~♥THIRTY-FOUR♥~

[generalflirt]

[Action]

[It's later than he expected to be back from his mountain sojourn, really, when he comes into the town on Wednesday night. Shikamaru, let alone Silver, probably came back before him, but he finally makes it back then, goes to his apartment for a much, much needed proper shower and goes to bed.

So it is on Thursday that Masaomi's properly back in down, Linda on his shoulder. He's skipped class for... well, a long while now, so when he gets up surprisingly early, one of the first thing he does is actually go to school, possibly with an ear to speak with the professors or anyone who missed him from that. After that, House 11 to see how all the people he knows from there are doing. Once that's done, he heads over to the Battle Dome for a few reasons. One of them is to try to see Law, one of them is to ... well he decides to test out the training in the Battle Dome, preferably with Silver or Gold or someone else who knows Pokemon to see if he can run them before going back to the plaza. In the plaza he has some intention of lurking around the Smithy and the library. But also just trying to integrate back into socializing with people, maybe break into some light flirting, if he can muster the gusto? Trying to normalize. And once that is done, well, if he didn't run into some people he's of the mind to run into after all that in order he'll be going to Mikado's apartment and then the Avatar House on the south end of town. And then, of course, back to his place at night.

tl;dr options in order:
A) School (also includes getting lunch in the break period)
B) House 11 (after school)
C) Battle Dome (either lurking in its clinic or fighting digital pokemon in the rooms or getting refreshments between bouts
D) Plaza (in particular smithy and library - will be chatting up people, might hit on girls)
E) Community Building 7 (in particular Mikado's apartment)
F) House 56
G) Community Building 1 (in particular his and Shikamaru's apartment and kitchen on that floor)

You can also run into him in transit for any of these locations, naturally. Oh, right, and he'll be wearing something akin to this, so no soulpatch or whatever he was wearing int he experiment. With a small bag and Linda's luridly yellow pokeball in his pants pocket]

Comments

[ School ]

[markofthebrave]

Stop it.

[Her response is immediate, her tone low, and she turns to the side.

You know why I have to do this. It's not because I want to hurt you.

Her posture is rigid, her hands tense.]

[ School ]

[generalflirt]

[...hah He doesn't hang his head, but he takes a step closer, in spite of her tone]\]

...You've never hurt me, Katara. Not once.

[ School ]

[markofthebrave]

[At this point, Katara can only stare at him incredulously.

Really, it's all she can do not to just shove him in the fountain and walk away.

Of all the ridiculous things...]

[ School ]

[generalflirt]

I've hurt me. Sure, your actions have hurt, but that's because of me. My feelings. My hopes. My dreams. My... yes, maybe even a little expectation, perhaps? All of those have hurt me. But you? [He exhales, taking a step closer to her]

All you've done is be a stalwart companion and a treasured friend. I know there's more between us than just a friendship, and I'm fairly certain you do too, but...

I've got no more reason to push you, and I've no more reason to be hurt by my own delusions. [And he holds his hand out to her, palm up to the sky] You don't hold any responsibility for me, Katara - I just hope that I can still be with you, in your life. I intend to be the type of man you can depend on.

[ School ] 1/3

[markofthebrave]

[Stop it. Stop it, stop it, stop it.

Every word he said struck against her heart.

She opened her mouth to speak, not sure of what she would say--

"We... we became sweeties after the war ended. ...We still are, back home."]

[ School ]

[markofthebrave]

[ School ]

[markofthebrave]

[She squares her shoulders and turns to meet him, and very lightly, very deliberately, lays her hand on top of his.]

I want you to be that type of man too - not for my sake, but for yours. I know you have it in you.

[And she began to slide her hand off his.]

I might disagree with what is that you say, but I think I know what you mean when you say it, and I respect that.

[ School ]

[generalflirt]

[But he doesn't accept that. When he begins to slide off, he firmly takes her hand in his, throwing a positively dazzling smile]

Of course it's for me! I'm going to be stronger, better! I'm going to be happy! And no matter what happens, I'll know that I'll have had an amazing girl called Katara as my precious friend!

[and then. He releases her hand]

[ School ]

[markofthebrave]

[Something catches when he takes her hand and she freezes, looking up at him. And when he speaks she's so proud of him that a thrill runs right up her hand and straight into her heart, and she can't help but smile at him. It's a small smile, but it's genuine, and when he releases her hand she brings it quickly back to her side.]

Happy is good.

[...let's get out of the town square now, huh?]

[ School ]

[generalflirt]

It is!

...Aaaaand now people are staring!

[He snaps his fingers and offers her is hand again. Even if she doesn't take it he's going to start to run ahead, intending for her to follow. this'll either be side-by-side-ish or held hands. Both are fine right now]

[ School ]

[markofthebrave]

[Boy, are you crazy? You just told her you loved her. There is no way she is taking your hand!

But... although Katara briefly considers letting him run off on his own, she will follow his lead until they're out of the square.]

[ School ]

[generalflirt]

[And once out of the square and on the way to the road to the Battle Dome, he tuuuurns to look at her with this face] Your turn.

[ School ]

[markofthebrave]

[Um. What?

Honestly, where can she even GO after that?

She raised a hand and waved him off.]

Give me a minute to catch my breath.

[ School ]

[generalflirt]

[Mock salute and he leans back, grinning.]

[ School ]

[markofthebrave]

[Man, what does she even have to talk with him about besides... well, yeah, that. You know what? Screw this roadside conversation; she starts leading them off the path and a little into the foresty-area there.]

You said you thought that there was more than friendship between us. [Way to take the bull-antelope by the horns, Katara.

Because it was too easy to let this go.

Because it would be too easy to brush it aside.

That showed her it was the wrong thing to do.] But I don't think it's what you think it is.

[ School ]

[generalflirt]

[...Huh. Well then, he looks at her, waiting for her to go on. He doesn't drop the smile though, and allows himself to be lead]

[markofthebrave]

I'm not sure it can be 'just a friendship' when one person has feelings for the other - just because of that. Even if the other person doesn't return those feelings, they're still... between them.

[generalflirt]

Ah... I can agree with you so far.

[markofthebrave]

And it's only natural for that sort of feeling to create some kind of response. Either it drives the other person away, or it... makes a place for itself in the other person's heart or it causes the other person to reciprocate or it just... matters to muddle everything up until something changes.

[She stops and meets his gaze.]

I'm not sure which of those are going on here, exactly.

[generalflirt]

Okay, I'm following still!

[attentively, even. The smile is down, but he leans a bit to be more at eye level]

[markofthebrave]

[So... she'll just look away now in order to be completely honest with him, then.]

I don't know what I feel for you right now. [her hand goes up to her heart] I know I feel what you feel for me like a weight, here. And I know that what I feel isn't anything like that. I care about you, Masaomi. You're a good friend. [Whose kisses I can still remember. Whose touch I turned to in order to comfort me.]

...but it's not what you want it to be.

[generalflirt]

...I know. [He knows all that, of course he does. But... before he can say more, he swallows, still keeping a calm smile] Of course I know that. But you don't need to see it as a weight.

[markofthebrave]

[She just glances over at him. She's listening, but she's not willing to simply adjust the way it is because he can paint a pretty picture.]

[generalflirt]

That is to say... I know you don't see me like that. I have to hope some day you will to keep at it, of course, but I'm not exactly holding my breath for it either. And certainly, like I said, you don't hold any responsibility for me either. [...He considers reaching out and touching her. He things better of it. But then he thinks better of that and lifts hos hand to point at her chest]

As long as I can be in there, to any capacity, and as long as I can still laugh and have fun with "Katara," I wouldn't say my feelings are painful to me. And if they aren't painful to me, they ought not to be painful to you.

[markofthebrave]

You don't have to 'keep at it,' though. You can stop. [She shakes her head] I'm not asking you too, but no matter what you say about what 'ought not' be painful to me, the fact of the matter is that they are. It doesn't matter if they don't hurt you - you've got your hope set on me and I can't fulfill it. I can't be there for you like you want.

[Can't now more than ever.]

So of course that's going to hurt me.

[Give up. Move on. You don't have to love me.]