Match 8

[mathisradical]

Action | Just after school | Rec center

[ Between keeping up with school, trying not to get bitten by zombies, fighting the zombies, and Marui being permanently droned, Niou really hasn't had much time to relax. But the moment he gets it, he decides to go straight to the tennis courts. Tennis really is relaxing for him, especially when it's just a rally against the wall.

Despite the fact that he's tired as fuck, he'll keep up his usual snark and wit if you talk to him. ]

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[mathisradical.livejournal.com]

[ It's been forever. Nearly three months is forever, when you're Niou. It's been forever since he's heard that voice, heard his name said like that, heard that tone, but he recognizes it immediately. He recognizes it like he's heard it just seconds before.

He catches the ball as it flies back toward him and turns on his heals. He masks his look of shock, so the only traces of it are his slightly wide eyes.

He tries to come up with something to say. What do you say to your best friend after not seeing them for three months?

Finally, he smirks his usual smirk. ]

Yo, Partner.

[polysyllogism.livejournal.com]

[ He smiles his usual polite smile, except it has a bit of an edge. A bit that shows it may be more genuine than he leads on. When he speaks, the tone is soft, as always, but curt and proper. After all, a gentleman has no holidays, even in a hell hole like this. And he supposed, some things never change. ]

What a coincidence to see you here. [ Obviously it has multiple meaning, all of which even he finds terribly hard to interpret and lay out. A brief pause before- ] How's your condition?

[mathisradical.livejournal.com]

Where else would you find me? [ His words hold a bit of a challenge. Most of the things he says to Yagyuu do, after all. He takes a brief moment to try to dig under the first layer of that sentence and find the rest of it.

He shrugs, bouncing the ball against the court once. ] Y'know. Same old same old. [ He's as well as he can be with everything that's happened. But this is a topic he'd rather not breech, so he drives the conversation somewhere else. ] How long have you been here?

[polysyllogism.livejournal.com]

Nowhere, I suppose. Your diligence knows no bounds, after all. [ It's hard to gauge how serious Yagyuu is or if that comment was meant to be sincere or sarcastic. But, he assumed Niou knew the answer. Though, Yagyuu supposed he made it easy enough.

As easy as finding the quirk in Niou's quick topic change, anyway. And though it was something of concern, he respected his partner's wishes; opting to "go with the flow." ] As expected of you. But, I haven't been here long. You could say I'm one of the newer additions to the neighborhood. [ There was, however, absolutely no humor in his voice this time around. ]

[mathisradical.livejournal.com]

[ Niou certainly wasn't going to talk about it here of all places. The Rec Center always has people passing through. A lot of people spent all of their free time here. Maybe later, or maybe never.

Niou's smirk stays firmly in place. ] Where're you stayin' at? [ Another safe question. He'll drag this out as long as Yagyuu allows him to. Stay with easy topics, their usual banter, nothing emotionally tiring. He'll put the conversation off as long as possible. ]

[polysyllogism.livejournal.com]

[ Yagyuu, of course, allows it. It was against his morals to go back on his words - even if they were inner words. However, he keeps his eyes fixed on Niou, regardless, trying to grasp the depth of the situation through his actions. ] Hastings Boulevard.

And you? [ There might have been traces of concern somewhere in his 'safe questions.' ]

[mathisradical.livejournal.com]

Williams Road. [ He's quiet for a second, trying to organize his mind into sections. Which questions are safe, which aren't, which are stupid, and which will give something away. After a moment of debating, he decides on one. Are you stuck with a bunch of fuckin' drones? 'Cos that shit sucks.

[polysyllogism.livejournal.com]

[ He understands the gist of the situation. He's grasped that much. But, there were so many gaps and details. ] I'm not entirely sure of the specifics, however, it appears I'm living with two others - who have wills of their own. [ But, how good their intentions are, only time will tell. All he knows is that his drone mother was killed on Day One. ]

[mathisradical.livejournal.com]

[ Niou nods, and instead of going through the trouble of finding a new question, of driving to a different topic, he holds out his racket. Unlike Yagyuu, he has all his tennis stuff in his possession, including his uniform, which he's wearing, and his extra rackets. ]

Wanna rally some? God knows I haven't had a good game since- [ He almost slips. He almost mentions Marui. A sore topic he doesn't want to touch. But he catches himself, almost without missing a beat. But he's sure Yagyuu notices anyway. ] I've gotten here.

[polysyllogism.livejournal.com]

[ The pause, naturally, doesn't go undetected. He's known Niou for far too long to ignorantly let it pass by unnoticed, regardless of the fact that he ignores it purposely; respecting Niou's temporary boundaries.

There was something Yagyuu came into full conclusion, however and that was that the gravity of the situation seemed beyond him. Both of "him," even. ] Was I ever one to deny your offerings? [ He says it calmly, as if indirectly trying to ease the others nerves (and perhaps his own). It was the least he could do. ]

I'd be much obliged, Niou-kun. [ And there's a trace of a phantom of a smile on his lips. ]

[mathisradical.livejournal.com]

[ Niou's smirk dissolves half-way into a smile, a look that might look strange on others, but is strangely fitting for him. He knows that playing tennis with Yagyuu will give him the sense that things are normal. It'll make him believe, even if it's just for a little bit, that they're back at home, playing at the courts after everyone else has gone home. Like old times.

He tosses the racket to his partner and goes over to a bench to grab another one of his own. He tosses the tennis ball that's in his hand to Yagyuu, too. ]

You serve.

[polysyllogism.livejournal.com]

[ It actually wasn't that unusual to use Niou's racket (since they did it as often and not often as they switched). It was strangely and equally therapeutic as playing in itself. He holds in in his hand, flicking his wrist a bit and getting his hand warmed up to the texture.

It hasn't even been a week and yet... ] Duly noted. [ He catches the ball promptly in his hand and walks to his side of the court, behind the line. He bounces the ball a couple of times, eyes fixed on Niou. ] Shall we begin?

[trickortruth.livejournal.com]

[ Niou walks to his own side of the court, grinning at the anticipation. He'd played Marui often enough before he was droned for good, but there's nothing like playing somebody you know as well as you know yourself, if not better. Playing Yagyuu was always exciting. It never got old.

He spreads his arms out wide, his grin arrogant now, and raises a challenging eyebrow. ]

Come at me, Partner.

[polysyllogism.livejournal.com]

[ Yagyuu also can't deny the excitement bubbling up somewhere in his chest, even if it was completely masked over by his usual visage. There was just something about playing Niou... Something about playing tennis with the person who inspired you (or coerced you, perhaps one in the same) that made it infinitely more vivid. He closes his eyes momentarily as he bends his knees, once he feels the timing is right, he opens his eyes and delivers his serve.

And he feels like he can breathe again and that his breath is clear and even for the first time since arriving in this hell hole. ]

[the-trixxxster.livejournal.com]

[ Just like he'd never left home, Niou falls easily into the familiar patter of playing Yagyuu. The usual banter, the moves he knows as well as he knows his own. It's all like they're back in Japan, back at Rikkai, and nothing bad ever happened. Like Niou hadn't been trying not to die. Like it hadn't been three months since he saw Yagyuu.

Like most of their rallies, neither of them win. Like usual, one of them (Niou, in this case) calls the game to a close before they can get too far into a tie break. It's getting late, there's still a lot to talk about, and Niou's getting tired anyway. ]