It's a big cruiseliner, but they're only on it for a one-way trip to their destination: the tropical island of St. Lucasta. It's a long trip, but it's--obviously--a lot more comfortable for Boxer to travel by boat than by plane, given his fear of heights--which is admittedly better than it has been thanks to Noriko's involvement, but not quite ready to tackle planes.
That and it's about as much to pay for a room on a cruise than it was to pay for two or three seats for his bulk.
He's in the middle of setting up his pool-bed, in the process of inflating it, when Nariko finds their room. He's all smiles when she enters, but she'll have to forgive him for not running up and giving her a kiss, considering that he's currently seated on the floor.]
[She kind of figured he'd have some kind of way of dealing with the water issue, though she wouldn't have been opposed to non-stop massaging, either! She even brought extra moisturizer! Not that it's as much of a concern when she finally sees him. It really hasn't been that long, but she lights up after opening the door.
Before anything else she bend to kiss him properly, because they're far along enough that her desire to give as much affection as he'll take has only grown.]
Got it? [Does he need help putting water in that thing or getting more air into it ... She's as helpful as ever, really.]
[Don't worry, Nariko, you'll have ample opportunities to use your moisturizer throughout this trip. This just means he won't start every day dry as a bone...plus no amount of moisturizer will keep his gills moist through the night. He tilts into the greeting kiss with happily closed eyes.]
Think I've got this handled, but...
[He points to one of his bags.]
Could you assemble the aquarium pump and make sure it works? It's been a while since I last used it.
Sure! I build skyscrapers, I should be able to handle a pump.
[That's not arrogance so much as a genuine desire to comfort herself about the thing. If it doesn't work then what? Is that even a thing you can buy on an island that sits pretty firmly in the middle of the water. ... Although it's not as if Boxer could possibly have too much water.
At least that takes the pressure off, and she leaves her suitcase nearby in order to start digging through his bag.]
Pump achieved! [It's not gonna be hard to find, right?]
[So, a date. Well after amazing sex, and certainly after getting to know each other in various ways. A date, a week and a half after her breakup. Half of her apartment is still in boxes, there's still the awkward pass between herself and Christian, and the fact that she needs to talk to him about getting her keys back soon. Or maybe just change her locks.
But it's the date that takes up most of her energy and has her rooting through her closet, it's the thought of Boxer that softens up the general roughness of day to day life.
As a result it's no surprise that she's excited, right? Dinner, maybe a walk about the city they both seem to love, and then there's the whole Heights Extravaganza. It's a good line-up, but she obsesses over it all the same and she was about as critical of her outfit. It'd have to be enough, she wasn't going to be late because she didn't have just the right dress, though the temptation was there.
So - meeting up for a date, because that seemed like the best idea. She's not too far off from his apartment, leaning against a bench just in front of a nearby park.
[His time between their parting and their date was mostly filled with work, and while he's had plenty of first dates before, this is the first one to really put some pep in his proverbial step. Those that work closest with him, and therefore know him the best, just knew what was on his agenda, and would not let him hear the end of it despite avoiding their nosy questions.
She doesn't have to worry at all about him standing her up, because he wheels up to her exactly on time. And she's not the only one who decided to dress nicely--he's in one of his suits, tailored to perfection, with a dark gold undershirt and a tie of a lighter shade. His tentacles are hidden in a tube designed to go with his suit top, though it's more function than form in truth because it's keeping the moisture in his lower half--but at least he has a gold blanket that matches his undershirt on his lap.
Boxer lets his eyes linger for much longer than he would have liked, but the contrast between her dark skin and that stark white--such a short skirt with those wide hips--is provocative at least without being blatantly sexy. Eyes are up there!]
[Just the sight of him is an incredible relief, the fear creep into her and became like its own virus, but it all floats away the second she hears his voice. Positive step one: This is apparently happening!]
Hey. [She stands upright and immediately goes to kiss his cheek. Of course she wants a real kiss, hell, she'd probably just slide herself right onto his lap if she could trust herself to do it, but while Nariko isn't one for strict conventions it's still a date. It was only right to cool the sexual chemistry for a little bit.]
Even more handsome than I remember! Gold really is your color.
[She's got the right idea. Plus, his tentacles are nicely packed away, out of sight of both of them.]
It's my favorite. Glad you like it. [It's not just his accent and dick color! Whether not that factors into it at all is a mystery even to him.
He smirks at her question.] Always.
[The unfortunate thing about this setup is that he can't hold her hand and steer himself at the same time, but she could volunteer to push him around (and get her exercise in the process)...]
Teenage Boy Found Dead in Waters out of North Apatite Coast
The city wasn't a stranger to unexpected deaths. Like any large city, there were drugs and gangs, so headlines reporting deaths were common enough to be on newspapers but not common enough that the populace was unphased. The televised news told the story to satisfy most peoples' curiosity for the time being, leaving out details such as who found the body in the first place.
But Nariko would know. And if she tried to get in contact with him, his messages would just be short enough to keep her updated so she wouldn't worry; that's the last thing she needs on a busy day. It's not like he'd have time to sit down and really talk about it either, because the whole everything is constantly happening. But when he finally gets his downtime at the end of the day, ten at night, all he can do is lay in his tank and stare at the ceiling.
At 10:30, he picks up his phone and texts Nariko.]
[The short answers don't bother her, because if her boyfriend hadn't been involved Nariko wouldn't have anything to do with the story. She does check on him somewhat regularly, knowing that the police will need his statement, he'll be telling the same story over and over and over again. Even without the burden of suspicion on you it's a vexing, exhausting process, so she doesn't expect much.
If anything she buries herself in work, in permits, designs, and a bit of computer work that isn't in her department, but Lena had wanted a second set of eyes anyway. So when her phone goes off she's still at her office, and when she sees his name light up on her screen the smoke flooding her lungs tastes acrid.
... He'd probably hate that she's smoking, but it's an old, old crutch, and everyone has their shitty habits.]
[That was a hell of a lot worse than a 'not well'. For a minute, and then almost two she stares at the screen until ash falls on it. Shit.]
it's not your fault. It's easy to blame what might seem obvious, she's just being an asshole. a grieving one.
[A lot of the time they're the same thing, so it's not an insult to this woman that is already something that Nariko wants to become in the future. Being a mother is probably very hard.
Doesn't excuse you from being a douche, though.]
next time anyone accuses you of anything just call me and put me on speakerphone, I'll take it from there.
[Does that joke come across over text? ... Does he know it's only partially a joke?]
[The winters of New Cloudbank are mild. Occasionally, it'll be cold enough to snow...but more often than that, it'll be a cold and unrelenting rain.
And sometimes that means you get rained in on when you're staying at your boyfriend's apartment on the weekend your period starts. Again, Boxer proves himself to be the perfect, ever-reliable boyfriend by telling her that there's both tampons and pads under the sink. He bought them just a few days ago, predicting both the proverbial and literal storms, but he made sure to cover his tracks by opening and disposing a few of each. It's not like they have an expiration date, so who knows when the last person was to take advantage of his hoarded goods?
The electric blanket--well, that's something he's had for a while. A plain heat pad doesn't work for muscle pains the size of their own zip code. He's in the process of bringing it over to his sore girlfriend on the couch, plugging it in and throwing it over her.]
[Her spine is screaming like a banshee, every inch of her feels fat and criminally unattractive, and she's spent most of her first day off crying at stupid Lifetime movies. She's also somewhat in love with Boxer's couch because it's huge for a normal sized human woman, so even though it took a good two hours to manage she's found the perfect arrangement of limbs that minimizes her frequent cramps and the overall sense of discomfort.
Of course there's nothing to be done about the fact that she's gushing blood and every good handful of hours she has to get up and put his convenient tampons to use. Given his increased sense of smell his bathroom probably reeks of blood.]
I'm sorry, I'm not a lot of fun right now. [It's difficult to want brownies, a huge, and sex all at once! After adjusting the heat pad on her lower stomach and pressing it in just right, she reaches out for him with the other arm. Some months she's prickly and doesn't want to be touched - this isn't one of them, and the rain is only helping her transformation into a needy kitten.]
[The bathroom is nothing but the stench of blood. He loves it. Also something he won't tell her.
He rests his forearm across the edge of the couch, doing a fantastic job of blocking the television as he smooths his hand along her temple and hair and giving her lots of gentle kisses with a soft, positive smile for her to take in.]
You're alright. I promise. [He reaches over to turn the blanket on.] You need anything else?
[Nariko can't purr, but she makes some approximation of the noise when he toys with her hair and kisses her. What a great boyfriend.] Mm ...
[She wants an entire gallon of chocolate (and a cucumber, for whatever reason), but more than that:] Don't you want me to take a nap on you?
[That's what she wants, though laying out on his gorgeous chest isn't going to result in a lot of sleep, but it'll guarantee that she's cuddly and pleased for the rest of the afternoon! She throws in the puppy dog eyes while adding,] The couch is big enough for the both of us.
[And you didn't need your personal space right now, Boxer!]
[The Lunae clan arrived in New Cloudbank like a storm. An incredibly loud, boisterous one that could be heard half a mile before they were seen, oddly enough. Arranging their arrival, from the plane ride to how they would drive in to arranging everyone's things was an ordeal and Nariko, happy as she was to be seeing many of her young cousins, aunts, and uncles again, was incredibly focused on making sure everyone arrived in one piece.
Of course once that was done and over with the next item on the schedule was food, and then welcoming Boxer to their family. Nariko's incredibly grateful for whatever strings her boyfriend/fiancée has pulled off because the bunch of them are loud as fuck all while they cook and set everything up. More than once she has to discourage some of the slightly younger ones from inviting random sailors or some nonsense, as if the scent of food wasn't enough to attract a bit of attention.
When she can manage to trust them for five seconds Nariko heads outside, hoping to meet Boxer before he goes in. She keeps tapping her heels on the cement, occasionally she reaches down to mess with her garters a bit - they look nice with her sweater dress, but it's kind of useless to appeal to her boyfriend. It's not as if she'll get to spend a lot of time with him tonight but it would be nice to keep his eyes on her for at least a third of the night.
She'll need a strong start for that, so hopefully he shows up early and they can have a moment to themselves. Gods know the rest of her family won't let go of him once they sink their hooks in.]
[He does show up early, but mostly just so he can show up with the lot of fresh seafood he brought for the party! All 50 pounds of it attached to a basket system on the back of his wheelchair. Himself, he packed in that black polo that Nariko got for him--he almost showed up in something more formal out of habit, but at the last second he decided it'd be better to go a little more casual.]
Oh, hey.
[He grins at her. Not expecting to see her all the way at the start of the dock!]
--You're not planning to do some big introduction for me, are you?
[Please don't force that much attention on him at once.]
[She snorts a little bit, and then bend to kiss him, short and sweet.]
No, handsome. I just didn't feel like sharing immediately.
[That and she ... Man, she kind of wants him to know what he's getting into. They're too far along to back down now but she knows he's more than a little guarded and her relatives can be nosy at best, outright invasive at their worst.] That, and if I spent another minute in there with everyone asking me what you look like and what you might like to eat first, I might have strangled one of them.
[Family's nice but fuck, they can get on your nerves like no one else.] They're all really excited. [...] All fifty-nine of them!
[She's nervous for him, and it practically vibrates through her body language.]
[Being officially engaged was apparently busying work because for the last week Nariko hasn't been the easiest to reach. Sure, she had the occasional need for privacy but with Boxer it was often enough to be together without really doing anything together. He could go work or cook or watch something and she'd just exist around him, content as the fish in his tank. But she hasn't seen his apartment, let alone the man himself in four full days. It's a strangely long time for two people who hadn't separated since the day they met.
But on the fifth she turns up after texting to make sure he wasn't working, and she has all sorts of gifts (new shirts, Junction Jan's Sea Monster, cheesecake, etc) and apologies that are only gently tinted with both exhaustion and guilt. More than anything she's incredibly grateful to be near him again and it shows. For having spent so much time apart Nariko can't seem to let go of him once she's walked in the door.
It's probably only right to say that she spends a good handful of hours exuberantly making up for her absence. After that comes a shower, and all is well - or should be. Her phone keeps going off, alternating between an endless series of vibrations and her ringtone. When the screen lights up the numbers tell all: 26 missed calls and 68 new texts.
Someone is really trying to get a hold of her, but she can't hear it right now.
Maybe just ignore it, Boxer? That's what she's tried to do.]
[It was hard on him, both mentally and physically. Not having her simply around made it so much harder for him to de-stress at home given that he was steeped in tangible loneliness. The physical part was obvious, but all the more stress-inducing because he was faithful and loyal...but also just about to crawl out of his skin. It made him feel gross and dependant, but once she showed up and they worked it out through explosive hours-long sex he doesn't feel that way anymore.
In fact, he's one content monster that is currently chilling on his couch, trying to snooze while Nariko takes her shower. Emphasis on the word "try", of course, because there's a little alarm that keeps going off.]
Are you kidding me...
[he grumbles under his breath, reaching out with a tentacle to snatch it out of her bag. He's been around her long enough to know her phone unlocking sequence, but he doesn't intend to snoop, he just wants to turn the damn thing off.]
If it's that much of an emergency, call the--oh.
[Holy shit. That is a lot of messages. And that sure is a vaguely familiar name. Well...he'll just open one message to get the idea and let Nariko know what the oh-so desperate emergency is.]
[When they'd broken up she'd taken his picture off of his number, because she did have to call her ex-boyfriend a few more times - namely to get her extra set of keys back, insisting on that a few times before she'd ultimately had to change her locks. So his name is still there, a constant flow in her missed call log and her unheard voicemails and texts. 'Chris, Chris, Chris' over and over again.
If Boxer starts at the very top then the messages don't seem so bad, it's a lot of 'Please call me' and 'I need to talk to you' and 'I know you have your phone, don't ignore me'. But once it becomes incredibly clear that he's not getting the attention he wants the messages become incredibly long, whole huge paragraphs about how she couldn't get married (in all caps, multiple times), not when they were on a 'break' and why had she insisted he be thrown out of 'their' apartment building?
Apparently the last few days have been incredibly rough, because the texts where he alternates between begging and threatening to see her go back at least a full day. Shit's been nuts.
[Boxer's such a big, and ultimately well functioning guy, that she had never imagined him getting sick. Some incredibly unfair and ridiculous work related injury? That felt way more likely and it was what she was prepared for, not the sudden alteration of his usually smooth voice. The moment he called her she up and left work, and put some of her vacation time to proper use.
He called her twenty minutes ago, tops, and she's already half stumbling through the door, her work bag half fallen down her arm.]
Boxer! [She's usually a little more organized about coming home but fuck that, man, getting to him is the most important thing. Thankfully it seems he's just laid out on the couch and she touches his face a little gently, as if she might accidentally break the poor man.] Oh, sweetheart ...
[If she could back smack a cold then she would, but for right now she's just gonna kiss his forehead.]
[It's obvious he's sick just by looking at him. His eyes are sunken and his skin seems to be making half-hearted attempts to camouflage with the couch, while his tentacles are lifelessly still when they're usually wriggling about without abandon.]
Nariko...
[He doesn't remember the last time he was sick, and if he did, it surely wouldn't have been this bad.]
You'll have to call everyone and let them know I can't show up for work today...
[She'd chide him for thinking about work before anything else if she wouldn't have done the exact same thing, and also if he wasn't the major protecting factor of the bay itself.] It's early enough that they'll find someone to take over, try not to worry about it. [She eases his bangs out of the way and kisses his forehead - on top of the color shifting his skin doesn't even feel normal. Christ.]
Have you eaten anything?
[She's pulling her phone out and adjusting a bit so that she can hold him and call at the same time.]
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It's a big cruiseliner, but they're only on it for a one-way trip to their destination: the tropical island of St. Lucasta. It's a long trip, but it's--obviously--a lot more comfortable for Boxer to travel by boat than by plane, given his fear of heights--which is admittedly better than it has been thanks to Noriko's involvement, but not quite ready to tackle planes.
That and it's about as much to pay for a room on a cruise than it was to pay for two or three seats for his bulk.
He's in the middle of setting up his pool-bed, in the process of inflating it, when Nariko finds their room. He's all smiles when she enters, but she'll have to forgive him for not running up and giving her a kiss, considering that he's currently seated on the floor.]
Hey.
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[She kind of figured he'd have some kind of way of dealing with the water issue, though she wouldn't have been opposed to non-stop massaging, either! She even brought extra moisturizer! Not that it's as much of a concern when she finally sees him. It really hasn't been that long, but she lights up after opening the door.
Before anything else she bend to kiss him properly, because they're far along enough that her desire to give as much affection as he'll take has only grown.]
Got it? [Does he need help putting water in that thing or getting more air into it ... She's as helpful as ever, really.]
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Think I've got this handled, but...
[He points to one of his bags.]
Could you assemble the aquarium pump and make sure it works? It's been a while since I last used it.
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[That's not arrogance so much as a genuine desire to comfort herself about the thing. If it doesn't work then what? Is that even a thing you can buy on an island that sits pretty firmly in the middle of the water. ... Although it's not as if Boxer could possibly have too much water.
At least that takes the pressure off, and she leaves her suitcase nearby in order to start digging through his bag.]
Pump achieved! [It's not gonna be hard to find, right?]
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gmail needs to stop stacking emails weirdly and not sending me the notif for this thread
I honestly had to make gmail stop stacking emails. it's the only way i can keep up with my tags
I will have to google that because I didn't even think it was a possibility
'tis! it's super good. havent figured out how to do it on my phone yet
mobile always trails behind.
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But it's the date that takes up most of her energy and has her rooting through her closet, it's the thought of Boxer that softens up the general roughness of day to day life.
As a result it's no surprise that she's excited, right? Dinner, maybe a walk about the city they both seem to love, and then there's the whole Heights Extravaganza. It's a good line-up, but she obsesses over it all the same and she was about as critical of her outfit. It'd have to be enough, she wasn't going to be late because she didn't have just the right dress, though the temptation was there.
So - meeting up for a date, because that seemed like the best idea. She's not too far off from his apartment, leaning against a bench just in front of a nearby park.
..... Shit, what if he totally stands her up.]
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She doesn't have to worry at all about him standing her up, because he wheels up to her exactly on time. And she's not the only one who decided to dress nicely--he's in one of his suits, tailored to perfection, with a dark gold undershirt and a tie of a lighter shade. His tentacles are hidden in a tube designed to go with his suit top, though it's more function than form in truth because it's keeping the moisture in his lower half--but at least he has a gold blanket that matches his undershirt on his lap.
Boxer lets his eyes linger for much longer than he would have liked, but the contrast between her dark skin and that stark white--such a short skirt with those wide hips--is provocative at least without being blatantly sexy. Eyes are up there!]
Hey, Nariko.
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Hey. [She stands upright and immediately goes to kiss his cheek. Of course she wants a real kiss, hell, she'd probably just slide herself right onto his lap if she could trust herself to do it, but while Nariko isn't one for strict conventions it's still a date. It was only right to cool the sexual chemistry for a little bit.]
Even more handsome than I remember! Gold really is your color.
[In so many, many different ways.] Ready to eat?
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It's my favorite. Glad you like it. [It's not just his accent and dick color! Whether not that factors into it at all is a mystery even to him.
He smirks at her question.] Always.
[The unfortunate thing about this setup is that he can't hold her hand and steer himself at the same time, but she could volunteer to push him around (and get her exercise in the process)...]
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Teenage Boy Found Dead in Waters out of North Apatite Coast
The city wasn't a stranger to unexpected deaths. Like any large city, there were drugs and gangs, so headlines reporting deaths were common enough to be on newspapers but not common enough that the populace was unphased. The televised news told the story to satisfy most peoples' curiosity for the time being, leaving out details such as who found the body in the first place.
But Nariko would know. And if she tried to get in contact with him, his messages would just be short enough to keep her updated so she wouldn't worry; that's the last thing she needs on a busy day. It's not like he'd have time to sit down and really talk about it either, because the whole everything is constantly happening. But when he finally gets his downtime at the end of the day, ten at night, all he can do is lay in his tank and stare at the ceiling.
At 10:30, he picks up his phone and texts Nariko.]
Hey.
Are you still awake?
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If anything she buries herself in work, in permits, designs, and a bit of computer work that isn't in her department, but Lena had wanted a second set of eyes anyway. So when her phone goes off she's still at her office, and when she sees his name light up on her screen the smoke flooding her lungs tastes acrid.
... He'd probably hate that she's smoking, but it's an old, old crutch, and everyone has their shitty habits.]
mhm. How are you doing?
[She's expecting a general sort of 'not well'.
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Not great.
Can't sleep.
I keep...
[There's a few seconds pause. Boxer really doesn't want her to worry, but he's gotta get it off his chest.]
I keep thinking of her face.
The mother...
When they brought her in to ID him.
[Another pause.]
Then she found out that I was the one that found him.
I guess...
Old prejudices die hard.
[Extrapolate from that what you will.]
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it's not your fault. It's easy to blame what might seem obvious, she's just being an asshole. a grieving one.
[A lot of the time they're the same thing, so it's not an insult to this woman that is already something that Nariko wants to become in the future. Being a mother is probably very hard.
Doesn't excuse you from being a douche, though.]
next time anyone accuses you of anything just call me and put me on speakerphone, I'll take it from there.
[Does that joke come across over text? ... Does he know it's only partially a joke?]
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And sometimes that means you get rained in on when you're staying at your boyfriend's apartment on the weekend your period starts. Again, Boxer proves himself to be the perfect, ever-reliable boyfriend by telling her that there's both tampons and pads under the sink. He bought them just a few days ago, predicting both the proverbial and literal storms, but he made sure to cover his tracks by opening and disposing a few of each. It's not like they have an expiration date, so who knows when the last person was to take advantage of his hoarded goods?
The electric blanket--well, that's something he's had for a while. A plain heat pad doesn't work for muscle pains the size of their own zip code. He's in the process of bringing it over to his sore girlfriend on the couch, plugging it in and throwing it over her.]
Hi, babe.
[He leans over to give her a kiss on the cheek.]
Feeling any better?
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[Her spine is screaming like a banshee, every inch of her feels fat and criminally unattractive, and she's spent most of her first day off crying at stupid Lifetime movies. She's also somewhat in love with Boxer's couch because it's huge for a normal sized human woman, so even though it took a good two hours to manage she's found the perfect arrangement of limbs that minimizes her frequent cramps and the overall sense of discomfort.
Of course there's nothing to be done about the fact that she's gushing blood and every good handful of hours she has to get up and put his convenient tampons to use. Given his increased sense of smell his bathroom probably reeks of blood.]
I'm sorry, I'm not a lot of fun right now. [It's difficult to want brownies, a huge, and sex all at once! After adjusting the heat pad on her lower stomach and pressing it in just right, she reaches out for him with the other arm. Some months she's prickly and doesn't want to be touched - this isn't one of them, and the rain is only helping her transformation into a needy kitten.]
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He rests his forearm across the edge of the couch, doing a fantastic job of blocking the television as he smooths his hand along her temple and hair and giving her lots of gentle kisses with a soft, positive smile for her to take in.]
You're alright. I promise. [He reaches over to turn the blanket on.] You need anything else?
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[She wants an entire gallon of chocolate (and a cucumber, for whatever reason), but more than that:] Don't you want me to take a nap on you?
[That's what she wants, though laying out on his gorgeous chest isn't going to result in a lot of sleep, but it'll guarantee that she's cuddly and pleased for the rest of the afternoon! She throws in the puppy dog eyes while adding,] The couch is big enough for the both of us.
[And you didn't need your personal space right now, Boxer!]
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Of course once that was done and over with the next item on the schedule was food, and then welcoming Boxer to their family. Nariko's incredibly grateful for whatever strings her boyfriend/fiancée has pulled off because the bunch of them are loud as fuck all while they cook and set everything up. More than once she has to discourage some of the slightly younger ones from inviting random sailors or some nonsense, as if the scent of food wasn't enough to attract a bit of attention.
When she can manage to trust them for five seconds Nariko heads outside, hoping to meet Boxer before he goes in. She keeps tapping her heels on the cement, occasionally she reaches down to mess with her garters a bit - they look nice with her sweater dress, but it's kind of useless to appeal to her boyfriend. It's not as if she'll get to spend a lot of time with him tonight but it would be nice to keep his eyes on her for at least a third of the night.
She'll need a strong start for that, so hopefully he shows up early and they can have a moment to themselves. Gods know the rest of her family won't let go of him once they sink their hooks in.]
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Oh, hey.
[He grins at her. Not expecting to see her all the way at the start of the dock!]
--You're not planning to do some big introduction for me, are you?
[Please don't force that much attention on him at once.]
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No, handsome. I just didn't feel like sharing immediately.
[That and she ... Man, she kind of wants him to know what he's getting into. They're too far along to back down now but she knows he's more than a little guarded and her relatives can be nosy at best, outright invasive at their worst.] That, and if I spent another minute in there with everyone asking me what you look like and what you might like to eat first, I might have strangled one of them.
[Family's nice but fuck, they can get on your nerves like no one else.] They're all really excited. [...] All fifty-nine of them!
[She's nervous for him, and it practically vibrates through her body language.]
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But on the fifth she turns up after texting to make sure he wasn't working, and she has all sorts of gifts (new shirts, Junction Jan's Sea Monster, cheesecake, etc) and apologies that are only gently tinted with both exhaustion and guilt. More than anything she's incredibly grateful to be near him again and it shows. For having spent so much time apart Nariko can't seem to let go of him once she's walked in the door.
It's probably only right to say that she spends a good handful of hours exuberantly making up for her absence. After that comes a shower, and all is well - or should be. Her phone keeps going off, alternating between an endless series of vibrations and her ringtone. When the screen lights up the numbers tell all: 26 missed calls and 68 new texts.
Someone is really trying to get a hold of her, but she can't hear it right now.
Maybe just ignore it, Boxer? That's what she's tried to do.]
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In fact, he's one content monster that is currently chilling on his couch, trying to snooze while Nariko takes her shower. Emphasis on the word "try", of course, because there's a little alarm that keeps going off.]
Are you kidding me...
[he grumbles under his breath, reaching out with a tentacle to snatch it out of her bag. He's been around her long enough to know her phone unlocking sequence, but he doesn't intend to snoop, he just wants to turn the damn thing off.]
If it's that much of an emergency, call the--oh.
[Holy shit. That is a lot of messages. And that sure is a vaguely familiar name. Well...he'll just open one message to get the idea and let Nariko know what the oh-so desperate emergency is.]
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If Boxer starts at the very top then the messages don't seem so bad, it's a lot of 'Please call me' and 'I need to talk to you' and 'I know you have your phone, don't ignore me'. But once it becomes incredibly clear that he's not getting the attention he wants the messages become incredibly long, whole huge paragraphs about how she couldn't get married (in all caps, multiple times), not when they were on a 'break' and why had she insisted he be thrown out of 'their' apartment building?
Apparently the last few days have been incredibly rough, because the texts where he alternates between begging and threatening to see her go back at least a full day. Shit's been nuts.
Meanwhile, the shower turns off.]
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He called her twenty minutes ago, tops, and she's already half stumbling through the door, her work bag half fallen down her arm.]
Boxer! [She's usually a little more organized about coming home but fuck that, man, getting to him is the most important thing. Thankfully it seems he's just laid out on the couch and she touches his face a little gently, as if she might accidentally break the poor man.] Oh, sweetheart ...
[If she could back smack a cold then she would, but for right now she's just gonna kiss his forehead.]
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Nariko...
[He doesn't remember the last time he was sick, and if he did, it surely wouldn't have been this bad.]
You'll have to call everyone and let them know I can't show up for work today...
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[She'd chide him for thinking about work before anything else if she wouldn't have done the exact same thing, and also if he wasn't the major protecting factor of the bay itself.] It's early enough that they'll find someone to take over, try not to worry about it. [She eases his bangs out of the way and kisses his forehead - on top of the color shifting his skin doesn't even feel normal. Christ.]
Have you eaten anything?
[She's pulling her phone out and adjusting a bit so that she can hold him and call at the same time.]
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