THIRD RIDE ✦ TEXT / ACTION [VIOLET CITY]
[A strange text post goes out to the network today. It appears to be a list of some kind.]
- ▶ get a motorcycle
▶ mod the fuck out of it
▶ fuck up ryder's shit
▶ find a fucking gym
▶ train
▶ train
▶ train
▶ fucking train
▶ get stronger (physically/emotionally/mentally??)
▶ find a sauna!!!!!
▶ actually get a date
▶ somehow
▶ god this is gonna fucking suck
▶
▶ fuck that's a lofty goal isn't it
▶ see every major city in johto
▶ that's better
▶ get all the badges
▶ (it's a matter of fucking pride)
▶ round out pkmn roster (no more dark types!!!)
▶ um
▶ fuck
▶ i'm forgetting something aren't i
▶ shit
[Five minutes after that's accidentally posted to the network, a proper text follows.]
oh shit ignore that last post, that wasn't supposed to go public
...actually, tell me about the things you want to do here
i need more shit on my to do list
are there any awesome places to see or anything like that?
[It's not surprising that Mondo's out training on the outskirts of the city. What is surprising is that he isn't fighting his Pokémon today. He's ditched the usual coat today and if one looks closely, they can see a massive bruise over his shoulders and leading down toward his back. That might be from fighting his Pokémon. Maybe. But that's not what he's doing today - today he's got his Pokémon out, situated in teams of two facing off against each other.]
Alright, we're gonna practice double battling today. Ryder! Quit trying to punch Pierce, he's your partner!
[The Scrafty shoots him a dirty look, but she knocks it off. At least until Mondo's back is turned, then she socks the Lucario in the gut and knocks him over.]
Lex, Tory! If I see the two of you biting at each other again I swear I'm gonna stick you in the fucking PC and never let you see the light of day again! You got that?
[The Sharpedo and Deino pull faces once his back is turned, but at least they seem to be listening.]
Alright, on my mark... go!
[...This can only end well.]
text;
shit you're a girl after my own heart alice
let's fucking do this thing
...just don't mention it to kyoudai he'll have a fucking heart attack
text;
text;
i'm just south of town, you wanna meet there?
text;
Let me go put a shirt on. See you in 15.
text;
never mind i'll see you then
[And sure enough, Mondo will be waiting on the route, messing around with his 'Gear, occasionally glancing up in search of Alice.]
text; → action;
Hey.
action;
Thanks for offering to help with this, but fuck, you'll see what I mean when I say I'm really bad with girls.
[But more importantly...]
You got a car in mind?
action;
[She shrugs.]
You want to just go walk around and see what we can find?
action;
action;
[That was a beautiful day.]
action;
[Well, short of his races back home, but he hasn't really been all that into those since Daiya-- well, that's enough of that train of thought.]
So who won?
action;
action;
[That has got to be the most hilarious expression ever. Don't mind him laughing, alright.]
action;
See? You don't have trouble talking to girls.
action;
Not like this, no! I mean, I always thought I was bad at it, but between you and Asahina I've had it pretty good here, I think!
[It's just trying to ask a girl out...]
action;
[Seriously. WHY IS THIS HARD.]
action;
[He's already getting a bit louder than usual, sorry about that.]
action;
So why not just ask them out from like thirty feet away, so it's not weird that you're yelling anyway?
[#nailed it]
action;
That's ridiculous! I'm not gonna do that! I'm trying to figure out how to ask a girl out without screaming at 'em, not make use of the screaming!
action;
action;
[But alright. Alright. The least he can do is give it a try. Mondo takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes for a moment, imagining that this is just like the situations back home. He's really interested in her. He's going to ask her out. He can do this.]
S-So... Alice, will you...
[Shit, bad start, bad start. Being blunt about it is okay, but he doesn't sound confident as it is. Okay. Deep breaths. He can do this.]
Will you... will you please go out with me!?
[......................
he's ready for that punch now.]
action;
[She bellows, as she socks him in the arm.]
It's not gonna work if you just do it like that, though.
action;
Yeah? You got any suggestions?
[Wow, you really do pack a punch, Alice!]
action;
[It's actually a very honest, matter-of-fact sort of "no", really, accompanied by a shake of her head.]
See, what you're doing is what I would do. You need to be doing what a grifter would do. Like...talking.
[She considers this another minute, contemplating her own lessons in grifting from way back when. She was never good at them, but that doesn't mean she can't remember them.]
People are hard because they don't just...say what they mean. You're probably getting nervous because you're trying to just say what you mean, but you kinda know that's not...what you're supposed to be saying? So then you mess up because you know it's wrong but you don't know what to say to make it right. You know? Some people just know what to say. Some people don't.
action;
Shit, I hadn't thought of it like that. I mean, it kinda sounds like you're beating around the bush, y'know? But if you think that'll help, I'll try it out!
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;
action;