WINTER WONDERLAND: AIKO

[holynights]

The Winter Wonderland honeymoon suite is located in the nearby foothills and is more or less a complete ski lodge condo. The cozy room features its own scenic views and a fireplace for keeping warm. There's also an enormous, private bath with bubble jets and a tub waterfall - extremely swanky accommodations! On the television in their room, they can watch select external broadcasts, and unedited footage from the house will occasionally be available should they wish to snoop on their fellow contestants.

While the resort offers plenty of activities, excursions, and dining opportunities for enrichment and entertainment (if you think it's there, it probably is!), it's perfectly fine to spend the rest of the honeymoon just getting to know one another better instead. Just what did Hayasaka bring over from the closet in Mistletoe Manor?

Comments

[quitherdayjob]

[ Hayasaka blinks a bit at that, but... ]

Sure. Maybe snowboarding, too? I think they're pretty similar skills.

[ They're both going on the list. ]

[zuihitsu]

Sounds good, sounds good! That's a good start, don'tcha think?

[ but relationships are all about compromise, so she wants to try this, too. it should go both ways. ]

I want a day where we do something without a schedule, Acchan. We walk, and the moment you see something you like or want to do, we just do it.

No plans!

[quitherdayjob]

Oh, yeah. I mean, we can do that the other days, too... I just don't want to get to the end of these weeks and realize we haven't really gotten anywhere or done the things we wanted to do. I mean, for example...

[ Her face reddens. ]

I want to try kissing, but I'm not going to put that on a schedule or anything. Just... if there's a moment where it seems right.

[ She does put "kissing" on the list though. ]

[zuihitsu]

[ help.

nagiko has to cover her face with her hands for a second. she doesn't really get embarrassed by anything she does, but she does think "kissing" is something that shouldn't be listed. ]

Acchan, do you think I'm the kind of person who won't do anything I want? You don't need to worry about that. I'm also not going to be deaf to your wishes. If you say, "I want to do something!" I'll steer us that way, no problem guaranteed.

[ she is very good at switching gears. well, kissing is something she can't do on the fly. that one she agrees on that the moment has to be right. ]

But just as you worry about not doing anything on all your lists, I also think you can spend too much time worrying about your lists and making them all. That also takes away time from doing. From going.

I don't want you to stop being yourself, but...

[ she makes a sweeping hand gesture. ]

Your future or the future you dreamed of had you traveling all over, right? Have you traveled anywhere yet?

[quitherdayjob]

[ Hayasaka puts down her pen and narrows her eyes. ]

Do you think I'm spending my time making lists when I could be out doing things? It's not like that. Until a few months ago, I didn't have any opportunity to do them. I could only get a few hours here and there away from my job. I was at school too, but even there I was lying to all my friends. And at the same time, I had to watch Kaguya waste months of time she could have spent happy in a relationship by not being willing to say what she wanted.

[ Said with fondness. But also deep, long-suffering annoyance. ]

So, I thought that when I did have the opportunity, I'd be ready to do it. That's all. I just graduated a few weeks ago and started travelling. I flew to California, and then I came here.

...This is me trying to express my wishes. And to hear yours.

[zuihitsu]

Sorry, I didn't mean it quite like that. My bad. I'm happy that's how you feel. You can write all the lists you want, and I'll be happy to read them.

[ this is true and genuine. she still loves reading even if she doesn't care to write like she once did. ]

But... I personally don't care to make lists like that. I don't want you to stop for yourself, but it's not really how I work, you know? I don't think you're wasting your time, but...

[ how does she say this? ]

You said you only started having time for yourself, right? So you can try to do that how you want. I want you to do that, but this is also me telling you what I want.

[ she knows ai was compromising in a list of options to pick from instead of committing to a schedule for it, which she does appreciate a ton, but for some reason, it doesn't completely sit right for her. she's trying. ]

[quitherdayjob]

[ Hayasaka relaxes a little at response, at least. She takes a slow breath before responding, trying to gather her thoughts and figure out why she's still nervous and dissatisfied, talking slowly as she tries to put her feelings into words. ]

...I know. I know you're happy to just do whatever... And I do like that. Sometimes I wish I had that kind of spontaneity. But...

[ She finally looks properly at Nagiko sitting on the bed. ]

This is all set up as if we're going to have sex tonight, you know? I mean, I assume we won't... Or maybe I shouldn't even assume that? Is ruling it out too much planning too?

W-Well, that's why I'm having trouble, I guess. Not just the sex part. That I don't have any sense of what to expect. Maybe you'd rather just spend the week snowboarding together or whatever. Or maybe we'll be having a lot of fun tonight and things will suddenly go that way. I mean, I'm not sure what I'd prefer, and maybe you don't know either... But I'd like to try to find out. And I'd like... to get more of a sense of how you're feeling about it.

[zuihitsu]

[




that gets her to roll off the bed. that thought didn't really occur to her at all because two people can sleep in the same bed, and that's it? maybe it's set up for that reason, but she doesn't conform to expectations. ]

You don't have to be like me. I don't care that you're not spontaneous, but I don't want to feel like... I can't do things like usual, too. We have to get to know each other waaaay more before we get to know each other another way, okay?

[ she will do a whole bunch of things without thinking, but unfortunately, sex isn't one of them.

she sits cross-legged on the ground. ]

I think you can expect to have a fun time! That's all I'm expecting. I like you a lot, but I don't want to make anything happen.

[ she isn't going to try to force anything. she doesn't think that'd be fair or good to either of them. ]

[quitherdayjob]

R-Right, that's what I figured. But it's hard to tell what you're thinking, so...

[ Hayasaka closes her notebook and slumps down to also sit on the ground. ]

I don't want to get ahead of myself either. I want to get to know you before we do anything like that. But... even if two people like each other a lot, if no one makes anything happen even a little, then nothing will happen.

I want to push myself a little bit. But I don't want to force you into anything.

[zuihitsu]

[ the problem in trying to predict what nagiko is thinking is that often she simply doesn't stop to think. maybe she'll blurt that out someday. ]

Is that how you think that's gonna work? I dunno. In this life, I want things to happen as naturally as possible. Sure, you should make decisions that are good for you and get you what you want, but I think that's natural, too.

You made the vote for us happen, you know.

[ so it really isn't like nothing has been done yet and it isn't like hayasaka hasn't done anything to make something happen. the fact that they're here is something. that's what nagiko thinks. ]

Let's make good memories!

[ above all, that's what she wants. above all, that's how she functions. ]

[quitherdayjob]

Yeah, I did make the vote happen. But I didn't really ask you how you felt about it first. Maybe if I'd thought it through a bit more I would have given it a little more time.

[ Hayasaka tugs a throw pillow down from a chair so she can hug it to her chest as she sighs. ]

...But there's no point worrying about that now, I guess.

[zuihitsu]

I'm not upset or anything. I dunno if I can make anything happen the way you want or expect, but I'm fine with where we are now.

[ if this helps everyone here somehow, if this helps hayasaka somehow, that's the best case scenario.

she just can't promise she knows how this honeymoon will end. ]

As long as you're okay with that, I'm okay, too.

[quitherdayjob]

...Yeah. I really am happy to be here, even for this much.

[ Honestly, even if the whole thing is a complete disaster, it will be an experience Hayasaka is happy to have had, so really the stakes are fairly low. ]

I just want to keep trying lots of things and seeing where else things can go.

[zuihitsu]

[ nagiko smiles brightly. ]

Yeah, that's the vibe.

[ she's going to reach over for hayasaka's hand, if she lets her. ]

We can agree on that.

[quitherdayjob]

[ She does! She clasps Nagiko's hand and smiles, her tension easing a bit. ]

...Right.

So... I'll forget the list for a bit. What do you feel like doing right now?