. For once she's not overly concerned with looking out for her brother, so she just feels a little free. But this dress is white and she doesn't know how to get out grass stains, so swings it is! She'll roll down hills and probably get a concussion some other way.]

And I don't care if Masaomi is 'stronger', I want it to be you.

[She answered that out of order but whatevs.]

[ . . . That's- ]

R-really? --Why?

[ Was tat to the first part or the second part-- no, it was the second part, but he looks surprised, and that why is more ore less squeaked out, looking at her with no small bit of shock. He didn't think that-

This was all happening so fast that--

His hand does leave her hand, perhaps a little unintentionally ]

Because I want you to?

[Does she need a really convoluted explanation for a simple desire?]

When I think about it I see you and not him.

[That's not any more or less helpful, but she's trying. And for the record it isn't that Masaomi isn't in this mental picture, he's there and off to the side making a comment or being himself! But once her hand is freed she just lets it hang there.

Fine then .... Just let go of her .... rude ....]

[ Hey he was surprised. And...

And he's still surprised, but all the same, that's the sort of selfish My Pace comment that he's used to from a lot of his pack/family and especially from his best bud, so he can't help but laugh a little at it under his breath in a strained. awkward sort of way. The young man looks her over again and then adjusts his collar before nodding. ]

Okay, th-then I guess I have to do it. Right?

You don't have to do anything you don't want to.

[She becomes uncharacteristically serious about that.] No one should - That's not okay.

[ .... Her reaction doesn't fit the environment, but all she can do is pout at the ground.]

[ . . . Huh.

He reaches out now and then pulls the back of her head down, giving that expression and her demeanor he can't help but wonder if she's got something more serious on the mind? Like being abused or something to explain why she came to them in the first place. Still, pulling her down like that ]

I'm used to very "My Pace" people. I can keep up your pace, and I-- I want to.

[Mikado, you're not supposed to guess it so easily, yeesh.

But in the moment she stops, because that's a normal thing to do when someone is touching your head and pulling it down a little bit. If she looks a bit chastised it's only because she's struggling to understand what he's trying to say, but she's emotionally aware enough to know that what he means is different from what she's afraid of.

It's also just a weirdly important feeling moment, so Nariko doesn't want to fuck it up.]

As long as it's a 'want'.

[Then she doesn't have any reason to argue it.] ... Sorry.

[ ... ] I barely know what I want a lot of the time. S-so... don't worry about it.

[ But he did agree to this date. And he did just pull her in closer, and doesn't really remove his hand so she can continue to keep herself obscured there and feel his fluttering heart if she wants. But. ]

[She doesn't say anything for a bit because she's actually rather comfortable, but ... When she does pull away it's to kiss him, short and sweet.]

I'll try not to.

[And Nariko will likely fail once or twice but that's why the effort has to count for something.]

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