[log] the one where they make friends
Subject: Chance encounter~!
Characters: Echizen Ryoma, Yukimura Seiichi
Location: The bar
Time: Before 10pm, Cerca April 1(?)
Rating: PG
Summary: Ryoma stopped to have a drink at the bar, Seiichi was just wandering the boat, they have a conversation about... nothing at all. At least they are getting along. :)
The liquid in the glass in front of him was a sharp ember. He liked the color and he twirled the glass idly to create a small whirlpool in the middle of it, the dim lights from the diodes above him reflecting in the whirls. Ryoma sighed and brought the glass to his lips, sipping on the Scotch and trying his best to keep from making a face. He really didn't like the taste, but it was strong, and that was what he needed right now.
The doors opened suddenly and Ryoma looked up to see who it was. When he recognized Yukimura Seiichi he felt a pang of surprise; he had never seen the other guy down at the bar before, and he really couldn't picture Yukimura as the type of person who'd causally grab a glass of something stronger, especially since it wasn't even past 10 PM yet.
Echizen's assumptions would be correct. Seiichi had wandered in search of a place to sketch - somewhere quiet that might have an interesting subject. He had more or less exhausted the possibilities of his room, with the exception of one... particular sketch that had yet to happen. But, that required asking Genichirou to be willingly naked in front of him. It had been no big deal before everything that happened, it was nothing that Seiichi had not seen before, but given the circumstances it felt almost awkward.
As expected, the bar was quiet; given the hour, anyone who would frequent such a place was not yet present. Seiichi tucked his sketchbook and box of charcoals (well, graphite pencils that mimicked charcoals) under his arm, looking for a good place to set up. Lighting would be a problem, but if he sat by the bar itself... Echizen. Curious, Seiichi tilted his head and made his way over to the bar. "Fancy meeting you here."
"I could say the same," Ryoma said, eyeing Seiichi. "Didn't take you for the drinking type." Of course, he was mostly basing his assumptions on his memories of Seiichi from seven years ago - as they hadn't really talked in person while on the cruise - but still...
“I’m not,” Seiichi agreed. He raised an eyebrow. “And aren’t you underage?” Not that it would really matter on a private cruise that Atobe organized, he had a feeling that Atobe wasn’t going to walk around carding his guests for liquor. Even if he was, with how Echizen had once traveled for tennis, and possibly still traveled, the drinking age would change everywhere he went. It was all relative.
He merely shrugged at that and offered a crooked grin in Seiichi's direction. He knew he wasn't really getting along with this man, but if he had to chose between his greatest enemies - Seiichi and Atobe respectively - Seiichi was definitely the one he could actually consider keeping company with. "Wanna join me?" He could always order something non-alcoholic, Ryoma figured.
Seiichi considered it - as long as they still had their truce, he might as well. He seated himself, setting down the sketchpad and the pencil case. The bartender seemed keen to offer him a drink, but he waved him off. “I’m a little surprised you can get away with wandering off,” Seiichi mused, a thin smile meeting his lips. “Aren’t your teammates sort of... clingy? Especially Momoshiro and Kikumaru - they seem the most guilty of it.”
"Well, they actually listen when I tell them that I want to be alone flat out. I get that much respect at least." Even if he still was the baby in their eyes. It was a bit annoying - albeit endearing - sometimes. "But back at you. I've never really seen you away from Sanada and or Yanagi, you know."
...It made Seiichi a little sad to consider that it once really had been a rare sight for the three of them to be apart. “I guess that’s true,” he agreed. “Renji moved to Tokyo after high school, so we don’t spend as much time together. And Gencihirou,” was nearly impossible to get along with sometimes. “...Has his own life, so it’s not like we spend every waking second together.” It was changing, of course, but it had been a rough few months before the cruise when they weren’t talking at all. “After I got out of the hospital, it was different. But after a few years without spontaneously collapsing, I guess they let me off for good behavior.”
"That's good." Ryoma realized that sounded a little bit too vague, and he hurriedly elaborated. "I mean, that you're not spontaneously collapsing anymore. No plans on starting that up again, I hope." He grinned a little, then mellowed out. "It kind of sucks, doesn't it? When you drift apart from people you really liked at some point. Mom says it's all about growing up, but I think she's kind of full of it."
At that, Seiichi laughed. “It is all part of growing up, to some degree. We all are free to do what we wish after high school - study what we will, work where we want, marry who we love. It moves people in different directions.” He folded his arms over the bar, his eyes drifting over the polished wood counter thoughtfully. “But it’s our choice to move ‘apart.’ It’s on us to keep close the people who matter.” That would not be everyone - that would not be all of his friends from high school - but Renji, Genichirou... really, everyone from the team...
"That marrying part can be a bit tricky if you're into guys," Ryoma commented dryly, taking another hit at his drink. "I... I guess I made some kind of bad choices down the line," he mused, twirling the Scotch around in the glass again. "Enough of that. What're you doing down here?"
Seiichi unfolded his arms long enough to tap two fingers on the cover of the sketchbook. “I was looking for inspiration.” In truth, he had not felt at all inspired artistically since the incident at the pool a few days back. His mind was full of things which was not conducive to any sort of artistic endeavor. Happy things, no less - that made it even worse. The more tortured the artist, the better the art, he had always thought. “Just wandering.”
"Good thing you happened upon me then~ I'd say I'm inspirational enough." Ryoma grinned, self assured. "Did you know something, by the way? I'm not easily freaked. At all. But I think... When I played against you... Yeah. That was really scary. Weird, huh?" The alcohol had obviously loosened his tongue a bit.
Amused, Seiichi put his hand to his cheek. “Is that so? I didn’t think I was such a frightening person.” He had this enormous reputation that proceeded him everywhere he went, but Seiichi at least to believe himself to be a gentle, friendly person. He gardened, liked flowers and insects, painted... all peaceful stuff. He would maintain until the grave that anyone who succumbed to the “yips” went too far into their own head, fell into despair and desperation, and Seiichi couldn’t do anything about that.
"You were," Ryoma insisted, a small pout brushing over his lips. "Totally scary shit, you know. Do you still play like that?" Not that he was in any hurry to get out on the courts and see for himself, but...
“Yes,” Seiichi replied, watching the younger man who seemed to be falling further from anything resembling lucidity. “I get accused of being a counter-puncher, which just isn’t true.” Seiichi was a true all-court player - he had the attributes of an aggressive baseline player and a serve-and-volley player as well, he just didn’t miss returns like a counter-puncher. Hence... scary Yukimura Seiichi, the “child of god.” He chuckled softly to himself. It was a ridiculous nickname.
"No? Well, what I heard about you was that you were an all rounder, so I sort of expected you to play like Buch--- Uh. Tezuka. I remember being somewhat surprised when you didn't."
“We aren’t all Tezuka,” joked Seiichi softly. “Even he is a little bit flashy. Reminds me of Atobe.” Or at least he would if Atobe weren’t a self-important, egotistical jackass. Tezuka had his faults... he was overwhelmingly polite and proper, but at the expense of his personality, it seemed.
Buchou was flashy? Ryoma hadn't really thought about him as such, but when Seiichi pointed it out... Maybe he was right. A smile played over his lips as he nodded. "As long as he isn't too much like Atobe, I'm cool with it."
A small smile quirked a the corner of Seiichi’s lips. It was hard to imagine Tezuka throwing his jacket in the air and snapping - that would be more like Echizen himself if anyone was going to mimic Atobe. At least, back when he was acting like a brat all the time. Echizen as he was now seemed sort of... well, not pathetic, but certainly pitiable. It was hard for Seicihi to muster the willpower to even properly tease him.
“I think now would be a good time to call it good with the whisky,” he suggested, glancing briefly up at the bartender, as though daring him to come over. “Why don’t we go walk it off? It’s a nice night out there.”
"Fine by me," Ryoma shrugged, getting to his feet. His movements were a little sluggish, but it wasn't so bad that he stumbled - more like had to pause and think a little bit before he moved. Making certain his jacket was at the place where he had left it, making sure his shoelaces were tied, that sort of thing. "Tell me something though... What's with everyone babying me? I don't get it."
And that was exactly what was pitiable. Seiichi shook his head. “You seem depressed, Echizen. I don’t think any of us want to kick you when you’re down.” He stood, putting his sketch pad and pencils under his arm, again. “I don’t want to baby you, either - I think you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself.”
"Depressed? Well, I'm not." He pulled his jacket on and started out of the lounge with an impatient - or annoyed? - stride. He stopped when in front of the elevator that led to the top deck, and waited for Seiichi to catch up. He wasn't depressed. He was simply worried about Momoshiro's rash, and disturbed by the false alarm and he hoped this ship wouldn't turn out to be the next Titanic, but that certainly didn't make him depressed. He stopped, his finger hovering above the button to call the elevator to them, and realized that he was getting suspiciously defensive here. He glanced up at Seiichi and smirked. "... Thanks for the vote of confidence though, even if it's a bit surprising, coming from you~"
Seiichi was not a mean-spirited person, nor did he dislike Echizen. It was the brattiness and egotism that drove him up the wall. With age, Seiichi mellowed - or perhaps it was just with so much experience dealing with the mini-egos of the children he coached. It was a little bit easier to avoid rising to the bait, to just let Echizen be Echizen... particularly after a drink or two. “I never said I thought you were incapable,” he replied, returning the smirk with his own tiny, wicked smile. “Other things perhaps, but not incapable.”
"Hnn~" Ryoma quirked an eyebrow at that, the smirk still playing on his lips. "Well, if you say so, Shoulder Jersey-kun." His tone was teasing, almost challenging. "Let's hurry it up now, or the stars are gonna miss out on us."
The stars? Seiichi shook his head. “Whatever you say, boy.”
Characters: Echizen Ryoma, Yukimura Seiichi
Location: The bar
Time: Before 10pm, Cerca April 1(?)
Rating: PG
Summary: Ryoma stopped to have a drink at the bar, Seiichi was just wandering the boat, they have a conversation about... nothing at all. At least they are getting along. :)
The liquid in the glass in front of him was a sharp ember. He liked the color and he twirled the glass idly to create a small whirlpool in the middle of it, the dim lights from the diodes above him reflecting in the whirls. Ryoma sighed and brought the glass to his lips, sipping on the Scotch and trying his best to keep from making a face. He really didn't like the taste, but it was strong, and that was what he needed right now.
The doors opened suddenly and Ryoma looked up to see who it was. When he recognized Yukimura Seiichi he felt a pang of surprise; he had never seen the other guy down at the bar before, and he really couldn't picture Yukimura as the type of person who'd causally grab a glass of something stronger, especially since it wasn't even past 10 PM yet.
Echizen's assumptions would be correct. Seiichi had wandered in search of a place to sketch - somewhere quiet that might have an interesting subject. He had more or less exhausted the possibilities of his room, with the exception of one... particular sketch that had yet to happen. But, that required asking Genichirou to be willingly naked in front of him. It had been no big deal before everything that happened, it was nothing that Seiichi had not seen before, but given the circumstances it felt almost awkward.
As expected, the bar was quiet; given the hour, anyone who would frequent such a place was not yet present. Seiichi tucked his sketchbook and box of charcoals (well, graphite pencils that mimicked charcoals) under his arm, looking for a good place to set up. Lighting would be a problem, but if he sat by the bar itself... Echizen. Curious, Seiichi tilted his head and made his way over to the bar. "Fancy meeting you here."
"I could say the same," Ryoma said, eyeing Seiichi. "Didn't take you for the drinking type." Of course, he was mostly basing his assumptions on his memories of Seiichi from seven years ago - as they hadn't really talked in person while on the cruise - but still...
“I’m not,” Seiichi agreed. He raised an eyebrow. “And aren’t you underage?” Not that it would really matter on a private cruise that Atobe organized, he had a feeling that Atobe wasn’t going to walk around carding his guests for liquor. Even if he was, with how Echizen had once traveled for tennis, and possibly still traveled, the drinking age would change everywhere he went. It was all relative.
He merely shrugged at that and offered a crooked grin in Seiichi's direction. He knew he wasn't really getting along with this man, but if he had to chose between his greatest enemies - Seiichi and Atobe respectively - Seiichi was definitely the one he could actually consider keeping company with. "Wanna join me?" He could always order something non-alcoholic, Ryoma figured.
Seiichi considered it - as long as they still had their truce, he might as well. He seated himself, setting down the sketchpad and the pencil case. The bartender seemed keen to offer him a drink, but he waved him off. “I’m a little surprised you can get away with wandering off,” Seiichi mused, a thin smile meeting his lips. “Aren’t your teammates sort of... clingy? Especially Momoshiro and Kikumaru - they seem the most guilty of it.”
"Well, they actually listen when I tell them that I want to be alone flat out. I get that much respect at least." Even if he still was the baby in their eyes. It was a bit annoying - albeit endearing - sometimes. "But back at you. I've never really seen you away from Sanada and or Yanagi, you know."
...It made Seiichi a little sad to consider that it once really had been a rare sight for the three of them to be apart. “I guess that’s true,” he agreed. “Renji moved to Tokyo after high school, so we don’t spend as much time together. And Gencihirou,” was nearly impossible to get along with sometimes. “...Has his own life, so it’s not like we spend every waking second together.” It was changing, of course, but it had been a rough few months before the cruise when they weren’t talking at all. “After I got out of the hospital, it was different. But after a few years without spontaneously collapsing, I guess they let me off for good behavior.”
"That's good." Ryoma realized that sounded a little bit too vague, and he hurriedly elaborated. "I mean, that you're not spontaneously collapsing anymore. No plans on starting that up again, I hope." He grinned a little, then mellowed out. "It kind of sucks, doesn't it? When you drift apart from people you really liked at some point. Mom says it's all about growing up, but I think she's kind of full of it."
At that, Seiichi laughed. “It is all part of growing up, to some degree. We all are free to do what we wish after high school - study what we will, work where we want, marry who we love. It moves people in different directions.” He folded his arms over the bar, his eyes drifting over the polished wood counter thoughtfully. “But it’s our choice to move ‘apart.’ It’s on us to keep close the people who matter.” That would not be everyone - that would not be all of his friends from high school - but Renji, Genichirou... really, everyone from the team...
"That marrying part can be a bit tricky if you're into guys," Ryoma commented dryly, taking another hit at his drink. "I... I guess I made some kind of bad choices down the line," he mused, twirling the Scotch around in the glass again. "Enough of that. What're you doing down here?"
Seiichi unfolded his arms long enough to tap two fingers on the cover of the sketchbook. “I was looking for inspiration.” In truth, he had not felt at all inspired artistically since the incident at the pool a few days back. His mind was full of things which was not conducive to any sort of artistic endeavor. Happy things, no less - that made it even worse. The more tortured the artist, the better the art, he had always thought. “Just wandering.”
"Good thing you happened upon me then~ I'd say I'm inspirational enough." Ryoma grinned, self assured. "Did you know something, by the way? I'm not easily freaked. At all. But I think... When I played against you... Yeah. That was really scary. Weird, huh?" The alcohol had obviously loosened his tongue a bit.
Amused, Seiichi put his hand to his cheek. “Is that so? I didn’t think I was such a frightening person.” He had this enormous reputation that proceeded him everywhere he went, but Seiichi at least to believe himself to be a gentle, friendly person. He gardened, liked flowers and insects, painted... all peaceful stuff. He would maintain until the grave that anyone who succumbed to the “yips” went too far into their own head, fell into despair and desperation, and Seiichi couldn’t do anything about that.
"You were," Ryoma insisted, a small pout brushing over his lips. "Totally scary shit, you know. Do you still play like that?" Not that he was in any hurry to get out on the courts and see for himself, but...
“Yes,” Seiichi replied, watching the younger man who seemed to be falling further from anything resembling lucidity. “I get accused of being a counter-puncher, which just isn’t true.” Seiichi was a true all-court player - he had the attributes of an aggressive baseline player and a serve-and-volley player as well, he just didn’t miss returns like a counter-puncher. Hence... scary Yukimura Seiichi, the “child of god.” He chuckled softly to himself. It was a ridiculous nickname.
"No? Well, what I heard about you was that you were an all rounder, so I sort of expected you to play like Buch--- Uh. Tezuka. I remember being somewhat surprised when you didn't."
“We aren’t all Tezuka,” joked Seiichi softly. “Even he is a little bit flashy. Reminds me of Atobe.” Or at least he would if Atobe weren’t a self-important, egotistical jackass. Tezuka had his faults... he was overwhelmingly polite and proper, but at the expense of his personality, it seemed.
Buchou was flashy? Ryoma hadn't really thought about him as such, but when Seiichi pointed it out... Maybe he was right. A smile played over his lips as he nodded. "As long as he isn't too much like Atobe, I'm cool with it."
A small smile quirked a the corner of Seiichi’s lips. It was hard to imagine Tezuka throwing his jacket in the air and snapping - that would be more like Echizen himself if anyone was going to mimic Atobe. At least, back when he was acting like a brat all the time. Echizen as he was now seemed sort of... well, not pathetic, but certainly pitiable. It was hard for Seicihi to muster the willpower to even properly tease him.
“I think now would be a good time to call it good with the whisky,” he suggested, glancing briefly up at the bartender, as though daring him to come over. “Why don’t we go walk it off? It’s a nice night out there.”
"Fine by me," Ryoma shrugged, getting to his feet. His movements were a little sluggish, but it wasn't so bad that he stumbled - more like had to pause and think a little bit before he moved. Making certain his jacket was at the place where he had left it, making sure his shoelaces were tied, that sort of thing. "Tell me something though... What's with everyone babying me? I don't get it."
And that was exactly what was pitiable. Seiichi shook his head. “You seem depressed, Echizen. I don’t think any of us want to kick you when you’re down.” He stood, putting his sketch pad and pencils under his arm, again. “I don’t want to baby you, either - I think you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself.”
"Depressed? Well, I'm not." He pulled his jacket on and started out of the lounge with an impatient - or annoyed? - stride. He stopped when in front of the elevator that led to the top deck, and waited for Seiichi to catch up. He wasn't depressed. He was simply worried about Momoshiro's rash, and disturbed by the false alarm and he hoped this ship wouldn't turn out to be the next Titanic, but that certainly didn't make him depressed. He stopped, his finger hovering above the button to call the elevator to them, and realized that he was getting suspiciously defensive here. He glanced up at Seiichi and smirked. "... Thanks for the vote of confidence though, even if it's a bit surprising, coming from you~"
Seiichi was not a mean-spirited person, nor did he dislike Echizen. It was the brattiness and egotism that drove him up the wall. With age, Seiichi mellowed - or perhaps it was just with so much experience dealing with the mini-egos of the children he coached. It was a little bit easier to avoid rising to the bait, to just let Echizen be Echizen... particularly after a drink or two. “I never said I thought you were incapable,” he replied, returning the smirk with his own tiny, wicked smile. “Other things perhaps, but not incapable.”
"Hnn~" Ryoma quirked an eyebrow at that, the smirk still playing on his lips. "Well, if you say so, Shoulder Jersey-kun." His tone was teasing, almost challenging. "Let's hurry it up now, or the stars are gonna miss out on us."
The stars? Seiichi shook his head. “Whatever you say, boy.”