Songs for Daddy- Chapter 47: Play the Game Tonight (Part 6 [first blood])
Part 5
The Field
Hiruma popped a bubble while he watched the play. They were being given the ball it seemed, clearly with the intention of tackling whoever went to get it. It was a trap, they intended to murder whoever got that ball.
“Ora!” Juumonji called and blotted forward into the mass of the opposing team and grabbed the ball. He then fell down on his knees instantly, giving Babies possession at that spot. But one of the Wizards didn’t ‘see’ this and went in for the attack. He was foiled by Juumonji ducking down to make a tiny ball and letting the guy trip over him.
“Ha?” Juumonji asked the kid who just got a face full of dirt. “You do something?”
The kid only spat the dirt out of his mouth and glared at Juumonji. Clearly this wasn’t over yet.
Hiruma stepped onto the field solemnly, eyeing the Wizards and their stoic looks carefully. Their expressions weren’t revealing much but their intent was clear.
“They want to murder us.” Hiruma announced in the huddle. “Not that surprising, it’s what these brats excel at.”
Everyone nodded.
“They aren’t going to go after the ball, they’re going to go after me, after you.” Hiruma explained. “It doesn’t matter if the play ends, they’ll find a reason to hurt you.”
“What’s the plan?” Kurita asked.
“Watch your back, watch the back of the person next to you if your hands aren’t full.” Hiruma answered. “We’re going for a short pass.”
“Eh? Why not a run?” Kuroda asked, confused.
“It’ll increase their chances of getting a penalty and decrease our chances for injury. If you think for one moment those fucking kids are going to mess you up, hit the deck if you’ve got the ball.” Hiruma told Kuroda firmly. “It is too early in this damn game to be sending people out on injuries.”
“But if you do get fucking injured I want to see you busting your ass like that injury is nothing.” Hiruma told the team. “Make them think that we are invincible, that injuring us won’t stop our offense.”
“Hiruma,” Toganou began, “follow your own advice.”
“Of course I am.” Hiruma looked slightly offended by that. No way in hell he was going to get injured in front of Emiko.
The Stands
“No!” Emiko muttered. Papa had to stop, they were going to do bad things. He was going to get hurt. It was going to be horrible! Something, someone, save Papa! Protect Papa!
Please…!
American Announcer Booth
Lewis went silent with a tight frown. He had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling. Hendrickson’s voice was distant the field before him grew very narrow. Something was about to happen….
And it wasn’t going to be pretty.
The Field
“Set, hut! Hut!” Hiruma cried to start the play. He took a step back and surveyed the field.
Shit.
The linemen let themselves fall only to copy Gaou’s tangle trick. The linebackers and safeties came rushing forward, nothing between them and Hiruma. They weren’t going to stop until they took him out, regardless of whether or not he had the ball. He looked out at Kuroda, who had looked back to see what the fuck the defense was doing that was so bizarre.
“Catch it and score.” Hiruma mouthed then threw the ball perfectly, completely unperturbed by the fact he was about to slammed into by three large bodies. Hiruma forced himself to relax since he knew it would lessen the damage.
The last thing he remembered before the world went black was sky coming into view. It was a pretty sky, very nice day for a game. His mind went out to Emiko briefly, hoping that she wouldn’t be too upset over this.
Papa would be okay in the end, he hoped she knew that.
-break-
Emiko was able to hold back how very upset she was until half-time. She exploded into tears and screams that startled those around here the moment they called half-time. Anezaki knew the cause: Hiruma had been taken off the field in a stretcher, much to everyone’s amazement. The Babies had held on, leaving the score at 52-20. Takekura had managed to get in two kicks, but there were no touchdowns beyond the first two. On top of that there had been no news on Hiruma’s condition.
“Take her into the hall.” Yuuya suggested. Anezaki nodded and managed to haul Emiko out of the stands into the hall. Once there Emiko was startled by some noise and blotted into the building, screaming all the way. Unfortunately Emiko was faster than Anezaki and that made it impossible to keep up with her. Not to mention the crowd was parting for Emiko and doing nothing to help Anezaki.
Emiko didn’t have a plan. She was getting away from the noise, from the bad things, and she wasn’t going to stop. Her little feet carried her away from the noise, from the people and down into hallways where she didn’t belong, not that she knew that.
Lewis had left the announcing booth to get some news on Hiruma directly because no one was sending it up. Hendrickson let him go and promised to handle the half time summary by himself. Needless to say Lewis was a bit surprised to find a bawling Emiko in the middle of the hallway, just outside of the announcer’s booth. She was rocking back and forth and her arms were flapping.
“Autism….!” Lewis muttered in English, his eyes widening in surprise. So that’s what that ‘jiheishou’ disability meant.”[1] He sighed and took off his jacket.
“Fluffy comfort blanket.” Lewis announced in clear Japanese and dropped the coat on Emiko. She let out a small surprised cry, then stopped crying. She rocked some more and seemed to calm down. One of her hands had poked out from underneath the coat and was petting the feathers. If it weren’t for the fact Emiko was extremely upset, Lewis would have found the situation very adorable.
“Emiko-chan,” Lewis began as he crouched down to get his head about level with hers, “would you like to see your Papa?”
The Babies’ Training Room
Hiruma was laying on one of the beds in the room, a towel over his face. He was suffering from a concussion and probably some sort of fracture in his right hand, as it had been stepped on. Munakata Atsushi, the Babies’ athletic trainer, was worried. Hiruma might be suffering from some permanent brain damage since he didn’t come to right away…..
That’s when there was some excitement outside the door. Munakata frowned, he had especially forbid anyone from coming in to visit Hiruma during half time.
Lewis didn’t get a fuck about the Japanese people in front of him. He kicked the door open.
“Sorry, I don’t know those Japanese words.” Lewis told them in English and marched into the room, Emiko under his coat in his arms, and shut it behind him.
Munakata had gotten thinner and less shiny, but he was still a blocky sort of man with very chiseled features. Lewis gave him an indifferent look and set down the Emiko-bundle beside Hiruma on the bed.
“Go wake up your Papa.” Lewis instructed Emiko in soft, fatherly toned Japanese, completely ignoring the particularly annoyed look Munakata was giving him.
Emiko crawled out from underneath the coat, shocking Munakata with her pointed ears and features. She was clearly Hiruma’s child. The devil child he’d heard about during practice but couldn’t actually believe existed! With a determined expression she went over and blew on Hiruma’s ears, making them twitch.
“Papa!” Emiko called, poking Hiruma’s forehead. She blew on his ear again, this time getting him to cringe and turn his head away from her on sought. Emiko kept blowing, poking, and speaking ‘Papa’ loudly until Hiruma let out a groan and opened his eyes.
Hiruma was not expecting to find himself answering to a grumpy Emiko when he came to.
“You’re not supposed to sleep during a game.” Emiko told him with a frown. “Take a nap before if you are tired.”
“Yeah, sorry.” Hiruma apologized with a soft tone.
“52-20.” Emiko remarked and jumped off the bed, dragging Lewis’ coat with her. Hiruma sat up with a grunt and looked forward.
“Not the worst.” Hiruma commented absently.
“You’re not seriously thinking of going out there-!?” Munakata protested.
“Of course he’s going to- he’s a football player.” Lewis cut him off.
“…Emiko where did you get that?” Hiruma asked, having noticed the coat. If you could call that gody monstrosity a ‘coat’, it was one of those overly lush and arrogant coats Lewis favored after all.
“Fluffy comfort blanket!” Emiko announced.
“She was having an over-stimulation attack in the middle of the hall, so I gave it to her.” Lewis answered in quick English. “For keeps.”
It took Hiruma a few seconds to translate the ‘for keeps’ expression. It wasn’t one he heard often. He nodded slowly.
Damn he had a headache! His vision went white when he made that nod. With lips pressed tight, Hiruma managed to keep in his desire to cry out from pain. Carefully he took two calming breaths.
“Anyone else have injuries?” Hiruma asked Munakata.
“Er, no. Not really.” Munakata answered. “Let me do something about your hand.”
Hiruma looked at is bruised hand and flexed the fingers. He didn’t have the metallic taste in his mouth, nor did anything hurt more when he moved them.
“Don’t need it.” Hiruma said after a moment and got off the bed.
“…I’ll take her back to her seat.” Lewis assured Hiruma.
“Her seat.” Emiko parroted.
“She’s on the 50, six rows back, west side.” Hiruma told Lewis.
Lewis wordlessly picked the newly re-made Emiko-bundle.
“Hiruma, win.” Lewis advised Hiruma and left. Emiko’s eyes poked out from beneath the coat and remained fixated on Hiruma as she was carried out and away.
“Still believing, huh?” Hiruma smiled and went out into the locker room.
“Well, well, fucking kiddies,” Hiruma announced to the stunned locker room, “nap time’s over, now let’s turn this fucking game around.”
Wizards’ Locker Room
“Did you see what I did to that guy’s hand? There’s no way he can throw after that!” One of the linebackers laughed.
“You’ve realized you might have just broken the best quarterback in the world’s throwing hand?” Yamato hissed in disapproval.
“Who cares!? He’s not coming back to bother us!” The linebacker roared in laughter.
Yamato only frowned.
“Are you satisfied with that?” Banba asked.
“What?”
“Are you satisfied with beating the great Hiruma Youichi because you destroyed him in the third play of the game?” Banba looked down on all of the players in the room. “You didn’t beat him fair and square any victory you earn will be hollow.”
“….”
“Hiruma was right to think the lot of you as cowards! You can’t even face him straight on!” Banba snapped.
The team was silent for a moment then they sneered and went back to gloating. Banba found this better than he’d hoped. His words had, for however a short a time, struck home. For the first time that season.
American Announcer Booth
“Clifford! You lost your coat!” Hendrickson gasped.
“Had to give it away- there was an autistic girl in the hall and you know how they get when they’re stressed and over-sensitized.” Lewis explained as he sat down.
“Ah yeah, not much you can do but give up the coat then.” Hendrickson nodded.
Pause.
“Well, what’s the news on Youichi?” Hendrickson asked.
“The trainer said that we’d see by the start of the second half.” Lewis answered tonelessly.
Part 7
The Field
Hiruma popped a bubble while he watched the play. They were being given the ball it seemed, clearly with the intention of tackling whoever went to get it. It was a trap, they intended to murder whoever got that ball.
“Ora!” Juumonji called and blotted forward into the mass of the opposing team and grabbed the ball. He then fell down on his knees instantly, giving Babies possession at that spot. But one of the Wizards didn’t ‘see’ this and went in for the attack. He was foiled by Juumonji ducking down to make a tiny ball and letting the guy trip over him.
“Ha?” Juumonji asked the kid who just got a face full of dirt. “You do something?”
The kid only spat the dirt out of his mouth and glared at Juumonji. Clearly this wasn’t over yet.
Hiruma stepped onto the field solemnly, eyeing the Wizards and their stoic looks carefully. Their expressions weren’t revealing much but their intent was clear.
“They want to murder us.” Hiruma announced in the huddle. “Not that surprising, it’s what these brats excel at.”
Everyone nodded.
“They aren’t going to go after the ball, they’re going to go after me, after you.” Hiruma explained. “It doesn’t matter if the play ends, they’ll find a reason to hurt you.”
“What’s the plan?” Kurita asked.
“Watch your back, watch the back of the person next to you if your hands aren’t full.” Hiruma answered. “We’re going for a short pass.”
“Eh? Why not a run?” Kuroda asked, confused.
“It’ll increase their chances of getting a penalty and decrease our chances for injury. If you think for one moment those fucking kids are going to mess you up, hit the deck if you’ve got the ball.” Hiruma told Kuroda firmly. “It is too early in this damn game to be sending people out on injuries.”
“But if you do get fucking injured I want to see you busting your ass like that injury is nothing.” Hiruma told the team. “Make them think that we are invincible, that injuring us won’t stop our offense.”
“Hiruma,” Toganou began, “follow your own advice.”
“Of course I am.” Hiruma looked slightly offended by that. No way in hell he was going to get injured in front of Emiko.
The Stands
“No!” Emiko muttered. Papa had to stop, they were going to do bad things. He was going to get hurt. It was going to be horrible! Something, someone, save Papa! Protect Papa!
Please…!
American Announcer Booth
Lewis went silent with a tight frown. He had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling. Hendrickson’s voice was distant the field before him grew very narrow. Something was about to happen….
And it wasn’t going to be pretty.
The Field
“Set, hut! Hut!” Hiruma cried to start the play. He took a step back and surveyed the field.
Shit.
The linemen let themselves fall only to copy Gaou’s tangle trick. The linebackers and safeties came rushing forward, nothing between them and Hiruma. They weren’t going to stop until they took him out, regardless of whether or not he had the ball. He looked out at Kuroda, who had looked back to see what the fuck the defense was doing that was so bizarre.
“Catch it and score.” Hiruma mouthed then threw the ball perfectly, completely unperturbed by the fact he was about to slammed into by three large bodies. Hiruma forced himself to relax since he knew it would lessen the damage.
The last thing he remembered before the world went black was sky coming into view. It was a pretty sky, very nice day for a game. His mind went out to Emiko briefly, hoping that she wouldn’t be too upset over this.
Papa would be okay in the end, he hoped she knew that.
-break-
Emiko was able to hold back how very upset she was until half-time. She exploded into tears and screams that startled those around here the moment they called half-time. Anezaki knew the cause: Hiruma had been taken off the field in a stretcher, much to everyone’s amazement. The Babies had held on, leaving the score at 52-20. Takekura had managed to get in two kicks, but there were no touchdowns beyond the first two. On top of that there had been no news on Hiruma’s condition.
“Take her into the hall.” Yuuya suggested. Anezaki nodded and managed to haul Emiko out of the stands into the hall. Once there Emiko was startled by some noise and blotted into the building, screaming all the way. Unfortunately Emiko was faster than Anezaki and that made it impossible to keep up with her. Not to mention the crowd was parting for Emiko and doing nothing to help Anezaki.
Emiko didn’t have a plan. She was getting away from the noise, from the bad things, and she wasn’t going to stop. Her little feet carried her away from the noise, from the people and down into hallways where she didn’t belong, not that she knew that.
Lewis had left the announcing booth to get some news on Hiruma directly because no one was sending it up. Hendrickson let him go and promised to handle the half time summary by himself. Needless to say Lewis was a bit surprised to find a bawling Emiko in the middle of the hallway, just outside of the announcer’s booth. She was rocking back and forth and her arms were flapping.
“Autism….!” Lewis muttered in English, his eyes widening in surprise. So that’s what that ‘jiheishou’ disability meant.”[1] He sighed and took off his jacket.
“Fluffy comfort blanket.” Lewis announced in clear Japanese and dropped the coat on Emiko. She let out a small surprised cry, then stopped crying. She rocked some more and seemed to calm down. One of her hands had poked out from underneath the coat and was petting the feathers. If it weren’t for the fact Emiko was extremely upset, Lewis would have found the situation very adorable.
“Emiko-chan,” Lewis began as he crouched down to get his head about level with hers, “would you like to see your Papa?”
The Babies’ Training Room
Hiruma was laying on one of the beds in the room, a towel over his face. He was suffering from a concussion and probably some sort of fracture in his right hand, as it had been stepped on. Munakata Atsushi, the Babies’ athletic trainer, was worried. Hiruma might be suffering from some permanent brain damage since he didn’t come to right away…..
That’s when there was some excitement outside the door. Munakata frowned, he had especially forbid anyone from coming in to visit Hiruma during half time.
Lewis didn’t get a fuck about the Japanese people in front of him. He kicked the door open.
“Sorry, I don’t know those Japanese words.” Lewis told them in English and marched into the room, Emiko under his coat in his arms, and shut it behind him.
Munakata had gotten thinner and less shiny, but he was still a blocky sort of man with very chiseled features. Lewis gave him an indifferent look and set down the Emiko-bundle beside Hiruma on the bed.
“Go wake up your Papa.” Lewis instructed Emiko in soft, fatherly toned Japanese, completely ignoring the particularly annoyed look Munakata was giving him.
Emiko crawled out from underneath the coat, shocking Munakata with her pointed ears and features. She was clearly Hiruma’s child. The devil child he’d heard about during practice but couldn’t actually believe existed! With a determined expression she went over and blew on Hiruma’s ears, making them twitch.
“Papa!” Emiko called, poking Hiruma’s forehead. She blew on his ear again, this time getting him to cringe and turn his head away from her on sought. Emiko kept blowing, poking, and speaking ‘Papa’ loudly until Hiruma let out a groan and opened his eyes.
Hiruma was not expecting to find himself answering to a grumpy Emiko when he came to.
“You’re not supposed to sleep during a game.” Emiko told him with a frown. “Take a nap before if you are tired.”
“Yeah, sorry.” Hiruma apologized with a soft tone.
“52-20.” Emiko remarked and jumped off the bed, dragging Lewis’ coat with her. Hiruma sat up with a grunt and looked forward.
“Not the worst.” Hiruma commented absently.
“You’re not seriously thinking of going out there-!?” Munakata protested.
“Of course he’s going to- he’s a football player.” Lewis cut him off.
“…Emiko where did you get that?” Hiruma asked, having noticed the coat. If you could call that gody monstrosity a ‘coat’, it was one of those overly lush and arrogant coats Lewis favored after all.
“Fluffy comfort blanket!” Emiko announced.
“She was having an over-stimulation attack in the middle of the hall, so I gave it to her.” Lewis answered in quick English. “For keeps.”
It took Hiruma a few seconds to translate the ‘for keeps’ expression. It wasn’t one he heard often. He nodded slowly.
Damn he had a headache! His vision went white when he made that nod. With lips pressed tight, Hiruma managed to keep in his desire to cry out from pain. Carefully he took two calming breaths.
“Anyone else have injuries?” Hiruma asked Munakata.
“Er, no. Not really.” Munakata answered. “Let me do something about your hand.”
Hiruma looked at is bruised hand and flexed the fingers. He didn’t have the metallic taste in his mouth, nor did anything hurt more when he moved them.
“Don’t need it.” Hiruma said after a moment and got off the bed.
“…I’ll take her back to her seat.” Lewis assured Hiruma.
“Her seat.” Emiko parroted.
“She’s on the 50, six rows back, west side.” Hiruma told Lewis.
Lewis wordlessly picked the newly re-made Emiko-bundle.
“Hiruma, win.” Lewis advised Hiruma and left. Emiko’s eyes poked out from beneath the coat and remained fixated on Hiruma as she was carried out and away.
“Still believing, huh?” Hiruma smiled and went out into the locker room.
“Well, well, fucking kiddies,” Hiruma announced to the stunned locker room, “nap time’s over, now let’s turn this fucking game around.”
Wizards’ Locker Room
“Did you see what I did to that guy’s hand? There’s no way he can throw after that!” One of the linebackers laughed.
“You’ve realized you might have just broken the best quarterback in the world’s throwing hand?” Yamato hissed in disapproval.
“Who cares!? He’s not coming back to bother us!” The linebacker roared in laughter.
Yamato only frowned.
“Are you satisfied with that?” Banba asked.
“What?”
“Are you satisfied with beating the great Hiruma Youichi because you destroyed him in the third play of the game?” Banba looked down on all of the players in the room. “You didn’t beat him fair and square any victory you earn will be hollow.”
“….”
“Hiruma was right to think the lot of you as cowards! You can’t even face him straight on!” Banba snapped.
The team was silent for a moment then they sneered and went back to gloating. Banba found this better than he’d hoped. His words had, for however a short a time, struck home. For the first time that season.
American Announcer Booth
“Clifford! You lost your coat!” Hendrickson gasped.
“Had to give it away- there was an autistic girl in the hall and you know how they get when they’re stressed and over-sensitized.” Lewis explained as he sat down.
“Ah yeah, not much you can do but give up the coat then.” Hendrickson nodded.
Pause.
“Well, what’s the news on Youichi?” Hendrickson asked.
“The trainer said that we’d see by the start of the second half.” Lewis answered tonelessly.
Part 7