[open] 002 | off to never neverland

[ryuji]

WHO? ryuji sakamoto + you!
WHAT? dream threads and ramen time. will add on for some end of the month open logs
WHEN? during the hot spot stuff and shortly thereafter
ANYTHING ELSE? typical usual ryuji stuff, nothing too dark unless you want it to head that way

i. dream time: school sux [open]

[This is the world of the school as it exists in Ryuji's fears. You enter the halls and immediately notice a purple tint to the environment around you, like a foggy haze that covers over every crevice of the impossibly longer hallways than a school would actually have. In every direction, lockers, cherry red- except the fact that there are eyes embedded into them- all over, staring at every movement that's made. The people here are just outlines, ghosts of their actual self, translucent, but always affixed on something or another. Every few feet there are track hurdles that rise higher than a jump that's feasibly possible, and right underneath, should you fall, spikes that will pierce and maim and threaten to tear you to shreds.

Ryuji's not looking at any of the eyes, or the hurdles, rather just staring at a bulletin board of class listings while he leans on a crutch and his leg bandaged up over his school uniform. Every name he knows seems to be on there, all far ahead in ranking than he is, and of course, the last name on the roster happens to be his own. The eyes in the lockers look complacent, happy to see Ryuji failing in every aspect of his life. Short voices of whispers from the outlines of prominent figures in Ryuji's life call out: "if only Sakamoto-kun could apply himself," "he ruined his chances at a sports scholarship," "ugh, go out on a date? With him!?"

He knows he shouldn't care about this shit, but some days it's just so hard to feel like he's normal. Everything he touches he fucks up.]

ii. dream time: on the high seas [open]

[The air in the sky is filled with a stringest smell of sea salt, as a young figure stands stalwart at the helm of a ship straight out of a pirate movie. The word "KIDD" is sprawled out in big, yellow lettering, scratched out in graffiti against the port side with a comical visage of an angry, wrathful face painted onto the bow.

An opposing pirate ship approaches and the captain of this fine vessel looks like he's ready for war, his grin sharp and pointed just like the mural below the front of the boat, and he tips his hat lower over his face to fight the oncoming wind that threatens to knock it off. He's the lead man, and of course, nothing is going to bring him down from the thrall of victory.

a. [As your ship rears up starboard, Ryuji raises a hand, high in the air and the first mate signals the blare of cannons off the port-covers of the windows below deck. A slurry of explosive volleyballs are released like artillery fire, ricocheting and napalming on first contact.]

CREW! Prepare to board!

b.[Ryuji turns to you, his first mate and nods. You two have just stolen the treasure of all treasures, a spyglass that can look into the soul of a person and tell if they're inherently good or not. While it lays safely at Ryuji's belt, the ship of the undead approaches closer and closer. There's a curse placed on this pirate ship, buried now, deep into the woodwork. They'll be hunted to the edge of the world and back, but this particular item was worth it. The enemy ship pincers straight into the KIDD, as the mighty navigator tosses and turns.]

Shit... shit! New plan. We're gonna steal that ship! You ready?

iii. dream time: there's my father looking on / and there's my girlfriend arm in arm / with the captain of the other team [open]

[Ryuji's all of 14, so basically... last week, to some of you old timers. He's relatively popular among the team he's on, but it's a few minutes before the match and he's stretching. It might be weird to see him with his dark brown, almost black hair, but he's carefree and this is a good time for him in his life, for the most part.]

C'mon, you've gotta do your best too, y'know? We're both gonna get the hell outta here when we graduate and ride on full scholarships. Just wait.

[A looming figure appears behind him- it's the team's coach; in this dream, out of place because it's actually his father and he looks down on Ryuji with the biggest disappointed scowl written right into his features. "Ryuji, don't disappoint me."]

iv. ramen time: you're one of us now! [closed to Sieg and Ash]

@ENTERTHEDRAGON Yo, as promised. I'm gonna make some ramen, you gotta try this.

[It's been a weird few days, what with all the hot spots looming around. He's fallen into dreams- his own, others, it's hard to tell, really, but as he drags one of his three precious bags of ramen to the kitchen, he imagines that it's well past due to indulge in one of the things he loves the most. Ramen is more than just a meal, it's comfort food- it's a thing that reminds him of his home, binds him there, and keeps the thoughts of hanging out with his friends at a shitty little hole in the wall close to his heart.

First thing's first- he needs to get piping hot water. The shortage of coolant in the ship means that this is probably going to be filled with relative ease.]

v. they're just testing us, they can't flex with us, they can't mess with us [closed to some honorable greek hero]

[It's been too damn long since Ryuji's worked out- he's starting to feel the muscle mass that he's accumulated over the last year starting to lose some of its tenseness, some of its bulk. He hates being seen as weak, and hates it even more now that he's surrounded by these Adonis type soldiers who can lift twice the amount he can and take twice the amount of blows. Knowing that agility will never be something he can truly excel at again, he takes to the gym.

It's a slow go, getting back into the shape of things, but he knows it'll be worth it. Every sore muscle, every bend of his body, every pound of sweat; he's going to make himself better, because that's the only thing he knows how to do.

Only, he wasn't expecting to see Achilles there, and even more nonplussed that all the equipment in the room looks absolutely fucking weird to him. He rolls up his standard issue army surplus tshirt's sleeve and breathes through his nose.]

Yo. How the hell do you use this shit?

wildcard! - hit me up with something you want to do, or send me a centerfold message.

Comments

[chariotry]

[ Well, he has to make sure you're not going to try some bitch move again, Ryuji. This is how he's interpreting your explanation of the game.

He's tossing the ball up in the hoop once he's a good distance away. Throwing it, getting it in the hoop again with ease and letting it drop through the netting.

He'll put him down now. Gently, of course. ]

I can't touch you? But I can touch the ball, right?

[ryuji]

[BITCH MOVE????

Finally back on the ground, he looks down at his shirt, material stretched out more than it was before, and grimaces at Achilles.]

Yeah, it's game of endurance and agility. Although you'd be pretty freakin' amazing at American football. [Scratching the back of his head, until he perks up and shakes his head.]

We are so never gonna play that game.

A-anyway. You get 2 points for a shot that's close by and 3 points for one that's a bit farther. Like... from over here. [He picks up the ball that's slowly rolling his way, takes a few steps back and aims for the hoop, narrowly missing.]

Eh, but. Pretend that made it in.

[chariotry]

[ LMAO... He has to cover his mouth to keep from smiling too much. It's just kind of funny that he missed, okay?

Also, uh, Achilles is the king of endurance and agility. Just you wait. ]

Okay. Let me try and steal the ball from you, now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtTR-_Klcq8

[ryuji]

[His spidey senses are tingling and so, Ryuji pleads into his sense of fairness.]

Aight. Just do me a favor here and don't do any Soknuckles the Hedgehog stuff, okay? Like, give me a few points of handicap, I can't keep up the way you can.

[Ryuji smiles at him, and starts to dribble, keeping focus so that he can watch his eyes for movement- he knows it's going to he a quick shot for when Achilles is coming, and he won't have much time to react, but Ryuji will do his best to dribble between his legs and turn at the same time the other goes to nab the ball.

Hey, he doesn't have a lot of moves, but this is one of his few.]

[chariotry]

[ At this point, Achilles is choosing to observe and learn rather than act.

Though it seems uncharacteristic for this impulsive hero, Achilles has learned from the best, the patient and wise Chiron. When you're in unfamiliar territory, it's best to gauge your surroundings and how the enemy interacts with it. So he's doing just that, except it's on a much smaller scale.

So he lets Ryuji have free rein over the court, eyes following him like a raptor intent on its prey.

He's close behind when he nears the net, planning to intercept the way Ryuji had done to him before. He's learning from him! ]

[ryuji]

[He dribbles down the court, a little weirded out, if not, wired, by the fact that Achilles hasn't made his move. He sees him keeping pace with him and it just clicks like a lightbulb going off in his head. He's going to try to snap intercept if he throws it.

So Ryuji does something totally different. He gets as close to the net as he can, swerving so that his back is facing Achilles, just in case he comes in to take the ball anyway at the last minute, and makes a jump for it, slam dunking and hanging onto the rim.

Ryuji's features light up-]

And the crowd goes wild!!! [He hisses the sound of a crowd roar, living in the moment and coming down from the rim, waving to the imaginary people up in the stands all cheering him on.

This idiot.]

[chariotry]

[ He has to stop himself from literally yanking Ryuji back down to the floor when he jumps -- lets him have his moment because he plans on destroying him later on (in the game).

He catches the ball as it falls through the net, eying Ryuji like... he's amused. ]

What crowd are you talking about?

[ryuji]

[He looks around the room, motioning to the leagues of adoring imaginary fans across the room.]

Uh, dude. That crowd.

[Ryuji smirks, and crosses his arms at this point.]

They're congratulating me for a slam dunk. Anyway, you ready for a real game? C'mon and knock my ass down a few notches.

[chariotry]

[ He snorts harshly, hardly stifling the laughter that bubbles out of his throat. He can see that he's joking, but the thought of Ryuji having to resort to imaginary fans is... endearing and a little pathetic. And Hilarious. ]

"Slam dunk"? Is that the name of your little jump manuever? [ Like naming an attack... ] Let's go.

[ He'll give him a handicap and toss him the ball. ]

[ryuji]

[HANDICAP?

HE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' PITY.

Except, that he does. Ryuji's smiling at Achilles when he takes the ball, and he starts dribbling as he's taught the other to do. He knows that he's not going to win this battle by agility or strength alone, but he'll do his best......]

[ryuji]

[To cheat, as he stops and stands still, looking over at the doorway.]

Sergeant, I wasn't expecting you here!

[DID IT WORK???

HE'S MAKING HIS WAY TO THE NET]

[chariotry]

[ Ryuji, please.

He'll act like he falls for it, just so Ryuji won't see it coming when he suddenly speeds over to meet him in the course of his path, too fast to give Ryuji time to halt his sprint.

He's going to collide into a hard wall of muscle. ]

[ryuji]

[This asshole!

THUDS against a rock hard slab of... ugh...

Ryuji stands there, nonplussed by the cockblock, and tries to shoot through the fortress in front of him. He has 0 hopes of actually getting it in, but.

It was worth a shot?]

[chariotry]

[ Zero hopes? Try the negatives.

Achilles isn't letting the ball soar high enough to reach the hoop, grabbing it with one fucking hand. ]

How dense do you think I am that you thought I'd fall for such a cheap trick?! Honestly, if you're going to dare cheat, I won't be showing you any mercy.

[ No mercy indeed. He'll dribble the ball indulgently, waiting for Ryuji to try and make a grab for it. ]

[ryuji]

I mean... you are kinda a brick wall, so as far as denseness goes, you're pretty up there.

[Said, with the most improbable deadpan in the world, as he just looks on at Achilles taunting him from the forefront. He can almost hear his imaginary crowd booing, at least... that... gives him some hope.

His hand reaches out, full knowing it's going to get smacked away as he goes for the ball. But something else happens and it's not what Ryuji wants, not what Ryuji needs, as his wrist ruefully smashes against the loin cloth cinch instead of making its way to the ball he wanted to get his hands around.]

[chariotry]

[ Right, he pulls the ball from his reach as he makes a lunge forward, not expecting him to actually follow through and grab for his skirt.

Hope you like an eyeful of dick, Ryuji. Achilles isn't the least bit fazed.

Now he's standing in the middle of the court buck naked, dribbling the ball. He turns before he can gauge Ryuji's reaction and makes a dash for the hoop, jumping high enough to reach and catch the rim of it and smash the ball through the hole. The backboard shatters from the force.

It's probably a surreal sight. ]

[ryuji]

[Is this... the power of a noble phantasm?]

[ryuji]

[This isn't what he wanted. This isn't what he expected. He was just... going for the ball but instead wound up with a fist full of cloth as he watches, in horror, as Achilles goes for the rimshot and follows through NBA jam style.

Ryuji contemplates all the life decisions he's made leading up to this point, eventually using the cloth to cover his eyes and groan- (hey, Ryuji, that's been on his dick, but he doesn't even think that far ahead)- at what just transpired.

Waving a hand in Achilles' direction... sort of, it's off by about 20 degrees since he's blind, he protests.]

Game over, dude, you won.

[chariotry]

What?! [ He's all amped up now, back on his feet and letting the ball bounce off in some unknown direction. ]

You're giving up already? That's no fun at all!

[ Hands frame narrow hips, framing... his diq. Feast your eyes!!! ]

[ryuji]

[Dude...]

Dude...

[Dude.

Yeah, this game is over. With one stretching over his eyes and the other stretched outward to give him his toga skirt back, he wiggles it in the air. Look, he's just settled into the thought of kissing a guy. He didn't need to be thrust into dickland so quickly.]

I surrender. See? It's a white flag.

[chariotry]

[ Crossing his arms, he's visibly dejected. There's a mess of glass all over the court, surrounding his bare feet. He kicks the shards aside, making a path towards the boy.

He smiles. ]

You understand you don't stand any chance against me?

[ He summons his armour, knowing full well that it's just the nudity bothering Ryuji. ]

[ryuji]

[He still has his eyes covered. Even though he's Japanese, and men have bathed communally for centuries, it just feels all sorts of weird when it happens to be with Achilles. All in all, he feels modesty creep up into his cheeks, and he can't accept seeing him naked so unceremoniously.

It takes a few seconds for him to look again and see that he's safely back in his armor, and finally, the block against his view comes down.]

Yeah, but it's not about winning or losing, it's just about working out and having some fun.

[And notices the shards everywhere... shit, he hopes Chiron won't be upset at them.]

And letting off some steam, y'know? It feels kinda nice.

[Even though he's a rude boy, he does place the towel on the ground and start to move the shards into a manageable pile. It won't do anyone good just stepping on glass like this.

From his crouched position, he looks up at Achilles.]

I mean, I knew I was gonna lose. But it's nice just hanging out with you like this, too. When... you're fully clothed. Dude.

[chariotry]

[ That's actually sweet. He watches him pick up the shards of glass. ]

Is my body that revolting to you? [ Teasing him, but he's half-serious.

He crouches next to him to begin picking up the larger shards, helping him clean up the mess. He's not looking Ryuji in the eye, knowing that doing so would likely fluster him. ]

[ryuji]

[He stops dead in his tracks. Pushing the towel against the floor actually brings a memory to mind of Ryuji in his elementary school days. Kids always cleaned the classroom at the end of the day, just like this, running towels along the floors as a means to understand work ethic and pride in learning. Kind of funny now, isn't it?]

Huh? No. How the hell did you get... revolting...

[Looking over at Achilles with a soft stare--]

You're uh. I mean you're really. [Fuck.

Why????]

You're perfect.

[Just... goes back to cleaning the floors.]

[chariotry]

[ Perfect is one way of putting it. He knows he is, but he hadn't expected Ryuji to actually be truthful. ]

A storybook hero would have to be. [ Oooh... Petty. He's smiling though, picking up one shard at a time. And with a mess as large as this, it's going to take them a while to finish at this rate. ]