A little bit of normalcy

[icy_heavens]

Who: Toushirou and Phillip
When: August 14th
Where: Some random public park
What: Soccer practice and Toushirou wising Phillip up to the ways of middle school.


[Some days, even in the lives the Numbered lead, are incredibly normal. Nevermind kidnappings in Las Vegas, or stealing enemy technology. Those are the big events. Sometimes, there's just downtime.

[Sometimes, there's just a couple of kids practicing soccer in the park.

[Better dive for that ball headed between the trees, Phillip; looks like Toushirou is aiming for another goal.]

Comments

[darkhourdear]

[Phillip's really happy to be out and playing soccer- he hasn't been able to do it as much recently. A lot of people sort of drop in the transition between schools, apparently. And since he's going to try out for the team, practicing with Toushirou is great because he's really good.

He grins brightly as he makes a (dramatic) dive for the ball, barely able to knock it away from the goal but succeeding. Which is what counts.]

[icy_heavens]

[Well, you don't get anywhere by going into lulls. People are dumb. Besides, Toushirou's already had about two months where he hadn't been in physical condition to do this. He'd technically had his break. This? Is kind of playing catch-up, as far as he's concerned.

[He hurries after the ball after Phillip knocks it away. He's not using his abilities, obviously, but he's still fairly quick as normal people go.] Better get up in a hurry.

[All the warning he's going to give.]

[darkhourdear]

[Well, Toushirou using his abilities would be bad for a lot of reasons. They're in a park, and people could see! Also that would be cheating and that's bad.]

I know! [Phillip pulls himself up pretty quickly- he can't really turn off not getting scratched or anything so he doesn't really get beat up much at all doing this. But as soon as he's on his feet, he's keeping an eye out for wherever his friend might shoot next.]

[icy_heavens]

[Well, it might not be cheating, per se; it's a natural ability of his! But the visibility is the primary concern.

[He performs a fake this time, first angling toward the right, then pivoting to the left at the last second, shot aimed to bounce off the inner side of one of the tree trunks they'd designated as goal posts and skip over the line.]

[darkhourdear]

[Nope, it's cheating. Phillip says so.

Phillip almost falls for the fake, but as soon as Toushirou tries to score again he's on it, charging over to stop the ball. But he doesn't quite make it and Toushirou scores again.]

[icy_heavens]

[It's not cheating to use what you have naturally.

[No cheering on his part -- because this is Toushirou we're talking about -- but he nods to himself. Not a bad technique, aiming to bank it off the goal post, so long as he gets the angle right. He'll keep that in mind.]

So you said you're gonna be trying for it this year, right?

[darkhourdear]

[But you don't have it naturally, it's magic.

Phillip is a little disappointed that he didn't block it, but he perks up quickly.]

Yeah. I know I might not make it, but I'm going try really hard and it can't hurt, right?

[icy_heavens]

[Shrug.] Eh. You might. You're not terrible, and a lot of the senior players moved on to high school anyway.

[This is clearly a glowing compliment. Delivered completely deadpan.]

[darkhourdear]

[It's ok, Phillip is near fluent in Toushirou at this point, so the comment gets him to grin.]

Well I'll keep practicing really hard, so I'll have a better chance!

[icy_heavens]

[Yeah, grinning, whatever. He just ignores that at this point. It's Phillip. Grinning is a thing with him.]

Gotta make sure your grades stay decent, too. They get too low, the school won't let you play even if you're good enough. [Yeah, he's seen a kid or two get pulled off the team because of poor academic performance. It's nothing Toushirou has ever been remotely worried about for himself; even with the insanity that being Numbered brings, the closest Toushirou has ever gotten to being behind . . . is being on pace. His grades have never dropped. He just kind of assumes Phillip does fine, if for no other reason than he doesn't understand how anyone does badly enough to be kicked off of sports teams.]

[darkhourdear]

[It's great how they can just understand each other. Friendship!!!]

Oh, yeah! I mean even if the school didn't, my dad wouldn't. He and mom both say my grades have to stay up if I wanna keep doing soccer and theater. [Especially theater, with how much time that takes up for him.] But I think I'll be ok! I've been doing good in school up until now.

[icy_heavens]

[Yeah, yeah.]

Switch up. You try to score this time. [Phillip's not going to get anywhere without practicing on both ends, after all.]

People will tell you the work gets harder up in middle school, but there's not much of a difference, really. [Toushirou, you skipped a grade; you're biased.]

[darkhourdear]

Ok! [Phillip will go outside the goal, then, waiting for Toushirou to get ready for his turn at goalie.

Yeah but Phillip will totally 100% believe most of what Toushirou tells him.] Ok! Then it shouldn't be that bad and then I can still have plenty of time to practice.

[icy_heavens]

[He's in position, alert as always. But goal does happen to be his weakest skill.]

[Because Toushirou knows all!] The kids get more obnoxious, though.

[darkhourdear]

[Well obviously because TOUSHIROU IS THE GREATEST GOSH.] Really? But I thought everyone seemed really nice that I've talked to. [Phillip thinks everyone is nice.

Once Toushirou's ready, Phillip will start down the field with the ball, aiming it for the gap in between Toushirou and the end of their makeshift goal, sort of in the middle of where his hand and leg might be.]

[icy_heavens]

You think everyone is nice. [Because it has to be said.]

[Nope, catches that one without much difficulty.]

[darkhourdear]

Well, most people are! [Or so he thinks.

Hmmm. Well that didn't work. Time to try a fake out, kicking left inside of right at the last moment.]