#but he's so besotted with Yuki (even before he realizes it)

[keicordelle]

Momo confirmed: there can never be a Banri-centric three:vale

And actually, his logic behind this is really interesting. Because at it's heart, the difference is that with Banri, Momo could never have formed the same sort of codependent relationship that he does with Yuki. Banri is capable of taking charge and taking care of himself, and so Momo wouldn't feel the need to step forward and try to help him.

Hell, it's only after he realizes that no one's taking care of Yuki that he reaches out to him in the first place. Momo establishes very well in Re:member that he needs to feel needed and useful to feel loved, or to express his love, and Yuki lets him do that in spades. Banri, though. Banri doesn't need someone to dote on him (or at least so judges Momo) and therefore Momo's acts of service (his declarations of love) are unwarranted at best and unnoticed at worst.

Whether or not this is actually true is a whole separate question. Banri does seem to rely on Momo when he's helping them out backstage (Momo valiantly kills the dreaded spider for him) -- but he does it in a moderate sort of way, taking the time to make sure Momo's not overexerting himself (ie, when he's lugging around more equipment in one trip than he probably ought to be) and that he is generally taking care of himself as much as he's taking care of others.

But Momo seems to want someone who relies on him too heavily. He needs to devote himself fully and completely to another person (perhaps because he feels he can no longer fully devote himself to his own dreams, so he seeks some other outlet, someone else's dream to latch onto to replace that). He gets drawn in by Yuki's sopping wet meow meow nature and the fact that Yuki so clearly needs someone to take care of him, because Yuki is the only one who enables him to express his love in the way he wants to. Needs to, perhaps. Regardless of how (un)healthy that expression and the resulting relationship is.

That's why MomoBan won't work with just each other. That's why they need Yuki to draw them together: Momo needs someone who he can devote his everything to, and Banri can never be that person for him.

[asknarashikari]

So, now that Fuyuki and Ise are officially a thing...

Yuki and Ise are on their first date, but Chiho and Kentaro are spying from the other end of the room and Chiho is trying to decide who to beat up- her brother for hitting on her best friend or her best friend for hitting on her brother... And then Yuki notices them in the middle and tells Ise "sorry love, I have a sister whose butt needs kicking."

Unfortunately Yuki is too besotted for, and too scared of, his sisters to try beating them up... But he’d still be pretty cross with her lol

“Hey, are you alright? You look... kinda sick...” Ise asked worriedly. “Do you want me to get you a drink, or something?”

“No, it’s alright Ise, really,” Fuyuki shook his head, instinctively grabbing the other’s hand when he moved to stand. The former pro boxer blushed when he realized what he done and quickly retracted his hand. “I’m just nervous. I haven’t really done the dating thing in a while.”

Ise blinked at him. “Oh,” he said, surprised. “I didn’t... Chi-chan told me you were popular in high school, and you’ve got a lot of fans from your pro career, so I thought...” The dragon’s cheeks went pink and he pulled his bucket hat over his face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed...”

“And... just so we’re on the same page here...”

“Uh...” the swordsman laughed awkwardly. “I didn’t do much dating myself. It’s kinda hard when you can’t tell them about... y’know...”

Fuyuki nodded in understanding. “So... neither of us know what the heck we’re doing, huh?” he said, and Ise chuckled along with him. “I guess... we should just try to have fun together?”

“Okay.” Ise agreed, smiling at the older Rider. “Should we order something else? I’m kinda still hungry...”

“Alright,” Fuyuki said, grabbing one of the menus from a caddy on the table. “Do you want some dessert? I know it’s not exactly good for you, but...”

Ise’s eyes lit up. “No, I want some, please!” he exclaimed. “Do they have chocolate eclairs?”

“Hmm... let’s see...”

----------------

“Chi, you gotta calm down... people are gonna start looking at you funny if you keep this up...” Kentaro begged fruitlessly, trying to soothe his wife. 

“Ken, you don’t understand. I don’t know which one of them I should side with.” Chiho was gripping the spoon she was using to (pretend to) eat her mapo tofu so hard that it started to bend. “It was bad enough that they hooked up at our wedding... but it had to be Nii-chan and my best friend... Which one of them should I even threaten with pain of death if they hurt the other?”

Kentaro gave her a bewildered look. “Uh... neither? Chi, it’s their first date, they’re not even official yet!” he told her. “And besides, isn’t it a good thing that your brother is dating Ise? At least you know he’s not some scumbag! And it’s the same thing the other way around!”

“Yeah, but I also know Nii-chan and Ise!” Chiho retorted. “Nii-chan definitely deserves someone as sweet and cute as our Ise, but Nii-chan is the type to open his mouth and shove his foot into it! And while Ise definitely deserves my kind and strong Nii-chan I’m worried that his one-track mind would hurt Nii-chan down the line, and he’s always away with the Swords of Logos too!”

“Uh... Chi...”

“What?!” Chiho almost yelled, then blinked. “Wait, did I say that...”

Kentaro groaned, hiding his face in his hands as he nodded. Chiho had said all that in an increasingly loud volume, and everyone at the café- including the mortified Fuyuki and Ise- had turned to stare at her.

“Uh... I’m sorry...” Chiho bowed to the other patrons in apology, before catching her brother and best friend’s gazes. Neither of them looked pleased at being spied on. She was in so much trouble...