a ruler to-be

A small light was growing far below him, confirming his suspicions. Soon, warm candle light enveloped him, and Tobio tumbled onto a giant red cushion. Wincing, he rolled onto his back and stared, aghast, through a giant hole in the ceiling. 

"Where am I?"

As soon as those words left Tobio’s mouth, loud, rapid knocking could be heard behind him. He turned, mouth still wide open, to see a large mirror lying on the crimson ground behind him. Cautiously, he made his way towards it.

As Tobio did, he noticed that there wasn’t a single spot on the room’s walls that wasn’t covered by a mirror. And the more his vision adjusted to the bright lighting, he realized the cushion itself was the seat of a giant throne. He shuddered, to think what would happen if its king came to sit.

Upon reaching the source of the racket, Tobio sat in front of the mirror. Hesitantly, he picked it up, holding it before his face. 

Except the landscape that stretches before his sleep-weighed eyes are less like reality and more like dreams, dappled in all sorts of whimsical colors. He's dazed and, apparently, on some-- floor.

It's not uncomfortable-- in fact, the floor seems to be-- well. Plush. Is he dreaming? He pinches his cheek to make sure. 

They hurt.

Looking around, he realizes that the walls are covered with mirrors, and he can actually hear someone, talking to him. He crawls closer to one of the mirrors, the one he's fairly sure he heard it from, and says right back:

Our muses go ice skating together.

Living in the Touhoku region, there were certain things that Oikawa took for granted. Like people who grow up alongside the sea assume that everyone learns to swim as a child, living in a region of chilly winters bred in Oikawa the assumption that ice skating was basic knowledge. It was, apparently, not.

Oikawa trailed his fingertips along the low barrier that separated the man-made ice rink from the rest of the park, a grin on his lips that boasted of unvoiced bliss. “So you’re telling me, Tobio-chan,” he asked, and that happiness found its outlet as he spoke. “That you don’t know how to ice skate?” His cheer was almost palpable as the brunet grinned at his former underclassman who balanced carefully on the ice.

It had been nearly a year since Oikawa had last seen the now second-year. Oikawa didn’t regret the time or the distance. He knew that he needed them, knew that both had helped him to recover, to calm down, to breathe… The fact that he found Kageyama on the ice, rather than on the court, was certainly another helpful factor.

[ princetoss ]

"Sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to, are you okay…?"

Kei sighed, deciding this little brat wasn’t worth the trouble. His eyes shone of innocence, purity that Kei had seen once, a long time ago.

A long time ago, when I looked in a mirror. When I looked at Akiteru.

The blonde high schooler reached down to pick up the volleyball. He handed it back to the child, rubbing his head.

"I know you didn’t mean to. If you did, I’ll make sure you wouldn’t be able to play volleyball ever again," He paused to rub his head, "I’m fine."

He looked around the park, suddenly aware of the late time and how empty it was. Was this kid alone?

Tobio is one hundred and ten percent sure that he was dead, that he was done for. He grips onto his ball a little tighter than he should when he gets it back, and shifts his weight from one foot to another, but at the other's reassurance he relaxes, even though only slightly.

"Um." he begins, still a little rattled due to his less-than-pleasant encounter with the high-schooler, "I usually practice alone, yeah. I don't really have anyone to practice with, because they don't want to stay as long as I do. So I usually play here, in this park."

Tobio is about to turn down the other teenager's offer when he hears, quite audibly, his stomach growl and grumble in protest. He hasn't been eating at all, thanks to a throat that cries in pain every time he so much as swallows his own saliva.

Maybe he could use some food. He relents, and nods.

     A sigh escaped him—his number of visits to said room did nothing to make the trip any less unpleasing for him every time. Still, he reached out a hand, opening the door whilst announcing his arrival. The face that greeted him had ‘Again?’ written all over her face.

    Yeah.

"Um, actually, I kind of bumped a ball into his nose--" he pauses, stealing a glance at the nurse's nametag-- "Oukuchi-san. It's not his fault."

But they're really kind, offering him things and whatnot...

The action makes Kageyama's face brighten considerably. He's not smiling, but the cloud lifts from his face and his steps are lighter.

He doesn't say anything more, because he doesn't want to tip the already precarious equilibrium back to the side where he's feeling crushed under guilt and awkwardness. 

But if he was only tailing Oikawa before, he's now walking right beside Oikawa, even if he's not looking at Oikawa.

He had noticed the small middle schooler play with the old volleyball in the park before. Even though he had at first noticed because it was volleyball, his interest level had diminished over the days.

Thunk.

Something round and hard and very much like a volleyball thudded into his head with impressive force. Kei staggered forward a bit, before turning around slowly to face the perpetrator. 

--No, definitely.

Of all the people he could hit, he hit a person who must be a high schooler, a grumpy one at that. He's so screwed, so screwed, so very screwed. The other was really tall, too... Tobio has got absolutely nothing on this person. If he tried to run, the stranger would catch up to him immediately...

Maybe when they're away from people...

     Great.

     Reaching up, he reached his fingers just above his lip, retracting it to see that there was indeed crimson tainting his digits. A sigh escaped him.

     ”Well, this means I do need to go to the infirmary.”

He folds a little into himself, shifting from one foot to another. He's really messed up. Oh no. Is Oikawa-senpai mad? He certainly looks annoyed... Why did the ball had to stray there?

"N-no." He murmurs, his voice going quiet. Crap. He's in trouble, he's totally in trouble. "Um, do you need to maybe go to the nurse, then...?"