Takashi Agera is roaming the shopping strip in Uminari looking for... something. It's obvious when he stops by the various shops and looks in the windows. It must not be electronic, because then he'd be better served by going to the much closer Mitakihara, and it's not groceries, because he's looking in a lot of gift-shop type places.
But he doesn't seem to be finding what he's looking for, because he keeps pushing his hands in the pockets of his jeans or the pockes of his jacket - for once, the boy is out in public in something other than his school uniform or something overly formal.
But whatever he is looking for, it's got him so distracted he wouldn't notice someone sneaking up on him - or, probably, stomping towards him.
Oh, there's stomping all right.
Usagi is livid. Enraged. She's come here to take her mind off of stupid boys, and who does she run into? The stupidest boy who ever did stupid.
Maybe its this RAGE inside her. Maybe it's the fact that they're in public. Or maybe it's teenager immortality. But there's a purse swinging toward Takashi as the moon bunny yells at him. She's just sad it's mostly empty. (She'd just done her quarterly cleanout...)
"You're a baka, Takashi Agera! Baka baka baka!"
The first swing actually clocks Takashi pretty good - thankfully empty, but it gets him right on the side of the face. He instinctively jumps back and the return swing thuds against a circular magical barrier, now that Axion's been woken up to the situation. But he takes a short hop back and looks at her.
"Are we fighting? I didn't know we were fighting but it looks like you're alone and that seems like a spectacularly bad idea even for you." There's a glare from Takashi as he looks at her. "Also using the same insult multiple times doesn't make it any better."
More rage. "Oh please! If this were an attack, do you honestly think I'd come at you with a purse first? Of course you do, you think I'm a moron. I'm not beholden to any promises anymore, Agera." Not that she would attack first.
Nope, this isn't a magical girl issue. This is a 'You hurt one of my best friends' issue. "Excuse me, Mister Priorities, what sort of twisted little fantasy world do you even live in if you can't see even a fraction of how much she did prioritize you?" Her eyes are hard. "I swear to everything, Agera, if she falls back on her old ways because you're a selfish and spoiled little brat, I will...I don't even know what I'll do. I am just so angry at you right now." She turns to the side in a dramatic flair, cupping a hand over the corner of her eye. "I can't even look at you right now I'm so angry."
Takashi smirks just a bit. It's absolutely that self-assured jerk smirk that he's probably wearing when a number of people imagine him. "Look, anything's possible with Mahou Shoujo, right? Could be a Holy Purse, I don't know. Maybe you just gotta wind it up first."
"And I was out shopping when you accosted me, so any looking you're doing is of your own volition." Then a sigh. "Look, she made it freakin' clear she didn't want me around for a while." For a while being key from Takashi's point of view. "She even gave me that surrogate so I wouldn't bother her. Now I'm the bad guy for telling her that I wouldn't? I went over there to try to help her because she was sad, but instead she turned me into a martyr for it AND wouldn't let me help her. What am I supposed to do but give her the space she wanted, really?!"
"Oh don't tempt me, Buster!" She doesn't, though. But only because she's pretty sure her face powder is now all over the place.
Then she gasps! Indignation! "So you break up with her?! And hey! What was wrong with that teddy bear? She felt like crap that she wasn't comfortable giving what you want, which she has been working on that, so I suggested the teddy bear! What! Are you too good for plushies?" There's a glint in her eye that probably suggests the answer shouldn't be yes...
She pokes his chest! "You're not supposed to have a hissy and break up with her, you jerk!" POKE, POKE!
Then she just sort of stands back with a huff, hands waving in the air. "Really? You may hate my guts but I'm still worried about you. This wasn't healthy for either of you. You need to work on controlling your emotions." Says the girl who is...well, Usagi.
Takashi throws his hands up in equal indignation. "Would you be okay with a bear wearing a tuxedo and not being with Mamoru for who knows how long? How would it make you feel if he blamed you for his failures just because you wanted to be close to him? All I'm doing is exactly what she asked for. She can call me her boyfriend or not, whatever makes her feel better, because it doesn't make an iota of difference in how she actually treats me."
"I KNOW IT WASN'T HEALTHY!" Takashi yells so loud that if there were birds in the nearby trees, there wouldn't be now. "I don't LIKE being away from her but I can't FORCE her to spend time with me so now she has ALL the free time she apparently NEEDS to get her business straight, whatever that is."
"Okay, first of all, I already had an idea for a tuxedo wearing bear. And yes. He had to study all the time and I can be very distracting. Do you know how many times I've wanted to just cuddle him all up? But didn't? And when he came back from things, I gave him as much space as he needed from me!"
She throws up her hands. "She didn't treat you badly, Taka! She's not a cuddler! It's different, cuddling someone you're friends with, or cuddling someone you're involved with! For someone like Ami, the latter is giving up a lot of control! You trying to force her to do it before she's ready? Both of you have issues."
She jerks a bit at the yell! But good! Progress! She sighs. She's no longer a mad bunny. She's a sad bunny. "You're just...you were doing so well with her. I thought it was for real."
She hums for a moment. Inspiration strikes.
She lunges forward and wraps her arms around him. Usagi is very good at giving hugs. "See how uncomfortable this is?"
"Well I'm giving her space!" Takashi protests. "I don't like doing it, I'd have rather stayed, but all I was doing is upsetting her. Doesn't it stand to reason I should get the hell out of her way?"
"All I wanted was to feel like she actually nee-" and then he kills that point of thought before he can finish it. And goes elsewhere. "What makes you think it wasn't real - at least on my end? It still frikkin is-" and then cut off again.
Because Usagi is hugging him. And now Takashi is at first frankly, just stunned, and then tries to extricate himself from her. "Yeah but we're not dating it's supposed to be uncomfortable IT'S SAKURA ALL OVER AGAIN LET GO WHERE'S MY STICK"
"Getting out of her way and breaking up with her? Kinda two different things here, you dummy!" UG! "Again! How can someone so smart be so not sometimes!"
She raises her eyebrows. But at least he didn't finish that thought. It means he gets to live. For now.
She holds on for a moment longer. It's not the tight squeeing hug of glee. It's the warm on a winter day hot cocoa of a hug. There may even be a smoothing of her hand on his back.
Still, she does back off. And she snorts and tosses a twintail over her shoulder. "Seriously? Takashi, please. I'm the best you've ever had, admit it."
"I didn't break up with her, I left and told her to figure out everything that was more important than me and get it taken care of. If she took that to mean that I was breaking up with her then I can only guess that she came up with too many things or things that would never be finished." He huffs, and finally Usagi lets go.
"Psh. Kaname-san didn't know much but she knew how to hug. Best is not a word I'd apply here. Most inescapable maybe. How do you DO that, you're tiny." he notes, smoothing out his jacket.
Oh seriously how even can he be breathing right now with the amount of stupidity he is displaying... And she pinches the bridge of her nose and her expression makes that though VERY CLEAR.
Takashi, right now, Usagi thinks you're the dumbest person alive.
"Or? She could be a girl, whose boyfriend just basically told her Don't come to me until blah blah, which is BASICALLY SAYING 'Don't call me, I'll call you.' So yes. Guess what? Whether you meant to or not, you broke up with her!"
Usagi preens a little. "Well, I have been hugging all of my life. Also, usually even strangers enjoy my hugs. You're just emotionally constipated."
She knows there's more reasons than that for people not enjoying hugs. Or being uncomfortable with hugs. Heck, she knows if she weren't Usagi, she'd never get any Mamo-Hug-Time.
Awwww...saddest thought ever!
"Well that's stupid then and I'd expect a higher level of functioning from Ami." he adds, with a foot stomp. Then he gets quiet, and steps back again from Usagi - maybe afraid of another hug?
And then his words start to crash in on each other and his voice raises again as he goes through the whole long spiel. "I don't know what to do with her or about her or anything. I'm trying really hard to do and be and understand and stop this and start that and then she's sad and doesn't want me around so I've just lost all of this time and effort and I have nothing to show for it and all I do is upset her or ruin her dreams SO WHAT'S THE DAMN POINT!"
Then he turns away from Usagi and doesn't say anything.
"Well, that's stupid to assume that Ami would think logically in something like love or whatever, which isn't the most logical thing ever. Love isn't smart. If everyone were smart they'd only have babies to make sure the world goes on and focus on everything else like going to Mars to live on or something. But we're not smart. We're human."
She stops short at his tirade and blinks at him. And then he starts to walk away? "HEY! I'm not done with you!" She throws her purse at him! "This isn't a lab experiment! You don't get tangible results! And you shouldn't want to help her for you, you should help her for her! And even if you 'fail' you didn't, because what you were happened! There's no logic to love! Logically, why is Mamo-chan with me? What do I have to offer future generations aside from adorable people who are cuddly? I dunno why he is but he is! So hah! And the issues she has? It's not about you! It's her issues! All you can do is help and guide her, and maybe neither of you are ready for each other yet! I mean, look at her dad! He's a jerk! And until you, he was the biggest guy in her life! Maybe her not wanting cuddles, or not wanting to get close, or anything, has more to do with him than you! This isn't your fault you narcissist!"
She blinks. Then she beams at him! "Wow, Ami-chan's right! Maybe I should do psychology things in college! People are fun!"
Takashi turns on his heel to face Usagi again. "YOU'RE human." he says with a finger pointed almost accusingly at Usagi. It doesn't seem like the fact that he's isolating himself out from that list is exactly a point of pride right now, either.
"And maybe that's why I don't understand. Or, I don't know, maybe it's that she's not the only one who hasn't exactly had a great home life. But do you know what I do know?!" Takashi takes a step closer and looks into Usagi's eyes. "I know something you'll never understand, because I know what it's like to be unwanted."
"I grew up in an orphanage, and I watched other kids get adopted out. That's the definition of being unwanted. Then I found out that only one of my parents was dead - the other one just didn't WANT me around his happy little nuclear family. I have two half-siblings who grew up in a nice house with a mother and a father but I didn't."
"Then when he does contact me it's only because I have a talent he can use to further himself. Then my familiar who's got a chunk of my SOUL runs off and abandons me. And my best friend and I have an understanding that means we're eventually going to come to blows in the end. And I work with a bunch of cut-throat asshats who would sell each other out for a couple of yen. And now my girlfriend doesn't want me around because I disrupt her studies."
"You've got a family and a bunch of friends and... you know what, you should save your psychoanalysis for someone you share even a shred of personal experience with. Just get away, go back to your bright little world where everyone loves you and you have a destiny of hope because some of us have to keep scratching what little we can get out of the dirt. If I wasn't powerful and smart I'd have absolutely nothing, and I gave up a lot of what I was working on for Ami, and now I'm behind again." With that Takashi turns back and starts to walk again.
As Takashi rants, Usagi's eyes widen and fill with tears. At first it's because of the same old thing. That guilt, because she does have it good.
But...that doesn't last long.
Because she can imagine it. She knows what others have gone through in life, and she hates that anyone should have to go through that.
So this time as he's walking away she doesn't throw anything at him.
Well...
For the second time in less than fifteen minutes she's hugging him. And sniffling. And it's not the crocodile tears when she stubs a toe.
Takashi tries to wriggle away a second time, but this is both more and less effortful, because he's exhausted after saying all of that, and feeling pretty low himself. "Tsukino-san, let go. I have to go." he protests, and tries to walk away anyways, trying to pull her fingers away from him.
"I'm not sure what to do about any of this now but I am pretty sure hugging another girl in the middle of the Juuban shopping strip is not going to result in anything good if word gets to Ami before you can explain it." There's a little bit of his snark, back.
Usagi sniffles more, and doesn't quite let go.
His explanation, of course, leaves her with the impression that the hug probably isn't as unwanted as it may seem.
"D-dummy." She sniffs. Sniff sniff. "Ami-chan won't be mad." Sniff sniff. She probably even wipes her eye on his sleeve. "I-If I had to give you mouth to mouth, she wouldn't think we were k-kissing." Sniff.
She looks up at him, eyes large and water. The jaws of life might help him get free.
"I know I don't understand, you jerk. But I hate you went through it alone. I don't want anyone to be alone." Her eyes grow even larger. "Not everyone's those buttmunches. Ami-chan isn't. I'm not. And I still think you're a buttmunch and emotionally constipated, but you can work on that."
Takashi keeps trying to wrench her arms away or squirm free. "I'm still glad you're not in a position to need to do that, either. Leggo."
"I know Ami's not, Tsukino-san. I just... look, if you don't let go I'm going to escape to the Dusk Zone and judging by your reaction that time at the Crown that is not something you want to be next to me for."
That, of course, works better than the jaws of life. Usagi is quick to let go and she takes several steps back, hands held up. "Woah woah, I do not wanna puke today."
She gives him a suspicious look. "Are you gonna think about things? Or are you gonna sulk?" She points her finger. "You know, I can always hug you if you do something stupid again."
Closer leeeeeeeeeean. More squinty eyes. "Hey. Why do you hate me? Is it because of the thing back during the thing and you thought I had something to do with it? Or is it because of something else?"
Takashi looks at Usagi for a moment and then shrugs a little. "Can't I do both? I mean I apparently broke up with my girlfriend who is the best thing that ever happened to me, so I think I'm entitled to just a little sulking, minimum."
"...I don't hate you?" Takashi's voice indicated a level of confusion that might be hard to fake. "I mean you get in my way sometimes and I don't think you'd be my first choice to be trapped on a desert island with, but I can think of a lot of people I dislike more."
Usagi rolls her eyes before grabbing his arm and tugging him to the curb. She points across the street toward an ice cream parlor. "And about twenty-five gallons of that. I didn't mean sulking was stupid. I meant stupid in general."
And then she's blinking up at him. "You don't?" And, well, she can think of fifty other people she'd rather be trapped with aside from him. No offence there! "But during the orange thing before I broke my wrist you pretty much implied I was a stupid waste of space. That there kind of gives the impression of loathing at the very least."
Admit it, Takashi. You were a jerk-face.
"Yeah, I was trying to fix the orange thing." And take over control of an entire color. But that's not relevant. "You were trying to stop me. If you don't want me to think less of you don't try to get in my way when I'm doin' stuff. But that's like... I dunno, expected? Hannah and I fight too."
He shrugs. "Sometimes people say mean things when they're fighting? You tried to rip me apart and I'm still standing here talking to you."
Usagi looks at him as though he'd just grown two heads. "You were going against my morals, what I believed is right. What you said to me has nothing to do with what you were trying to do. I will probably fight Hannah, too. But I won't bring up things just to hurt her unless they're relevant."
She kind of looks this way and circles her toes in the ground. "Because you really hurt my feelings and never said anything that's why I haven't been nice to you."
It takes Takashi a little bit of time to respond to that. "I'm... sorry?" he says, at first more of a confused question. "I apologize I hurt your feelings, but... I don't know if that's technically right. I mean..."
"I didnt want your feelings to still be hurt. But I wanted you to fight poorly, or go away at the time." It's an honest admittance, at least.
She studies him for a moment. Her lips purse and she squints her eyes as she considers him. "Are you sorry now you hurt my feelings, or are you only saying that to make me feel better?"
She then shakes a finger at him! "That's fighting dirty, Takashi Agera! If I fought dirty, I wouldn't give those speeches!"
Takashi tilts his head. "So you'd just call me an idiot on the street and all." he pauses and thinks on her question. But eventually she just get a nod and an 'actually sorry now.'
Usagi just beams up at him like 'yup!' "You were a buttface, Taka. Admit it, you could have handled it better. I get why you did, but you could have been less buttface. Right?" Prod, prod!
And for the 'actually sorry now' look he gets a genuinely cheerful beam. But then she pokes him, but with less venom. "This doesn't mean next time you getta be a jerk then say sorry later. But I forgive you for this. Not for the Mako-chan clone, but hopefully you get why, but everything else. So you know where we stand. Okay?"
Then she holds out her hand like an adult would!
And, serious faced. "And if you needa talk to someone. Or if you just need a hug. I won't used it against you in a fight."
Takashi listens to Usagi, and nods along. This whole thing is so much, so wierd, so strange. He's not sure what to do. Eventually, he does take usagi's hand and shake it, though. "Look. I just. There's a lot going on. You've talked to me. Will you try to talk to Ami on my behalf, just a little. You can probably explain things better than I can, especially since she's gotta be upset at me."
"Like, I'm not asking for anything specific just tell her I still care." Axion pings and he grunts. "I really do need to get going - sorry for dashing, Tsukino-san." he adds. "I will try to be a little bit better in the future. But only a little." he adds with a wink.
Usagi shakes the hand back. And she sighs. "I will try. I know that doesn't seem like a yes, but I will. But Ami-chan is my friend. I will try to tell her mostly because I think she needs to hear it, partially because you need her to." She takes a deep breath, holds it, and lets it out.
"If you two don't get back together now, don't let it affect you tomorrow. I can tell you're a good person, Takashi, you just got all those cooties around you. And if -- and when-- I come after you? Always keep in mind that part of it is always for you, okay?"
She beams and tilts her head. "And I will be me. So don't be too upset if I try to stop you." Then her grin widens. "And if you're a little better in the future, I may just stop trying to punch you!"
Takashi has a lot of retorts to some of Usagi's comments, but he finds some discretion along with his intelligence, and stuffs most of them in a pocket somewhere. "All I asked." he agrees with a nod. "I'll be okay, either way... I got plenty of stuff to keep me busy." All of which Usagi would probably really dislike.
"I'll keep in mind it's not personal. But you've got your thoughts and I have mine and sometimes they won't agree."
"You should really leave the punching to Kino-san. You're gonna hurt yourself that way."
Usagi is...very happy with this answer. It's probably a good thing she isn't a mind reader. (Poor Takashi if she were! This'd be like a preview screening of the shitshow coming his way!) "Okay. But if you get sad to the point where you need someone like me? To snuggle? I don't judge and I like hugs!"
She takes a deep breathe, holds it, and lets it out. "I'll try to remember, too. After those fights, can we come together? Like even if its a random pop-up here, or at the crown? And we can affirm that to the other? I'm okay with 'I don't agree with your view on X but I still respect you' but I'm not okay on 'you're a bitch for attacking me at this and here's a laundry list of everything.' And call me out if I get there, and if I feel I'm not, I'll say why. Same to you, okay?"
Then she puffs out. Almost preens, even! "I've been working with Nephri-kun! I know to punch you here--" Her tiny little balled up fist pokes at his solar plexus. "Rather than your face! But oh yes, Mako-chan is far more better at punching than I am."
Takashi debates it internally for a little bit. "I'll try. I'm on this side of town less now..." now that he's not meeting Ami for tako or pizza "but I'll try. I don't want to promise in absolutes because I don't want to be in a situation where I can't."
He sighs. "All of this magical fighting versus normal talking business gives me a headache, sometimes."
Takashi looks down amusedly at her fist poking him but again, doesn't say anything. "So, am I free to go without being barnacle-hugged again now?"
"Trying is the best that can be asked for, sometimes." Her eyes are still heavy on him, seeking stuff out. "But yes. Okay."
After a moment she pulls back and shrugs. "Basically just ask yourself if you wanna get yelled at later for something. And have someone important doing the yelling. It's how I get things done. And homework."
And, fist still against his torso, she gives him a LOOK. "Yes. But just remember! If you're a buttmunch! I know where to poke you. But if you need a hug, you know where I am."
Takashi nods, trying not to give anything away to Usagi's seeking eyes, but that's easier said than done, and it's probably clear to her that the business with Ami is weighing heavily on him, even though he's not currently letting out any screaming outbursts.
"Eh, I get yelled at from one direction or the other anyways. Do something, you guys yell at me. Don't do enough somethings, Eclipse yells at me." Takashi shrugs. "I'm just trying to do what's best for me and hope the rest falls into place, really." A rather private admission to share with Usagi.
"You know after the third time you punched me I'm starting to expect it. And I at least have a general idea of where to find you, yes." He looks, for a moment, as if unsure how to break the conversation and eventually settles for a short half-bow before turning to continue on down the street, like he was intending to do when purse accosted.
"Well, Eclipse," And this is with all the assurances of Usagi. "They're a bunch of buttwipes. Especially if you're that powerful and higherup? Yeah. They need new priorities."
IF Usagi were the type, there would be a Z snap here.
But alas, she isn't.
"Well, then. Next time I'm mad at you and not what you're doing, I know where to aim!"