Pink Passion or the Turquoise Dream? [Rhi]

[Blue]

Snickering softly, he at least waited until Dakota was actually off of him before commenting.
“All those organic cupcakes, I’m telling you.”
He scootched over a bit to put some distance between them in case his friend decided to retaliate.

And then the lowball.

Ran visibly blanched at that, before sputtering a retort.
“I mean I’d take your word for it on the ‘rough’ part geeze! Reading into things a bit much?”
Yowza that was a bit too close for comfort! On the one hand, Kota was probably the only person who could understand this particular issue…but on the other, he was the last one Ran wanted to know!

[Rhi-Rhi]

"Oh, Ran, it's okay if you are!" Dakota quickly said, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "It's just, well...jeez, it's so obvious now in retrospect, I don't know how I didn't...okay! It's just, you said you've never even read a porn magazine since you were fifteen, and you don't have any idea of what you like, at all, and so..."

He shrugged. "You'd have at least some idea of what worked and what didn't if you had even a little experience, is what I'm saying, Ran. And that's okay! I mean, gosh, you shock whoever you touch, so that would be difficult, wouldn't it? And I'm not going to lie, I had the same issue and concern for a while, too."

[Blue]

Fuuuuuuck. Or rather, lack there of. Ugh. Uuuugh. Slumping, he slapped one hand onto his face and proceeded to sit like that as Dakota spoke. This was so not what he wanted to talk about today. Like seriously. Maaaaan….
He let out a heavy sigh, which ended on a groan.
“This sucks. I’ll never live this down. I can feel it.”
Grumbling, he rubbed at his face, but still refused to show it. Honestly, this was mortifying, and he didn’t care if his voice was muffled by his own palm.
“Must be nice having your level of control. Least now you can touch people. Man I spent the first half of my time here way too worried about not getting TRIM’d, and the second half realizing that I couldn’t freakin touch anybody or anything without shocking the crap out of them. Intimacy is practically a joke at this point. I thought about talking to you, but in the end it was way too awkward and embarrassing.”

[Rhi-Rhi]

"What? Embarrassing? Why? Aw, Ran..."

Reaching out, Dakota pat Ran lightly on the shoulder. "You should know I won't judge you for that. It's not your fault, and it's not like it's anything to be ashamed of. Like, even if you could touch people, you shouldn't be ashamed of having your V-card because...I dunno, that's something that just happens when you're ready. But like, if this is actually causing you distress and stuff, then yeah, that's not good! Buuut!"

Dakota smiled reassuringly. "It's not something that can't be helped! I learned how to control it. I could always try to help you out!"

[Blue]

It was lucky that it was Kota here. Or rather, maybe it was because it was Kota. All the same, a sudden surge of electricity ran out from Ran’s body and into his friend’s. It was the sort of shock that could have seriously hurt somebody else.
“Dammit!”
The frustration all but visibly crackled around him, and he finally took his hand away from his face. This might have been his first real emotional outburst in at least the last couple of years. He’d gotten good at laughing things off, and continuing with his life.
“I’m trying for control! I’m stuck at this level for a reason you know?? My entire fuckin’ future is riding on my ability to figure this shit out. If I can’t manage not to shock everything I touch, there’s no way a dragon’ll take me! I’ll be killed on the spot. I’m like a walking death sentence to those things! Honestly…”

Sighing again, he flopped back one last time, and then curled up on his side away from Kota.
“Sorry. I’m frustrated. Heh, in every area of life it would seem. Sheesh…you may as well go until I pull my sorry ass together.”

[Rhi-Rhi]

The shock traveled through Kota's body and then out into the air, making the hairs all along his body stand on end. For someone else it could have been damaging; for him, it was more annoying.

"Ran, it'll be okay," Dakota said as Ran rolled onto his side, away from him. He scooted close to him and leaned over him to look at him. "No dragon's going to kill you. You know why? It's because dragon's don't start choosing until Stage 5! And you won't go to Stage 5 until you pass Stage 4. And you won't pass Stage 4 until you're ready! By the time you're in Stage 5, you'll have this all figured out, so no dragon will hurt you. And the only dragon that will pick you is one that feels confident it can handle you."

Unafraid of Ran's electric shocks, he gave his friend a playful hair ruffle. "So you'll be fine! And in the meantime, I'm not leaving. What? You think I'd leave just because my best bud's having an angsty moment, for good and understandable reasons? What kind of a friend does that? Not a best bud, that's who."

[Blue]

Shit, he really hated the fact Dakota could be so damn logical at a time like this. Everything he said made sense, but it was kind of irritating to have his fears exposed as pretty much unnecessary. It was all entirely true…it was unlikely he’d get TRIM’d so easily at this point. They’d poured too many resources into him, right? Heh.

Groaning at the hair ruffle, he groped around for his second pillow, and then swatted at Kota weakly with it.
“Dammit man, get your gross optimism out of here would you?? Can’t a guy angst in peace?? I tell ya, some people.”
Already back to his joking banter. It was kind of hard to stay frustrated in this sort of situation…blah, heheh.
“Thanks.”

[Rhi-Rhi]

Laughing at the pillow swat, Dakota grabbed the pillow from Ran and used it to lay on instead. "Sorry. You can keep angsting! Like, I'm not saying this isn't a frustrating, scary situation or anything, because it is. I just...don't want you thinking you're going to get slaughtered by a dragon."

Leaning up on his elbows, he shrugged lightly. "The dragons aren't that bad, either. Some of them are, for sure, but...most of them are pretty chill. Like, you've got Pilot Letendre who's got a dragon that speaks in epic ballads and is placated by flattery, for goodness sakes! Or Pilot Tierney who's got a dragon that is apparently a bit of a dweeb. So it's not all bad. But anyway!"

He nudged Ran again. "This is your time to learn and master your stuff, so don't stress too hard. It's hard to fail this Stage, and I wasn't kidding. I could totally tutor you. That's mostly what I do nowadays anyway, help teach classes, so...not saying what works for me will work for you, but we could probably figure out something."

[Blue]

He tried to do it man. He really did. He pushed his face into the bed and attempted it as best he could.
But fuck, it was impossible to actually feel bad for himself with Kota around.
No angsting for him! It was probably for the best though, he wasn’t real good at that sort of thing anyway. Didn’t suit his ‘devil may care’ persona, however false it might be.

On a heavy sigh, he just gave up trying, grinning to himself even as he admitted defeat. Here Kota was, acknowledging all his feelings as valid, and simultaneously putting his worries to rest. Damn him. That wasn’t fair, heh.
He grunted at the nudge, but when he did finally speak, he found himself unable to sound playful at all.
“…could you please?”
It felt awkward even to him, and he wasn’t sure why he felt so awkwardly choked up to where his voice came out strained. Just a minute ago he’d been amused by the whole thing! It seemed his fears weren’t going to let him ask for help in a flippant way though. He set his jaw, understanding now that this really was a big deal to him, and that his friend offering help actually meant a hell of a lot to him.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Oh man. Though Dakota was being all light-hearted and cheerful, the way Ran said that just about broke his heart. A 'please' and everything? Gods, he really was desperate and afraid if he was willing to go that far, and he certainly looked utterly dejected like that, face smooshed into the bed as he mumbled into the mattress. Understandably so; for all that he'd tried to put his friend's fears to rest, Dakota knew Ran's fears were valid ones.

Sometimes, people did choke at the finish line.

Sometimes, dragons did maul candidates.

Like hell he'd ever tell that to Ran.

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" Dakota said with a smile Ran couldn't see, and he gave his hair a playful ruffle. "Of course I will! No questions asked. Call me Professor Lewis and consider me your own private teacher!"

[Blue]

At the hair ruffle, Ran visibly relaxed some. It wasn’t like he thought Kota would say no or something. Its just…hearing him say it, in earnest, was incredibly reassuring. He’d never really wanted anyt of this, he didn’t really have any big aspirations. All his time here had really just made him want one thing - to survive to the next stage. Just make it through. Don’t get trimmed or killed or something. That was really his one utmost goal.

Ran snorted into the mattress.
“Alright, alright, Professor Lewis. Just no stockings in the classroom, got it?”
He finally lifted his head enough to give his friend a small smirk, but in his eyes was the lingering sense of profound relief. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to appropriately express to Kota how grateful he was, even if he made it through successfully and became a full fledged Pilot. It’d probably end up really awkward anyway.
Maybe he’d just have to buy Kota a bunch of shit and a thank you note. The guy would probably get the message, even if Ran was too clumsy to properly articulate it.

@Rhi-Rhi

[Rhi-Rhi]

Dakota gasped, hand to his mouth and eyes wide. "No stockings?! Awww. But Ran...don't you see? You'd be missing out on a golden opportunity that way!"

And then, with a wide grin, he struck a pin-up girl pose. He laid back, stuck a stockinged leg up, slightly bent, and ran a hand down his leg while giving Ran bedroom eyes. "I could be your sexy teacher," he said with an eyebrow waggle.

[Blue]

…..noooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

THIS WAS WORSE THAN THE AWKWARD PICTURE TEXTS. NO. HE DID NOT WANT THIS. HE DID NOT WANT THIS STUCK IN HIS BRAIN FOREVER. NO. NO PINUP POSE. NO STOCKINGS. NO FUCKING BEDROOM EYES.
NO
WHY
WHYYYYY

“Get off my bed you horrible tart!”
He was probably red as a tomato by now but all he wanted was for Dakota to stop doing that as soon as humanly possible. And since he didn’t really trust his sprained wrists for anything, he swung himself around and planted both feet on his friend’s side in order to unceremoniously shove him off. Or at least attempt to, in that awkward flailey way that just about anything done on a bed turns into.

@Rhi-Rhi

[Rhi-Rhi]

With a yelp and some wild flailing, Dakota toppled off the bed, and took half the blankets with him when he grabbed onto them in a wild bid for stability. He landed with a sharp grunt in a pile of petticoats and lace, but even though it hurt his ass, he didn't notice the pain.

He was laughing far too hard.

"Ahahaha! Oh my gods, you're too funny! So easy to get a rise out of you!" he gasped between laughing fits, clutching his sides to try to help with the stitches. "Horrible tart! You called me a tart!"

And he started laughing even harder, finding the insult thoroughly hilarious.

[Blue]

Laying sprawled on his back, Ran glowered up at the ceiling as Kota’s hysterics carried up to him. Dammit man. Dammit. Normally he really wasn’t this easy to rile up. Then again, normally his friends didn’t pull off frighteningly good impersonations of hot ladies either. It was both awkward and embarrassing, so he couldn’t help but get flustered.
Maybe it was a little confusing too. He was always real chill with Dakota and his personality - he was girly but it wasn’t like it mattered to him any. It was just a little annoying that he couldn’t be ‘chill’ when he got teased. Wouldn’t most people be able to laugh that off? It was wildly absurd, the whole thing! And yet here he was blushing through his tan. Geeze.
This sucked.
“Yeah yeah, laugh it up you fruit biscuit. Just for that you’re banished to the floor.”

@Rhi-Rhi

[Rhi-Rhi]

"Banished, you say?"

Dakota had managed to get a handle on his laughter (which was good, because he felt about ready to bust a gut) and Ran's decree got his attention. Lifting up onto his knees, he leaned his elbows onto the bed and grinned up at Ran.

"So what are you going to do to keep me banished?" And as he spoke, he started to climb up onto the bed, beaming deviously. "Oh no! Look! I'm crawling onto the bed!"

[Blue]

Erk!
For the love of…couldn’t he have a few minutes to pull himself together and stop looking like a strawberry?? And quit climbing onto the bed with that devious look!
His face scrunched up in a childish way, Ran glared at the red head.
“Oh no, look, I’m about to put my foot in your face!”
He warded Dakota off with his legs, seeing as how they weren’t inconveniently injured at the moment.
“Bad Kota, bad! Get down! Off the bed you oversized pastry! Off off!”

@Rhi-Rhi

[Rhi-Rhi]

"Ew! Ran! No!" Dakota squealed, grabbing Ran's foot and shoving it out of his face. "That's disgusting! Get your stinky feet out of my face!"

But he was cracking up as he said it, and with one hand grabbing Ran's ankle, he grabbed for the other one, caught it, and yanked Ran forward to pull him off balance. After all, it wasn't like he could use his arms to brace himself very well!

Not wasting any time, Dakota lunged up onto the bed and pinned Ran, beaming victoriously down at him. "And so the fair damsel captured the smelly knight," he said with a wide grin.

[Blue]

“I wouldn’t be putting my stinky feet in your face if you’d get off the-oof!”
Caught by the ankles, he was yanked rather gracelessly off balance. Frickin dammit man! Having both wrists sprained seriously sucked SO hard right now!! Amazing how much stuff required the use of your hands when you couldn’t freaking use them right!

Eventually, he found himself staring up at Dakota with a rather miffed look on his face, lips scrunched together. Part of him wanted to throw the smug bastard right back off the bed, but just the idea of wrestling with him made his wrists ache. Fuuuuuuck. Damsel my ass!

“Fine, whatever, I concede!”
He flung his arms out to either side of him and let his head flop back.
“My body is ready!”
He laughed lightly, and then sighed.
“I’m not gonna give myself carpel tunnel or something for your sake. You obnoxious tart.”
That was definitely going to be a thing, at least for a little while.

@Rhi-Rhi