lets take the top.

♛ ⊰It's the Ace's job to meet everyone's expectations ⊱ w-2 / citizen / wooden baseball bat indie friendly

[nicepii-blog]

pitcher relay ||closed; capitalprince

[nicepii-blog]

He hadn’t honestly expected confrontation. How could it have crossed his mind when so many other things were taking up space? He was homesick. He was lonely. He was scared. And now he had Narumiya Mei to be afraid of, not fear for the pitcher himself, but for the unknown. He could count the number of their interactions on his fingers and he had absolutely no idea what Mei was thinking or doing. He knew he was childish, he knew he was excitable, he knew he had a connection to Miyuki Kazuya.

Miyuki Kazuya. Oh captain his new captain. He was maybe hoping Mei would lead him to Miyuki Kazuya. He was what they had in common, a familiar face in the crowd that linked them off the field, rather than on field skills. Sharing a southpaw characteristic meant nothing when it wasn’t being used.

He supposed he shouldn’t blame Mei for being on the winning team for Koushien. After all, Mei had never asked him to hit Shirakawa with the ball. Mei never asked him to cost Seido the game. It was convenient for him, but not his doing. This didn’t stop Eijun from harboring a grudge, however petty, however it happened to be.

Eijun hadn’t halted fast enough, blended in well enough, to escape Mei’s notice, and thus failed his following test. He didn’t particularly want anything to do with him. This should have hit him when he started following, but Sawamura Eijun wasn’t big on thinking things through. No, his specialty was running into things headfirst and adjusting to the situation. That was being tested, right here, right now.

“Don’t think I’m following you because I want to Narumiya Mei! You’re just the first familiar person I saw walking around!”

[capitalprince]

It proved to be difficult, realizing what was happening, taking place before his very eyes. In all honesty, he’d rather Miyuki had to deal with his lost puppy act, but that was far from becoming a possibility right now. 

If he wanted, he could have just dismissed him and left, but something told him that would have hardly prevented the brunet from following him. But this guy wasn’t his responsibility and neither were they associated in any shape of form. They were rivals at most, just as he happened to be rivals with the bespectacled boy that he had claimed now as his catcher — except he didn’t harbor any warm feelings for Sawamura. If anything, he acknowledged his ever developing abilities to the point where he saw them as a potential threat, a daring challenge he hadn’t found much joy in being indirectly posed in front of him. Still, this was not the moment to be letting his thoughts take that path.

“So you were following me! You’re such a creep! Creeeeep!” And he saw no problem in raising his voice with each word, nevermind the looks they were probably getting from any pedestrians passing them by. “How long have you been tailing after me?!” Demanding tone in his voice, the fact that the brunet hadn’t caused the best first (second, third even) impression remained as a reality reflected on his furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips.

[psihomerun-blog]

He shrugs in response to the question, half neutral and half resigned. “Wars don’t care ‘bout how old you are.”

He looks at the older boy, crouching to start gathering up the contents of the fallen box. He’s concerned, even though he’s annoyed. He seems like a nice guy. “The scientists don’t care, either.” He picks up some of the ammo, dropping it back in to the box with a plink. “ ‘Sides, I’ve fought stuff before. Probably part ‘a why they picked me.”

[capitalprince]

Such a response, though it makes him squint just the slightest, prompts him to wonder if the kid is used to this, at least to some extent. The answer to his suspicion comes sooner than he expected, and he can’t help but stay silent, digesting this new information.

So the young one stands as the more experienced in the room now, huh? He can’t quite tell if that’s reasurring or not, but seeing as fighting wasn’t even something that crossed his mind back in his own world, it’s not surprising. If he’s given some time to get used to this fact, he could even feel comfortable letting this kid watch his back if they are to leave this place at the same time.

“Seeing as they have let this mess happen, yeah, they clearly don’t care.” He huffs, slowly but surely feeling a spark of anger take the place of his previous shock. “But it’s so unfair to involve everyone! I don’t even know how to use these... these!” And he opens his arms, looking around him for a brief moment before his stance relaxes and a sigh leaves his lips. “First they make us part of their weird experiments without permission and now this.”

[ginpatsusamurai-blog-blog-blog]

Some nights, when the stars shone clear in a velvet sky, unmarred by clouds save a few, it was almost as if the earth was more beautiful basking in the glow of the moon, faint silhouettes and shapes a myriad of pieces forming a pretty scene. A simple park bench looked all the more outstanding for its seemly curves, the tree majestic and mysterious. That vending machine, unoffensive and alluring with the promise of various sweet treats, and that man before it, muttering with breath that reeked of alcohol as he set upon it, blurting out bleary curses as he demanded it give him his change.

Of course, that too was but part and parcel of life, for wherever nice things lay, there surely existed someone or something to ruin the scene. In this case, that someone was Gintoki, slamming his fists against the side of the machine and kicking it. Completely unaware that all his change had never made it into the machine, lying instead scattered on the ground where they had slipped from his fingers.

[capitalprince]

There was hardly anything beautiful in how this city behaved at night; every district had a way to prevent him from finding any joy in being out during the last hours of the day on his own, most of the time. If anything, he did find the calmer areas welcoming sometimes, especially after a long day. But then again, he was hard to please and excelled at complaining.

He didn’t find it in himself to complain, though, when he noticed someone approaching the vending machine on his left, right when he was about to get himself a drink on his way home, too. Really, he knew better than to get involved with drunkards in the street - in the middle of the night, no less - but he was... hard to ignore, actually.

“Hey, old man.” A pause, a quick glance to the floor and his eyes were back on the man beside him. “You know your change’s all on the ground, right?”

[twistedcatch-blog]

“Go ahead,” was what he managed to pull out with a smile. Mei could have made an endless list for him and he would have taken it all, would have worked through what he owed in stride. Not that Miyuki Kazuya really liked owing anyone, but if it was something simple and silly - something he could “work off” in his free time while still enjoying himself, he supposed he could have agreed to it. After all, even if he had to deal with such a selfish pitcher, he was sure he could handle it. What couldn’t he handle? 

Miyuki listened, still - listened to that laugh and the way it rang. It was like music to his ears, considering how quiet his days had been. When was the last time he had really heard anyone laugh? Had anyone tease him? No one really was ever bold enough to quip back at him except maybe Kuramochi, and his days had been ridiculously empty without him. All of it was kind of sad, how much he realized what he was missing out on and how grateful he was that someone here was actually bold enough to give him a taste of his own medicine. It made up for the loneliness he felt. Just a bit. Maybe.

The catcher couldn’t help the way his smile faltered, falling a bit softer and maybe a tad embarrassed at the words that came from the blonde. His cheeks flushed (barely) and his gaze trailed off to the side. Praise was something that he was used to, but not in this form. Not when it was something that caught him off guard and was much more sincere. This was a lot more than him being told that he was a good catcher and having his sense of baseball and technique praised. This was something that gave him a different sense of pride and maybe those were butterflies forming in his stomach? He repeated ‘That’s one of the things I like about you the most…’ over and over in his mind, wondering for a fleeting moment just what else he may have liked. It was unfamiliar but he pushed it off, only able to form a small “thank you” before drinking in the silence as his eyes slid back shut.

Honestly, he couldn’t recall a time he had felt more peaceful and more at ease. There was something about this whole situation that gave him a different mood, caused a different feeling inside of him that had his view shifting in the slightest. Perhaps it was just the sun shining down on him, filtering through the leaves and accompanying the light breeze that blew through the area, making him feel lighter and maybe even happier than he had in a long time, despite the rough patches they’d hit hours before. There was something about it all that he couldn’t put a finger on. He could only guess that it was because he didn’t have the weight of the captaincy upon him here, free without the burden and free without as much guilt over his injury. Granted, there was still some responsibility that lingered but it didn’t stop him from trying to enjoy what he could of this moment. 

Miyuki’s joy was cut short though when he felt his glasses lifted from his face, blinking before squinting to see the other as best as he could. Luckily, they were close enough at this point that he could see him (generally), a bright laugh coming from him at the sight. “No place to escape, huh?” He couldn’t help but laugh even more at that, not bothering to take the glasses back as he stayed propped against his palm. “Am I a hostage now, or something? Really though, you were pretty easy to run away from back in Tokyo considering Inashiro is pretty far from Seido, and we were both really busy with practice all the time. I didn’t see you much, yanno.” Much meant too little, considering this was a genius who he could have been discussing his favourite thing with. “Besides, I’m not that blind. Your vision is just too good, haha,” followed by, “Those look great on you, by the way.”

[capitalprince]

"Whoa, really?” Eyes going wide for a moment, his expression soon shifted back to the daring smile mimicking that of the catcher. “I didn’t think you’d actually let me! I’ll need some paper and a pen for that, though, but look forward to it~.” A playful chuckle put an end to his speech, and the lenses clouding his vision held all his attention once again – and perhaps that was for the better, as blurriness prevented him from laying sight on the other’s slight blush. Not like he could see Miyuki ever showing such a reaction to a compliment or blushing for that matter; he was safe for now, no two ways around it.

It came naturally to him, acting so casual in such a situation. Though deep inside aware of the changes in their conditions, once the shock of stumbling upon Miyuki after being on his own for months had passed, he couldn’t feel any other way but comfortable enough to act as if they were back in Tokyo, sharing a scene that would have eventually come regardless of the circumstances (and when they had some time off their busy training schedules, of course). All in all, the brunet was the one to make this place feel like home, and Mei knew.

His laugh compelled the pitcher to try and focus his gaze back onto the teen opposite, however difficult that proved to be. Pursed lips twisted into a small smile upon hearing the comparison he had come up with. “Take it as your twisted mind pleases. It’s not like you’d find someone better to hang out with.” And that wasn’t a question, but rather him saving Miyuki the trouble to admit he was right, as much as he would have loved to get that response from him. “Hey, that was a drag and you know it. I guess... it made it all the more interesting though, seeing each other mostly in matches.” Still, his voice dropped as if he wasn’t fully convinced by his own words. Sure, meeting occasionally to do something they both loved had its perks, but there is no denying in the fact that having Miyuki closer would have been a hundred – no, a thousand times better. He wasn’t going to complain, though, because the chance to spend more time with him that was exactly what he had right now.

The comment on his looks had him immedtialy pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, his expression visibly brightening in response to such a simple string of words. The thing is, compliments from Miyuki always tasted sweeter. “I bet I do.” A hand lifted to push the glasses upward, if only slightly, to adjust them comfortably on the bridge of his nose. “But answer me a thing–” 

“ –do I pull off the megane look better than you?”

[amxngstars-blog]

        【★】Before he could really say he didn’t deserve the attitude, he realized it would be kinda odd to be called over by a stranger like this, the attitude should be expected. The blonde was now under further inspection than before, eyes mainly locked on the jersey. Interesting. Is this kid any good? 

                    “Ya’ play baseball? Yer wearin’ a jersey, so yer either a fan or that’s the case.” He’d be real disappointed if he called over some random stranger in a baseball jersey who just happens to be a fan wearing one instead of being an actual player.

[capitalprince]

Had the other taken a look at him from another angle, he would have noticed the ‘1′ he so proudly wore on his back. So, yeah, he was good.

An eyebrow raised at he question before he posed one of his own. “Do you?” Words now dripping with defiant interest, it was obvious his curiosity had been piqued. Though he was making the effort to keep his cool, the blond was practically brimming at the possibility of having caught the attention of another baseball player, that chance leaving no room for annoyance to twist his features anymore. “I’m a pitcher – the best you’re gonna find around here.” Because, so far, he hadn’t come across someone who played the same position.

[shallowish-blog]

              Kashuu, on the other hand, didn’t have anything better to do, either. As much as he likes looking at himself too, photo applications, at this time, were a world unexplored to him, and therefore this left him with… well, nothing to do. Of course he had people he could contact if needed be, but the problem was, he didn’t want to see any of them at the moment. That wasn’t for any particular reason, anyway– he just wasn’t in the mood for interacting with people he already saw every other day. Maybe that’s unreasonable, but…

              In any case, he’s quick to become grateful when his thoughts and, you know, just sitting are interrupted by someone he doesn’t even know. It’s nothing short of a miracle, honestly, if you ask him, because given five more minutes, he would have walked off to go find something else just as boring to preoccupy himself with, and this is so much better. 

              Leaning back a bit to get a proper look at the photo, he smiles, looking back and forth between the phone and the actual person.  ❝Hmm.. yeah,❞ he’ll give him that, at least, ❝but it would look ten times better with me in it, honestly.❞

[capitalprince]

That was definitely not the reaction he would have expected, and it showed in the way his eyes widened, smile vanishing in favor of his mouth opening, if only slightly. Cheeky, wasn’t he? Far from bothering him, the other’s attitude came across as amusing to him, and soon brought a grin back onto his features. It had been quite some time since someone last played along with his antics; he could let it slide this time.

“Is that so?” Eyebrows furrowing softly, the blond didn’t hesitate before bringing his attention back onto his phone for a brief moment and tapping the screen a few times until the front camera was active again. “Let’s see if that’s true!” Without a warning, he scooted closer to the stranger and placed the phone in front of them, taking a second to position it so it would focus on both their faces. “On the count of three! One, two... three!”

“Cheeeeese!” And then, fingers raised in a victory sign, he took a photo.

[psihomerun-blog]

His bat’s a great weapon and all, but if they’re going to just hand out equipment, it’s worth taking a look. So arrives, looking around quietly with his bat by his side. He decides not to bother the other person in the room. He picks up some kind of slingshot, thinking that it’s nice of them to include the kinds of weapon he’s more familiar with. He slots one of the pellets into it, pulling it back idly and letting go… before it launches out with much more force than expected, hitting a box across the room and knocking it to the floor, spilling ammo across the floor. Upon the other boy’s startled reaction, Ninten raises his hands, still startled as well.

“Sorry! Just me. Was an accident. I’m from this side.”

[capitalprince]

Relief washes over him the moment he clarifies things as a mere accident, and he believes the boy, though his features show anything but comfort.

“You almost gave me a heart attack there.” A hint of annoyance lingering in his voice mixes with a sigh as he brings a hand to his chest, feeling his heart hammering even though his clothes. His eyes drift from the ammo box on the floor to the stranger, as if trying to make things out in his minds. And then it hits him. “Aren’t you too young to be here?” Head tilting slightly to the side, Mei gives the kid a once over, visibly puzzled by his overly childlike appearance.

[unsetter]

Has he mentioned how much he missed his phone? Because he missed his phone.

To: RUDE AF From: Sugawara Koushi

[TEXT] WHY I OUGHTA [TEXT]  (▀̿̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿ ̿)•︻̷̿┻̿┻═━━ヽ༼ຈ益ຈ༽ﾉ [TEXT] that’ll teach u not to mess with the INDOMITABLE SETTER 

Suga, chill. It’s not even a cool nickname.

[capitalprince]

Is that a gun? How is this allowed?! Totally not fair!

To: my next victim From: THE ace☆

[txt] not cool man!! get a taste of your own medicine!!!! [txt] ̿’ ̿’\̵͇̿̿\з=(ಡ Д ಡ)=ε/̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ 

You’re right. It’s not that cool. Not as cool as ‘Prince of the Capital’ anyway.

[txt] whats up with that nickname tho [txt] sounds... lame www

[unsetter]

… Sorry, Narumiya, he’s not even from Tokyo.

Sugawara’s face flushes when he notices the random face in his pictures finally turn to him. He just wanted to take pictures of the dogs playing in the park behind him. “I– er, that isn’t exactly needed, but thanks…?”

How is he supposed to explain to this stranger that his shoulder got in the way of the dogs?!

[capitalprince]

So he’s just that? A random face in a sea of dog pictures? He better not find out about that.

His flattered smile mellows until it’s barely noticeable, a pair of curious eyes now taking a better look at the male opposite. “Eh? Isn’t that what you wanted?” Clearly, he still doesn’t believe he was just imagining things, and it’s right then when another possibility hits him and makes him take a step back in distrust. “D-don’t tell me you’re –” 

“– a stalker!”

[twistedcatch-blog]

“Hey now. Slow down, when did I ever take advantage of anything?” he teased gently, the smile on his lips pulling wider from how relaxed it had previously been. “I won’t complain, though. For now.” ‘For now’ because this was all a little too weird, and he didn’t really know where to draw the line, currently. 

He couldn’t lie when it came to this all being so foreign. It was almost surreal for him to end up somewhere with the blonde - somewhere where they could get to know each other more, play together, talk together. Maybe they’d even spend unreasonable amounts of time together to the point where Miyuki would even attempt to avoid him, knowing how his mood could swing from moment to moment when he felt like he was letting someone too close; that instant flight or fight response. Clearly flight was the normal option for him out of the two. It was easier to hide behind castle walls.

However, he couldn’t find it in himself to fight it right now, not when he’d had something so close in his grasp that could give him some weight to keep his feet on the ground. He felt less lost, this way, spending time with Mei. Even if he could be an absolute brat and was stubborn, it still wasn’t as bad as some of the players he’d had to deal with in the past. If anything, it was almost refreshing to be in his presence considering they hadn’t had much contact before, going to two different schools and all.

Miyuki just allowed himself a thoughtful hum, rolling to his side to prop his cheek against his open palm, glancing to the leaves above out of the corner of his eye. Maybe he really was being given a second chance. He never felt like it was a wrong choice to go to Seido, but there was something off about it all. His thoughts were constantly drawn to Mei during and after the Inashiro game in their second year, seeing how strong of a pitcher he’d grown to become. He wondered what it was like to catch those pitches until today, when he’d finally gotten a small taste of what he was able to give. The catcher could only imagine how much of a rush he would get when he’d be able to fully catch those pitches, sparking excitement in him that created a pleasant buzz underneath his skin.

He managed a small nod against the hand he was still held up by, sightline falling back to the pitcher in front of him. Just maybe fate could be considered a valuable player in the game, this time. But only this time. Fate just seemed too tricky to be able to manipulate at will - at least, in a world like this. “Yanno.. maybe I did take a wrong turn,” he admitted softly. “Not that I regret it.” And he let his eyes fall closed as if it would shield him, keep himself safe from hurt and the parts he was trying to reveal about himself.

“I think this is something that was meant to happen, though. I think us playing together was eventually going to happen, anyways. You’re too persistent to let me run a second time, Mei.”

[capitalprince]

"Want me to make you a list?” His smile widened to match Miyuki’s, a hint of laughter hidden in his voice. “You can complain all you want. It’s not gonna change anything.” Meaning: ‘really, really, don’t bother. It’s all just gonna go in one ear and out the other, so save yourself the trouble’. All of this would be said with the utmost respect, naturally, although the uppity tone would probably not be of much help when it came to make out the good intention behind his advice.

The brunet’s musings had him opening his eyes again, admittance of a possible mistake on his part bringing the smaller boy to shift and search for any trace of emotion in his features. However, he couldn’t help but laugh at his statement. Of course. Of course he didn’t regret choosing the side opposite. He’d start doubting he was talking to the Miyuki Kazuya if he did.

“Wrong turn or not, you still tried to make the most of it.” That much he could concede, because it was nothing bad in itself. If anything, he found it a virtue to never let circumstances bring oneself down. “Your persistence - that’s one of the things I like about you the most.” Honest words left his lips in such a manner that made it look as if he was talking about something as casual as his day to day routine and not openly admitting to enjoy that side of the catcher. Praise was something he received and rarely gave, but both Miyuki and his teammates from Inashiro were sometimes graced with the prince’s occasional fits of courtesy. They did deserve each and every word of appreciation coming from him, though.

Smile still in place, he let silence settle around them instead of responding right away. Given the chance, sure, he would have tried to talk the other into joining him again; after all, there was no harm in giving it another try, and forming a battery with Miyuki was a chance he had lost once already. Feeling it slip through his hands had been anything but pleasant, and even though he accepted it and the challenges that came with it, even though he had found a valuable partner in Masa-san  – the best partner, he had come to admit –, there was still this sense of unfulfillment clawing at him every so often when he thought about what they could have achieved together. 

With no intention of disturbing the laying figure beside him but rather as a distraction for himself, Mei reached for the brunet’s glasses and snatched them away from him, putting them on as a playful grin twisted his lips. There was no way he wasn’t going to take advantage of his eyes being closed, even if just for a moment. “You know me so well,” he squinted at his now blurry vision, a grimace crossing his face, “I’m moved. But it’s good you think that way, because now that we’re here you have no place to escape! Don’t take me wrong, though. It’s not like I would have let you get away that easily if we were back in Tokyo. So nothing has really changed.” The slits he had for eyes now searched for the other with visible difficulty. “And you’re still as blind as a mole. How are you even alive?”

[twistedcatch-blog]

Miyuki couldn’t help but dole out the affection that practically meant nothing with the way venom typically dripped off of his tongue. It was easier to be sharp, witty, to keep people on their toes. It kept others away while drawing people near, simultaneously - but only those who were willing to stay near by to deal with it. That’s how he knew who was worth the time and who wasn’t worth the time. And honestly, if he was going to admit to it, he was a bit weak to the blonde pitcher who was brimming with skill yet a personality that didn’t match, allowing him to step up and be in control. His favourite.

The sick satisfaction of having so much control over certain people or situations was most likely bordering on disgusting and possibly immoral, but he really couldn’t find it in himself to care, not when he was able manipulate things in his favour and win. The taste of winning was always his top priority and it was something he was used to - which is why he was trying his damnedest here.

However, maybe trying his damnedest here wasn’t the best option with the noise that had distracted him, any kind of jabbing retort falling from his lips. The tremor that followed wasn’t exactly the most welcome, either, and admittedly it had him on his guard and not in a good way. Anything large enough and loud enough to cause some sort of shift in the ground was something he wasn’t going to even try to fight. Miyuki was smart enough to know that was out of their realm of ability.

He glanced back to the blonde, from the hand on his sleeve and back to his face before his own hand raised to rest on his lower back. It pressed in, leading him the opposite way from the noise because - yeah. Yeah, he was definitely going to avoid something that seemed to scream disaster. As much as he was the type to spit in the face of danger and laugh wholeheartedly, this was too much to bite off and chew with what minimal weaponry they had. A bat can only do so much, after all.

“C’mon. We’re not going that way,” he breathed out, voice dropping a notch as he leaned in near his ear, like whatever that was could hear them. And who knows, maybe it could. It didn’t stop him from staying close, hand on Mei’s lower back a gentle yet firm lead. “I don’t know what the hell that is, but it’s definitely bad news. That one I can go without fighting.”

[capitalprince]

It was by tensing up that he received the gesture he soon felt to be relieving, the hand pressing on his lower back giving him the support he was so in need of, both literally and figuratively. Words couldn’t express how grateful he was for the other’s patience and understanding of the situation at that moment, for the last thing he wanted was to act like the voice of reason when his own voice seemed to be faltering him after the tremor beneath his feet now resonated within him.

No words left his lips in response to Miyuki’s, his unresponsiveness being a sign that he was not paying attention - or paying attention to too many things at the same time. Still, he never made an attempt at removing the hand guiding him and instead stayed close to the catcher, his warmth being the only thing he found comfort in. 

He really was lucky to have him on his side, wasn’t he? Practically babysitting him at this point, the brunet had even promised him protection in the most nonchalant of manners, as if he found no problem in taking care not only of himself but also of the one supposed to fight by his side. It should make him feel safe, but then again, Mei couldn’t help but feel his presence would be nothing but a burden in the middle of this riot.

The question finally found a way into his thoughts, prompting the boy to scrunch up his nose, if only slightly. He tried to ignore it, glancing behind them from time to time as they walked aimlessly through unfamiliar territory. Needless to say, it was a fruitless effort on his part. Restless as his mind had proven to be so far, he should have expected his fears to stay with him even when he needed to be focused on something else entirely.

“Do you think I’m a bother?” Breathing out the invasive thought that had been bothering him for god knows how long, he instinctively leaned in closer to the other, eyebrows furrowed as soon as he realized he really didn’t want an answer and that once again, not thinking straight might have caused him more trouble that he was willing to deal with. “Nevermind, that was a a stupid question.” 

[nicepii-blog]

pitcher relay ||closed; capitalprince

Not exactly a sight for sore eyes, more like a sore spot that dulled his eyes if anything. He hadn’t expected to find anyone he knew here, hoped but not expected, and he never planned on, wished for, hoped to run into the pitcher for Inashiro. The memories that game brought back were horrifying, he was just beginning to recover. He supposed it was easier than running into Shirakawa, but it still wasn’t ideal. What made matters worse was that Mei was a spot of familiarity in a sea of the unknown, drawing Eijun toward him whether he liked it or not. He was drowning in his own thoughts and refused to let Mei be the one to save him

He wasn’t sure enough to make contact. Sure of himself, sure of anything. He still didn’t know what he was doing here and why, he’d just been dumped here on his own and told a curt welcome that rang hollow in his head. Welcome to what, Hell? That was probably a pretty damn good guess on his part. Hell to some, paradise to others, depending on your situation, your connections, your mentality.

Instead of approaching head on he decided to follow Mei for a while, staying out of sight, out of mind, careful not to lose the other. Maybe he’d get lucky and Mei would lead him to more players, more chances.

[capitalprince]

He had gotten used to it - to the city, that is. With plenty of time in his hands and barely anything to do before the academy opened, there was no way he wouldn’t have made the most of those long, spare hours he disposed of when he first arrived, wandering about the streets in an attempt at familiarizing himself with this new environment. Wary steps had long since been replaced by a leisurely pace and the curiosity glinting in blue hues now made way for deep seated indifference for his surroundings. 

Considering the nature of this place, his apparent lack of alertness was anything but wise, and yet the pitcher didn’t usually find it in himself to watch his back during his strolls. Hence why never even suspected he was being followed until, instead of walking in the opposite direction after glancing for a moment at a shop window, he retraced his steps only to catch a glimpse of a face that striked him as vaguely familiar at first and made his mind go blank the next second.

Shock crossed his features first, eyes going wide as he replayed those past few seconds in his head, and while the possibility of it all being just his imagination cruelly playing with him sat at the back of his mind, he took a step forward in an unconscious manner but without a trace of doubt in his movements. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

[unsetter]

Oh, it’s on.

To: RUDE AF From: Sugawara Koushi 

[TEXT] COME AT ME [TEXT]  (งಠ_ಠ)ง [TEXT]  (งಠ_ಠ)ง [TEXT]  (งಠ_ಠ)ง

[capitalprince]

Show me what you got.

To: my next victim From: THE ace☆

[txt] ur so gonna regret this [txt] ☆(ﾟo´(┗┐ヽ(╰,╯ )ﾉ

[konjiki]

[byawesome-blog1-blog]

–「♚」“..Ha..Ha c..CAN’T YOU SEE?! This..THIS IS MY PLAN! I’m going to-” The stranger’s question almost made him stop, but the loud thumping of footsteps from behind refrained him from doing so. “I’m…Taking..them where?” God damnit. Okay, so there was one flaw in his plan. Just one flaw! Okay, one really big flaw. But, that doesn’t matter! 

–「♚」He ran alongside the stranger, looking back from time to time to see if those jerks were catching up to them. Most of them ditched and went the other way, but there were still a lot of them, leaving them no choice but to keep on running. As much as he hated to say it, he didn’t know where he was taking them. He didn’t even know where he was. He’s only been here a few days for crying out loud! Or has it been weeks? He’s already lost track, this damn war was too much too handle. He really was full of luck, wasn’t he? He came just in time for a shitty war to blow up! 

 –「♚」“L-Look kid, I don’t know where the hell I am- I..I don’t even know where this IS! I-” Oh shit. What the hell was that. Gilbert caught a glimpse of something else coming their way, the sight of it almost shocking enough to make him stop. It was nothing like he’s seen before, and he’s come across some really weird shit in his stay here. “What the hell is THAT?!? IT- IT’S ALL BLACK AND GOOPEY!!! WHAT THE-” 

–「♚」It was faster than the enemies that were chasing them before, and it was lunging straight at them. Gilbert didn’t know what else to do, he didn’t want to die. He didn’t want this guy- whoever he is- to die either. He was running out of hope. All was lost. All is gone! ….

–「♚」Not. All was not gone at all! Gilbert isn’t the giving up type, see. Just in time, he saw a flash of hope, a tiny sliver of a miracle- Which seemed to have been in the form of an open manhole. Yikes. But there’s no room for complaining in times like these! “OI, KID! SORRY ‘BOUT THIS BUUUUUUUUUUUUUT-” Before he could even finish his sentence, he grabbed the stranger by the collar, and dragged him over the manhole, practically throwing the other guy in. He jumped in himself, and with all the strength he had left, covered the hole with the lid

[capitalprince]

Ah yes, great. So he’d stumbled upon someone who basically didn’t what he was doing. That was fine, it could be fixed - that is, if he wasn’t leading an army of enemies to god knows where and the two of them were basically acting as bait right now. Sweet. “Are you serious?! What kinda shit plan is that?!” Still, in the middle of his indignation, he never stopped running.

With shock rippling through him and an impending sense of danger surrounding them, it was slowly but surely becoming harder to focus both on running and keeping an eye on the ones behind them, yet the other’s words were enough to make him snap out of his shaky state of mind. “Does that even matter know?! It’s not like I know where we’re headed either!” Not towards the shelter he’d left minutes ago, that was for sure. Nonetheless, the blond didn’t have time to protest further, for the sudden yell leaving the stranger’s throat forced him to whip his head back to the front, only to be met with the same feeling of alarm the other’s shouting had caused him before. Indeed, what the hell was that. The question lingered in his mind, but he didn’t find it in himself to search for an answer this time. 

From that point onwards, he would remember it all as a blur, panic blinding his senses and making his legs go numb — that is, until he faintly felt something - someone - tugging at his collar, and before he could even realize it, he had fallen flat on his ass in a dark place that smelt anything but pleasant. Truly, a story worth keeping to himself if he ever got alive out of there. “Ew, ew, ew!” It wasn’t only the pain in his lower back what brought him back to reality, but also some disgusting goo sticking to his palms. Though still overcome by confusion, he made the effort to get on his two feet, a couple of ignored tears running down his cheeks. This really sucked; he was shaking, hurt, and he was starting to realize where he’d ended up, but at least he was alive.

But he didn’t pay much attention to that last part.

“What the hell was that for?!” He yelped, demanding to know from the guy that had just saved his life. Who could blame him for such a reaction, though? He had been taken off guard by a horde lead by an irresponsible idiot and then thrown carelessly into a damn manhole when the only thing he had wanted from the start was to breathe some fresh air. There was no way his first thought after all that would be of gratitude towards the taller male.

[twistedcatch-blog]

Despite being so excited about the whole situation, he was undoubtedly concentrated and aware of their surroundings. Miyuki knew full well what kind of situation they were in and even though it was absolute hell, it still had a fire burning deep within him from the toes of his shoes all the way to the nimble fingers cradling the bat that he was currently leaning against. It wasn’t the most adequate or realistic situation, but it was fun, which had a laugh tearing from his throat when the blonde commented on it. It teetered on the edge of gentle and a bit more playful, the jerk not completely coming through. Maybe he did have a nice bone in his body every once in awhile.

What a joke.

The laugh couldn’t be helped, though, giving a short nod of acknowledgment. The catcher was focused on their surroundings momentarily as he glanced around, searching for something. Anything. A sign of movement that would have them moving in the right way (towards it) or the wrong way (hiding). At least, those were his terms and his idea about right from wrong. He was just so dreadfully bored with everything that he couldn’t help it. But stupid? He was never stupid. “I know that much,” he replied, tongue running across the back of his teeth in anticipation. “I’ll protect you, if that’s what you’re worried abo–.”

He cut himself off, his attention only snapping towards the noise once he heard it. Miyuki kept his casual stance against his bat, only shifting to stand more upright as gold turned down to blue and the noise of him moving closer, holding his gaze steadily. “Hm…?” He raised a hand to bury it into blonde, gently running through it as the grin returned to his features slow and easy. Suggesting something so dangerous - he couldn’t help but appreciate it, however fleeting, excitement rising. 

“Fighting? You don’t want to hide anymore, princess?” A mock sigh fell from his lips, thumb brushing against his cheek bone before completely retracting his hand. “If that’s how it’s going to be, don’t make me play knight in shining armor.”

[capitalprince]

Being protected wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. If anything, that was the last thing he wanted; it would only make him a nuisance, no matter how much the other ended up rejoicing in the fact that he’d have control over the situation. But this wasn’t about not giving Miyuki the satisfaction — the chance to go and revel in the morbidity of it all. This was about not putting a foot wrong, not allowing any mistakes to taint their record and their hopefully short and safe stay there.

An eye closed momentarily at the hand running through his hair. He should have really not suggested fighting the source of that noise, not even with the sarcastic undertones he had hoped for his previous words to carry. It was his fault for not expecting the catcher to jump on that idea without thinking twice, no matter if it was only with the intention of teasing him. But the damage was already done, and now he dealt with the consequences. 

As much as part of him regretted not slapping his hand away for such a belittling remark, he didn’t shy away from the contact, only lowering his head some in response. The reasons behind it were not anything but flattering to the blond, but he couldn’t deny this was helping him cool down, if only briefly. “For starters, you’d be a terrible knight in shining armor.” Retort left his lips in the form of a murmur before he lifted his head to meet the other’s eyes, his gaze not wavering in the slightest, for he hadn’t lost his snark just yet. “And don’t call me princess, you je—”

Another bang, this time closer and followed by a small tremor that still managed to make him forget the reason why he was even yapping at the other before. Instinctively, he reached for Miyuki’s sleeve as he tried to locate the source of the noise that set his heart hammering... to no avail. Was it perhaps a few streets down the block? Or was it closer than they had thought? Did he really care when the only thing in his mind was avoiding whatever that was like the plague? “Let’s leave...” Please.

[twistedcatch-blog]

Miyuki could feel the smile growing wider across his lips as he listened to him speak, a hint of fondness behind it. Normally he would have teased him for all the complaining, but the last thing he wanted to do was drive him away. It was welcoming, really - almost refreshing because it wasn’t like he’d been around anyone familiar in a long time. He almost felt spoiled by the attention, something he’d been severely lacking in as he isolated himself down in his room, only coming above ground to maybe read or people watch.

This was definitely different, though, and very welcome. The edges of his smile softened with a tinge of laziness, comfortable under the shade and the wind that lightly blew through his t-shirt, musing his hair even more. He only allowed himself a small snort at the thought that somewhere could be worse than this, but really - he knew it had to be. Underground wasn’t exactly sunshine and daisies, but above ground was an absolute blessing. 

The catcher exhaled slowly through his nose, eyes still closed as he pulled words out slow and languid. “Well, if it’s so bad in your district, I guess that just means more of you coming here, huh? Besides, I’m sure I’ll see you if you’re planning on being my tour guide. Or yanno, babysitter, since I’m apparently a child,” he finished with a laugh. “I will owe you and all.”

His eyes only slid open at the sudden words, slow and unrushed - enough for him to fully grasp them and attempt to swallow them. Those words had a sense of belonging to him, something he’d never really known as he raised himself and carted himself away from home. Sure, he’d belonged to a team, but this? This was different. This was so much more. Someone who held a hand out to him previously and was practically holding it out again.

It startled him. Not fully, but enough to have him looking up to clear blue. It gave him a sense of grounding, however brief, his own gaze not wavering. This wasn’t the time to back down, nor was it the time to be weak. Not when the only person you currently had to tie you back to home was there, telling you something like this. His expression stayed still for a moment before that same gentle smile made its way back to his lips.

“… same here. I mean, I can’t believe I’m here sometimes, let alone you being here.” He’d be lying if he didn’t like it, didn’t find some sort of minor comfort in the fact. “Who knew we would ever end up without two teams separating us. Kinda funny. Fate must really like to play around.” Not that he particularly believed in fate, but with how unreal this place was, fate finally felt like something reasonable to believe in.

[capitalprince]

Miyuki wasn’t the only one gladly welcoming the attention. Granted, the blond hadn’t hesitated once before responding to the smallest hint of interest anyone had shown for him since his arrival in the city, but it had felt nothing like having the catcher’s gaze focused on him. It wasn’t even alike to how he felt being in the spotlight, as if the attention he had been craving felt a thousand times sweeter coming from the one he had pined for years ago.

He laughed, allowing himself to lie back down on the grass. “I can’t tell if that’s you being genuinely glad about me coming here or if you’re just trying to take advantage of me. But yeah, you owe me, so don’t complain if I end up staying at your place in exchange for my services.” There was this fleeting, bold smile that did nearly not blossom on his face, a certain thought crossing his mind and undermining any and all attempts at a full cheeky response the pitcher could have offered him. “You won’t even be able to blame me once you see the garbage dump I live in.” A sigh before he frowned in palpable indignation. He could say it louder but not clearer; it was obvious he wasn’t all that fond of his district, and really, he had his reasons not to be attached to that place in any way or form aside from having the privacy of his own room there.

Thankfully enough, the catcher’s musing had him grinning again in no time, not because of the favourable change in the subject, but because of his choice of words. He seemed to be fond of that one especifically, with them being ‘fated rivals’ and all, and yet he had escaped it on his own accord the moment he declined his offer years ago with an apology and a challenging look, as if fate was something he could manipulate at will. Truth be told, he wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case, but he wouldn’t be here if he was capable of such things now, would he?

“That, or fate thought you suck at making decisions and gave you a second chance.” Mei chuckled, eyes closed and hands resting comfortably on his belly. “Either way I’m fine with it.” With Miyuki being there, that is; there were a plethora of things he wasn’t so pleased with, clearly. “I guess whatever it was that brought us here, it knew what it was doing.” Head tilting slightly to the side, he looked at the brunet from the corner of his eye and let out a content hum. Somehow, it felt as if there was something he had accomplished with just being here, waiting patiently - unknowingly - for the other to come to him. Perhaps it was really fate what tied them together.