[n_ll]

　
　
more krakenboxer shenanigans feat. nariko

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[gunslingerqueen]

[She can drink Sriracha, everyone has a sensitive tongue compared to her and she's managed to not be an asshole about it, so they'll probably be fine.]

Ahh ... [This is one of those moments where she could lie or divert from the truth but ... She doesn't want to. She trusted the guy to take her home with him and not be a serial killer, so it'd be fucked up to not trust him with a perfectly valid question like that.]

Nope! I ended up moving here when I was pretty young, but I've never imagined leaving since. I don't think there's another city in the world like it.

[But that leads her to another fair question to ask him:] Have you ever left?

[n_ll]

[From his small smile, he seems pretty content with her answer.]

It's what your heart calls home that matters.

[He gives her question some long, thoughtful consideration. There's a lot of technicalities that make it surprisingly hard to answer. Eventually, he settles on what he think she's trying to get at.]

I've never been on any other land mass, no. I've been in a lot of different waters, though.

[gunslingerqueen]

[ ... What her heart calls home? That's - Well, it's not New Cloudbank, her home in that sense can't be a place. But that's an overly complicated thing that he probably doesn't want to hear about, so she lets it go without a second thought.]

So it's sort of like visiting a different province?

[She's genuinely curious because different sea bodies have different temperatures, different live in them, and probably different kinds of monsterkind all inhabiting those various waters.]

Man, I bet you've seen a whole bunch of stuff that land people can't even imagine.

[n_ll]

...Kinda.

[He shrugs.]

It's pretty lonely out there, honestly. Sometimes you run into schools of aquatic monsterkind, but most of the time they don't speak the same language. Plus, I'm an apex predator, so I'm not always given the warmest welcome.

But! It's the best fresh fish I've caught with my own hands.

[Always the silver lining.]

I'm just a city boy. Kraken are meant to be solitary--but I just can't stand being stranded.

[That's not to say his genetic disposition is entirely void. He's fairly secretive, only social when the mood strikes, and likes to have plenty of time to himself.]

[gunslingerqueen]

So I guess you won't be bringing back any snapshots of Atlantis, then.

[What a bad joke. And before she can do much worse their order is ready! It is, in fact, shouted quite loudly despite the fact that there's maybe six people in the place, total. Nariko gets their tray for them both and tilts her head towards the booth she'd been eyeing earlier, and takes her time getting them both there.]

That's the best of both worlds, right? Socializing is great but everyone needs their quiet time.

[This is, in many ways, is a little bit of a defining question. One of the issues she's had overall is that distinction, the need for privacy without strangling emotional intimacy. Chris had always taken it so personal when she wanted to do something as basic as go see a movie on her own every so often.]

[n_ll]

Heh. If only.

[He likes her bad jokes, to be honest.]

You'd think! But there are some people who have to constantly surround themselves in social atmosphere, and others who can't even stand the thought of talking to someone else. I couldn't stand one without the other.

[If she's with Boxer, she'll have plenty of opportunity to go to the movies by her sexy little self, provided she gives him the opportunity to do the same.

He digs into his sandwich without hesitation. It doesn't take long for the jury to come back.]

Mmmmn!

[That's Fullmouthan for "I am satisfied with my sandwich choice".]

[gunslingerqueen]

[She's starting with her soup first which gives her a front row seat to his reaction and she can't help giggling - thankfully it's not mean spirited in the least.]

I think I love how almost in love you are with that sub!

[Overall it's nice to not feel like she can't eat more than half her plate without getting a look - Boxer might be a little self-conscious or otherwise mindful of his appetite but Nariko's grateful for it. It sort of means that her own is nothing on any given day.]

Take your time, savor the experience! [And meanwhile she will enjoy her soup, which is perfect as ever.]

[n_ll]

[He is a little self-conscious, mostly because he doesn't want to become someone's scene. Especially when he's here on a date, and he's trying to enjoy himself.]

Oh, I am.

[He so is. Sorry he's not one for much conversation while he's stuffing his face. Doesn't mean he's not going to try.]

So, uh--what've you been up to since we last parted?

[gunslingerqueen]

[He doesn't have to talk while he eats! Some people just like eating, and she's really not above getting lost in all of her thoughts while she enjoys her own meal! They can talk after or just hang out, whatever!]

Work, mostly. [Which is an incredibly boring answer, she knows.]

Best friend duties, and I have to get my locks changed so [A head tilt, here.] that's not exactly fun, I suppose.

[n_ll]

[Yikes.]

Sounds like this was an overdue distraction. But it's good...movement in the right direction.

[He's biased though.]

[gunslingerqueen]

[She smirks a bit.]

Apex predator, right?

[He's incredibly biased and she's got a soft spot for people who go after what they want.]

I'm actually surprised that you haven't asked about it. [Not when they met that day and not now, as they make more room for conversation.] Or maybe it isn't the most normal thing to talk about?

[She hasn't dated since she was twenty so! It's a fair concern.]

[n_ll]

[He briefly meets her smirk before returning to his food.]

I think it's a social faux pas to talk about exes to people you're currently dating, right?

[Not that either of them particularly care for the conventions, but still.]

Look, all I really need to know is that he missed out on the best thing that ever happened to him. That said--if you want to vent about it, I'm all ears; but otherwise, I'm not going to ask questions.

[gunslingerqueen]

Hmmm! Is it really?

[... She's always ended up hearing about exes with her boyfriends, huh! But, hey, this means she gets to be mysterious, too, so it's okay.]

You don't know that yet, though! I could still be a horrible example of a person! You'll have to keep dating me to really figure it out!

[See what she did there Boxer.]

[n_ll]

It's what I've been told.

[Said in a tone that reads: "It could be total bullshit."]

Well... [he gives her a lazy shrug, head canted to the side.] I guess that's an obligation I'm willing to take on. I'll have to make up some sort of rubric to make an assessment with, too...

[So srs!]

[gunslingerqueen]

Oh, I'm good at those! [Assessments, that is.]

But in exchange I should ask you a series of benign, but very important questions about life.

[She's only being half serious, but:] Like: Have you ever been in love?

[Not entirely not-serious, she's too curious.]

[n_ll]

Love?

[Huh. He has to think about that one.]

I'm in love with the city...with the ocean and everything that lives with it. My job. Watching cloudy sunsets over the water.

But that's not the kind of love you're talking about, is it?

[There's a pregnant pause. His vision casts downward, and he pauses from his eating.]

...Lots of times.

[gunslingerqueen]

[Well, so much for 'benign'.]

Well, that must have been incredibly torturous.

[Romantic love is ... Not the easiest thing in the world, despite what tv shows and movies and most books communicate.]

[n_ll]

[He shrugs.]

Stories that were not meant to be written. Admittedly, I fall pretty easily.

[gunslingerqueen]

[Aw, and she thought she was special! Well, she probably still is, somehow!]

Big guy, big heart. [But it doesn't seem like something he wants to really delve into so she isn't going to push it.

She is going to finish off her sub, though.]

[n_ll]

[Her comment makes him laugh, but he can't exactly follow through with that and still eat his food. He covers his mouth to finish his bite, then holds up three fingers with it.]

Three. Three hearts.

[If she wants more details, she's going to ask a more specific question; there's too much there to just start talking.]

[gunslingerqueen]

[She almost spits tomato on him and his neat suit, but thankfully it's ultimately downgraded to an embarrassing sputter, and the napkin saves the day!]

Okay, [Said when they're all clear.] big guy, and multiple hearts in order to adequately support an equally big and gorgeous body, then!

[That's a far more complicated response but it's incredibly accurate and genuine, so there you go.]

[n_ll]

[Accuracy is important!]

Aw. You flatter me.

[He bats his eyelashes at her briefly before sinking back into his sandwich.]

[gunslingerqueen]

You deserve it.

[Especially for that very impressive eyelash batting technique. There's a moment where they're both just eating, so it's a companionable, easy form of silence, but it shouldn't be any surprise that Nariko talks first. If you let her she'll basically go on and on about whatever crosses her mind for at least an hour.]

You know, I almost left entirely. Nathan's old enough that I can trust him to be on his own, after all, he probably doesn't need me around so much.

[She screws her eyes shut and adds, in a kind of self-deprecating tone:] ... I shouldn't say that about a fifteen-year-old.

[n_ll]

[Boxer doesn't mind the silence at all. It's hardly awkward, after all, because the company is great and the sandwich is fabulous.

Until she speaks up again.

He instantly stops eating, mouth full, as he stares at her like a deer in headlights. That...sounds an awful lot like...]

Yoo haff a thon?!

[A FIFTEEN YEAR OLD SON??? Pardon the full mouth but he really can't help but jump to conclusions, especially when she's never told him her brother's name.]

[gunslingerqueen]

Wh - Oh, no! No, no, no!

[You have completely misunderstood Boxer, let's reverse this for a second!] He's my little brother! He goes to a private boarding school at the edge of the city!

[And then she ... Kind of bursts out laughing.] Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I just - [Wait, let her giggle some more.] I wasn't thinking!

[Granted Nathan might as well be her son, considering how things have gone down but that's a technicality that doesn't need to be mentioned right away.]