[ IZOU?? McGillis really thought that he'd be more grouchy about getting in the water. Instead he's greeted by this bright smile...? Come on. That's just disarming. ]
This isn't basketball, in case you forgot.
[ Judging by his light-hearted tone and faint smile, he's going to let it count though. As repayment for getting drenched.
McGillis comes up to the edge of the pond himself, so he can hold out his hand for Izou to get back out of the doubtlessly too-chilly water. Briefly he considers that Izou might take advantage of this and try to pull him in, but he's currently holding onto both of their phones so... Hopefully not? ]
[Well I wasn't thinking of that but given Izou's brand of evil is generally unplanned acts of violence he very well could attempt that, forgetting about the phones. However, McGillis is much bigger than him, so maybe that dissuades him? Or maybe because pulling someone headfirst into a shallow pond is asking for a head injury and Mafuyu and Celeste would both scold him if he made another attempt on this man's life. So McGillis's hand is simply used for the intended purpose of removing dog from pond.]
Well I think I aughta be rewarded for my creativity!
[ Well, McGillis is glad to have his dripping wet dog removed from the pond. He truly jumped in there with no hesitation at all... Trouble child, indeed. ]
Well, if you put it that way... Congratulations on our good 'shot'.
[ Look at how lenient he can be! Nobody better call him uptight anymore. ]
But don't think that means I've thrown the match - there is still holes to go, and I plan on beating you.
[ Preferably fast, because it's early October and Izou should probably get somewhere dry and warm soon-ish. ]
[Probably! At least his dry hoodie will help a little in keeping him from freezing completely? And once his feet dry off he can put his shoes on because he wasn't wearing socks under his loafers because he's a lunatic.
The next couple holes are relatively uneventful, it remains relatively neck in neck, and if Izou is starting to feel the cold, he is bravely not showing it. They have arrived at hole 14... Home of the Cyber Gorilla. There's the safe path through his legs that lead down a winding path that will take at least one other shot to reach the hole... Or the riskier path that leads to where the Gorilla's hand sometimes swoops down... With the right timing, it'll deposit it right into the hole.
So of course Izou aims for that! He's good at reading timing! Easy win!]
Put my ball right in the hole you damn monkey!
[He strikes! The ball goes right up the path into the gorilla paw! And. Stays there? It got stuck in-between two fingers.]
[ McGillis has been playing the winding path, which took him two strokes to the hole but at least reliably did so. No trust for animatronics. He said the gorilla would not affect his strategy and he cannot go back on his word!!
And he seems to have made the right choice, with how CRAZY MIKE's minions seem so keen on betraying them.
For a moment, McGillis just looks at Izou's frustrated face with some satisfaction, but then he decides to make use of his freakish height to go fish Izou's poor mistreated ball from an animatronic paw. A moving animatronic paw. He very narrowly escapes being bitchslapped by CRAZY MIKE's pet. Whoops.
He's going to just plop the ball into the hole though. This one wasn't on Izou. ]
If you call me a monkey for following your call, just know you are going for the low-hanging fruit.
[ That sounds... dangerously close to getting sentimental. Which is maybe not a thing he should start worrying about several hours into a romantic date he himself initiated. Ah well. ]
You're on. I look forward to hearing in great detail how well I map onto your extraordinarily high standards.
[ 'Extraordinarily high standards' does not have audible air quotes, but they are very much present in McGillis' mind.
The next hole has a number of obstacles, but through clever angles, McGillis manages to get it in two. He's really focused now. ]
[Oh no!! He wasn't actually expecting that to motivate McGillis so much. He's not as good at the angles as McGillis, so he takes three strokes. He's falling further behind!!! He doesn't actually want to admit how he feels!?
This means the next couple holes are played in relative silence as both emotionally unskilled men fight to avoid having to exposed themselves. This is a good and normal way to carry on a relationship!
Finally it's the 17th hole. The entire hole is a winding path lined with a winding river that'll wash the ball back to the tee, lit only by neon lights that flash on and off, plunging the path into darkness every few seconds.]
Okay, watch, this time my overhead gambits gonna work.
[He hasn't learned from his mistakes at all. But he actually??? Pulls it off this time?? No hole in one but he avoids the hassle of the path and his ball lands neatly next to the hole.]
[ Neither of them is motivated by actually hearing compliments, but instead is just running from having to say anything genuine at all.............
And then Izou pulls off his insane gambit and McGillis blinks, stunned. ]
... I'd dismiss it as luck, but knowing you...
[ He does trust Izou's physical prowess if nothing else.
Anyway, time to get his head back in the game and RUN FROM ANY SEMBLANCE OF VULNERABILITY. Only that he makes the wrong choice by actually playing the hole as intended - the flashing off of the neon lights gets him in an unfortunate moment, resetting his progress once. By the time they finish the hole, it has taken him 4 strokes. A significant upset to their delicate balance - he's going to need to really work on the final hole to be able to win now. ]
That's right, yer bearin' witness ta my greatness!
[Izou's coming into the final hole actually in the lead?? He cannot believe his luck. No wait, not luck. Skill!! He's so talented and awesome! No wonder McGillis asked him out!!!
It would be really funny if he biffed it after having this internal hype up but no, apparently Avrae wants Izou to do well. The final hole involves looping the ball around a sloped hairpin turn and then timing it right to put it on a seat of a mini (but big for golf balls) ferris wheel, which then drops the ball onto a random ramp that all lead to various angles on the green. Izou observes this for a moment before setting up, his shot perfectly flying through the path and sinking into the hole.]
... Hell Yeah!
[Even he is surprised at himself for a moment but then no, of course! He's great everyone else sucks!!!]
[ Izou already gets one reward and that is to hear McGillis cuss in genuine frustration. His fate is sealed now - even if he aces the hole with the same amount of grace, there is no catching up to Izou in terms of points. He should not have let him cheat on the pond hole - this just goes to show that being kind just bites you in the ass!!
Still, he's at least going to lose with some amount of grace, so without further commentary he lines up at the tee and focuses.... his first shot gets damningly close - it's almost the right ramp and the ball misses the hole by mere centimeters. Putting is a no-brainer from here.
But with all previous holes counted, this still leaves Izou two points in the lead. When McGillis turns back to him, he's still frowning deeply. ]
[The frustrated curse does feel like a nice cherry on top of the victory, finally he flustered McGillis!! But then the sulking isn't very sexy, and maybe Izou feels a LITTLE bad because Mcgillis did allow his cheating.
Still, he doesn't think McGillis would want pity either, so he's not just going to call off the bet or say he'll do it too.]
Well, lets hear it. Maybe if I'm impressed enough I'll give ya a consolation prize.
[ McGillis takes a deep breath. It's stupid to get worked up over this, and he's the bigger man not just physically. Fine, he allowed for this risk when he took the stupid bet. Might as well make the best of it.
He'll start off shallow, but this time it's just to get Izou's guard down.]
You're handsome. You're easy to tease and you make the most amusing expressions when you're caught off-guard. You think you know what it's like to struggle and you're not afraid to make it known that you disdain the ruling class. You fought a revolution. You're intense. You lived and died by power.
[ McGillis was a few steps away from Izou when he started, but he's getting closer now until there's very little distance left. ]
I like the look in your eyes when you lock onto your prey. I like the way you're too stubborn to step away from this.
[Yeah it works exactly as he intended. Handsome yes! Correct he is that!! But then no!! Don't tease!!! He's about to get angry with that and "think" being used about struggle even though he knows McGillis has had it worse, but then the things he feels real pride over hit and he's silenced.
Above all else, none of it was judging whether he was of value with a sword. He's proud of his swordsmanship. It was the first thing he can remember being praised for, again and again. Ryouma's young face grinning at him, You're a genius with that sword, Izou!
He feels like he should be annoyed it wasn't pointed out now, but... He's not? McGillis finds his presence appealing and it doesn't hinge on him having some intrinsic value, but rather how he carries himself. But also... Intense? Stubbornly determined? Fierce look in his eyes?? ]
... No fair. All that shit at the end is stuff I woulda said about you. S'why I wanted ta take you here and make it a competition.
[HE FEELS VERY SEEN RIGHT NOW... But for once it doesn't feel in a bad way???]
[ ... so that was why? Not just to see him frustrated or embarrassing himself, not for how tonally discordant it feels for the both of them to stand in this neon landscape, but to see him get serious? Minigolf, of all things, for that? Sometimes the way Izou's mind works is still a mystery.
But the sentiment in itself is appealing. Despite all the ways it has failed him lately, McGillis continues to think that his capacity to grasp for and try to master any kind of power is his greatest strength.
That Izou isn't contesting this part of him is maybe the greatest proof he's received yet that the other man is looking past the masks he's forcefully removed from McGillis.
McGillis is quiet for a moment and finds himself brushing a stray strand of wavy hair from Izou's forehead. ]
Let's get you somewhere dry. There's a hotel nearby.
[ Izou is asking for reassurance that he wants this and McGillis isn't sure if that makes him feel appreciative or irritated. It's a difficult sentiment to unpack and he shelves it for later. ]
Of course I am. You're not planning to make me regret it, are you?
[If McGillis had won, Izou would have told him that one of the things he finds appealing about McGillis is that he's so pragmatic that anything positive he says, Izou feels he can inherently trust it. He's so used to being given what is ultimately lip service by people who want him as a means to an end and know he's easily led around by praise.
Even with Fujimaru, he sometimes worries she doesn't mean all the praise she gives. He constantly doubts it from Celeste. He doesn't worry for even one moment that McGillis is saying yes to placate him. He's too strong willed for that.
He straightens up, still flushed but honestly very pleased. Excited even.]
Hell no. You already know how I handle, don't ya?
[Izou is in fact bringing up the time he tried to kill McGillis as promise of his skill in bed.]
[ To a person with common sense, that comparison would be a turnoff. To McGillis... well, he smiles. ]
I've gotten a taste of you in more ways than one, it's true.
[ He takes care to brush his hand against Izou's very briefly, before going to pack up their golf things to return to the underpaid part timer at the front.
But hey, they're not in the kid's earshot just yet... ]
It'll be nice to pin you down without unwelcome interruptions, this time.
[This causes Izou to short circuit for different reasons. HE HADN'T EVEN FINISHED THAT SENTENCE EARLIER!!! HOW HAD MCGILLIS KNOWN!!! THAT WHILE HE HADN'T REALLY FELT IT AT THE TIME BUT REFLECTING BACK ON IT NOW, THE POSITION MCGILLIS HAD GOT HIM IN WAS REALLY HOT!!! FUCK!!
Wait hold on is McGillis just ASSUMING he's the one doing the pinning down!!!! Wow!!! He's not supposed to just ASSUME that Izou prefers to be held even if it's true???? This calls for defiance.]
Hah! Bold of you ta think yer gonna get the better of me so easily a second time.
[ For all that Izou feels indignant about the assumptions McGillis may be making about him, McGillis' actual thought process is a lot simpler. Izou will be the one being held, because McGillis himself refuses to be in that position. And if Izou's not fine with it either, they'll just have to forego that specific form of intimacy.
So he doesn't rise to the challenge this time. ]
It's not meant to be a competition, you know?
[ He hands the golf materials back to the kid manning CRAZY MIKE'S kingdom, accidentally waking them on a nap on their shift. Oops.
Goodbye, bright sparkling neon world. Hello, short walk to the... discreet location down a fork in the street. ]
[Izou at least has the sense to suspend the conversation as they bother the front desk kid, not that they would've probably retained anything they heard, having just been roused from a nap. But as soon as they're back on the street;]
Well why not? Didn't you just say you wanted me ta be intense?
[Sure it's not MEANT to be but also. Surely it should be.]
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no subject
This isn't basketball, in case you forgot.
[ Judging by his light-hearted tone and faint smile, he's going to let it count though. As repayment for getting drenched.
McGillis comes up to the edge of the pond himself, so he can hold out his hand for Izou to get back out of the doubtlessly too-chilly water. Briefly he considers that Izou might take advantage of this and try to pull him in, but he's currently holding onto both of their phones so... Hopefully not? ]
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Well I think I aughta be rewarded for my creativity!
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Well, if you put it that way... Congratulations on our good 'shot'.
[ Look at how lenient he can be! Nobody better call him uptight anymore. ]
But don't think that means I've thrown the match - there is still holes to go, and I plan on beating you.
[ Preferably fast, because it's early October and Izou should probably get somewhere dry and warm soon-ish. ]
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The next couple holes are relatively uneventful, it remains relatively neck in neck, and if Izou is starting to feel the cold, he is bravely not showing it. They have arrived at hole 14... Home of the Cyber Gorilla. There's the safe path through his legs that lead down a winding path that will take at least one other shot to reach the hole... Or the riskier path that leads to where the Gorilla's hand sometimes swoops down... With the right timing, it'll deposit it right into the hole.
So of course Izou aims for that! He's good at reading timing! Easy win!]
Put my ball right in the hole you damn monkey!
[He strikes! The ball goes right up the path into the gorilla paw! And. Stays there? It got stuck in-between two fingers.]
Oi! Don't ignore me!!!
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And he seems to have made the right choice, with how CRAZY MIKE's minions seem so keen on betraying them.
For a moment, McGillis just looks at Izou's frustrated face with some satisfaction, but then he decides to make use of his freakish height to go fish Izou's poor mistreated ball from an animatronic paw. A moving animatronic paw. He very narrowly escapes being bitchslapped by CRAZY MIKE's pet. Whoops.
He's going to just plop the ball into the hole though. This one wasn't on Izou. ]
If you call me a monkey for following your call, just know you are going for the low-hanging fruit.
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Never! But I still kinda want to loo that things arm off for trying ta stand in my way.
[He isn't making a move to do so, at least. Given they'd have to pay for the property damage.]
Real gentlemanly move on your part. You know how ta be charming when you wanna.
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McGillis returns to where Izou is standing and gives him a little grin. ]
It took you this long to feel charmed?
[ Newsflash: local manslayer will settle for nothing less than facing a gorilla for his honor. ]
I'm going to need to up my game.
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I mean, fer what a regular person expects. I got unique and specific tastes, y'know!
[Says the man who'd do whatever any of the pretty people here told him to if they gave him a little lip service.]
May if you win I'll tell you what I like about you. And you gotta do the same if I do.
[At least the next hole has no gorillas.]
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[ That sounds... dangerously close to getting sentimental. Which is maybe not a thing he should start worrying about several hours into a romantic date he himself initiated. Ah well. ]
You're on. I look forward to hearing in great detail how well I map onto your extraordinarily high standards.
[ 'Extraordinarily high standards' does not have audible air quotes, but they are very much present in McGillis' mind.
The next hole has a number of obstacles, but through clever angles, McGillis manages to get it in two. He's really focused now. ]
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This means the next couple holes are played in relative silence as both emotionally unskilled men fight to avoid having to exposed themselves. This is a good and normal way to carry on a relationship!
Finally it's the 17th hole. The entire hole is a winding path lined with a winding river that'll wash the ball back to the tee, lit only by neon lights that flash on and off, plunging the path into darkness every few seconds.]
Okay, watch, this time my overhead gambits gonna work.
[He hasn't learned from his mistakes at all. But he actually??? Pulls it off this time?? No hole in one but he avoids the hassle of the path and his ball lands neatly next to the hole.]
See! I just gotta warm up first!
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And then Izou pulls off his insane gambit and McGillis blinks, stunned. ]
... I'd dismiss it as luck, but knowing you...
[ He does trust Izou's physical prowess if nothing else.
Anyway, time to get his head back in the game and RUN FROM ANY SEMBLANCE OF VULNERABILITY. Only that he makes the wrong choice by actually playing the hole as intended - the flashing off of the neon lights gets him in an unfortunate moment, resetting his progress once. By the time they finish the hole, it has taken him 4 strokes. A significant upset to their delicate balance - he's going to need to really work on the final hole to be able to win now. ]
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[Izou's coming into the final hole actually in the lead?? He cannot believe his luck. No wait, not luck. Skill!! He's so talented and awesome! No wonder McGillis asked him out!!!
It would be really funny if he biffed it after having this internal hype up but no, apparently Avrae wants Izou to do well. The final hole involves looping the ball around a sloped hairpin turn and then timing it right to put it on a seat of a mini (but big for golf balls) ferris wheel, which then drops the ball onto a random ramp that all lead to various angles on the green. Izou observes this for a moment before setting up, his shot perfectly flying through the path and sinking into the hole.]
... Hell Yeah!
[Even he is surprised at himself for a moment but then no, of course! He's great everyone else sucks!!!]
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[ Izou already gets one reward and that is to hear McGillis cuss in genuine frustration. His fate is sealed now - even if he aces the hole with the same amount of grace, there is no catching up to Izou in terms of points. He should not have let him cheat on the pond hole - this just goes to show that being kind just bites you in the ass!!
Still, he's at least going to lose with some amount of grace, so without further commentary he lines up at the tee and focuses.... his first shot gets damningly close - it's almost the right ramp and the ball misses the hole by mere centimeters. Putting is a no-brainer from here.
But with all previous holes counted, this still leaves Izou two points in the lead. When McGillis turns back to him, he's still frowning deeply. ]
Well played.
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Still, he doesn't think McGillis would want pity either, so he's not just going to call off the bet or say he'll do it too.]
Well, lets hear it. Maybe if I'm impressed enough I'll give ya a consolation prize.
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He'll start off shallow, but this time it's just to get Izou's guard down.]
You're handsome. You're easy to tease and you make the most amusing expressions when you're caught off-guard. You think you know what it's like to struggle and you're not afraid to make it known that you disdain the ruling class. You fought a revolution. You're intense. You lived and died by power.
[ McGillis was a few steps away from Izou when he started, but he's getting closer now until there's very little distance left. ]
I like the look in your eyes when you lock onto your prey. I like the way you're too stubborn to step away from this.
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Above all else, none of it was judging whether he was of value with a sword. He's proud of his swordsmanship. It was the first thing he can remember being praised for, again and again. Ryouma's young face grinning at him, You're a genius with that sword, Izou!
He feels like he should be annoyed it wasn't pointed out now, but... He's not? McGillis finds his presence appealing and it doesn't hinge on him having some intrinsic value, but rather how he carries himself. But also... Intense? Stubbornly determined? Fierce look in his eyes?? ]
... No fair. All that shit at the end is stuff I woulda said about you. S'why I wanted ta take you here and make it a competition.
[HE FEELS VERY SEEN RIGHT NOW... But for once it doesn't feel in a bad way???]
no subject
But the sentiment in itself is appealing. Despite all the ways it has failed him lately, McGillis continues to think that his capacity to grasp for and try to master any kind of power is his greatest strength.
That Izou isn't contesting this part of him is maybe the greatest proof he's received yet that the other man is looking past the masks he's forcefully removed from McGillis.
McGillis is quiet for a moment and finds himself brushing a stray strand of wavy hair from Izou's forehead. ]
Let's get you somewhere dry. There's a hotel nearby.
1/2
The casual touch somehow feels more intimate than the kiss they'd shared at the ball, but Izou doesn't have time to try and unpack that thought.]
I mean, I've got dry clothes back-
2/2
]
Y-you sure?
[His stance on the matter is (somewhat embarrassingly) already known. But at that time, it hadn't gone both ways.]
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Of course I am. You're not planning to make me regret it, are you?
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Even with Fujimaru, he sometimes worries she doesn't mean all the praise she gives. He constantly doubts it from Celeste. He doesn't worry for even one moment that McGillis is saying yes to placate him. He's too strong willed for that.
He straightens up, still flushed but honestly very pleased. Excited even.]
Hell no. You already know how I handle, don't ya?
[Izou is in fact bringing up the time he tried to kill McGillis as promise of his skill in bed.]
no subject
I've gotten a taste of you in more ways than one, it's true.
[ He takes care to brush his hand against Izou's very briefly, before going to pack up their golf things to return to the underpaid part timer at the front.
But hey, they're not in the kid's earshot just yet... ]
It'll be nice to pin you down without unwelcome interruptions, this time.
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Wait hold on is McGillis just ASSUMING he's the one doing the pinning down!!!! Wow!!! He's not supposed to just ASSUME that Izou prefers to be held even if it's true???? This calls for defiance.]
Hah! Bold of you ta think yer gonna get the better of me so easily a second time.
[Please plase please please do.]
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So he doesn't rise to the challenge this time. ]
It's not meant to be a competition, you know?
[ He hands the golf materials back to the kid manning CRAZY MIKE'S kingdom, accidentally waking them on a nap on their shift. Oops.
Goodbye, bright sparkling neon world. Hello, short walk to the... discreet location down a fork in the street. ]
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Well why not? Didn't you just say you wanted me ta be intense?
[Sure it's not MEANT to be but also. Surely it should be.]
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those of you reading along at home, there be nsfw soon
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cw allusions to csa
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