On Sparta! ((closed RP for Mello, L, A, Kusuriyuri, Near, Matt))

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

So, Matt set up the time and L said he wanted to spar before hand. Fine with me. I was curious as to which of us was better, anyways. I mean, it went without saying I was better than Matt and Near because they didn't really practice before, but between L and me I wanted to know which of us was better.

He'd arranged with me to arrive early at the dojo I'd manage to find. A and Kusuriyuri would be with him. I just hoped his trained monkey didn't hex me while we practiced. Last thing I wanted was outside interference when such an important question was on the line.

Though it'd been a couple of days and I'd gotten both Near and Matt up to something that might be called a self-defense level mostly by beating them up for a couple of hours and then throwing hexes at each other, I was still edgy. There were some lines that just should never be crossed.

Threatening my best friend was one of those lines. By extension, he'd also threatened my lover because he's gone after L.

So, now, I'm warming up, dressed in the loose clothing I wore as a kid at Wammy's because it was easier to practice in than leather.

Comments

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri is surprised by this move. He reaches over and takes A's wrist. "This is necessary," he murmurs.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri's gesture is necessary as well; A's already fidgeting with his wand. Oh, he wants to, wants to hex Mello for grabbing L like that...

Maybe he can get permission later.

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

I drop us both to the ground, releasing his neck as I wrench his arm up behind his back and kneel on his elbow, effectively pinning him. "Give?" I ask sharply, making sure I'm well balanced if he bucks me.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

Like hell he isn't going to try. It hurts, but he does his level best to throw him off, or failing that, at least get out from under him.

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

Near's presence is announced before he even enters the room by a series of violent sneezes. He's cursing under his breath as he walks in. Noticing that Mello and L are busy, he takes a seat quietly to watch.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri notices the pale boy coming in. He doesn't think now is a good time to let go of A. When the two are finished fighting, he will offer assistance. But, for now, he continues to hold onto A's wrist while watching the fight that has moved into territories he is not familiar with.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A has to look away from the fight. Staring at the floor, he practices his breathing, trying to distract himself, soothe himself.

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

L's thrashing about upsets my balance. I move so I have him in a leg lock. And who said you couldn't learn anything from televised wrestling?

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"Ankle! Give." L yelps, because that strains things that are still... well, he's had weak ankles for a few years now, and even with the salve he's being mostly careful.

And he promptly goes absolutely limp, so there can be no mistake. He's out of this fight.

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

Near's still sneezing, but he hears L's yelp, and is thankful that Mello is not that merciless when teaching him.

He's also a little sorry not to have come in earlier. Watching the whole thing might have been instructive.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Having seen where the move would go, Kusuriyuri moves to hold A firmly, wrapping his arms around his student, pinning them effectively and gently to his side. "Remember," he says softly. "L wants you just to watch."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A's gone tense; he's not actively fighting Kusuriyuri's hold, but he's almost vibrating with the effort of suppressing his desire to act, to punish Mello for attacking L. He's breathing in fast little indrawn hisses.

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

The scene that Matt arrives to, then, involves L pinned to the ground by Mello, A being held by Kusuriyuri, and Near having a sneezing fit.

"... hey," he says, blinking at them all. "Uh. Sorry I'm late."

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

I move away quickly, watching him from the other side of the mat to make sure he's not faking me out. When all he does is look at me for a minute, I bow at him and then move to kneel next to him. "You okay?" I ask before turning to Matt. "You know us, always early."

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

L rolls to his feet and goes straight for A, with a reassuring smile.

"Mello, we will do this again, I hope." Some time when they can go at it in earnest, when L's feet aren't patchy and A isn't having an anxiety attack.

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

The sneezing from Near has stopped; he's coughing now. But he's able to look up at Mello and grin; clearly he's done well.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

"See, Mello has let him go. Everything is fine, A. L is fine. You can ask him if he needs medicine, yes?" Kusuriyuri says softly, for him, the words are a coo, as one would speak to a frightened child. He keeps a hold on A, though, not letting him go until his student is no longer shaking.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

When L approaches, A is able to relax, able to slowly return his breathing to normal. Kusuriyuri's gentle words help.

"I can... yes, yes, I can do that."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"So... I take it Mello won, then? Have I missed anything else?"

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I won," I say, though I'm not sure how I feel about it.

"Yeah, we should again," I reply to L as I move over to Near.

"Did you take anything?" I ask as I sit next to him and hold him. He's too warm through his clothes.

[ijk-mno.livejournal.com]

"He did. However, it was close enough that it is obvious we both have things we could teach each other."

Saying he's fairly sure that it could have gone either way would sound too much like bragging, or cheapening Mello's victory, but he knows that in a rematch he has as good as a thirty five to forty five percent chance of winning. Slightly higher when his ankle is better, and possibly slightly lower when A is not present. He's also fairly sure Mello knows it too.

"You're ill, Near?" Mello is holding Near, L is hanging on to A's arm, curled around it. "That's bad luck."

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

Before Near can answer, he sneezes again.

"Unpleasant, but not catastrophic," he points out with a faint smile. It's pretty likely that it is, indeed, the expected ill-luck. "It's just a cold, Mello," he says, trying to be calming. "Why would I need to take anything?"

Another sneeze.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Mello's concern is obvious, as is Near's discomfort. Since L has A in hand, Kusuriyuri reaches for his medicine chest and begins mixing together willow bark, wild cherry bark, fever few and mint. In a small dish, he heats some water to steep the herbs in.

"Is there anything else I should add?" he asks A softly, knowing that A watched him carefully, even when it didn't seem like he did.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A has to consider that. "Echinacea or goldenseal, and ginger, to help him fight off the infection. Ephedra, perhaps, as a decongestant, but that can be too stimulating for some. It would be dangerous if he had heart trouble."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

Matt raises his eyebrows at A - but then, he had said that he was interested in plants. And he had been first in his generation, after all; it shouldn't be surprising, that he had an encyclopedic knowledge already.

He shoves his hands into his pockets. "Congrats, Mello." Pause. "If you're going to be beating up Ryuuzaki instead, does that mean I don't need to spend three hours a day in here any more?"