InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Banana, I gotta have ya!"

ofmanydevices (ofmanydevices) wrote in disappear_rpg,
@ 2010-06-29 23:18:00

Entry tags:

kiriko, kozue, tom

Oh God Oh Man Oh God Oh Man
WHO: Tom, Kozue, Kiriko
WHAT: Tom asks for advice
WHERE: Kozue and Kiriko's dorm room
WHEN: Almost right after Tom talks to Seiko
WHY: Cause Tom needs advice

As soon as they had wrapped up their"talk" in Seiko's room, Tom made a straight beeline for Kozue's dorm. Seiko had told him that he shouldn't talk to their friends about his first date, but the situation was dire. He had no idea what he was supposed to be doing, not just for the date, but the whole relationship. She was on every level more capable of social interaction then he was. They had covered the reasons he still wanted to be with her. They never talked about why she wanted to stay with him. It felt like he was on a razors edge. So far his track record with women was terrible, he had gotten a second chance with Seiko, and he was determined not to ruin it.

Seiko had told him not to talk to people, but Kozue would understand his dire circumstances. She'd help, she'd already tried to help, even back in paradise. He would just have to make sure she didn't tell Seiko afterward. He wondered idly if friends talked about that kind of thing as he knocked on the door.

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anthesphoria
2010-06-30 10:16 pm UTC (link)

Kozue had been sitting on her bed, tapping away on her phone at the kind of frantic pace only someone under the age of twenty could achieve, with a single-minded focus that dampened all outside stimuli. Like knocks on the door. But when Kiriko opened the door, and she heard a name, Kozue glanced up.

Tom was here? Well, that was…

She hopped off her bed, and trotted over to the door, closing her phone but keeping it in hand; she could not fit into the doorframe, but she peered out from behind Kiriko.

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ofmanydevices
2010-07-01 02:46 am UTC (link)

When Kiriko opened the door, Tom finally understood how a deer trapped in a pair of headlights felt. He was stunned and completely at a loss for words. How had he not remembered when they were in the room, and not in the room? How did he not think to stake the place out before talking to Kozue? Why is it that Seiko related things ao often resulted in him completely forgetting procedure and just acting on whims?

He looked at Kiriko, and his mouth opened for a moment, then closed.

"I... came to see Kondo-chan. I had to ask her.. about... things." Suddenly Tom was struck by the memory of who he was talking to and how Kiriko Ikeda embodied the notion of "Anything you say can and will be used against you, for fun and profit."

"...Non-vital and absolutely not important things... that are not at all vital."

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apathyisboring
2010-07-01 04:12 am UTC (link)

For a moment, she just stood and looked confused. What was he babbling about? And the more he babbled, the harsher that expression got, twisting into the brows-raised-lips-pressed-together kind of irritated look to which he was probably much more accustomed. He wasn't just babbling. He was hiding.

"Well, you're welcome to come in and talk to her, but I'm afraid I live here too."

Her tone was a mixture of snide and airy - how dare he do such a poor job of trying to get rid of her - and she pushed the door open the rest of the way, then pivoted on her heel, sat back down on the edge of her bed and pulled her computer into her lap.

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anthesphoria
2010-07-05 10:48 pm UTC (link)

Kozue glanced between her two taller friends, curious—and quickly coming to a conclusion about the situation. She had always thought Tom was a better liar—something was throwing him off? What could it be? She pursed her lips, and glanced back to Kiriko, where she had settled on her own bed, and debated trying to smooth that aspect of the problem over, first. But Kiriko looked less upset and more superior and irate. Which Kiriko seemed to enjoy, just a bit. So Kozue turned back to Tom.

"Do you want to come in?" She offered, gesturing, "And talk about your totally unimportant things you wanted to talk about?"

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ofmanydevices
2010-07-06 03:18 am UTC (link)

"Umm... yeah.. that would be good." Tom stepped through door and pulled it closed behind him. Quickly glancing around the room, identifying exits, places to find emergency cover, spots to plant listening devices, the usual things he found himself doing when entering a room.

He stood there, for a moment, thinking of how to explain his situation. he glanced back and fourth between Kiriko and Kozue, not entirely sure he wanted to admit this in front of Kiriko. It was a weakness she was likely to exploit, but he needed Kozue's help to understand. Plus it seemed like Kiriko knew a thing or two. After a moment he decided that it was worth risking. He reached a hand up to his head, rubbing his neck.

"So... umm... about Seiko... I just... umm... apparently we're not going to stop dating, and I... well I have no idea what I'm doing. I've done research, I've read several sources. And she said she'd help, but it's not fair of her to have to explain every aspect of dating to me..."

He looked away from the two of them finally, glancing toward the ground.

"We have yet to have a first date and already our relationship contributed to her getting thrown into Paradise. I have no experience with romantic relationships, but I'm pretty sure that's not how it should be done."

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apathyisboring
2010-07-06 03:33 am UTC (link)

Kiriko sat typing busily as he entered. She glanced up from her laptop only briefly, one slender eyebrow arched, but the fleeting glance was enough to tell anybody who knew how to read her that this was an intriguing piece of information.

So he was planning to stay with her, huh? Definitely not the outcome she had anticipated - she had, after all, spent basically the entire dungeon calling him a dog and suggesting that her initial attraction was perhaps less than selfless. Was Tom whipped that badly, or just one to get easily attached?

As she pondered this point she began to consider what kind of relationship the two of them had, anyway - Seiko used to have quite the name for herself, but Tom seemed only slightly more interested in girls than Kou. Seiko had been all sunbeams and kitten shirts up until recently, but the only way Tom seemed to recognize an emotion was when it was first disguised as the kind of trap he was always looking for. So what was there? Mutual broken-ness? Or maybe he was trying to learn how to behave like a normal person while she tried to sort out her seriously split personality.

"I'm pretty sure your relationship didn't actually have anything to do with the supernatural dimension someone keeps throwing us into," she commented without looking up, voice still that mixture of superior and irate that Kozue was correct in guessing she enjoyed.

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anthesphoria
2010-07-09 01:34 am UTC (link)

"It might actually be better than finding out you're dating someone who's--" she stopped herself from saying crazy, but no better options immediately presented themselves, so she merely waved her hand a little, in that sort of claw-like gesture Lady RaRa used when she danced, and trusted that her point had gone across. "First things first, instead of after you're already committed and in bed and everything."

It saved you the trouble of making the keep it or scrap it decision then, for one thing.

"... and what sources did you read?" She could not keep the curious edge from her voice; yes, she was concerned for Tom, even for Tom's slightly ludicrous problem, but she was also despairingly curious. Had he been reading girly love manga? Watching American TV? Knowing Tom, it might have been all Jimmy Springer and psychology texts and detective novels. None of which were particularly educational, or helpful, especially not for him and Seiko.

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ofmanydevices
2010-07-11 02:52 am UTC (link)

Tom glanced toward the ceiling for a moment trying to remember a full account of his research. After a long moment he took a breath.

"Thirteen issues of Metropolitan magazine, six self help books, four of the more well known books, plus two that were obscure, but endorsed by current leading behavioral psychologists. Four papers published in medical journals by evolutionary psychologists in reference to the motives behind relationships." Tom glanced away slightly as he finished off his list.

"...And umm... two books on sex, the kama sutra, and Greys Anatomy. Just in case."

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apathyisboring
2010-07-11 07:33 pm UTC (link)

It took Kiriko a moment to wipe the expression of incredulous disbelief off her face. Was he serious? Of course he was serious. Tom was always serious. That was the pathetic part.

"None of that is really going to help," she said, peering at him, waiting to see if what she had said would come as some kind of shock. "You can't learn everything from a book."

And it was obvious that any books he had read on social skills had not worked, anyway.

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anthesphoria
2010-07-13 10:01 pm UTC (link)

Kozue, meanwhile, was trying to be more supportive and less incredulous. It was an uphill battle. Or an up-mountain battle. He'd read Metropolitan Magazine? Seriously? Had he come away with a great deal of knowledge on the fashion trend for the winter and how to get away with doing less work at your job by wearing a top that was precisely low cut enough without being too low cut? And a great love of lists that began "One Hundred Ways To Make Him..."

Kozue tried to imagine Tom reading that.

She could not get her brain around it. It was like imagining the universe in its entirety, or comprehending the Buddha. Brains just couldn't do that. She looked perplexed for a space of time, and then, trying to make the best of the situation, started talking. She'd figure out what she actually meant to say as she went along.

"Well, isn't Gray's Anatomy a book for doctors? And what's an evolutionary psychologist, anyway? Are they evolving?" Wait, no, off the road of the topic. Into an entirely different realm, where Kozue tried to imagine what in the universe an evolutionary psychologist did. Back on track! "... Anyway, I think we're probably a better resource than those evolving psychological people." She gestured between herself and Kiriko. They, not some person with some trumped up degree and maybe some kind of terrible mutation like from that movie about super heroes, were the experts.

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ofmanydevices
2010-07-14 03:23 am UTC (link)

Tom looked between the two women, he frowned slightly, and that frown cocked to one side. He looked around the floor, but choose to remain standing, at least until he was asked to sit.

"Evolutionary psychologists study human behavior, in this instance the purposes behind the chemical process that results in finding someone else attractive, plus the psychological motivators that govern attraction. I'd also contemplated going back to look into behavioral psychology, to find out how our personal issues might integrate... but in the end... I ummm..." He reached up to the back of his neck, rubbing it, then sighed.

"I'm aware the simple research won't help, that's why I came here in the first place. I mean... I would appreciate the help. I just... how do I not screw this up?"

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apathyisboring
2010-07-16 06:15 am UTC (link)

Kiriko maintained the skeptical look. She wasn't sure why she was bothering to evaluate his sincerity - as she'd considered before, Tom was always serious. Honest to a fault, too, which might be the first obstacle in keeping him from screwing it up.

The other problem was that she didn't really know how to answer. Seiko wasn't her - Seiko was far from her. Hell, until last week, Seiko was Misaki. Now that she wasn't so sure anymore it was hardly appropriate to give some throwaway advice about buying a lot of chocolate and flowers (not that gifts were ever a bad idea). Who knew what that girl wanted? She didn't even seem to know, herself.

She glanced over at Kozue. Was this the sort of situation where she should just give advice from her own perspective? Maybe not - and Kozue wasn't much better for advice on stable long-term relationships with sugar queens either. Her eyes shifted back to Tom and then fell to the computer screen again to allow her to answer with a more comfortable level of disinterest.

"You need to figure out what she wants, first of all. Until then, don't get clingy and weird."

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anthesphoria
2010-07-22 11:13 pm UTC (link)

"Don't get clingy and weird, period," Kozue refined the point, looking quite serious as she said it. "That's, like, the super-number one reason to dump some guy, when he starts following you around all the time and trying to hold hands and using the word love."

"The word love is probably strictly forbidden until she expects it. If you say it too early, she'll dump you. And if you wait too long to say it, if she feels seriously about you, she'll probably dump you, too." Which was, really, quite palatable and helpful wisdom. Kozue nodded, as if this indeed would help preserve and lengthen the relationship Tom was embarking upon.

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ofmanydevices
2010-07-23 08:41 pm UTC (link)

Tom nodded, slowly processing the information. Kiriko's suggestion seemed sound. He wondered if he had already made the mistake of being clingy and weird by hugging her without provocation. What if this new Seiko didn't enjoy hugging? Tom was already iffy on the physical aspect of the relationship. He began to think it was better to wait until Seiko gave some sort of "all clear" signal before trying anything again. In the interim he needed t figure out what kind of relationships Seiko wanted.

"Perhaps some kind of investigation into her motives would clear up her desires. Interrogation is out of the question. Maybe some form of questioning while disguised?... No she's already researched me, she might pick up on too many tells... Perhaps one of you could question her, you're both close, and my research suggested that "women talk." It also talked about love..."

He bit his lip at the thought of the "love" window of opportunity Kozue was presenting.

"It said "love" should not be brought up unless one means it. I think that coupled with what you have told me... is there a... number of days I should wait, or any signs I can look for?" Tom glanced toward the floor and put a finger to his chin. It was a difficult question, but difficult questions weren't new. And he had to find out for Seiko's sake.

"Also unsure of how I can determine if I do genuinely feel it. A number of the magazines mentioned a quiz, maybe I could take that and it'd tell me if I love her?"

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apathyisboring
2010-07-25 04:50 am UTC (link)

She filtered through the babble about investigation to the part about love, her gaze sharpening. She looked less skeptical, but somehow no less critical. Something about his behaviour was irritating her - something about the combination of being insecure enough to bite his lip while continuing to rattle off logical calculations on appropriate time and space.

"You'll know," she answered, more ominously than she intended. And from the looks of it, he'd be complicit in steeping them both in sentimental mush if it ever got to that. Seiko was more experienced than she would have expected, but she still seemed like the kind of girl to wear her heart on her sleeve. Kiriko was already trying to determine whether it would be worse enduring their sickening romantics or the inevitably messy breakup.

Probably the romantics. Those were always obnoxious, and already Tom seemed painfully sincere - emphasis on painfully. She couldn't help but think of Toshiro, which also meant she couldn't help but feel terribly resentful towards Tom for reminding her.

"You shouldn't be worried about it right now, anyway."

Really, he'd missed the point of the first and most cardinal piece of advice if he was already contemplating love. At this rate he'd be back in a week asking about marriage.

She made a mental note not to invite him in next time.

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