failed private video;

[cutiepanther]

[ After explaining to Nico in Nozomi's body that she wants to try to fix things between them, Maki's taking another step in that direction. Except, this video was DEFINITELY just meant for Nico, and not everyone else! ]

Look Nico, I have something to say to you, so can you just watch this without getting mad at me for two seconds?

[ Already Maki is starting off sounding a little haughty, and difficult herself, but that's how she is. ]

W-We're not so different, you know? We both like music and dancing, and we both try pretty hard in what we do. W-What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for making it sound like I was judging you back at the hot springs. It's obvious you try pretty hard. ...Even if you are pretty shameless when it comes to dancing naked, back at the hot springs.

[ Why is this so hard...Maki's full on red now. ]

I just want us to be... friends. O-Or at least civil with each other! Is that so difficult?

That's all I wanted say. Just don't get the wrong idea here, or anything, okay?!

[ Blushing and awkwardly trying to avoid the subject of just what Maki could be thinking there, she shuts off the video and posts it, forgetting to make sure it only sends to Nico.. ]

Comments

[cutiepanther]

It's embarrassing to the both of us! You can at least say it never happened!

[ No one is ever going to forget this little flub of Maki's that's for sure. ]

[nicocism]

L, like anyone's going to believe that when you didn't even mean to say that publicly!

[cutiepanther]

I-I already said I'm sorry, what more do you want from me?!

[ Not that Maki has any idea why she seems to care so much that Nico forgives her. ]

[nicocism]

Reparations! A public rescinding of statement!

[yes someone's being a melodramatic baby]

[cutiepanther]

C-Can't you be a little more reasonable?! I made this message just for you so that we didn't have to have stupid fights like these all the time!

[ Maki's feeling angry again, but she's trying to hold it in. But eventually she just blurts out: ]

Why do you hate me so much!?

[nicocism]

Well, it didn't work!

[She's getting pretty worked up too, but in a different way. Which is why she just retaliates, not realizing Maki wasn't trying to attack her]

Because you're so annoying! And stuck-up and argumentative even though you keep screwing things up! [Never mind that all those could be said about Nico...]

[cutiepanther]

I-I just...I want to try being friends with you!

[ Those harsh words to her though hurt coming from Nico. She didn't even know why but already a few tears were falling from Maki's face, which all she can do is try to wipe them away. Those ears on her head are completely folded down now, as more tears fall ]

I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm stuck up! I'm sorry that everything I say annoys you! I-It's probably just better for us to never speak again. Is that what you want to hear? I thought maybe we could be friends. I thought that maybe I could do something that would make you happy. But obviously you have already decided that we can't be friends at all!

[nicocism]

H, hey... [That was. Not the reaction Nico had been expecting. She'd though Maki would get mad and just argue with her like usual. Now it felt like she was the bad guy here. How was that fair? She hadn't messed up and said those embarrassing things where anyone could hear... she was the victim here, so why should she feel guilty about this? Why was it making her squirm so uncomfortably, biting her lip and wishing she could pet those dumb flattened ears.]

Hey, stop that! D, don't cry!

[cutiepanther]

[ This is the first time Maki's ever had a falling out with someone and she isn't taking it very well at all. Maybe it's because they've been doing nothing but fighting or maybe some other people are right, that maybe she does actually care about Nico despite everything else. ]

I-I'm not crying!! [ Yes she is. ]

I don't even know why I can't stop thinking about you or why I care so much that you forgive me.. This was all a waste of time I guess..

[nicocism]

Yes, you are! [Wow Nico is the nicest]

H, hey, if you say it like that... [MAKI THAT SOUNDS KIND OF, UH, RED-STRINGY...] And I'm totally worth it!

[cutiepanther]

[ She knows she is, even if she doesn't know why. It doesn't make any sense, why she cares at all about this stupid girl with her twintails and rude attitude. ]

Just forget I even tried to apologize to you alright!? I'll make sure to stay out of your way from now on.

[nicocism]

I, I didn't say you have to do that! Stop that already!

[Wow yes totally the way to repair things between them: yelling and demanding]

[cutiepanther]

Then what do you really mean?! Why don't you tell me what you really mean for once!

[ Tell her if you want to be friends, rivals, or enemies! ]

[nicocism]

Well, I just... ugh, just stop being so upset, okay?

[she's so good at this]

[cutiepanther]

You just what?

[ Maki is looking serious, even if her eyes are a little puffy from crying. In the end she looks away from the camera, pulling on her hair to calm herself down. ]

Remember what I told you when I thought you were Nozomi? When you helped me with my Fletchling I thought you were...a person I wanted to be friends with. That's why I made this post to you, so that maybe you could see that I'm not who you think I am at all.

[nicocism]

[Nico just. Starts and stops. Mouth opening and closing. There's no quick comeback, no scathing rebuttal. She's completely at a loss for what to say. Maki was supposed to be the enemy. Well, not like, the enemy enemy, but... what? She wasn't supposed to be someone she liked or needed to like her, that was for sure! But she also didn't want her to leave either...]

I just... it's not like I ever wanted to hurt you... or push you away...

[cutiepanther]

[ Maki waits patiently, waits to hear just how stuck up she is, what type of monster she really is to Nico. But nothing comes. Nothing until she hears Nico speak up, but not quite as accusingly as she expected. She wouldn't want to admit it herself, but Maki feels relieved. ]

So do you think we can just start over? And try to be friends this time?

[ She doesn't look at Nico right away, needing to look at anything else in order to ask such an embarrassing thing. ]

It would be nice to have someone who likes singing, that I could practice with..

[nicocism]

I don't know about friends.

[nico has no idea how to friend. and even then she's pretty sure this isn't usually how it starts.]

B, but if you really want someone to sing with, I guess that might be okay.

[cutiepanther]

[ Maki doesn't mean to show it, but her face looks hurt when she hears that. Why should she even want to be friends with this girl at all, when she had other people who were actually happy to call her a friend? ]

I-It's not like I'm desperate or anything either.

[ The two of them can't stop tsunning. ]

But I'm sure we could teach each other a lot. I could...use some help bonding with my Fletchling, if you would be willing to help.

[nicocism]

Well, I guess I have to make sure you don't do anything too bad to that poor bird...

[nico this isn't how friends work. at all.]

[cutiepanther]

[ Seriously Nico? Maki bites her lip a little, keeping in a comment that would make things worse again, but not easily. ]

She's getting bigger already, but I haven't been able to think of a name yet..

[nicocism]

[This is how you be friends with nico: never argue with anything she says]

Hmmm.... how about Yaya?

[cutiepanther]

[ That will never be happening never. ]

...Yaya? [ The fact that Nico doesn't scoff at her, or give her a terribly rude name, actually catches Maki off guard. ]

That's not a bad name..

[nicocism]

[SHE TAKES POKEMON SERIOUSLY]

Of course it's not! It's cute, isn't it?

[cutiepanther]

H-Hey Maki is trying to do that too! She's just not good at it. Still, she wants to say that Nico is being way too energetic and haughty after that whole...thing they just went through, but she stays silent on that front. After all, if she does go with Nico's suggestion, it might be a way to try to repair things between them. Not that Maki will be able to admit that's her thought.

I guess so.. Yaya... [ Maki looks to her Fletchling, who seems to turn and focus on her when she calls it that. ]

...Do you want to be called Yaya?