Catch-all; Taichi

[momming]

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Week 1, Wednesday

[momming]

[ Otome is quiet for a moment as they leave the debate behind them, but once the hubbub has died down in the distance, she speaks quietly. ]

I'm sorry for scolding you, but I really thought the two of you were about to hurt each other.

[goalsides]

[given that he's still a vibrating ball of anger, it's not like her assumption's wrong.]

He should've shut up while he was ahead. [flatly. but after a moment he just...kind of sighs.] ...we haven't gotten into a physical fight in a while. Usually it's just like that before one of us walks away.

[momming]

You both strike me as having very strong opinions as part of your personalities, and those types do tend to clash.

[ she pauses, before she speaks again, rather cautiously. ]

... Have you known each other for very long?

[goalsides]

You're not exactly wrong. [he can admit that easily and doesn't seem bothered about it. she's also not wrong to ask the question given the way he shrugs.]

We've been friends since fifth grade. [so. six years give or take, yes.]

[momming]

Mm... the closer the friends, the more certain arguments can hurt. From my own experiences, anyway.

[ She sighs softly. ]

I won't ask you to talk about it-- I'm still someone you barely know, after all. But if anything's on your mind, please know that I'm happy to listen.

[goalsides]

Yeah. [a pause.] Besides my partner, he's probably my best friend.

[he hasn't outright said that to anybody else, but context can happen, briefly.]

...I appreciate the offer, Otome-san. [but?] There isn't much to talk about. Yamato's going to be mad, we're not going to talk for a while, one of us will apologize and then we'll focus on what we have to do.

[momming]

[ That close, indeed... hm.

Otome nods, slowly. ]

I do know a pair who's like that. They bicker constantly, but they have each other's backs faster than anyone else can ever manage.

[goalsides]

Yeah. No matter how pissed off he is, I know he'd have mine because the same goes for me. [that was never a question.]

...but I've been disappointing him a lot lately, I think. So he's more mad than usual.

[momming]

... Oh. [ A soft mumble. ] I see now... so that's why.

[ Certain conversations make sense now. ]

[goalsides]

[he has no idea what that means and gives her a mildly confused look. he does not actually think about the context of what yamato was saying in the debate.]

We'll work it out. I'll figure out something somehow. [in a tone that says "i usually do" and also "if it'll even work."]

[momming]

[ And in response, Otome reaches up to gently ruffle his hair. ]

I doubt I can help, but I do think you'll be fine once you've both cooled off a little.

[goalsides]

[he allows the hair ruffle. at the words though, he tries to make a face, but he winces slightly because his face is still bruised.]

We'll see. [he doesn't sound certain of that.] There's nothing I can do about it now until he decides to talk to me.

[because he sure as hell isn't reaching out to yamato anytime soon.]

[momming]

I'm sure that will be soon enough.

[ Given this place. ]

But on another topic... what happened to your face, exactly?

[goalsides]

[....he very strongly debates lying to her, but he also figures that if he does, she'll just figure it out when she actually looks at his face so he just...shrugs.]

I...kinda got kneed in the face. It's not a big deal. It'll heal on its own.

[momming]

Kneed? How on earth--

[ Taichi?? ]

[goalsides]

[...he just...kind of looks away...]

It was probably an accident. [PROBABLY?] I'm kind of hoping it fades a little more before Saturday though.

[momming]

...

[ she is a lot of things but she is also not blind and-- ]

Would this have anything to do with the bite on Yamato-kun's leg?

[goalsides]

[. . .]

What bite?

[...yeah, that's absolutely the correct conclusion.]

[momming]

... Well, I'll leave it at that.

[goalsides]

[...???]

Whatever. [he seems embarrassed and immediately ignores it.] Anyway...it's not gonna take that long to fade, right?

[yamato kneed him pretty hard, it is definitely going to be there saturday even if it's faded a lot by then.]

[momming]

... Mm. Maybe by next week, it should be fully gone. But you've definitely damaged some blood vessels.

[ Sorry, Taichi. ]

[goalsides]

[there's a groan.]

You'll be my alibi if anybody asks weird questions, right? [eheh.]

[momming]

Yes, of course. Hopefully I won't need to be, but...

[ Better safe than sorry. ]

[goalsides]

Well...you saw what happened last time everybody started looking at injuries. Everybody became a suspect if something didn't have a good alibi.

[momming]

That's very true. And you'll vouch for my ribs, right?

[ Otome, everyone saw that. ]