August Bonding

[sleight_of_hand]

WHO: Tohru Adachi (with some open prompts)
WHERE: Largely Heropa this month
WHEN: Through the month of August
WHAT: The last two months were hell on wheels for Adachi, and he's determined to focus on work getting his schedule back on track.
WARNINGS: None yet.

[ Early Morning | Heropa Streets | Viktor ]
[ Though he had promised he wouldn't be running away from Viktor that... didn't end up being the case. Once the rains had abated and allowed for him to go back home and recover from his cold, the horror of what he did finally set in. He had kissed a drunk man. If said drunk man hadn't been sober enough to push him away... well, he wouldn't have gone that far, but he certainly would have done a little more than just a kiss. How he felt about Viktor was getting way out of hand, and was definitely probably the reason for 90% of his problems. ]

[ Dammit, why did he have to be engaged? Or why did he have to be so free with his affections? This wouldn't be as much of a problem if either of those weren't a thing. Though as soon as such a though occurred to him, he had to smack himself. He wouldn't want to wish Yuuri into non-existence! Nor did he want Viktor to change the kind of person he was; that was part of what made him so damn likable! Why the hell was this so complicated?! ]

[ He knew he couldn't avoid Viktor forever, but he didn't want the chance of running into the others when he did either. So, Adachi opted for meeting him at the early morning workouts he had been missing out on for various reasons over the last couple months; seriously, if he managed to get through this month without any kind of serious injury, he'd be impressed. ]

[ Adachi stood there awkwardly once he approached, not sure what to even say after over a week of avoiding him. He rubbed at the back of his neck, before sheepishly raising his hand in greeting. ]

Y-yo!

[ Nailed it. ]

[ Night | Heropa Ice Rink | Open ]
Why are you still paying for this?

[ Adachi looked up from where he was writing out a check, raising an eyebrow at the ice rink owner. He was "awake" for once, staring up at him from around his "I rather be fishing" hat. ]

Your friends aren't coming around, you know.

[ A sour look came to Adachi's face at that, and he ripped out the check, slapping it down. ]

Just take my money, and let me get my skates.

[ He was out on the ice before long, blades cutting along the surface as he started on his circles, but he wasn't really focused on it. He really didn't need the reminder that the others weren't around that much, that him trying to learn this was probably going to be for nothing. But, dammit, he wanted to do this; there was so much he wanted to say and didn't have a lot of time to say it, or the words to say it. He had to do this now. ]

[ Adachi went drifting from circles to some attempt at a program, not that it was very much of anything. There was still a lot he didn't understand, especially how things were supposed flow together. Anyone that came in would be able to see he made an attempt at trying to understand, though. A small notebook was sticking out from his dufflebag where he dropped it, with the names of moves and positions along with scribbled stick figure drawings giving an idea of what they were supposed to look like. There were a lot of notes on the margins as well, mostly consisting of, "Hands go where!??!?!" ]

[ He's trying at it! A little harder than he tries at anything else at least. ]

[ Private Communication to Persona Users ]
So uh...

I know there's like.

A lot.

That we need to talk about with each other and all that? But uh... we've all got the same power, and we're all more or less on the same side. It's probably best if we at least prepare ourselves to fight like a team if we need to.

So uh

I'm totally up for training with any one of you guys. I need to find a new place to do it now that my old one's been compromised, but we should try to get to know each other's skills better.

[ He really hoped that sounded sincere, because he was definitely trying to be. ]

[ Wild Card ]
[ When Adachi isn't busy with others, he'll be all around the porter cities working various cases for his native clients. He's up for being stopped for just about anything. ]

Comments

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Viktor could probably hear the mental screech going off in Adachi's mind. ]

You should be! You're a taken man! No one but Yuuri-kun has business kissing you like that!

[fourlevels]

I'd only be mad if you tried something like that again. And you were trying to prove a point by doing it, right? At least I think I remember it that way ...

[sleight_of_hand]

[ ...well. Yes. He was trying to prove a point. Sort of. ]

...if that was all I'm pretty sure I would have stopped at one...

[fourlevels]

But you did stop when I told you to. That's why I didn't consider it being forceful.

[sleight_of_hand]

That--

[ Oh dammit; where was Yurio to yell sense at him when he needed him?! ]

T-that's not the point! I shouldn't have done it period! We... I... w-we don't have that kind of relationship!

[fourlevels]

Do you ... want me to be mad at you?

[sleight_of_hand]

Yes! I mean... n-no... I-I mean!

[ U G H why was this so hard?! ]

[ Adachi let out a sigh after a moment, his shoulders slumping. ]

...this isn't fair. Why can't this be easier?

[fourlevels]

I'm not exactly sure what "this" is that you're trying to accomplish ...

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Viktor you are far too difficult sometimes. Adachi shot him a sour look, before letting out a sigh. ]

I guess... no, start over.

[ He let out a breath, squaring his shoulders. ]

I don't know what I am to you. You said I'm not quite a friend, but not quite family either. I thought I knew what that meant, but... I really don't. And the fact that you say things that are encouraging in ways I don't think you even realize isn't helping me figure that out.

[fourlevels]

Oh ... what kind of things do I say?

[ At least Viktor is listening to him now? Enough that he finds the closest thing to sit on so he can pay full attention to Adachi. ]

[sleight_of_hand]

Well... like that night, you told me just to focus on you, because our worlds right now are the same...

[ Adachi trailed off a moment, looking away. ]

...you're always encouraging me; cheering me up and saying nice things. I don't know how to take any of that, except that I...

[ Adachi paused, feeling his heart twitch painfully in his chest, to the point that he absently grabbed at it. What the hell kind of feeling was this even? It hurt... ]

[fourlevels]

Isn't that what friends do though?

[sleight_of_hand]

Not... like you do. Coming from you it's... way too sincere for just being friendly.

[fourlevels]

Tohru, I'm fairly sure that friends are supposed to be sincere with their friends. I mean, I haven't had that many myself, but I'm fairly certain it's supposed to work like that.

[sleight_of_hand]

But...

[ It really didn't feel that way, but maybe that was because he hadn't exactly had that many friends himself. Still, when comparing him with Dojima, or Kaneda, or any of the other friends he'd made since coming here... it didn't feel the same. It didn't feel the same at all, and it hurt... so damn much, because he knew this wasn't going to get far. ]

[ It probably showed on his face how much he was hurting, considering he was struggling against foreign emotions that were clawing away at his heart and mind. ]

[fourlevels]

[ It does show, and Viktor drops his smile, looking concerned and worried at that expression. ]

Tohru ...

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi swallowed hard, trying to pull himself together enough to continue. Geeze, how the hell did he fall apart this easily? Not fair. ]

It hurts... everything I feel when it comes to you hurts, and I don't know what to do with it most of the time.

[fourlevels]

... Hurts? How?

[sleight_of_hand]

Ugh, you seriously want to describe it?

[ Adachi grimaced; Viktor, please stop making him vulnerable literally all the time? It's rude. Thanks. ]

When I think about you, my head feels fuzzy; like I've been drinking all damn day. But then I remember that whatever I think about you doesn't matter, and my chest starts hurting. Like... it gets tight, and hard to breathe.

[fourlevels]

[ He frowns lightly. ]

What do you mean it "doesn't matter"?

[sleight_of_hand]

[ V I K T O R ! ]

[ Adachi let out a faint noise, waving a hand. ]

You have Yuuri, remember?

[fourlevels]

I do, but that doesn't mean your feelings don't matter!

[sleight_of_hand]

But I can't do anything about them!

[ Ugh, he felt bad for raising his voice, but!? Wasn't this obvious?! ]

The only thing I can do is sit and deal with it, and it hurts too damn much!

[ His shoulders slumped again. ]

That's... why just walking away would have been so much easier.

[fourlevels]

But walking away only makes it hurt worse, doesn't it?

[sleight_of_hand]

But at least it's not a problem for everyone else, right?!

[ Because that was important, wasn't it?! That no one else got dragged into this hell with him? That Yuuri didn't end up hurt because of him? That Viktor didn't end up hurt because of Yuuri's reaction over him? Because of Yurio's reaction to him? That's what was more important, right!? ]