lempereur | IC Contact; MoM

[ Yusuke is a light sleeper, so the soft chime of the phone gets him up, but it still takes awhile before he sends a response. Meeting up with Adachi has rarely ended in anything but frustration. ]

Is this about the heist?

I will be there in thirty minutes.

See you there.

[ How's that for a weird, non-answer? ]

[ When Yusuke gets to the cave, Adachi's already relaxing at a table and chairs in front of their cork board that... hadn't been there before. Someone had been adding to the hideout while people weren't using it, as well as fixing the board. A few names had been taken off since the last time the were there. ]

[ He tilted his head back when he heard Yusuke come down, looking at him upside down. ]

Hey.

[ Weird. And annoying.

He'll just have to suck it up and make his way to the hideout. He hops through the hole in his Fox outfit, but changes back into his normal clothes once he's in and out of sight of anyone but Adachi. ]

Good morning.

[ His head turns to take in the additions, while he sips at a protein shake he brought because he can learn, sometimes. Everything will get rearranged into a more aesthetically pleasing layout another time, but they're not bad additions on principle. ]

[ Look, he plopped things down where they were practical and they worked. They still had a long way to go before this place looked like an actual secret hide out. ]

Mm...

[ He got up after a moment, reaching down and picking up a pair of wooden practice kendo blades. He held them up for Yusuke to see, before tossing one to him. ]

[ His free hand catches it without thinking, but as soon as his hand curls around it, he stares back at Adachi, not quite registering his intention. Or purpose. ]

What is this?

W-well...

[ Adachi was awkward. Ridiculously awkward, and the embarrassed look on his face was clear, even in the dim light in the cave. ]

So... you use a sword. I only really remember the basics, but I figured some kendo practice might help before... 'ya know.

[ He's trying, all right? ]

Before what?

[ Yusuke barely has the patience to guess things with anyone, much less Adachi. That, and he doesn't feel like practicing with him could be any more enriching than his sessions with Grievous...but if he wants to? It can't hurt. ]

Before shit goes down.

[ He let out a sigh; Yusuke, please don't give him a hard time here! ]

L-look, can we do this?

[ The artist sighs softly and sets his bottle down on the table, before backing away from it into a more open space. ]

Is there something that you want help with?

[ Adachi held up a finger, shaking it back and forth in reprimand. ]

Ah--! I'm helping you, remember.

[ But no, seriously; Adachi lowered his hand, a thoughtful look coming to his face as he rested his own kendo stick on his shoulder. ]

You're self taught, right? No formal instruction?

My soul link with a legendary samurai has taken the place of formal instruction. Unless you consider Grievous to be in any way formal.

[ So no. Technically. ]

[ Adachi gave a nod at that. ]

Kendo’s really popular in the police force, ‘ya know. Practice sessions aren’t a requirement in the bigger departments, like in the city, but it can be out in the country.

[ Like in Inaba; a good 70% of the swats to the head he received from Dojima was for the sake of whipping him into shape for this. He gave a nod, stepping away a bit before slipping into a ready stance. He started explaining how he was standing like he was on autopilot, like they were in the middle of an actual dojo with Dojima looking on. Foot work was totally important, you know! And it all started with the opening stance! ]

I am aware.

[ Yusuke matches his stance, the ease with which he carries himself is a matter of natural (and semi-devine) inclination more than it is something he's ever been explicitly told to do. He doesn't feel like he needs this, but he plays along, at least until he figures out what Adachi is really trying to do here. ]

[ Adachi continued, running through old drills until he reached the end of his knowledge, coming to a fumbling stop. This wasn't working, was it? Kitagawa seemed bored out of his mind. ]

So, um... why don't we go through a practice fight, then?

Is a sparring match really why you called me here at dawn?

[ A little dramatic, isn't it?

In any case, Yusuke's not quite convinced. The last time they spoke face to face was nearly a shouting match, and now he wants to play around with wooden swords, just the two of them? He's less bored, and more...baffled. ]

Y-yeah, why not?!

[ Adachi swallowed, looking ridiculously awkward and embarrassed, to the point that there was a faint hint of pink on his face. He tilted his sword to the side, as if there was something with Yusuke not being all for this. ]

C'mon, it's good practice, right?

Because we have never done this before, and have not had a civil conversation since we both burned to death.

[ Pretty good reasons to be suspicious, as far as he's concerned. Out of habit, Yusuke shifts to put away his practice sword in a sheath that...is not there, making him look just as stupid and awkward, and settles for propping it up on his shoulder. ]

[ Yep, this wasn't working; Adachi frowned to himself, missing Yusuke looking like an idiot. This was supposed to be the part where they fought it out and ended up collapsed on the ground afterwards all happy, but Yusuke was being as stubborn as a mule -- that's how things like this are supposed to work out. And did he have to bring up the burning part?! ]

[ He paused a moment, before poking at Yusuke with his training sword, trying to goad him into taking a swing at him. If he wasn't going to react to him trying to be nice, then he was just going to have to settle for his usual: being a dick. ]

C'mon; don't tell me someone with a legendary character like Goemon for a Persona is too scared to take on an old man?

[ That is not how anything works. Maybe someone like Hanamura is satisfied working through his emotional distress by hitting people, but Yusuke is a fair bit more moody than that. He's been hurt and traumatized in a list of ways that hitting Adachi with a stick isn't going to resolve. If this was the kind of thing that could help him, he would have knocked Madarame out and been done with it.

Not that the poking doesn't make the idea soung tempting. Yusuke swats away the sword with his hand, bristling. ]

Stop being childish. Why would I want to fight you?

Edited 2018-02-06 23:15 (UTC)

Why wouldn't you?

[ He continued to poke at him, a sly smirk working it's way onto his face. It was bugging the hell out of him; was this finally going to start working? ]

C'mon, do I really have to tell your ice boys you chickened out on me?

[ And Yusuke zips away. Going out of his way to annoy him isn't that helpful. ]

Because it won't accomplish anything. If you would like to brag to them about wasting my time, you are free too.

[ Adachi finally let out a frustrated groan, his sword dropping toward the ground as his shoulders slumped. Seriously, literally anyone else would just go along with this, or at least have an idea what he was trying to do. But Yusuke was just too damn stubborn to get it. ]

Ugh. Fine. I give up. Trying to bond with you is impossible for me.

Trying to bond with me? How is summoning me here first thing in the morning and asking me to hit you supposed to be a bonding experience?

[ It isn't stubbornness. It's confusion. How is he supposed to guess that someone who has taken every available opportunity to twist his words, belittle him, and make him out to be the fool, suddenly wants to bond with him?

Why? ]

You have been more than happy to brush off my non-violent attempts to do the same. Why do you have any consideration for me now, and not then? If you think I have been awaiting your approval, you are wrong.

Because I'm scared.

[ Adachi fell quiet almost immediately after that confession, letting out a sigh as he turned away, rubbing at the back of his neck. Knowing that Dooku was going to be moving soon with... whatever the hell this crazy plan was supposed to be, scared the fuck out of him. He wasn't feeling confident about how things would work out, even if they were getting along. There was so much that could go wrong that he didn't even know where to begin, but trying to make things better between them seemed like a good idea. ]

[ Shame he clearly had no idea how the hell to do that. ]

[ Yusuke deflates, and sets the practice sword down on the table. Still, he stands tall, unwilling to give the other man another chance to look down on him.

It's a selfish response. He doesn't care because he's sorry. He doesn't care because he just does, and is horrible at showing it. He's just afraid things won't go his way. Yusuke can't expect anything more from him. He can hope, but it's pointless, and saying so is even more pointless. ]

It will work, whether I indulge this inane male bonding fantasy or not. We will not have to deal with each other any more after that.

[ There's a sadness in his voice that softens the curtness. It isn't the ideal solution, or much of a solution at all, but it's the only one he can think of. This cycle can't continue. ]

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