maskormenace | TEXT (not a misfire)

[One December afternoon as carols and the sound of jingle bells belt from every business' speakers, filling people with Christmas cheer (and exhaustion) weeks before the actual event, one imPort posts a text to the network.]

You'd think that with there being four of us ordering at least one of us would get our name right, right?

l o l no

[Attached to the post is a selfie of teens showing off their favorite signature holiday drinks, but the focus of the picture are the names -- confidently scribbled across the cup of each drink are Grant, Kenneth, Utah, and Moore, and anybody who knows these boys will know that those are pretty much the 4kids dub version of their names at best.]

Let's pretend there's a campfire and share some stories about ways your name has been spelled or pronounced since coming here. I'm sure it's happened to a majority of us. （´。` ）

((ooc: Any of the boys featured in the post -- Gran, Kidou, Endou, Ken -- may respond to you!! Likewise, feel free to threadjack and hit up anybody and consider it a shitpost free-for-all. HAPPY HOLIDAYS.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's Kidou's turn to stare right back into Gran's eyes. The effect may be a little lost with tinted lenses obscuring where he's looking exactly, but given the nature of his goggles, not by that much.]

Of course.

[The smile all but spreads on his face as he takes it, wrapping it just under the one Ulvida had given him and extends it to his shoulders. Dark red contrasting nicely with his black coat.]

Thank you, Kidou-kun.

If you need it back for the rest of our walk, don't hesitate to say so.

I'll take it back when you're done with it. The cold doesn't bother me as much.

[And if it does, he'll put up with it.]

[Once the scarf is situated on his shoulders, Gran pauses a moment, looking at his own drink and offering it out to Kidou.]

Did you want to try it?

[What was the Kidou policy on sharing drinks? It's strange when the alien is treating Kidou like the actual alien in this scenario.]

[The Kidou policy about sharing drinks is that he doesn't even have one yet. It's never come up before.

He's never even considered it with anyone besides maybe Haruna. The blank stare Gran gets in return says everything. He doesn't even have a ready reply to an offer like that.

Food can be shared, but... hm.]

...

Kidou-kun?

[Did he break him? A hand actually reaches out to push against his shoulder a little, wondering if he gave it just enough pressure that Kidou would fall over. Not likely, of course...but one always has to check.]

[It might not be that different from accidentally getting someone else's water bottle. That happened sometimes. And after the hesitation he showed, it seems a bit rude to refuse. He'd kept Gran waiting.

He's still doing that, his own thoughts remind him pointedly.

Looking at Gran's drink, he realizes he hadn't even wondered about how it tasted. Only after Gran brought it up was he curious. Even if it was an artificial curiosity, brought on by the offer, it does somewhat answer the question. He wouldn't mind finding out.

That brought on a tangent all its own with it. Was Gran wondering that about his? While Kidou never would believe Gran would make offers to get something in return - it wasn't how his friend was - it made Kidou wonder if for the sake of fairness he should offer the same back if he was going to accept it. Probably so. He'd be taking some of Gran's drink, after all.

Outside of his thoughts, Gran tries to recenter Kidou's attention. The uncertainty in Gran's voice is warning enough, but the gentle pressure on his shoulder drives it home. Not good. He took too long to decide. Thankfully, there's a healthy amount of resistance against the push; it's not quite that easy to knock him over. Probably for the best. He'd get creme brûlée on himself if he was.

What it does do is snap him out of analyzing the situation to find an optimal course of action. About sharing a treat. You know, normal human problems. His head tilts down to his shoulder, then back up at Gran.]

...Yes. [Because this is Kidou, it's a bit more complicated than that. But at the least, he won't deny he's curious now.] But I won't accept without offering the same in return.

[Nailed it.]

[At least Kidou didn't fall over from his little push, although the way he seems to be lost in thought, he could almost swear that he'd asked Kidou for his opinion on global warming. The way Kidou's brows furrow, the way he seems to be at war with his own brain on the etiquette of this...

Gran didn't know something as simple as asking to share his drink would get such a reaction out of him. It's a little endearing, to say the least.

He's patient, though, until Kidou answers.]

I--[Eyes widen at the condition. He hoped Kidou wasn't thinking he was doing this only for something in return.] Are you sure, Kidou-kun?

Would I offer if I wasn't?

[More accurately, Kidou was completely sure once he voiced said offer, but it amounts to the same end result. Kidou takes in Gran's expression for a moment, then feels it might be prudent to add a little more.]

It's only fair, after all.

I suppose not.

[However, he figured asking for affirmation was a lot more socially acceptable than doing quadratic equations in your head on the protocol of taking a sip from someone's drink.

But this is Kidou, and one thing he's slowly starting to figure out is just how Kidou thinks. He's already got an idea brewing in his head, looking at their cups and extending his out, his other hand open to receive.]

We'll trade at the same time, then.

Mm.

[Gran's offer is met with ready agreement - that suits Kidou perfectly. Gran isn't kept waiting; as soon as he's agreed a warmer cup is pressed into his empty hand, fingers reaching to wrap securely around his drink. Once he's sure Gran has hold of it, he lets go.

And just like that, the temporary trade is completed.

After that it's a lot simpler; Kidou doesn't take that long to try the offered drink. About as long as it'd take Gran to try his, in fact. Not that he's paying attention to that or anything.

Why make things easy when, with just a little effort, you can seriously overcomplicate them?]

TEXT (not a misfire)

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;

action;