[Midlandia] Just One Note

[gunslingerqueen]

[A series of events occurred which were incredibly important and ultimately life changing.

But frankly her attention span was always rather limited. What really mattered above all else was that she and Nathan were free, and it didn't require Vergil's scolding or leaving the country. They had been adopted into this pack with considerably minimal fuss. They had a roof, food, and a way to get to and from school. The best part was that there was no one to hit her anymore, no more getting thrown left and right into walls or furniture, and Nathan no longer had to hear all the yelling and insults. They could be living in a high class sewer and Nariko would still be happy.

And while she'd made her gratuity very clear to the Alpha she's been otherwise quite normal! Nariko had survived the state of things because she knew how to control herself, how to present properly. So ever since they'd been given their space she'd gone about meeting everyone she could, being both agreeable and fun, while Nathan clung to her side the whole time.

Lately, though, he's been feeling a little more like himself. On this particular day she's sprawled all over the couch while Nathan watches some movie directly in front of her. If she's supposed to give a single crap about her tiny shorts or tank top then ... Actually, no, why would she? It hasn't occurred to Nariko to dress or act differently, especially because there's so many women. Besides, she's kind of idly watching it with him or occasionally toying with her phone, and really she'd practically beg for something fun to do. Ugh.]

Comments

[generalflirt]

Well to begin with, there's five off us brothers overall. So you've got me, Mikado, Basara-nii, Rin...

[ Mikado interrupts here, gesturing with a fry ]

Basara-nii's the oldest at like thirty, but then there's also Haruki-nii, who's nineteen.The only other younger person [ By which he means "younger than about forty five" ] Is Linda, who's twenty-three?

[ Masaomi chimes in here, swallowing a bite, ] Hey, don't tell her that, Linda's still telling people she's eighteen.

[gunslingerqueen]

[She tilts her head.]

There's another girl? [Actually, it sounds like Nariko and Linda are the only two semi-young individuals at all which is still crazy odds, but she hadn't noticed another woman in the house! Maybe she was just out or something.] Twenty-three is still a hot age, though.

[Though, to her, it makes Basara's weird staring even more curious. Does he not want to go for the twenty-three year old or is the basically sixteen-year-old just more appealing? Or maybe it was just basic curiosity on his end. She'll really have to find out.]

Does Ms. Yori have a husband or something?

[generalflirt]

Yeah, just the one - well, other then the en older ladies, but only five of them live with us now; of course there's Yori-san, but also Maaka-san, [ He lists them off on his fingers, ] Hojo-san, Miwa-san, and Holly-san.

[ He nods sagely at this, and waves for Mikado to take over, letting the boy in the glasses cough before he finishes with, ]

And there's also Masaomi's father, Atsushi-san, and then Rin's father, Fujimoto-san.

[ Almost all of those except for Holly, Atsushi, and Yori are last names ]

But no, she doesn't have a mate - or if she does, she's really been cagey about the whole thing. She treats dad and Shiro in equal esteem.

Oh no ... is Masaomi's dad still going to die really young ...

[gunslingerqueen]

Do I get to meet your dad?!

[The excitement she's displaying at this possibility might feel completely disproportionate and with good reason. What sort of teenager is excited to meet the father of a guy that's not even her boyfriend? Or even her lover, officially?]

In any case there's a lot more people than I realized. Everything happened so quickly when we got there that I think I blocked a lot of it out.

[Some of the names are vaguely familiar but she can't recall faces or voices.]

rofl I'm undecided. I also changed the number of brothers to add Linda so shrugs

[generalflirt]

[ . . . Huh. That's.

Weird.

But then ]

Ah, and for the record, Mikado and I are fourteen! [ That was random and he knows it. But he just realized he just assumed she was their age and therefore in their class but he didn't confirm that for sure. also ignore the first thread they aged a year clearly because I like fourteen more in this one so whatever

Mikado snorts, eating more of his fries in silence. He couldn't add more there if he tried. ]

he should just for all the painful suffering and comforting that can occur!!!!!

[gunslingerqueen]

[Hey!! It's completely rude to just completely ignore the question! At first she's pissy but that quickly devolves into an awkward shifting. She swirls a fry in some ketchup.]

I kind of figured. [They're all fourteen/fifteen and Nathan's ten not 12 like I thought he was for whatever godawful reason fff.] I think we should still be in the same class, though. My birthday is at a weird time, and I ended up having to start school later than everyone else, so ...

[The result of being purposely held back in order to make sure she could do well in an English speaking environment, and having a birthday which falls near the start of a school year.]

Yeah that does seem like a pretty good idea tbh.

[generalflirt]

[ AGES? well he could be like 12 too ideak. ]

Eeeeh, so you're a little older than us?

[ Mikado, for his part though, ] There's no reason you can't meet anyone though, including Atsushi-san.

[ Masami looks put out by that, but the boy with glasses reaches over to get some of his own vanilla milkshske now before it melts ]

[gunslingerqueen]

Not much.

[It's usually that she's born in the same year as people but depending on how the birthdays fall she's either a little younger or older, actually. Still, Nariko makes sure she's as crumb free as possible, and then leans back on their picnic blanket/mat to look up at the sky. Are they isolated, or pretty much out in the open?]

I mean, I think it's good to meet everyone concretely, that's only polite! But it doesn't have to be anything more than that.

[If you don't want her to really meet him, Masaomi, then she won't!]

[generalflirt]

Don't overthink it, Nari-Nari. I'm good for whoever and whenever you wanna meet. You wanna make out with Linda, I'm game for it!

[ That wasn't what she asked and both her and Mikado know it too, and so the both with the glasses huffs at his friend being stupid and takes another fry.

They're on a little hillside overlooking the sidewalk. It's not quite secluded, but they're the only people actively on the hill even if some are on the sidewalk now and again, jogging past . ]

[gunslingerqueen]

Hmm ... That'd be way more for your benefit than mine, I think.

[That's definitely not what she asked, but Nariko doesn't seem particularly bothered by the comeback, though she also seems to brush it off a little too easily. Instead she leans back on her elbows, looking up. It's a really nice day, the second in a new neighborhood with a bunch of new people. Everything happened so quickly. ... She's family, huh?

Nariko falls onto her back, eyes closed with an indulgent kind of sigh. She's been the one asking questions up to this point, now it's someone else's turn. She's got to shake off this dragging sense of unease in her before trying to open another topic.]

btw entirely possible I go to bed now if I do goodnight

[generalflirt]

Eeeeh. Well then I'll just take your place instead! Or Nate-kun or something.

[ He doesn't know what she expected him to say - please come meet my father? Wouldn't that be weird for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is what kid says that? Masaomi and Mikado eat in silence for a long moment, but it's Mikado that actually breaks the silence. ]>

S-so what's your favorite subject, Nariko? In school, I mean...?

[gunslingerqueen]

[Well, it stands to reason she feels a bit differently having lost her own father, and being entirely aware of the void in her life that's developed as a result. But then Masaomi doesn't know that about her, and even if he did it's only normal that most kids wouldn't make the connection unless they'd already gone through it.

That's probably what's got her down - she's supposed to be family to them now, right? But how does that even work? Wanting something and being scared by it at the same time is hard.]

Math. I used to like gym, too.

[But that was before her boobs grew in, sooo.]

[generalflirt]

Oh... I'm not really good with sports, myself.

Whiiich is to say he sucks at gym.

[ That gets a fry thrown at Masaomi's face, but showing off his dexterity, the young man catchs it and then opens the lid to his malt in order to dip it in there. He's laughing off here somewhat closer to Nariko, but Mikado is taking this moment to scoot up to her even as she's laying back.

He can work with this subject. ]

I'm pretty good with math though. My favorite subject's information technology... ah. Well, computer science ones? [ Sounding a little sheepish, he adjusts his glasses ]

[gunslingerqueen]

So that's to say Masa-Masa is really good at gym, then?

[There has to be some irony in that she probably falls somewhere in the middle, there. She looks up at Mikado as he comes a little closer though - so does this put her in the middle, or something? But she's digging this position, and is incredibly tempted to sort of doze off, it's got to be the food and the warmth of the day, it's turning her into a cat.]

I can see that for you, Mikado! I bet you're really great at it! I wanted to take some classes, too, but they were all extracurricular and I couldn't take a programming class and music, so I ended up picking music last semester!

[And it was totally worth it.]

[generalflirt]

Well naturally. [ Swirling another set of three fries in the malt, Masaomi theatrically answers this, grinning a little. ... Neither boy has connected that she liked it less because she got boobs, at least not yet. They're stupid, you should spell it out. Or nap, because really both are okay. Neither boy is leaning back nor laying down, but they do sort of have her in the middle as they mess around with more of their meals. ] You could say I'm a gifted sort in a lot of things! Like my last English exam? Well cherie, I'd have to say I was top of the class!

[ Mikado had been blushing from the compliment, but he chimes in, drily ] That's French.

Don't question it, man! Sweating the small stuff will make you blind and bald!

[ Mmmmrrrr. ] T-that's neat that you do music, though...

[gunslingerqueen]

[But if she naps then she has to decide who to use as a pillow, and that's an incredibly sizable mental debate to have with oneself!] ... That really was French, though.

[Just saying, Masaomi. But she also makes a face in general at English, which is one of her least favorite topics, next to History. Ugh. But they really have found a good topic, here because she smirks, looks a little more awake.]

I'm glad you think so! When I get a hold of the money and buy a new guitar you won't complain when I'm practicing, or when Nathan joins me!

[Thankfully she has enough sense to avoid doing it at three in the morning or something, but still! Maybe it'll annoy her new packmates or whatever.]

[generalflirt]

Oh non, non, has Nari-Nari turned on me?! [ and then his next part is in Japanese, causing Mikado to give him a baleful look ] < I'm in despair! >

[ Mikado, though, blinks and, ] Nate-kun plays the guitar too?

[ Also did she not take her old one with her? This topic really is good, discussing likes, dislikes, and hobbies. Both boys are grinning at it even as they dig in to what's left of the meal for them ]

[gunslingerqueen]

Three different languages in less than five minutes ... [He - He is actually going to start legitimately confusing her! But thank goodness for Mikado's question, it's normal and uncomplicated.] No, he plays the harmonica with me! If he's playing the violin or piano I'll sing instead, and if I'm playing piano he'll go for the violin. [They have a whole system!

But, no, because of how the entirety of the situation went down there was a lot that neither Nathan or Nariko were allowed to take from their homes.] Mom had him take a lot of musical classes, so it's kind of how we we spend time together.

[It's also one of the few ways that Nathan seems to maintain his calm, music is deliberate stress relief for him, but there's no need to get into that.]

[generalflirt]

Oh, there's a piano in the house already.

[ Man Mikado was about to say that. He's also looking at her in a new light. Masaomi might just be bowing to show his pride in the fact that he confused her there and was able to show off that he's bilingual (English and Japanese) as well as able to pull out some bullshit phrases from other languages. But Mikado... harmonica, singing, violin? Piano? That's all super impressive high class stuff, at least in his mind.

That's amazing. ]

It's true, there is. Both Maaka-san and Holly-san play, but it's in Maaka-san's room on the first floor. Linda said she was going to learn, but...

Well, she got bored in a week.

[ Yeah, that ]

[gunslingerqueen]

Really?! [Man, this is what she gets for nor exploring properly!] Nathan's going to love that! I hope they don't mind letting him practice. He had to take a lot of classes but I think that ended up being his favorite, he's pretty lazy about everything else but that, now that I think about it ....

[When she laughs it's not mean, if anything it's sympathetic towards Linda, this woman she hasn't even met yet] It's not exactly fun to learn, it takes way more thought than it should! I mean, guitar was easy because my dad played all the time so of course I was going to learn it from him!

[She's incredibly proud of that fact.]

[generalflirt]

Yeah! I'm sure Holly-san would let him in a heartbeat, but if you were to do it right... W-well I guess he'd have to talk to Maaka-san. But she likes kids, so I'm sure it'll be okay?

She'll probably only ask for a little blood.

She's not a vampire, Masaomi!

Have you ever seen her in the light?

[ Mikado goes silent at that, pouting, but Masami grins and turns to Nariko. Her father... huh. ] That's pretty badass though, that whole father-daughter thing.

[gunslingerqueen]

[Have either of them looked at her brother? The incredibly page, almost translucent skinned half Russian? Come on now. But they've obviously got their own running joke there, it's one that doesn't have a place for her. Hopefully the vague sensation that she's a sudden, almost useless transplant will eventually fade.]

I guess so! He was way better than I'll ever be, but I liked spending time with my dad!

[Nariko was the epitome of a Daddy's Girl, even after she'd been made very aware of his fault. Then she was just a Daddy's Girl that didn't make excuses for his behavior. But she does ask, and not because she doesn't want to talk about her dad (she really, really does, actually) but because she's genuinely curious:]

So, I guess you guys don't have to do a lot of extra stuff like that, right? A bunch of extra classes or whatever.

[generalflirt]

[ The joke with Elda Maaka is both that she's half Japanese half English... but also that she is a supreme nighthawk and probably looks even better for her age that Yori does. That said, the joke is a bit lost without the context of knowing the woman - there's a good chance Nariko was never even introduced to her even in passing. ]

Well...

[ Masaomi answers for him, ] Mikado here's been writing apps in his spare time and he's destined to be the student body president as soon as I write him in on the ticket. But as for me- no, no, I'm straight up going home club.

[ He brandishes a fry like a sword ] Can't say I ever picked up an instrument, miiight be something I regret eventually.

[gunslingerqueen]

[She reaches up to pat the top of Masaomi's head.]

We'll find something for you, I'm sure of it.

[He'll probably ... End up dragged this way and that with her. It sounds boring to just go to and from school, although maybe it's unfair to say that Masaomi doesn't have his own project. It's just an incredibly weird and ridiculous one, that's all.]

But whatever it is will have to work around whatever we're doing for this 'gang' set up.

[... She hasn't had time to tell Mikado about that, though. Did Masaomi already mention it?]

[generalflirt]

[ Masaomi's smile shifts from impish to straight up proud now, growing wider and wider as if he were some sort of comic book villain. Mikado looks at him incredibly skeptically, placated by way of being pat on the head, but also wondering... did something happen there? Not to mention that while he agreed to be a part of it, this whole gang thing was still a strange idea. ]

If Nari-Nari's driving me towards something, far be it from me to refuse.

[ He shrugs ] We can get in street fights on the weekends.