Now I face out, I hold out--

[restardom.livejournal.com]

Who: restardom and usedlaserbeam
Where: A tennis court in Goldenrod City
When: Monday, July 25
Summary: Because practice matches are a good time for psychoanalyzing. HOORAY BONDING.
Rating: PG...?
Log:

[ it's never failed; every time she steps onto a court, there's both a surge of nervousness and a tiny thrill that overtakes her... almost like that strong tidal wave of anticipation that happens before she whirls onstage. Practice match, rehearsal, it's as good as the real thing to her. Especially when it's her first time practicing with this particular teammate of Yukimura's-- the one she really doesn't know. But there's something familiar about going into the unknown, too. Familiar and uncertain.

Not that Rise looks nervous, stretching on her side of the court and smiling over at Yagyuu. If nothing else, she'll get better from this. ]

This feels kinda official, somehow.

Comments

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

I appreciate it, Kujikawa-san. Having caused a fair amount of it myself.

[And it's surprisingly not tennis he's thinking of as he takes her hand and shakes it with the firmness and respect due any worthy opponent at the end of a match; no, she showed him precisely what he wanted to see, and so he'll permit this much of a concession in the aftermath. If she takes it to mean the match, then so be it--just one more subtle misdirection in play--but Yagyuu's mind is nowhere near this court or this girl or even this city. At the moment he's spinning back to a park bench in Cherrygrove, a chill evening breeze, a partner falling apart against his dampening shoulder.

I hope I didn't keep you waiting, Niou-kun...

Six months to the day. And Kujikawa Rise somehow, inexplicably, in the middle of it. He may not know what she did, the lengths to which the history and attachment run, but he arrived to find his partner covered in a spiderweb of cracks, one tap away from shattering--but intact. He'd had Yukimura, he'd had Akaya, he'd even (surprisingly) had Fuji Syuusuke. And somewhat perplexingly, he'd had Kujikawa Rise. And it had been enough to hold him until Yagyuu could finally catch up.

That alone was enough to draw Yagyuu's attention, but it wasn't enough to win his respect. Not until this match, when he'd been able to see her earn it for herself.

He knows she's looking for answers, whatever ones she can manage to draw out of him, and so he'll give her that one and let her ponder it. That much genuine honesty won't hurt at this point. And if anything, it'll be just enough of a gain to keep her looking for more. Normally he might not be nearly so generous with a tacit invitation to continue prodding at his masks, but at this point it's simple reinforcement. Show me who you are, and perhaps you'll see some of me.

(Assuming she's willing to work for it, of course.)]

You played well. It was a good match.

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ that's almost an odd thing to say, but if there's one thing Rise's learned, it's that this person doesn't typically make pointless remarks. And again, she's reminded of Naoto (except she knows all the ways to fluster her best friend), who never says anything that doesn't have some sort of meaning or purpose to it.

And maybe it's just that she's had plenty of experience with that sort of thing or that she's always remembered phrasing, word choices, the things that told her how to respond-- or maybe it's the knowledge that he didn't keep her waiting in this match at all. From the feel of it, he'd always been ready to react. But Rise can assume that he's talking about something else, and from the thoughtful way she releases his hand after a firm shake of her own, she's going to be thinking about it when she's taken care of everything else.

'Everything else' starting with making it back on weak legs, but she's already twisting the lid off her bottle. Regardless of his methods, she can't bring herself to regret this match. At last, she feels like she's starting to get it. At the very least, she's got a more solidified opinion on the mysterious gentleman now. ]

I've got a lot to work on, but you know... [ and she takes a deep, steadying breath. ] I'm gonna make sure I play even better next time. Thanks for the match, Yagyuu-kun.

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

[Another opponent, from a different team, might fill in the moment that followed those words with a laugh of encouragement, a lighthearted review of the match, friendly commentary on the things she'd done well and the places she still had yet to improve. And surely there are people in the world like that, but Yagyuu isn't one of them, and attempting to open that venue of discussion after the match they've just had only seems ignoble and discourteous.

Let that sort of instruction come from Yukimura, with his unfailing ability to draw out the best of a player and hone it into excellence. For now, Yagyuu's expertise is best put to use by being a rival--something to set her sights on, something to pursue. She's got a long way to go if she thinks she's going to be able to take him head-on when he's playing at his best, but he doesn't doubt now that she has it in her to try.

Yukimura once said that people become stronger in equal measure to the defeat they've endured. It's a Rikkai sentiment. And now he can believe she honestly understands that.

On the other hand, the match is over, and it's come time to sink carefully back into their respective roles--which means it's a gentleman's next duty to see the lady home, if only to make sure she doesn't collapse on the side of the road along the way.

...Whoops.]

I was pleased to oblige, and I'll certainly look forward to your next challenge. For now, though, let me walk you home.

[Funny how neither of those two remarks are questions.]

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ not even close to a question, is it? Rise would raise an eyebrow, if she hadn't been settling back into the more familiar part of herself - the one most people know the best, anyway - and so instead she merely smiles and peeks up at him through her lashes.

It's sad that she counts still standing as one of her great accomplishments of the day, but again, worth the opportunity. ]

Who could say no to that?

[ no, really. She doesn't think refusing is even an option. ]