Akatsutsumi residence, New Year's Eve, Tokyo City, Japan

[heromaniac]

"/And where do you think you two are going? The New Years cleaning isn't nearly done./"

Hachizou Akatsutsumi and Jaime were sitting in the entrance-way putting on their shoes when Kakiko Akatsutsumi's question froze them in place.

"/You said she was in the back yard./" Momoko's dad whispered to Jaime.

"/She was! I didn't keep tracking her./"

Comments

[furnaceface]

Yeah, Jono couldn't sit on this one any longer. He'd had a week of processing time, and nothing seemed to be changing on that front, so... he was texting Momoko.

Did you know there's a Swedish tradition where whoever finds the almond in their porridge on Christmas morning is going to be the next to marry? I didn't know that.

[heromaniac]

Momoko leaned back in her chair and fanned herself when she got the text.

EW YOU EAT PORRIDGE?!

wait... that wasn't the important part, was it?

No. Because see above, re: ew.

Why would you put only one almond in porridge? What if you eat it? If you eat breakfast alone, does it still count?

[furnaceface]

I don't eat anything, remember? They put the bowl in front of me! I was just mucking about in it and then RIGHT BLOODY THERE, there was the almond!

There was a moment's pause, and then he added, I think if you eat it alone, your chances of being the next person at the table to marry are rather solid with or without the almond, really. Just so long as you are going to someday marry.

[heromaniac]

Jono's text was sounding a little more... concerned? Anxious? than Jono usually was when just passing on information.

If that's true, it probably doesn't count when you can't eat it either.

[furnaceface]

Jono was still flailing about a bit. And had yet to actually tell anybody, and figured Momoko was probably his best bet for flailing at.

Well, it got eaten anyway. Hannibal took the spoon, the almond is gone, there will be no having the almond bronzed, he's eaten the evidence and all we've got to show for it is I guess we're engaged now. How's your New Year's Eve going? Keeping busy? Any good parties?

Smooth. Super casual, there. Good show.

[heromaniac]

Too smooth, too casual; this is Momoko, dear.

no parties-- we're cleaning the house to start the year fresh. it's a tradition in Japan. No porridge allowedd. who's engaged? why would you bronze an almond?

[furnaceface]

Jono was kind of banking on that, honestly. Anybody else would be phoning him right now to yell in his ear for waiting a week to say anything.

House-cleaning as a tradition? Makes sitting at home doing not much of anything in particular seem positively luxuriant, now. And the almond would be bronzed because it started the whole 'engagement' discussion, I suppose. It's a moot point now, because Hannibal ate it. You don't want to bronze an almond that's been eaten. That seems like a horrible life choice all around.

[heromaniac]

The rest of what Jono had said was being parsed, but:

V. luxuriant! we clean the WHOLE house. wash the walls and floors and move all the furniture and eveerything. Apparently in old days one of the gods might come to visit at the new year. Bet it was really just in case of in-laws.

She scrolled a moment back over Jono's texts. Momoko'd had questions about Jono living with Doctor Lecter, but she had never followed up on them. Mostly because she'd known Jono was dealing with a lot of stuff... Glacia, getting trapped in his world and getting his old body back, Raven going insane... and Didi coming back. She didn't think he'd needed Momoko being anything but supportive.

So.. .you and Dr Lecter dating. How long? You're in love?

[furnaceface]

Most in-laws insist they be treated like gods anyway, or so I'm led to believe.

Look, that was the easy text to reply to, and Jono excelled at clinging to 'easy' like it was a lifeline. Especially when his kneejerk reaction to the second text was a bit of a cross between, 'oh crap, I never told Momoko,' and 'well, that's complicated, isn't it?'

Not even that complicated. But enough.

Since February. Or since the late seventies, if you count the year that particular school trip took place in. We'd been quite comfortable for some time before then, but that's when we made it official.

Read: They'd sort of been friends with benefits before, and February was when they stopped being 'benefits' in favour of being more 'that thing we do sometimes because we're partners.'

Which was not something he was going to say to Momoko, thank you.

[heromaniac]

Your timeline is harder to follow than a telenovella

[furnaceface]

If it helps any, even I don't know how old I am. How's that for twitchy timelines?

There he went, answering the easy stuff first. There was a pause, perhaps a long one, before he texted her again. Damn it, she hadn't missed that he'd avoided that part of her question.

We... really don't say 'love' terribly often. The island made us sing it once. But we're comfortable. He gets me in a way most people don't.

The whole psychiatrist thing probably helped with that. Or the whole 'kind of a monster' thing.

For what it's worth, I've been on more even footing lately, with Hannibal, than... basically as far back as I can remember. I'm sorry I hadn't mentioned it sooner. I'm bad at this... talking... thing.

[heromaniac]

"I don't mind that you didn't tell me. But that makes me worry more," Momoko sighed and curled into a corner.

You have been very calm and relaxed! I am glad it's the same on the inside, too. She typed. You don't have to say it to feel it. Love is awesome like that. I want you to know that kind and not settle for less!

He'd be saying the same thing to her, she was sure.

And you're not bad at talking. You're bad at letting people know enough to hurt you. Which means you do think he's important

And the Doctor wasn't in line for a lecture from Momoko. At least not a threatening one.

... Did promising to bring the armies of Glacia and Faerie and every superhero in four worlds after him if he hurt Jono count as a threat?

[furnaceface]

It was probably an acceptable threat unless you were rude about it, Momoko!

I do think he's important, yes. Jono paused for a moment before continuing in that vein. I've trusted him with corners of my mind I hardly trust EMMA with. We do a lot of just... sitting. Sorting. He's encouraged me to do things I never thought I was capable of.

Jono sat there in silence, fidgeting with his phone.

He isn't AFRAID of me. He tells me I'm beautiful. It's... strange. But not in a bad way.

[heromaniac]

Momoko rolled her eyes at Jono.

He can't be the only person to say you're beautiful. It's obvious. and not in a strange or bad way at all.

She'd said it before, she was sure. Hadn't she?

As for the rest... Momoko wasn't sure that didn't sound both wonderful and... and kind of odd.

I'm not a telepath so I don't really understand the rest, but if you're in love that's what's important.

[furnaceface]

Jono hesitated for a moment, and then decided to elaborate. At least a little.

It means he's seen the darkest parts of me and he didn't flinch. I can't even look at the darkest parts of me without flinching. There aren't many people who can.

There were a few moments before he sent another text, because it seemed important to follow up on that one.

Some of my closest friends have flinched. Some haven't. That isn't to say that he's the only one who can look at me unafraid, but for somebody who's spent half of his life thinking himself a monster? It means a lot to me, Momoko.

[heromaniac]

Momoko was filled all over again with hate for Jono's world.

If I ever flinched at you it doesn't mean I think you're a monster. Sometimes you're scary but never a monster!!! Not even blue!