Lin finally meets Mokotan’s sister in-person.
Characters: Lin, Yuuka
Warnings: N/A
Wordcount: 1,109
Vibe: ooooooo its tense i guess
it still feels like my writing confidence up and left so idk how to feel about this. i just wanted to write but its getting difficult when it feels like everything i write flows badly orz
but im unsure if its writer’s block or burnout and what the best way to solve it is…………. so we stay silly
anyways. gay peopel
Lin was alone in the bed, but the side next to her was still warm. She could hear the shower running in the attached bathroom, with a light dimly glowing under the crack of the closed door.
Mokotan seemed to be the only person who ever got up earlier than her.
Lin stretched, and rubbed her eyes a bit to wake up some more – she figured that she could at least wash her face in one of the other bathrooms while Mokotan was busy.
Whatever it was about this house, it always seemed rather humid… which left Lin waking up feeling like she was in a bowl of soup.
Quietly, she got out of bed and slipped through the bedroom door. Mokotan’s bedroom led directly to the more open concept living space of the home – large window panels on one side let in natural light, while a living space, dining table, and kitchen were all in the same generous floorspace.
It was still dark out, though. The room was only illuminated by a slightly dim lamp on a side table next to the larger couch…
“There you are.”
Lin’s ears perked up.
Her eyes were still adjusting a bit, so she hadn’t spotted whoever had clearly spotted her first. She didn’t recognize the voice, but it seemed calm enough that she didn’t see it as a threat.
“Awh, shoot, it’s, uh, really dark in here.” Lin said sheepishly.
“Who’s there?”
“…We haven’t… met yet, I think.” said the other person.
As Lin’s eyes adjusted, she more clearly saw the outline of their hair and ears against the couch, facing away.
“I’m Mokotan’s sister, Yuuka. This is my house.”
“Oh…! Gosh, I’ve heard a bunch about you, so I should’ve picked up on it. My name’s…”
Lin was abruptly cut off.
“Lin, I’m already aware.”
Yuuka’s voice was firm. Mokotan had told Lin that her sister could sometimes be overly-serious, but hearing it in person… Lin wasn’t quite sure how to read her mood.
“Hey…” Lin started, as she slowly moved towards the couch.
“If you’re in a sour mood, I can just… make my leave early. I didn’t mean to bother.”
“No, I wanted to talk.”
Yuuka closed her book, and turned to Lin just as she’d gotten close enough where the two could make proper eye contact.
“I wanted to… know your intentions.” Yuuka sighed.
“What?”
Lin was confused as to what exactly Yuuka was implying… but considering she wanted a conversation, Lin figured she might as well take a seat on the smaller couch opposite to the one Yuuka was on.
Yuuka waited for Lin to sit before she started again.
“When my sister went to Station to pursue a ‘flashier’ career in wrestling… She met a woman who roped her into bad things. My sister followed that woman until she turned her heel, and came back with a shattered knee.” she explained, her voice firm yet… troubled.
“I have no… ill judgements of my sister’s preference for her relationships to be casual ones with loose stakes. But… when she starts talking about… her desires to go further than that. How she wants to live a settled down domestic life with a strange woman she only sees on the forest floor in the dead of night…”
Yuuka’s brow furrowed a bit, and her words slowly trailed off… before she sighed and locked eye contact with Lin, her face serious.
“I get a little concerned, no? I’m not a fan of repeats.”
Lin had been a bit worried the family confrontation would go like this.
While Mokotan spoke highly of her sister, she also put a particular emphasis on how Yuuka was sometimes… overbearing. An emphasis that Lin now understood wasn’t unjustified.
As much as Lin held pride in being a quick and charismatic thinker… she wanted to try and choose her words carefully.
“Mmm. I understand your… worry. ‘Specially considering you two’ve only got eachother, so I’ve been told. Moko’s definitely… impulsive, too. Always figures out new ways to baffle me, hah.” Lin started.
“I… can’t say I’m perfect or anything – I’m not a lying type, after all. I got my own skeletons I’ve left behind me. But… I think Moko was looking for someone to turn over a new leaf with together.”
Lin paused with a sigh.
“And so was I.”
“You seem quite dedicated to your business, though. If my sister wants something more… structured, I don’t really… see how it’s going to work out in the long run.” Yuuka replied.
“Call me paranoid, maybe… I just know she’s already in a fragile space. I don’t need someone to hurt her again, even if unintentionally.”
Lin wasn’t sure what to say.
Maybe it was just time to put up a white flag and hope for the best.
“I’m not really sure what I can say, or if… anything I could say would ease your mind. I’m sorry. Guess it’s just… difficult to explain. We’ve talked about it a lot… I’m already more than aware of how she wants to proceed.” Lin sighed, before pausing and putting on a more serious and determined expression.
“And I… don’t intend on jumping ship because of it. Whatever we work out may not quite be typical, but you gotta remember I love her, Yuuka.”
The sureness in Lin’s voice seemed to catch Yuuka a bit off-guard.
There was a silent pause for a moment.
“…Maybe I just got hurt from Mokotan’s last relationship more than she did – emotionally, at least. I felt like I was screaming for her to run and she was ignoring all the signs… there’s an amount of guilt there. Like it’s my fault…” Yuuka sighed in reply, the firmness in her voice completely gone.
“I… think my paranoia is getting the better of me. We’re all adults, after all… even if she’ll always be a little sister to me.”
Yuuka’s eyes drifted to the floor, before she closed them and sat quietly for a few more moments.
“Alright.” Yuuka said, her voice less weak this time. She kept her eyes closed as she got up from the couch, and turned facing away from Lin.
Quickly, Lin perked up as her posture shifted to follow suit in leaving the couch.
“Hm? Everything OK?”
“Sorry for the interrogation, Lin. I think I just needed to talk to you in person.” Yuuka sighed deeply.
“My sister trusts far too easily, while I’m effectively the opposite. So I’m naturally… wary of her company, especially after what happened in Station.”
There was a final pause, as the air stood still.
“But I think I can make an exception for you.”
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