[He doesn't know what they're headed to looks like, so there's a little anticipating building the longer it takes to get there. Might as well discuss something instead of building anxiety.]
Hey...what got you into architecture, anyway?
[He's always been fascinated by people, their careers, and the choices they made to end them up where the did.]
I didn't think I could make it in fashion, I don't like things that are over the top or stupidly dramatic for their own sake.
[Which is not to say she doesn't like dramatic or over the top - she really, really does. But New Cloudbank really has a weird relationship with the idea of clothing and grandeur. It's kind of a mess.] So I went with my second love: Building things! It doesn't matter if it's a building or a tiny robot or something, putting pieces in to make a bigger thing is just fun.
[She shrugs, though he probably can't see it.] And I figured that if I was going to do that I'd rather go with something that could be useful to the city, and architecture just sort of fit just right!
[Ah, he could listen to her talk about her passion for hours. Building things, huh? Why is he fantasizing about being locked in on a rainy day and doing one of those super complicated puzzles with her...?
[Because that would be incredibly fun, and he could laugh at how much she over thinks littler things like that, and it'd be a great day overall. They could be a giant blanket burrito together and there'd be tea and snacks.]
I was learning how to! I always said I'd get back into it as a hobby but then work ate up most of my life, and I don't have room for that kind of stuff.
[She waves a hand.] They're not like full on androids or whatever, just little things you could maybe control with a phone or something.
[Puzzles, tea, snacks, and blanket burritos sounds like a dream date if he's ever heard one. Maybe after taking a rain-soaked swim in the bay, where they can watch the twinkle of building lights in the blue-grey distance...courtesy of yours truly.]
That's still awesome. Do you have any projects from the past that you could show me? Even if they're not finished...
[Maybe--maybe he can even help her get back into it as a hobby?]
[That really does sound perfect, the next time it rains they'll have to make it into a whole thing.]
Sure! I had to throw away a lot of the big stuff when I ended up sharing my apartment but there are some little projects left over!
[Hm. Come to think of it, Boxer's the first person to encourage a hobby that didn't have to do with work - well, Lena had too but she didn't exactly count.] My apartment isn't that far off from where we're going! If you don't mind dealing with my front door I could just show you tonight!
Kind ... of? [She feels bad admitting it.] To be fair it's a weirdly narrow door to begin with, I got the corner place because it had the nicer view but it came with a weird price. [Weirdly vaulted ceilings and the slightly-too-small-door were a few of them. When she got the place at eighteen it seemed quirky and fun!!
Her feelings about the place have changed with time.]
I'm sort of worried you'd have to turn yourself to the side and then bring the chair in somehow.
[She's so fucking mad at her apartment right now.]
[He's only being reasonable and yet she can't help pouting and being a tad hissy at the existing doors, and all the ones she's helped install that would still be too small for him. Yes, New Cloudbank will go through a miniature facelift in the very near future.]
You're right, I know.
[She points to a building with its exterior in place, the only signs of its construction were the tape that said as much, the signs, and the complete lack of landscaping around it.] Besides, we're here!
[So they should probably get through this before being worried about anything else!]
[He faces forward to look at what she's presenting. All seems fine until he looks...upward, towards the highest floor of the building.
He swallows hard.]
It's gorgeous.
[First things first--this is something she designed, and it really is a beautiful building. Lots of fit-minded people are going to look forward to giving their patronage here.]
[It's arguably one of her better designs, though it was one that was influenced by a few people in her office - a bit of a group effort, which is maybe why she can't feel personally accomplished in any real sense. Maybe when it's finished, inside and out, but not now.]
Thank you. [Perfection aside, he's still being sweet despite how vaguely terrified he looks.] But don't look at the top.
[It's fifty-nine stories, just right to look at the city from a sort of level viewpoint, though not quite tall enough to loom over it. The easy part is getting inside since they've already finished and dried the ramp, though there isn't any railing just yet. If Boxer happens to notice that she's wheeling a little more slowly it's because she's trying to give him time to back out of this.]
[He lets out a self-depreciatory chuckle and slouches a little. He's trying to be brave, for her, so he can enjoy something she worked hard on. And he makes it as far as the elevator, which--thanks to its newness--doesn't creak under his weight, before looking at Nariko and groping around for her hand.]
[No, thankfully the elevator was very well made, and incredibly prepared to handle most weights that might be otherwise unheard of. But when he reaches for her hand she takes it, and only reaches over with her free one to press the shiny, clean 59 button before his hand goes in both of hers.]
Deep breathes. [She tilts her hand.] And communication.
[Because she doesn't exactly have bags on hand, so he's really gonna have to let her know if he starts to feel too sick.
But up they're going! Surprisingly quick, despite the lack of motion.]
[Both of them know that panic doesn't come from the front on him, the bags would be useless anyway.]
I'll be fine as long as I can communicate.
[In other words, if he completely clams up and becomes unresponsive, it's time to bring him back down. It's helpful that he can't really feel the momentum of the elevator, but there's a gland in his head designed to detect elevation and it is not happy right now. Boxer squeezes her hands gently.]
[Oh, that's true! Somehow she completely forgot about that.
She doesn't squeeze back too much, not only because her grip probably isn't strong enough to be comforting in the first place, but because she's sort of petting the back of his palm the way she used to do when Nathan would fuss in his sleep. Which isn't to say there's any real connection there aside from it being a sort of comfort reflex.
A little more, and a little more and then ... They're there. But she keeps the door from opening.]
Hey, Boxer, on a scale of one to ten, how much do you like my boobs?
[She's going somewhere with this, just be patient.]
He's in the middle of staring at the closed doors with the anticipation of expecting them to open to, like, an open cliffside or something, if his wide-eyed facial expression is any indication. But it doesn't open, and she says something that it takes him a delayed second to process. He looks up at her, and despite his efforts, he can't really tone down his panicked look.]
Um, t-ten?
[Not that he's trying to kissass right now, but stuck on the precipice of fight-or-flight, there's no other acceptable answer.]
[He could have said eight and she wouldn't have been insulted! It feels like he's more of a hip guy, anyway. But now that she's asked the question Nariko reaches back to pull open the ties around her neck that hold her dress together. It tumbles off like nothing and she steps out of it carefully, folds it over and puts that and her clutch on Boxer's lap. She bends a bit to put her stuff in his lap.]
Now, hold onto that, please [She stands upright in her solid white bra and lace panties.] and focus on these.
[The boobs, of course. Honestly if something else works better then he's free to go with that.]
The look on his face almost makes it look like he's a high school freshman that's getting to see his first pair of tits in person, but it's really a combination of excitement and nervous anxiety. He holds her discarded dress and clutch very obediently, as if they were small precious treasures given for a giant of a beast to protect with the gentlest of grasps.
His eyes are on her face briefly before going down to her breasts when instructed.
And for the record, Boxer is an ass man, through and through. But her tits are literally perfect, so there. But the alternative option will make itself apparent the moment she turns around.]
[She does have to glance over her shoulder a bit to get the button, but sure enough the elevator opens up and she steps back, motioning for him to roll himself forward, so maybe he'll have to put her stuff to the side, or trust it to remain balanced on his lap. Either way, she's mostly just glad that she makes it out without tripping her heels on anything.]
Now, I just want to point out that I didn't originally plan on taking my clothes off this early in our date.
[Not that she really minds, he's already seen everything. A few more steps and then she'll turn around, she has to trust that he can resist the temptation to freak himself out by looking around the incredibly wait, bare space of the top floor. It's not going to help that there's glass walls all around, which makes for a great view! Not so great for people with a fear of heights.]
For some reason, I can't find it in me to complain.
[It's a welcome distraction, and because his heart is pounding so hard he'll find himself with an erection much sooner and easier than expected, but it's easily ignored. Not like she's going to notice the addition of another tentacle when they're all packaged away.
He manages to get his hands on his wheels, but it takes a while for him to get the courage to push himself forward. Eventually, he manages to push himself out of the elevator. Boxer gets a little concerned when the doors close behind him, and despite his effort and progress, he doesn't seem relieved or self-congratulatory at all.]
[Well, he's genuinely scared to death of this so she'd be a little surprised if he could be at all relieved by just the first step - or even an all out victory. Fears are too complicated for instant gratification even if it's completely valid.
But since he's doing a very good job of focusing, and he's still talking she does dare to turn around, making sure to slide her hair out of the way and to the front. At least that way he has a complete view from her neckline to the ends of her heels, enjoy the sight of that ass, Boxer, moving as if in perfect slow motion.]
It's good to know I haven't lost your interest.
[She's just talking for the sake of it, Nariko's far more concerned with getting to the goal - she figured it might be good to start with halfway to the window and see how he does. They can scale back or move forward a little depending on how it goes.]
[Yep. Definitely has Goldie hanging out in there.]
Don't think you ever will.
[Eyes are totally trained directly on her ass, and he can't help but think about how much better he'd feel if he could get his hands all over those deliciously voluptuous mounds.
They bounce, he notices. There's a little bounce every time she takes a step in those heels. Delicious, slow motion jiggles. How has he not noticed this before?
Just like how he doesn't notice that he has managed to make it to the half-way point to the windows without any trouble.]
[The power of an intensely curvaceous body, at work!]
And thankfully it's the same for you, handsome.
[There's a whole hell of a lot of him to love and explore! It's a very good thing. But now he gets the profile view so that he can take in the lights, the view of the bay, the buildings ... All of it. But she also makes sure that she's right next to him so he can get a hold of her if he needs a physical anger, clothes or not.]
Boxer doesn't look at the view as soon as she turns, it takes him a while to warm up to the idea. But when he does, there's an awkward, audible breath before he reaches out to take Nariko's arm.
But he's doing okay.]
It's...beautiful up here.
[He's terrified, but it's beautiful. He wishes he could just enjoy it for what it is, though.]
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no subject
Hey...what got you into architecture, anyway?
[He's always been fascinated by people, their careers, and the choices they made to end them up where the did.]
no subject
[Which is not to say she doesn't like dramatic or over the top - she really, really does. But New Cloudbank really has a weird relationship with the idea of clothing and grandeur. It's kind of a mess.] So I went with my second love: Building things! It doesn't matter if it's a building or a tiny robot or something, putting pieces in to make a bigger thing is just fun.
[She shrugs, though he probably can't see it.] And I figured that if I was going to do that I'd rather go with something that could be useful to the city, and architecture just sort of fit just right!
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...Wait. Hold on.]
You can make robots too?
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I was learning how to! I always said I'd get back into it as a hobby but then work ate up most of my life, and I don't have room for that kind of stuff.
[She waves a hand.] They're not like full on androids or whatever, just little things you could maybe control with a phone or something.
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That's still awesome. Do you have any projects from the past that you could show me? Even if they're not finished...
[Maybe--maybe he can even help her get back into it as a hobby?]
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Sure! I had to throw away a lot of the big stuff when I ended up sharing my apartment but there are some little projects left over!
[Hm. Come to think of it, Boxer's the first person to encourage a hobby that didn't have to do with work - well, Lena had too but she didn't exactly count.] My apartment isn't that far off from where we're going! If you don't mind dealing with my front door I could just show you tonight!
[It's amazing what a little support can do.]
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[Normally he can make it work in moments of desperation, but dressed like this, his tentacles are basically disabled...]
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Her feelings about the place have changed with time.]
I'm sort of worried you'd have to turn yourself to the side and then bring the chair in somehow.
[She's so fucking mad at her apartment right now.]
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Hah! It's okay, Nariko. I don't take it personally that this city wasn't designed for kraken bodies in mind.
[But she's an architect, and she's got a kraken body on the mind all the time...he suspects that he'll be seeing changes to this city's doorframes.]
We'll figure it out when we get there. It'll be no big deal.
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You're right, I know.
[She points to a building with its exterior in place, the only signs of its construction were the tape that said as much, the signs, and the complete lack of landscaping around it.] Besides, we're here!
[So they should probably get through this before being worried about anything else!]
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[He faces forward to look at what she's presenting. All seems fine until he looks...upward, towards the highest floor of the building.
He swallows hard.]
It's gorgeous.
[First things first--this is something she designed, and it really is a beautiful building. Lots of fit-minded people are going to look forward to giving their patronage here.]
no subject
Thank you. [Perfection aside, he's still being sweet despite how vaguely terrified he looks.] But don't look at the top.
[It's fifty-nine stories, just right to look at the city from a sort of level viewpoint, though not quite tall enough to loom over it. The easy part is getting inside since they've already finished and dried the ramp, though there isn't any railing just yet. If Boxer happens to notice that she's wheeling a little more slowly it's because she's trying to give him time to back out of this.]
no subject
[He lets out a self-depreciatory chuckle and slouches a little. He's trying to be brave, for her, so he can enjoy something she worked hard on. And he makes it as far as the elevator, which--thanks to its newness--doesn't creak under his weight, before looking at Nariko and groping around for her hand.]
no subject
Deep breathes. [She tilts her hand.] And communication.
[Because she doesn't exactly have bags on hand, so he's really gonna have to let her know if he starts to feel too sick.
But up they're going! Surprisingly quick, despite the lack of motion.]
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I'll be fine as long as I can communicate.
[In other words, if he completely clams up and becomes unresponsive, it's time to bring him back down. It's helpful that he can't really feel the momentum of the elevator, but there's a gland in his head designed to detect elevation and it is not happy right now. Boxer squeezes her hands gently.]
no subject
She doesn't squeeze back too much, not only because her grip probably isn't strong enough to be comforting in the first place, but because she's sort of petting the back of his palm the way she used to do when Nathan would fuss in his sleep. Which isn't to say there's any real connection there aside from it being a sort of comfort reflex.
A little more, and a little more and then ... They're there. But she keeps the door from opening.]
Hey, Boxer, on a scale of one to ten, how much do you like my boobs?
[She's going somewhere with this, just be patient.]
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He's in the middle of staring at the closed doors with the anticipation of expecting them to open to, like, an open cliffside or something, if his wide-eyed facial expression is any indication. But it doesn't open, and she says something that it takes him a delayed second to process. He looks up at her, and despite his efforts, he can't really tone down his panicked look.]
Um, t-ten?
[Not that he's trying to kissass right now, but stuck on the precipice of fight-or-flight, there's no other acceptable answer.]
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[He could have said eight and she wouldn't have been insulted! It feels like he's more of a hip guy, anyway. But now that she's asked the question Nariko reaches back to pull open the ties around her neck that hold her dress together. It tumbles off like nothing and she steps out of it carefully, folds it over and puts that and her clutch on Boxer's lap. She bends a bit to put her stuff in his lap.]
Now, hold onto that, please [She stands upright in her solid white bra and lace panties.] and focus on these.
[The boobs, of course. Honestly if something else works better then he's free to go with that.]
no subject
The look on his face almost makes it look like he's a high school freshman that's getting to see his first pair of tits in person, but it's really a combination of excitement and nervous anxiety. He holds her discarded dress and clutch very obediently, as if they were small precious treasures given for a giant of a beast to protect with the gentlest of grasps.
His eyes are on her face briefly before going down to her breasts when instructed.
And for the record, Boxer is an ass man, through and through. But her tits are literally perfect, so there. But the alternative option will make itself apparent the moment she turns around.]
no subject
[She does have to glance over her shoulder a bit to get the button, but sure enough the elevator opens up and she steps back, motioning for him to roll himself forward, so maybe he'll have to put her stuff to the side, or trust it to remain balanced on his lap. Either way, she's mostly just glad that she makes it out without tripping her heels on anything.]
Now, I just want to point out that I didn't originally plan on taking my clothes off this early in our date.
[Not that she really minds, he's already seen everything. A few more steps and then she'll turn around, she has to trust that he can resist the temptation to freak himself out by looking around the incredibly wait, bare space of the top floor. It's not going to help that there's glass walls all around, which makes for a great view! Not so great for people with a fear of heights.]
no subject
[It's a welcome distraction, and because his heart is pounding so hard he'll find himself with an erection much sooner and easier than expected, but it's easily ignored. Not like she's going to notice the addition of another tentacle when they're all packaged away.
He manages to get his hands on his wheels, but it takes a while for him to get the courage to push himself forward. Eventually, he manages to push himself out of the elevator. Boxer gets a little concerned when the doors close behind him, and despite his effort and progress, he doesn't seem relieved or self-congratulatory at all.]
no subject
But since he's doing a very good job of focusing, and he's still talking she does dare to turn around, making sure to slide her hair out of the way and to the front. At least that way he has a complete view from her neckline to the ends of her heels, enjoy the sight of that ass, Boxer, moving as if in perfect slow motion.]
It's good to know I haven't lost your interest.
[She's just talking for the sake of it, Nariko's far more concerned with getting to the goal - she figured it might be good to start with halfway to the window and see how he does. They can scale back or move forward a little depending on how it goes.]
no subject
Don't think you ever will.
[Eyes are totally trained directly on her ass, and he can't help but think about how much better he'd feel if he could get his hands all over those deliciously voluptuous mounds.
They bounce, he notices. There's a little bounce every time she takes a step in those heels. Delicious, slow motion jiggles. How has he not noticed this before?
Just like how he doesn't notice that he has managed to make it to the half-way point to the windows without any trouble.]
no subject
And thankfully it's the same for you, handsome.
[There's a whole hell of a lot of him to love and explore! It's a very good thing. But now he gets the profile view so that he can take in the lights, the view of the bay, the buildings ... All of it. But she also makes sure that she's right next to him so he can get a hold of her if he needs a physical anger, clothes or not.]
no subject
Boxer doesn't look at the view as soon as she turns, it takes him a while to warm up to the idea. But when he does, there's an awkward, audible breath before he reaches out to take Nariko's arm.
But he's doing okay.]
It's...beautiful up here.
[He's terrified, but it's beautiful. He wishes he could just enjoy it for what it is, though.]
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