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[uncutetomboy]

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action, at the camp (parallels i don't know what you're talking about)

[conniemaheswaran]

Connie's sword skills are nigh-unparalleled at home. Being trained by the literal best on the entire planet over thousands of years tends to give you some pretty slick moves, after all.

But while she's an excellent swordfighter, her hand-to-hand is simply great.

And so she is no match for Akane.

Connie puts up a good fight, but she's flat on her back in less than a minute, staring up at the night sky while diamonds shine in her (rapidly bruising, in the case of the left) eye.

"Oh. My. Stars.

"That was incredible!"

Re: action, at the camp (parallels i don't know what you're talking about)

[uncutetomboy]

"I'm so sorry!" Akane says, kneeling down beside her, with a worried expression on her face. "I didn't-- I should have held back, but you're so good with swords that I thought-- I don't know what I thought. I'm just-- I'm not used to having to hold back. I'm used to barely being able to keep up."

And she is. She really is. Ranma and Ryouga... Mousse and Shampoo... she could maybe take Ukyou or the Kunos if she went all out, but she was far behind the real top-tier fighters back home these days.

It was hard to believe some days that once she'd been one of the best fighters in Furinkan Town, if not the entire Nerima Ward.

[conniemaheswaran]

"It's fine, it's fine!" Connie laughs lightly, getting to her feet. "Honestly, I'm kinda glad that you went all-out. It's been a while since I've been so hard-pressed in a fight. Not since... stars, the Topazes? Hessonite? And that was years ago. Getting pushed to the limits of your abilities is the only way to improve, really; so I should be thanking you more than anything else!"

She touches the bruise, still smiling. Connie means every word that she said; while she may not have allowed herself to feel the sheer joy of combat back home because she was supposed to be a proper and noble knight, her time with the Rockets has broken some of the ideals Pearl drilled into her head during training. "You know, I could have Artemis heal this, but... I think I'll keep it for a little while. Remind me of what to watch out for next time, neh?" Somebody's picked up a few speech patterns from Carly.

"I have to ask, who trained you? They must've been really good."

You hear that? That's the click that a metaphorical mine makes when it's being stepped on.

[uncutetomboy]

Akane gets... well, there's no other word for it. She goes stiff. "My father did," she says, looking away. "And-- I thought he was. I thought I was. And we're-- we're better than ordinary people, I guess. Hobbyists. Even the competition circuit. But we're not--"

She bites her lip, trying to think of how to explain this. "There's a difference, I guess. Between martial artists and martial artists. People like me who-- who work really hard at it, but still maintain a mostly normal life. And... people who don't. About a year ago, my father's old training partner brought his son to stay with us. And Ranma... Mr Saotome took him on a ten year training journey, back when he was a little boy. He's so much better than me that it's--"

She clenches her fists, still not looking at her new friend.

"Next to him, I'm nothing, Connie."

action, after zephyr badge

[conniemaheswaran]

Before heading in to face Falkner, Connie told Akane that she'd show her a "beautiful battle." That she'd make Akane see how complex and breathtaking high-level Pokémon battles can be.

And while it's up to Akane whether Connie succeeded or not, she certainly did her damndest.

Walking out of the arena with sweat dripping down her forehead, Connie smiles widely at Akane as she runs up to her. "So, what do you think!"

Re: action, after zephyr badge

[uncutetomboy]

If Akane came from a more demonstrative culture, she'd probably be hugging Connie by now. As it is, she's smiling widely. "That was amazing," she breathes. "I never realized that Pokemon battles could be so-- Wow. I'm so glad I could see that, Connie."

[conniemaheswaran]

Connie is half-expecting a hug (her former best friend was rather liberal with them, after all), but Akane's smile is just as sweet. "I admit, I laid it on thick for you," she laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head, "but you're right. It's exhilarating. I can't wait to see you get your first badge, Akane, you're going to love it!"

Exhaling, Connie leans against the wall. "Do you want to go to the malt shop to celebrate? That was tough battle! Falkner really gave me a run for my money; if I didn't think to have Naga throw up a Safeguard, there's a good chance that I would've lost."

[uncutetomboy]

"I'd love to go to the malt shop," Akane says. "And-- I think I will. It looks like a lot of fun. What were those prizes he was giving to you are the end, anyway?" She couldn't quite identify them from where she'd been sitting.

(Part of her would like to hug Connie, but she doesn't want to presume too much.)`

action, waiting for ubird

[conniemaheswaran]

The sun is setting on Johto. It's a breathtaking sight, painting the sky in reds, yellows, oranges, and purples in a dizzying vista of color. The view is certainly appropriate for what promises to be a beautiful night.

But Connie isn't paying attention to any of that. If anything, she seems anxious in her blue sari, absentmindedly twiddling her hands as she and Akane wait for the Ubird.

This was it. She had to do it now before they actually got to prom and Akane threw a fit.

"Akane, I have something very important to tell you. It's a lot, but you really need to listen to me and understand what I'm saying. Okay?"

Re: action, waiting for ubird

[uncutetomboy]

Akane herself is also fidgeting in her warm brown skirted suit. She's excited to be going to a big group event with the other people from other worlds—but also nervous at the same time. She hasn't really met anyone but Connie, except over the pokegear. And all of Connie's surrogate family will be there. What if they hate her in real life? What if the prom is full of perverts who'll—

No. Breathe, Akane.

Connie's talking to her. She turns her focus to her friend. "Okay?" she replies, nervously. "What's this about?"

[conniemaheswaran]

Deep breath. In, out.

Stars, this conversation is going to suck.

"Akane, on this world—and on Earth in a few decades, from your perspective—it is okay, socially acceptable, and very common for people of the same gender to be romantically involved with one other, and if you're coming to the prom with me, you really need to be cool with that because most of the members of my family are bringing a date of the same gender as they are, and not in a friend way."

Beat.

"If it helps you process, the most powerful fighter on my world is the physical incarnation of the love between two women, and my swordsmaster took thousands of years to get over her crush on Rose." Pause. "Who is a woman, in case that wasn't obvious." A third pause. In, out. Just say it, Connie, you idiot-

"AlsoIAmVeryBisexualWhichMeansILikeBoysAndGirlsWhichIReallyHopeIsn'tAProblemBecauseYou'reMyBestFriendRightNowAndIWantItToStayThatWay"

[uncutetomboy]

Whatever Akane expected Connie to tell her, it wasn't this.

Her first, immediate response is to open her mouth and deny it all. Because it just-- they just-- that's not how it works. That's not how any of it works. If a boy likes another boy, they're just... misguided. A pervert. Confused. And if a girl likes a girl... well, who wouldn't like other girls more than boys? Boys are awful and dangerous and only want one thing.

But Connie keeps on talking and no. No. This can't be right. Ranma hated it so much when boys hit on him as a girl, because he was a boy and-- and--

It can't be right. It just can't be.

Akane starts shaking her head before Connie blurts out the last part of it-- and then she gets very, very still.

"You... like girls... like a boy would?"

Olivine City defeat, pre-Freaky Friday leak

[conniemaheswaran]

As her last Pokémon goes down, Connie stands there for a moment, completely dumbstruck. Is... is she okay? She's standing completely still, is she even breathing-

"I AM SUCH AN IDIOT!" she yells, falling on her back and groaning.

All the best laid plans of mice and men come undone when you forget the secondary type of a Pokémon, apparently.

Re: Olivine City defeat, pre-Freaky Friday leak

[uncutetomboy]

Akane kneels down and pats Connie's shoulder, gingerly. "She's really hard to beat?" she suggests after a moment of studying her best friend's face. "I mean... your uncle failed too."

(And they'd even been there to see it, since he'd done his match right before Connie's.)

[conniemaheswaran]

"There's a difference between giving it your all with a well-rounded strategy and completely forgetting how type matchups work because you were too busy huffing your own fumes!" Connie groans, gently banging her head against the floor. "All of those hours up last night figuring out this strategy completely wasted!"

Whoops. She wasn't planning on telling Akane about her 4 A.M. study session.

[uncutetomboy]

"Maybe you shouldn't have stayed up so late, then," Akane says tartly. "If you stay up late the night before an important match and come to it tired, of course you're going to have a bad time."

Text With Video Attachment, Glitch Day

[a_sin_for_him]

What do you think of this?

[The video is Lust, in black dance leggings and a sports bra, going through one of the dance routines she's worked up for the club she's recently been hired for. It's highly sensual and acrobatic and appears to be filmed in Lust's living room. Sometimes a evolved Eevee wanders through the frame behind her.]

[There's no other context.]

Re: Text With Video Attachment, Glitch Day

[uncutetomboy]

[Akane recognizes the lady with all the psychic kittens. She just doesn't understand why she's sending this video to her. Does this mean she's a--

No. No. It's not perverts who're the problem, at least not if they're not doing anything to anyone, Akane reminds herself. It's assaulters that are. That's what Carly told her and Carly was very smart about things like that. Like Dirk.

But... oh gosh, watching the video gives her such a squirmy feeling that she can't help but shift a little on the rock she's resting on as she takes a break from her jogging. She wants-- She doesn't know what she wants. For the kitten lady to smile at her, maybe. For her to do a dance like that where Akane could touch her. She's so pretty.

She imagines Connie doing a dance like that and a muffled squeak escapes her mouth.

Oh no.

Finally she text back,]

you're really pretty and really good at it

[a_sin_for_him]

....Thank you.

This didn't go to my employer, did it?

5/29 Glitch day text;

[amaure]

I do so hope this reaches you, dragoon.

The last several have ill found their way, ending up in devices of others instead. I find this mummery most tiresome. Not that you would know aught about it, the horrid Luddite you continue to prove yourself to be. Though, with the fatuity of this technology, mayhap you have the right of it...for once.

Nevermind. The point is, I have been attempting time and again to contact you, and each endeavor has been met with infuriating failure. If this does reach you, contact me immediately, I will suffer your avoidance no longer.

[Well, someone's in a mood. Sorry Akane.]

Re: 5/29 Glitch day text;

[uncutetomboy]

i'm not a dragon

[amaure]

[...again. Solus sighs, rubbing at his eyes for a few moments, which makes it seem like he's just not going to respond. But he is, he just needs a moment.]

I said dragoon. Two O's.

It would seem once again my missives has found itself misplaced. So then, who are you?

The Date

[braveloyalhugs]

Scorpia has put on her favorite dress, the pink and gold one with layered skirts that floof and even flutter around her when she twirls! It's got pretty flower patterns on the second layer that peek out at the neckline and sleeves and lower hem. And she's found some flowers to match that, and braided them in her hair. Well, tried to braid them in her hair. It's not quite long enough; maybe she should grow it out? But bobby pins did the trick!

And then matching earrings and a bracelet, and shoes! And makeup too. She's ready! She's so ready! The readiest!

She's too nervous to knock on the door and ask if Akane is ready yet.

Re: The Date

[uncutetomboy]

In a way, it's silly. They're sharing a room at the Bed & Breakfast--given how far the Cerulean Cape was from Goldenrod, going out there for their date was definitely an overnight trip--and traveling Victory Road together had left little room for modesty. Akane hadn't needed to go into their room's bathroom to change for their auction date together.

Except in a way she did. Because this was important.

So after checking herself in the bathroom mirror one last time, Akane opens the door--and then she just goes soft.

"Oh Scorpia," she murmurs. "You look..." She trails off, because there's not really a good word for how good Scorpia looks in that dress.

Akane's in a white sundress herself, with a wide-brimmed hat that reminded her so much of the one she'd worn that time in the park back home... which had ended with everyone showing up and getting in the way, but that's how it always did back home.

Another good thing about this world. Nobody getting in the way of going on a picnic with the person she liked.

"I hope you don't mind that I didn't make the food in the basket," she says nervously, glancing at the wicker hamper resting on the chair by the door. "Rigfried and Soy insisted on providing it. Um, but I did find a good spot by a pond, up on the cliffs..."

[braveloyalhugs]

Scorpia just stares for a moment, blushing bright red. "Oh wow! You're so pretty! I love your hat! And your dress is just perfect and you're beautiful and wow!"

The reason Scorpia stops babbling is mostly because she runs out of air to talk with. "And it's great! I mean, making food is fun! But the best part of spending time with you is you! I mean. Did that come out right? I hope that came out right. Oh gosh I'm so nervous what if I say something wrong and--"

Another breath. "Um! Yes! Sounds good! Great. Um!"