bakerstreet | ☂ it's raining, it's falling

☂ it's raining, it's falling

caught in the rain

It started out quietly, and then, quite suddenly, you're caught in a storm. Time to find cover. Nothing much to do but to wait it out.

Scenarios listed below for those who want 'em.

i WHERE:
001 PLAYGROUND - Well, you can try to hide under the slide or maybe in the jungle gym... at least you're some place fun?
002 PARK - Always happens, caught outside trying to take advantage of the weather... and it ends up pulling a fast one on you.
003 STORE FRONT - Better hope they have an awning you can take advantage of
004 THE BEACH - Not exactly the best place to be during a rainstorm, however it is possible to get caught in a sudden storm
005 WILD CARD - Anyway you want it

ii HOW:
001 TREE - Not the best cover, but it'll have to do, stay close to the roots and you won't get too wet.
002 UMBRELLA - Most conventional... Kinda boring. But it works.
003 NEWSPAPER - Not permanent, but it'll have to do. Good luck
004 BAG - Well... y'gotta do what you gotta do.
005 NONE - You know what. You're a rebel. You don't need cover. Screw convention
006 WILD CARD - that's the way you need it

iii WHY:
001 REJECTED - Welp. Rejection sucks. And no one will see you crying in the rain.
002 WAITING - For the bus? For someone else? For some revelation? What are you waiting for.
003 MELANCHOLY - Sometimes the best place to feel a bit down is out in the rain.
004 HAPPINESS - Is everything going your way? Are you singing a refrain while walking down the lane? Just singin. Singin' in the rain.
005 ANGER - WELL YOU KNOW WHAT. SCREW YOU TOO RAIN.
006 WILD CARD - Anyway you want it.

>> POST with your character
>> TAG others, use RNG if you need to, or just make up your own scenario if you want!
>> HAVE FUN.

(from here.)

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[Friday. The classes had ended long time ago, and after finishing up the regular club activities, he went to his brother's gymnasium to practice some blocking. However, Tsukishima wasn't particularly interested in today's training. His thoughts keep drifting away and his blocks were always for an inch shorter than they should. Of course, no one reprimanded him about it because it's practice, so he didn't think about it much.

But it was true that he wasn't in his top form whenever he had to train together with Akiteru. His brother's as eager as ever, chatty and supporting, and that's what's annoying Tsukishima. If he were a spiker, he'd probably slam that volleyball in Aki's face by now.

He shouldn't be happy. He shouldn't be supportive. Things that happened to him, he shouldn't have just brushed them off. Tsukishima loves his brother but when it comes to this, he can't help but feel pissed off every time he's near him. But was he really angry... or was he sad? Maybe it was just him pitying him. So it piled up and Tsukishima ended up snapping at him for no apparent reason. And he stormed out of the gym with a vicious slam of the door when at his yelling, Akiteru responded with another smile.

Tsukishima didn't get it. He will never get it. He just doesn't understand Akiteru's personality at all, and he's sure that he never will. Which hurts. It really does.
After his mad dash out from the gym, Tsukishima wandered the city streets for a while, with headphones on his head. The rain started to fall but he didn't seem to notice it. He just wished it could help him cool off or wash away the thoughts he's having. He doesn't even know what time it is or if Yamaguchi's done with his own additional training. His sense of time had failed him.

Slowly, he crossed the street, rain now in downpour, drenching him completely. He should probably head home- these gray streets and rain is making him feel crappy on another level.]

[Tsukishima and Yamaguchi live relatively close to one another, or at least in the same direction. Tsukishima's aimless wandering may not take him directly to Shimada Mart, but at some point along the way he'll intersect with the path Yamaguchi was taking to get home from there. It's late by now, but then, Yamaguchi usually practices serving with Shimada until well past nightfall.

Yamaguchi yawns with exhaustion from practice and blinks wearily at all the rain going on around him. He ended up staying even later than usual at the mart to try and outlast the storm, and it only ended up getting worse as the evening wore on. At least he has his hooded sweatshirt and Karasuno jacket...]

...?? [Hang on a minute—up ahead of him, is that Tsukishima? ...Yeah, those are definitely his headphones.] Tsukki! Hey, Tsukki, wait up–!!

[why aren't you wearing a rain jacket oh my god]

[It was almost impossible to hear anything over the heavy rain hitting the ground. But he did hear someone's voice, and it sounded rather familiar so he stopped and turned around to look.

Ah, so he wasn't wrong. It was Yamaguchi. It's weird how he always runs into the other boy when he feels like complete mess. He ends up shoving his bad mood onto him, which isn't fair at all. Yamaguchi didn't do anything and he didn't deserve to have stress taken out on him.]

Yamaguchi... [He didn't ask what he was doing here- he was probably heading home after practice. Instead, he started walking again, expecting for his friend to copy his slow stride, even in this rain.]

[Yamaguchi obligingly runs to catch up to the other boy, opening his mouth to call a greeting and ask why Tsukishima doesn't have anything to keep him dry in this rain—but, once he gets closer, he slows to hang back a little.

Because something is clearly the matter, and even at a distance Yamaguchi can tell right away. The two of them have been friends long enough that Yamaguchi can read Tsukishima's moods a mile away, even when the other boy is at his most inexpressive. Especially when his feelings are this intense.]

Wh...What's wrong, Tsukki?

[Yamaguchi's mind races to think of what might have upset Tsukishima. Unfortunately, doing so is much harder for him than simply gauging his mood. Has Tsukishima perhaps been a little off at any point today, during class or practice? Thinking back on it, Yamaguchi thinks he might have been.]

['Everything' is what he wants to blurt out, yell, just to ease all of the pent up frustration from today. But it's Yamaguchi, and he didn't mean anything bad by asking that. Of course, if it was someone else he'd probably attempt to toss them off the bridge they are just crossing.

He stops walking again and takes off his glasses. He's can't see anything with or without them, so it doesn't really matter. He pockets them and shoves hands in his jacket, half frowning, half squinting through the rain.]

Let's hurry, you'll catch cold.

[He can't really bring up what's really bothering him to Yamaguchi. He'll sound like a whiny high schooler and that's the image he'd like to avoid having.]

Tsukki... [Yamaguchi trails off, still worriedly hanging back so he's one or two steps behind. He knows that the other boy is deflecting the question on purpose, that Tsukishima doesn't feel like talking about it. But, does that mean Yamaguchi should let the matter drop like he's always done? Go along with what Tsukishima would want? Sometimes, Yamaguchi thinks that isn't always in his friend's best interest...but then, how would Yamaguchi know exactly what was–]

? ?? [Before he has time to work out these misgivings, another distraction drives the debate clean from Yamaguchi's mind: Tsukishima's words about Yamaguchi catching a cold belatedly remind the shorter of something he meant to address when he first ran up.]

Tsukki!!! [Yamaguchi scampers up to Tsukishima's side, finally, hovering closer with a sudden expression of familiar (over)concern.] You're not wearing a rain jacket or an umbrella or anything, Tsukki...!!

Are you all right?! You've gotta be soaked...!

Of course I'm soaked, it's raining.

[He thought it was obvious. Although he has no idea whose house is close to hide in until this rain blows over. He might be in shitty mood, but he's not eager to catch pneumonia. That's why he urged them to move a bit faster.]

Let's go to your place.

[...he doesn't want to go home. He wants to hide away from his own family somewhere where they can't reach him. Especially Akiteru. He said he'd be coming over, and Tsukishima doesn't want to face him right now.]

[Yamaguchi's pretty sure that Tsukishima's anger isn't directed at him. But still, the other boy is nearly glaring when he speaks at this point—Yamaguchi doesn't think Tsukishima even realizes it. It's worrying.]

Even though there's nobody there? [Yamaguchi's parents are rarely home in the evenings on weekdays, tonight is no exception.] Well, okay. Let's hurry before you get sick...um...do you want to borrow my Karasuno jacket...?

[Considering the type of thoughts that are going through Tsukishima's head right now, it's no wonder he's glaring. He just feels a bit bad that Yamaguchi has to deal with him right now.]

It's fine. [It's good that they are not there, if you ask Tsukishima. As for jacket... he's kind of big to wear Yamaguchi's.] I'll be okay.

[Yamaguchi doesn't press his luck, declining to offer the jacket again even though he wants to. He smiles and shrugs.]

Okay, Tsukki!

Come on! [And with that, he'll pull up the hood of his sweatshirt as much as he can (to keep his hair covered), while they both run in the direction of his house.]

[Tsukishima wasn't keen on running right now, but for Yamaguchi's sake, he fell in step. They shouldn't be far away from his house either. He could barely hear the splashes in the puddles as they ran from the noise that rain was making. If it continues like this, he will probably be stuck at Yamaguchi's place for the night.]

[Despite the jacket and the hoodie he's wearing, Yamaguchi's still chilly and damp beneath his clothes by the time they finally reach his house. He can't imagine how Tsukishima must be feeling right now.]

Finally... [Yamaguchi murmurs through chattering teeth, reaching around to twist his backpack enough so that he can reach his house key in the outside pocket.] L-Let's get inside, Tsukki.

[He unlocks the door and kicks his shoes off sloppily in the entryway, shivering, as he waits for Tsukishima to follow him in so he can close the door.]

[He steps in after Yamaguchi, dropping his bag next to the door. He kicks off his shoes but doesn't go in further because he's dripping wet. He pulls out glasses and puts them on before taking off his hoodie.]

We need towels.

[And heater. The cold is finally seeping in his bones and he's feeling it. He didn't care about it outside, but that argument is not worth getting sick.]

Oh! R-Right!

Wait, here, Tsukki!

[Yamaguchi scurries off to the bathroom, grabbing some warm and fluffy towels so he can run them back to the entryway. He's dripping, too, at least the outside of his clothes, so he'll have to come back and clean that up later. But for now his priority is getting himself and Tsukishima dry.

He pauses by the thermostat on his way back, dialing it up a few degrees before returning to Tsukishima's side.]

Here, Tsukki! [Yamaguchi hands over the larger towel, peeling off his wet jacket with a wet shiver.] It's really awful outside, huh...

[By the time Yamaguchi returns with the towels, he's out of his shoes and socks. Only pants are left and he wants to get rid of them too but it's not really appropriate to take them off in someone's hallway.

He takes the towel and drys his hair, sighing slightly. It's finally dawning onto him how stupid this walk in the rain was.]

It was fine when I left...

[...when he left college's gymnasium. Yeah. Weather was fine then, now it perfectly imitates Tsukishima's mood.]

[Well, that only raises more questions. Yamaguchi slowly dries off his own hair, ignoring his still-dripping clothes as he debates with himself, then finally decides to ask.]

Tsukki, um...why were you out in that storm anyway?

It isn't really like you, so...

[He pauses in drying his hair for a moment. Again, a question- should he bother Yamaguchi with this or no? Now that he vented a bit it looks so silly. But he knows it will bother him later again.]

...I was at my brother's gym, trying to improve my blocking.

You were? [Yamaguchi actually smiles at that, unthinkingly, because that's great—both that Tsukishima's practicing volleyball independently from Karasuno, and that he's giving more room to Akiteru's advances to close the emotional distance between them, distance they've built for years–]

[–oh, wait. The smile slides from his face quickly enough, remembering the mood he found Tsukishima in earlier. The other boy had been walking alone through the pouring rain, seeming genuinely angrier than Yamaguchi's seen him in months. What must have happened to drive Tsukishima off like that?

Yamaguchi winces, knowing he's got to ask, but still unconsciously a little afraid of Tsukishima's temper. Yamaguchi won't ever admit that to himself, feeling too much like a betrayal of his friend to think that way about him, but there's no denying that Tsukki's tongue can be pretty sharp.]

Wh...What happened, then, Tsukki?

...

[Tsukishima drags off the towel from his head and glares at, as if it's its fault for what happened. A tug in his chest reveals to him that his anger didn't really passed him just yet. And now Yamaguchi's asking about it and he's afraid he'd lash out at him.]

Akiteru happened. He and his stupid, forgiving nature.

[...he'll need another pair of pants. These are completely damp. And they should move inside.]

[Yamaguchi tilts his head a bit, not really understanding what may have happened going by that statement alone. He's better at reading Tsukishima's moods than probably anyone else they know, but guessing at his specific thoughts is a whole lot trickier...

In fact, Yamaguchi's so caught up thinking over Tsukishima's cryptic words that he doesn't even think to offer his friend another towel, or dry clothes to wear. Instead he awkwardly fidgets in place, not attempting to move further inside the house. Yamaguchi tries nervously to come up with something to say in response.]

Akiteru-kun? Was he bothering you?

[His mood is as damp as the weather. Maybe... maybe if he talks to Yamaguchi about it, maybe it will pass. Then again he can brush him off. Right now, he has no other choice since he can't exactly stomp past Yamaguchi- it's his house.]

He's playing saint again. He shouldn't forgive so easily to anyone. And that includes me. I wish I could punch that 'it's okay Kei'-smile off of his face. Nothing is okay and he's not supposed to smile-!

[By the time he reached the end of his 'explanation' his voice is raised and he's slightly out of breath. His throat feels tight again. Biting inside of his cheek he looks away from Yamaguchi- he shouldn't have raised his voice.]

[His heart sinks at Tsukishima's outburst, and Yamaguchi seems to wilt a little in place. It has nothing to do with fear, or intimidation. He glances at his friend with—not a pitying expression, exactly, but one that's both sad and regretful. He wishes (not for the first time) that he understood Tsukishima's anger better. Because, try as he might, Yamaguchi doesn't always have the right words to say to his friend, even when Tsukishima's best interests are at his heart. And that's always.]

Tsukki… [Yamaguchi hates the weakness, almost trembling, which he hears in his own voice. But what else can he do? Tsukishima's first major break with Akiteru during their childhood is something Yamaguchi never had the courage to approach directly, and even now that the two brothers are on better terms it's obvious the old issues still linger.

Of course, one sentence out of Tsukishima's diatribe stands out to Yamaguchi far more than the others. And it frightens him too.]

Do…you really mean it, Tsukki? When you say that "Nothing is okay?" [If Tsukishima is hurting a lot more than he's let on, Yamaguchi wants to know about it.]

[Tsukishima can sense in Yamaguchi's voice the worry, the sadness, and he immediatelly regrets telling him this. But on the other hand, he couldn't keep it in and the words spilled out of him before he could check himself. Now, he can't do anything else but continue talking because, if he refuses, Yamaguchi will worry even more and he doesn't want him to. Not over him.]

No matter what I say, or how I act, he says that it's 'okay'. That my look at the things and opinions are understandable, but that on the other hand he doesn't mind not being able to do a thing but that it's okay. [About volleyball and sitting on the bench every game.] How can someone be okay when they are cornered like that!? If hard work gets a reward, why didn't he get any of it?

[Tsukishima could feel tears burn in corner of his eyes but he doesn't let them fall.] Why is it 'okay' to not get what you worked for? [Akiteru didn't supply him an answer to that question, that's for sure.]

Because he still intends to try for it!!

[Yamaguchi—whose expression rapidly changed over from sad concern to surprise, to understanding, and then finally to wide-eyed urgency by the time Tsukishima finishes his explanation—blurts out an interruption without thinking, seeming surprised as Tsukishima is by his own outburst.

But, instead of apologizing, Yamaguchi presses on forward, knowing this at least is a subject he can speak about.]

Tsukki!! You've got to be kidding, if you believe Akiteru-kun really doesn't mind not being able to play. I mean, after all the practice he's put in, and all that effort? Of course he must want to!

[Swallowing nervously to compose himself, Yamaguchi hesitates before continuing on, talking in a softer tone. Yamaguchi's eyes are downcast.] ...He does want to, I'm sure of it...that's why Akiteru-kun tried—that's why he still tries so hard, to get better at volleyball with his team. Maybe he says things like "It's okay" or "I don't mind," because he doesn't want to be honest about his feelings. Or because you're his brother and he's worried about the way you reacted last time...but...

...But I don't think that's it, not at all. I think when Akiteru says, "It's okay," it's because he believes that he can earn that chance to prove himself still. He probably thinks to himself, 'It'll be worth all the hours I've put into this, if it means I'm able to reach my goal when I get the chance.'

Otherwise, he wouldn't continue to try so hard, right!?

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☂ it's raining, it's falling

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