Match Up(Open)

[yagami]

Breathing slightly more heavily than he'd been at the start of the match, Ryusuke noted that the light sweat he had wasn't from exertion so much as from the idea that he might've actually ended up losing that round, and in a way it felt slightly like he did - it was only by going with her intended purpose that he'd turned it into a win, or at the very least another one of the countless draws that had emerged from their previous matches. At the very least it'd been just as interesting as the others - it'd forced him to improvise and move out of his comfort zone, which was always a good thing. As far as Ryusuke saw it staying where one felt it was safe or comfortable did them no good in the long run, and would only serve to weaken them either mentally or physically - a lesson without some form of effort or pain attached to it was a meaningless one that would soon be forgotten.

Blushing slightly at Misaka's comment and having completely been unaware of the fact during the fight, Ryusuke immediately forced the thought out of his head by quickly forcing himself to recite random bits of trivia in his mind, sitting up from where he was laying without the use of his arms. Rolling his shoulders his shoulders to make sure that he'd landed on his back correctly and pleased with the lack of pain, Ryusuke noticed that a few of the other students had already left during their bout, with a few more getting up and grabbing their things before moving out the door themselves. Climbing up to his own feet, Ryusuke chuckled somewhat at Misaka's second comment as he looked at the clock mounted on the wall, realizing that the club activities were supposed just beginning to end.

"Wouldn't exactly call it a fair win, though - I didn't spar with anyone else, and you were in a match right before that one. I probably wouldn't have won if I'd been first in line." Ryusuke said, smiling slightly. "As it is I'm probably done for the day too. Everyone else is leaving, so not much point to staying here."

[misaka]

" Oh come on....You won fair and square! Even if I hadn't fought first, I would probably went with the same strategy. So either way it would have went in your favor..."

Smiling as she continued to sit on the ground beside Ryusuke, Misaka even punched him lightly on his shoulder before he stood up and seemed to be focused on the time. This in turned made Misaka look at the clock as well, blinking as she realized just how late it was. Time had moved so quickly that she hadn't even noticed that most of the club members had already left. Even Ryu was planning on leaving, to which she needed to do the same.

"Um...I'm with you...."

Jumping up to her feet, she walked over towards her bag and began putting on her shoes. Once she left the room, she planned on heading for the girl's locker room to change back into her uniform for the walk home. Since Kazai would likely already be there, since she hadn't come to the martial arts club that day, Misaka didn't have to worry about making sure she got home ok. Still, she wondered if she even still cared about being in the club anymore? It seemed that she only appeared during their championship matches and maybe to one practice. Other than that, she was simply a ghost.

That girl.....

Looking over her shoulder towards Ryusuke, Misaka grinned as she shrugged her shoulders and blinked at him.

"So are you coming? Or did you want me to turn off the lights with you still in the room?"

[yagami]

Rolling the shoulder Misaka had punched, Ryusuke moved to pick up his school bag as well as a plastic bag that held his street clothes, shrugging as Misaka dismissed his comment regarding their match. It was a win, but that didn't mean it necessarily felt like one to him. Slinging his school bag over his shoulder with one hand and picking up the plastic bag with the other, Ryusuke began putting on his shoes as he stepped off of the impromptu dojo's mats, already aware that Misaka was ahead of him and already outside of the door. Stripping the padding from his leg and arm, Ryusuke spent a brief moment lightly stomping his left foot to make sure the shoe was on securely, the only way to tell since he couldn't feel if it was, and then made his way towards the door as Misaka shouted something in at him from over her shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming...." Ryusuke muttered, stepping out the door past Misaka and immediately turning to head towards the men's locker rooms. As it was this was also their usual routine, which was alsomoved along by the fact that they both lived in the same suburbs - while his dad had a great childhood based on his own personal accounting of it, he'd made an effort to buy a house in the suburbs rather than an apartment similar to the one he'd grown up in that Ryusuke's grandmother still lived in. Entering the men's locker room, Ryusuke quickly changed into the slightly loose fitting black pants and black tank top he usually wore, slipping on the gray hoodie that he usually wore in public to try and avoid the stares his arm drew before stepping back out of the locker room, his gi packed in the plastic bag he'd brought it to school in.

[misaka]

As Ryusuke left the room, Misaka flicked off the lights and turned towards the girl's locker room to enter inside it. It usually never took her too long to change clothes, but she always tried to at least wash up somewhat before heading out. It saved her from having to smell like sweat and for others to have to smell that kind of odor. While being hygienic, she was also practical, especially since the school shower wasn't all that clean either. At least not in the way she would like.

Beggars can't be choosers...Though maybe talking to the class president might help...

Drying herself down with her towel, the girl then quickly put on her school uniform, straightening out her skirt after putting on her socks and shoes. From there, she placed her gi within her bag and walked outside the locker room to see that Ryusuke was already dressed and set to go.

"Sorry to keep you waiting...Kinda didn't want to smell like your feet"

Giggling as she moved one of her loose bangs from out her face, the teen then began walking towards the exit of the school while placing one finger on her chin with a thoughtful expression.

"I need to get something for that guy I knocked out....Do you think a card would be ok?"

[yagami]

Raising an eyebrow at the comment Misaka made after leaving the women's locker room, unsure of whether it was a bad joke or completely serious, Ryusuke figured it was the former as she laughed at her own joke and began walking towards the school's exit. Simply watching her for a moment with a confused expression on his face before moving to follow her off of the school's property, Ryusuke still found it odd that he wasn't able to completely understand what went on in her head, even after knowing each other for as long as they had. It certainly made a few things such as their sparring sessions interesting, but at other times it confused him, which while not exactly pleasant wasn't quite unwelcome either - it simply was.

It wasn't until she mentioned the idea of getting a card for the guy who had gotten wasted before his match with her that a look of mild incredulity plastered itself on his face - if he'd knocked someone out in a match he would've just made sure they'd gotten to the nurse and called it even, especially since most of the other club members knew what they were getting into when they joined a club that was essentially without an advisor, and that was exactly how Ryusuke voiced his opinion.

"A card? Why not just get the guy an ice pack and call it even? Not much point to an apology when everyone knew it was a mistake, albeit a one that'll happen again if he rushes you while leaving himself wide open. Just get him an ice pack and call it even." Ryusuke said, watching the back of her head as he spoke, bringing his arm up to have the plastic bag with his gi in it to hang back over his shoulder. "Besides, he's never going to learn to fix his mistakes if he doesn't have a reason to."

Maybe a bit uncharitable in the eyes of some, but completely logical from his point of view - he'd gotten creamed during the first few weeks of joining the club, and if there hadn't been pain involved with each strike Ryusuke doubted he would have learned to avoid them as quickly as he did, mostly because he had such motivation. It was how people and animals learned from their mistakes and corrected them before they could get worse, or at least that was what he thought.

[misaka]

With her hands resting behind her head, Misaka blinked while listening to Ryusuke, glancing towards him as he spoke. His answer wasn't exactly sympathetic towards the victim of her round house, but it did make sense that she shouldn't feel so guilty over what happened. After all, it was one of the things that came with fighting, sometimes people got hurt. It was especially the case if someone happened to make a move that would cause themselves to come into harms way. Although, the young teen wasn't sure if getting him an ice pack would be the best way to settle the score. If anything, it would be somewhat insulting.

"Wouldn't that be a little cruel? Giving an ice pack to the guy you knocked out? Besides, I'm sure his pride is already damaged badly enough...."

Sighing as she let her hands drop to the side, Misaka knew that she wasn't as hardened as Ryu. It was impossible for her not to feel bad about some things. It was just in her nature to have some regrets, even more so when they could have been avoided in some way. Maybe she could have used a different move or the two of them could have used pads. In the end, the event happened and she couldn't do anything except try and make it right in some way.

"How about a date? Think that might work?"

Opening the door to the front of the building, the young girl looked back at Ryusuke and then sighed before shaking her head.

"Why am I even talking to you about this anyway? You rarely ever admit to your mistakes..."

[yagami]

Ryusuke simply shrugged as Misaka looked back over her shoulder at him, his upper eyelids lowering somewhat at her comment on the idea that the ice pack might've been a bit much, maybe even insulting. Ryusuke didn't exactly see it that way, but then again he was horrible at picking things out for other people, either as apologies or as gifts - where he might've seen a reminder not to get hit again by the same technique, the other person may see it as a slap to the face, adding insult to injury. As for pride..... while Ryusuke could understand it and perhaps even empathize, his sensibilities had always been slightly different from the norm. Besides, what was done was done and there was little use in worrying how that particular incident might've been avoided - you simply learned from it and moved on. Misaka's next suggestion, however, did drawn something of a reproving look from Ryusuke, his face subtly hardening somewhat at the idea.

"No, that's what you call being insulting. For all you know you might end up leading him on without meaning to. Besides, you probably have no idea if he's already seeing someone, in which case it'll make you look stupid." Ryusuke said, only to have his expression shift to one of mild confusion at her next comment, face softening somewhat as his eyes widened slightly and his mouth hung slightly open.

"Since when haven't I owned up to my own mistakes? I might not say anything but I fix them when I can."

[misaka]

Listening to him as he gave his opinion on her next idea, Misaka cupped her hand under her chin and then nodded while closing her eyes. He was right. Not only would it be rude, but it could very well back fire and make her look like she has feelings for him. Not to mention it could also seem like she was just taking pity on him. In any case, the idea was obviously out of the question.

"You're right...I'm sure there is something though...."

As she began moving down the stairs outside of the school, the teen glanced over at Ryusuke as it seemed that he had somewhat taken a small offense to her comment. Listening to his explaination, the young girl grinned before placing her hands behind her back as she tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Yea...The key thing in admitting your mistakes is actually speaking them out loud. Not secretly fixing them so that no one sees them...."

Keeping her smile, she returned her attention towards forwards as she jumped off the last step and landed upon the ground. From there, she turned towards the older boy once more as her expression shifted to that of a serious one.

"So honestly...Do you think we have a good chance this year at Nationals?"

[yagami]

As Misaka seemed to discard her second idea Ryusuke's slightly offended expression began to fade somewhat into one of mild irritation, although he was well aware that he had no real reason to had taken offense, let alone be irritated with Misaka. Again, it was nothing more than a difference of opinion. While he may have seen little point in claiming public responsibility for a mistake unless it couldn't be dealt with by yourself, and it had little to do with hiding the mistake in his mind - if you made a problem, you fixed it. Misaka, however, seemed to see it as a virtue, a fact which he was immediately reminded of with her next comment, one that he simply shrugged off as he continued to walk down the stairs, closing the door behind him and catching up to her in the brief moment she'd stopped to turn around before beginning to move again, only to actually stop for a moment when she turned around again, asking him about their chances at Nationals for the year.

"If you can get your sister to show up more often we'll have a shot. She's got potential, but she skips too many practice sessions to capitalize on it. As of right now she's our third best team mate after you and I, and she's not that much farther ahead of the rest of the club." Ryusuke said, moving forward again as he spoke and passing Misaka. It was true - while he and Misaka were easily a match for most of the other teams that made it to Nationals, Kazai barely showed up for and of the practice sessions and was by default the weak link. She learned things astonishingly fast, but her body was simply not strong enough or fast enough to keep up with the competition, and she also lacked the muscle memory that the rest of them had. "I'm guessing any attempt to push her into a few more practice meetings would end miserably?"

[misaka]

"Do you have to ask? It's not like I don't try. I remind her every time I see her before the end of class. I just don't think she likes being around too many people..."

It wasn't an excuse either. Misaka was well aware that Kazai was somewhat anti-social. It was likely the only reason why she came to nationals was due to the fact that it required very little communication and everyone focus was on the matches. There was also the chance that she simply didn't feel that comfortable around the members of the club. These were all guesses, she couldn't really say what was going through her siblings mind nowadays. At one time, it was somewhat easy, not it was near impossible.

"I think it has a lot to do with her having a reason to come. Maybe if she had a friend, she'd be more willing to show up. Or perhaps she just isn't too interested in anymore..."

Walking beside Ryusuke as soon as she caught up to him, Misaka knew that anything was possible, but that a friend did help when it came to dedication to something. It did for her anyway. As she was no only a part of Kendo,the Martial Arts Club, as well as Soccer, having a reason to show up was one of the things keeping her in those programs.

"I'll try talking to her again though...No promises..."

Holding her bag in front of her as she walked, the teen looked towards the boy with a calm expression before turning her gaze towards a guy sitting along the side of the building. He appeared to be selling something, but it was likely nothing more than fake jewelry.

[yagami]

Ryusuke immediately regretted asking Misaka the question regarding Kazai, especially since he already knew she'd tried everything short of physically dragging her to the dojo and barring the doors once they were in the room, and he knew exactly how well that was likely to turn out - while he'd only met her a handful of times outside of the dojo and had only spoken to her on a handful of different occasions and never at length, he wouldn't have put biting and scratching past her in a physical confrontation that wasn't an official match. There was always their older brother, but he was only a year younger than Ryusuke was and unlikely to pick up the skills or the physical conditioning needed to even compete, plus Ryusuke could never have imagined him in a fight to begin with - while brutally honest, he seemed to lack the edge that his sisters had. Misaka's next comment seemed even more unlikely to him. While Kazai didn't seem to have many friends, if any at all, hers was a self imposed isolation - it seemed more like she didn't want any friends, preferring to focus on her studies instead.

"No, it's fine, forget I asked. We both know how it's going to turn out if you ask her - she'll either ignore you until you go away or say she'll be there and never show up." Ryusuke said, keeping his attention on the sidewalk ahead of him. There were any number of people they could potentially recruit to fill Kazai's position if they needed to, but the problem was that they'd run the risk of exposing their on again, off again advisor, and if they brought the wrong person in then the club may as well have been finished then and there.

[misaka]

Leaning forwards, the girl closed her eyes as she sighed while her shoulders hunched down and her arms rested at her sides. It was true. At moments, those were the only kind of answers she could get from her younger sibling. At least, not in till she prodded her for more. Though there were times when she just accepted them and went on her way. But the thought that this could become worse as time went on didn't sit well with her. If Kazai stopped coming completely, they would have to find someone to replace her, or risk losing the club. Yet even that idea didn't sit well for her either. She couldn't just drop her sister.

If it gets to that point, I will start dragging her here....

It was unlike her to resort to such a method, but the girl wasn't just letting one person down. Her actions were slowly affecting the entire club. So if she had to start dragging her in, she would for everyone else benefit, unless the girl really didn't want to go. That would be the only time when she'd agree to replacing her. But that would be a whole new challenge all together.

"It used to be a little easier.....Back when she was younger she'd follow me around easily. At least in till she turned 4, that's when the genius came in..."

Smirking as she remembered how shocked her parents were when they saw the young girl actually doing things that someone of her age shouldn't be capable of. It was exactly what she was thinking. At that time, she was 5 and it looked as though she had become the one who was younger in a matter of moments. Misaka wouldn't lie and say she wasn't envious every now and then. Maybe even jealous of the fact that her sister was highly intelligent. But she figured that it wasn't something she could constantly brood over.

If Renn can get over it...I think I can....maybe...

As her looked over towards Ryusuke, the girl then gasped as she saw something within a window, moving in front of him before placing her hands upon the glass. Her eyes stared in awe as she could the latest novel from her favorite mystery author.

"No way!! Its out already!? The Nightmare hand! The fifth installment of the Penny Lockhart Detective series!"

[yagami]

Glancing over at Misaka as she momentarily grew quiet, Ryusuke wondered if he'd metaphorically stuck his foot in his mouth again. Having grown up an only child meant that he could only dimly imagine what Misaka was dealing with in regards to her sister, and she never did cope too well with choosing between two halves of a conflict that didn't directly involve her. Usually she'd be too invested in solving the dispute in a manner that would please both parties when there really was no middle ground, and would more often than not simply end up getting caught in the middle while trying to fix things. It was a good trait to have in a mediator, but only when the mediator was welcome, otherwise they generally just spent a lot of time and effort only to have the situation resolve itself before they were able to get anything done - it was an endearing trait, if not a practical one, and Ryusuke was beginning to regret bringing Kazai into the conversation at all since it simply reminded Misaka that she'd either need to drag her sister into the club or choose another member to replace her later.

As Ryusuke continued to divide his attention between Misaka and the sidewalk he noticed one of her small smirks beginning to form on his face, which confused him that much further until she explained what was on her mind.

"It's not lik she got all of it, you and Ren just went in different directions. Last I heard Ren was still beating her in every subject except mathematics, and neither of them can touch you when it comes to phys ed." Ryusuke said, beginning to turn his attention to the road only to instinctively stop in place as she darted across his path, leaning forward slightly as he turned his head to see what had caught her attention, eyes squinting slightly as he tried to see what had her so excited through the window glare and unable to decode the words that were rapidly coming out of her mouth from several feet away and with her back turned towards him.

[misaka]

Stars could have appeared in the very pupils of her eyes as she stared towards the hard covered book. It was so close, and yet so far away. It almost made her wish that she hadn't spent all her allowance on a new dress. But, in a months time she would get paid again. So perhaps there was time a chance. After all, it was more than likely that they would still have the book in stock. At least, this was what she hoped. If not, she would be likely very moody.

"Oh well....Can't buy anything without money. Which I am greatly without..."

Sighing as she pushed herself back from the window, her attention returned to Ryusuke as she picked her bag off the ground and grinned before returning to walking onwards. After all, if things kept up like this, she'd be late. It was her turn to cook dinner tonight and she was sure she'd have her work cut out for her when she arrived.

"But its no big deal....Anyway, did you figure out where your going after graduation? You only have one more year, I'd think you'd be a little more excited?"

[yagami]

Standing upright again as she backed away from the window, a small, bemused smile came to Ryusuke's face as she commented on her money problems, something he'd temporarily solved, albeit not entirely to his satisfaction. While it paid well, working retail on weekends sucked, and if his dad didn't stock the fridge every few days when he was home and pay the bills Ryusuke knew he'd be having a hard time of it without a full time job. Then again, he never needed much - he had his lap top, food, lighting and plumbing at home, and if he ever wanted to read anything it was as simple as taking a quick trip to the library. In short, he had enough money for his purposes, but more often than not it was simply because he didn't ever really buy anything. Beginning to walk forward again, Ryusuke flinched almost imperceptively at the mention of the post graduation era, hoping that Misaka was too distracted by what was around her to notice the slight break in his step.

"......... I'm still considering my options. As it is there's a number of different places I could go and a few scholarships I could apply for." Ryusuke said, voice level and forcing himself to keep his attention once more on the sidewalk ahead of him. Truth be told he had no idea what he wanted to do after he graduated. He was never really any good with advanced computer concepts beyond networking, and beyond biology and chemistry little else interested him, and those two fields alone had dozens of possibilities to choose from. He knew he had to make a choice eventually, but so far it had been much easier to simply focus on what was in front of him rather than make decisions that could very well have decided the course of his life once they were made, and even that had problems - not making a choice was a choice in and of itself.