deercountry | here comes the sun

[ it’s hard to hear anything over the sound of so many balls bouncing about, especially over shōyō’s own added yelling on top of the shrieks of squeaky sneakers. it’s not exactly pal’s lacking call that gets his attention; it’s when shōyō rounds another enthusiastic circle with waving arms and dives for these balls on his forearms that he sees someone nearby suffering collateral damage. someone who’s glasses went flying.

tsukishima—? no, though at such a distance he could really be that mistaken, tall blonde guys with glasses aren’t so different when you’re so far away (or so short). the steps shōyō makes forward to attend to the young man comes to a staggering halt when he can make out the details of his features. could it be—?

shōyō doesn’t know for certain, but he could feel his heart jolting into his throat when the possibility crossed his mind, alas, looking at someone without glasses was like looking at a bearded man who shaved. it’s a little hard to tell.

with a gaping mouth and wide eyes, shōyō picks up the nearby specks before it gets pelted by another set of volleyballs (some hit his back, the back of his head too, but he doesn’t seem to mind it), guiding them back to the bridge of pal’s nose so he could do the rest of the work. ]

Holy crap . . .

[Like any reasonable creature who's worn glasses most of their life, the moment the specs leave Palamedes' face, he freezes where he stands. He's broken enough glasses in his time, sure, but only in a place where he trusted a spare to be readily on hand, and not because he stepped on them or anything.

So he stands there squinting in the dark, silently willing every stupid bouncing ball present to avoid him and avoid wherever his glasses have dropped, and dreading the sound of lenses shattering.

It's only momentarily startling for the human-shaped blur in front of him to put the glasses back onto his face directly, and he can't help but lean back as soon as he can assure he's got them fixed and not in danger of falling off again. Ah—

Ah.]

Oh — hi.

[A beat.]

Well, this saves me a trip to find your usual haunts. I'm back. [yaaay...]

[ shōyō too, must take a few more steps back to catch the bigger picture; nearby lampposts may be their only source of light, so just to add one in, shōyō pulls up his omni and flashes a light between them. that. that indeed looks and sounds like pal. glasses pal. nerd pal that he tried to teach how to jump his own height into the air. who he jumped over. who he indeed enjoyed and get heartbroken when he couldn’t be found by the wreckage at the beach.

was this distance okay? could he make it? could he even bring himself to extend more between them for certainty? shōyō is wordless and his features in a shock that seems as if it’d delay any sort of wording from him. any at all. ]

[ well, hell no, was the answer to waiting. shortly after the shock has passed, shōyō’s expressive features begin to melt into a cross between “overly jubilant” and “I can’t stop the water in my eyes”; the athlete bolts for palamedes and jumps an impressive few feet away from him— only to latch aggressively into his head (with his arms) and waist (with his legs). ]

Pal!!

[Oh. Oh no, if he's going to do what Palamedes thinks he's going to do—]

Wait, hold on—

[No, it's too late; it's the reverse situation of when Gideon scooped him bodily straight into the air and spun him around, that is, the person equipped to carry the weight of another grown adult here is not the one suddenly being expected to. Palamedes doesn't move (save for a daring half-shuffle back), if only because he doesn't want Shoyo to skid onto the cobblestone, but ah—

Well, much as he manages to throw his arms around Shoyo's middle in some kind of desperate ballasting attempt, nope: this is a necromancer, he cannot maintain this, they are going down. He wobbles in an earnest attempt, really, but it's mere seconds before he simply sways sideways with the momentum and hits stone with his shoulder.

His glasses do stay on this time, though.]

Ow. — It's good to see you too.

[ it is like having an oversized koala just squeeze onto you despite going timber with him: a nerd, a jock, and volleyballs still occasionally being spiked right through the portal and threatening to rain down on them! shoyo, in his excitement and tearing eyes (but wide, wide grin), he crushes the everloving shit right out of pal's chest once his arms snag to find a good grip. he's so used to dogpiling being the norm. a bump here or there was a worthy price for celebration. ]

You came back!

[ now, eventually, it's going to seem like more than enough time trying to pressure the poor man's lungs out of his mouth. shoyo relinquishes his grip to fall onto his back, now facing up and—urk— gets an unexpected volleyball to the chest. the sting is amazing. if pal also thought he was free from friendly rough housing, he is gravely mistaken; shoyo's hand find his shoulder and claps once there, then, the side of his face, into his hair for a good ruffle (he's mostly gentle, enough that the glasses stay on)! ]

I thought you were going to stay a squid for life!

Edited 2022-04-18 19:32 (UTC)

[Wow, so this is what it's like to bruise his entire body in one go... That's a new one. Palamedes lets Shoyo roll off, and honestly, he just kind of lies there without complaint while Shoyo pats and ruffles him. This is his life now, to be manhandled on the ground while sports balls threaten to bonk him in the face and break his nose at any time...

It's fine. He'd have preferred a different venue, but the actual roughhousing he doesn't... mind? Being squid-dead for five whole weeks does a number on a person, he's found, and he's more or less been letting everyone manhandle him around as they see fit. It's friendship.]

I wasn't trying to— I'm sorry; I should have tried harder.

[Mmph, and he ducks away from the latest hair ruffle to sit up on his elbows, okay- pause, though.]

Were you there? How have you been?

C'mon, [ "should have tried harder"! as if they had complete consciousness as squids. shoyo shakes his head in quick response, clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he sits up, hand propping him into a comfortable leaning position amidst the weather. of balls. saved for last was an encouraging knock with his knuckles to pal's elbow. stop that, even though shoyo too, was being a hypocrite. he'd criticize himself too, as always.

his grin does completely dissolve at the question(s). he answers the second, first. the first, for last. ]

M' alright, [ but there was so much to say that he could hardly sum it up! there'd been the party pal missed, there was oikawa showing up, the orphanage they're teaching, which is where most of these balls are going. a wonderful donation, and finally a rest from trying to hit around those heavy, leather imposters. ] there, you mean the beach?

[No, he really should have tried harder, trust him, Shoyo!! He scoffs and waves off the nudge, like, alright, alright...

But he should have tried harder and he's never going to excise the guilt of not pulling it off, so here he is. He wonders idly if, uh, they should move away from the rain of terrible sports balls, but Shoyo's drop from plucky to subdued in such quick terms stops him from changing the subject so soon to point this out. Ah...]

I do mean the beach. I was in and out; I didn't see everyone who came to help.

[ so it was that day (of course it was, what other day would it be?). it gave him nightmares, it seeped corruption into him for a good portion of the month following that concealed his hurt in a strange yet still unhealthy way (he was stupidly happy and overly positive and it was not only obnoxious but extremely alarming). ]

I was doing deliveries for whatever people needed before everything . . . . Started. [ his shoulders raise; it seems that the pelting balls have started to dwindle. the portals have closed and left him with a single, bouncing ball that was to the farther side of where he sits. he tries to reach for it, stop its trajectory, at least to have something soothing his empty hands. ] I had to leave. I'm a non-combatant, and I can't help with hospital stuff.

[ contrary to popular belief of shoyo being so sunshiny that he could take on anything, that same bustling energy made him easily nervous. bodies, gore and blood he was not used to seeing upset his stomach and made him lose whatever meal he had prior. ]

I went back as soon as I could to find everyone. Didn't find you.

[ he found some others. without life. but, they're back now. maybe what's already happened isn't worth the mention. ]

[Doing deliveries before the scope of that whole - business, is it; even that much makes Palamedes frown sympathetically. It was beyond stressful for most everyone, he can't imagine what it was like for the actual non-combatants.

He reaches over and gives Shoyo's shoulder a little fist bump, the same as Shoyo did moments ago. It's fine to leave; in fact, it was definitely the best possible idea.]

You wouldn't have, [is all he has to say about, ah, wherever he happened to wind up. He doesn't much feel like revisiting it, partially because it seems even more traumatizing to everyone else, to hear even the smallest detail. Palamedes' ability to compartmentalize is transcendent; he knows not everyone has that luxury, and It Was Gross.]

If you wanted to talk about it... Well; no pressure, obviously. But I've been told listening is one of my incredibly high-ranked skills.

[ he doesn't know if not finding him would have been better or not. it left some hope that just maybe he was lost rather than becoming beast digest (hopeless hope). shoyo laughs, even though it doesn't sound much like a laugh; just a little huff past his nose, fond even, as he brings his legs into a pretzel cross and spins the ball in his hand. ]

I just cried a lot. And, threw up. [ in a way that says "it's not important now", because, surely, that's how you solve your trauma, but more importantly, was the celebration of life! like, right next to him! ] But we can talk about something good, now that you're here. Would your super incredible high-rank ears approve?

[Palamedes nods, solemnly, like yes, crying and throwing up is a normal response to this kind of thing, he understands. Like, he hasn't done either of those things, personally, but no one is demanding he start, so - he'll call it a win.]

You added super, not me, [he says, amused; add a new adjective every time, that will make it better.] But sure— what's on your mind? Is it... sports balls?

[would that be too obvious, given. the sports balls rain. hmm.]

I'm even better at hearing good things. Go for it.

[ he is gathering sports balls here; with one already in his lap, he’s got just enough room to scoop in one more stray. he hasn’t touched one of these in months! months. ]

That too! [ if it wasn't ever apparent, shōyō is somewhat predictable when it came to his likes and good news. ] The orphanage has teams for the kids now, me and a friend are putting it together and giving classes— he showed up a little after the, [ he snaps his fingers because he doesn’t remember the name, like, he somewhat does, but should he try to pronounce it? simplicity, instead, says— ] Godzilla.

That's good? I don't know what a 'Godzilla' is— the sea monster?

[That's easy, let's call it that. He's learning so much from this conversation, including about Godzillas and also that there's an orphanage, ah- he really hasn't gotten out much in his tenure in Trench, huh.]

I'm glad you can spend time with your friend. Are the kids any good at sports?

[ yesyesyes, his nodding head says: sea monsters. that gives him a wonderful idea, though? they can have team godzilla. oikawa would freak out. ]

Some are pretty promising! [ it’s mean to say “others suck”, shōyō knew he hated it when he was in high school. now, imagine kids—?! they need all the encouragement they could get. ] But they’re all learning fast. They’ll do great.

[ speaking of which, ]

You know, we could always use a manager?

[Ah yes, "some are pretty promising," he's heard that sentiment before. Granted, he's heard it about young adepts, occasionally about the trainees in the Spire... good to know that all subjects have that same polite way of saying some kids just suck at what they're passionate about. He hums, nodding; some of them are promising.]

Do you? Alright.

[...

.....

.......oh, he hears it, hold on-] Oh; me? I'm not— I don't know anything about sports. My full breadth of knowledge of athleticism is 'sometimes, train about it'.

[aaaa?]

[ it is time for shōyō to sell his fish, and by god will he try his best. ]

It involves a lot of reading, writing, organization, and you never have to sweat.

[ hmm?? hmmmmm??? ]

It can be, like— a hobby!

[don't look at him like that, he can't say no to earnestness or (absent) children?? stop???]

Well— maybe a test run. I can't make any promises; I have a lot of personal projects, ones without a set schedule.

[But like... maybe. Ahem.]

Reading what? Sports books?

[ who isn't to say shoyo isn't the one manifesting childish wonder at mach-speed—?! shoyo puts out a finger for each subject he can think of, by the way: ]

The rules of volleyball, stuff about centers of gravity, balance, muscle building, human kinetics . . .

[ he hopes "human kinetics" sounds smart. because it does. to him. ]

I know the basics of all of that besides the rules of volleyball.

[Ah, so he's doomed to do this thing, isn't he. One does not simply do necromancy without, mm, becoming familiar with the finer details of how bodies work and move; he'll try to keep it less creepy, when it's sports for children.

"Human kinetics" sounds slightly goofy, but he's not going to crush any dreams. Very smart, bud.]

Alright— I'll give it a try.

[ you know what happens when you make the sun’s day? the sun shines brightly. shōyō is beaming and pumping both arms up in the air in ecstatic victory. ]

Yes! [ one, because the kids will be ecstatic to know they have a real life (part time) manager. two, because shōyō gets to spend more quality time with his wayward-now-found nerd friend. ] I’ll get you the stuff you’ll need! They’re gonna love you there!

[aaaaa okay, he's in, he's a sucker.]

Alright, just let me know. I'll be around— for real, this time.

[Haha... yeah, don't think about the last time he wasn't around, he's in it to win it now. Surely just managing a bunch of children will be safe from sea monsters.]

By the way, how do you feel about fireworks? [actually, he thinks he can guess, so,] D'you want to come to a fireworks party?

[ yourself correct the human firecracker seems very pleased about the prospect of a firework party, like he’s the one about to burst. to contain that, he starts tossing the ball in his lap over his head, using his fingers to set every time it comes down. ]

Can I bring friends?

[Palamedes should not be surprised someone would ask before just showing up with their friends in tow, but maybe he's too resigned to that possibility coming true if he pointedly doesn't invite one half of a particular household, soon. Ahem. He blinks.]

Sure. Well, how many? So I gather enough supplies; obviously, there's plenty of space.

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cw: emeto mention

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