Second Hit | Audio + Action for Route 35

[impheired]

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...]

Comments

[Action]

[impheired]

[Super high school level dead, boy. That's what you'll be.]

[...even if it's really, really true. He is the perfect size to sit on his arachnophobe's-worst-nightmare-sized spider.]

The fuck does it look like I'm doing? I'm giving her a taste of her own fucking medicine now that she's big enough for me to manage it!

['scuze you, though, who is the one who is literally on top here? Clearly he's not losing. Ding dong, you've got that wrong. Kuzuryuu is the victor.]

[Action]

[tallandproud]

[It looks like he's having a fight with a spider. That's what it looks like. By default he's already losing because it's a fight with, once again, a spider. Hinata takes a second to think about the benefits before he adds.]

If she can manage it now, you could get over mountains quicker with her help. Since she naturally knows how to climb, it might even mean she'd know the safest pathways. Right?

[Score one for Hinata finding a way around saying Kuzuryuu is small. Monomi gives him a sideways look but he ignores it.]

Anyway, I was looking for you.

[Action]

[impheired]

Somehow I'm not sure she's cut out for that sort of thing. Besides, I've got my Zebstrika for that.

[Seriously, who would pick a spider over a thunder zebra? Nobody, that's who.]

But alright, you found me. Were you expecting some kind of prize for that? What do you want?

[Don't mind him, Hinata. He's just grumpy between the invitation bombardment and now this crap with his Ariados.]

[Action]

[tallandproud]

[By now, Hinata just isn't phased by the grumpiness. Kuzuryuu is always like that.]

I'm going to get lunch. I thought I'd ask if you wanted anything before I go or if you wanted to just come with me.

[He got so used to eating meals with the others that he still makes an effort to seek them out before he goes off to eat. It's something they did to maintain and here, where their feelings are so mixed...it had to help didn't it?]

[Action]

[impheired]

Ah...

[For a moment he doesn't move, then he slowly gets to his feet, returning Mei to her ball in a flash of light before brushing himself off.]

Sure, I'll come with you. There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about anyway...

[DON'T SOUND TOO EXCITED ABOUT IT KUZURYUU, JESUS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO.]

[He gestures for Hinata to lead the way before waving for Kopeko to come with them. The Bisharp gladly jogs over, tipping Kuzuryuu's previously abandoned gear into his hand upon reaching him. Fun fact: evolution has rendered "Little Peko" Not that Kuzuryuu has ever admitted to this being the actual meaning of her name not-quite-so-little anymore...she's a good three inches taller than Kuzuryuu now. And that's NOT including the head spike.]

[Action] - Spoilers ahead

[tallandproud]

Alright. [Instead of pressing about it, he leads the way with Monomi trotting at his side. It's been only a short time since he's been in a city (actually a lot longer but it feels like only a short time. Thanks lack of memories) but he still knows how to function in one.

The place he wants to get lunch from isn't too far from where they are now. He trusts Kuzuryuu will bring up what he wants to say when he feels they're in a good spot to talk.]

[Action] yup

[impheired]

[Good on you Hinata for not making them walk too far. Apparently they aren't in a "good spot to talk" until they're sitting down and waiting on their food, because Kuzuryuu doesn't say much until that point.]

[He steeples his fingers, resting his elbows on the table and furrowing his brow slightly.]

I think we might have made a mistake when we sat down to decide how much to tell the others.

[Okay apparently we're just going to jump into it right now without warning. Alright, Kuzuryuu.]

[Action] More spoilers.

[tallandproud]

[Hinata blinks, visibly taken back by the subject yet at the same time. He leans his elbows on the table as his brow furrows. It's something he's thought about a lot lately with how Nanami has been and what has been spoken about.]

I think so too. I just...don't know how to go about explaining things. [He takes a sip of his water and stares into the faint reflection in the surface.] Even without the details we learned at the end. It's a lot for them to deal with.

No matter how much we decide to tell them now. [He knows how it would feel to him. The moment he learned where they were before, he'd want to know why. Why were they put into the program and for what purpose. A copout wouldn't have settled his mind at all, had he been in the dark. But from other side...it's better only Souda, Kuzuryuu, Nanami, and himself know the full truth.]

[impheired]

Yeah. How do you even bring something like that up? It almost feels like the moment's already passed.

[Especially considering he'd...been going on about the forced shutdown when he first arrived. It would have been the perfect time to break "HEY...SO VIRTUAL REALITY WAS A THING" thing. Actually, it's kind of a wonder none of their classmates asked him to elaborate on that...]

But I don't think we were totally wrong. There are some things we definitely need to keep between the six of us. Just...Nanami got me thinking. Maybe we should've told them about the fucking virtual reality thing.

[tallandproud]

I wouldn't call it a mistake but, maybe we should have brought it up sooner. [The situation has changed so much and in such a short time. He isn't sure what to do. If they bring it up, the others are going to wonder why it's coming up now. Or how they know. Or...

This is such a headache.

But, he has to have faith in his classmates. They were just trying to protect the others.]

I don't even know the first thing about how to bring it up. We might want to wait for another moment to present itself. The way things are now is ok, until we can find a way to discuss it. I think we should talk to Nanami about it and see what she thinks. This is going to affect her the most.

[impheired]

Yeah, we need to talk to her about it first before we do anything, especially now that Fujisaki's here. Maybe she'll even know how to break it to the others, I mean shit she actually gets along with Saionji.

[tallandproud]

[Getting along with Saionji isn't hard but it involves something he's not sure Kuzuryuu can do. It would be a bad idea to say it.]

Why don't we contact her now while we're talking about this? [He produces his gear, ready to text Nanami if Kuzuryuu agrees to it.]

It's better to do it while it's fresh on our minds.

[impheired]

Fine by me, may as well.

[Makes sense to him! Go for it, Hinata.]

[tallandproud]

[He calls Nanami on his gear but she doesn't even pick up. After a second attempt, he sighs.] It looks like she's busy...or she might be napping again.

[If he's honest with himself, it's probably the later. Nanami's random naps are pretty infamous.]

[impheired]

...Probably napping. And if that's the case, we're just shit out of luck.

[Unless they actually go and find her and wake her up but lord knows where she is...hopefully somewhere inside.]

We'll just have to catch her and talk about it later, it's not like she's that hard to find.

...when she's actually awake.

[tallandproud]

Yeah, once she's asleep there's no waking her up.

[Or finding her. She could be in a hotel room dozing and they'd never find her.]

At least we tried. [Kuzuryuu is right, they can talk to her about the whole thing later.]