[open] I'd like to believe you're flying within yourself

[okitactless]

WHO: Yasusada Yamato and you!
WHERE: Tisse, Tribunal Terrace, and Apprassage!
WHEN: 3/24
WHAT: Yamato regains an awesome fighting skill and promptly loses a fight, wanders around town being confused help him
WARNINGS: mild violence in the form of sparring

I. (the one with the info dump)

[There are a number of reasons Yamato isn't a kendo instructor.

For one thing, he's too young. Even though he's been a student at his dojo since he was a child, he's still only 21 years old; his former teacher had studied kendo for over the entire span of Yamato's lifetime thus far. However, and this is a point Yamato has argued more than once, student instructors aren't a rarity at all. He'd in no way claim to be a master, but surely by now he could handle a few beginners.

He's not wrong, exactly. And nobody could say he isn't passionate, or dedicated. When his bokuto's out of his hand, he's generally easy to be around, and by all rights, he should make an excellent teacher.

It's just that, well... regardless of what kind of fight it is, Yamato can get a little... too... intense.

Until he can learn to tone down the ferocity and recklessness, he isn't going to officially be teaching anybody. And given the way this current spar is going, it doesn't look like that's going to happen soon. His opponent is a fellow student he's fought (and defeated) many times, and Yamato knows him too well--this spar will be his, too.

Except that it isn't.

Yamato's always been a good fighter. Oh, he strategizes and plans, of course, but he's used to following the flow of a fight as well, be it in an alley with some punks or right here in his home away from home. So it isn't the first time his body seems to move on its own--but it is the first time it does something like this.

His bokuto moves quickly--striking once, twice, three times, too fast to block and too hard to brace against. It's the kind of strike meant to do serious damage, to incapacitate an opponent immediately and bring about a quick end to the fight. It's also not the kind of strike he would ever instinctively do--nothing like the sorts of moves he's used to. It's not even a valid strike.

So why on earth does he do it?

It throws him off so badly that he stops, startled and confused, long enough for his opponent to recover and charge at him. He'd hit hard enough that the guy's heavily favoring one arm over the other, but Yamato's focus has been destroyed, and he doesn't even manage to block in time. His opponent makes short work of him after that, and the spar is over before Yamato's even gotten his thoughts together.

That was two hours ago. Now, he's standing in the park, slowly practicing the strike he'd performed with a troubled look on his face. He's in casual clothes now, jacket tied around his waist and clear bruises on his arms and beneath the collar of his shirt. He's too caught up in what he's doing to notice anybody stopping and staring--or to notice if he's backing up into somebody else. So if you don't call out to him, he may very well crash right into you.

He probably won't hit you with his bokuto when he whips around to apologize, though.

Probably.]

Sorry, sorry! Are you okay?

II. (the one with the nail polish)

[As much as he'd like to sit around and figure out his life, Yamato does have responsibilities. So he drops his stuff off at home and heads to the library for his shift, settling into the children's section and trying to clear his mind for a while.

Something must show on his face, though. Halfway through his shift, a little girl--8, maybe 9 at the most--looks up from her book (A Little Princess, incidentally), peers at him, and demands that he come sit with her and cheer up.

He doesn't go into details, of course--not because she's a little girl, but because he doesn't know what he would say--but he admits that he isn't sure how, and the girl immediately takes matters into her own hands. And his.

So if you happen to see him in the library during his shift, arranging books on the shelves or carrying a stack back to its proper location, you might notice he now has glittery nail polish on.

It's purple.

And even if he knows you, he isn't going to talk about it. He just smiles (and indeed, it's a little more relaxed than before) and waves.]

Hey, do you need anything?

III. (the one when I remember he's a college student)

[And a pretty good student, at that, even if he couldn't care less about graduating. His major is philosophy, of all things. FREE HIM FROM THIS TEDIOUS LIFE.

But no, he enjoys it well enough, actually. Maybe not his major, per se, which he'd literally picked by closing his eyes and pointing--but the classes he actually chose properly, like political science, or international studies. His workload isn't the heaviest, but that doesn't free him from the burden that his homework. And, just like any responsible college student, Yamato's waited until the last minute to finish writing an essay that's due in... oh... 45 minutes.

Whoops.

It's a familiar sight on campus--some poor student sitting at a table outside, hurried typing away on a computer and glancing at the clock. But of course the world can't go easy on him, which is why a light breeze sweeps past, scattering the papers he'd already printed out and thoughtlessly left on top of his bag.]

Ah, no no no--! [He lunges across the table to try and catch a few, but that jostles his coffee cup enough to knock it over, and he's forced to let them go in order to grab his laptop and his bag, saving them from Coffee Stain Doom. Anybody around will be treated to the rare sound of Yamato colorfully swearing in both English and Japanese, because why. Why.]

IV. (the wildcard)

[Got something else you want to do? Feel free! I'm open to just about anything.]

(ooc: If you'd like to see the in-canon version of sandanzuki and Kashuu's explanation of it, you can watch here, at 7 minutes and 57 seconds. But the tl;dr is that yams can hit people better now and he's confused about it so he gets his nails done by a kid and suffers like a typical college student. COME SAVE HIM.)

Comments

wildcard!

[sharplydressed]

[Whenever Yamato rolls in from his wild day out regaining Hanamaru episode 4, he'll be in for a slight surprise! Kashuu in the kitchen, actually doing prepwork for dinner without it being a special occasion for once... Incredible.

Granted, as soon as the door opens, he calls out with:]

Hey! Wash your hands and get in here, I need help cutting this onion.

[That part probably isn't a surprise at all, seeing as he hates working with anything from the allium family...

Let's see how long it lasts before he catches sight of that nail polish and all prepwork halts so he can iMMEDIATELY REDO IT, though.]

Re: wildcard!

[okitactless]

[It's really bizarre?? The strange icing on this weirdass cake of a day. That's why Yamato's sporting a puzzled frown as he toes off his shoes and sets his bag down, wandering into the kitchen. He'd never bothered putting his jacket back on, leaving it tied around his waist, but it's not like Kashuu's never seen him covered in bruises before.]

You're cooking? [HE SOUNDS SUSPICIOUS, what a punk... but hey, at least he does as he's told, walking over to the sink to wash his hands and peering at the ingredients on the counter.] What's the occasion?

[sharplydressed]

[WHY IS HE SUCH A PUNK. The ingredients he'll find seem to be things for simple shallot pancakes, at any rate... But look, at least he's cooking anything at all.]

Do I need an occasion to cook?

[Maybe he's belatedly feeling a little inadequate after Yato's visit... BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT. The important part is-- well, first off:]

Geez, don't go so hard at practice.

[Because naturally the bruises are where his eyes are drawn to first, as Yamato passes by. It may not be uncommon, but it's still worrisome, okay! Or it would be if he worried about things like that which he totally definitely doesn't. But as soon as he's washing and drying his hands?]

—Is that polish?

[?????]

[okitactless]

[He's only being a punk because Kashuu's being weird!! The last time Kashuu cooked that wasn't out of necessity was, what... his birthday??

Luckily he's distracted from making more punk comments, blinking down at his arms like he didn't realize they were attached to his body.] Huh? Oh, yeah...

[--which is an incredibly suspicious reaction on his part, since normally he'd wave it off or go on a tangent about how it's the only way to improve, etc. etc., and now he's just got an odd expression on his face. Whatever it is, though, he doesn't seem inclined to mention it, drying his hands with a cloth and reaching for the onion.]

Oh, this? Yeah! [That gets a smile out of him, and he holds his hands up proudly. It's a messy job, as if he'd done it himself, but that's obviously not the case. Even if some supernatural diva possessed him long enough to paint his own nails, there's no way he'd choose sparkly purple.] It was a gift, kind of, to try and cheer me up? Today was kind of stressful, and I guess it showed, even though I didn't mean for it to. So this cute girl decided I needed to stop being stressed, and this was her solution.

[The smile on his face is genuinely bright, and his eyes are soft as he looks down at his own hands. This, this is the reason he likes children so much--their perspective is so pure, so simple. Even if Kashuu's solution would've been nail polish, he wouldn't have chattered on about how rocks are obviously different from stones, and how BB8 is better than R2D2, etc...]

[sharplydressed]

[There are a lot of things here that he wants to address, okay. First of all, that weirdass reaction?? What's up with that?! He's got a mind to ask about it first, but he's distracted by the explanation of the nail polish.

Rather, of one part in particular.

???

Did Yamato just call some random girl cute, what. Since when did Yamato find anything other than puppies and children cute?? Honestly, the sloppy polish job should be enough to tip him off to it being the latter here, but it doesn't occur to him and he's left staring at his roommate like he's sprouted an extra head.

Also--]

If you wanted your nails painted, you should've asked me, y'know? I've only offered to do it like, ten thousand times. That color doesn't even suit you!

[HE'S SO OFFENDED?!

He's also kind of worried about Yamato apparently having a stressful day but he's gotta deal with his offense first, okay.]

i because I want Sooj to suffer

[spes_phthisica]

[And here is the reason why it's a bad idea to frequently walk around with headphones on and your nose in a textbook - although it's doubtful if Soujirou is going to learn anything.

Regardless, the offshoot is that he does not see Yamato backing toward him, and the collision is an inevitable fact. He lets out a startled little sound and drops his book, but no matter what other limitations there are on his body now, his reflexes are still just as sharp. Meaning that regardless if that bokuto might have actually hit him or not, he's just seeing an implement being swung in his general direction and responds accordingly, by attempting to grab onto Yamato's wrist and - if successful - twisting it hard enough to make him let go.

Either way, his brain catches up a moment later, and he freezes up. Nope. NOPE. This is not a situation he wants to be in at all. But it's already too late.]

I- I wasn't looking where I was going. [A forced laugh.] Are you alright?

the demon arrives

[okitactless]

[It might not be intentional, but Yamato isn't about to hold a defensive maneuver against anybody, least of all Soujirou. It's only the fact that he's practiced this (with Yato, mostly) that stops him from trying to yank his hand away, probably seriously hurting himself in the process. Instead, he lets Soujirou pull him down, following the direction his arm is going into a controlled fall. He doesn't drop the bokuto, but he does let it hang down, pointing at the ground instead.]

I'm fine, I'm fine! [When he leans his head back to look up, there's a bright smile on his face--even if he hadn't seen Soujirou's face, he only knows a few people who would do this kind of move. It delights him that it's Soujirou--Yasusada "smiles when my friend almost breaks my wrist" Yamato...

(But doesn't this mean Soujirou's been practicing in secret? He isn't going to ask, not yet, but the idea sends a thrill through him, and there's a hint of hope in his eyes even as he gently tries to extract his wrist.)] I'm sorry, it was completely my fault. Thank you for stopping me, I didn't want to hit anybody.

[FOR ONCE.]

look inside you... the demon was there all along

[spes_phthisica]

[It had felt so natural. It always does, whenever he ends up in a situation where his instincts take over. Usually it's someone actively trying to pick a fight though... and even more importantly, usually it's a stranger. But this is Yasusada sinking down gracefully, easily moving with his grip, and then looking up and smiling at him like that.

He looks so happy.

Soujirou lets go of him as if someone just wired a thousand volts into his friend. And then, to cover up his reaction as well as make up for grabbing him like that, he reaches out the same hand to him to help him up instead.]

I'm so sorry, I shouldn't- [But he doesn't want to talk about what he should and shouldn't, not really.] I guess we both weren't looking around properly, huh? [This time his laugh isn't forced so much as brittle and overly bright.] I was caught up in my book and you were training. So I guess we're both to blame.

how'd you get in there

[okitactless]

[What Soujirou forgets is that Yamato lives with Kiyomitsu Kashuu. The one person he's pushed too far, too often--the one he eventually (finally) stopped begging to return to his passion, but not before he'd very nearly lost him for a good a second time. He's seen the masks, the question-dodging, all of it, so many times he's lost count.

It's a quick cover-up, but Soujirou isn't as seamlessly evasive as Kashuu is. Not to Yamato. But Yamato's also experienced the pain and fear that comes with a serious argument, and it's not something he ever wants to feel again.

So he just takes Soujirou's hand and gets to his feet, brushing grass off of his pants and laughing quietly as well, like it doesn't pain him to hear that tone coming from his friend.]

I guess so, but no harm done, right? [He didn't have the chance to hit Soujirou, so there's no point in asking if he's hurt.] I'll be more careful. What are you reading?

you created me

[spes_phthisica]

[No, Soujirou has never had a very good poker face - it's kind of one of the reasons why he'd distanced himself from his old friends. Maybe he can cover up his actual feelings with lighthearted displays, but it's painfully obvious when he's just acting.

Still, it's better than letting what's really there slip. At least if you ask Soujirou.

Pulling Yasusada to his feet, he then bends down to pick up his book and brushes some blades of grass off it, laughing a bit sheepishly.]

It's a textbook about the effects of trauma on children. Not exactly fun reading, but important. [He hesitates, but damnit, he can at least be polite to an old friend, even if he'll still keep away from the subject of himself personally and training.] You seemed pretty caught up too. Practicing anything important? [See, perfectly polite and friendly tone, no stress betrayed. He can do this.]

ii

[constellates]

[Here's Anya, coming by with her set of books for the month that she went through in order to study English and Japanese. She's holding them carefully in her hands even as she tries to figure out which next set to try when Yamato's voice comes to her ears and she's smiling before waving back.

And then noticing the extra hint of color on his nails?

Oh.]

Ooh... красивая! What a pretty color.

[she's gonna talk about it]

[okitactless]

[If it wasn't already obvious, he's happy to see her--even more so when he realizes what books she's holding. And for once, it's not just because he's a massive weeb; he doesn't want her to feel like she's struggling, or to worry about not being able to communicate with her friends. The fact that she's working so hard is as touching as it is inspiring.]

Hm? Oh, do you like it? [If it's Anya, it's okay; he holds out his hands for her to see, wiggling them a little so the sparkles catch the light. It's quite a messy job, but Yamato looks pleased anyway.] A girl in my section said I was looking too gloomy, and that she was going to fix it.

[constellates]

[please don't let anya get away with everything - but Anya looks happy to see the reflection of the color anyway, no matter how messy it is.]

Да! Yes, I like it very much. She did a good job.

[probably??]

But mm...? Why did you look gloomy....?

[okitactless]

[SHE'S GOTTA GET AWAY WITH EVERYTHING she's Anya, this is how the world works.]

Thanks! She left with her mother already, but if I see her again I'll let her know.

[An awkward question, though... if it had been something simple, he would have had no problem telling her all about it. But this... this is something that he himself can't quite understand, and though he's opened up to those he shares a connection with (read: people he's fought), it's not something he wants to dump on her.]

I just didn't have a very good time at kendo today, that's all. [Pushing up his sleeve, he shows off a few of the bruises on his arms, a myriad of purples and yellows and blues.] The last spar didn't go as I expected.

[constellates]

[ . . . oh!! Anya startles at the all the bruises and steps forward to examine the wounds more closely. Her mother's a nurse, after all?]

Ouch!

Ah - but it does not hurt? You are not sore?

i

[goen]

[ The park is the closest thing Yato has to a room, so it's no surprise that he happens upon Yamato practicing alone there eventually. He watches from a distance for a couple minutes before silently walking up to stick his nose in Yamato's business. But Yamato is so absorbed in his practice that he doesn't even seem to notice, so after a few more moments, when Yato has grown bored of watching a couple more strikes, he speaks up. ]

Fancy move, Yasu. What's it called?

[okitactless]

[The most telling sign that Yamato's got something on his mind is, probably, the fact that he jumps almost a foot in the air at the sound of Yato's voice.

It isn't like he has perfect hearing, of course. But he's been stared at in the park enough to recognize the feeling of somebody looking at him, and normally, he would've glanced over and waved, or maybe swung the bokuto intentionally (if playfully) in Yato's direction. But today, he spins around, a hand flying to his chest and his eyes wide.]

Yato! You scared the crap out of me. [Which is stupid; he knows perfectly well that Yato hangs around the park more often than not. It shouldn't have been a surprise at all.

He's let his bokuto fall, tip pointed at the ground, but he lifts it again at the question. The look on his face isn't proud, or excited, the way it usually is when he has something new to show off. It's troubled, and for the first time in years, he's looking at his bokuto like he has no idea what to do with it.]

I'm not sure. I haven't thought of a name.

[goen]

[ Yamato's surprise in turn surprises Yato, and he leans back a few inches as Yamato spins around. The guy is usually stupidly dedicated to being cheeky and pulling moves out of the blue, so the lack of both enthusiasm and awareness sticks out like a sore thumb. Yato sticks his hands into the pockets of his jacket and tilts his head. ]

What's eating you? Normally, I have to hand you your ass a couple times before I see you getting this down.

[ A joke, of course. Win or lose, fighting only ever seems to put Yamato in a better mood. ]

[okitactless]

[He isn't so absorbed that he doesn't recognize it as a joke, and it gets a smile out of him, albeit a small one. Yato's right; even if Yato does kick his ass (which happens less than Yato claims, and more than Yamato admits), it's always fun and refreshing, a nice way to clear his mind. But this...]

It's just--that move, it kind of came out of nowhere. I was in the middle of a spar, and all of a sudden it was like my body just... took over. [He shrugs helplessly, lacking the words to explain any better.] I still don't know why I did it. It cost me the match.

[goen]

This is still a pretty big funk for losing one match. Are you sure your sugar levels aren't low or something? That can be killer, y'know. I can run by the convenience store and grab some candy for you.

[ Like sure weird things have been happening to them lately with memories this and memories that, but sometimes you have to hang on to sanity and attempt to think of rational reasons first before assuming the weird supernatural stuff. ]

i.

[arahoushi]

[Yyyyikes

Toshi steps out of the way to avoid any possibility of getting whacked with a bokuto, just in case. He holds a hand up in a "you okay? relax..." kind of gesture.]

Guess you didn't hear me coming.

[Kind of a surprise since Toshi's not exactly known for his sneakiness.]

I'm fine, no worries! More worried about you, honestly.

[okitactless]

[It's a definitely an unpleasant surprise; Yamato's always been a fighter, and he's not afraid to say he's good at it. To be so unaware of his surroundings when he's in this mindset is... embarrassing to say the least.

He lowers the bokuto, pointing it at the ground, and offers a smile that isn't convincing at all.]

Just lost in thought. I didn't realize I'd gotten so close to the path.

[arahoushi]

[Toshi raises an eyebrow because yeah, that smile's not all that convincing.]

Must be some thought for you not to be paying attention. Isn't that a thing? Always pay attention to your surroundings?

[He gestures to the sword.]

Seems like something you'd learn if you're handling weapons, I guess. Something bothering you?

[okitactless]

[Yamato raises an eyebrow, but even if the wording is strange, he gets what Toshi's trying to say. He nods.]

Yes, it is. [Which is... a problem. It's true, he shouldn't be handling a weapon if he can't even pay attention to who's around.]

Ah... I guess you could say that. [He frowns at his bokuto, brow furrowed.] I lost a spar that I should've won.

[Y'know, if the bruises weren't an indication.]

[arahoushi]

[Toshi raises an eyebrow.]

And that bothers you? Plenty of people lose fights they "should've" won.