yogen | npc contact.2

It wouldn't be boring if it's with you.

[ She honestly can't imagine being bored with him even if they're doing nothing but sitting around in silence drinking tea. There'd be the frustration, the annoyance, the exasperation, the worry— but never boredom. ]

( She really is so sweet. Even if it's objective fact, she doesn't need to say it. On the other hand, he knows she's saying it because she doesn't want to do more than two activities with him.

It can true and still be meant to dissuade; it isn't a bad thing. )

...I'll agree to "one thing at a time" only if we don't count having lunch, dinner, or tea as that one THING.

( So one thing, and then also eating together. The meal is a free bonus. )

[ "she doesn't want to do more than two activities with him" was almost word for word what i was going to write in brackets before but decided that was mean. It's true but she doesn't say it.

Think of it as a trade, she tells herself. A compromise. ]

Only if you're not the one cooking every time.

( One day he'll get her to two activities, it'll be fine. )

Oh? Are you offeRING, Little Wolf?

[ I hate how cute that icon is but it's just Natsume laughing at her ]

If you're the one doing everything all the time, it becomes awkward and one sided. This way is fair.

[ She's not offering, she's saying how it is, she hates the feeling of having to owe somebody. ]

( STOP HE'S DELIGHTED BT HER, this is as close to a "!!!!" icon as he gets...

This is fair, yes, but now he gets Maya food too... ideal. )

I'd be more than happy to eat something of yours--I didn't think of refusing you for a seCOND.

( it was just surprising, though her reasoning why is not. it isn't that surprising either if he thinks about it, though. )

Do you remember what my favorite kind of food IS?

[ The number of days she agonized over what the hell he meant by "two flavors" ]

You never gave me a specific food. Just contrasting flavors.

PreciseLY. You're a clever GIRL, so I thought you'd think of someTHING.

( He just likes food with contrasting flavors... but he'll give her something concrete to make if she's inclined. hmm. )

Sweet and sour pork would be easy eNOUGH, but I promise I won't complain about anything you make as long as it isn't too spicy or too SWEET.

It wouldn't be. Hiro likes his food mild.

[ And she does the cooking at home, so it would probably be something simple, meant to be only two servings worth. Sweet and sour pork... with cooked pineapples, because the pineapples were my favorite part of this dish, pineapple and sauce on rice.

Gonna make Natsume eat his vegetables like she makes Hiro finish all his vegetables or he doesn't get dessert. ]

( Jokes on her, he always eats his vegetables, and also Hiro's vegetables, but we're going to keep that from her. Responsibly.

...Well, it's not like they ever have particularly potent lunches, so Natsume's doing good on that part. But on the topic of Hiro...

...

No, he'll ask about it later. )

He never complains when we have lunch togeTHER, so I assume I'm doing well by his stanDARDS. ( lowkey he feels like he'd know if hiro was unhappy with a meal so he's just gonna keep thinking he's good. ) Unless he only airs his complaints to you the same way you complain to HIM.

( ... )

And Sato-san, since to my remembrance I never referred to you as "Little Wolf" whenever I spoke with HER, and yet she knew IT.

[ Hiro telling Maya everything EXCEPT the fact that Natsume eats his vegetables. ]

At least he's eating during the lunch hour, now. [ Instead of napping it away, like he'd do in the library towards the start of the year. But now he has Natsume and Stephanie to feed him.

... ]

Why were you talking to Nao about me?

( ... )

I talk about you to everyONE, Little Wolf.

Don't.

[ STOP THAT ]

( SAFE. )

It isn't as if I'm doing it for a frivolous reason; you simply come up as the source for some of my iDEAS. ( it's all very natural, and he has never not once ever just talked about her for no reason.

that isn't true he's going to finish his tea and go to wash his cup out, thinking about how Rika teased him for talking about Maya so much and how he consciously dialed back on it after she pointed it out. Another thing that Maya doesn't have to know. ) And other people will sometimes ask after YOU, because they'd like to talk to you but they aren't sure HOW... So on and so FORTH.

( mmmhmmm. )

That's simply how it happened with Sato-san as WELL. ( but. ) More importantLY, you talk about ME?

[ She makes a bit of a face at people being uncertain how to approach her, despite her being very well aware of that already and having no plans to be any more friendly than strictly necessary. But there's just something about "more importantly: me" that makes her sigh into her tea. ]

I have, before.

[ Not extensively. It's not like she sat down with Hiro that one time and made him brainstorm """food with two flavors""" with her. But Hiro's taken an unfortunate liking to him and is always curious about what they do together, what they talked about, how she likes Natsume's cooking. And then there's Nao, who admitted to who gave her the courage to repair their friendship and asked Maya if she wanted a good luck charm and waited until after she accepted it to tell her who made it and no take backs. ]

Most of it is legitimate complaints and gripes, before you get any smart ideas.

I've never been under the impression you often speak well of ME, Little Wolf.

( A calm reply, with half a smile over his shoulder. Maybe sometimes she'll begrudgingly compliment him or something like that, in that "it isn't bad" way, just like she doesn't hate him but she isn't saying she likes him either, but he's of the mind she's usually complaining about him. )

Hiro-kun let slip you told him about my impairMENT, while we're on the topic of talking about peoPLE. Are you going to tell him how today went TOO?

He'll be waiting at home to hear what we did today.

[ How today went? What she thought? Things she'll keep to herself. But she'll tell him about the VR, and he'll probably spend the rest of the evening figuring out a pantomime for VR that would make sense, so he can slowly work his way into asking Natsume to show him someday. She'll tell him about the magic light show, and he'll excitedly demonstrate Natsume's magic trick that he's seen, except without the candy.

Objective things, and if Hiro has any comments, he keeps them to himself. ]

Are you going to tell him? He won't ask.

[ But he'll do that thing where he'll encourage it if it's brought up ]

...No, I don't think I WILL. I'd like to keep today between the two of US.

( Even though when he goes back to his room after seeing her off today, Subaru will be waiting there to give him an expectant look Natsume will pretend he doesn't see, and Helena will look up when he enters with the same curiosity but won't trespass on asking what he's been up to or who he's been with, and Aira will wonder what's going on ten seconds before hell breaks loose.

And maybe Natsume will mention he met up with someone he likes the company of, and they had a good time, and he's thought of some things to add to his game system if any of them want to test it. But he isn't going to tell them Maya came back to school on a day she didn't need to just because he asked her to, or how today with her went. They can notice his mood all they want, but it isn't really their business to ask about.

Helena, he knows, will make sure to pull the conversation back if it starts to get too pushy. )

The most I might say is that you seemed to enjoy the virtual reality aspect of IT, since I'm sure he'll want a lead-in to ask about trying it himSELF... On the other HAND, I think it'd be interesting to see what charade he comes up with to signify IT.

[ As embarrassingly sentimental as that is, she appreciates it, not being the subject of gossip between Natsume and Hiro, let alone his friends. It would be nice, too, to enjoy a day where she won't need to pick it apart the moment she gets home, trying to explain or justify this or that. Doesn't have to do that if she just stays home in the first place.

...

She sets her cup down on the nearest flat surface, cup not yet empty but she needs both hands to lift to her face as if putting on a headset, then holds her hand out in front of her, flat, palm to the ground, before placing the other hand on top of the first. A fake world layered over the original. It would probably be something like that, she supposes, and if Natsume doesn't understand it then Hiro will try to break the concept down into smaller pieces to paint the larger picture. But she bets he'll start with this, and maybe it'll save them both some trouble. ]

( Natsume watches her move, turning to see it better after a moment; she must be showing him an approximation of the charades her brother will go through, he realizes, and he tucks it into his memory.

(He realizes then, too, that the charades he has such an intriguing time figuring out and learning and understanding is something he's going to miss. They'll find another way to communicate; he won't let the progress they've made waste away.)

It's cute though, her showing him something like this, and he supposes she must have a lot of practice. )

Thank YOU. ( ... ) How long has your brother preferred action to WORDS?

Almost two years. He's gotten better. He wouldn't even try communicating, before.

[ She picks up the tea again, because maybe she does need the ginger to settle herself, thinking back on things she'd rather move forward from. ]

( Around when they lost their parents, right? He starts to put things back in their place, for a short while the only sounds between them the running water of the tap and, after drying, the quiet open and shut of cabinets.

...It must be an ache for her, too. )

I'm glad that he does NOW, ( he finally says, returning to her side. A little closer than before, but not much. ) And I'm sorry if I brought up something unpleaSANT. You had to learn how to understand him all over again, didn't YOU?

( No one is a mind-reader, and while two people can know each other like the back of their hand, there's still bound to be obstacles, to be problems, to be misunderstandings. )

[ Around when they lost their parents, and then... ... She looks over at Natsume when he comes back, staring, for a moment, as if trying to determine if he knows what actually happened. It doesn't matter, though; it's not something she ever wants to talk about, and having Hiro with her now is all that matters in the end. ]

It wasn't "all over again." We're siblings, after all.

[ Twins. Two people who've always had each other. Both of them just got very good at charades. ]

It's not something you need to concern yourself with, so let's drop the topic. Are you ready to go?

( he hadn't...

...well, it doesn't matter if he meant to offend her or not, but he can tell when she doesn't want to talk about somethint, and he can tell when he ought to press her for answers.

right now is not that, and glances at her tea, then out the window, and then to the door. well. )

As long as you ARE. I was waiting on YOU.

( he'll go on ahead, flicking the lights back on as he does, though he'll wait outside the door for her like a good nonromantic date. )

[ His presence offends her, it feels like sometimes, so there's really nothing to do about it. She doesn't look upset at him, at any rate, just back to that same peeved as always even as she drinks the rest of her tea in one go so she doesn't have to pour it down the sink and waste any.

She too washes the cup and sets it upside down on a rack before drying her hands and leaving, slipping past Natsume out the door and heading towards the music room, breathing out once she's back in the hall.

... ]

Since you're both idols, I thought you would have joined the music club like Akehoshi did.

[ A bit heavy handed, but the intention to change the subject is clear. ]

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