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

[fourlevels]

What does the month have anything to do with—

[ He pauses. ]

... Oh, you mean the skating season?

[sleight_of_hand]

What else would I mean? You're still going to compete, aren't you?

[fourlevels]

If we can. We haven't exactly been training as we normally would for a season, not with everything that's happened here.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ ...right. A lot of which was his fault. Adachi shrank back at that, the guilt immediately crossing his face. ]

Y-you should get back at it! I-I mean... y-you guys don't need ice to practice, right?

[fourlevels]

[ What, why with the guilty look?? Viktor almost stands back up while Adachi moves. ]

Sure we need it. Just because we can use our powers to skate without ice doesn't mean it's the same kind of skating we do on the ice.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi took another step back, clearly ready to retreat. Because seriously, he was the one taking their time away. He was the one that had ended up in the hospital so many damn times. ]

W-well, get back there! I mean, I'm paying for those passes for a reason, you know; so you can use them!

[fourlevels]

[ He does stand now, that look getting more and more concerning as Adachi backs up. ]

You're using it too though, I thought?

[sleight_of_hand]

Well, yeah, but I'm not the one that does this for a living. What about all those sponsors? What would they think if you had all this time to get ready and backed out?

[ Dammit, he should have thought more about what he was doing and how it would affect Viktor. He never wanted to intentionally hurt him, but it seemed like that happened anyway... ]

[fourlevels]

Ah, since most of them were imPorts themselves, they'd probably understand.

[sleight_of_hand]

Y-you can't just dismiss it like that!

[ Viktor, will you be mad at him for this? No?! Why can't you blame him for something for once?! ]

[fourlevels]

I'm not dismissing it, just ... it might be a possibility. Yuuri only just got here—again—and Yura's been spending time with training his powers rather than his skating so ...

[sleight_of_hand]

B-but...

[ But wasn't this what Viktor did?! How could he be okay with just... not doing it? What was the point of pushing himself to do that whole long routine if he wasn't going to compete?! ]

[fourlevels]

[ The smile Viktor gives Adachi this time feels a little thin, a little too brittle. ]

So it's just something I have to prepared for as their coach.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ It was that smile that killed him. Adachi knew that fake smile from anywhere, and the guilt felt like it stabbed him straight through the heart. He had to clutch at his chest a moment, taking a deep breath to try and get his body working right again, before he balled his fists up. ]

D-don't act like that! I know you're not happy with that, Viktor! If you want to skate, you should skate, regardless of what they're doing, or w-what I...

[ He ran out of energy at that, the guilt hitting him fresh once again. ]

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor takes a step forward when he sees Adachi clutch at his chest,drawn forward by the powerful emotions he had so plainly on display right now. ]

Tohru ... I'm just saying that this place and its effects are unpredictable. We don't know what will be coming our way tomorrow, or on a day there's a competition.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi took a step back... but there was the end of the sidewalk there. He squeaked as he tried to compensate for the lack of it, failing miserably and falling back on the pavement. ]

[ Ow... ]

[fourlevels]

Ah—! [ Viktor took another step forward himself, looking down at him and offering a hand to help him back up. ] You okay?

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi didn't take it, ducking his head and looking away even as he rubbed at his rear. ]

...m'fine...

[fourlevels]

[ ... He wiggles his fingers for emphasis. Don't ignore the offer, Adachi. ]

[sleight_of_hand]

[ ...Viktor please. Adachi let out a sigh, allowing him to help him back up and onto the sidewalk, but he couldn't bring himself to look at him, or the fact he was still clinging to his hand. He was still in emotional hell, and it showed clearly on his face. ]

[fourlevels]

... Tohru, talk to me.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi frowned to himself, well aware of the hand he was still clutching to. His thumb stroked at it absently, before he pulled Viktor closer to him, finally looking at him. If he wanted intense, then he certainly got it; the look that was in Adachi's eyes could only be described as that. ]

If you still want me just to focus on you, then you have to return the favor or let me leave, got it?

[ The seriousness in his voice shifted over to something that sounded more pleading. ]

At least... until Yuuri says one way or the other, all right? I can't keep playing this game of emotional chicken, because someone's going to get hurt and it's probably going to be you.

[ At least he was being honest; he didn't trust himself not to lash out if things kept going the way they were going, trying to change or not. ]

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor's tugged closer, the action as well as the words making his eyes widen a little more as he looks down at Adachi. ]

Return the ... ?

[ Then he's frowning, tilting his chin downward to level Adachi a Look of his own. His tone softens though, lowering to almost a whisper. ]

Did you give Mayumi an ultimatum like that too?

[sleight_of_hand]

[ For a moment, Adachi looked like he was finally going to get some relief and understanding from what he was feeling. If Viktor could help him, then everything would be okay. ]

[ And then Viktor verbally stabbed him in the heart. ]

[ Adachi immediately let go of his hand, looking utterly stricken as he stumbled backward, almost falling off the sidewalk. His moth worked, struggling for a reply, but he couldn't get it out. He finally closed his mouth, the pain on his face increased tenfold from what it was before. ]

...no. I didn't even give her that much.

[ His voice was soft, almost inaudible. It was a moment before he ducked his head down, that familiar emptiness clawing at his heart. No, he couldn't stay here right now. He was going to break down. He was going to fall apart, and he couldn't do it here. ]

[ Without a second thought, he turned and ran as fast as he could, not looking back. ]

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor had been still while Adachi backed away again and stumbled, a seemingly immovable object in the face of Adachi's growing pain. His voice was still soft when Adachi bowed his head, just a hint of pleading in his own voice when he opens his mouth to explain what he meant by what he said. ]

Tohru—

[ But then Adachi turns and runs? What the hell?? It stuns Viktor, not expecting such a reaction when Adachi had promised him he wouldn't, so Adachi gets a several-seconds head start, Viktor following after him once the initial shock worse off. ]

Tohru, wait—Tohru!