#ceram1cs

he's cute, she's said so a few times to the karasuno boys. tanaka gave her a funny look, nishinoya cocked his head to the side, clearly confused, but hinata seemed the most understanding. the third year boys just laughed and encouraged her to go speak to him, in which petra responded by shyly shaking her head and returning to work. coming along to these practice matches with the different schools in the prefecture was fun, there were cute boys at every corner of the gym. but, one had caught her attention, one from fukurodani. and, it wasn't the one people expected when she said she had a crush on someone from that school. no, everyone thought it would be the captain, but instead, the quiet little setter had caught her attention. the one that could be mistaken as the captain's babysitter.

it's way after training times, the moon was high in the sky, stars peppering the dark void, giving it some light. the sight was beautiful, petra had always loved the stars and the universe. but she didn't have time to think about that at the moment; she was trying to pluck the courage to approach this guy, and she had a reason to. he'd forgotten his water bottle in the gymnasium during his last match, which was against karasuno. after some convincing from the other managers, petra sets off towards the boy, whom she learned was called akaashi. when she approaches and offers the boy his water bottle back, they strike up a conversation after she introduces herself, and she notices the boys from his team that he was standing with all casually depart, leaving both petra and akaashi to talk in peace, which feels more like a set-up. however, they easily lose themselves in conversation.

if she'd have to tell her team which school she frequently snuck into for sleepovers she thinks they'd hang her by her feet and smack her with foam mats. shiratorizawa academy, a school with a presence, a school with a few monsters on its volleyball team. too bad for them petra's friend was their team's manager, which tied them all together. and as a result, she gained more friends, including one red-haired guess monster, tendo satori. when the weekend came and petra was staying over in the dorms he'd help her sneak in, seeing as it was against the rules to have anyone staying over in the dorms. but rules were meant to be broken, and no one seemed to mind petra being around.

most nights were spent gossiping, of course, doing each other's skincare, hair, and nails. then there was boy talk, they never skipped that. and it didn't stop just because tendo was around, in fact, they dove deeper into the topics of boys because now they had one in the flesh to bring a new perspective to the situations the girls found themselves in. at some point in the night, they'd gone to sleep, and tendo was supposed to have left the room to head back to his. but when the morning sun shines in the curtains and petra stirs a little uncomfortably, her eyes blink open, only to meet the devious little smile seemingly looming over her. god, he could be so creepy. jumping a little in fright, petra is moments away from cursing at him before he speaks, stating something that has her freezing up a little in embarrassment.

she snores!? no way! she doesn't.... does she?

❝ no way...! you're lying! ❞ instinctively, she reaches up to her mouth, wiping it in cause she drooled a little. luckily, she hadn't, so she shifts around quietly in the small bed, careful not to wake emiko or disturb her as she slowly defrosts. huffing, both of her hands reach up to give her eyes a soft rub. ❝ you shouldn't even know that. you were supposed to head back to your own dorm, you know! ❞ perhaps he did and then just came to wake them up? but she doubts he'd just walk into a girl's dorm room without knocking. but then again, he and emiko were close like that, it seems.

oh well. either way, it wasn't that serious. tendo was harmless anyway, she felt comfortable enough around him. even if he saw her snoring and drooling and scratching her ass in her sleep.

her chest heaves, sweat trickling down her face as if she had just stepped out of a sauna. never, ever, did petra think volleyball was this difficult. as someone who has always just stood off to the sides and watched, perhaps thrown the boys a few balls, she'd never put much thought into how fit you had to be to actually be jumping around all of the time, slamming the ball down on the opposite side of the net, receiving it and whatnot. when she decided to participate in the charity event she didn't think she'd end up representing someone from a team who they weren't on the best of terms with. aoba johsai, the school karasuno beat to go to nationals... so, sitting here and training with one of the members now felt almost cruel. luckily it wasn't their captain, oikawa, otherwise, she'd be sitting here crying. no, their vice-captain, iwaizumi hajime, was actually very polite, well-mannered, and charming. there were no apparent hard feelings towards her, despite her managing the team that crushed their chance of going to nationals.

but now she realises this was perhaps his revenge if he was seeking it. her trembling hand reaches out for her towel as she sits on the floor, taking every minute of the break as she can. lifting her towel, petra drops her face into the fabric and sighs heavily, wiping away the sweat before shifting to rest her head against the wall, panting as if she'd just run around the entirety of japan. her water bottle gets plucked from the ground and pressed against her flushed forehead, instantly cooling down that one area of her face as she releases a cool breath. a moment later hajime comes over and sits down by her side, no doubt to make sure she isn't dying. the thought alone makes her laugh out loud.

❝ why couldn't you have been a libero? or even a setter? ❞ her internal question becomes external as she turns her head to look over at him, having calmed down a bit so she wasn't heaving like a dog. instead, she's just softly panting under her breath, the redness in her face lessoning. ❝ that seems so much easier than a wing spiker... i don't see anyone else here sweating and dying like me! ❞ laughing aloud again, her attention flickers around the gymnasium, where every other player on the aoba was training their respective representative.

the past few hours have been spent training her ass off, spiking balls as they come her way and trying to get a technique going. it's been hard as hell, but rewarding as she sees it come together. but now she's tired, it must be so evident to see with the way her head keeps drooping. he must sense it, because he offers his shoulder to her and petra pauses and blinks his way, her cheeks tinting a darker red, which she could easily get away with by saying it was because of her hard training. clearing her throat, hazel hues flicker from the boys face to his shoulder, a soft smile tugging at her lips. ❝ m-maybe just for a few minutes, don't let me doze off though... we've got an hour left. ❞ and she intends to use that to work on her stamina.

con't from here - @ceram1cs

ㅤㅤㅤBEYOND  HIS  CREW,  AND  EVEN  THEN  WITH  some  small  amount  of  levity  -  it  has  been  a  long,  long  time  since  law  had  demonstrated  trust  in  another  living  being.  the  world  had  a  way  of  ripping  his  heart  out  in  particular,  ensuring  it  was  stomped  upon  and  shriveled  up  and  scarred  so  heavily  he  was  mostly  impressed  it  had  survived  at  all.  corazon's  sacrifice,  frankly,  had  been  the  only  thing  that  kept  him  willing  to  deal  with  other  humans  -  the  necessary  nature  that  came  with  wanting  to  take  down  doflamingo.  he's  pretty  sure  an  elaborate  decade  long  revenge  plot  wasn't  what  his  benefactor  had  meant  when  he'd  sent  him  on  his  way  -  but  the  surgeon  of  death  was  a  stubborn  little  shit,  and  had  found  the  essence  of  freedom  along  his  journey  regardless.  it  was  pressed  against  his  side  at  this  very  moment,  a  little  damp  from  the  cold  and  humid  air,  and  just  shy  of  them  both  getting  sprayed  by  the  treacherous  sea.  he  coveted  it  -  was  addicted  to  it,  even,  but  that  was  the  thing  about  freedom.  you  couldn't  hold  onto  it,  could  you?

ㅤㅤㅤcaptain's  coat  whipped  by  the  breeze,  law  tugs  it  a  little  wider,  ensuring  it  encases  what  it  can  of  luffy  beneath  the  thick  fabric.  it's  not  much  -  for  the  younger  is  broad  enough,  but  the  gesture  is  clear  in  the  warmth  of  law's  lingering  frame,  the  way  his  molten  gaze  picks  him  apart  as  he  clutches  him  close.  the  ship  rocks  beneath  their  feet,  a  groan  in  wano's  tumultuous  waves,  but  he  pays  it  no  mind.  they've  endured  worse  storms  together  after  all  -  proverbial  and  otherwise.  would  they  continue  to  endure  more?  law  didn't  know.

ㅤㅤㅤnow  that  things  were  accomplished  here  -  he  supposes  it  would  be  time  for  them  to  drift  apart  soon  enough.  law  had  ultimately  completed  his  goal,  and  then  some,  and  luffy  wouldn't  be  swayed  from  his  dream.  even  if  their  goals  overlapped  -  the  surgeon  of  death  knew  in  his  heart  of  hearts  that  he  was  far  too  independent  to  become  a  member  of  this  crew  -  far  too  bull-headed  in  his  own  right.  it  was  up  to  strawhat  to  complete  his  dreams  on  his  own,  and  law  just  the  very  same  -  now  without  the  looming  specter  of  justice  for  corazon  overhead.  does  it  make  him  a  bit  sad?  perhaps,  but  none  would  be  the  wiser  to  such  an  emotion.

ㅤㅤㅤthey're  impossibly  close,  tips  of  their  noses  continuing  to  brush  with  the  rock  of  the  waves,  law's  shadowed  stare  a  looming  thing  beneath  his  hat.  he  offers  luffy  a  hum,  thumb  sweeping  over  a  broad  pectoral,  the  impossible  curvature  of  his  scar,  and  goes  silent.  the  promise  is  almost  religious  -  the  sanctity  of  it  filling  him  with  hope  and  reverence  all  at  once.  but  as  his  core  -  law  knows  the  truth  of  it,  love  is  never  enough,  and  he'd  be  damned  if  another  grand  man  pledged  his  life  for  the  safety  of  his  own.  -  but  that  was  the  problem,  wasn't  it?  luffy  had  already  done  so,  and  law  was  right  back  at  the  beginning,  staring  at  a  too  bright  smile  with  a  'me  too!'  on  the  tip  of  his  tongue.

ㅤㅤㅤit's  rare  for  luffy  to  be  whispering  at  all  -  rarer  still  for  the  younger  to  be  so  solemn  and  serious.  law  likes  these  private  moments  between  them,  and  will  treasure  this  one  just  like  all  the  others.  ㅤㅤㅤ❝ i  know. ❞  ㅤㅤㅤhe  murmurs,  ㅤㅤㅤ❝ it's  safe  with  you. ❞ㅤㅤㅤ  everything  is  safe  with  luffy,  with  the  strawhats  -  despite  the  insane  risks  they  take.  law  wondered  if  that  stemmed  from  his  inability  to  protect  ace,  and  an  exhaustive  effort  to  make  up  for  it  where  it  counted.  ㅤㅤㅤ❝ but  mugiwara-ya. ❞  ㅤㅤㅤthat  hand  rubs  gently,  calloused  thumb  dipping  between  his  pectorals,  before  resting  once  more  over  the  shadowed  beat  of  his  heart,  ㅤㅤㅤ❝ we  will  part  ways  in  a  day  or  two,  and  this  alliance  will  be  over. ❞ㅤㅤㅤ  it  looms  like  a  guillotine  over  his  head,  a  constant  reminder  that  it  isn't  forever.  he  wonders,  and  he  wonders,  and  he  wonders  -  ㅤㅤㅤ❝ where  will  we  be  then?  when  you're  on  one  side  of  the  ocean  causing  trouble  and  i'm  on  the  other. ❞  ㅤㅤㅤwill  he  even  get  to  keep  a  fragment  of  this,  or  will  it  too  -  be  buried  when  luffy  is  gone,  free  as  the  wind?

the hospital was quiet , the soft crack of a chocolate bar between his white teeth and the quiet breathing that came from the bed which he stood close to . sometimes , curses are less easier to get rid of ; he'd hate to tell her that he got rid of them ( that's why he's eating a whole chocolate bar , to raise the blood sugar levels and not see double anymore ── ) , because she'd get angry about it . so he silently stares at her , even gives her a crooked smirk when she finally snaps . ‘ .. no ? you got something to say to me ?? ‘ his voice is smooth and melodic . maybe a thank you , a ' it was nice seeing you appear out of nowhere to save the day ' ─ if they're not going to show their gratitude in extreme detail and so earnestly . suguru went back to the jujutsu tech but satoru insisted he wanted stay until utahime opened her eyes and perhaps showed the decency of thanking him . he pulls himself away from the wall , free hand pushed inside his pocket while the other holds his candy close to his mouth . hospitals aren't his favorite , doctors aren't either . ‘ you hit your head on a rock when you fell down . and mei mei said you had to take the lesson again , but look from the bright side .. ‘ whatever bright side's left of that awful story , satoru sits on the bed near utahime's . and smiles , points at her with his chocolate bar . ‘ you got to see me today . lucky lucky . ‘

* dialogue prompts. accepting

there wasn't anyone quite like her except for tendō, their energies were quite similar, only emiko wasn't half as creepy as tendō was. there was someone else that reminded him of emiko, another volleyball player, another boy, unfortunately. karasuno's shorty, the one who could jump. he was short, in your face, but radiated such raw and pure energy it stunned him when he first witnessed it. semi wasn't exactly the most energetic of people, he didn't have the sun shining from his pearly white smile - hell, he rarely smiled. rarely. but he wasn't totally stoic like his captain, he had a little more emotion than the tank that was ushijima.

a lot of people look at him and like to make assumptions. one being that he was a 'bad boy', which always amused him because... how bad could a volleyball player be? still, the allegations persisted, and even the spunky little manager that was emiko had him branded a bad boy and used him to her advantage. like now, for instance, they were tip-toeing throughout the schoolyard at night, all because emiko claimed to have forgotten her cell phone during practice. semi, personally, didn't understand why she couldn't just wait until the next morning, but girls weren't the same as dudes. she probably had girl gossip to spread and all of that.

she speaks and semi scoffs in amusement, though his lips don't move from their fine line. ❝ why do you sound like you're seventy years old? ❞ reaching over, he gives the smaller girl a playful nudge of his elbow, ❝ no one our age speaks like that. ❞ not even the captain, because he'd never do anything to get in trouble, certainly not plot and break into the school's gymnasium just so emiko could get her cell phone back. reaching out, he grabs her wrist and tugs her along, moving swiftly and fast until they reach the school's gymnasium.

truthfully, utahime wasn't sure if she'd get through most busy weeks if she didn't allow herself a few drinks after work at the weekend. sometimes she went with friends and colleagues, and sometimes she went alone. mostly, she was alone. and there was one bar in particular she visited, just because she knew the cute bartender. he was the grandson of the principal, and they'd once gone to school together once upon a time. this was back when he was in their world, but he'd left shortly after graduating kyoto tech. utahime often guessed he didn't much like the society. but, in reality, who did? the jujutsu society was so broken, but utahime wasn't the kind of person to fix it. no, she didn't have the power to do so. perhaps that was another thing that added to her need to have a drink when her responsibilities were off enjoying their weekend.

it feels like she's been sitting in the same position for about five hours, but she's only been here for about an hour and a half, having perched herself right up at the bar, drinking and idly chatting to kurotori about her week whenever he wasn't busy pouring drinks. for some reason, she finds herself reciting everything that had happened since they last spoke, perhaps even details that were on the private side. part of her wishes he'd return to sorcery, he was good at his job and she enjoyed his company. but utahime was a coward and didn't have the gall to ask him if she could stay in his company, outside of his workplace. that, and the society was crumbling. they really needed him. she could sit and try and convince him to return, but that wasn't her place.

still, that didn't mean drunken words weren't slipped by parted lips. her elbow rests on the table, the side of her face smushed against her palm as shallow breaths escape her. the alcohol in her veins makes her head fuzzy and light, her body warm, and her heart a little too exposed as she finds herself feeling like she's floating. ❝ i don't know what i'm going to do, you know? ❞ the woman hums, chocolate brown gues staring off in a sleepy daze before she blinks several times, allowing her eyes to drift shut. ❝ i feel like i'm drowning... but i can't get out. i have a duty to those kids, i can't leave them floundering around as well. ❞ she's at least gotten used to the sensation of water in her lungs, that feeling like your entire body was going to burst. those poor kids didn't. and hopefully, it wouldn't be something they'd need to get used to for much longer.