“So… what, you trying to tell me you wanna partner up again for whenever the next KoF rolls around, or something?” He wasn’t as opposed to the idea as he thought he’d be, surprisingly. Working with Maxima and Kula - sometimes Whip, too - was good and all, but it was also… rather stagnant. They all knew how each other operated - strengths and weaknesses, as well as their fighting styles - to a T, which made them formidable to go up against in terms of team synergy alone. But that same familiarity also led to some rather boring training (when he could be bothered to join in, that is). It was difficult to one-up one another when you were intimately familiar with each others’ tactics and habits. So maybe a change of sparring partners would be good… It’d stop him from being bored, if nothing else. “Because I actually wouldn’t mind that. Just keep that prick Kyo out of it, or I’m out.” That asshole was stupidly good at grinding his gears. To the point that even a sideways smug look or a single obnoxious comment from him would get K’s temper flaring. He didn’t have to prove anything to Kyo. But at the same time, he wanted - needed - to prove that he was his own person; that he was more than a pale, incomplete, imitation of the guy. If not to the world - to the people who kept bringing it up and rubbing it in from time to time - then to himself, at least. K’ quickly shook himself out of that rapidly declining train of thought. He’d come out here to relax and temporarily forget his problems, not dwell on them more.
He allowed a sardonic grin creep onto his face at the Fountain of Youth comment, quietly determined to keep this rare good mood going for as long as possible. “Heh. Well, if you keep having no luck, you could always take a page out of Maxima’s book; trade in the meatsuit for some tech,” he suggested. “That’ll keep the wrinkles at bay. For a little while, at least. Going through customs becomes a pain in the ass, though.” Trips through airports were almost always punctuated by shrieking metal detectors. Unless Maxima hacked them to keep quiet long enough to pass by and be on his merry way, that is. And that was only one annoyance of many that the big guy’s body presented. Useful as it was, the drawbacks just didn’t seem worth it to K’. And probably not to Benimaru either, but this was just teasing banter - not a legitimate suggestion - anyways.
Oh boy. Here came the expected theatrics. Another palpable eyeroll was eyeroll’d. And damn, that was a petty hefty looking bag he was dragging over… Had he seriously been toting that thing around town and up and down the beach up until now? Yeesh, talk about being being prepared in the excess. “Idiot…” K’ grumbled. Pointedly turned his head away to scowl at the other side of the beach whilst the model made himself comfy. And was that just the sun, or did his cheeks look a smidge pink with faint embarrassment? “I just didn’t wanna hear you complaining, was all.”
“I don’t know if King of Fighters level exactly, but that wouldn’t be a terrible idea either~ Shingo should get better by the next tournament too, so maybe we could put the old team back together! It’d definitely be nostalgic for the kid too, I’m sure.” While fighting with Kyo and Goro had its own charms and highlights, in a way, he felt similar to the grumpy boy here. They knew each other really well and worked well together. Perhaps too well sometimes, given their combined experience with the weird and normal parts of the tournament. Benimaru had been part of eight winning teams after all. Six of those times being with those two. Not that he minded winning, not in the slightest!
But as a hero, you should struggle more for dramatic effect, no? He chuckled quietly to himself at that train of thought. Besides, a chance to go against his fiery friend to finally get that fateful rematch wouldn’t be something he’d turn down, no sir.
While he jokingly considered the idea of being turned into a cyborg, as soon as he gave it even a little bit more thought, he recoiled, face going a little pale. “Not the worst idea, as a last ditch effort... But at the same time, I’d rather my beauty be au naturel. Getting cut open on some lab table somewhere also isn’t anywhere near my bucket list. Besides, I don’t think my smaller frame could hold all the necessary robotics. I also don’t want to cramp on Maxima’s style, y’know. He’s pretty unique with that right now~”
“I’m actually fairly surprised I managed to cram all this stuff into here. It’s a mystery even to me.” he mentioned, shrugging a bit. Now that he was digging in the bag, the model fished out a pair of heart shaped sunglasses. Upon noticing K’s slightly, dare he say it, tsundere behavior, the model’s smile grew wide, trying to hold back some laughter. “You sure you don’t need some sunscreen~? Given that tinge on your face, you seem to have been here for a while.”
