idolpro | Nemesis Heart

[A pair of men's workboots, filthy and with the soles well-worn]

[A pair of girls' penny loafers, shiny and brand new]

[A pair of girls' running shoes, rather old and grubby, and a few sizes smaller than the loafers]

[The shrine in the corner is well-kept, incense burners and prayer candles arranged around a photo adorned with black ribbon, a pretty young woman with dark hair and thick glasses.

The same face pops up on photos in frames on the walls or dustily scattered around the room: alone and in selfies with a grinning, bushy-haired man, or radiantly pregnant, or together with an adorable dark-haired girl of her own. Even when you can't quite make out all the facial features, you know the young family looks incredibly happy with her.

Well. Looked.]

[ it's not a tradition she's precisely familiar with, but it's easy enough to get the gist of it—a mother, passed away.

...is there a second child in any of the photographs? not that the sibling dynamic is wigging her out for personal reasons or anything, ahaha... ]

[If you look long enough, you can find a few with the daughter and mother together, belly full with perhaps a second child...but that seems to be it]

[...Anyway, don't worry about that. Here and now, there's a dining table set for two, a simple bud vase with allium, chamomile, and calendula as the centerpiece. There's someone in the equally snug kitchen, evidenced by the mezzo-soprano and scratchy baritone voices pattering back and forth.]

[ it's a nice bouquet... although she feels like the flowers should mean something. wasn't there something about chamomile as... particularly meaningful in that one game? then again, she knows from lilis existing they all mean something to someone...

this tells an unhappy story, though.

she's going to look for whoever's in the kitchen, then. hopefully it's not seen as an intrusion. ]

[The man's bushy hair is speckled with silver; his face and ears dark and sunburnt darker. He is chattering on in lilting Portuguese, unheeding of the sprig of sweet pea tucked behind his ear, more engrossed in tending a pot of black beans and ham hocks bubbling pleasantly on the stove.

His daughter, presumably Julia, from the photos, looks perfectly put together, hair glossy and eyebrows shaped and probably a good ten years older than the photos of the young family scattered near the shrine. She has a corsage of hydrangea and red spider lily on her wrist; the petals flutter as she idly scrolls through her phone. You tune in mid-conversation.

"Japanese, please, Daddy. It can't possibly be that hard for you by now."

His nose crinkles, but he switches languages, his Japanese accented and a little broken. "Your mother like when I speak my good language to her, y'know. To win her over, I only have say," (and here his voice goes deep and smooth, his expression going all corny romance) "o amor da minha vida...você me completa..."

Julia shoves back at him, rolling her eyes. "Please don't. You're embarrassing." His shoulders tense for a beat, then she smiles, catching his hand and leaning in. "How much more time is left 'til this is done?"

"So cold, Amorzinha. If you cooked with me more, by now you would know..." He wipes away a mock tear, demeanor back to carefree.

"Come onnnn, Daddy!" He raises his hands in apology as she huffs, then turns to get himself another beer. That's about when she catches sight of you, eyes narrowing to slits.

Head back out of the fridge, the man only blinks over at you, expression blank. "...Hey lady. You lost?"]

[ red spider lily... hm. ]

Ah, I'm terribly sorry to intrude—

I was looking for your younger daughter, sir?

["Why?" Julia cuts in, though her tone doesn't quite sound like someone protective of their sister; the father seems to have no trouble letting his daughter take the lead]

Um—

Well, it's ah... regarding a group trip to Disney? I'm, er—a tutor of hers.

[ please help she has no idea how modern society works. ]

["A tutor?" Julia turns to her father, eyes wide. "Daddy, had you known that she was doing that bad at school?"

The man's brows ridge; seems like he had not. He leaves dinner be, and comes closer to Shrike, frowning. "She in trouble again? Guess so, or you wouldn't've come all this way, ah?"]

Oh, no, it's more just—supplemental? Intended to be more, er, career-focused? It's not trouble, but I wanted to, er—well, also, meet her family, since I haven't yet, and also get...

[ uhhhhh what are words she learned from the delinquents game ]

...your permission for her to go on the class outing?

[Julia stares back, visibly unsure about the words and Shrike just in general; her father seems to accept this easily enough, though frowns about something different.

"Sounds expensive. All the way to Disney? I don' know if we can do this."]

Oh, um, it's being sponsored, after all—

...ah, it turns out your younger daughter is quite the athlete, which is part of the reason why.

[He brightens, eager. "She is? Lookit that, Amorzinha, our baby girl has a skill, she says."

Julia smiles as well "Well, that's certainly a change of pace! We all know brains aren't her strong suit." Julia steps forward, crowding a bit into Shrike's space. "So then, is that all you're here for, Ms...?"]

Ah, it's Shrike—I'm surprised you're not aware, though, since it seems like she uses her athletic shoes and her bike quite a bit.

Speaking of which—I did think I saw her shoes in the entryway, so is she home, too?

["Ms. Shrike, alright, what an honor to meet you," Julia simpers, advancing further into Shrike's personal space.

"Oh my gosh, it sounds like you have such a good relationship. I would've thought she'd have said something about you ever, we could've put together such a nice dinner or something! But--well, you know how she can be." Her voice goes lower here, as if sharing a secret. It is probably much more obvious how she seems to be herding Shrike towards the door.]

She's quite private, yes.

[ ... ]

Julia, in fact, would you mind if I speak with you for a moment? It seems I've taken enough of your time already, and I wouldn't want to get in the way of your mealtime.

However, there was something I want to ask you about, as it turns out Nemesis has already told me quite a bit about you.

[Her expression drops for a beat before the persona snaps back into place, her smile going brighter, eyes crinkling cutely.

"...I'm sure she has. But of course, ma'am. Anything for my baby sis." She turns back to her father, waving him back to the kitchen. "You can finish up on your own, right, Daddy? Thaaank you~"

She moves on towards the front door, not escorting you out of it, but certainly not inviting you to sit or anything.

"So, Ms. Shrike. What do you need my help with?"]

I'm an older sister, you know. My younger brother and I never got along at all, so I know it can be very difficult in the household when it's a stressful time.

[Despite a definite physical resemblance to Nemesis, Julia seems to have her tells a lot more under control. She only cocks her head, polite.

"Oh? That must have been so hard for you, especially so long ago! You're so strong~"]

[ there's like

a beat

and in a tone that seems slightly affected, like she's borrowing it from someone else, flat: ]

Don't be patronizing. It's unbecoming for someone of your apparent accomplishments.

[ and then more like herself: ]

What I regret the most is not having solidarity with my brother in a way that could have helped both of us in a situation that was neither of our faults.

Where I'm going with this is that it seems you've never made this house a home for her, but regardless of whether she has skills or not, she'll always have a place with us.

[Her expression stutters; when it comes back up, it's to the same airy tone, but somehow more obviously false.

"...That's some interesting assumptions. And such big ones, too! But then--I guess you can't really help it, can you."

She cocks her head to the other side, smile bright. "Anyways, didn't you say you had something you needed me to know? Not that your history lesson isn't super fascinating!"]

[ with a tired sigh: ]

You're horrible.

Why do you want me to leave so badly?

[Plainly:

"Why would you want to stay? There's nothing for you here. This isn't your place, just like it wasn't hers. Why not make it easier on all of us?"]

It makes it seem like you're hiding something. Why are her shoes and her bike here?

["Oh, were you going to take that unnecessary junk, Ms. Shrike? You're so helpful!"

With a smile, Julia pads over to open the door, then offering the grubby tennis with a beatific smile]

Nemesis Heart - R1

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE

Re: INSIDE