Yeah, yeah. Hold on, I gotta hoist the rock of Gibraltar on my ass.
[What a horrible fucking slog it is to take the backpack with him as he travels down the hall of the capsules. As if the training couldn't get possibly worse, even BASE seems to thematically fit that of a war zone, and as Ryuji makes his way down the hall, he quickly realizes that he's... never actually seen Noctis' capsule and, uh. Well, he's only been on a few hours rotational sleep with his roommate.]
Which room was it again? Or, y'know. Send me a sign. A dagger in front of the door or somethin'. Either way.
If that's not some legendary stone of power then I don't wanna learn about it.
[ Ryuji goes quiet after that and thus so does he, busying himself with a few other nuggets of entertainment on the network with no similar realization that the blond has no idea where he's going. Oh. Right. ]
[14... okay, so he was definitely going the wrong way. Shit. He puts his thumbs under the straps of the backpack. He knows what the nerds in school feel like now, carrying all their books for the day at once. A little bit of a trek, but he tries not to complain to himself, or to the crows either, and he's standing outside the capsule.
[ It doesn't take him long to answer when he's already expecting him, nudging the door open with a cursory once-over given to the teen before his gaze then redirects behind his new friend. Almost as if he expects someone to be watching. Noctis ushers him in, then, exhaling a seemingly beleaguered sigh. ]
[Laughs dumbly as he comes right on in, noticing that this capsule is SO! DIFFERENT! than his own. But not really. Just has a different kind of air to it. God, these guys in COST need some trips to IKEA.
Once inside, he looks up at Noctis with his head still bowed a little lower- the strain on his back apparent.]
[ So said as he abruptly reaches for Ryuji the second the door is closed and they're hidden, slapping his shoulder to direct him into a turn. ]
If you don't see it, you're not a witness and you can't get in trouble. [ Incredible logic as he unzips Ryuji's backpack, starting to lift the weights out one by one. Only when he is fully laden with them does he turn back around, starting to climb the stairs up into the main lounge area so he can prop his own backpack on the table and start filling it with the pilfered burden. ]
[Ryuji goes to thank him- but he's taken aside and forced to face a different way. He doesn't quite get what's going on until Noctis starts talking, and he smiles softly as the other takes some of the weight, literally, off his shoulders. Immediately, he feels some of the pressure lift up from his leg and back, feeling a bit better.]
Shit... this training... it's pretty intense, y'know? Before it started, I was workin' out in the rec room every day, but then this got sprung on us, so I didn't get a day to recuperate.
[Doesn't watch him go upstairs because he's told not to, but can hear the footsteps and the zip of a backpack.]
Sorry, I know I'm pretty weak. Not much of anythin' really. But let's switch it up tomorrow, yeah?
[ The straps of the backpack are visibly strained as he eases them back onto his shoulders, overtop chafed reddened skin hidden by his clothes. That's the real pain in the ass for him, other than the wake-up calls and the shitty food. This isn't his style at all... ]
You're good to come up now. [ Already he's slumping into one of the seats, unwilling to traipse back down the stairs if he doesn't have to. ]
Hard pass, though. We're not doing it like that if your leg's messed up. Then you're just gonna' hurt yourself and it'll be harder for you when we land.
[It's when he goes upstairs and sees Noctis settling down into one of the chairs that Ryuji's eyebrows wander inward, upward. That's his schtick- rushing in, doing reckless things, and ruminating over the results. When he looks at Noctis slumping down on the chair, he doesn't know how to put his finger on it- the weird feeling that takes over him. It isn't quite pride, and it isn't quite empathy. Appreciation, sure, but a willingness to believe in Noctis and a trust in him that he's capable of fucking anything. The dream had proven that already, hadn't it?
Ryuji sits down opposite of him, and goofishly gives a small thumbs up. He's gotten a sense and knows by now that Noctis doesn't appreciate being fussed over, so he doesn't. This guy would literally lighten the load for him. A teammate.]
Love what you've done with the place, by the way. It looks great. [Tilting his head, he watches Noctis a little bit.
Sometimes there's a place for joke, and a place to take things a little more serious.]
Thanks, Noct. I wish my leg wasn't so fucked up so you didn't have t'go and do this sorta shit. My coach at school broke it a few years ago when we got into a fight. We couldn't really afford the hospital bills, so I guess when I shoulda had surgery on it to fix it, I never got the chance. [Sighs, scratching the back of his head.] And it healed, but kinda in a fucked up way. Can't run track ever again, though. Ah, sorry. Didn't mean to hit you up with a sob story, man.
[ His head knocks against dull blue-grey metal as he extends his arms in an unsatisfying stretch above his head, a brief rub at one shoulder immediately aborted when Ryuji moves into view. Complaints are easiest for him to voice when they're ignored. That makes them filler, a simple communication of his own misery with the reassurance that it won't develop into a big issue. Ryuji? He seems like the type prone to worrying.
His texts had given that away, at the very least. So Noctis tries to keep the tiredness out of his expression when that put-upon apathetic countenance cracks to let a smile show through, returning the grin with his own muted version. ]
If a lecture's coming about cleaning up more, I'll kick you right back out. [ Fair warning. But... the expression of amusement fades as Ryuji keeps talking, leaning forward to rest loosely crossed arms on the table instead. ]
Ah... Your coach did that to you? Messed up... Maybe we should talk to Grothia or Chiron about it; there's gotta' be a way they can do something for stuff like that. I've gotten hurt loads of times and there was some magic in my world that helped; must be the same for others.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
I thought we were friends, man.
You don't just slay your buds like that.
[A few seconds later... playing along-]
I ain't no chicken tender
no subject
no subject
no subject
Guess I'll look like a band member, rough for me.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
I know, you're probably like
Ohhh he barks a good game but can't handle shit without whining
Well, yeah. Mostly lol
no subject
I got messed up pretty bad from an injury once though. So I guess I won't beat you up too much if you come over.
no subject
[Sli...ght pang of concern here]
no subject
no subject
[What a horrible fucking slog it is to take the backpack with him as he travels down the hall of the capsules. As if the training couldn't get possibly worse, even BASE seems to thematically fit that of a war zone, and as Ryuji makes his way down the hall, he quickly realizes that he's... never actually seen Noctis' capsule and, uh. Well, he's only been on a few hours rotational sleep with his roommate.]
Which room was it again? Or, y'know. Send me a sign. A dagger in front of the door or somethin'. Either way.
no subject
[ Ryuji goes quiet after that and thus so does he, busying himself with a few other nuggets of entertainment on the network with no similar realization that the blond has no idea where he's going. Oh. Right. ]
14, I'll get up to get the door.
no subject
Knock knock, Noct.]
no subject
You weren't kidding.
no subject
[Laughs dumbly as he comes right on in, noticing that this capsule is SO! DIFFERENT! than his own. But not really. Just has a different kind of air to it. God, these guys in COST need some trips to IKEA.
Once inside, he looks up at Noctis with his head still bowed a little lower- the strain on his back apparent.]
Yo, man... how you holdin' up?
no subject
[ So said as he abruptly reaches for Ryuji the second the door is closed and they're hidden, slapping his shoulder to direct him into a turn. ]
If you don't see it, you're not a witness and you can't get in trouble. [ Incredible logic as he unzips Ryuji's backpack, starting to lift the weights out one by one. Only when he is fully laden with them does he turn back around, starting to climb the stairs up into the main lounge area so he can prop his own backpack on the table and start filling it with the pilfered burden. ]
no subject
Shit... this training... it's pretty intense, y'know? Before it started, I was workin' out in the rec room every day, but then this got sprung on us, so I didn't get a day to recuperate.
[Doesn't watch him go upstairs because he's told not to, but can hear the footsteps and the zip of a backpack.]
Sorry, I know I'm pretty weak. Not much of anythin' really. But let's switch it up tomorrow, yeah?
no subject
You're good to come up now. [ Already he's slumping into one of the seats, unwilling to traipse back down the stairs if he doesn't have to. ]
Hard pass, though. We're not doing it like that if your leg's messed up. Then you're just gonna' hurt yourself and it'll be harder for you when we land.
no subject
Ryuji sits down opposite of him, and goofishly gives a small thumbs up. He's gotten a sense and knows by now that Noctis doesn't appreciate being fussed over, so he doesn't. This guy would literally lighten the load for him. A teammate.]
Love what you've done with the place, by the way. It looks great. [Tilting his head, he watches Noctis a little bit.
Sometimes there's a place for joke, and a place to take things a little more serious.]
Thanks, Noct. I wish my leg wasn't so fucked up so you didn't have t'go and do this sorta shit. My coach at school broke it a few years ago when we got into a fight. We couldn't really afford the hospital bills, so I guess when I shoulda had surgery on it to fix it, I never got the chance. [Sighs, scratching the back of his head.] And it healed, but kinda in a fucked up way. Can't run track ever again, though. Ah, sorry. Didn't mean to hit you up with a sob story, man.
no subject
His texts had given that away, at the very least. So Noctis tries to keep the tiredness out of his expression when that put-upon apathetic countenance cracks to let a smile show through, returning the grin with his own muted version. ]
If a lecture's coming about cleaning up more, I'll kick you right back out. [ Fair warning. But... the expression of amusement fades as Ryuji keeps talking, leaning forward to rest loosely crossed arms on the table instead. ]
Ah... Your coach did that to you? Messed up... Maybe we should talk to Grothia or Chiron about it; there's gotta' be a way they can do something for stuff like that. I've gotten hurt loads of times and there was some magic in my world that helped; must be the same for others.