RP Log - Echizen, Tezuka
Backdated. Happened just before the meeting before Tezuka and Yukimura. (part 1, part 2)

Rating: G
Summary: Echizen vs Tezuka. Not tennis though. It's foozball.


Ryoma had gotten bored. He'd promised to stick closer to Fuji more often, so he'd had his work days cut down. He had just turned the corner when he spotted someone who looked vaguely familiar. A moment later he realized he was staring at the back of another feeder's head. He wasn't sure how he knew, but this guy sure didn't give off the same aura as a vampire. Finally, someone like him! Speeding his walk to catch up, Ryoma came up alongside the taller feeder, looking up at his with unabashed curiosity.

The other feeder, noticing the approach, looked down at Ryoma, too weary to be wary. Large eyes set in a pretty face peered up at him with an innocence that told him this boy-man was a feeder like himself.

Continuing to walk would be rude, so that taller feeder stopped and turned towards Ryoma. "Tezuka Kunimitsu." He offered, more out of politeness than to be conversational. "You're..."

Tezuka, Tezuka... Why did that name sound familiar? "Echizen Ryoma." He stopped as the other feeder did, only feeling slightly conspicuous at loitering in the hall. "I belong to Fuji." He added, feeling a bit of pride.

"Your name sounds familiar. Have we spoken to each other before?" He had a terrible memory for some things, unfortunately.

"I don't think so." Fuji's feeder, Echizen... so this was the young man whose presence initially caused all the vampires to stir with hunger. A strange sort of feeling began to twist in Tezuka's guts; he was facing the person who indirectly, unknowingly turned his world upside down, yet Ryoma seemed so harmless. "I'm Niou's feeder." He said, although he didn't think Echizen would know of Niou at all. There were plenty of inhabitants here who didn't know of Niou at all, and some who only knew the vampire by reputation; even as his feeder, Tezuka hardly ever saw Niou nowadays.

"But perhaps you have heard of me, as I have heard about you." Tezuka didn't doubt that at some point Fuji and Yukimura had discussed about him. "Things had happened in the clan lately." He looked away from Ryoma's curious eyes, not wanting to delve into the topic. "How are your days in the clan so far?"

The name went right over Ryoma's head. He had no idea who Niou was, nor what Tezuka was talking about.

"Prolly something they never got around to telling me, if I'm supposed to know something about you." He grumbled. Maybe that had been what Yukimura had almost told him, before steering the conversation in another direction.

"It's been okay. I was stuck in my room for a while until I was bonded." That had felt like damn near forever. "They let me have a job at Lady's Kiss, though." Ryoma said, grumbling forgotten as he perked up again.

It felt rather silly to stand around and talk like this, so Tezuka gestured for Ryoma to follow him. There was a games room at the end of the hall where they could sit down.

Feeders' physical growth slow down when they hit adulthood and sometimes it is difficult to tell how old a feeder is, but Ryoma's display of emotions made it easy for Tezuka to peg the young man to be exactly as old (or young) as he appeared. It made a change, to talk to someone in the clan who was born in the same decade as he did.

"If they didn't tell you, it means you are not supposed to know." Tezuka said, not looking at his new companion as he led the way into the games room. "The bonding was important, be glad that you went through it properly." If only Tezuka had the chance to do the same. "Did Fuji not explain its purpose to you?"

Well that sucked. Maybe he could annoy Fuji until he told him. After all, why should everyone know but him that something had happened recently in the clan?

Ryoma followed Tezuka into a room he'd as yet not visited, eyes widening as he saw the array of games, both video and hands-on, that filled the room.

"Fuji told me. It's so he can know where I am and call me, or know when I'm in trouble. I can call him through the bond too." As boring as the waiting had been, he was glad they'd done it.

Tezuka squashed the small seed of jealousy before it had a chance to grow. Not Ryoma's fault that he started his journey on the right foot.

"Trust in Fuji. His guidance cannot be wrong." He said, eyes following Ryoma's gaze, sweeping across the room. "You've never been here before?" Not that Tezuka used this room much either. "Do you know your way around the building?" He asked, letting his hand brush across the foozball table. Why was he asking all this anyway? Ryoma was definitely going to adapt to this place a lot better than he had.

Ryoma nodded. He did trust in Fuji, quite a lot actually. "I usually go to the kitchens to watch everyone." And nick food. He went to the roof a lot too, but since no one else did (at least not the same time as he) he figured he'd have that as his own quiet spot when he felt caged being in his room.

He spun one of the handles on the table curiously. "Do you know how to play this?" He asked, shooting Tezuka a curious look.

Tezuka blinked, and looked down at the red and blue figures held by the poles like barbecued meat. "No." The thought of playing had never even crossed his mind, not to mention the lack of an opponent. He eyed Ryoma, and was taken aback by the curiousity once again. It had been a long time since anyone looked at him with an innocent look of interest, as if seeking companionship of some sort.

Perhaps, like himself, Ryoma was feeling lonely. "Would you like to play?" Tezuka asked as he moved to the other side of the table and located the ball, which was painted black and white. If he could help this child kill off some of his boredom and loneliness, why not?

Ryoma smiled a little and went to stand on the other side of the table. "I uh.. Don't know how to play either, really." He stared at the table for a minute, pondering how they would do this.

"Maybe we could just see who gets 10 past the other first?" That seemed the simplest way to him, no having to worry about rules or penalties. His hands rested on the handles for the men and he gave one an experimental twirl. It spun rapidly and his eyes lit up when he realized he could pull the handle back and forth as well.

The games at first were slow, tentative (strangely reminding Tezuka of first time lovers), but as they adepted, the game picked up speed and both sides were scoring quickly.

Tezuka paused when the score reached 9-9. He wasn't sure if he wanted to try to take that last point for the excited youth across the table. A few years back, winning and being the best at everything he did was very important to him, but now other things took priority.

But then the youth blinked up at him, and Tezuka became affected by enthusiasm in those eyes. He almost felt like laughing when he took the last point.

"Ryoma, thank you." He uttered under his breath.

Ryoma blinked as the ball zipped past him, too fast for him to block in time despite his dive. He immediately dug the ball out of the hole and looked up at Tezuka with a grin and a challenge in his eyes.

"Best two out of three?" He could feel his blood pumping like it hadn't since he'd first arrived, adrenaline making him eager to beat Tezuka at least once.

Waiting, he dangled the ball over the middle of the table, his other hand hovering over one of the handles.

Tezuka had been on his way to Yagyuu's suite to see if Yagyuu or his maker were around, for one last time. But somewhere inside his mind he knew it was a pointless exercise anyway, so he nodded and another game began.

It was going to be the best two out of three, but when Tezuka took the second game, they just kept on playing until they lost count, and until Tezuka's still-fragile body announced it was time to take a break.

Sitting down in an armchair, his gaze swept across the room, then lands on Ryoma again. "This can go on forever, if you wouldn't admit defeat."

Throwing himself into a nearby chair, Ryoma panted a little as he tried getting his breath back. Tezuka had had him dashing from one end of the table to the other - totally not fair since Tezuka didn't have to stretch at all to reach both ends.

"I guess we'll just have to continue when you're not feeling so old." He replied, a little snarky after having been beaten for so many games in a row with no wins. Half the time he'd though Tezuka had been playing with him, with how close he'd come to a win.

The remark nearly made Tezuka snort, but only nearly. "When you get taller," He said, without a trace of a smile at all to suggest he was joking, "and don't need to dive from one end to the other."

Ryoma blinked at the statement, and Tezuka explained, his face devoid of any emotions. "I'm going away."

"So, we can play when you come back." Ryoma stated, as though the answer were obvious. He pushed his hair out of his eyes, wondering why Tezuka looked as though he was waiting for his own beheading or something.

He needed something to drink, he decided. A mental note was made to visit the kitchens again for chocolate milk, since if Tezuka was making him wait until he grew he might as well do it the good-tasting way.

Was he going to come back? Tezuka wasn't sure. He would have to speak to the clan leader before he go, and perhaps then he would find out more, but for now...

"I may not be coming back." Tezuka said, a strange bitterness he hoped Ryoma wouldn't detect tainting his voice. No point in making promises he probably wouldn't be able to keep. "But we can still play again, some time." Just not in this kind of setting.

He should go. His will was wavering, seeing Ryoma settling in so well. He wanted to warn Ryoma of the dangers of living amongst and trusting the vampires, but at the same time he knew he was only crying sour grapes. Jealousy can be such an ugly thing. Ryoma had a lot to look forward to, whilst Tezuka had none. But why impose his own views onto the young man?

"I have to go." Tezuka told Ryoma, the double-meaning of the words very obvious. He started for the door, but couldn't help looking back at Ryoma again.

Ryoma just watched, slight confusion on his face as he wondered how Tezuka meant to not come back yet still play with him again. It wasn't fair; they'd just met and already he was leaving. Likely never to be seen again.

He sighed and leaned further into the chair. He wasn't going to follow, he decided. "Good luck wherever you're going, then." He said, his hand raising in a sad little wave. Even if they'd only met once, Ryoma knew he would miss Tezuka.

Tezuka nodded curtly. "Thank you." He said as he opened the door, somewhat sad that he had to leave his new young friend so soon. But a man must do what a man must do. "It's been nice, meeting you." Finally tearing his gaze off Ryoma, he left the room and shut the door behind him.

That was... strange. As if somebody from the clan was going to miss him.

Staring at the seemingly endless corridor before him, he decided he wasn't going to try to find Niou one last time. It wasn't as if Niou was ever around anyway. He should go to Yukimura straight away.