[open] ring ring, bingo?

[esperimental]

WHO: Ritsu Kageyama and people who are probably nicer than him
WHERE: All around the city
WHEN: Throughout July
WHAT: Frustrated teen wants answers, does silly things for it; July catch-all, you know the drill!
WARNINGS: None for now!

[ My plotting post for bingo help is over here! ]

i. At least they're not grayberries

[ On the university school grounds of Apprassage, Ritsu mans a respectably built stand of questionable legality. He's fairly certain he can get away with it even with age alone, his professor guardian may have lost his memories of Retrospec, but was supportive in Ritsu's inexplicable one-day business venture. ]

Blueberry juice.
Freshly squeezed.
We have ice.

[ Now that sure is a passionate sales voice, yessir. Also before anyone asks, it's a Royal We. ]

ii. The hero nobody deserves

[ Some kid in a mask stands... uhh. Not that tall. Not that proudly. Maintaining a cross-armed pose lacking in passion. But the summer wind blows, and his cape dramatically flutters. He really hated he got a task like this in summer. He'd hate it all other seasons too but now the weather would be against him as well. Should've checked the forecast, should've picked another day. Wished he had money for sunglasses instead of goggles.

... Should concede and open up that umbrella, now before he gets sunburn. And maybe the shade would make him slightly harder to recognize. Ah, who was he kidding. He looks like some lost kid who wanted to celebrate Halloween a full couple months early. ]

Hey, you.

[ There's a point now, sorry if you were trying to ignore him. ]

Tell me, what do superheroes do?

iii. Maybe impossible

"Flash mob"...

[ Echoing the text on the square as he's seated at Tribunal Terrace, there's a frown on Ritsu's face even more intense than his usual one. He goes ahead and watches a video, shaking his head in defiance after a couple seconds. He's seated outside so the lack of earphones shouldn't bother too many people, but some might've still heard a pop song or Broadway that they knew. ]

No way. Definitely no way. A musical isn't any better. I can't do this kind of thing even with a team. Did anyone else get this kind of assignment? There's no role I can fit.

[ Could always be Robert during Enchanted, does that count Ritsu? Watching on, his will seems to be wilting, and his brows remain furrowed. ]

... Is this supposed to be music?

[ Well, even if you can't help him with such a monumental task, you can still take those as fighting words. ]

Comments

[esperimental]

Ice Cream Crimes. [ Ice Crea-imes. ]

... Sure, why not. [ He just wants to get out of here!! Also. Sweets. ] Let me just check the map on my phone, I don't think I've ever been there.

[ Or is it time to rely on Shou navigational instincts. ]

[chargebomb]

Aw, who needs a map? C'mon, I know the way.

[ he does not.

he's still pretty new.

but the point is, Trust His Navigational Skills. ]

[esperimental]

[ Now that he looks at it, his phone is pretty drained anyway. Must have forgotten to charge it.

Shrug. ]

Sure, I'll follow your lead.

[ Big mistake. ]

[chargebomb]

[ ~LEADING~ the way, totally confidently, without a single trace of doubt-- ]

Sooo, what do you think the prize for bingo is gonna be?

[esperimental]

[ Can't doubt that much confidence! At least, for the first hour. ]

With luck, those Retrospec staff actually speaking with us. Otherwise, might be more of those memories of our "past lives".

[chargebomb]

[ ah, those...... ]

Everyone has ideas but no real clue, huh? But at least you get to run around in costumes and sing songs at people, I guess.

[esperimental]

[ With the flattest tone imaginable: ] I don't know why I set myself to do it, but I did.

Guess I'm just desperate to know why they keep messing up our lives.

[chargebomb]

If it's really that embarrassing for you, you don't have to push yourself. Don't feel pressured, you know?

... If it helps, you don't look terrible in it. [ compliments help, right??? ] I'd let you rescue me.

[esperimental]

From what, yourself?

[ He's just going to. Have that compliment fly over his head. It's a Kageyama thing. ]

You handled yourself scarily well back in that fight.

[chargebomb]

[ flattery failed... ] Sure, you can save me from myself. I'm my own worst enemy, if nobody else can match up. Not even high schoolers.

[esperimental]

[ Brows furrowed. ]

I don't think that's a very productive way to spend time.

[chargebomb]

[ probably not... ]

What are your hobbies, other than superhero cosplay?

[esperimental]

[ POUT. ]

This isn't a hobby.

[ Also please stop reminding him how concerned people were over his lack of hobbies Shou... ]

Mostly... one way or other I'm reading. Learning new things.

[chargebomb]

Reading hero comics, or what? [ no, but he really approves of the cosplay hobby. REALLY. ]

[esperimental]

... No.

History books, encyclopedias. Things that are easy to find in the library. [ MOST DEFINITELY 13 YEARS OLD. ]

[chargebomb]

Ritsu... [ puts hands on his shoulders, dead serious...... this is an emergency. ]

Do you really, honestly read that for fun. Look me straight in the eye and tell it to my face.

[esperimental]

Yes, I honestly read those for fun.

[ No sense of irony in his voice here!! ]

[chargebomb]

Ritsu... [ grips shoulder grimly. ] Got it. I'll rec you some manga and comics. You're welcome.

I bet you'd like One Punch Man.

[ ... why does he think that?? ]

[esperimental]

[ ... ]

I'm not buying anything, so I'll just borrow from you.

[ Why is he being so compliant with this guy. HE DOESN'T KNOW. ]

[chargebomb]

Fine, fine! Just remember if you're going to cosplay as a hero, you need to learn who your role models are. [ and apparently that's... saitama. who knows.

anyway they seem to be getting quite far away from the commercial center or any malls and closer to... the beach?? he's great at directions, swear. ]

[esperimental]

[ He kind of doubts he's going to be repeating this unless for god knows what reason Retrospec demands him to again, but. There are things of more immediate concern.

Like how they got all the way over here. "Despite himself" might as well describe everything about Ritsu re: following Shou around, because his steps aren't stopping. ]

... Suzuki? Why are we at the beach.

[chargebomb]

[ ...... good question. ] What the...

Maybe the mall moved. [ because OBVIOUSLY his directions were perfect? he actually looks kind of clueless, like... how did they get here? ] What's up with that--heeey, look, there's an ice cream truck. [ and... instantly distracted, because if they can't have AC in the mall then frozen treats are the next best thing. ]

[esperimental]

[ why did he trust this boy ]

At least we've done our backwards-order exercising off these calories.

[ he is too dead from the heat to grill shou, count yourself lucky ]

Well, line's not too long. What are you getting?

[chargebomb]

We'll probably sweat everything out, summer is like a sauna here...

Anyway, mint chocolate chip for me. How about you? [ he's already checking his pocket for his wallet. well, it's a fan's privilege to pay for his hero, right? ]

[esperimental]

... That sounds really good right now. I'll get the same.

[ Well secretly most sweets sound good to him but he can't brain food decisions right now either. Ritsu can't really tell if he's reading Shou's body language right, but he waves his hand. ]

Oh, you dont have to pay for me. I barely spend on anything as is.