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]

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[Let her out, instead of making her angry.]

I didn't know there was that much to it.

Hey, I didn't either! Like when I got that egg, or when she hatched. It all barely felt real. It didn't really feel real until Silver told me I was doing it wrong and I followed his lead. And it didn't really feel like I was getting anywhere until that big birthday party.

[He got his pokedex, she evolved... if you ignore that Mikado wasn't there (Still he thinks this) and maybe Anri or Saki... and you ignore that argument with Katara... it really was one of the happiest days of his life]

Haaa... What was that little conversation about? Right before she evolved like that.

[~~wow I suck Mikado was there DISREGARD THAT~~ But no, he remembers it. He wonders if Shikamaru is bluffing, because now Masaomi frowns up at the sky.

"I love you more more than anyone else in here"

He'd understood those words clearly. And really, he thought he really understood it all, with that moment. It seemed like they'd only gotten strong and stronger since then, after all...

"You will have to. Giving and receiving orders is a part of the relationship between trainers, and between them and their Pokémon. Linda may not like it, but she has no choice. She must obey your orders and you must learn to understand how to guide her every move."

Isn't that just breaking her spirit, though... He doesn't get it, he doesn't get it at all]

She was being silly.

[But as he says this, he reaches into his pocket to take out her ball. With it in hand, he can see her glaring at him inside of it]

[He didn't understand Linda well, until that night Masaomi was in the hospital. He'd talked to her before then, but not as in a conversation.

He had to really try that time. She wouldn't stop squeaking over him. By the time Masaomi woke up, he thought he had an okay hang of it. That was not long before the party.]

It was cute.

[She really loves you, Masaomi.]

Mm... I'll have to give you that one.

[Holding the ball up to look at her, her smiles at her, which just makes her frown all the more]

She and I are the only ones here, so it's just on our behalf that I can speak...

But we both consider our time with you valuable and well-spent. Even when you're being troublesome, those are bonds that are important to us.

Though it's a two-way street. Maybe doubting yourself, it's not so important to you.

Foul. That's totally below the belt!

[Particularly when he sits up straight and tosses the ball in the air before catching it. He can swear her head Linda laughing despite knowing he couldn't]

Is it? You were the one saying maybe it's all screwed up already.

Something can be screwed up and important! [Don't give him that. He falters a moment, deflates, and then looks down at the ball again before looking back at shikamaru]

That's how it rolls in the 'buro, seems like.

[Masaomi moved away from him before, so Shikamaru leans back enough until their back-to-back again. Keep talking.]

[What, he's supposed to keep talking? He doesn't want to talk. Not about how he's failed to deliver on what Linda apparently needs or on how much him and Katara have gotten messed up (even if she's not herself right now) or how he's the weak link or any of that. Who would want to talk about that?

Still, he sighs.]

Come on, you know. Somewhere along the line, it all got messed up.

[Life is messy.]

I think that the only shogi games in which the match goes exactly as I first pictured it are the ones I play against myself.

But those are the hardest for you, aren't they?

Don't confuse me for my old man.

Heh... [And this is really the wrong time to be missing him.] The point is, it's not a real game if you're never on the ropes and have to change your strategy. And life isn't living without its conflicts.

[Like he doesn't know that...] Thank everything life isn't shogi.

[It would be better, he thinks, but he keeps that to himself.]

Humor me. The boa-- [Sigh. He flips open the lighter, and closes it.] Your circumstances can and will change. You have us, you have friends, and several strengths you're taking for granted right now.

[He almost questions how they're apart from friends... but then he doesn't. He tosses her ball two more times, frowning distinctly at it. He still doesn't get what Green said. It's so contrary to his understanding of partnership, and it's been pissing him off all this time. With his guys, he knew those guys, and he trusted them to handle their end of things. Isn't it contrary to that trust to issue--- ...]

Hey, you're like a Captain or something back in Konoha, right? Jounin or whatever?

[Weird subject change, but okay.]

Chuunin, yeah. Translates as captain to most, near as I can tell.

[~~AT LEAST FOR THIS CANON POINT~~]

Which means you give orders in a place were people care more about them than here, doesn't it?

[Sigh. He closes his eyes.]

Hai. When I'm designated squad leader, as it goes.

Mind telling me about that?

[There's a purpose here. He has to understand. Sure, he gave orders of sorts to his Scarves, but they wee his friends, his buddies. He never thought of himself as their "General." Not really]

Looking for a promotion any time soon...?

[It's drawled. He doesn't mind telling, but he's trying to assess the reasons behind it.]

I've already got one, apparently. [He's staring at Linda's ball, intently] Green-san seems to think I don't have enough control between her and me.

Aaa...

[Yeah, he'd gathered that from Green's post. Either way, he'd determined there that if anyone were to admit it to Masaomi, it should be Green. Shikamaru wiped his hands of that.]

I think something like that you'd have more luck understanding by talking to Kiba. Squad leaders don't function the same... A four-man cell is the norm for me, though smaller or larger teams aren't unheard of.

Regardless of how many there are, I have to thoroughly know all of my squad's individual abilities... what tools they have at their disposal, and things like that. I'm the one who delegates what everyone does, so I can't be careless and give someone a job they're not suited for.

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