Iwaizumi Hajime (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
toughlovin) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
victory_road2022-03-03 03:30 am
toughlovin) wrote in victory_road2022-03-03 03:30 am
Network/Log: Backdated Feb 24th + Catch All For March
Network Post: UN: iwaizumi
Question.
[Iwaizumi had been thinking about this for a while now. And after having won his first gym battle, after a few weeks of training his Pokémon with Oikawa, the question had played on his mind even more.]
What's the end game here?
You battle these gym leaders of staggered levels. There's bigger and better gyms after that. But what's the goal? What do you get at the end of it?
[Prestige didn't seem worth it if everyone was aiming for the same thing. It wasn't unique. As far as he could tell it was just something to do. Was it fun? Sure. The same way beating a tough level in a video game was fun. He'd go for the next as well for that same reason. He wanted to beat the final boss.
But being the 'real world', just what happened once the game was over. When the final boss was defeated?
Iwaizumi was curious. The video showed him, sat in a pokecenter while his Pokémon were being looked after, just genuinely curiously asking the masses what they thought the end would look like.]
Log 1: Union Cave (Closed to Oikawa)
[They'd already been there a day and already Iwaizumi was getting a little tired of the dark and the dank. And the cold.
He had Taiyō on his shoulder almost constantly, half hanging on his backpack since she was a pretty hefty girl. But she kept him warm. And because she was warm he found himself keeping close to Oikawa's side so it would radiate out toward him.
It was hard to tell day and night cycles but once they were tired that was when they would stop and set up camp.
Iwaizumi had fed his Pokémon and had half a sandwich hanging out of his mouth as he unfurled and straightened out his sleeping bag, doing his best to remove any rocks from under it that would keep him awake. He spoke to Oikawa around his sandwich.]
I'll be glad to get outta here. I've forgotten what sunlight looks like.
Log 2: Azalea Town
[A buff young man with an adorably fluffy fire bug in his arms will be found wandering around Azalea Town off and on for around a week. Just seeing the sights and enjoying the sleepy town.
Iwaizumi will actually find he enjoys an evening at the jazz club. Or at one of the diners.
But its Ilex Forest Treetop Adventure Park that really gets him enthusiastic! It's a work out and it's fun, best of both worlds!]
Log 3: Ilex Forest
[Toward the end of the month they'll find themselves at Ilex Forest.
Iwaizumi is fascinated here. For the first few days he doesn't catch any Pokémon at all, he can be found sitting on a rock or a log and just watching them and what they do. How they interact. Their behaviour... and whether he can get them to come up to him without aggression.
It doesn't always work. But when it does he's utterly delighted!
It's at that point you'll see a rare, dorky smile on the Ace's face.]
Question.
[Iwaizumi had been thinking about this for a while now. And after having won his first gym battle, after a few weeks of training his Pokémon with Oikawa, the question had played on his mind even more.]
What's the end game here?
You battle these gym leaders of staggered levels. There's bigger and better gyms after that. But what's the goal? What do you get at the end of it?
[Prestige didn't seem worth it if everyone was aiming for the same thing. It wasn't unique. As far as he could tell it was just something to do. Was it fun? Sure. The same way beating a tough level in a video game was fun. He'd go for the next as well for that same reason. He wanted to beat the final boss.
But being the 'real world', just what happened once the game was over. When the final boss was defeated?
Iwaizumi was curious. The video showed him, sat in a pokecenter while his Pokémon were being looked after, just genuinely curiously asking the masses what they thought the end would look like.]
Log 1: Union Cave (Closed to Oikawa)
[They'd already been there a day and already Iwaizumi was getting a little tired of the dark and the dank. And the cold.
He had Taiyō on his shoulder almost constantly, half hanging on his backpack since she was a pretty hefty girl. But she kept him warm. And because she was warm he found himself keeping close to Oikawa's side so it would radiate out toward him.
It was hard to tell day and night cycles but once they were tired that was when they would stop and set up camp.
Iwaizumi had fed his Pokémon and had half a sandwich hanging out of his mouth as he unfurled and straightened out his sleeping bag, doing his best to remove any rocks from under it that would keep him awake. He spoke to Oikawa around his sandwich.]
I'll be glad to get outta here. I've forgotten what sunlight looks like.
Log 2: Azalea Town
[A buff young man with an adorably fluffy fire bug in his arms will be found wandering around Azalea Town off and on for around a week. Just seeing the sights and enjoying the sleepy town.
Iwaizumi will actually find he enjoys an evening at the jazz club. Or at one of the diners.
But its Ilex Forest Treetop Adventure Park that really gets him enthusiastic! It's a work out and it's fun, best of both worlds!]
Log 3: Ilex Forest
[Toward the end of the month they'll find themselves at Ilex Forest.
Iwaizumi is fascinated here. For the first few days he doesn't catch any Pokémon at all, he can be found sitting on a rock or a log and just watching them and what they do. How they interact. Their behaviour... and whether he can get them to come up to him without aggression.
It doesn't always work. But when it does he's utterly delighted!
It's at that point you'll see a rare, dorky smile on the Ace's face.]
15th March, Azalea after bird chaos like we'd discussed
Immediately he makes his way back to the inn they've been staying at, pulling a sleeve down from a scratched to hell arm and shoulder. He knows Iwaizumi's going to bark at him for it, but Tooru's fine, just a little banged up. He's good at faking that something doesn't hurt, outside of when he'd sprained something.
Maybe if Iwaizumi's not there, he can take care of it without getting fussed at.]
Iwa-chan? If you're here, I'm back, it took a little longer than I thought... ehe, sorry.
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Right now saw him sat on the window sill looking out at the world below. Or he had been, but at some point his eyes had closed and his head tipped to rest his forehead against the cool glass.
He didn't like that Oikawa had left... But hadn't been able to stop him. Didn't even know the words that could have. All he could do was watch tensely as he walked away. And that tension had remained. Iwaizumi was wound up tight and ready to snap...
Behind him he heard the door to their room open and his head lifted, turning sharply to watch as Oikawa appeared. His heart was pounding so hard Iwaizumi's ears were ringing. There was a near overwhelming urge to run at his friend... but he remained where he was and spoke quietly, laser focused on the man before him.]
What took you so long?
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This cat, Kuroo, here, is part of it. The little brat decided to make off with my 'gear for a day after we got the Braviary taken care of.
[Yes, he'd named the mischievous looking purple cat after Nekoma's captain.]
It was also getting late, so I stayed another day and got some useful TMs, including one of Headbutt for you. But enough of that, how'd you do with helping everyone else take a bird down?
[Tooru's just going to ignore the sting from his shoulder as he plops himself down on the bed, keeping his sleeve pulled down and jacket adjusted enough so a scratch didn't show, hoping Iwaizumi wouldn't comment on that.]
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He was quiet, just watching him. The way he moved. The way he held himself. The way he deflected... Did Oikawa really think he was stupid? That he could hide anything from him? How long had they known each other? Iwaizumi knew when Oikawa was hurt before even Oikawa knew, half of the time.
The problem was... Iwaizumi truly hated it when Oikawa lied to him and hid things. He understood why he did it. It was just who he was as a person. He didn't want anyone to worry, believed he could shoulder it all himself, didn't think it was that big of a deal. Didn't realise how much it hurt his bestfriend.]
It went fine.
[The reply was curt. Before Iwaizumi could stop himself he was on his feet and walking over to that bed Oikawa had lay down on. He didn't know what he was going to do before he actually did it, and that was to sit himself down on the edge of the bed beside Oikawa... and reached out to grab his arm.]
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And yet he'd still hide and deflect, a lesson never learned.
Even with the tone that sent chills down Tooru's spine with the response he got from Iwaizumi, but he keeps up that façade and lets his Zorua, Mika, out of her ball as well to go curl up with the Purrloin on the floor. Though that façade drops the moment Iwaizumi grabs his arm, causing him to wince and yelp.]
Careful! Jeez, don't be a brute.
[It's a hopeless wish, but Tooru hopes that Iwaizumi won't be even rougher with him and yank his sleeve up to reveal scratches from bird claws. Or yank his shirt collar to show the same marks on his shoulder. And so, he prepares for the worst.]
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He'd seen the way Oikawa was holding himself, the way he'd dropped onto the bed, there was no mistaking it. And sure, it was a dick move to have just grabbed Oikawa the way he had, but if he'd have asked Iwaizumi would only have been lied to. And deflected. Attempts at distraction. None of which would work because Iwaizumi was already pulling up the sleeve of Oikawa's shirt.
He wasn't rough. Though his expression was one of pissed off concern.]
STOP HIDING WHEN YOU'RE HURT! Dammit, Tooru! STOP! Just let me look!
[Why did he have to fight this? Why couldn't he just have a partner who walked in and was honest with him? The hiding was the worst. It made him feel like shit. Worse than useless.
And that, of course, made him angry. And that's why he yelled at Oikawa. Really yelled at him, even as his hands pulling up the sleeve were as gentle as he could make them. Angry as he was, he didn't actually want to hurt his bestfriend.]
A possibility of CW for minor injury, just to be safe
The scratches could have been worse, but they did need patching up. Fortunately no stitches were necessary, he'd been smart enough to see to a nearby nurse and wave off with a smile that he'd handle things back "home" after being told he'll be alright.
But that didn't mean each claw mark didn't hurt, it still hurt like hell.]
Iwa-- HAJIME. It's NOT as bad as it looks, calm down! It's not like I need stitches, I just need to clean them off and dress them. I'm FINE. I wasn't gonna tell you because you'd yell at me for it more than you are now!!
Don't tell me you forgot when I sprained my ankle at the beginning of the school year, yelling at me because I got hurt. At least I didn't sprain my knee like everyone was worried about, even if I landed on hard on it.
[Though that was also due to over-practicing, but still. He'd been yelled at for overdoing things.
But then there's an irritated grumbling, incoherent as he does manage to rip his arm away, only to remove his jacket and shirt, knowing he'd be yelled at to do that anyway.
Scratch marks up and down his arm, and a couple on his shoulder from when he was chased down. They look worse than they are, but still enough to need taking care of.]
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TOORU! Just because you don't need stitches doesn't mean it's not fucking bad, you idiot! What if you got an infection? I yell at you when you hide dumb shit from me!
[Because no, while he might have yelled at Oikawa for not being more careful, his yelling would not have been nearly as shaky or as loud knowing that Oikawa would have hidden this all from him. There was a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach Iwaizumi was trying hard to ignore.
And then the jacket and shirt were removed and he was able to see what was going on.]
I always yell at you. But it only hurts when you hide this stuff.
[Oikawa was muttering, Iwaizumi was glaring, and since he couldn't physically hit him he decided to go for the low blow. Then he pushed away from the bed to retrieve the first aid kit from his bag so he could return and clean those wounds up. But only after a pit stop at the bathroom for a small bowl of warm water.]
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Yeah well I was GONNA take CARE of it, I just didn't want you to worry so much. It wouldn't get infected, I'm smart enough to know how to clean up scrapes!
[Then there's a heavy sigh, all that fighting energy going out the window as soon as he hears the next words, slamming into his chest with guilt. Words were Tooru's weapons, fists were Iwaizumi's, but they both were equally capable of weaponizing the other where needed.
And right now, Iwaizumi was using words as a weapon, which had more of an effect on Tooru in that moment. Effective enough that he doesn't even have a comeback to what's said other than huffing and turning his head away like a child while adjusting onto his right side so that his left was exposed. He'd sit up only when told, refusing to look towards the bathroom. Pouting and feeling like shit.]
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So he was quiet when he returned to Oikawa's side. He sat on the left side of the bed, his jaw clenched to keep him from saying something else he knew he would regret.
After getting Oikawa to sit up he then he just bent to cleaning Oikawa's wounds. First with the water, making sure there was nothing imbedded in the cuts and grazes. After dabbing it all dry he applied antiseptic. It was going to sting like hell, but Iwaizumi was as gentle and thorough as he could be.]
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Otherwise, he tried shouldering all of his problems on himself. It's just how he was.
Though he grumbles when sitting up, still not looking at Iwaizumi, knowing his friend well enough that the silence was dangerous. He'd learned that lesson long enough ago not to poke the bear. An apology right now might just get him snapped at, better to wait until everything's taken care of.
Until the antiseptic is applied, then he whines. Loudly.]
OW, THAT HURTS-- Iwa-chan be careful!!
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[He didn't mean to dab a little harder as he said that, but the next time he'd gentled again, calmed after Oikawa has scared the hell out of him by shouting. Iwaizumi's heart was thumping but he was glad he hadn't actually jumped out of his skin.
Then he went back to being quiet.
Once he was sure all the areas were covered, he began wrapping them up. Some needed gauze and bandages to keep them protected, some of the smaller cuts only required a band-aid. In the end most of Oikawa's arm and shoulder ended up wrapped up. But Iwaizumi was good at what he did since he'd taken a few first aid training courses to better help with any injuries his team sustained. He just hadn't imagined those injuries would be made by an angry bird.]
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[Tooru wanted to snarl back that Iwaizumi worries too much and doesn't trust him enough to take care of himself, but he doesn't. Especially when he's too busy wincing at the sting of antiseptic and being patched up, as well as using his free hand to get stray feathers still stuck in his hair, and a couple of sticks.
He should really sit still while Iwaizumi patched him up, but sitting still would have him undistracted and likelier to get snappy back at Iwaizumi. Being restless was a better option than starting a whole fight with him stomping off who knew where for the rest of the day, which would ultimately make everything worse.
Finally, when Iwaizumi was done, Tooru inhaled then let out a long sigh. One of resignation mixed with irritation, just letting it out because he needed to swallow that "insignificant pride" Ushijima accused him of having, and then spoke. Quietly with no traces of his tenseness and irritation. While keeping his back turned and looking at his patched up left arm.]
Sorry.
[It's just one word, but it's all he really needs to say when it means more than just that, meaning he's sorry for worrying Iwaizumi and letting himself get hurt. For going off so recklessly. For hiding behind a smile and not immediately asking for help. For being so stubborn.]
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Iwaizumi had never been scared like this before. Volleyball had no real danger associated with it. Accidents happened. Mistakes could be made. But actual danger wasn't something he had ever had to think about or worry about.
Now he was.
Now he was looking at every encounter they had had so far and how many ways it could have gone wrong. Oikawa was reckless. For all his smarts he didn't always put himself into the equation. And that was going to be a problem if he kept running off and getting himself hurt.
Iwaizumi didn't say anything as he cleaned up the mess he'd made and then just sat on the edge of the bed, his back to Oikawa, looking down at his hands. There was a smudge of blood on his palm. It wasn't his... It made him feel sick. But he kept it together. Somehow. And behind him Oikawa spoke. Iwaizumi sighed and pushed himself up his feet to go and wash his hands.]
I know.
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You know I wouldn't have let myself get in serious danger, right? That I'm a lot more aware of things than it seems? Aoi wouldn't have, DIDN'T actually, let that happen either. He wouldn't leave my side to go battle when as a bird he'd have a way to fight in the air.
[There's a slight edge to his voice, but it disappears quickly, replaced by a sigh and following Iwaizumi. He's careful not to step on the now sleeping pair of Mika and Kuroo, rolling his eyes at the two dark types.
But then he huffs, smirking just a bit as to lighten the mood and distract Iwaizumi from falling into a spiral of doubting himself that he can sense may be coming.]
Instead of moping, help me get this attempted eagle nest out of my hair, will you? Unless you want baby bird Pokémon to suddenly make a home of my hair, since yours is too spiky!
[He even sticks his tongue out, childishly poking his eyes as he reaches for a comb and tilts his head toward the tub.]
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And he was deliberately not looking at Oikawa.]
Shirt on and get on the bed. I'll brush it out.
[No need to hang over the tub, he'd just bring a towel through to catch any bits. Iwaizumi looked over then and raised a brow.]
Unless you're getting in the tub?
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[There's a playful glint in his eyes, keeping up with his distraction attempts and being as light-hearted as he can despite him being the cause of Iwaizumi's doubts at the moment. This is the least he can do at the moment.]
As long as you don't try to drown me, you can mess up my hair as much as you want to.
[Rare, that he was allowing for anyone to mess up his hair like that, even rarer that he offered. But he knows it's a situation where it's better to loosen up than be wound up.]
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No promises on the drowning. But I'll help.
[Making himself useful was best for someone like Iwaizumi. Sitting around waiting for something to happen was maddening. He'd been on edge ever since Oikawa had left his side. And now that he was back, Iwaizumi actually didn't want to separate from him.]
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You drown me and you'll suddenly have a lot more Pokémon on your hands, and try explaining to the large bird why his trainer's gone or to the electric cat. Or to Kuroo and Mika out there.
[Tooru grabs for the extendable shower head and turns the water on, waiting for it to heat up, carefully avoiding leaning against his patched up arm as he holds the shower head out for Iwaizumi with the water spraying against the wall instead of being a jerk and flipping it around to spray his friend.]
Here.
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Taking it he aimed it down into the tub and gestured for Oikawa to lean over the edge of the tub. He'd grabbed the shampoo to keep it within reach after that.]
Who said I wouldn't revive you after?
[He asked then, a little smirk tugging at his lips.]
You piss me off, Oikawa. But I don't actually want you dead.
[He'd be an idiot if that was true. And a hypocrite. With how much he worried about even minor hurts, having Oikawa dying on him was the very last thing Iwaizumi wanted. He wanted to protect his bestfriend, not put him in harms way.
He just wished that Oikawa could realise that and not give him such a hard time.]
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Some days it seems like you do with how much you smack me around.
[He takes a breath, masking it as being prepared for water and dirt to get in his eyes, when in reality he'd been just as scared. Just as worried something terrible would have happened. But at least it was just his arm scratched up and nothing else torn to hell.]
What're you waiting for, the water to be as hot as possible?
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[He deadpanned with a perfectly straight face. Though once Oikawa had actually bent over the tub he couldn't stop a little smirk from appearing on his lips. He was quick to wipe it away, just in case Oikawa looked at him.
Really, he'd just been trying to work out how he was going to do this. It wasn't as if he had extensive experience in washing other people's hair.
Iwaizumi stepped up to Oikawa's side and brought the showerhead over to begin wetting his hair. One hand held the water, the other hand carefully brushed through his best friends hair, dislodging more of those little leaves and things and making sure it was fully wet before he lowered the showerhead.]
Hold this for me.
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[Now he can't help but laugh, despite this being very wishful thinking, yet can't help but be a brat. And boy was it wishful thinking.
If only, if only. But he stomps that out for the moment as he takes the shower head. He gave contented hums with the warm water hitting him as well as his hair getting brushed through. It's relaxing and admittedly he could nap right there, but doesn't.]
I think there's something right at the back by my neck, it's scratchy. I think it's a twig that broke into tiny pieces.
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Hmm... yeah, hold on.
[Iwaizumi brushed his fingers through the hair at the back of Oikawa's neck, picked at the bits of stick and tossed them into the tub until he was pretty sure he'd gotten everything. To be sure he ran his hand along the Oikawa's neck and his hair, trying to see if he could feel anything... But figured if there was anything he missed he'd catch it with the brush later.
Once he was satisfied he reached for the shampoo and applied some to the palm of his hand, rubbed them together and then dropped them into Oikawa's hair. He grinned and took pleasure in messing his hair up getting it all lathered up.]
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[Tooru's eyes flutter closed for a few seconds, not realizing he's thinking out loud, though nothing slips out about his true feelings. It's just that one thing in a very relaxed tone that borders on sleepiness, his hair being played with or messed with just completely relaxing him when he's around people he can drop his guard with.
Especially with Iwaizumi. But he does keep himself awake once a little bit of the shampoo gets in one of his eyes, just a bit grateful that snaps him back to focusing on the present before something embarrassing slipped out.]
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