I guess so, but the reason it isn't my career is because I didn't feel very confident in my own skills.
[So in a sense she has to face her own inadequacies with her hobby-once-dream.] Everyone was so much better than me, and even with Lena pushing me I couldn't seem to catch up. [She leads him back out into the hallway, there's a bathroom just off to one side and a storage closet, so the best point of interest is her room.]
I got into my own head, and I couldn't handle it.
[So she found something else to do! It wasn't as emotionally fulfilling, but it was still fun and engaging. It just didn't work her brain as much as engineering did.
It's difficult to step into Nariko's room without noticing her bed - it's huge, much more suited to two people than just one, well covered in deep red and an off white color. It's a theme that carries through most of the room, with the exception of her full on, old school vanity, a tiny reading corner, and a walk-in closet. A good deal of her impressive wardrobe is visible since she left the door open before leaving. But the real star of Nariko's bedroom is the little balcony. It's not too much of one since they're on the lower end of her building's height, but the glass doors are big enough that even Boxer can roll right on through to the outside, where she's got a nice set of patio furniture.
The view itself is kind of interesting, at the top the city had seemed small, but from here it's the definition of a concrete jungle, all looming buildings and patchwork noises. Since it's not too cold, sitting outside might not be so bad.]
And this is why I deal with having an abnormally small door.
[Because her weird apartment has a cool balcony, and she spends an awful lot of time out here on her days off.]
Maybe you'll have to spend some time in mine, then.
[There's no double entendre here. Just some general "I want to spend more time with you" flirting.]
Woah...
[He loves it!]
It's like you've got your own tank!
[Instead of bubbles and sea plants, she's got concrete and glass, and the perfect people-watching spot! And it's not too high up, either--Boxer can feel like he's high up without the anxiety kicking in, which is really awesome.]
You really do have a nice place here, doors aside.
[And a bed he could fit on too!]
I could spend a whole day in here.
[View and vanity and study--gosh, this place is cool]
I'm glad you think so! I'm not sure I could another apartment with a view that's just right, so I haven't been able to let go of this one. [It's kind of old, she's outgrown it in a lot of ways, but it's still too difficult to leave. Who knows, maybe something in the future will push the decision.]
It's relaxing to be so close to it all. [Even when she's alone it doesn't feel like it, and while that could be stifling to some types of people it's a comfort to Nariko. With her cup in hand she plops into her favorite seat, there's more than enough room for Boxer to join if he'd like.]
So, I kind of wanted to ask you before, but I didn't want to seem nosy.
[Or like a jerk.] Did you ever consider doing something else?
[He could have been anything, despite the lack of clear parentage.]
[Not sex-intimate, personal-intimate with the city. He's very jealous, but he has the same relationship with New Cloudbank's coast so it's not too bad. And he'll join her on that seat, actually, crawling out of his wheelchair and cuddling up to her and her warm tea.]
Was pretty fond of fighting until I got too big to fit in the ring.
[Figuratively speaking.]
But I've always loved the water, so that's what I stuck with. I know a lot of monsters put in a lot of effort to pursue interests that aren't always convenient for their abilities...so sometimes I feel like I picked the easy way out. Never had to go to school...never had to study...
[He really does have some self-confidence issues here. He doesn't realize that the effort it takes to spend so much time on land when his body wasn't made for it isn't the kind of effort any other sea-dwelling monsterkind are willing to put in, which is why he has the contracts he does in the first place.]
But I still love it and I make a killing off of it.
[She lets him talk, even though, y'know. He's wrong. Completely wrong. But she can't come out and say it like that! she sips her tea and lets herself lean on him a bit, a companionable gesture more than anything else.]
You didn't have to do those things, no, instead you are literally forcing your body to adapt itself to a foreign environment, right? [He's out here with her right now, he's mentioned going into the administrator building, too.] It seems to me that there's a part of your job that plays to your strengths, but there's a really good chunk of it that doesn't, and you've done it for a good while without ever complaining or giving up. And it seems like it played out that way because you do love your job and the city.
[She tilts her gaze to look up at him evenly.] I know you might not believe me, but that's just as valid as the fact that I went to school for five years, Boxer.
[There's a snort, there.] Actually you might be cooler, I got to leave college and I won't go back unless someone forces me.
Feel like I'd be missing out if I didn't come up for air every so often. [That's all! But he gets the heart of what she's trying to say, and even though he wouldn't have the self-confidence to make the argument for himself, it feels good that she's so supportive of what he's ended up doing for himself.]
Speaking of which...
[Boxer gently runs the back of a finger over her cheek.]
Would you like to plan for another date?
[Not a lot of first dates end up in one of the involved party's bedroom so he's gonna go out on a limb here and assume they're in the green for #2. Or #3. Whatever.]
If I think about that I have to admit that this one is going to end!
[It's kind of like being excited for the next day, but you still don't want to go to sleep, even knowing it would get you to what you want.
Also, it's #3, right? They certainly rolled around a lot the first time but they actually got to know each other! So it counts!]
Can I go ahead and ask for a total of three more, at least? I mean, even if the other two are technically date loans or something ...
[Look, she likes spending time with him and she's just not going to be very subtle about it, that's kind of the default setting when this sort of comfort and overall attraction is involved.]
[If she could somehow accommodate issue (b) then she would, but the fact of the matter is that her tub is barely big enough for her, let alone Boxer. All she's got is her mattress and she doesn't want him to wake up dry or possibly hurt in some kraken-care oriented way.
It's just, y'know, if she does go home with him (again) then does that mean something will happen, are they going to lose the emotional intimacy? Because it's been nice, and it's not something she really wants to jeopardize. But she doesn't want to leave him, either.
Life is fucking difficult, and it sucks.]
Well, I do like your sheets. [In the end she just goes with it, what else can she hope to do, anyway? It wouldn't have come out of her mouth if some other, important aspect of her natural being didn't want this outcome.] And I could maybe cash in on that breakfast.
[Especially since she hasn't been granted the joy of a homemade one in weeks, now.]
I've recently learned how to scramble an egg without setting my stove on fire, if I so much as develop an allergy to them I might have a nervous breakdown.
[And do note that she didn't say 'eggs' but just 'egg'. One egg by itself! Anything more than that and she gets distracted and ends up burning it all. Do you know how exhausting it is to cook eggs one at a time in the morning, Boxer? It's ridiculous.]
Speaking of that, I need to ask you a really stupid, very human question. [And never one to draw out her own suffering she'll just go ahead and pop out with it.] Does it feel weird if you eat sea food?
[Because, yeah, he's a predator and all that, and an incredibly big one at that! But aren't they like ... His distant, much stupider cousins or something ...]
[There's not that much difference between one egg and two...
He might be able to teach her how to cook, but their schedules might not allow it, given that they'll probably choose to spend their time...otherwise. Maybe he could have her help? He has to make an awful lot of food just for himself, after all. It'd make it go a lot faster if he trained her to be his little sous chef.]
If I eat--
[He has to hold back outright laughing. He's mostly successful.]
Nariko, what do you think an apex predator of the deep sea would usually eat?
[Her attention span is questionable at best, which is essentially the problem.
Once she catches a hint of that laugh she pouts at him a bit!!! ] I mean, clams or something! [As if that would begin to sate a man with such a big frame.] I mean, so is it kind of like humans eating cows, then?
[Mostly she's just trying to understand, it's one of those little things that keeps sticking out no matter how much she tries to bury it in the back of her head.]
[As if anything will distract her from getting his attention...if you know what I mean.]
Pretty sure the most clam I'll be eating is yours in a little while.
[Oho! See what he did there? He tries to make it sound as sleazy as possible just to make it clear he isn't just hitting on her for the sake of hitting on her.]
I guess so. I'll eat almost anything that moves in the water, though. Even the poisonous ones.
[Not that the Portuguese man-o-war is like, exceptionally tasty or something, but he has and he will because he can.]
That was bad, and you should feel bad. [Except she still can't help but laugh at calling a vagina a clam. It's so ridiculous she can't take it seriously, so it's a good thing he wasn't actually trying to initiate something! And while the knowledge that he eats poisonous things is a little scary (no wonder he needs three hearts, if one stops for a while the other two can revive it!) that he eats calamari is just ...
It's just ...
She reaches down to grab a tentacle and hold it to her chest. Let her love you, Rudalfo.]
That - How is that okay.
[It's not!!! Poor tentacles. The only way she can really understand this is to literally imagine eating a human arm or something which is pretty horrifying!]
[... Okay that makes sense but she clearly struggles to accept it because she's just that stubborn. And she's beginning to catch onto the fact that he's awful, while simultaneously admitting to herself that she likes it in him. Rudalfo gets a kiss before she says anything.]
Fine. I mean, it's not like I thought you sang 'Under the Sea' with the marine life or anything, but ...
[But she'd never had cause to think about it, so the whole thing felt weirdly fantastical.] As long as no one tries to eat you, it's fine.
[It's not exactly possible given the depth of her skin tone but if she could, Nariko would have blanched in that moment. That he can grow them back isn't concerning or even particularly upsetting, it's that -]
Why would anyone want to?
[While it stands to reason that there are less pleasant ocean denizens the bay is too populated for that kind of violence, right? That's ... Sort of what she'd always figured. Actually, it falls back into the 'never had to think about it' category.]
You know, I'm really glad that you have multiple organs, now!
This world isn't full of only good people. The fighting wasn't just a hobby back then.
[If you're picking up what he's putting down.]
I started my life in New Cloudbank when I crawled up on the coast. There were lots of people who helped. But there were plenty of people who wanted to take advantage of a young monsterkind, too.
[She knows that, but most people have to deal with shitty individuals who betray them or do some underhanded shit. Rare is the human individual that has to come onto the scene constantly fighting, defending, and protecting themselves every moment until they established themselves. It's kind of a big difference.]
So, why ... [No, that's not the right way to say it, so she goes for another approach.]
So, you must have gotten used to being alone, then.
I was already alone, if you want to look at it that way. I never spoke to a person until I found my way here. All my interactions with life up until that point were fight-or-flight.
[You know, it's probably better to just come out with it.]
You're a pretty charming for a guy that's so isolated, Boxer.
[And it did strike her as a little bit odd, because of the misconception that loner-ish types were awkward and didn't enjoy engaging with other people. And also because, well, he seemed entirely on his own even now. He probably had coworkers and she didn't doubt that he tended to meet people similar to how he'd run into her but it didn't seem as if any of them had stuck in his life.
So, yeah, he was incredibly warm and personable for someone who had been alone for so long.]
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[So in a sense she has to face her own inadequacies with her hobby-once-dream.] Everyone was so much better than me, and even with Lena pushing me I couldn't seem to catch up. [She leads him back out into the hallway, there's a bathroom just off to one side and a storage closet, so the best point of interest is her room.]
I got into my own head, and I couldn't handle it.
[So she found something else to do! It wasn't as emotionally fulfilling, but it was still fun and engaging. It just didn't work her brain as much as engineering did.
It's difficult to step into Nariko's room without noticing her bed - it's huge, much more suited to two people than just one, well covered in deep red and an off white color. It's a theme that carries through most of the room, with the exception of her full on, old school vanity, a tiny reading corner, and a walk-in closet. A good deal of her impressive wardrobe is visible since she left the door open before leaving. But the real star of Nariko's bedroom is the little balcony. It's not too much of one since they're on the lower end of her building's height, but the glass doors are big enough that even Boxer can roll right on through to the outside, where she's got a nice set of patio furniture.
The view itself is kind of interesting, at the top the city had seemed small, but from here it's the definition of a concrete jungle, all looming buildings and patchwork noises. Since it's not too cold, sitting outside might not be so bad.]
And this is why I deal with having an abnormally small door.
[Because her weird apartment has a cool balcony, and she spends an awful lot of time out here on her days off.]
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[There's no double entendre here. Just some general "I want to spend more time with you" flirting.]
Woah...
[He loves it!]
It's like you've got your own tank!
[Instead of bubbles and sea plants, she's got concrete and glass, and the perfect people-watching spot! And it's not too high up, either--Boxer can feel like he's high up without the anxiety kicking in, which is really awesome.]
You really do have a nice place here, doors aside.
[And a bed he could fit on too!]
I could spend a whole day in here.
[View and vanity and study--gosh, this place is cool]
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It's relaxing to be so close to it all. [Even when she's alone it doesn't feel like it, and while that could be stifling to some types of people it's a comfort to Nariko. With her cup in hand she plops into her favorite seat, there's more than enough room for Boxer to join if he'd like.]
So, I kind of wanted to ask you before, but I didn't want to seem nosy.
[Or like a jerk.] Did you ever consider doing something else?
[He could have been anything, despite the lack of clear parentage.]
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[Not sex-intimate, personal-intimate with the city. He's very jealous, but he has the same relationship with New Cloudbank's coast so it's not too bad. And he'll join her on that seat, actually, crawling out of his wheelchair and cuddling up to her and her warm tea.]
Was pretty fond of fighting until I got too big to fit in the ring.
[Figuratively speaking.]
But I've always loved the water, so that's what I stuck with. I know a lot of monsters put in a lot of effort to pursue interests that aren't always convenient for their abilities...so sometimes I feel like I picked the easy way out. Never had to go to school...never had to study...
[He really does have some self-confidence issues here. He doesn't realize that the effort it takes to spend so much time on land when his body wasn't made for it isn't the kind of effort any other sea-dwelling monsterkind are willing to put in, which is why he has the contracts he does in the first place.]
But I still love it and I make a killing off of it.
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You didn't have to do those things, no, instead you are literally forcing your body to adapt itself to a foreign environment, right? [He's out here with her right now, he's mentioned going into the administrator building, too.] It seems to me that there's a part of your job that plays to your strengths, but there's a really good chunk of it that doesn't, and you've done it for a good while without ever complaining or giving up. And it seems like it played out that way because you do love your job and the city.
[She tilts her gaze to look up at him evenly.] I know you might not believe me, but that's just as valid as the fact that I went to school for five years, Boxer.
[There's a snort, there.] Actually you might be cooler, I got to leave college and I won't go back unless someone forces me.
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Feel like I'd be missing out if I didn't come up for air every so often. [That's all! But he gets the heart of what she's trying to say, and even though he wouldn't have the self-confidence to make the argument for himself, it feels good that she's so supportive of what he's ended up doing for himself.]
Speaking of which...
[Boxer gently runs the back of a finger over her cheek.]
Would you like to plan for another date?
[Not a lot of first dates end up in one of the involved party's bedroom so he's gonna go out on a limb here and assume they're in the green for #2. Or #3. Whatever.]
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[It's kind of like being excited for the next day, but you still don't want to go to sleep, even knowing it would get you to what you want.
Also, it's #3, right? They certainly rolled around a lot the first time but they actually got to know each other! So it counts!]
Can I go ahead and ask for a total of three more, at least? I mean, even if the other two are technically date loans or something ...
[Look, she likes spending time with him and she's just not going to be very subtle about it, that's kind of the default setting when this sort of comfort and overall attraction is involved.]
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[Boxer prods her side playfully.]
I was gonna propose--this one doesn't have to end tonight. You can spend the night with me again if you really like my sheets that much.
[He'd ask if he could stay here, but (a) he's not going to invite himself and (b) he kind of needs water to sleep.]
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It's just, y'know, if she does go home with him (again) then does that mean something will happen, are they going to lose the emotional intimacy? Because it's been nice, and it's not something she really wants to jeopardize. But she doesn't want to leave him, either.
Life is fucking difficult, and it sucks.]
Well, I do like your sheets. [In the end she just goes with it, what else can she hope to do, anyway? It wouldn't have come out of her mouth if some other, important aspect of her natural being didn't want this outcome.] And I could maybe cash in on that breakfast.
[Especially since she hasn't been granted the joy of a homemade one in weeks, now.]
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Yesss.
[He pumps his fist as if in victory, then rubs his hands together as if scheming something devious!]
Oh--you don't have any food allergies, do you?
[Please don't break his heart and say yes.]
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Absolutely none. But now I have to wonder why you're so concerned.
[What is he planning that might make him think of possible allergies to begin with?]
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[He gives a benign shrug.]
It's for future reference too.
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[And do note that she didn't say 'eggs' but just 'egg'. One egg by itself! Anything more than that and she gets distracted and ends up burning it all. Do you know how exhausting it is to cook eggs one at a time in the morning, Boxer? It's ridiculous.]
Speaking of that, I need to ask you a really stupid, very human question. [And never one to draw out her own suffering she'll just go ahead and pop out with it.] Does it feel weird if you eat sea food?
[Because, yeah, he's a predator and all that, and an incredibly big one at that! But aren't they like ... His distant, much stupider cousins or something ...]
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He might be able to teach her how to cook, but their schedules might not allow it, given that they'll probably choose to spend their time...otherwise. Maybe he could have her help? He has to make an awful lot of food just for himself, after all. It'd make it go a lot faster if he trained her to be his little sous chef.]
If I eat--
[He has to hold back outright laughing. He's mostly successful.]
Nariko, what do you think an apex predator of the deep sea would usually eat?
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Once she catches a hint of that laugh she pouts at him a bit!!! ] I mean, clams or something! [As if that would begin to sate a man with such a big frame.] I mean, so is it kind of like humans eating cows, then?
[Mostly she's just trying to understand, it's one of those little things that keeps sticking out no matter how much she tries to bury it in the back of her head.]
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Pretty sure the most clam I'll be eating is yours in a little while.
[Oho! See what he did there? He tries to make it sound as sleazy as possible just to make it clear he isn't just hitting on her for the sake of hitting on her.]
I guess so. I'll eat almost anything that moves in the water, though. Even the poisonous ones.
[Not that the Portuguese man-o-war is like, exceptionally tasty or something, but he has and he will because he can.]
Hell, I even eat calamari. I love calamari.
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It's just ...
She reaches down to grab a tentacle and hold it to her chest. Let her love you, Rudalfo.]
That - How is that okay.
[It's not!!! Poor tentacles. The only way she can really understand this is to literally imagine eating a human arm or something which is pretty horrifying!]
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Oh no, the christening has already begun? Rudalfo caresses her cheek affectionately while she hugs it.]
Nariko! They eat each other all the time! It's like--
[What's it like...]
Humans eating pigs. It's not like people make calamari out of kraken! The muscle is too tough to eat.
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Fine. I mean, it's not like I thought you sang 'Under the Sea' with the marine life or anything, but ...
[But she'd never had cause to think about it, so the whole thing felt weirdly fantastical.] As long as no one tries to eat you, it's fine.
[Or at the very least she'll get used to it.]
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[Yeah, he's being very awful tonight.]
If someone did manage to lop one of mine off, though...it'd grow back. Not that I'm planning to let anyone get close enough to do that.
[Because he knows she's gonna be a little shocked at that little tidbit of information.]
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Why would anyone want to?
[While it stands to reason that there are less pleasant ocean denizens the bay is too populated for that kind of violence, right? That's ... Sort of what she'd always figured. Actually, it falls back into the 'never had to think about it' category.]
You know, I'm really glad that you have multiple organs, now!
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[If you're picking up what he's putting down.]
I started my life in New Cloudbank when I crawled up on the coast. There were lots of people who helped. But there were plenty of people who wanted to take advantage of a young monsterkind, too.
[Multiple organs indeed.]
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So, why ... [No, that's not the right way to say it, so she goes for another approach.]
So, you must have gotten used to being alone, then.
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[Mostly fight. Mostly eat.]
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You're a pretty charming for a guy that's so isolated, Boxer.
[And it did strike her as a little bit odd, because of the misconception that loner-ish types were awkward and didn't enjoy engaging with other people. And also because, well, he seemed entirely on his own even now. He probably had coworkers and she didn't doubt that he tended to meet people similar to how he'd run into her but it didn't seem as if any of them had stuck in his life.
So, yeah, he was incredibly warm and personable for someone who had been alone for so long.]
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oops, meant to write "without"
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have i been gone for long enough? smh
ahhhhhhhhhh!!! YOU CAME BACK such joy ;_;
i can't promise i'll be even remotely as active as i used to be but i have missed this terribly
that's cool we can take it one thread at a time if that's easier -- are you doing okay tho?
how could i ever choose though? also: yes!
ehh will start here and wing it. And good!
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