PoT: Standalone: Challenge - Chapter Nine

[branchandroot]

Fic post from my archive.

Challenge: Chapter Nine

For Regionals, the team pulls out all the stops. Drama, I-3

Masaharu didn't know about the others, but he'd had to catch Yukimura from falling more than once, while spotting for his "light" practices, and had to carry him back inside twice. He'd watched the frustration his captain could keep out of his voice but couldn't keep out of his eyes, and shuddered to think what it must be like.

Comments

[luceage.livejournal.com]

You make me so sad, for I have not seen the Rikkai arc but there is so much goodfic to read and wah. *stresses*

One day, when I get more episodes beyond 115...one...day... :D

[branchandroot]

Ah, but this is mostly based on the manga. Much more Rikkai detail in there than in the anime so far. Much more complex Kirihara, for one thing. Really, very cool boys.

They do have 116-118 up at scarywater.net. Still frustrating, but at least it's a start.

[luceage.livejournal.com]

Oh. That makes sense. :D Wish I had money to buy manga. With I could read Japanese. :| Life hard.

I GUESS YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO WRITE ME NON-RIKKAI ARC FIC THEN.

Kidding, kidding. Unless, you know, you're bored or something... :))

[branchandroot]

*laughing* Oh, I'll probably head back to the MomoRyo when I'm done with the next few Rikkai stories. And sooner or later I have to get back to the TezuAto branch, because there was other stuff I wanted to do with that. So many bunnies, so little time!

[naanima.livejournal.com]

I have said this over and over again, but darling, the way you handle the Rikkai team dynamic in this piece is damn amazing. You make them real, you make them what I wish Konomi would. Sanada's reaction to Yukimura, in a lots of ways, is hard to watch, because it is so damn painful. He's not dealing well, (then again who is) but Yanagi and Kirihara does the best they can.

The team's reaction, their acceptance of the 'No losing' philosophy makes sense. They do this for their captain, because they can't do anything else. They love, respect, and is damn proud of Yukimura. To have him gone. Damn, I feel for them.

Yagyuu's reaction (anger) is understandable, and in context, his hostility to Sanada makes so much sense. I love this piece. This is so much more than Yagyuu/Niou. So happy.

Kirihara is damn adorable, and the way you handle him is just right. His respect(love?) for the Power3 is so apparent that it is hard to miss. (and you have no idea how fascinated I am of this whole angle of the relationship, if your muses even feel the need to reproduce towards this, please do ^_^).

Oh, and the end of Part 8. "we didn't take off... the wrist weights...!"

I laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

I love this piece because it can be canon. Darling, I absolutely adore you and your Mad!Skillz! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

[branchandroot]

Heeee. ^_^ *snuggles*

A Power3 bunny and a SanaKiri bunny have staked places in line, so far. Intriguing dynamic, really. Particularly the intimacy among the three, which is hospitable to but does not depend on sexuality at all. That'll be fun to write, I think.

*lovesback*

[soloproject.livejournal.com]

Oh...no! I haven't seen the Rikkai arc...-___-....only read the manga. And now I will kill to. I've heard many a good thing about it...argh...:(

My favorite part: Niou's description of Inui. There's another character so sadly underestimated. His turn in the manga was pure LOVE and genius. True Nerd LUV.

And the ending...wah! How will they tell buchou? You are so one of, if not the best PoT fic writers ever. *worships*

[branchandroot]

Oh, this is almost all based on the manga (though I do tend to hybridize somewhat). I am sadly enough addicted to study the untranslated issues as they come out, and try to add that in too. ^_^; I am assuming that the anime writers asked Konomi who would win, and that Ryouma is, in fact, headed for another victory. I estimate we have a good six or seven issues to go before we find out for sure, though. Mrff.

*wicked giggle* There will be more than one stage to telling buchou. Poor Sanada...

[lady-readwolf.livejournal.com]

that's because the story wouldn't be as *dramatic* if there wasn't a 'surjury' involved somewhere. {shurgs}

But really what caught my attention was this last paragraph:

[[The team looked at each other, a little bewildered. It was the first time this team of theirs had lost. The first time in sixteen years that Rikkai had failed to be first at Regionals. What now? Even the lax set of his partner's shoulders, the serenity in Akaya's eyes and, curiously enough, in Sanada's as well, didn't quite manage to distract Masaharu from the question he was positive was echoing through everyone's heads.
How were they supposed to tell their captain about this?]]]


SIXTEEN YEARS???? Really? {whistles} damn... You know the strange thing is... despite losing, this seems to be the most relaxed everyone's been since Yukimura's collapse. Sort of like a very hard knock to the end type of wake up call....

And it's true that Sanada and Kirihara *do* seem different from then to now (the episodes showing on tv currently--the two aren't so, well, *crazy* {laughs uncomfortably}).

I'm still loving every minute of this story, and while I hope you and mom are having fun, I also hope this story's plotting itself nicely for the next opportunity you have to sit down at a computer! ^.~v

[branchandroot]

*nods* Yep. That's the Ryouma-effect that's gotten them relaxed. Wake-up Call Boy all the way. I liked that the anime put it back in, that he pulls Kirihara out of his craziness. Actually, they give him all the credit, the way the anime has come at it, rather than sharing it with Fuji as in the manga. But I'm betting he's definitely the one who will pull Sanada out. Maybe Sei-chan will send him a thank you card. *grins*

Next part soon-ish! And then, on to other povs.

[lady-readwolf.livejournal.com]

{sighs} Saaa... I'm really looking forward to seeing these particular episodes. Been crawling over the manga scenes now a couple of times, and while I will always adore reading--it's just not the same as seeing in color.

Oh, thank goodness! more anon...I was hoping there would be more up *now*....well, one can always hope. {goes to finish checking her email before toddling off to check the lj's}

[luminati.livejournal.com]

I'm just a random passerby, but I read through all the parts up so far and THIS IS AMAZING. To avoid quoting everything back at you, um, I'll just say that your characterization is spot-on and I like the way the other Rikkai members are very much there without stealing the spotlight away from Niou and Yagyuu. ( That and the end of Part 8... *is still laughing about that* )

It fits very well into canon, and I very much want to read the next part. ^ ^

[branchandroot]

Welcome by, and thank you! Good to hear you've enjoyed it!

[aishuu.livejournal.com]

I have just fallen in love with you. ^_~

I read this arc this morning, and just took this evening to re-read it, and it's even more brilliant this time.

You paint the most brilliant, and possibly most "realistic" picture of Rikkai I've seen. You've got all the characters portrayed in a manner which I simply adore them - your Yukimura is freaking BRILLIANT, and you have cemented my adoration of this piece with your complex Kirihara...

But what I sincerely love is your Yagyuu. You've caught exactly what made me fall in love with him (even over Niou). The fact that Yagyuu is a bit of a bastard, hidden under the civilized veneer. I love this - I haven't seen it portrayed so well before.

[branchandroot]

*blushing* Thank you!

Ah, Kirihara; he did his best to take over this whole story. I only bought him off by promising him one of his own later. I was very taken with his manga incarnation; there's so much hinted at, just begging to be explored!

Yagyuu... you have to figure, he must have some serious mad hidden under the manners to be able to pull the switch at all. He's hard to get inside of, but at lot of fun to write--kind of like Fuji, that way. It's good to hear that people think I brought him though well!

[written-in-blue.livejournal.com]

The idea that wended its way into Masaharu's thoughts made him smile, probably not very pleasantly.

I suspect it was a smile only Yagyuu could love.

The injunction to "play seriously", to play as himself, was met with a glare, but Yagyuu finally gave over and pulled out his specialty shot at full strength. It was clear to Masaharu that his partner didn't particularly want to take up his own, more circumscribed, identity again; he was distinctly grumpy about it. Masaharu sighed to himself. Clearly, they needed to have another conversation about the lack of conflict between politeness and grinding opponents to jelly.

[grins]

For all that Inui looked like the perfect straight-man, Masaharu decided that here was another who deserved the title of Trickster.


Damn right. After all, he has eyes!

Inui: ...You're going to have to get over that eventually.

Yes, but not yet.

Masaharu briefly considered the possibility that the kid wasn't human.

He's not. He's a Pod Person, here to EAT OUR BRAINS.

How were they supposed to tell their captain about this?

First, they need to warn him about Pod!Ryouma, and let him come up with a clever plan to defeat the Pod People...

Bob: I'm doing this for your own good, Em. [smack]

[branchandroot]

*waves thanks to Bob, laughing to hard to speak*

[written-in-blue.livejournal.com]

Bob: [bows] Sorry about that. She was a little bit high on sugar at the time.

[love]

I have to point out right now, BIG SPOILERS but you just violated anime canon. :( So if you don't care and want to get the anime as it goes, then don't read ahead--but if you do care about following anime canon, here it goes:

SPOILER > > > > (refers to episode 126)




The team (with the exception of Sanada) leaves after Kirihara's loss to root for Yukimura's surgery, and so Sanada plays on alone, without the team watching. So they couldn't have watching the WonderBoy match. :)




< < < END SPOILER

[branchandroot]

Yeah, this is manga continuity. Rikkai got rather shafted in the anime. No switch, no really cool stuff with Kirihara, very disappointing. The manga is oodles more fun, when it comes to these guys. Of course, even there I had to make some guesses, since the Sanada v Ryouma match isn't over yet...

[provetheworst.livejournal.com]

Clearly, they needed to have another conversation about the lack of conflict between politeness and grinding opponents to jelly.

Hahahahaha. ♥ Have I mentioned that I love this and that I love your Rikkai? Coz I do.