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Entry tags:
☽ A Game of Ping Pong
Characters: Minato and you!
Location: In a building just off of the center plaza
Time: All dayyyy
Style: Whatever works!
Status: Open open open!
[It is the strangest thing, to remember dying and then wake up as if nothing had happened. It left him strangely restless, and so he'd skipped out on Welcoming Committee duties, he'd drifted a little away from his social life for just a brief period of time--
He'd died in that strange place, that place that wasn't Vatheon.
But...he'd woken up alive, headphones around his neck and not pressed into Tiir's hands. Was something that vivid really just a dream? So he wandered, in search of something to expend his restless energy on.
And he's found himself at a ping pong table. At first he considers that lack of an opponent a problem, bouncing the ball on the table idly. But then he decides to play with the wall (it doesn't seem to bother him that he can't ever win that way).
So there is the click! click! click! of a ping pong ball being hit back and forth coming from an otherwise quiet building into the plaza. He might be getting a little into it.
Further inspection reveals a whiffed shot--don't get hit by the ball!]
Location: In a building just off of the center plaza
Time: All dayyyy
Style: Whatever works!
Status: Open open open!
[It is the strangest thing, to remember dying and then wake up as if nothing had happened. It left him strangely restless, and so he'd skipped out on Welcoming Committee duties, he'd drifted a little away from his social life for just a brief period of time--
He'd died in that strange place, that place that wasn't Vatheon.
But...he'd woken up alive, headphones around his neck and not pressed into Tiir's hands. Was something that vivid really just a dream? So he wandered, in search of something to expend his restless energy on.
And he's found himself at a ping pong table. At first he considers that lack of an opponent a problem, bouncing the ball on the table idly. But then he decides to play with the wall (it doesn't seem to bother him that he can't ever win that way).
So there is the click! click! click! of a ping pong ball being hit back and forth coming from an otherwise quiet building into the plaza. He might be getting a little into it.
Further inspection reveals a whiffed shot--don't get hit by the ball!]
no subject
Easy enough to track where the ball is going this time, so she follows its path and hits it back over the net, the sound of the ball hitting her paddle vibrating through the room.
SO FAR SO GOOD.
You'll have to do better than that, Leader.]
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He is pleased for this and would actually prefer to volley it for awhile; it's nice to play with someone else for a change.
So he's hitting shots she should be able to hit back, rather enjoying the clack of their paddles and the ball.]
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Regardless, though, she isn't perfect.
Eventually, the ball manages to slip by her after a few minutes of volleying, and--
Her eyes widen, as if wondering what just happened, and she turns around to see the ball bouncing from its fall.
...welp.]
no subject
He was actually getting into it, since Yukari is competent at this game, so he's a little surprised as well.
But he'll just stay in the zone for the game--]
Your serve, Yukari-chan.
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She feels a little bad, really...she didn't mean to slip up, because she was having fun, too. But it was bound to happen sometime. If not with her, then with him.]
I'm a little surprised.
[In the end, she says what's on both their minds.
And she serves the ball back over, with another loud clack.]
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But he just hits the ball back, nodding.]
It was a good start to the game.
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It was. I just mean that you seem a little distracted...
[A moment of silence as she tracks the ball, watching to see if he'll be able to hit it, and then she clarifies, jokingly:]
I thought you were gonna slip up first.
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...Maybe a little. I feel like...I had a weird dream.
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Those Dreamberries...
Funny too, since she never really did figure out exactly when it ended or how. Her memory's fuzzy.
Maybe even a little dream-like as well.]
Is it bothering you?
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He does manage to return it, voice quiet.]
Maybe a little.
...I think it was a dream, anyway. I mean. I'm here now...
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'I'm here now'?
She doesn't miss the implication, of course, that in his dream, he...wasn't. It's scary, and not something she necessarily wants to think about-- losing him again.
So she misses the ball with a contemplative look on her face.
Its clacks against the ground snap her out of it quickly, though, and she chases after it to pick it up as if nothing happened.]
...
[Back to the table, preparing to serve again.]
I'm listening-- if you wanna talk about it.
[Would that make him feel better about it...? She doesn't know.]
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Did he want to talk about it...?
Did he want to put that burden on her...?
In the end, what he does say is--]
Yukari-chan, I hope you'll tell me when I'm being selfish.
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She catches his nod easily enough, taking it as a sign to serve the ball over to him-- and she does so fairly easily. It's as if she was automated or programmed to do it.
But "selfish"...
That distracts her.
And though her eyes widen, her expression hardening for just a moment... it softens again, and she's smiling as if it's the most ridiculous thing she's ever heard.]
I'd tell you anything. You know that.
[There's a brief pause as she thinks, pondering if there's a reason she should think he's selfish.
But despite the disaster that was Valentines' Day, she can think of nothing. She just looks at him expectantly, as if urging him to go on-- even if they are in the middle of a game.
What happened in the dream...?]
no subject
He returns the ball as he digests her response, considering it.
He did know that, that's maybe why he asked. He knew for certain she would agree.
So he simply nods.]
Thank you. I'm afraid I was a little selfish in that dream-- [He couldn't help Alice, couldn't stay awake no matter how Tiir asked him to] --so I'd like to avoid that in the future.
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There's...something about his answer that she just doesn't like. Even if he is so calm and collected, she can tell he still worries. He worries about everyone else.
He worries about others, even when it's just a dream.
And even if there isn't anything wrong with this in and of itself, she can tell he hasn't left any room for himself.
She's able to hit the ball back, but it hits the net, and it unfortunately doesn't make it over. It doesn't seem to bother her though. She just watches it bounce for a moment, obviously with other things on her mind.]
...Well, I--I might not be the best person for it.
[She is pretty selfish herself after all, even now--]
But I'm not gonna lie to you. And that much is a promise.
[Honesty is just too important to her. But still, she wonders if it's enough...]
no subject
But he tilts his head at her, clearly honestly confused.]
Why do you say that?
[He honestly doesn't understand. He thought Yukari was the best person for this; he knew she wouldn't lie to him when he asked, and he could trust her to see things in him that maybe other people who didn't know him as well wouldn't see.]
I know you won't lie to me. And I know you're...the best option for this. So...thank you.
no subject
[Despite his confused look, she does seem relieved. And she's past the point of caring much about the outcome of their game, so she places her paddle down, too-- sighing.
For once not because she lost.]
It's just that I'm still learning to not be selfish myself.
[Heh. Kind of. She has come a long way, thanks to him, thanks to SEES. But...
...Just don't tell anyone else.]
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You've given me a lot, Yukari.
I think that you're far from selfish.
[She gave him strength, kindness, her special brand of thoughtful popularity. Charm, and grace, and determination.
He admires her, and there is a great deal her link has given and taught him.]
1/3
A-ah. That's...]
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There just...aren't any words here--
Just a faint red appearing on her cheeks when she hears those words. It's embarrassing-- especially since the thought has honestly never even crossed her mind, anyway, that he might think she's selfish. But she doesn't even try to hide it, because...she can't. It's pointless.
And she won't hide anything from him, anyways.]
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And even though she's known it all along, it still manages to surprise her in moments like this.
There's a faint smile in return, even if she doesn't quite know what to say. And then--]
It... it means a lot to hear you say that too.
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And they do.]
Why don't we go get something to drink? This was a bit of a workout.
[They can talk more at a cafe or something.]
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She supposes it kind of was. All the more reason she needs to exercise more, probably. But when he changes the subject, Yukari seems to recover her composure and nods as well.
Something to drink sounds good.]
Sure.
I... could really go for a smoothie or something.
[mmm]