kids bein' kids

--{ Starter call for Nami Kanemoto, investigator extraordinaire...!!

negaiigoto​:

--{ ... The stiffness to his smile finds no ease, however many spells he tries to cast on it.  With plenty, plenty of others, the comforting idea that they aren’t looking makes it an easy task to hide it-- Why can’t you look away, too...?

There’s a wistfulness he falls into, coats his smile with ;; A sigh in his chest, a slip of shoulders, a softness to his hand rising and laying over hers. The words she says, that each strike his chest like rocks, are shoved out his mind as soon as they came. Dreamy, the way it is when you’re trying to think as little as possible.

“I guess... Thank you- Really, thank you... Still, I- I want to do the same for you..! It’s been a while since we... I mean- Really, it feels like all our meet-ups lately have been focused on me.. Can’t I return the favor..~?”

negaiigoto​:

---{ ... ‘Getting used to’, versus... ‘She’s becoming predictable’ !?

Not that it’s a bad thing, per se, just...!! But he knows he’s missed, then-!? That’s good! Anyway !

“Um... I.. read that you were walking..~? Heheh!” .. She didn’t prefer being less than honest, especially in Operation: Friendship. But for safety measures, maybe it’s best to leave it at that! After all, friendly as she’d like to be with him, his threat levels... are not an absolute 0. In his eyes, is she best read as a starry-eyed kid, a little behind on the skill levels..? Well... Exactly how keen is he?

It’s not like it matters much right now, though! But it’s always good to think a little ahead, right?

“But, like! It kinda surprised me! It’s been too long ..!

“I mean... Is it that you don’t get out much? Or did I keep just-missing you!?”

--{ "A game?"

Because words like that have a style to it. All the more for her quiet self, who perhaps, lately, had fallen too comfortable in it for her own tastes... An invitation is fresh~ And even more from Briar, whose appearance brought more than enough wonders on its own, let alone what personality lays beneath, or what stories are nestled into the cafe around them. A game? - the twinkle in her eyes say. With you?

"Absolutely. What are you thinking?"

negaiigoto​:

--{ “Well- I was watching other people! Then you came along, and...”

It wouldn’t scare you away if she did, right? It wouldn’t, right!? It sounded, after all, like Finley had his own knack for watching people, so he should get it!! But suddenly, she’s worried it could be read as creepy...

“I already know you, anyway!” That’s a solid cover-- “It... works better as a study on other people! I was watching you, cuz...” don’t be scared off by it!   “I missed you~?”

No, he wouldn’t... By now... Maybe you’re starting to accept her friendly demeanor..? Even toward you, even though that confuses you a little... Something like that...?

That’s her true read... Once she can manage to push aside all the nerves and stuff! Nico-kun, are you proud!?

negaiigoto​:

--{ Words like that... kind of sting. Between furrowing brows, he’s supposed to keep smiling, right?

“Come on...~ Look at you-- You spend all this time and money just trying to pamper me... Like, I gotta repay it, right!?” How deeply does his heart ache to just repay it-- “But you’re always doing even more for me...! If one of us is kind--”

negaiigoto​:

--{ Parts, and eggs-- That’s right, you’re a builder... And, looking over him-- You don’t eat that well either, do you?

Got it. Got it! Ah, it’s not a conflict for her to answer in kind, though her pause for thought could suggest as much to the untrained eye. Still, her shoulders relax, and a smile comes of its own accord!

“People-watching!” It crosses her mind that it could be something to keep quiet about, maybe. But in the same way, didn’t he already know more about her, too!? The development of friendship is a much more important goal in her mind, when it comes to him-- So ‘talking casually’, that’s key, isn’t it!

“For my detective training! I wanna see how much I can get from looks... I think I’m getting pretty good at it-!”

negaiigoto​:

--{ “.. I do.”

Yeah, she’s decided not to be upset with him. He’ll replace it, he’s already said... And if he forgets, she’ll remind him.

It’s really hard to be upset, anyway. The story’s too cute-- She’s decided that too.

“I guess... We’ll watch something live, then.”

negaiigoto: A smile spreads as she watches his hand. How cute, she thinks, to a gesture she's deciding means he's nervous. Her finger will glide over the back of his hand before sliding between them. "Thank you~ You're always so nice to me. I wish I could return the favor more..~"

--{ “What do you mean~? You’re one of the nicest people I know--” In the business, at least -- Well, no, that’s not fair, is it? His own feelings aside... She is nice. Extremely. I should be the one saying that.

His fingers, unconsciously, slightly, gracefully, slide away from her hand.

“Like... You know you’re allowed to be greedy, right? That’s kind of the point here.. But it feels like you’re always so focused on me~ Seriously, you spoil me too much.”

negaiigoto: "... You didn't seem busy and you were staring. I had to walk anyway, so..."

--{ ... Was the first move hers after all!?

But hope is not lost! An invitation is still progress!! She’ll nod briskly-- “I see! W-Well- It’s just that, it’s been a while since I saw you!” She totally wasn’t staring too much- right...?

“Um, so, where to!?”

negaiigoto​:

--{ “...” Every layer you add to this story...

Even when, objectively, she should be upset, it’s so... so hard to.

“That.... We...“ Still, it’s all hard to process. It takes a moment, thinking over his words, and then hers, and his again--

“... What were you cooking?”