~♥THIRTY-SIX♥~

[generalflirt]

[Voice // Filtered to Katara (mid-morning)]
I think now's enough time, don't you think?

[Action]
[And during the bulk of the day...! Masaomi's forgone most of his training for today other than some things on his wrists. On his left wrist (the one that until very recently was in a cast) has a weighted bracelet on, one kilo. That way, he can work it without switching himself up too much. On his right wrist is still Katara's bracelet. He's also still rocking the Bradstache. BuT more importantly!

...He's here to flirt with girls. He hasn't done it in a while, he's in just the sort of mood where he wants to do it again. So if you're in town and a pretty girl, he's liable to go and flirt with you. If you're a dude, well then you can witness him doing it. React to him, stand there to be reacted to? There's a lot of ways you can roll this]

[Voice // Filtered to Gold and Silver (evening)]
Hey guys, let's go play some Mario Party. [Assumption being he told Shikamaru already]

Comments

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[markofthebrave]

[It is, perhaps, strange that her first thought goes to Chouji before Mikado. And then the mess of loyalties old and new and relationships torn apart and this place tangles itself up in her mind and in her heart, and all she can say is a somewhat startled:]

Oh!

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[generalflirt]

[...Hah. He turns now, motioning for her to get in step with him. They were going to walk along the river, right? He starts tossing Linda's ball again, pleased that he ended up creating a natural segway towards a topic he's dreading going to (because it's such an uphill battle]

I doubt he feels the same way, of course. He has his village, not to mention Chouji-kun. Objectively speaking, I'm sure I'm in the top ten, but I very much doubt I'm in the top three. [And he hums] I'm happy though.

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[markofthebrave]

[...Heh. She moves to walk alongside him.]

Well, I'm glad.

[And she is, because it's much better to view Shikamaru as a best friend than a guy that she hardly ever sees you talk to - oh, and who runs a gang that you feel you need to diametrically oppose at all corners.]

He's a good friend.

[Katara is lousy at labels, as you may have noticed. The closest she gets to friend qualifications are: friend, good friend, really good friend.]

A really good one.

[And then she grins at Masaomi a little, open and honest, because she's glad for him.]

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[generalflirt]

[Oh he's noticed. It's probably because of that he smiles to himself, wondering what if any of the labels she would apply to him. He keeps tossing the ball, grinning to himself in his own world, pleased with his choices, pleased how things worked out... and happy to be at dawn, finally.

Now the only hanging thread is to help the woman he loves.]

So are you, you know. Where would us two boys be without you?

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[markofthebrave]

[She thinks back to when she'd first introduced Shikamaru and Masaomi to each other, how she'd vouched for the other one --

You barely trusted me then, did you

--and how they had somehow turned into this...

Her tone is wry, bemused:]

I have no idea.

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[generalflirt]

Off being stupid, probably. We're both very stupid creatures, ultimately.

[he thinks of it too. Flirting with Temari, Shikamaru's reactions in the draft. That was when it all began with him and Katara too]

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[markofthebrave]

[She's not so sure that she would give Shikamaru that label, but pointing that out seems tacky.]

I don't know about that...

[After all, you both seem to do some pretty stupid things even WITH her influence. 8|

Also, you're buttering her up for something, she can tell.]

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[generalflirt]

Trust me, I would. Sasssh~ [He keeps tossing the ball. But eventually, he catches it, and then with a hum] So how many are there now? Ikki-chan, Jinora-chan, that attractive one... Asami-san?

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[markofthebrave]

[That attractive one. Huff.

She knew it.]

Korra, Lin, and Tarrlok as well, though Lin and Tarrlok aren't staying with us, and I think Korra and Asami will finish moving out today.

[The names, by the way, are all said without any particular inflection. They are all problems in one way or another, and Katara's already started forming various plans of attack.]

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[generalflirt]

[...Hm] None of them are your family.

[Blithely]

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[markofthebrave]

Not... exactly.

[What do you call Korra? Or Lin?]

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[generalflirt]

Eeeeh?

[Let's look at it, see what he's working with. He twirls Linda's ball around in his palm with his thumb]

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[markofthebrave]

[She shook her head.]

It's complicated.

[And since part of it has to do with Aang, and another part has to do with Toph, she's not sure she trusts you with it.]

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[generalflirt]

It can't possibly be so complicated you can't take two minutes to explain.

[What happened to the trust they shared. Seriously. Open up to him]

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[markofthebrave]

[Aang is not exactly your favorite person, Masaomi. Neither is Toph. She doesn't trust you completely with their interests.

But.

She supposes she can tell you what Korra would tell you herself, or what you'd learn in any five minute conversation with Ikki.

She looks straight ahead, then.]

Korra's the new Avatar. And Lin is Toph's daughter.

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[generalflirt]

[He knew about Lin already. He either knows about Korra already or will soon depending on if I decide this is chronologically before or after his thread with Korra. He just wanted to make sure that she knew both of these things were things she could tell him.

As it is...]

...Poor Toph-chan.

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[markofthebrave]

[...nope. Her guard is still up. She just glances over at him.]

Yeah, it's a difficult thing.

[But there is no way she is discussing Toph's problems with you.

Not when she still wants to reach back in time and slap both Toph's parents, anyway.]

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[generalflirt]

[Gotcha.] I imagine so - Toph-chan's got her problems, and you've been subjected to something similar.

[Also, it hits him belatedly, this means Aang-kun is fated to die. He bets that's weighing hard on her.]

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[markofthebrave]

[She shook her head.]

It's similar, but... at least Ikki and Jinora are younger than I am. Lin's probably in her forties.

[...]

So don't hit on her.

[Look, a smile. It's a joke.]

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[generalflirt]

[...]

Katara, what do you think I am?

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[markofthebrave]

[...oh, he took that seriously.

And then she does something rare for her: apologizes immediately.]

I'm sorry. I meant it as a joke, and because the whole thing is just so strange to me. Nothing more than that.

1/2

[generalflirt]

[Inhale... exhale. He tightens the grip on Linda ball, reducing it to golf ball size. Then he squeezes it again, bringing it back to baseball size]

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[generalflirt]

...It's alright. [It's not] Just know, of course, that you can trust me. With anything, you really don't need to worry about me.

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[markofthebrave]

[No I can't, Masaomi.

If she trusts you with access to her heart, you'll slide right in and take what she's not offering.

If she trusts you with her family, the only thing she feels she can trust you to do absolutely is to keep them physically safe - all else, she's afraid you'll twist around and use for your own purpose.

With anything else? With just herself?

...heh.

She remembers Tokyo, and a silent train ride, and smiles a little - wistful and confident.]

I know.

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[generalflirt]

Good. Because I'll tear down the sky for you and yours.

[And yours. He'll do anything she needs for Aang and those girls. For Sokka. But he nods, slowly. He needed to say that.]