~♥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

[generalflirt]

You just smiled in such a way you could power a town with it.

[markofthebrave]

[The smile turns wry, a little embarrassed. She shakes her head.]

Masaomi...

[And puts some pressure against his grip on her waist with her weight. Don't make her break out of this.]

[generalflirt]

What, it's true!

[Lean back--- and then two steps left]

[markofthebrave]

[She follows, a beat or so behind, and sighs.]

[generalflirt]

[Whatever whatever. A few more steps and then he whispers down to her, now that he has her in his hold and going along with this. He tries to keep up a rocking movement at least as he does, but-]

Like I said, a week. I'm going to make good with your brother- [He has no idea what she means by friends - he assumes she means Suki and not a few days ago they had a heart to heart] So I hope you reflect on how you always have a choice, how nothing here's been unfair [except maybe him for this] and how there's no more need for guilt or tears. I'll have a new poem ready by then too, Promise.

[markofthebrave]

[The worst part about being held while he whispered in her ear wasn't that she was trapped and couldn't go anywhere to escape it. It wasn't even that he could probably feel the way that she went still as he moved in, and really, at the way her heart sped up she wouldn't be surprised if he could feel it through their embrace, or possibly the shiver as his lips got too close to her ear. No, the worst part was that those two movements combined to make her feel surrounded by him, enveloped, and it pushed against the wall of her heart.

She waited until he was finished speaking and then attempted to pull back, no longer rocking back and forth (in fact, her movement stopped at his whisper), not attempting to break completely free of his hold, but wanting to see his face.]

...I'm not taking that deal. I hope I'll be okay by then, but if not, you don't get to use that to make me do something that would only make things worse.

[She'd just... leave the rest unaddressed, really. Better that way. Except-]

And you don't need to write me another poem.

[generalflirt]

[He allows her to pull back. He himself lowers his arms, tugging a bit at the bracelet before going to make eye contact again] Worse? I think I missed the memo where my love's a terminal illness.

[The poem thing is not mentioned, for now]

[markofthebrave]

[She closes her eyes for a moment.

This isn't about you.

...and it feels weird not to be held anymore.]

You know what I mean.

[generalflirt]

Not really. I don't really know what you mean by "use" either.

[With an eyebrow arch. And he shakes his head]

But, fine.

[markofthebrave]

[...he raised a point and dropped it? Katara searched his gaze.]

Really fine?

[generalflirt]

[Adopting a more serious face, he points a finger right between her eyes]

Ah, as fine as it can be when you're messed up there. I don't know what it is, and you're keeping it a secret... but, I've realized it isn't me.

[and... if it isn't him and she won't tell him, that pisses him off, but he'll respect it]

So I'll just be ready with a poem for you on the 26th. [...Come to think of it wasn't that one of the cultural fair days]

[markofthebrave]

[Well. It's partially him. It's partially... circumstances. She can't blame Aang. But she really doesn't want to get into this when she can't explain it so--]

I told you that you didn't have to write another poem.

[generalflirt]

And I know I told you that I was.

[markofthebrave]

You're going to do this one way or another, aren't you.

[The only way to get him to stop would be to... tell him. flat out. stop.

And then he'd want to know why.]

[generalflirt]

I don't see any reason why I shouldn't.

[It's a challenge, in part.]

1/2

[markofthebrave]

[She gives him a look that says:

You know why you shouldn't.]

[markofthebrave]

[Sigh.]

I don't know why you'd want to, but fine--

[She (finally) steps away from him.]

--do what you want.

[generalflirt]

What I want, eh...? Actually, I think the poem is more like [And he presses his two index fingers together as he did before. A correlation of what he wants and what he ought to do. But then be brings both to his lips]

But what I want is more like- [And he blows a kiss at her]

[markofthebrave]

[Ack!]

Masaomi!

[So much blushing and indignation.

And you know what? Have another half-step back. At least this distance is respectable.]

[generalflirt]

[A fluttery hand motion and he pulls into a bow] I see a splendid young woman in front of me, I can't help myself. Bad boy though I be not, I am... [And he tilts his head up to look at her] A sinful man.

[markofthebrave]

[pfff

All right, all right. You get a laugh.]

Oh, of course - how could I have forgotten?

[generalflirt]

I cannot even imagine.

[Smiiirk. A pause and then]

...Ah, before I forget. Before you rush off to think a week more, do you want a reunion with Linda too?

[markofthebrave]

I didn't say I needed a week!

[Let's just get that straight.

Man.

She doesn't want to have to wait a week to see him again.]

[generalflirt]

...You said you needed time to think.

[Did he misread the situation?]

[markofthebrave]

I did! And I do! But I didn't put any sort of - time requirement on it!