generalflirt | ~♥FORTY-TWO♥~

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~♥FORTY-TWO♥~

[Masaomi Kida isn't quite sure what to do with himself. His schedule's been thrown off entirely because of his going to Green for help, only to have been told (again, again, again) that he's a fuck up. That he's a failure. It stings, perhaps more than any other time he's been reprimanded in this fashion, to hear that he's apparently been doing poorly with Pokemon, with Linda. It's nothing new, of course (his mother, himself, Izaya, Sokka, every time he'd come out of an AU, looks on Katara's face, Aang's entire existence, Riku, Xion...). In fact, he's long, long since used to being a loser.

But it stings. Actually, it makes his resolve to reverse that even greater.

So he's been (re-)training with the trainers, he's stopped doing personal training with Linda, and he's stopped giving lessons to Ikki (hell, he can't even do that effectively, given his pokedex has been taken from him). That cuts at least two hours he normally dedicated (plus rest periods) out of each day, leaving only his irregular checks with Chun-Li and his irregular gun lessons and ninja lessons. And, of course, personal training. Still, with the brutality involved in some of pokemon lessons (punishments, a part of him can't help but think) he's cut back on that as well. Leaving him with... what.

Too much free time.

Too much pointless free time. He can't hang out with Gold or Silver, that would hurt to have been around people he's apparently failed without even realizing it. He can't be around Katara, she's some ghost of what she normally is. He can't be around Ventus or Roxas or Riku or Xion or any of those other people, because their strength of power or character just oozes out of them, punching him in the gut. This leaves, of course, only Shikamaru and Linda of people he would consider himself at all close to, and there's only so many hours in the day you can spend with your best friend or your partner (who you're still arguing some with) before you get sick of that too.

It reminds him, in a lot of ways, of the tail end of middle school.]

[Video]
[Of course, there's really only one way to deal with frustrated misery: you plaster a broad smile on your face such that no one can see what's going on inside of you. He's long since used to doing this, and right now, he doubts anyone will call him on it anyway.

And so, with a bright grin on his face, the video begins. He's in his apartment, dressed in suit very similar to the one he got in gangland during the scavenger hunt experiment]

Hello, hello, ladies and gentlemen! Coming to you live from a studio apartment near you, this is Kida Live! The spiritual successor to the well-received Kida Radio program that some of you might have heard about! [He spreads his arms wide, laughs, and then brings his arms in closer to himself, winking at the camera of the book before crouching down and keeping up the blase smile]

Now, I'm sure many of you have wondered "okay so Luceti's unfortunate, but how can I get a date?" Or perhaps "Valentines is coming up! What if I'm forced into my first kiss?" Or even your first intimate nature moment. [And he holds up his one hand in a circle, the other with his pointer finger out, and then pushes the pointer finger into the circle.] These are all valid concerns! After all, there's a sick sense of humor at work in the "Fate" of this world, one which breaks men's spirits as if they were twigs.

[And he laughs, at his own joke. His voice might just have shifted in pitch a little, but- He twirls in place, and by the time he's done, he's back to normal. Upbeat]

So tell me, Love Hunter Masa, about these concerns! About how you want a date and your woes of love. I'll have you know I even know an excellent matchmaker called the Commodore who can help~ you~ out~!

[With a little finger wiggle at the book of each of those last three words. He ends it there. This'll be more fun than just thinking, anyway.

If you don't want to do the video, there is an action option. Despite doing this broadcast in his apartment, he'll be spending most of his days not spent doing training things in Building I (formerly Azzip, now a budding convenience store) sitting with his Pikachu and browsing his journal. See him through the door or the window or something, or when he steps out to get a meal]

["Action" on the 21st]
[The next day from the Kida Love broadcast, Masaomi is in Building I again, just sort of hanging out in the later afternoon. It's around then that the droids come- he recognizes this approach once they're in the building, and both him and Linda react quickly. The thing of it is, despite the sabotage they assisted in and (in his opinion) how well they did during that defense of Catherine boondogle, this time two things happen to make them completely overwhelmed: These aren't sabotaged droids, and Linda's electricity outright dies on her early in the fight, to both of their surprise. And, following a quick and ultimately futile scuffle, both Masaomi and his mouse are dragged off to the Rogue labs]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So let's do what you want if you have something better in mind. I can still come out here and give it a shot tomorrow.

Noooot sure I have any plans. I mean, I'm just a city-kid and this is nature.

[Shikamaru scratches his chin.]

There's this. We could go for a hike [he jerks his thumb towards the hot springs; it'll be easier getting out than coming in to the valley], or sit around. Or head back to the village.

[His eyes shift. He really doesn't want to do any of those right now. He recognizes that this isn't like him, but he doesn't want to be with people. Sure, he's lonely when he's alone, but he can't be further shamed when he is. Or let people down.]

There's no city here, Shikamaru.

Mm. So this is a day where that's where you belong.

Factually, don't I always belong there?

I don't care much for facts like that. You once told me you saw Luceti as being your place now.

[That was when he thought he was improving. It turns out, he had vastly overestimated his own progress, and his own power. Now he's just a loser who thought he had been all that ... because, what? He'd worked hard for a few months? Hard work for that short length of time can't overcome natural ability, particularly when he apparently wasn't doing parts of it right, all around.

His hangs his head a little and considers muttering to himself, but he resolves not to]

Ikebukuro's one of those places where the honest never prosper. That's a place which suits a sinful man like me, mmm? Silver tongues and poetic words and all the love one can get out of the fairer sex.

[Shikamaru narrows his eyes through his silence, expecting the answer he gets before Masaomi says it. That change of tune.]

A place where Mikado is your best friend.

And I'm in a simple love triangle with him over Anri-chan and that Izaya bastard's paid me into a school I didn't earn.

Where you can feel accepted in a crowd of companions you barely know by name, hm? Who don't understand you, who might not recognize you a year later, their affection as passing as those city lights.

Ahahaha, putting it like that, it almost sounds tragic, doesn't it?! Buuuut, it's also a city with illusions and splendor, you'll never know what's happening next in the 'buro.

[Try removing the 'almost'. They have cities like that in his world: Otafuku Gai, Tanzaku Gai, Crater City.

Shinobi loved any excuse to pass through these cities. Gambling, booze, women; any and all other false comforts.]

Half because it's too loud for you to think.

But that's what you want right now. Isn't it?

Spoken like a true hick, Shikamaru. It took me months to get use to the silence here.

I didn't mean it like that.

Hoooh. [With a light tongue click]

[The lights, the distraction; having your head so full it clouds out the other thoughts. That kind of loud.]

Am I still your back-up?

[Tch-]

That was arrogant of me.

[He forces that out, his whole body having tensed up. His teeth grit too]

[That's not an answer to this question. Just another. The words were like flipping a switch in Masaomi, and it makes him rethink pushing him for a better answer. Reacting on a dime, he closes the gap between them to grab his friend by the shoulders, trying to look him in the eye.]

I don't care what it was, if it's still what you need!

[...! For a moment, his eyes are wide and unfocused and he almost takes a step back from Shikamaru]

[But then he reigns it is, closes his eyes, and plasters an irreverent smile onto his face]

Eeeeh... aren't you getting too dramatic?

Aren't you lying?

Am I? Achaha... I don't know.

[And if he didn't, he does now.]

I know. I've told you before you don't have to smile like that in front of me.

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