Ah, I see. It'd be fun to watch you play something else, even if I'm not very knowledgable about any other than volleyball. For some reason it's easiest to imagine you as a baseball player, or maybe soccer...
[Two things about Shirabu that tend to surprise people: he thinks a lot about the people he knows, positively and negatively alike, which is how he develops his very strong opinions of them; and more surprising, he's as free with his praise of those he respects and admires as he is with criticism of the opposite.
If they develop a deep, long-term relationship, Iwaizumi may have to adjust to Shirabu's capacity to gush.]
That's kind of you, but I've already failed at some of the most important goals in my life to date, and I'm sure there are more to come.
Determination's only one variable. So many others can block your path and refuse to move, and if you can't best them
Excuse me. That's not a very pleasant train of thought, we can leave it behind.
[Perhaps even more surprising is Iwaizumi’s ability to gush when he’s in the mood to do so - it doesn’t happen often, but despite how he might appear to others, he certainly isn’t one to ignore someone’s good qualities, especially when he cares about them.
[He’s learning that Shirabu has many of them. Even what appears to be self-doubt is grounded in practicality and astute recognition of his own deficits - everyone has them, after all. That doesn’t mean that Iwaizumi always agrees with him, but Shirabu certainly does make it a challenge to argue some of his points. He makes a good one there, as much as Iwaizumi would like to refute it.
[But aside from that, there’s something else he wants to say.]
You can talk about whatever you want to, Shirabu. I’m listening.
[There’s a pause, and then (just to lighten the mood a little):]
no subject
[Two things about Shirabu that tend to surprise people: he thinks a lot about the people he knows, positively and negatively alike, which is how he develops his very strong opinions of them; and more surprising, he's as free with his praise of those he respects and admires as he is with criticism of the opposite.
If they develop a deep, long-term relationship, Iwaizumi may have to adjust to Shirabu's capacity to gush.]
That's kind of you, but I've already failed at some of the most important goals in my life to date, and I'm sure there are more to come.
Determination's only one variable. So many others can block your path and refuse to move, and if you can't best them
Excuse me. That's not a very pleasant train of thought, we can leave it behind.
no subject
[He’s learning that Shirabu has many of them. Even what appears to be self-doubt is grounded in practicality and astute recognition of his own deficits - everyone has them, after all. That doesn’t mean that Iwaizumi always agrees with him, but Shirabu certainly does make it a challenge to argue some of his points. He makes a good one there, as much as Iwaizumi would like to refute it.
[But aside from that, there’s something else he wants to say.]
You can talk about whatever you want to, Shirabu. I’m listening.
[There’s a pause, and then (just to lighten the mood a little):]
I do like baseball by the way.