[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

[ryuji]

[So it takes a few hours for that red hot heat to die down, the embarrassment of the moment to pass, but none of this sits well with Ryuji. At the core, he doesn't want to be arguing. He doesn't want Achilles to be angry at him, but it just.. it fucking sucks that he's staring at the ceiling in his bed feeling like... it has to be like this. He doesn't want to stoke the fire right now, but it had felt so good and easy when he was just playing basketball with Achilles. He replays the scene over and over in his head. If the good outweighs the bad, you shouldn't give up, right?

Fuck.

He turns over in bed, wondering if this is even something he could open up to Akira about. Get a different perspective, or try it from a different angle. But it's near impossible to have that conversation without coming out and telling him about the kisses, or the way that Achilles makes absolutely nothing make sense in his life when he's talking to him. And he doesn't want to share some of those moments either- the times where Achilles had asked him to become his master. The time he found him in a church. The mission they had together.]

How come we can't work like... when we were working out on the mission together. Fuck, Sakamoto... [And he tries to scour through his brain and remember if he had actually apologized to Achilles for anything, and it.

It doesn't ring a bell.

And he replays the scene over in his head, again. And again. Until the memory of it gets both dull and crisp at the same time. He can't put himself in Achilles' shoes completely, but he wants to try, to at least understand what had pissed him off so much. It was the mention of Zeus, and Hercules. Hercules was a hero too.

Oh.






Oh.

You don't show up to a Beyonce concert wearing an Adele tshirt. He takes a deep breath in. Maybe he can try again. Leaving his capsule, he wanders around the hall. He doesn't know where Achilles' room is, but he knows he'll get to it when he hears the music.

And when he gets to it, the sound becomes full of the song and fury- and Ryuji stands at the door. What the hell was he doing? Where was this going to go?

He knocks.]

[chariotry]

[ He's had quite a bit of time to sulk and mope as much as he wants by his lonesome in his room, playing the lyre idly and not caring whether the music disrupted his neighbours or not. He doesn't think when he plays - it's a way of cooling off because he can shift his focus and concentrate on something productive instead of stewing in his anger and letting it build.

That anger has ebbed away and his mind is rational by the time Ryuji has thought about his "mistake".

He opens the door, holding the lyre in his free hand. He stares down at Ryuji impassively at first, before letting his features soften. ]

I shouldn't lost my temper with you. [ Just right to it. ]

[ryuji]

[He stands at the doorframe, one arm extended and reaching out to clasp his other elbow, not even surprised at the way Achilles goes right to the point. It's reassuring to know that he's not pushing him out and away, and Ryuji nods soberly.]

I'm sorry. [For a second, he just stands there, eyes shifting upwards towards Achilles, and just the sight of him makes the lump in his throat grow. The fight still felt fresh, but more than anything in the world, he doesn't want to come to a heated moment with him again out of his own stupidity. So he opens his mouth to keep going on, to explain more, but in the end he closes it instead and doesn't let his words betray him.

He remembers all the times with his friends- the times they told him to use his words, to think through things before he commits to it. And it's hard for Ryuji, really hard, because so much of what he does is fueled by instinct and he wants to just burst at the seams with plenitudes of what he was wrong about.]

Can I uh... Can I come in or would it be weird?

[chariotry]

[ He... looks puzzled upon receiving the question, stepping back as a way of answering him. He crosses his arms and watches him step through the threshold.

He seems relatively calm and better equipped to handle a confrontation. Seeing Ryuji doesn't stir anything residual within him, since he's let his anger fade. Right now, all he can do is listen to what Ryuji had to say and encourage him to let it pass. Such fights and arguments are so petty that he doesn't feel particularly inspired to continue them. ]

[ryuji]

[Coming into the capsule, it's... less than surprising that between this one and his own it's nearly impossible to tell the difference. This isn't the same as coming over his best friend's house for a change of scenery, a change of conversation- no, it's the same thing as it was before, except for the sole fact that Achilles is there too. It doesn't really matter, much, and the distinction is lost on Ryuji as he gives a short look around the inside. Behind the shield of a closed door, he looks up at the other and scratches the back of his head. He had come here filled with determination, and yet when they're just alone, it's like a lot of what he had prepped mentally seems hard to recall. Just speak from the heart Ryuji- you're pretty good at it.]

I know I messed up. [He finds a wall to lean his body up against.] I'm not supporting you the way I want to, you know? Honestly, I uh. I want to learn about you. I wanna know everything about you, because you are really the greatest hero I've ever met.

[Tilting his head, he looks down at the floor a little. It makes his cheeks feel warm hot to the touch.]

And I was thinkin' back a little while ago, y'know. In my room. [He feels awkward and putting himself out there-] That I've hurt your pride more times than I ever wanted to. Than I ever intended to. So, if you'll let me, I wanna fix that. I don't know how- or even if I can do it in one sitting. But... fuck, Achilles. I love spendin' time with you. It's one of the best things about being in COST. And I'm sorry that I mess up everything I touch.

[chariotry]

[ Ryuji's words aren't empty. Achilles would know, because others had grovelled before him in the past, buttering him up in hopes of earning his favour.

This boy doesn't have any reason to want his favour. Well, he knows his power, understands the impact he's had on history, but he doesn't seem at all in awe of him. It's funny, since coming here he expected many to revere him upon finding out his identity, but it's much the opposite. Though it's wounded his pride, it is quite eye-opening, to see how values have changed over the course of time.

He bows his head respectfully, listening intently. ]

Before, I was trying to ... Tell you my story. From my perspective.

I want you to understand me.

[ryuji]

[Without lust for power or greed for anything greater than he already has, it's never been about favors or supernatural strength, or anything like that, really. He doesn't expect anything out of the situation, just... to make a better mark on the people he's met and cares about. Somewhere along the way he had gotten so wrapped up into what he was going through, and his emotions, to not get a view of the bigger picture and take a step back.

So here he is, doing exactly that. No defensive stance, no arms crossed; just standing there and looking at Achilles as he starts to talk. It's a lifelong struggle for a lot of people, and an all out tirade of effort when it comes to Ryuji; understanding people in general. Nodding, he finds purchase by sitting at the edge of his bed.]

I'd be happy to hear it, if you're still willing to tell it. [He notices the lyre on the bed next to him, holds it for a second, before offering it up to Achilles and letting his expression soften, willing.] I wanna understand you too.

[chariotry]

[ Taking the lyre in his hands, he moves to sit by him. He doesn't play, since he's no longer in the mood to. ]

Zeus had wanted my mother, along with his brother Poseidon, but it was prophesied that the boy Thetis would give birth to would grow to be greater than his father. The gods decided against taking my mother for that reason, and my father, Peleus, was chosen to be her husband.

At a young age, I was told of this prophecy, that I was fated to die young and be remembered throughout history, or live a long life and die without having anyone remember who I was.

Since I was a boy, I knew what I'd wanted. I wanted glory. I wanted to be greater than my father, or any hero there ever was.

[ And that in itself should explain exactly why Ryuji had pissed him off so bad. ]

[ryuji]

[Ryuji doesn't interrupt while he's talking- not even to offer perspective, just taking in the recounting of his life's ambitions. Normal men, great men, lackluster men- it's a thing most people are familiar with. Ryuji wanted the Phantom Thieves to create a legacy just like that too- to rise in the ranks of popularity and herodom. And when finally given the choice between continuing onward to that greatness or falling back and doing what needed to be done, and nothing more... well, no one in history would remember Ryuji anyway.

His chest feels heavy though, the more he goes on and eventually the bottom lids of his eyes become saturated with a small amount of wetness. It's rather unprovoked, but there's a mix of feelings here he doesn't understand quite completely. How fucked up did the world have to be to let someone who could obtain the ranks of heroes that withstood the test of time just to let them die at their height. Breathing in, he rubs his eye and turns his head away from Achilles.

He wanted to join COST, in the beginning, out of a lust for glory. A lust to make the world a better place, but yeah, it was still greedy. He's finally getting it- what makes Achilles, Achilles.]

It's just... so messed up. Fate.