Prince of Tennis: Ibu Shinji, 005: Outsides
Title: Inside Out
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Fudomine
Prompt: 005: Outsides
Word Count: 393
Rating: G
Summary: Musings on Fudomine’s status.
Author's Notes: This takes place during the canon run of the series.
Main table can be found here and here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There were many things that Shinji loved about playing tennis with Fudomine. He loved his teammates, the way that Kamio was always there, a buzz of energy, the way that Ishida was a steadying hand on everyone. The way that only Mori could keep Uchimura balanced, and vice versa. The way that Sakurai seemed to just be watching, waiting, seeing everything, somehow. The way that Tachibana kept them all together, somehow, managed to take those vastly different personalities and forge them into a functioning, capable, victorious team.
Shinji loved even more, though, the looks they got when they arrived at tournaments. He loved the whispers about the outsiders, the “dark horse” team. He loved hearing them dismissed by everyone who saw them, that first time…because he loved so much the whispers and stares when Fudomine managed to smash their competition.
Shinji knew his teammates. He knew that they, like him, had spent their entire lives as outsiders in one way or another. He knew that the things that had made them outcast were the things that made their bonds as a team that much stronger. He knew how much they, like him, treasured those terms, made them their own.
It was funny, Shinji thought, how the other teams seemed to think that terms like “outsider” and “dark hose” were supposed to be hurtful to them. Like they were supposed to deflate them rather than spur them on. Didn’t they know that it was the outsiders that had the most to prove? That the dark horses were the ones that lurked in the shadows, ready to attack and surprise at a moment’s notice?
Whenever someone threw one of those terms at them, hurling it like a vile insult, Shinji and his teammates only exchanged secret smiles as they moved on. They would never understand, those privileged players and teams. They were on the inside, they had so much going for them, so much behind and around them.
Shinji didn’t think any of those other teams could ever appreciate winning the way Fudomine could. How could they? How can they appreciate the sun’s warmth unless they had existed outside its warm rays and lived in the cold?
They knew that cold, Shinji did, Fudomine did. The outside was their home. Being outside the lines was what they knew.
And it was time to come in.
--The End--
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Fudomine
Prompt: 005: Outsides
Word Count: 393
Rating: G
Summary: Musings on Fudomine’s status.
Author's Notes: This takes place during the canon run of the series.
Main table can be found here and here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There were many things that Shinji loved about playing tennis with Fudomine. He loved his teammates, the way that Kamio was always there, a buzz of energy, the way that Ishida was a steadying hand on everyone. The way that only Mori could keep Uchimura balanced, and vice versa. The way that Sakurai seemed to just be watching, waiting, seeing everything, somehow. The way that Tachibana kept them all together, somehow, managed to take those vastly different personalities and forge them into a functioning, capable, victorious team.
Shinji loved even more, though, the looks they got when they arrived at tournaments. He loved the whispers about the outsiders, the “dark horse” team. He loved hearing them dismissed by everyone who saw them, that first time…because he loved so much the whispers and stares when Fudomine managed to smash their competition.
Shinji knew his teammates. He knew that they, like him, had spent their entire lives as outsiders in one way or another. He knew that the things that had made them outcast were the things that made their bonds as a team that much stronger. He knew how much they, like him, treasured those terms, made them their own.
It was funny, Shinji thought, how the other teams seemed to think that terms like “outsider” and “dark hose” were supposed to be hurtful to them. Like they were supposed to deflate them rather than spur them on. Didn’t they know that it was the outsiders that had the most to prove? That the dark horses were the ones that lurked in the shadows, ready to attack and surprise at a moment’s notice?
Whenever someone threw one of those terms at them, hurling it like a vile insult, Shinji and his teammates only exchanged secret smiles as they moved on. They would never understand, those privileged players and teams. They were on the inside, they had so much going for them, so much behind and around them.
Shinji didn’t think any of those other teams could ever appreciate winning the way Fudomine could. How could they? How can they appreciate the sun’s warmth unless they had existed outside its warm rays and lived in the cold?
They knew that cold, Shinji did, Fudomine did. The outside was their home. Being outside the lines was what they knew.
And it was time to come in.
--The End--