[ It was easy enough finding where she was, after all they had been neighbours no matter how briefly it was. He did make it a point to clean up, not because he really expected anything but because it was the decent thing to do. He'd heard it all before and he wasn't going to take a chance that he'd make things worse by smelling weird.
He did hesitate for a moment before ringing her bell, nervously shifting from one foot to the other while he waited. It's fine, he'd helped out plenty of friends before and this wasn't all that different. ]
[Kokoro knew he was coming. But that didn't stop her from jumping a bit in surprise.]
Just a minute!
[OK, she looked cute as usual. The fox ears were new, but they didn't bother her hairstyle over much (how hard was it to mess up a ponytail?). She gave herself a clenched-teeth smile in the mirror and slapped her cheeks a couple of times to embolden herself. Everything was going to be fine.
She opened the door and tried to ignore the feeling that her ears were moving.]
[ Her greeting was met with a partial wave and a smile, something that would help ease the apprehensive tension between the both of them. This almost felt like some kind of blind date, or half blind date maybe? He didn't know what to classify it as... ]
Yeah, no problem, it's rough at first and I was lucky enough to have a few good people here to help me out. You need that too.
[ The twitch of her ears was charming, unable to help reaching out to playfully pinch the tip of one as he let out a huff of a laugh. ]
[She flushed pink. The ear he pinched twitched under his fingers.]
Yeah, I can definitely understand how not having anyone would be A Problem. Um, come in. Do you want anything to drink? I have juice and water. And aloe juice. I don't drink soda, so... sorry if you like that.
[There was no way she was going to break her diet. Her coach would absolutely murder her.
Still, she stepped away from the door to let him in. The benefit to being a yuki-onna was at least that you didn't get sweaty. Or nervous sweaty, thank God.]
[ He released the pressure on the tip of her ear, shaking his head just a little before stepping past her to get a look at the living room. All the places were the same essentially, but somehow he'd never seen any two look alike. He didn't turn to face her when he spoke again, not because he couldn't himself but because he thought it would be easier for her. ]
Look, I just want to clear something up first, okay? I'm not here to take advantage, so I don't want you to think that you have to be extra careful or think of me any differently. I'm here to help however you feel comfortable with, got it?
[ He had a feeling that she knew that already but somehow it still managed to be a relief for him as well. So long as Kokoro knew that she was calling the shots, he was fine, that was the important thing. ]
[Unsurprisingly, her living room was actually very neat and clean, in green and white with accents of pink. A volleyball was in a chair next to the couch, but that really was the only outlier.]
No, I know you're not.
[OK, maybe she worried about it a little. But just a little, OK!? A girl had to be careful - which was absolutely her mother over her shoulder warning her. Sorry, Mista.]
Anyway, I decided if you were, I'd pop your head like a melon with my thighs. But you're a pretty neat person, so...
[ Wait, what did she say? What the hell had she said? If he'd heard it right there was a part of him that was mildly scared and another part that was intrigued. He knew it wasn't the right way to describe it, not even a little bit and the fact that he was trying to tell himself to use a different word was confirmation enough.
Was it weird that the thought that was kind of hot? Maybe, maybe not but thinking about it more and being frozen in that silence certainly hadn't done anything to keep that deep flush from rising to his cheeks. He didn't mean to wheel around the way that he did, eyes wide and mouth agape but he sure did it. ]
I'm sorry, you decided what?!
[ God, don't ask Mista! What the hell? And for the love of god, don't look at her thighs. Holy shit. ]
[Kokoro closed the door behind him and looked away.]
Nothing! I didn't decide anything!
[Oh God, there's no way he didn't hear, right? Oh noooo. If it was Suguru or Ulf, they would've laughed it off, but he was new. He didn't know that she played so much volleyball that she definitely could do that. You had to have good muscles to jump as high as she did to spike a ball down.]
Y-you definitely said it, I know you said it! Something about popping my head with your...
[ No, no, no, don't say it! Don't think it, Mista! It was too late though, his eyes drifting down to catch a glimpse of her thighs. Holy hell, how had he not noticed before? Had he just been trying to be too polite about it?
He shook his head rather suddenly, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. ]
...sorry, I guess I just imagined it or something...
[ Yeah, it was going to be easier that way, wasn't it? Just pretend like it never happened. ]
[For a few seconds, Kokoro sagged in relief. That's right, they were just not going to bring it up, for both their sakes. Maybe wearing a skirt was not the best idea she'd had, but she'd wanted to be cute.
Oh well, it is what it is.]
Yeah...
[Kokoro laughed weakly. Crisis averted.]
Anyway, um, why don't you take a seat and I'll sit down on the floor. It's weird, but I usually sat that way with some friends of mine back home.
[And it made her feel small, which was an added bonus.]
[ Shit, it was hard not talking about this even if it seemed to be an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't. Mista took in a deep breath, stepping over to the couch to settle on it with a rather inelegant flop.
Sitting on the floor didn't seem all that weird to him, even if he was sure that the couch was a considerable amount more comfortable. Maybe this was another way of dodging the issue? He wasn't going to ask. ]
I'm used to like, cuddling people who watch Norwegian soap operas for fun, but it's kinda forward to to let me sit between your knees like that.
[Suddenly, she had great appreciate for tormenting poor Ulf for the last two years. Ah. Hindsight. Her eyes opened wide in recognition, and she laughed.]
Oh no, poor Ulf. Uh, for now, just take my hand and we'll go from there? Yeah, that sounds good for now.
[ If he were asked about it later, he was admittedly relieved that she was asking for something so simple to start with. Not that he'd expected her to go wild with a request but at least if she needed something more he'd be able to wade in slowly.
It was with a smile and a nod that he reached out and took hold of both of hers. It was a nice point of contact for that first flow of chroma between them, a light flush on his face when he realised that he should probably be talking and not just sitting there. ]
They're... Well, I had to ask Ulf about the storylines pretty often, but the one he watched had all the good tropes. Evil twins, love affairs. A lot of the time I'd ask him what was happening, but half the time I'd just make up my own storyline. Also?
Not a great way to learn a language unless you want to sound dramatic all the time.
[She grinned. Her hands were just a little colder than one might expect from such an active girl. Maybe a lower heart rate.]
[ As far as Mista was concerned the cold could be explained by the fact that she was nervous, even if they didn't feel clammy in the least bit. He couldn't help but nod in response, a soft laugh as he leaned back a little and still held tight to her hands. ]
Yeah, probably not great if you're looking to just learn something a little more conversational. You speak anything else? Norwegian sounds like a bitch of a language to learn, it'd probably be hard if you learned from a book too.
[She thought about it for a moment, thumbs stroking his idly as she concentrated.]
Mmm... not really. Dad teaches me phrases, and then doesn't tell me exactly what they mean, so I could literally be telling someone to fuck all the way off in five languages, instead of like, asking where I am.
Like, I know ciao and bella in Italian, but also... Ti metto un remo in culo e ti sventolo per l’aria. What does that mean? I just don't know. It makes Dad laugh, though.
[ He was definitely focusing a little too much on the way that she was stroking his hands, it was nice and comforting in a way. It was fine just letting her talk, the idle chatter just a soothing as holding hands.
Or it least it had been before she got to that last phrase, Mista shooting bolt upright with a deep flush on his cheeks. ]
[ He was unintelligible for a moment, a chain of Italian mumbling as he tried to sort out his thoughts. He couldn't say something like that to her, right? But she was asking, what was he supposed to do? Just refuse and let some one else be more crass about it later?
No, no, no! He couldn't let that happen, biting down on his lower lip before he let out a heavy sigh. ]
[ Oh, god, really? There were a few more unintelligible noises from Mista before he finally mumbled under his breath. ]
Mannaggia a me...
[ He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as those little nervous beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Why had she gotten so close? Somehow that made it feel like it would have been harder for him to get it out, his gaze shifting to the side as he finally built up his nerve. ]
...look, it's...when you say something like that you're basically telling them that you're going to stuff an oar in their ass and wave them around like...a flag...
[ The more he talked the more he thought he was going to pass out but he'd finally made it to the end. ]
[ It was something of a relief to hear her agree to not use it unless she had to, it wasn't like he could really police what people said but she seemed like such a nice girl. It would have been a shame for her to be ruined by someone's shitty colloquialisms. He leaned back against the couch again, head craning toward the ceiling as he let out that sigh of relief. ]
I mean, I guess you'd just say it when you wanted someone to know that you've got it out for them. It's not like you're supposed to use it literally or anything...
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ It was easy enough finding where she was, after all they had been neighbours no matter how briefly it was. He did make it a point to clean up, not because he really expected anything but because it was the decent thing to do. He'd heard it all before and he wasn't going to take a chance that he'd make things worse by smelling weird.
He did hesitate for a moment before ringing her bell, nervously shifting from one foot to the other while he waited. It's fine, he'd helped out plenty of friends before and this wasn't all that different. ]
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Just a minute!
[OK, she looked cute as usual. The fox ears were new, but they didn't bother her hairstyle over much (how hard was it to mess up a ponytail?). She gave herself a clenched-teeth smile in the mirror and slapped her cheeks a couple of times to embolden herself. Everything was going to be fine.
She opened the door and tried to ignore the feeling that her ears were moving.]
Seriously, thanks for this.
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Yeah, no problem, it's rough at first and I was lucky enough to have a few good people here to help me out. You need that too.
[ The twitch of her ears was charming, unable to help reaching out to playfully pinch the tip of one as he let out a huff of a laugh. ]
...cute.
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[She flushed pink. The ear he pinched twitched under his fingers.]
Yeah, I can definitely understand how not having anyone would be A Problem. Um, come in. Do you want anything to drink? I have juice and water. And aloe juice. I don't drink soda, so... sorry if you like that.
[There was no way she was going to break her diet. Her coach would absolutely murder her.
Still, she stepped away from the door to let him in. The benefit to being a yuki-onna was at least that you didn't get sweaty. Or nervous sweaty, thank God.]
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[ He released the pressure on the tip of her ear, shaking his head just a little before stepping past her to get a look at the living room. All the places were the same essentially, but somehow he'd never seen any two look alike. He didn't turn to face her when he spoke again, not because he couldn't himself but because he thought it would be easier for her. ]
Look, I just want to clear something up first, okay? I'm not here to take advantage, so I don't want you to think that you have to be extra careful or think of me any differently. I'm here to help however you feel comfortable with, got it?
[ He had a feeling that she knew that already but somehow it still managed to be a relief for him as well. So long as Kokoro knew that she was calling the shots, he was fine, that was the important thing. ]
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No, I know you're not.
[OK, maybe she worried about it a little. But just a little, OK!? A girl had to be careful - which was absolutely her mother over her shoulder warning her. Sorry, Mista.]
Anyway, I decided if you were, I'd pop your head like a melon with my thighs. But you're a pretty neat person, so...
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[ Wait, what did she say? What the hell had she said? If he'd heard it right there was a part of him that was mildly scared and another part that was intrigued. He knew it wasn't the right way to describe it, not even a little bit and the fact that he was trying to tell himself to use a different word was confirmation enough.
Was it weird that the thought that was kind of hot? Maybe, maybe not but thinking about it more and being frozen in that silence certainly hadn't done anything to keep that deep flush from rising to his cheeks. He didn't mean to wheel around the way that he did, eyes wide and mouth agape but he sure did it. ]
I'm sorry, you decided what?!
[ God, don't ask Mista! What the hell? And for the love of god, don't look at her thighs. Holy shit. ]
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Nothing! I didn't decide anything!
[Oh God, there's no way he didn't hear, right? Oh noooo. If it was Suguru or Ulf, they would've laughed it off, but he was new. He didn't know that she played so much volleyball that she definitely could do that. You had to have good muscles to jump as high as she did to spike a ball down.]
You didn't hear anything!
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[ No, no, no, don't say it! Don't think it, Mista! It was too late though, his eyes drifting down to catch a glimpse of her thighs. Holy hell, how had he not noticed before? Had he just been trying to be too polite about it?
He shook his head rather suddenly, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. ]
...sorry, I guess I just imagined it or something...
[ Yeah, it was going to be easier that way, wasn't it? Just pretend like it never happened. ]
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Oh well, it is what it is.]
Yeah...
[Kokoro laughed weakly. Crisis averted.]
Anyway, um, why don't you take a seat and I'll sit down on the floor. It's weird, but I usually sat that way with some friends of mine back home.
[And it made her feel small, which was an added bonus.]
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[ Shit, it was hard not talking about this even if it seemed to be an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't. Mista took in a deep breath, stepping over to the couch to settle on it with a rather inelegant flop.
Sitting on the floor didn't seem all that weird to him, even if he was sure that the couch was a considerable amount more comfortable. Maybe this was another way of dodging the issue? He wasn't going to ask. ]
...so what do you wanna do?
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[Suddenly, she had great appreciate for tormenting poor Ulf for the last two years. Ah. Hindsight. Her eyes opened wide in recognition, and she laughed.]
Oh no, poor Ulf. Uh, for now, just take my hand and we'll go from there? Yeah, that sounds good for now.
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[ If he were asked about it later, he was admittedly relieved that she was asking for something so simple to start with. Not that he'd expected her to go wild with a request but at least if she needed something more he'd be able to wade in slowly.
It was with a smile and a nod that he reached out and took hold of both of hers. It was a nice point of contact for that first flow of chroma between them, a light flush on his face when he realised that he should probably be talking and not just sitting there. ]
...so Norwegian soap operas, huh? They any good?
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Not a great way to learn a language unless you want to sound dramatic all the time.
[She grinned. Her hands were just a little colder than one might expect from such an active girl. Maybe a lower heart rate.]
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Yeah, probably not great if you're looking to just learn something a little more conversational. You speak anything else? Norwegian sounds like a bitch of a language to learn, it'd probably be hard if you learned from a book too.
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Mmm... not really. Dad teaches me phrases, and then doesn't tell me exactly what they mean, so I could literally be telling someone to fuck all the way off in five languages, instead of like, asking where I am.
Like, I know ciao and bella in Italian, but also... Ti metto un remo in culo e ti sventolo per l’aria. What does that mean? I just don't know. It makes Dad laugh, though.
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Or it least it had been before she got to that last phrase, Mista shooting bolt upright with a deep flush on his cheeks. ]
Y-you learned that from your dad?!
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[Clearly it either meant something bad, or something dirty, and she couldn't tell which with the way he was flushing red.]
...Mista?
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No, no, no! He couldn't let that happen, biting down on his lower lip before he let out a heavy sigh. ]
It's...uhhh...yeah it's...something...
[ JUST SAY IT!!! ]
...somethingaboutshovinganoarupsomeone'sassandwavingthemlikeaflag.
[ All mashed up, just like that. ]
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Say that again, I didn't understand you.
[Kokoro leaned her head forward and put her fox ear closer to his mouth, tip of her nose against his shoulder.]
Clearly, too, you blurred that all together.
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Mannaggia a me...
[ He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as those little nervous beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Why had she gotten so close? Somehow that made it feel like it would have been harder for him to get it out, his gaze shifting to the side as he finally built up his nerve. ]
...look, it's...when you say something like that you're basically telling them that you're going to stuff an oar in their ass and wave them around like...a flag...
[ The more he talked the more he thought he was going to pass out but he'd finally made it to the end. ]
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That wasn't so bad. It sounds something like a delinquent might say. But maybe more colorful. They stick to ruder language, though.
[Kokoro, satisfied with his explanation, took her seat back on the floor and squeezed his hands.]
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[ He was still horribly embarrassed but at least that squeeze to his hands was reassuring in some way. ]
...so maybe just don't say it unless you know someone isn't going to take it personally or something.
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[She let go of one of his hands so that she could cross her
kokoroheart, then took it back.]Like, when would you even use it, anyway? Not in the "friendly friendship won't take offense" way, but when you'd really mean it.
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I mean, I guess you'd just say it when you wanted someone to know that you've got it out for them. It's not like you're supposed to use it literally or anything...
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