~♥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

[markofthebrave]

[...of course I will be. I can't be anything else. They need me to be all right.

It's just a broken heart or two. It's just her causing pain to two of the people she cares about most. It'll mend. It'll fade. It's not that important.]

I'll be fine.

[Although she doesn't really feel like she should make that a promise, and take the 'deal,' she recognizes it as a comfort tactic and holds up her own pinky.]

[generalflirt]

I did not say fine. I said alright.

[And he asked for a promise. An oath. He does not take her pinky, simply lives both of their pinkies up and unlinked]

[markofthebrave]

[Frown.]

What's the difference?

[generalflirt]

"Fine" is something you politely tell a stranger. "Okay" is something you have to be because being anything else would be impractical or inconvenient. "Alright" is a word that tells me that a girl- ["I love"-] that you are not being lastingly haunted by something you aren't letting me touch. It's a promise.

1/3

[markofthebrave]

[markofthebrave]

[markofthebrave]

[She lowers her hand back to her side.]

I'm not sure I can promise you that right now. Maybe in a little while [depending on how things go with Aang[, but... not right now.

[generalflirt]

[He looks curiously at her for a moment... and then he lowers his hand, pulling his pinky back in as well]

Ah, that's about what I expected. That's a more Katara-like answer.

[markofthebrave]

[Whatever that's supposed to mean.]

It's not like I don't think I'll be okay. But... things can haunt you even if they don't hurt as much anymore. And hurting the people that I care about just by being who I am and feeling how I feel isn't something I can just get over.

[generalflirt]

Didn't I just say I'm not being hurt?!

[...Wait. He did. What if-]

[markofthebrave]

[Sigh.

This is her 'Yes, but I didn't believe you' face.

Now to say that more politely.]

When you're constantly hoping for something and wanting it to happen and it doesn't, that hurts. I know how much it hurts. You can say it's not bothering you, and on some level that's probably true, but you can't convince me that you're all right either.

[Oh, and also, this isn't all about you.]

[generalflirt]

[That's a rationalization. And given what she said earlier, given that line of excuses, what if...

He can't ask that. Of him or of her. But the logic isn't unsound. Even if it makes a chill run down his spine. The processing for this is almost instant, but it's pronounced enough to give him a slight pause before answering]

Not when you don't have an expectation. I'd like to be rich buuuuut is that likely? You saw my apartment.

[markofthebrave]

[She just shakes her head.

It really doesn't matter what you say.]

I still can't help but feel responsible.

[generalflirt]

[...How does that even make sense. At a loss for words, he actually rolls his eyes. No, really.]

[markofthebrave]

[Exasperated exhale.]

Maybe we should stop talking about this for now. We're just going around in circles.

[generalflirt]

[...sigh]

Fine. Fine, I hear that.

[markofthebrave]

[She glanced up at the sun and... sigh.]

I'm about a half hour late. I meant to be there early in case they needed help.

[This is Katara actually tempted to play hooky since she's so late. It won't show on her face, but her voice is very matter-of-fact. She's not blaming him at all.]

[generalflirt]

Oh, right, you're still doing that.

[With a little shrug, and linking his arms up over his shoulders to... like. Get better]

[markofthebrave]

It's the combat medicine classes.

[Even she took those.]

[generalflirt]

I know, and Trafalgar-san handles them splendidly.

[markofthebrave]

He's not here right now. He's on a mission.

[Sigh, and she is so LATE.]

I really should go.

[generalflirt]

...Ah, really?

[A beat] Then why not skip them?

[markofthebrave]

Because I made a commitment. And because Mia might need my help.

[She actually starts to step back towards the path.]

...thank you. For the dance, I mean.

[generalflirt]

You're welcome... I'd still recommend skipping though. Not with me, of course, just in general.

[He remains standing there, looking dully at her, shrugging a bit]

[markofthebrave]

I can't. I skipped too much last week.

[Stop looking at her like that. 8|

How is she supposed to buy that she's not hurting you when you're looking at her like that?]