Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach

[mildwildchild]

Who: Flashstep and YOU
What: assorted shenanigans with the Flashbabes
Where: Pride HQ and all around Vista City
When: mid-late April-ish??
Warnings: probably some manpain


The world tour looms, all of Pride Records is feeling the strain, and Flashstep is certainly no exception. There are new song and dance routines to be memorized, public appearances to be made, and promotional stunts to be undertaken, in between which the boys have to wrangle with the burgeoning reality of their situation and maybe try to have some semblance of a social life.

Life is stressful for the band, but stable, maybe even predictable - at least, until Sora's unexpected firing.

[Individual prompts below!]

Comments

[mildwildchild]

Jamie steps back when Tooru's cane comes up - he's expecting the guy to try and brain him with it, honestly - but he's not prepared for what Tooru actually does next. Before he knows it he's held aloft against the wall, scrabbling for purchase against the slick paneling inside the elevator cab, and it hits him suddenly that he's trapped in a small, enclosed space with someone much larger and stronger than him and that things could go Very Badly.

But Tooru just talks at him, and then sets him back down, much more carefully than Jamie would have expected, and then he talks some more. And Jamie is filled with conflicting feelings - it still infuriates him to hear Tooru saying anything about Sora, and he still doesn't believe for a second that Tooru has ever cared about anyone but himself, but he raises some valid points. He's right that Jamie isn't the only person to have lost someone important to him, and that the memories of everyone's missing bandmates are worth honoring with more than grief and hopelessness.

And he would never admit it in front of Tooru, but he knows that Sora was a better person than him, better than he deserved.

He's still too hurt and seethingly angry to concede anything to Tooru, though. If Jamie wants to go up against Santiago, there's people he actually trusts he can try to plan with. Hell will freeze over before he agrees to anything this dickbag suggests.

He turns away from Tooru, shoving his hands back into the front pocket of his hoodie.

"You don't need me for anything. If you're so perfect and awesome at everything, go do it yourself. Then you can brag on Twitter all you want about how you single-handedly destroyed an entertainment conglomerate and saved the world."

That's all the friendless loser wants anyway, isn't it?

[worthlesspride]

For exactly three minutes Tooru is silent. "Fuck," he said on a sigh. "I forgot, some won't know."

He's quiet a minute longer, thinking, and then leans against wall and rubs at his knee. He needs to get this moron to trust him.

"When I was fourteen I nearly killed myself. Not actually attempted suicide, but nearly worked my body to the point of destruction. It was my third year of middle school, and I was named captain of our volleyball team, and I was the starting setter. I was already recognized for my skills, for my ability to bring a team together, to bring out their best. And my best friend was by my side as vice-captain. Then there was little first year Tobio Kageyama." Saying the name in Western order sounded weird now. "He was genius. I wasn't. I never was, gifted, sure, but out of the ordinary? No. I was just a hard worker. This kid had such raw talent though, his sense of the game was amazing... so amazing that I overheard coaches were talking about replacing me with him as a starter. Despite all the work I put in, despite the fact I was still better then he was, for the time being. He and I both knew he would be better then me one day." He closed his eyes. "Well, you know me well enough by now to know I was jealous. Everything I had worked for, had poured my heart and soul into, was about to be taken away from me.

"So I did two things. I ignored the hell out of Tobio-chan when I could, which was hard because the little bastard wanted to use me a step ladder to become stronger himself, every single day he would come to me, pretending to be a respectful kouhai and ask me to teach him, and I began to train harder. Practicing and perfecting my jump serve. It needed to be more. More powerful, more accurate. I needed to be better, stronger, for my team, so that we could defeat Shiratorizawa, finally. I trained for days. I was growing exhausted, mentally, physically, emotionally. One night I snapped, almost made a mistake I would have regretted for the rest of my life. I nearly hit Tobio. I was tired, I had been practicing for hours after team practice, as I had for weeks, and Tobio-chan decided that moment was the right moment to once again ask me to teach him. I saw red. I was so exhausted that instead of boy I saw demon and raised my hand against him. And then my best friend, Hajime Iwaizumi."

It had been ages since he said that name, but it felt like it always did. A treasured thing. He felt himself smile, just thinking about his best friend. "He stopped me. Then he head butted me as soon as he shooed Tobio-chan away. So hard he nearly gave himself a concussion and nearly broke my nose. He proceeded to yell at me, and every day since I have carried around what he told me in my heart; a team of six together is stronger than one, no matter how strong that one is."

He paused looking back at Jamie. "Iwa-chan was to me what Sora was to you. I loved him so much, ever since I found him sneaking into my back yard to look for beetles when we were five, my best friend, my partner, whom I was ripped away from when Santiago dragged me here, from my team, whom I loved very much, whom I trained and mentored to be the best they could be, she took me away from them when we needed each other the most." He seethed but took a breath counted to ten. Counted again. He had just told Jamie, a kid he really disliked, about when he was at his most vulnerable. Jamie was a stupid kid, and had every right to dislike him, but he needed to see that there was more then one side to Tooru. That was a lesson everyone had to learn. Even one he still needed to keep in mind. Everyone is faceted. And he had just humbled himself for it. If Jamie didn't learn from this Tooru might feed him to Santiago himself.

He took a deep breath. No, he wouldn't. He was an asshole, not a monster.

"Not that you care, but, that's besides the point. The point is; I'm not prefect, never claimed to be, amazing, yes, but when it comes down to it I'm just an ordinary man who understands the value of hard work and team work. A man who loves and hates deeply. A man who realizes his own limitations. A man who takes care of his own." He stood straight. "And right now, you're in the same boat as me, and that makes you mine. So either help me or not, that's your choice, but I'm going to get you home if it's the last thing I do." He reached for the button to open the door, paused.

"Oh, and you know those weird memories? The ones that make no sense? Yeah, those are the real ones."

Probably should have lead with that.

[mildwildchild]

Jamie completely ignores Tooru for the entirety of those three minutes, leaning against the wall and facing away from him. Tooru can push him around or crack his skull open with his stupid cane or suplex him through the floor, Jamie doesn't even care. It won't make Tooru any more right or any less destined to die alone and unmourned.

But again he just talks - and talks, and talks, and Jamie finds himself actually listening, at first just to silently mock him as he speaks but then because he's genuinely, if begrudgingly, curious about what Tooru has to say. And at the end of it all...Jamie still isn't sure how to feel.

Part of him wants to believe Tooru is being sincere, and some of what he says about being part of a team strikes a chord deep inside him, something Jamie knows now is connected to the life he can't remember, the one with the robots. He knows they all need to work together if they're going to get out of this.

But Jamie is in an excruciatingly vulnerable state right now, and Tooru knows it, and Jamie knows he knows it. He snorts a laugh and shakes his head, still not looking at Tooru.

"You're a real piece of work," he says in a low voice. Finally he turns, regarding the taller boy with a look that's almost mocking in its sheer skepticism.

"You think you can shittalk me, harass me for months on end, push me around, pass yourself off as some - infallible god of perfection and the greatest fucking thing to walk the earth...and then all of a sudden you're all about defending the little guy and saving all the mere mortals who can't save themselves. You want us to be a team. You wanna pretend you have some obligation to help me."

And he's laying all this shit on him when Jamie is reeling from a loss that's left him feeling so gutted and empty he doesn't know sometimes if he can even recover from it - but Jamie can't express this, because he cannot, will not give Tooru the satisfaction of seeing him reveal any more weakness.

"I believe exactly two things about your story. You tried to smack around someone you didn't like, and somebody else got in your face about it." He stares flatly at Tooru from his position against the wall, unmoved and unmoving. "Go spout your bullshit to someone who cares."

[worthlesspride]

"It's cute you think I'm trying to make friends with you," Oikawa said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not. I want to use your brain. Something tells me you're a decent strategist, and I'm usually right about these things." He gives Jamie a smile that practically screams 'I'm rethinking this.'

"In case you haven't noticed The stakes have been raised, AKA, out lives are at stake. You ever see the third season of Buffy? When the Mayor gathers all that energy to turn himself into a giant almost unbeatable demon? According to the ghosts, in which I was instrumental in their rescue by the way, Santiago and Blanche are gathering energy and have been for a long time. You know the only logical explanation for that? They want to achieve godhood, or something. Does that sound like a good time to you? I'm an asshole, not a monster, of fucking course I want to rescue people. No deserves to be used like this; as slaves and battery packs. And what do you think happens to us when they're done? My guess? Lunch."

He leans down, staring Jamie in the eyes. "I don't give a shit what you think of me. Honestly, there's a very short list of people whose opinions do matter, they're in my band, and the ones back in my world. I'm giving you the opportunity to give Santiago the middle finger and save people. You don't want that? Fine. Just stay out my way. I don't really care if I survive if I know those I love are safe, and I'm perfectly willing to drag people who are intentionally in the way of that under the bus with me. I really don't have much to loose."

Jamie is vulnerable. Oikawa knows that. Oikawa is too. Oikawa is always vulnerable, his ego and bravado are all bluster, and underneath Oikawa has a very fragile sense of self-worth. All the bullshit he says, usually a shield to protect himself. And his self-worth has been shot to hell since his knee was broken. All his dreams are as shattered as his knee. So Oikawa's a little miffed that Jamie is being obstinate. So Oikawa is going to attempt to motivate Jamie in another way. Goading.

He leans back, presses the door open button. "If you change your mind let me know." He gives Jamie another smile before turning. "You're a lot me, you know, that's why we dislike each other. Two of us would be a force to be reckoned with."

He's not sure he believes that, mostly that was one last barb for his hurting ego.

He's also aware that could be the nail in the coffin of getting Jamie to help him. Whatever, not his problem. He can drag Jamie to safety kicking and screaming later and gloat about it if it comes to that.

[mildwildchild]

Ordinarily Jamie would be delighted to know that he was irritating Oikawa, even if only a little. Ordinarily, Jamie might actually consider what Oikawa had to say despite their mutual grudge.

Ordinarily, Jamie would not be a seething mess of grief and guilt and pain with a compromised ability to think rationally.

There's absolutely nothing Oikawa's saying right now that doesn't make Jamie double down on his resolve to stay as far away from him and his plans as humanly possible. He had to throw in that he was instrumental in freeing the ghosts? Well, that's all that matters, isn't it, that Oikawa has something to brag about later. He wants to "give Santiago the middle finger" - oh, and maybe save people, as a bonus. He's willing to throw people under the bus if they get in his way? Oikawa's definition of "getting in the way" is probably extremely broad, especially where Jamie's concerned. Anger and paranoia and sheer emotional upset twist everything he says into another reason to tell Oikawa to fuck right off.

Also Jamie doesn't know or care about your demon mayor TV show, you gigantic nerd.

He meets Oikawa's gaze unblinkingly. When the elevator doors slide open, all he can say is: "Yeah, you don't care what I think of you so much you spent like ten minutes telling me about your volleyball fanfic and how important teamwork is to you. You're pathetic."

[worthlesspride]

"And you're even more so," Tooru said with every bit of sincerity and huge smile. "At least I can own up to the fact I can be ass. Meanwhile you're pretending you're not a selfish brat throwing a temper tantrum of self destruction that's not only hurting you, but it's going to hurt others in the long run."

This was beyond grief for Sora. He could mention that his behavior was disrespectful of Sora's memory. That open wound that would be so easy to poke, but he knew better. It wouldn't accomplish anything except make him feel guilty later.

He's vaguely aware that his personality might be getting in of the way of showing how genuine he was about wanting to help others. Whatever, Jamie doesn't deserve his genuine self.

He walked out of the elevator doors and hit the close button on his way out. "Anyways, have fun self destructing. Tata you little asshole, I hope you don't get eaten by the monster~."