Shinobi and Nolan - Backdated
Jan. 23rd, 2018 10:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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ax_mainAfter Tamara's visit to his office, Nolan eventually faces Shinobi.
Nolan had been right not to cancel dinner with Tessa; it had been, it seemed, just what he needed to take the necessary distance from what had happened earlier. He finally felt as if his emotions were under control, and that meant that he felt as steady as he was going to when he walked back into the room he shared with Shinobi.
He was even glad to find his roommate in, and he gave him a small, dry smile in greeting, leaving him the first word. Shinobi was rarely at a loss for them, and Nolan would be grateful for any hint that Tamara had talked to Shinobi already, or not. She had had ample time, after all.
Lounging in a set of ruby-red silk pajamas--tastefully accented in black--Shinobi's foot was tapping in time with music only he could apparently hear as his roommate returned to their shared living space. That Nolan kept unusual hours was nothing outside the norm; sometimes, it seemed whole days could pass without the two of them trading much more than greetings, coming or going. It was a shame, but they both had a great many demands on their time. And they still got to enjoy more face-time now than they had when they'd lived on opposite sides of the planet.
"Konbonwa, mon ami. I trust the corporate empire is still intact and humming along in a profitable and progressive fashion?"
"As far as I know," Nolan confirmed, taking one shoe off, and then the next, on his way to his side of the room. Given how extensive each of their wardrobes were, and how little room they had, tidiness would have been paramount even if it hadn't been in Nolan's nature. The shoes joined his other pairs at the bottom of his closet, and he threw his dirty socks into the hamper.
Perhaps he ought to say something straight away, but it would seem so abrupt. So instead, he asked, "How's your day been?" It wasn't pleasantries before real talk, but a genuine question. Nolan cared how Shinobi was doing, after all.
"Oh, you know. The usual. Arguing with Jean-Paul about French grammar, trying to avoid anything the least little bit edifying during class. Frittering away my time on largely useless pursuits. Texting my friend who is a girl. My girlfriend." He shook his head, bemused. "That still feels odd to say, you know. Girlfriend. Who would have ever thought it? Anyway, it's been same old, same old, today. How about you? Anything new and fascinating come up?"
"I wouldn't say fascinating," Nolan replied dryly. "But it seems that your friend who is a girl has only just learned that I hacked Lil's school records, and would now like to fry me." He punctuated that with one of his dry smiles, and echoed Shinobi. "Who would have ever thought it?"
"Sou desu ka," Shinobi mumbled, propping himself up on his mattress suddenly. "Tamara. Found out you hacked Lilian." His next words was a confused blending of Japanese and French curses, and he swung out of bed and made a bee-line for his closet. "I need a drink. Immediately. How do you get yourself into these situations, Nolan. I swear, I'm naming my first wrinkle after you."
Nolan watched Shinobi rush towards alcohol, then turned around to pull his sweater and t-shirt off, and slide into his pyjama top. "I'm only surprised this was such a long-time coming," he remarked, once his head was through the t-shirt, as he pulled it the rest of the way down. "I told you then, and I'll tell you now. Please badmouth me to her as much as you need to. But..." And this was the crux of the matter. Nolan did not want to affect his friend's... lovelife, for all that he wished he had chosen someone different, but there was one thing he had to ask. He ran a hand back through his hair. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring her here anymore."
"Well, that much goes without saying," Shinobi huffed, peeking out of the closet for a moment before disappearing inside again. The next time he spoke, his voice was slightly muffled as he rummaged through his side of their shared storage area. "I don't expect that to be an issue. And I told you before, I do not speak harshly of my friends! Though, granted, you've come pretty close to earning it, this time. How did she ever hear about it, anyway?" It was obvious that he had no particular problem with the hacking itself--more the personal inconvenience it had become for him. "Did you neglect to smother somebody who needed it?"
"They're friends," Nolan pointed out as he got out of his pants, and slid into his pyjama bottoms. "I was never going to smother Lil." And if his tone sounded clipped, he supposed it had to do with having to consider the possibility, in order to answer Shinobi.
"Yes," Shinobi mused, halfway through pouring what would no doubt be the first of several drinks, "I suppose that would be a bit extreme, wouldn't it? And I rather like Lilian, personally." He sighed, and downed his first glass of clear, plainly alcoholic liquid in one quick gulp. "I hope that this serves as a lesson to you about the danger of too much honesty," he chided, wagging a finger. "There are some things that are just ... better left in the background to fester until they manifest as an acute personality disorder."
"Even if I needed to be lectured on the subject, I wouldn't turn to you," Nolan replied offhandedly, putting away the clothes he'd gotten out of. "You're terrible at lectures."
"I'm terrible in general," nodded Shinobi agreeably, already pouring himself another drink. "But you're not wrong--Shinobi Shaw holding the moral high ground is as ludicrous a conceit as the myth of trickle-down economics." He heaved another dramatic sigh, and drained his second cup as quickly as his first. "She wasn't too hard on you, was she? Tamara is very passionate, I've noticed, and you're very ... not. That can't have been a very comfortable experience for you."
"If you mean, did she light her fists on fire in an attempt to cow me into submission, then the answer is yes," Nolan replied, as nonchalant as he could pull off, and glad that he did not have to look at Shinobi as he said so. He was not sure he could have sold the act if he had, and besides, it was perfectly expected for him to work the wrinkles out of his pants before hanging them up.
Shinobi paused in the act of pouring another drink, then abruptly re-capped the bottle and tossed both back into the closet. "I suppose we shall have to talk about that," he said slowly. "I do regret you've found yourself in this position. Had it been anybody else, I suppose I would have found that fire admirable. In this case ... " Nolan was, ultimately, one of the most harmless people Shinobi knew. Which wasn't to say he was defenseless, but he'd never gone out of his way to hurt anyone, to the younger Shaw's knowledge. "I cannot say I'm thrilled."
Nolan paused, with his hands on the hanger, unsure how to feel for a moment. For Shinobi to not... be thrilled meant that he did not see what had happened as inconsequential. Nolan had been half convinced that he would, or he might not have said anything. So it was, somehow, a relief, no matter how much he did not want to insert himself in Shinobi's lovelife. He swallowed, tried his usual smile while his back was turned, to make sure that it felt right, then turned around to face Shinobi, his usual mask of soft snark firmly in place. "I told you she made me think of some Hamptonites I know." His gaze cut away for an instant, and he gave Shinobi his soft-dry smile. "But I don't want to create tension between you."
Shinobi had said so himself; he would have found this admirable with anyone but Nolan. So the only problem was that it was, in fact, Nolan.
"Yes, well," Shinobi began, then trailed off again and took another drink. "I'd prefer my girlfriend not threaten one of my oldest non-girl friends with fire on behalf of a person perfectly capable of weathering an assault from anything up to and including an Abrams tank," he concluded in a discontented mutter. "But it appears that, despite what we'd like, this is the scenario we're left with. Don't let it trouble you unduly, Nolan; I'll sort it out." In some fashion he hadn't quite worked out yet, but there was no need to get into that much detail.
Nolan nodded, not quite meeting Shinobi's gaze. He wasn't sure whether he should say thank you or I'm sorry, so he simply moved to grab his bag of toiletries, meaning to visit the bathroom before bed.
"Life would be so much less complicated without all the people in it, don't you think?" Shinobi mused, half to himself, as Nolan collected his things. "People are so messy and needy and generally inconvenient, most of the time. But ... I suppose it would be much less interesting, too. There's only so much fulfillment one can find in a vacuum. I know--I've tried."
Of course, Shinobi was saying those words on the same tone he said everything. A disaffected tone Nolan could never dream of equalling, as if his entire life's dialogue had been dreamed up by Oscar Wilde. But there was truth behind those, and it made Nolan's heart ache in sympathy. He wasn't very given to physical displays of affection, as a rule, but some moments warranted them. After everything that had happened today, and this confession, this moment qualified, and he put the bag of toiletries down, then stepped over to Shinobi.
"Steel yourself," he warned him, soft snark easy to fall back on as he met Shinobi's gaze, a hand on his elbow. "Genuine display of friendship, incoming." He wasn't sure which one of them he was poking fun at, if either, but it didn't really matter. What mattered was pulling Shinobi into a hug that somehow miraculously managed to be steadier than it was awkward, for all that it was still both.
Though initially stiffening in Nolan's embrace, Shinobi relaxed quickly enough, reaching his unoccupied hand around the other teen's back to offer a return squeeze. "See? That's just what I've been saying. Messy. Needy. Inconvenient." He sighed, and rested his chin briefly on Nolan's shoulder. "Arigatou. I forget what friendship looks like, sometimes. It's nice to be reminded, every now and then. And to remember it's not always as bad as I make it out to be."
"I'm sorry my mistake's going to affect your relationship," Nolan told his friend, leaning back just enough to look down into Shinobi's face, his hands still on his arms. Then came another one of his soft-dry smiles. "I'm glad you still think this isn't so bad." A ringing endorsement, really, from Shinobi.
"It could be worse," Shinobi smirked back at him. Then he patted Nolan fondly on the shoulder. "Don't give it another moment's thought, Mr. Ross. I have my own relationships well in hand, despite all appearances to the contrary. I'll work it out. You just worry about being brilliant and making obscene amounts of money for your Shaw Industries shareholders, neh?"
"The reason why I get out of bed every morning," Nolan assured him dryly, squeezed his arm, then stepped back.
Nolan had been right not to cancel dinner with Tessa; it had been, it seemed, just what he needed to take the necessary distance from what had happened earlier. He finally felt as if his emotions were under control, and that meant that he felt as steady as he was going to when he walked back into the room he shared with Shinobi.
He was even glad to find his roommate in, and he gave him a small, dry smile in greeting, leaving him the first word. Shinobi was rarely at a loss for them, and Nolan would be grateful for any hint that Tamara had talked to Shinobi already, or not. She had had ample time, after all.
Lounging in a set of ruby-red silk pajamas--tastefully accented in black--Shinobi's foot was tapping in time with music only he could apparently hear as his roommate returned to their shared living space. That Nolan kept unusual hours was nothing outside the norm; sometimes, it seemed whole days could pass without the two of them trading much more than greetings, coming or going. It was a shame, but they both had a great many demands on their time. And they still got to enjoy more face-time now than they had when they'd lived on opposite sides of the planet.
"Konbonwa, mon ami. I trust the corporate empire is still intact and humming along in a profitable and progressive fashion?"
"As far as I know," Nolan confirmed, taking one shoe off, and then the next, on his way to his side of the room. Given how extensive each of their wardrobes were, and how little room they had, tidiness would have been paramount even if it hadn't been in Nolan's nature. The shoes joined his other pairs at the bottom of his closet, and he threw his dirty socks into the hamper.
Perhaps he ought to say something straight away, but it would seem so abrupt. So instead, he asked, "How's your day been?" It wasn't pleasantries before real talk, but a genuine question. Nolan cared how Shinobi was doing, after all.
"Oh, you know. The usual. Arguing with Jean-Paul about French grammar, trying to avoid anything the least little bit edifying during class. Frittering away my time on largely useless pursuits. Texting my friend who is a girl. My girlfriend." He shook his head, bemused. "That still feels odd to say, you know. Girlfriend. Who would have ever thought it? Anyway, it's been same old, same old, today. How about you? Anything new and fascinating come up?"
"I wouldn't say fascinating," Nolan replied dryly. "But it seems that your friend who is a girl has only just learned that I hacked Lil's school records, and would now like to fry me." He punctuated that with one of his dry smiles, and echoed Shinobi. "Who would have ever thought it?"
"Sou desu ka," Shinobi mumbled, propping himself up on his mattress suddenly. "Tamara. Found out you hacked Lilian." His next words was a confused blending of Japanese and French curses, and he swung out of bed and made a bee-line for his closet. "I need a drink. Immediately. How do you get yourself into these situations, Nolan. I swear, I'm naming my first wrinkle after you."
Nolan watched Shinobi rush towards alcohol, then turned around to pull his sweater and t-shirt off, and slide into his pyjama top. "I'm only surprised this was such a long-time coming," he remarked, once his head was through the t-shirt, as he pulled it the rest of the way down. "I told you then, and I'll tell you now. Please badmouth me to her as much as you need to. But..." And this was the crux of the matter. Nolan did not want to affect his friend's... lovelife, for all that he wished he had chosen someone different, but there was one thing he had to ask. He ran a hand back through his hair. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring her here anymore."
"Well, that much goes without saying," Shinobi huffed, peeking out of the closet for a moment before disappearing inside again. The next time he spoke, his voice was slightly muffled as he rummaged through his side of their shared storage area. "I don't expect that to be an issue. And I told you before, I do not speak harshly of my friends! Though, granted, you've come pretty close to earning it, this time. How did she ever hear about it, anyway?" It was obvious that he had no particular problem with the hacking itself--more the personal inconvenience it had become for him. "Did you neglect to smother somebody who needed it?"
"They're friends," Nolan pointed out as he got out of his pants, and slid into his pyjama bottoms. "I was never going to smother Lil." And if his tone sounded clipped, he supposed it had to do with having to consider the possibility, in order to answer Shinobi.
"Yes," Shinobi mused, halfway through pouring what would no doubt be the first of several drinks, "I suppose that would be a bit extreme, wouldn't it? And I rather like Lilian, personally." He sighed, and downed his first glass of clear, plainly alcoholic liquid in one quick gulp. "I hope that this serves as a lesson to you about the danger of too much honesty," he chided, wagging a finger. "There are some things that are just ... better left in the background to fester until they manifest as an acute personality disorder."
"Even if I needed to be lectured on the subject, I wouldn't turn to you," Nolan replied offhandedly, putting away the clothes he'd gotten out of. "You're terrible at lectures."
"I'm terrible in general," nodded Shinobi agreeably, already pouring himself another drink. "But you're not wrong--Shinobi Shaw holding the moral high ground is as ludicrous a conceit as the myth of trickle-down economics." He heaved another dramatic sigh, and drained his second cup as quickly as his first. "She wasn't too hard on you, was she? Tamara is very passionate, I've noticed, and you're very ... not. That can't have been a very comfortable experience for you."
"If you mean, did she light her fists on fire in an attempt to cow me into submission, then the answer is yes," Nolan replied, as nonchalant as he could pull off, and glad that he did not have to look at Shinobi as he said so. He was not sure he could have sold the act if he had, and besides, it was perfectly expected for him to work the wrinkles out of his pants before hanging them up.
Shinobi paused in the act of pouring another drink, then abruptly re-capped the bottle and tossed both back into the closet. "I suppose we shall have to talk about that," he said slowly. "I do regret you've found yourself in this position. Had it been anybody else, I suppose I would have found that fire admirable. In this case ... " Nolan was, ultimately, one of the most harmless people Shinobi knew. Which wasn't to say he was defenseless, but he'd never gone out of his way to hurt anyone, to the younger Shaw's knowledge. "I cannot say I'm thrilled."
Nolan paused, with his hands on the hanger, unsure how to feel for a moment. For Shinobi to not... be thrilled meant that he did not see what had happened as inconsequential. Nolan had been half convinced that he would, or he might not have said anything. So it was, somehow, a relief, no matter how much he did not want to insert himself in Shinobi's lovelife. He swallowed, tried his usual smile while his back was turned, to make sure that it felt right, then turned around to face Shinobi, his usual mask of soft snark firmly in place. "I told you she made me think of some Hamptonites I know." His gaze cut away for an instant, and he gave Shinobi his soft-dry smile. "But I don't want to create tension between you."
Shinobi had said so himself; he would have found this admirable with anyone but Nolan. So the only problem was that it was, in fact, Nolan.
"Yes, well," Shinobi began, then trailed off again and took another drink. "I'd prefer my girlfriend not threaten one of my oldest non-girl friends with fire on behalf of a person perfectly capable of weathering an assault from anything up to and including an Abrams tank," he concluded in a discontented mutter. "But it appears that, despite what we'd like, this is the scenario we're left with. Don't let it trouble you unduly, Nolan; I'll sort it out." In some fashion he hadn't quite worked out yet, but there was no need to get into that much detail.
Nolan nodded, not quite meeting Shinobi's gaze. He wasn't sure whether he should say thank you or I'm sorry, so he simply moved to grab his bag of toiletries, meaning to visit the bathroom before bed.
"Life would be so much less complicated without all the people in it, don't you think?" Shinobi mused, half to himself, as Nolan collected his things. "People are so messy and needy and generally inconvenient, most of the time. But ... I suppose it would be much less interesting, too. There's only so much fulfillment one can find in a vacuum. I know--I've tried."
Of course, Shinobi was saying those words on the same tone he said everything. A disaffected tone Nolan could never dream of equalling, as if his entire life's dialogue had been dreamed up by Oscar Wilde. But there was truth behind those, and it made Nolan's heart ache in sympathy. He wasn't very given to physical displays of affection, as a rule, but some moments warranted them. After everything that had happened today, and this confession, this moment qualified, and he put the bag of toiletries down, then stepped over to Shinobi.
"Steel yourself," he warned him, soft snark easy to fall back on as he met Shinobi's gaze, a hand on his elbow. "Genuine display of friendship, incoming." He wasn't sure which one of them he was poking fun at, if either, but it didn't really matter. What mattered was pulling Shinobi into a hug that somehow miraculously managed to be steadier than it was awkward, for all that it was still both.
Though initially stiffening in Nolan's embrace, Shinobi relaxed quickly enough, reaching his unoccupied hand around the other teen's back to offer a return squeeze. "See? That's just what I've been saying. Messy. Needy. Inconvenient." He sighed, and rested his chin briefly on Nolan's shoulder. "Arigatou. I forget what friendship looks like, sometimes. It's nice to be reminded, every now and then. And to remember it's not always as bad as I make it out to be."
"I'm sorry my mistake's going to affect your relationship," Nolan told his friend, leaning back just enough to look down into Shinobi's face, his hands still on his arms. Then came another one of his soft-dry smiles. "I'm glad you still think this isn't so bad." A ringing endorsement, really, from Shinobi.
"It could be worse," Shinobi smirked back at him. Then he patted Nolan fondly on the shoulder. "Don't give it another moment's thought, Mr. Ross. I have my own relationships well in hand, despite all appearances to the contrary. I'll work it out. You just worry about being brilliant and making obscene amounts of money for your Shaw Industries shareholders, neh?"
"The reason why I get out of bed every morning," Nolan assured him dryly, squeezed his arm, then stepped back.
no subject
Date: 2018-04-04 11:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-04-04 11:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-04-24 07:32 pm (UTC)She still feels 100% justified (and still has no idea that Nolan thought she was trying to intimidate him, because fire just happens when she’s angry, okay??), but would’ve let Shinobi smooth things over as long as he spoiled her while doing it. And as long as he didn’t excuse Nolan’s treatment of Lil, but I doubt he’d be dumb enough to try that, lol.
<3