impheired | Second Hit | Audio + Action for Route 35

Audio:
[If you thought Kuzuryuu would be happy about the prospect of a fancy red carpet event, then you are sorely mistaken. Though, at the moment, this might have more to do with the uh...method of invitation Clair decided to employ than the event itself. Three guesses who got beaned right in the head with a few of those ping pong balls. First two guesses don't count.]

[It was Kuzuryuu.]

Why the everloving fuck would you decide to invite people to something by dropping goddamn plastic balls on them!? That's not fucking normal, who the hell does something like this!? This better not be something that happens regularly here, I swear...

[He trails off, falling into a sort of contemplative silence for a few moments.]

What the hell is a prom, anyway? Some kind of party or something? [Hello, I am very Japanese and we do not have proms. Also I went to murderschool. There are no dances at murder school, only murders.] VIPs I get but wh-- son of a bitch!! [The sounds of a jostled struggle can be heard, along with a range of very happy Ariados noises.]

Goddammit, Meiwaku!! You can't fucking-- [What is even going on over there...] Get off you dumbass!! I swear to fu-- [Thankfully, the transmission cuts out fairly quickly into the unseen scuffle. He'll uh...he'll get back to you if anybody actually wants to answer that question about prom.]

Action:
[For anybody who happens to be out and about, they might run into Kuzuryuu mid-spider scuffle just outside of Goldenrod on Route 35. He's been out here training for most of the day (as per usual) and has two new evolutions to show for it: Bisharp and Ariados. The former appears as calm as she ever does, cradling Kuzuryuu's Pokégear in her hands and watching the scene before her with something that might be amusement. As for the latter...apparently she either hasn't noticed or doesn't care that evolving means she's quite a bit bigger than she used to be. So she's very determinedly trying to climb all over her master just like in the (not so) good ol' days. It's not really working but that isn't stopping her. Nothing is stopping her.]

[She WILL reclaim her fuzzy throne, rules of physics and everything that is logical be damned!!]

[Needless to say, Kuzuryuu is not amused and there's quite a bit of yelling going on and even more swearing.]

You're too big for that now, dipshit!! Fucking-- QUIT!! I didn't even-- DAMMIT! How about I fucking sit on you for a change, huh!? Then what, fucker!?

[He wasn't kidding about that because after a few more moment's wrestling, he definitely plants himself squarely on her back. Though...since he hardly weighs more than she does, the impact is probably not as impressive as he was hoping for. It surprised her enough to pin her to the ground, sure, but she barely seems to mind if the even happier noises and excited squirming are anything to go by.]

[Approac-- more like turn around and walk away and pretend you didn't see this. Why would you...]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[More happy clicking as Mei leans into Tsumiki's hand, closing her eyes.]

Sounded like what!?

[Kuzuryuu you need to calm the fuck down. You were doing so well at the whole NOT yelling at Tsumiki thing.]

Like...you...th-thought showing her any attention would...d-do anything but make her happy...

[Like. Come on Kuzuryuu. By now you have to realize Mei's going to be happy just because you are talking to her. Who cares if it's annoyed barking?

And hello you cutie. You are very cute and she is going to give you lots of attention up until she's chased off.]

[Mei makes an attempt to gently nibble on Tsumiki's hand as she's petting her. Are you willing to let it go that far, Tsumiki? Huh? Spider nibbles?]

[Kuzuryuu, for his part, just makes a very frustrated noise, almost like a growl.] Of course I did! This isn't supposed to be fucking enjoyable!

[Stupid goddamn fucking perma-happy spider.]

What are you doing out here, anyway? [Tsumiki? Outside of the Pokécenter? This is madness.]

[She is, because she likes Mei. And someone has to like her.

Besides that, there's also the fact that she's trying to decide exactly how to reply to that first part there. Excuse her for being quiet for a minute or so, she's clearly thinking very hard about this.]

...that...doesn't always matter...

[Apparently all of that thinking only amounted to four words.]

Oh. My shift is over...and it's slow today, so I thought maybe I'd go out and train a little...

[Meaning she probably got told to go home.]

[Well then...nibbling engage! Very carefully though. No poison or bites to hurt or anything like that.]

[Any comment Kuzuryuu might have had about Mei is driven out of his mind at Tsumiki's answer to his last question. Because hold the goddamn phone.]

[Tsumiki???]

[Training???!?!?/??!1?]

You...what? Since when did you start taking this shit seriously?

[It's not even so much the fact that she's training so much as she apparently made this decision on her own.]

[Who are you and what have you done with Tsumiki?]

[Looking up from the Ariados, she stares at him for a pause before kind of shrugging a little.]

Well...I can't protect them. Saionji-san made me realize that if I come up against someone with Pokemon a much higher level than mine...and...really wanted to hurt them, I wouldn't be able to help...

[Focusing back on Meiwaku.]

So I want them to be strong enough to protect themselves. I know that's...just what you told me before but...none of those trainers really wanted to hurt my Pokemon...it...was just...a battle. So I've...I've been training them ever since.

[Yes, on her own.]

Amitriptyline is already level 42! And...the others are catching up too...I know they don't...really compare to any of you...but we're trying really hard!

[................]

[Again: who are you and what have you done with Tsumiki?]

Saionji, huh? [Okay, all bracket joking aside, it's actually not that surprising once he hears the explanation. He was there for that little tiff the two girls got into in Violet a few months back, after all. He didn't quite think that something like this would come of it but he can easily see how it came to pass.]

Heh. It'd take some kind of a miracle for you to catch up to me this late in the game, so there's no sense in beating yourself up over that.

[Kuzuryuu...]

But...you could be doing a lot worse, forty-two isn't so bad. [Okay, there we go, now you're moving more in the right direction. Come on, you can do it. Tell her you're sort of weirdly proud of her. You think...maybe...possibly.]

...so I'd say there's still hope for you not completely sucking at this.

[#nailed it]

[She just nods at Saionji's name, looking down on instinct. Not that she stopped listening to him, mind you. The girl just makes her uncomfortable, even if she's not actually around.

And she nods again when he says there's no way she could catch up to him. Really, she knew that. Even if she hadn't started so late in the game, she was sure she couldn't keep up with her classmates really...so that's no surprise.

What she doesn't immediately reply to - vocal or otherwise - is what comes next. Because as tsun as it was, she can recognize the compliment. And her eyes rise back up from the ground to look at him with a sort of blank, almost questioning look - like she's waiting for him to say something. Maybe to take it back, or make a joke out of what he said but...when it doesn't come, she smiles bright.]

R-really? You really think so, Kuzuryuu-san?

[Well she definitely has to keep training then!! If that's Kuzuryuu's opinion...]

You heard me, don't make me repeat myself.

[So that's a yes.]

[And she knows that's a yes, so she's a little overjoyed. Just a little. Judging by those happy sounds she's making.]

We'll work really hard, Kuzuryuu-san!

You better. Slacking off won't get you anywhere when it comes to this shit.

I-I won't slack off! I'll do my very best! [Way to go, Kuzuryuu. You've actually managed to get Tsumiki Mikan pumped up about doing something that has very little to do with nursing.

You should get a medal or something.]

'atta girl.

[YOU SHOW 'EM, TSUMIKI.]

Second Hit | Audio + Action for Route 35

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