i'll send you a roaring pass

[satsookimomo]

"They are, aren't they? Although some boys more than others." There were other variables to consider, but Momoi had always maintained that boys were particularly easy to predict. Except for Kuroko, but with Aomine involved, it worked just the same.

When it came to Midorima and Takao, the equation became more complicated. Momoi silently agreed that her old Teiko partner wouldn't want anyone meddling in his affairs. “I agree with you… but if there's anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to let me know, Takao-kun!” What she could do was very limited, but no matter how little it was, she was willing to lend a hand. Or a shoulder. Girls had a special sensitivity for romance after all. Well, some of them. There were exceptions to everything.

"Me?" Momoi blinked, once, then she... shrugged, softly. "Hmm... I don't think so" Of course the boys looked at her, but that wasn't a topic she liked to talk about, because it wasn't pleasant. Thinking about company she did like… only one name came to mind. "Now that I spend less time with Dai-chan, I'm going out more with Riko-san, if that counts"

[shuutakao]

This is also true. Midorima in particular is a fascinating puzzle, because he's so simple and easy to read (and manipulate) when it comes to certain things, but entirely confusing in other ways. Then there's people on other teams like Kagami and Aomine who seem pretty straightforward in what they like and dislike. What a wide and colorful (literally) range of personalities the Generation of Miracles has going on.

"It's really all right... I may tease him a lot, but at the end of the day, he's still my friend, so I don't want to make him uncomfortable... well, you don't have to tell him I said that." Takao laughs sheepishly. "Even though he doesn't like saying it directly, I think his Teiko teammates still mean a lot to him. Thanks for still caring about him despite his... everything." Meant endearingly, of course.

Takao brightens when he hears Riko's name brought up. "Oh, that's great for you both! Riko-chan spends too much time wrangling Seirin, she deserves to have some female friends as well." A nod. "She actually likes girly things more than people would expect." Momoi probably knows that if they're hanging out, though. "I think I get a pass because I have a sister and don't tease her about stuff like that. Also, because she likes to, uh, enlist me to help her with random errands and training regimens. That's what friends are for... I think?"

[satsookimomo]

Relationships were serious business, so Momoi understood that Midorima was having a hard time taking the plunge… if she could put it that way. Maybe he was just being his usual tsundere self. Not seeing him every day meant she missed some important details needed! Being so close to Aomine and also to Kuroko had made it easy.

"I would like to take all the credit, but I must admit that I didn't do that much. And besides, Kiichan helped me." That's why they were angry with him now, poor Kise. She was the mastermind, but being a loudmouth hadn't helped him. "Sometimes the three of us were together and there was a strange feeling in the air, but the two of them did nothing" In those moments, Momoi could only stand in the middle and look at them both while the boys looked in opposite directions. Weird, huh? "So it was enough to force them to be alone~"

Takao's request amused her, so she chuckled softly. For a friend, huh. "If it's for you, I can try to do something with my skills~" And for the sake of love!

[shuutakao]

Shouldn't Kise help himself first? The thought crosses his mind, but since they're friends too, Takao decides not to slander him. "Wow, is that really all it takes, to be alone? Boys are so simple." He makes a tsk sound, fully aware he's being ridiculous. If being alone was all it took to get people to date, he and Midorima would be married by now. He's kind of jealous of Kuroko honestly, but in a friendly way.

Takao smiles at her. "I appreciate that, really, and I know I asked, but... hmm." At the end of the day, isn't it kind of his own fault if things don't progress? "I dunno if he'd be happy with me if he knew outside people were meddling..." At the same time, he wants to respect Midorima's sensitivity by not bringing it up at all, so this situation is pretty much his own design.

He sighs. "Forget about me, Momoi-chan. How are you doing? Surely someone as cute as you has people falling head over heels for you all the time." Takao grins. "Any romantic prospects lined up on your end, hmm?"

[satsookimomo]

"You know Midorin so well already… good luck, Takao-kun!" Not that he needs her aproval, but Momoi sees a good match on them and doesn't hide it from him. She can't say it directly at Midorima, thought, the consequences were completely unexpected (and mostly bad).

His tilted head made her smile, that meant she had a loooot to talk about! Ok, start! "You see, they finally started dating~" Yea, she had fallen for Kuroko long ago and all, but she wasn't blind: she could see how the atmosphere changed when they were together staring to oposite directions! And it was hard to watch! "It just took… a little push" She winked without malice but admiting without words that she pulled some strings.

[shuutakao]

“Thank you, Momoi-chan… it’s an uphill battle.” Yet another person who’s completely invested in this relationship he’s not having. Oh well. He appreciates her support. Maybe if enough people support him, it’ll create one of those superpowered beams that changes the universe, like in anime when the power of friendship saves the day.

Takao tilts his head. “Dating? Those two?” It’s not entirely surprising; Kuroko and Aomine have a history that goes back a long time, after all. Admittedly, he feels a little jealous of Kuroko hearing this, but mostly in a friendly way. Besides, Aomine is a very different person than Midorima, almost to the point where they’re extreme opposites in most things (except being good at basketball). “Oh, you were their little cupid, hmm? That’s exciting, I’d love to hear the details.” He grins. “And maybe next time you can shoot one of your arrows in the direction of my situation? Asking for a friend.”

[satsookimomo]

"So no progress, huh?" She sighed to herself. It was to be expected that Midorin would be slow, but she was starting to feel bad for Takao. They looked so cute together… some romances needed more time to blossom!

Ironically, Momoi hadn't had the opportunity to hear about Kise's romantic troubles firsthand, but she had also heard rumors that he was interested in Kagami. As teenagers they all are at the age where they fall in love, after all. And talking about love...

“The last I heard from Kiichan was that he had a little argument with Tetsu-kun… about the thing with Aomine.” Oh, he'd love that topic, for sure. “Did you hear about them?”

[shuutakao]

"Hmmmm... nope!" Takao replies as cheerfully as possible, even if it's kind of exhausting on his end. Midorima is simply different than someone like Kagami or Kise in terms of how he perceives romance... which is zero. Takao isn't even sure if Midorima has thought about dating or those types of feelings before, and he's friends with the guy. "Don't worry about me, Midorima is just very delicate as you know, and I don't want to make him uncomfortable."

He tilts his head. "Kuroko... and Aomine?" No, he hasn't heard anything about this, because neither of these people talk to him. Okay, Kuroko does sometimes, but not super willingly. "So much drama, and Midorima doesn't care at all, so I'm out of the loop. Why, what happened?"

[satsookimomo]

Momoi was lost for a few seconds, looking in all directions… until she saw a waving at her. Immediately did the same / hurried over / sat down next to him with a little jump and landed with her hands on her skirt. Takao made her feel comfortable even if she wasn't always completely feminine. How had Midorin gotten a guy like him?

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Takao-kun!" She wasn't particularly late, but the boy was already there. "Thanks for agreeing to go out with me! I have so much to tell you~" She clasped her hands near her own face, visibly pleased. "Hmm~ I might think about asking you for bubble tea later" There was no way she could turn down an invitation like that. She took care of herself, but still had a bit of a sweet tooth. "Is everything okay on your end, Takao-kun?" She tilted her head to one side, genuinely interested. Perhaps that way she could also receive specific questions to begin telling Takao the news that they both surely had in mind!

[shuutakao]

"On my end? Hmm, yeah, everything's kinda the same as ever." If the question is about Midorima, which he assumes because every person in this universe seems to be able to tell he has a huge crush on him, then he hasn't made much progress there. But they're still friends, so at least it hasn't gotten any worse. "Oh, I guess I've been talking to Kise a bit more... he seems like he's going through it." That's probably not his story to tell. Also, knowing Kise, he's probably been complaining to everyone he knows, so it's barely even gossip.

Takao sighs. "I wish I had something more fun to tell you, but nothing dramatic has happened to me lately." Which is kind of lame. Maybe he should stir up trouble somewhere so he can have more stories to tell. "Pleaseeeee, Momoi-chan, tell me all your woes, I've been so bored!"

[shuutakao]

@satsookimomo

"Momoi-chan!" Takao waves her over with a grin, patting the bench so she'll sit beside him. Sometimes he wishes Momoi had become the team manager at Shuutoku instead of Touou, just because he'd love to go to school with her. She's so friendly and fun to talk to! Hanging out with just men sucks sometimes. As someone who has a sister, Takao believes deeply in the merits of being friends with women too (even if one of his female friends is Riko, who frequently torments him).

"I want to hear all the updates you've got!" As someone who went to middle school with the Generation of Miracles, Momoi always has the juiciest gossip about them. "Oh, and if you wanted coffee or bubble tea or a crepe or something fun, I want to treat you!" As long as he doesn't have to bike her around. Walking is fine too. "It's been a while since we caught up, after all!"

[midoshootaro]

"Die." Because, again, only in Takao's dreams would he say all of those things. A grumble was even heard coming out from his mouth when feeling that sudden slap on his back, but he will let it slide for now, since he's feeling so benevolent today (which is rare coming from him of all people).

As they were eating, and Midorima having to restrain himself from complaining since Takao was actually holding back from spilling more broth that necessary, hearing that gasp made the shooting guard rethink all of his life choices. "Yes, I said more often." If he has to repeat himself one more time he swears--

Contrary to his actions and words, he was quite mindful of a very few people. Takao being one of them to his dismay (it was still a good thing just don't mind his tsunderism). "I enjoy playing with you and also spend time with you outside of the court." So the sentiment was the same! This is a very rare moment, appreciate it, Takao. "You're getting broth all over you." By force of habit, he reached out to one of the napkins to hand it out to his companion, while looking away and still working on his own ramen.

[shuutakao]

Takao grins, because Midorima said die, which is absolutely not the same as no, I don't think any of those things. If anything, die probably means: I do feel that way about you, and therefore I am too embarrassed to converse correctly. Yeah, right. In his dreams. (But he can dream if he wants to!)

As much as he teases Midorima, he feels quite warm that Midorima admitted to wanting to spend more time with him. They already hang out almost all the time, and Midorima likes it. At first, he just put up with Takao, but as time passed, they formed a genuine connection.

Aww, why don't you wipe it off yourself, since you're so worried? Takao holds back the tease, instead taking the napkin with a nod, bumping his knuckles against his friend's hand. He knows how fussy Midorima can be with his hands, so he feels bad for invading his space. "Sorry, sorry. Also, it's impressive that you can eat ramen without splashing it all." He doesn't want to ruin the mood, so he dials back on the jokes for a moment. "Shin-chan, you're my best friend. I was really pissed in the beginning when I had to be on a team with you, but now I can't imagine my life without you." See, he can be genuine too when he dials it back a bit.

...Of course, he usually avoids being too genuine, because he doesn't want to cross a line. Like he said, Midorima is his best friend... and he doesn't want to ruin it by pushing too far, regardless of his own feelings. But even just sitting here at dinner, he can feel his affection threatening to burst out of him at any moment. He's lucky Midorima is so dense, because everyone else in Tokyo has probably picked up on how in love Takao is at this point.

"Not to be too sappy, but you can rely on me for anything," Takao adds carefully, trying to express himself while still holding his feelings back. "I know I can be kinda annoying, but I can also dial it back when — ow." Bit his tongue, there. That's what he gets for trying to talk with his mouth full: karma. "Okay, I'm gonna just focus on eating for a while. I'll save my wisdom for after dinner."

[etherealxshadows]

“That's exactly what happened. Everyone forgot about it after a few days, luckily for him.” Magical Girl Midorima, you will always be remembered by those who lived through that time with you. And now, Takao too, possibly. For the figure's current whereabouts? Unknown. But it wasn't crazy to think it would be with his sister.

Returning to the subject of their coach's diet, Takao wasn't going to be their savior. Even Kuroko could follow a recipe, but that wasn't enough to correct the coach's bad cooking habits. Maybe they should stop fighting the inevitable and learn to ignore the taste of food. As long as it didn't make them vomit or faint, of course. “Maybe even Midorima-kun is a better…” No, Kuroko, don't you dare finish that sentence. Remember that the walls have ears, and if your words reach the wrong ones, you might be the next guinea pig.

A chill ran through his body. Yes, it was best to think about Nigou. Good one, Takao!

“Nigou is doing fine… our only problem is that he has started to grow more.” It was a very subtle difference, but everyone could already tell that his own Seirin T-shirt was starting to get too small for him. Soon they would have to consider getting him another one. Food wasn't a problem at the moment, but if he grew too much… They were going to have to reconsider some things. Having a pet in Seirin was fun, almost for everyone. “I'm sure Kagami-kun doesn't agree with you.” He had accepted Nigou, yes, but Kagami still had a complicated relationship with dogs. Kuroko, in particular, enjoyed surprising him by getting Nigou close to him. But if he had to explain it to someone else, he would call it shock therapy. “A pet for Shuutoku… Did Midorima-kun ever mention that he liked rabbits? He mentioned it once a long time ago…" Not Kuroko remembering an insignificant detail that his former teammate once mentioned without thinking much of it. But a bunny wearing a Shuutoku T-shirt could be pretty cute.

[shuutakao]

Unluckily for Midorima, Takao remembers any gossip that's even remotely fun. Especially when it's about his beloved friend. Honestly, he thinks it's cute how embarrassed he probably felt about the whole thing, but he won't bring it up to Midorima... for now. Always good to keep something in the back pocket to embarrass him with later.

Takao shakes his head violently. "No... no he's not." If there's one thing Takao won't spread around, it's anything related to this conversation. He doesn't need either Riko or Midorima mad at him about slandering their cooking skills (even if he's correct and justified) and then inflicting their dastardly concoctions on him. "Let's just, like... not speak of this. We both want to live to see another sunrise, after all." A pact between two shadows who desperately do not wish to die of food poisoning.

"You think he's gonna wind up being a huge dog?" Now that would be a sight to see, a giant Nigou running after Kagami. "Poor Kagami. You know, he and Midorima are actually similar in a lot of ways." Dense about ridiculous things, stubborn in their fear of certain animals, inability to express themselves properly... and they would both hate the comparison equally. "Really? Rabbits?" The thought of Midorima, an unfairly tall man, holding a tiny bunny... it's adorable. "Hmm, I wonder if it's because they're associated with luck." Another note to ask him about this later. "I feel like a rabbit wouldn't enjoy all the noise when we practice. But now I'm picturing one with a little pair of glasses... heh."

[goldenmiracle]

Okay, he would let Takao's skepticism slide because, frankly speaking, Kise also thought those scenarios were not even close to happening, ever. "Is it a sin to be optimistic when it comes to matters of the heart, Kazunari-kun?" A hand was brought to his chest, while with the other he wiped a fake tear from the corner of his eye. Then he sighed. "What I'm trying to say is that... I don't think Midorimacchi is that hollow?" Not someone who would only go for looks, maybe. So much for pretending that the green-haired guy wasn’t the alleged person. "Wouldn't it be sad if he only started to take notice of you by changing looks?" The blond was used to having people fawn over him for his appearance / he had to take care of himself because of his modeling gig anyway. Still, Kise had a maiden heart! Somehow / sometimes-- Alright, let's just go back to Takao before he got too distracted from the topic at hand.

"It's settled then! Let me know later what time you're free on Sunday." Two very good friends hanging around and chatting about life, definitely missing that kind of quality time. No boys allowed either!

Then his arms were crossed, wondering if Takao was seeing something with that hawk eye of his. Perhaps that ability worked outside of basketball. "Hmmmmmm." A very deep thought was given. He definitely ignored the rickshaw part for now, because it was very silly riding around in that thing. A very Midorima thing to do, as well. "Friendly consultation... Do you have something to cure stupidity, maybe?" Speaking of alleged people, Kise too, sadly, had boy problems. "I might as well just pursue celibacy at this point."

[shuutakao]

Is it optimism or just stupidity? Takao isn't going to be that mean about it, of course. It makes him happy that Kise is trying to have hope for him... even if it is unrealistic. "...No, I don't think he would acknowledge me based on my looks whether I change them or not." Apparently they're just discussing him directly now. "I mean, in an ideal world where he noticed anything... sure, it would be nice to be noticed. But since I don't think he'll care either way..."

A shrug. "May as well have some fun changing up my looks with you, whether Midor... anyone notices or not." He gives a halfhearted grin. "Hanging out with you as friends is more important anyway! Saturday sounds good, I'll text you when I'm up!"

Takao blinks, wondering what Kise looks so serious about suddenly. For a moment he thinks Kise is actually considering the rickshaw ride, but his next words prove that theory wrong. "Cure stupidity? If I had something like that, I would have fixed Midorima's... dense behaviors a long time ago." Not that he really thinks his friend is stupid overall, just... stupid about certain things. "Celibacy? Oh, no... I mean, welcome to the club, but also, things must be pretty bad if you're already considering that!" Who's stupid enough to make Kise consider celibacy? ...Unfortunately, this can apply to most of the people they play basketball with. "Hmm. If I had to actually give advice with no context... I guess the cure to stupidity is to spell things out in such a simple way that even a tiny child would understand." Takao nods. "Dare I ask who this is about?"

[etherealxshadows]

"Worse. She looked like a little girl." That made it more logical for Midorima to keep that figure out of sight. He had been so embarrassed those days that it wouldn't be a surprise if he hadn't tried to get rid of it, simply so that no one else would associate him with those magical little girls. “But if Aomine-kun had been there, he would have made sure to choose one that also showed her underwear.” He was just thinking out loud now, but he was pretty sure he wasn't wrong. "Sure. I'll have another story ready for you next time."

If he thought about Seirin, his days were still the same as always. The only drama there had been lately was about him, and he wasn't masochistic enough to mention it himself, so let's ignore it for now!

He did feel a chill when he remembered the coach's food. "She is… practicing." In other words, she's serving them more test food. Fortunately, they had Mitobe and Kagami to revive them from the shadows.

"Do you know how to cook, Takao-kun? Could you teach her a thing or two?" Because all of Seirin's attempts had been failure after failure, maybe some outside help would be useful!

He wasn't desperate; believe in him.

[shuutakao]

“Poor Midorima. Everyone probably got the wrong idea about him.” He doesn’t even seem like the kind of guy who would secretly enjoy magical girl stuff. Maybe he would tolerate it for his sister? Takao had absorbed some of those shows because of his own sister. When they were little, his sister would pretend to have a magical girl transformation and Takao would let her save him from evildoers.

Perhaps the anime figure made its way into Midorima’s sister’s room instead…

“Ah… my condolences.” Takao shakes his head. Riko means well when it comes to her culinary attempts… mostly. Surely she knows by now that adding protein powders and other supplements makes everything taste like shit. And she’s smart, so… doesn’t she know to stop? Or does she not care? Or does she think she’s going to stumble into a rare combination of things that tastes good together? (She won’t. You have to have cooking sense for that.)

Takao eyes Kuroko sympathetically. “I’m, like… average? Not Kagami or Himuro’s level or anything, but I can follow a recipe well enough.” That’s more than he can say for some people. “Midorima is also pretty terrible at cooking, but that hardly comes up, so I don’t have to deal with it.” Woe be upon him if their relationship ever develops and Midorima decides he’s going to make homemade food for Takao to be thoughtful. “That, and Riko-chan would never seriously take help from me of all people… I’d just wind up having to eat more of her evil experiments. I think you’re on your own there.”

He grins. “How about Nigou? How’s he doing? Seems like it would be super fun to have a dog on the team. When are they going to sub him into a game?” Now that would be a sight to see. “I think if you get to have a dog, we should get a team cat who acts and looks exactly like Midorima. Wouldn’t be too hard to find one that fussy. But he doesn’t like cats, so he wouldn’t tolerate it… I’m jealous. We deserve a mascot too!” Never mind that Takao may as well be their mascot, the way he bikes his teammates around.

[etherealxshadows]

"You're a bit sadistic too, huh." We observe, but we do not judge; he was in the same situation, so you could say they were in the same boat. Okay then, story time!

"It was quite some time ago… sometime during our second year at Teiko." That detail wasn't really important, so let's move on to the funny part. "Midorima-kun also faithfully followed his Oha Asa stuff back then, and one day I went with him to get an item… a slightly strange one. He needed a magical object, and we ended up buying a magical girl figure at a store. We didn't know it was popular." And here came the embarrassing part. "The next day, at school…"

A short pause, because he could burst out laughing at any moment. And that was not part of his character.

"He was surrounded by many girls who were fans of the series… and some boys, too. I heard that they even asked him to pose like the magical girls." Thinking about it now, it was every introvert's nightmare. Poor Midorima. "He was popular for a few days; we even had to kick some people out of the gym because they wouldn't let us practice in peace." And as for us, Kuroko was really talking about Aomine, Kise, Murasakibara, and even Akashi. He stood there, watching with the basketball ball in his hand while Midorima crouched behind him. At least he was protected. "He probably still has that figure… it turned out to be rare for collectors."

Sometimes he was surprised by the good things he still remembered from his days at Teiko. Later, he would thank Takao for making his smile with that mental image. “Will it be enough to keep you alive, Takao-kun?”

[shuutakao]

"I'm not sadistic," Takao protests. "I don't like seeing people in actual pain. I'm just bored! I only laugh at harmless things." Important clarification.

He listens to Kuroko's story with rapt attention. "Pfft — poor magical girl Shin-chan." The thought of Midorima surrounded by girls asking him to pose is, in fact, hilarious. "Lemme guesss, the figure had huge boobs, too? If Aomine had any say in buying it." Takao thinks to himself. "I haven't seen anything like that in Midorima's room, though. I'm secretly convinced that he has a secret trapdoor that leads to some kinda underground lucky item storage room. Where else does all that junk he buys go?" Or maybe Midorima has a sexy anime figurine stored in his closet somewhere. That's a treasure hunt for another day.

Takao nods. "I guess I'll have to stay alive another day! Thank you for your service. But in case I'm ever dying again, feel free to prep some more stories. You know, just in case."

It occurs to him that he's gone this entire conversation without asking about Kuroko at all. Maybe he should prove that he cares about people other than Midorima?

"How are things at Seirin?" Takao leans in slightly. "Any new drama? Is Riko-chan still feeding you all poisons? You all really go through a lot over there — I truly feel for you."

[shuutakao]

@etherealxshadows from here

Takao stares enraptured at Kuroko, his eyes sparkling at the prospect of a story. A story about Midorima! Something embarrassing! And it's long, too! He can always count on Kuroko for entertainment — even if Kuroko has not signed up for this job. There's something about his deadpan affect that gives Takao great joy, though.

"It's okay, I won't tell him you told me!" A pause. "Nah, if it's a public story, I'll probably tell him immediately. May as well be honest." Midorima's already annoyed enough with Kuroko (and the rest of the Miracles), so what's one more annoyance going to cause, really?

He clasps his hands together gleefully. "Okay, lay it on me! Embarrassing Midorima story! I've got nowhere to be all day. All week, even!"

[tongzu]

"Can they...? Maybe...?" A foreign concept to her, apparently. Then, she wrinkles her nose at him. "I mean! If I really try to think about it, most of what I see about people just follow a strict formula. Wei-ge; desperate for love, good with family, bad at showing emotions. Sushi-senpai; motivated by food, cares but shows it in a weird way, will do the least to get the most out of something. Otome-senpai; stupidly kind, can't help but butt his nose into things as a caretaker, and surprisingly petty when it comes down to it. I'm accurate." She huffs petulantly.

Erika considers his question seriously. "Well, I'm not really the anxious type. Cross that bridge when I get there, so to speak. If you backstab me one day, that'll just be my fault in trusting you. So, I can then reevaluate the type of people I know, adjust the way I interact with them, then try to avoid it again." She tugs at her scarf lightly. "My scarf is hardly a weapon of mass destruction — HEY!" At this, she scowls. "Just because it's true doesn't mean you have to say it like that! Shouldn't you be gracing me with compliments?"

Erika glances away briefly. "You can do whatever you want, it just tempts me to call him Shin-chan, even if I'd get a basketball thrown in my face." Obviously, she'll never do that, but doesn't mean she hasn't entertained the thought! "Ugh, you want me to ask for you? Geez, the things I'll do for your romantic non-endeavors. I accept payment in boba or sushi." Because she will do it! Don't test her! "He wouldn't tell me the truth though He'd just be like: 'none of your business' and then try to ignore me. I can be persistent, but I dunno if it'd be productive."

[shuutakao]

Great, she's doing math (?) now? People follow formulas? Right. That's called having a personality. Everyone has one of those, it comes with being born. Takao listens to this tirade with a pleasant but ultimately exhausted smile on his lips. Oh no, how scary. Human beings react to things in similar ways because their motivations don't change every other day! Wow! Okay, his mental train of thought has got to relax, because Takao isn't a sarcastic person. That's Midorima's job. "If people follow such a strict formula, then why are you obsessed with the idea that people in video games are easier to understand? I sense a contradiction, Ms. Holmes."

With a snort of laughter, Takao jabs his finger (lightly) between Erika's back. "Oh noooo, I backstabbed you... now you have to reevaluate your entire worldview...!" With a grin, he jumps back before Erika can... what? Halfheartedly poke him, with those noodle arms? "I dunno, charisma is overrated!" Says the charismatic guy. "And irritable could be a compliment, what do you know?" Coming from Takao, who spends his time with Midorima, it actually might be?

He rolls his eyes at her question. "No, I don't want him to ask for you, I just think it's a waste of time to ask me questions when I'm not his PR mouthpiece. Ask him yourself... and get exactly the answer you just described. Which is the same answer I would get, probably." Takao taps his chin. "Mm, but in all honesty, I don't really know if Midorima — sorry, Shin-chan, if that makes you happier — has any grand romantic fantasies like any of that. I don't think those sitautions are comfortable for him, and frankly I think fancy dinners and trips can be kinda stuffy. Besides, even if he wanted to do something that was more date-like, I think he'd probably just think it was stupid, or not tell me at all. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't know everything he's thinking at all times — I'm only his friend, not a psychic!"

[huniedham]

rude

[shuutakao]

[ Midorima ]: "I don't like Scorpios..." Wait for it, he has a point. "They are always so nippy." Or not, he's terrible at making jokes.

“…?” Takao blinks at him, too confused by the comment to even respond in a silly manner. “If you didn’t like Scorpios, you wouldn’t hang out with me. …Also, are you okay?” He’s never known Midorima to try to be funny (?) before. Hopefully it doesn’t happen again.

[shuutakao]

[ Kise ]: "If it makes you feel better, Midorimacchi did once say back in middle school that Scorpio is the best sign." Not in those exact words, though! At least Kise was further encouraging this meant-to-be relationship.

"Are Geminis and Scorpios compatible? I have half a mind to just leave Midorima and run off with you instead." Leave Midorima as though they're together in the first place. "I wish everyone was as nice as you. My life is so hard."

[midoshootaro]

Hiiii, I heard you were giving zodiac advice so I wanted to know what you think about Scorpios and why you think they're the coolest and smartest and also best-looking of all the signs. [Blinks innocently.] You are so cool and knowledgeable, Oha Asa-sensei!

"If you have time to make fun of me, then you clearly have time to do your homework on your own." He's this close to grab his things and leave him alone, if that's what Takao wants.