Emi Ibarazaki

[hymndi]

Similarities

[hidebehindsprinting]

Emi was still grinning before she knew what had happened. The situation had changed dramatically before her eyes and she felt her knees go weak. Hymdni was lying there, not moving, bleeding and looking rather like a heap next to his now battered looking wheelchair. Flashbacks flew across Emi’s field of vision. A memory best left forgotten clouding up her field up vision, she dropped to her knees and just stared at Hymndi’s still form.

‘“Hello?! Can you hear me? You’re going to be alright, we’re going to pull you out slowly, okay?! Ready? One, two three…here we g- Oh lord.”’

Shaking her head and feeling hot, salty tears grace her lips as they ran down her pale cheeks, Emi mustered up some courage and began to crawl to Hymndi, she needed to be strong. This person needed help.

Reaching his body, Emi noticed the slow, raspy breaths escaping his lips and hope soothed her guilt, “Hymndi?! It’s Emi! Can you hear me?” Unsure what to do, Emi pressed her head to his chest to hear a heart hammering as if it were trying to escape from his rib cage. She wasn’t a master at first aid, but if she could be certain that he was alive, that was enough to calm her nerves, 'I need to get the nurse…I can't leave him here…' she was trapped between a rock and a hard place, she needed Hymndi to come around. Looking down at her hands she noticed the crimson red, slowly turning to a dirty rust colour as the small pool of blood grew around Hymndi’s head and neck, she whispers, “Please wake up…”.

[hymndi]

Hymndi felt himself replaying an event. A loud crash, a jarring motion, screams all around. He was tossed forward, then suddenly slammed back. His head pounded, the world going dull. He managed to look to his right to see… He took in a deep breath, coming back to the here and now. He kept his eyes closed, afraid of what he would see if he opened his eyes. You’re fine. You’re fine. You can do this. Everything is okay. He heard a muffled voice. Was it that girls’? What was her name… His mind scrambled for the name. Emi? Was that it? It must be. He felt a light pressure against his chest. Was she pressing on it? No, that didn’t seem right. It was too gentle of a pressure. Was she feeling for his heartbeat? Maybe. Maybe that was it. Or maybe he was just dying and couldn’t feel her touch as well.

"Please wake up…"

Hymndi slowly began getting his full senses back. His eyes shot open as all the pain came flooding to him, taking in a deep gasp of air. His gaze shifted to Emi, his fists balled up. He felt his head throbbing, and felt like his hair was sticking to the back of his head. “I’m awake.. Just needed… A nap after…” He let out a grunt as more pain ebbed in his head. “After getting my butt kicked.” he let out a bit of a laugh, looking around for his wheelchair. He saw it a few feet away from him, a bit scuffed up, but nothing too bad. He slowly tried to push himself up but immediately got light headed, falling back to the ground. He felt weak. As weak as that fateful day. He also felt ashamed. He had screwed up terribly. He had probably taken a few years off this poor girl’s life. He felt tears beginning to stream down his face. He didn’t know whether they were from the pain or the emotional conflict he was facing in his heart. “I-I’m sorry… I-I didn’t mean… For this to happen..” He forced the words out, his mouth dry. He balled his fists up again. his eyes opening, the tears slowly still streaming out. He had to make it to his wheelchair. It was the only way. He couldn’t do it alone though.. He mustered up some more strength, feeling weaker by the moment. “My wheelchair… Please… Can’t walk to nurse..” he hoped everything would be alright. He would hate to leave this girl with such a traumatic event without being able to make it up to her.

[hidebehindsprinting]

His words slowly sunk into Emi's brain...my wheelchair...please...he wanted help. Her legs moved far faster than her mind as she pushed herself off the ground and sprung towards the slightly battered wheelchair a few feet away. Grabbing the handle she wasted no time spinning it towards Hymndi and crouching by his side she positioned herself in such away that she could move him with as little discomfort as possible, "I'm going to lift you in to the wheelchair. Stay with me Hymndi!" the panic had an edge on her voice as she heaved Hymndi's broken body into his chair.

Seeing the wound on the back of his head, Emi's quick thinking drew her eyes to the side of the track where her towel had been thrown previous to starting the race. It took her 3 seconds to fetch it and press it to the back of Hymndi's head. Grabbing his hand and holding it to the cloth she drew a shaky breath, she had never been good with blood, not since her accident, "You need to try and keep that there, Hymndi, okay?!"

Trusting in his strength she began to push his chair in the direction of the nurse's office. Her legs moving one in front of the other in quick succession, "Stay with me, Hymndi. We'll get you help!"

[hidebehindsprinting]

Eternal

[hidebehindsprinting]

  Emi was happy to see Rin. It was an unlikely friendship, yet special in its own way. Following her neighbor across the hall she stares around Rin’s room, noticing the fabulous pieces of artwork propped up here, there and everywhere - there were more than usual.

"No school clothes"

Emi snaps out of her sleepy daydreaming of admiring her close friend’s talent and smiles broadly, making her way over to Rin’s bed. Running her fingers along the denim of the overalls she separated and flattened out the coming day’s clothing before moving her hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn, 'What time is it?' She should really get into a habit of checking her clock when she opens her eyes in the morning, 'it must be earlier than usual' Emi’s doesn’t take in to account her restless night’s sleep, “You’re really on a roll lately, Rin!” She beams at her friend before beginning to remove her sleep-crumpled pajamas, a small frown forming over her face as she subconsciously compares the size of Rin’s chest to her own. It disappears as quickly as it had spread across her brow. 

After locating clean underwear, Emi slips them over Rin’s legs before covering up her remaining modesty with a bra. Half skipping to the bed, an enthusiastic Emi picks up the plain t-shirt and jean overalls before returning to her friend. Struggling to get the t-shirt over Rin’s head - after all this time helping her neighbor, she still struggled to line up the neck hole and head which always ended her up in a bit of a tangle, but, a little tug and…success! Kneeling down she opened the overalls and allows Rin to step into the leg holes before shimmying them over her body and fastening the over-shoulder buckles, “Tada!” she grinned at her job well done before taking a step back.

Clenching her fists together and smiling innocently at Rin, Emi questions her friend, “What are you planning for today, Rin?” she looks up with big green eyes and waits for a response - this was something she was used to between the two of them. 

[iwonderifcloudstastelikesnails]

As the minutes pass during her dressing, the rising sun begins revealing Rin’s new, subtle features. Her dark orbs meet with Emi’s lighter shades, replying with a usual blank stare - or so they seem to at first. Her eyes are shot pink, bags forming below them in a mascara of gray. The ends of her mouth stoop – not as if she means to frown, but as if her face can’t usher the strength to keep her lips perfectly straight. Her nose, usually her most conventionally attractive feature, snuffles as if she’s trying to breathe through a congestion. Simply put, she is quirkier than usual, as if every one of Rin’s characteristic habits had taken twice their toll on her this morning. Even her smell of paint thinner has gone from faint to reeking.

“I’m painting.” She says this with plain, unwithered emphasis, as if she hadn’t spent the whole night working her blood, sweat, and tears against the canvases adorning her floor. A hoarseness in her voice is somewhat audible though. “Not here. Nomiya is driving me to a gallery pla-“ Another yawn escapes as she explains to Emi. It’s longer than her first.

…

Achoo!

“…Sorry…”

[hidebehindsprinting]

"I'm painting"

Emi could have guessed that. Standing up, she looked at her friend with a new concern. Noticing the features that were seemingly fading and causing Rin to look hollow and soulless.

Unsure of what to say to comfort her obviously (well, as obvious as Rin can make it) stressed friend, she allowed the side of her that saw Rin as a little sister take over, "Rin, I don't think you should go to the gallery today. You look positively awful!" brutally honest as ever, she continued, "You look positively exhausted and that sniffly nose won't disappear without a good rest!" she puts her hands on her hips and puffs her chest out to appear like some form of authoritative figure. 

Looking around the room once more, she notices the enormous amount of work that had been put into each painting, each stroke of a brush working with each blob of paint. Come to think of it, when Emi had helped her friend to get dressed the previous day a few of these paintings weren't here, 'Has she been working all night?' A frown formed on Emi's face and she looked at Rin sternly, "You're staying here today Rin. I want you to get some rest. I'll run to the nurses office to get you some cold medicine." her bright green eyes meet Rin's shallow pools, once filled with light now looking dull and lifeless. She should turn away right now and not take no for an answer, but Rin isn't the kind to play by these sorts of rules. 

[hidebehindsprinting]

whirlwindhappa:

"Hey, Ibarazaki. There’s a baton back at the second turn, mind nabbing it?" Miki called out, cupping her hand to her mouth. Her other arm stretched high above her head, and she bounced a few times, shaking out the stiffness in her muscles. Sunday practice had ended, taking advantage of a particularly warm day to squeeze in a quick training meet. With support from their advising teacher, the captain of the track team was enthusiastically fitting in more and more practice time to prep for competitions against other regional schools. This new year had brought in many new members who needed to be whipped into shape. It was grueling training for most of the team members, who left on wobbly legs with burning lungs, that warm exhaustion guiding them back to the dorms.  But for the Yamaku Academy’s Number 1 and Number 2, it was a walk in the park. Of course, that meant that often enough, they were the only ones who could close up shop. There was more to Track and Field than just running, and equipment was always scattered on the rush practice days.

Emi spun around to the voice addressing her and pulled her face. Miki had been Emi's athletics rival for the majority of her time at Yamaku academy. Despite knowing that the girl was a nice person, Emi couldn't help her competitive side taking over whenever she was around and it caused her chest to tighten whenever the waves of her voice reached Emi's little ear drums. 

"I've got it!" Emi waved and yelled back before sprinting to the second corner and bending down to pick up the baton. Turning, she ran towards Miki with a cheeky grin on her face, "Nice training today! Maybe if you keep it up, you'll be as good as yours truly!" standing up proud, yet being no taller than Miki's shoulder, Emi stood with her fists to her chest and her smile wide. It probably wasn't the most subtle of passive aggressive comments, but she was tired and in her mind...the comment was quite true. 

[hymndi]

Similarities

[hidebehindsprinting]

Breathe, step, step, step step, breathe…

Race or no race, Emi was in her zone, no holding back. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a shadowy glimpse of Hymndi, arms like pistons pushing forward on his wheels, he had fallen behind a quarter of a lap ago but was now gaining, as though his brain was on autopilot, driving a dusty machine that had just been re-oiled. As much as Emi had wanted to have a friendly race with this new person, allowing them to beat her was out of the questions. Her tongue stuck out ever so slightly as she unleashed maximum energy, her blades taking on the track in a war between gravity and friction as she cut through the air at tremendous speed. 

Emi soon realised she was quickly pulling away and still accelerating, but one side of her brain was focussed on Hymndi; he came across quite shy and reserved, yet on the track he becomes a fantastic machine, almost becoming part of his wheelchair, the usual clunky support for his disability becoming a marvelous asset to his being. She had thought for too long and in no time at all the line that marked the end of their little competition was in sight and rapidly moving closer. Emi passed the line and slowed to a stop; spinning on her right blade she turned just in time to see a sweating form speed over his destination. Deciding to end with playful banter, “Where were you slow coach?! I can feel my hair going grey!” she grinned cheekily at Hymndi. 

[hymndi]

Hymndi had began to gain on her, a slight confidence building up in him. Did he actually have it in him to win? He kept pushing himself, a machine going into overdrive, as he tore down the track after her. Something seemed to change, and he felt it as soon as it did. Emi took off like lightning, bolting down the track. His heart sank. His confidence was shattered. His will, however, wouldn’t back down. He took in a deep, agonizing breath as he pushed himself just a bit farther in an attempt to catch her. He felt himself working better than he ever had before. His arms rhythmic as he flew through the motions. However, what he didn’t account for was the amount of sweat he had been producing.

Hymndi brought his hand down to the wheel just slightly too far forward. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem. Normally it would just cause him a slight tinge of pain and some slowing down. Normally his hand wouldn’t be covered in sweat. His hand slipped out from underneath him, causing him to shift to the right slightly, his arm hitting the wheel as it began to tip. He braced himself, closing his eyes as he prepared to hit the track hard. He didn’t have time to see her finish first, like he knew she would, he was too busy trying not to look down. 

Hymndi hit the ground left shoulder first, a searing shock sent through his body as he felt the hot track below him. Momentum caused him to bounce slightly, rolling a bit so he landed on his back this time, his breath knocked straight out of his lungs. He let out a slight cry of pain, balling up slightly as his wheelchair caught up with him. He didn’t know what hit him, but he felt part of it bounce on his legs. Finally as he came to a stop, his body throbbing in pain, he looked up at the sky, breathing heavily. He heard Emi say something about him being slow, but didn’t quite catch what she said. Instead of responding, or doing anything, he took the time to lay there, staring at the sky. He knew he was bleeding. Rather, he figured he was somewhere after all that, but he didn’t feel any pain anymore. Adrenaline had kicked in, so he just laid there in peace for a moment, listening to his heart pound. 

[hidebehindsprinting]

Emi was still grinning before she knew what had happened. The situation had changed dramatically before her eyes and she felt her knees go weak. Hymdni was lying there, not moving, bleeding and looking rather like a heap next to his now battered looking wheelchair. Flashbacks flew across Emi's field of vision. A memory best left forgotten clouding up her field up vision, she dropped to her knees and just stared at Hymndi's still form.

'"Hello?! Can you hear me? You're going to be alright, we're going to pull you out slowly, okay?! Ready? One, two three...here we g- Oh lord."'

Shaking her head and feeling hot, salty tears grace her lips as they ran down her pale cheeks, Emi mustered up some courage and began to crawl to Hymndi, she needed to be strong. This person needed help.

Reaching his body, Emi noticed the slow, raspy breaths escaping his lips and hope soothed her guilt, "Hymndi?! It's Emi! Can you hear me?" Unsure what to do, Emi pressed her head to his chest to hear a heart hammering as if it were trying to escape from his rib cage. She wasn't a master at first aid, but if she could be certain that he was alive, that was enough to calm her nerves, 'I need to get the nurse...I can't leave him here...' she was trapped between a rock and a hard place, she needed Hymndi to come around. Looking down at her hands she noticed the crimson red, slowly turning to a dirty rust colour as the small pool of blood grew around Hymndi's head and neck, she whispers, "Please wake up...".

[hidebehindsprinting]

Eternal

  Knock knock knock KNOCK!

"Uh…" Emi opened her eyes and allowed light to awake her brain. One side of her hair stuck out in all directions whilst the other stuck to the side of her face, her tears from a nightmare now forgotten acting as an adhesive to join the fine strands to her skin, "I’ll be right th-" her sentence was interrupted as she yawned. Wiping the sleep from her eyes before ruffling then flattening out her hair she swung her legs over the side of her bed. Sleepily she reached for her prosthetic legs, missing the first time and grumbling slightly before re-attempting with a successful outcome. Emi attached her legs and stood up clumsily, due to tiredness.

Moving slowly to the door Emi turned the latch and heard a 'click', handling the door knob she opened the entrance to her room yawning again she managed a greeting, “Morning Rin!” 

[iwonderifcloudstastelikesnails]

Still unused to waking up early, Rin yawns, “Hellooo.” She winkles after, her train of thought switching tracks and leaving an awkward pause of near-silence.

Bee-beep. Bee-beep.

“Oh yeah.” Rin looks over her shoulder. “This was a bad idea…” Beeps from across the hall reaffirm her words as she wiggles her stumps. “I’m up now though. You can get rid of the alarm thingy.” She and Emi make their way over.

Bee-*tck*

The corners of her room are laden with more canvases than usual – some almost-masterpieces that didn’t exist two days before, some could-be-masterpieces discarded after a bad stroke. In fact, her room is laden with more everything than usual – bed sheets and blankets spill into above the carpet and crumpled papers with psychedelic sketches litter the floor, all coated by faint, albeit notable traces of auburn hair melding into the 5AM sun’s glimmer. Her wardrobe also erupted its contents at some point apparently.

 “No school clothes.” She bobs her head at the bed, nose pointing towards a set of jean overalls laid on top of a plain shirt. “I need those now.” Rin stares at Emi complacently, as if there are no questions floating in the trackstar’s head about the change in daily routine.

[hidebehindsprinting]

Emi was happy to see Rin. It was an unlikely friendship, yet special in its own way. Following her neighbor across the hall she stares around Rin's room, noticing the fabulous pieces of artwork propped up here, there and everywhere - there were more than usual.

"No school clothes"

Emi snaps out of her sleepy daydreaming of admiring her close friend's talent and smiles broadly, making her way over to Rin's bed. Running her fingers along the denim of the overalls she separated and flattened out the coming day's clothing before moving her hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn, 'What time is it?' She should really get into a habit of checking her clock when she opens her eyes in the morning, 'it must be earlier than usual' Emi's doesn't take in to account her restless night's sleep, "You're really on a roll lately, Rin!" She beams at her friend before beginning to remove her sleep-crumpled pajamas, a small frown forming over her face as she subconsciously compares the size of Rin's chest to her own. It disappears as quickly as it had spread across her brow. 

After locating clean underwear, Emi slips them over Rin's legs before covering up her remaining modesty with a bra. Half skipping to the bed, an enthusiastic Emi picks up the plain t-shirt and jean overalls before returning to her friend. Struggling to get the t-shirt over Rin's head - after all this time helping her neighbor, she still struggled to line up the neck hole and head which always ended her up in a bit of a tangle, but, a little tug and...success! Kneeling down she opened the overalls and allows Rin to step into the leg holes before shimmying them over her body and fastening the over-shoulder buckles, "Tada!" she grinned at her job well done before taking a step back.

Clenching her fists together and smiling innocently at Rin, Emi questions her friend, "What are you planning for today, Rin?" she looks up with big green eyes and waits for a response - this was something she was used to between the two of them. 

[hymndi]

Similarities

[hidebehindsprinting]

Watching Hymndi out of the corner of her eye, Emi slowed her breathing, she felt the pulse under her jaw slow as she crouched and placed the tips of her fingers on the track before her. The asphalt was warm and the pleasant feeling ran through her nerves to her brain. She smiled, half to herself and half in the general direction of Hymndi, “I’ll count down from three, okay?” her voice had lowered as she concentrated, “One lap of the track. 3…2…1…GO!” she sprinted from her position; springing from the line like cat pouncing on a mouse.

Emi was aware quite quickly that she had taken lead early; of course she wasn’t suprised. Left leg forward, right leg forward, repeat. Her wide smile that was, at the starting line, plastered over her face shrank drastically into a small, determined curve. Her brows tilted down towards her nose. Acceleration was gradual but definite. Emi felt as though she was flying, gliding inches from the ground as she sprinted around the curve of the track, for a moment, she had forgotten about her race and Hymndi came back to her thoughts.  

[hymndi]

Hymndi’s arms pushed him forward, his arms like pistons rocketing him forward. He hadn’t done something like this in a while. Heck since…. He shook the thought from his mind as he focused on the task at hand. His arms worked like machinery, working in a circular motion. His hands hit the wheels hard, his arms rocketed forwar pushing him farther, then pulled up and back to repeat the process. He saw Emi pulling ahead with ease, which disheartened him slightly, but he wasn’t done. He leaned forward a bit, sweat beginning to form as he pushed himself harder. He felt his throat growing dry, his breathing getting heavier, his hands growing hot. This was a forgotten feeling to him. This wasn’t an annoying work out, like trying to go up the hill, this was an exhilarating feeling of determination.

Hymndi rounded the corner just behind Emi. That was being modest. She had been gaining on him the whole time, but he kept the gains rather small. She was only truly a few strides away, but his arms had began to grow tired. He clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together as he pushed himself more. Slap. Push. Arms back. Repeat. His eyes had closed for a moment as he pushed himself, and as he reopened them he saw she was just a bit farther. He swore at himself and tried to go faster, his arms screaming in protest. He ignored his body and kept going, rocketing towards the second turn, trying to at least gain a little ground on Emi. He wanted to show her that he could hold his own against her, despite being in this stupid chair, and he wasn’t going to be a poor addition to the track team.

Hymndi needed to show her. 

[hidebehindsprinting]

Breathe, step, step, step step, breathe...

Race or no race, Emi was in her zone, no holding back. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a shadowy glimpse of Hymndi, arms like pistons pushing forward on his wheels, he had fallen behind a quarter of a lap ago but was now gaining, as though his brain was on autopilot, driving a dusty machine that had just been re-oiled. As much as Emi had wanted to have a friendly race with this new person, allowing them to beat her was out of the questions. Her tongue stuck out ever so slightly as she unleashed maximum energy, her blades taking on the track in a war between gravity and friction as she cut through the air at tremendous speed. 

Emi soon realised she was quickly pulling away and still accelerating, but one side of her brain was focussed on Hymndi; he came across quite shy and reserved, yet on the track he becomes a fantastic machine, almost becoming part of his wheelchair, the usual clunky support for his disability becoming a marvelous asset to his being. She had thought for too long and in no time at all the line that marked the end of their little competition was in sight and rapidly moving closer. Emi passed the line and slowed to a stop; spinning on her right blade she turned just in time to see a sweating form speed over his destination. Deciding to end with playful banter, "Where were you slow coach?! I can feel my hair going grey!" she grinned cheekily at Hymndi. 

[hidebehindsprinting]

Eternal

iwonderifcloudstastelikesnails:

A galaxy of plastered paint moles.

Bee-beep. Bee-beep. Bee-beep.

From a distant view, it forms an endless array of dots – paper-like material underneath dried paint spots.

Bee-beep. Bee-beep.

And yet, up close, each droplet is its own – a different shape, a different texture, a different identity to every star in the cluster.

Bee-beep.

Each one is the same, and yet each one is different. And in the end, whether seen from afar or close, as conformed or individual, they all share the same fate – left as a sea of statuettes – as memories of what they once were – as Rin’s bedroom ceiling.

Bee-

“Emi…”

Rin wakes up from her daydream as the alarm clock continues its whine a quarter past six. With her shirt undone and pants unbothered to be found, she gets up, slipping into her sandals as she paces towards her door. Deftly, she pulls down the handle in between her toes and paces across the hall to Emi’s, fiddling with it as the lock denies her entrance. Already failing at her etiquette, she braces her shoulder for a wakeup call.

knock Knock KNock KNOCK!

Knock knock knock KNOCK!

"Uh..." Emi opened her eyes and allowed light to awake her brain. One side of her hair stuck out in all directions whilst the other stuck to the side of her face, her tears from a nightmare now forgotten acting as an adhesive to join the fine strands to her skin, "I'll be right th-" her sentence was interrupted as she yawned. Wiping the sleep from her eyes before ruffling then flattening out her hair she swung her legs over the side of her bed. Sleepily she reached for her prosthetic legs, missing the first time and grumbling slightly before re-attempting with a successful outcome. Emi attached her legs and stood up clumsily, due to tiredness.

Moving slowly to the door Emi turned the latch and heard a 'click', handling the door knob she opened the entrance to her room yawning again she managed a greeting, "Morning Rin!" 

[hymndi]

Similarities

[hidebehindsprinting]

Emi balled up her fists as she monitored the boys face between the time of her talking and him replying. Have I said something wrong? The boy in the wheelchair seemed to be extremely shy and perhaps her introduction had been a bit forward. As he spoke in a more confident manner; Emi squeezed her eyes shut and smiled widely, “A race?!” this was absolutely brilliant! It had been a while since she’d practiced this hard, so a race was somewhat of a treat, continuing to jog on the spot she continued with her reply, “Yay! Okay, we’ll start on our marks here and when I count down 3, 2, 1, GO! We’ll set off. You can even have the inside lane if you want!” she spoke too quickly, even for her, but what was she supposed to do when she was this excited?

Not bothering to wait for the boys answer, she did a 180 turn back to the track and stood on her marks, grinning, “Come on! This is going to be so fun!” Something about the boy made her competitive side flare up and her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Emi had never been a modest person and was aware that her running skills were known. Could this boy really keep up to her? Closing her eyes, she briefly imagined what it would be like to race in a wheelchair, what it would be like if she had chosen to live on wheels for the rest of her life rather than learn to walk again…she shuddered slightly at the thought of her arms burning as she pushed the over-sized chair wheels forward to carry her around the track at such speed, but soon snapped out of it to focus on Hymndi, gauging his reaction, her smile now small and thoughtful. 

[hymndi]

Hymndi’s mind raced, the gears in his head that he called a “brain” strained to keep up. Okay, she agreed. Enthusiastically. She’s very up beat. Keep that in mind. His own thoughts drowned out her words and he struggled to try and recall them. Something about the inside lane? He simply nodded, his face a confused mess as he pushed himself on to his spot on the track. He knew he was going to fail, by a long shot. It had been a long time since he had done anything like this. Either way, he had come this far and there was no turning back. Especially since her reactions was so… His brain strained as he attempted to find the right word. Enthused? He decided that was close enough. He had other things to worry about.

Hymndi’s hands tensed on the wheels as he took a deep breath. His arms weren’t weak by all means, especially with how often he went to town and took the trek back up that hill. However, despite this, he still figured he would lose horribly. With a deep sigh he looked over at the girl, nodding a bit. “Whenever you’re ready.” He wanted to say more, but decided not to. A smirk danced across his face despite this. She had so much energy in her, he thought she might pass out before the race even began, causing the slight smirk. It faded as quickly as it had appeared, and he looked forward to prepare himself for the race. He would try his hardest, despite knowing the outcome. 

[hidebehindsprinting]

Watching Hymndi out of the corner of her eye, Emi slowed her breathing, she felt the pulse under her jaw slow as she crouched and placed the tips of her fingers on the track before her. The asphalt was warm and the pleasant feeling ran through her nerves to her brain. She smiled, half to herself and half in the general direction of Hymndi, "I'll count down from three, okay?" her voice had lowered as she concentrated, "One lap of the track. 3...2...1...GO!" she sprinted from her position; springing from the line like cat pouncing on a mouse.

Emi was aware quite quickly that she had taken lead early; of course she wasn't suprised. Left leg forward, right leg forward, repeat. Her wide smile that was, at the starting line, plastered over her face shrank drastically into a small, determined curve. Her brows tilted down towards her nose. Acceleration was gradual but definite. Emi felt as though she was flying, gliding inches from the ground as she sprinted around the curve of the track, for a moment, she had forgotten about her race and Hymndi came back to her thoughts.  

[hymndi]

Similarities

Hymndi was bored, as per usual, and was making his way around the grounds of Yamaku. His hands gently pushed on the wheels, in turn making his wheelchair push forward in a very casual, relaxed roll. He thought about the past week and all that had happened. Everything was so different than what he was used to, which wasn’t bad, it would just take some getting used to. People began flooding his thought, as well as the events, as he rolled by a few other students. Rin. Miki. Vi. Saito. Hanako. Lilly. Misha. Kento. These people, for better or worse, had changed him a bit. He wouldn’t take back anything that happened with any of them. He smiled softly as he thought of Rin. Then his thoughts, somehow, turned to Miki. As he looked up he found himself on the track field and he sighed. Oh, so this is how I was reminded of Miki.. He nodded, the smile still on his face. She had played her cards right and convinced him to join the track team. Well, he would’ve probably said yes no matter what she asked him to do. He chuckled as he thought of him doing her laundry, shaking his head as he pushed himself towards the track field, intending to inspect it further. 

As Hymndi approached the field, he began to hear a sort of.. . Running was it? He focused a bit more, looking for the source which he quickly found. A girl, pigtails, running shorts, plain t-shirt and… Her legs. He couldn’t help but stare for a bit. He quickly looked back up at her, admiring at how quickly she was running, feeling slightly ashamed that he stared. As she began getting closer his hand raised awkwardly, waving slightly, a smile forced on his face. He didn’t know why he waved, but his body had decided it would be a good idea. Well, here goes nothing I guess. He sighed mentally to himself, waiting for her reaction to him. He hoped she wouldn’t think he was some creepy guy in a wheelchair watching her. Either way, she looked like she was part of the track team, and with him being on the track team too now… How could it go wrong?

[hidebehindsprinting]

Come on, Emi. One more lap, you can do it. Emi was pushing herself particularly hard, she felt as though for the last few weeks her training had lacked enthusiasm and it was good to feel that all too familiar exhaustion that came with a whole morning of running and exercise, and the finale of today’s work out was currently in motion, literally. 

Wanting to enjoy the final lap and the surroundings to celebrate a job well done, Emi decided to look up from the ground rushing beneath her blades, she had seen this sight all too many times before, but, something was different. About seventy meters ahead of her was a boy, around her age sitting in a wheelchair at the side of the track. He seemed somewhat familiar, she had perhaps seen him around the academy before now, but he was waving to her, a little tentatively. But I need to finish this lap… Emi was torn between her running and her want to greet this person. How she loved showing people her territory! Shrugging off the edge of selfishness that urged Emi to keep running she slowed considerably and pulled off to the side, “Hi!” she grinned cheekily whilst awkwardly jogging on the spot, don’t want to break stride, now. "What’s your name? What brings you to the track?" 

[hymndi]

The girl, despite slowing, still began running towards Hymndi. Is this how every track member greets a person? By running at them? He cringed a bit, closing his eyes and sinking back in to his wheelchair. He suddenly heard a very cheery greeting and he came out of his brief attempt to possibly hide, looking up a bit at the girl. He was suddenly asked two question in quick succession, which he wasn’t expecting. Had he possibly gone in far too over his head? His mouth opened, an answer stammering out of his mouth. “O-oh uh, I’m…” , His mouth hung open as the cogs in his head jammed. They finally kicked back into gear and he spat out “Hymndi! I’m, uh, I’m Hymndi Yokahiro.” He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed, his face a slight red. “As to why I’m here well… Miki got me to join the track team and I figured I’d come scope out the field again. And, well, now I’m here. Talking to you.” He looked down at her continuing to jog in place and looked back up at her eyes, his brow furrowing as he began chewing the inside of his cheek. “Would you like to finish your lap? I can try to keep up in this clunker.” He patted his wheelchair, figuring she would want to, and he didn’t want to take that away from her. Heck, he had already taken that away from her. He suddenly felt really bad, looking down at the ground, biting at his lip now. “In fact, I insist you finish your lap. I can come along too. I’m going to need the practice.” He looked back up at her and nodded once. It was going to be difficult, but he felt like he owed this to the girl. 

[hidebehindsprinting]

Emi balled up her fists as she monitored the boys face between the time of her talking and him replying. Have I said something wrong? The boy in the wheelchair seemed to be extremely shy and perhaps her introduction had been a bit forward. As he spoke in a more confident manner; Emi squeezed her eyes shut and smiled widely, "A race?!" this was absolutely brilliant! It had been a while since she'd practiced this hard, so a race was somewhat of a treat, continuing to jog on the spot she continued with her reply, "Yay! Okay, we'll start on our marks here and when I count down 3, 2, 1, GO! We'll set off. You can even have the inside lane if you want!" she spoke too quickly, even for her, but what was she supposed to do when she was this excited?

Not bothering to wait for the boys answer, she did a 180 turn back to the track and stood on her marks, grinning, "Come on! This is going to be so fun!" Something about the boy made her competitive side flare up and her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Emi had never been a modest person and was aware that her running skills were known. Could this boy really keep up to her? Closing her eyes, she briefly imagined what it would be like to race in a wheelchair, what it would be like if she had chosen to live on wheels for the rest of her life rather than learn to walk again...she shuddered slightly at the thought of her arms burning as she pushed the over-sized chair wheels forward to carry her around the track at such speed, but soon snapped out of it to focus on Hymndi, gauging his reaction, her smile now small and thoughtful. 

[hymndi]

Similarities

Hymndi was bored, as per usual, and was making his way around the grounds of Yamaku. His hands gently pushed on the wheels, in turn making his wheelchair push forward in a very casual, relaxed roll. He thought about the past week and all that had happened. Everything was so different than what he was used to, which wasn’t bad, it would just take some getting used to. People began flooding his thought, as well as the events, as he rolled by a few other students. Rin. Miki. Vi. Saito. Hanako. Lilly. Misha. Kento. These people, for better or worse, had changed him a bit. He wouldn’t take back anything that happened with any of them. He smiled softly as he thought of Rin. Then his thoughts, somehow, turned to Miki. As he looked up he found himself on the track field and he sighed. Oh, so this is how I was reminded of Miki.. He nodded, the smile still on his face. She had played her cards right and convinced him to join the track team. Well, he would’ve probably said yes no matter what she asked him to do. He chuckled as he thought of him doing her laundry, shaking his head as he pushed himself towards the track field, intending to inspect it further. 

As Hymndi approached the field, he began to hear a sort of.. . Running was it? He focused a bit more, looking for the source which he quickly found. A girl, pigtails, running shorts, plain t-shirt and… Her legs. He couldn’t help but stare for a bit. He quickly looked back up at her, admiring at how quickly she was running, feeling slightly ashamed that he stared. As she began getting closer his hand raised awkwardly, waving slightly, a smile forced on his face. He didn’t know why he waved, but his body had decided it would be a good idea. Well, here goes nothing I guess. He sighed mentally to himself, waiting for her reaction to him. He hoped she wouldn’t think he was some creepy guy in a wheelchair watching her. Either way, she looked like she was part of the track team, and with him being on the track team too now… How could it go wrong?

[hidebehindsprinting]

Come on, Emi. One more lap, you can do it. Emi was pushing herself particularly hard, she felt as though for the last few weeks her training had lacked enthusiasm and it was good to feel that all too familiar exhaustion that came with a whole morning of running and exercise, and the finale of today's work out was currently in motion, literally. 

Wanting to enjoy the final lap and the surroundings to celebrate a job well done, Emi decided to look up from the ground rushing beneath her blades, she had seen this sight all too many times before, but, something was different. About seventy meters ahead of her was a boy, around her age sitting in a wheelchair at the side of the track. He seemed somewhat familiar, she had perhaps seen him around the academy before now, but he was waving to her, a little tentatively. But I need to finish this lap... Emi was torn between her running and her want to greet this person. How she loved showing people her territory! Shrugging off the edge of selfishness that urged Emi to keep running she slowed considerably and pulled off to the side, "Hi!" she grinned cheekily whilst awkwardly jogging on the spot, don't want to break stride, now. "What's your name? What brings you to the track?"