Work Text:
Your name is Hinata. Today, the 21st of June, is your birthday. You have a variety of interests... okay, you sort of only have one interest. A number of volleyballs are scattered about your room, obvious evidence of your not-so-secret passion. On your wall are various posters of the Tiny Giant, your idol. Your friends like to tease you about your man-crush on him, but he's just so cool! There's also a Haikyuu poster in the corner, an homage to the webcomic about four kids that play volleyball together. It's quite an epic and touching story. There is a plain cardboard box on the bed, along with a note.
What will you do?
Heir: Decide that this format doesn't work as well as it does in a webcomic and resort to third-person POV storytelling.
==>
Hinata peeks out the window. It's a blindingly hot summer day, to the point where the cement outside looks like it's practically sizzling. He notes the abscence of a car in the driveway: looks like Dad hasn't yet come back from work. The red flippy thing on the mailbox is up, too! Could it possibly be the new game he's been dying to try?
Turning back to his room, Hinata nimbly navigates the volleyball maze on his floor to flop onto his bed. Curling up on his side, he pulls the present box closer and unfolds the flaps to pull out the prize within.
Triumphant Zelda music plays as he holds up... a new volleyball! As with all volleyball-related items, the gift inspires a warm fuzzy feeling in his heart. After cuddling with the volleyball for a bit (not that he'd admit it to anyone), he searches for the note that came with it. The paper has the lingering smell of cigarette smoke and has a small message on it.
Happy Birthday son. I am so proud of you.
Hinata gives the volleyball another squeeze of happiness, a smile splitting his face. Dad is always so thoughtful! A ping from his computer signals a message from one of his so called "friends." He rushes over to check, but not before carefully placing the new volleyball on his pillow.
-- tauntinglyTall [TT] began pestering tinyGiant [TG] at 16:13 --
TT: Have you gotten anything worth my time hearing yet?
TG: i got a new volleyball! i cant wait to try it out!
TT: I still don't understand why you're so happy. You get volleyball-related items literally every year. It's like you have no other interests.
TG: i dont! volleyball is my life! its so awesome when u spike the ball and it goes flying into the other court like WHOOSH and hits the ground like WHAM!
TT: It's not that great, but whatever. Did you get the beta yet?
TG: no
TG: did u?
TT: I have two copies. But it's not like I'm going to play it. It sounds lame, lol.
TT: Anyway, you should check your mail. It should be there by now.
TG: ok!
Well, the flippy thing is up, so the mail must be here! He glances out the window again and... well, Dad just got back. And it looks like he picked up the mail. Darn. Knowing his Dad, he'll probably have to strife for it. Impulsively he captchalogues one of his pillows, a cup of water he had on the desk, his cell phone, the empty cardboard box, and his new volleyball.
Crap. That's not good.
There's another ping from his computer. Forgetting his sylladex struggles for a moment, he goes to respond.
TT: Well? Is it there?
TT: Perhaps you could play with the King, he's looking for someone to play with. By looking, I mean pestering me all day. It's getting extremely irritating.
TG: sorry i dont have it yet!
TG: my dad has the mail so i have to go get it from him.
TG: but i cant figure out my stupid sylladex.
TG: its so frustrating.
TT: What's your modus?
TG: volleyball!
TT: I know it's hard for you to clear your miniscule head of volleyball based thoughts, but just tell me how you retrieve items from your sylladex so I can help you.
TG: its volleyball! i have to spike the ball at the card i want.
TT: You're joking, right.
TT: Who am I kidding, of course you're not. Why am I even surprised.
TG: whats urs then?
TT: Dictionary. My brother taught me a few things about it.
TG: what the heck is that?
TT: Never mind that. Did you allocate your Strife Specibus?
TG: um...
TT: What do you have on hand?
TG: my new volleyball? but i need to get it out of the card somehow...
TT: You really suck at this, don't you.
TT: Don't you have other volleyballs on hand? I can't imagine you only have one. Just get your volleyball out of the card and then allocate it to the specibus. Or better yet, just use another one.
TG: fine fine
He really wants that new volleyball as a weapon, though! Picking up a ball from the floor, he tosses it in the air and spikes it toward one of the cards.
Whoops. It hits the box card, and the ball lands neatly inside. Well, that could have been much worse. He takes aim with another ball and tries again.
Bingo! The balls ricochet off each other. The extra one flies out the window, landing somewhere in the yard. He'll go pick it up later. The new one bounces off the wall and rolls to a stop near his foot. He picks it up and mentally cheers, then sets it to his strife specibus. Then he turns back to the computer.
TG: ok i did it
TT: I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but now your specibus will be permanently allocated to Ballkind.
TT: It's not like you'll run out of volleyballs anytime soon, though.
TG: yeah, thats fine i guess! i dont think itll be that relevant anyway.
TG: im going to go get that game now!
He peeks out of his bedroom door. The strong scent of soap wafts ever heavenward from the kitchen. Sounds like Dad is doing the dishes. Better get to work. Dad has a strange obsession with cleaning. It seems to be cathartic to him. Addiction is a powerful thing.
There are brooms propped up in the hall, a glaringly obvious test posed by his Dad. After all, why else would he put these tripping hazards here? He sidesteps them deftly and continues on his mission, following the sound of clinkling silverware.
Just outside the kitchen, Hinata is momentarily distracted by the unnerving painting on the wall. There are a bunch of other paintings of him and his Dad too, but there's one particular one that makes his skin crawl. It's a portrait of a dragon eating its tail, with small wings and dark scales. It gives Hinata bad vibes when he looks at it. He's shaken out of his stupor by a loud crash in the kitchen, followed by a loud cursing. Thoroughly unsettled by the painting, he retreats back to his room to come up with a new battle plan.
It looks like someone's been messaging him.
-- adamantTosser [AT] began pestering tinyGiant [TG] at 16:26 --
AT: So I heard you got the game
TG: whoever told u that is a filthy liar.
TG: and a huge asshole.
TG: who doesnt respect volleyball.
AT: I have to agree with u
TG: anyway i still havent got the mail, my dad has it.
TG: im trying to get it from him so brb!
AT: Sure
Hinata clenches his fists and squeezes his eyes shut, thinking really, REALLY hard. Maybe he can just sort of... sneak by...
Nah, strifing is much more interesting! Besides, his Dad is always challenging him in one way or another, now's the chance to prove his worthiness once and for all! With this new mindset, Hinata heads back downstairs to confront his guardian, wincing at every creak of the stairs. He's been warned about stairs.
He pokes his head into the kitchen. There are soap bubbles everywhere! There's a red package on the counter, along with a small envelope, both addressed to him. His Dad is still washing dishes, dyed blonde hair sticking up wildly in all directions. He's wearing an apron, and his back is turned. With a roar Hinata charges toward him.
STRIFE!
Dad Ajax-parries his attack and sends a devastating sprinkling of soapy water skyward with a swear. He turns around, making an aggravated face. "What-" Hinata throws his volleyball at him, but it doesn't do much, merely causing them to start a round of pass-the-ball right in the kitchen. Hinata jumps to spike the ball, but a bit of soapy water on the floor makes him slip a bit, and he misaims, instead heading right for...
Oh no.
The ball hits the water glass card, leaving shards of glass and a rapidly spreading puddle of water on the ground. Dad gives him one of his patended "what the hell" stares and then grabs a nearby broom (of which there are many), proceeding to sweep up the mess. Hinata swiftly grabs the two parcels and dashes upstairs to the relative safety of his room.
With the packages secure on his bed, he goes to check Pesterchum once again. Looks like another friend has contacted him!
-- trueCompanion [TC] began pestering tinyGiant [TG] at 16:34 --
TC: (^o^) happy birthday Hinata! ~
TC: hello? ~
TC: ok I'll talk to you later! ~
-- trueCompaion [TC] ceased pestering tinyGiant [TG] at 16:39 --
-- tauntinglyTall [TT] began pestering tinyGiant [TG] at 16:40 --
TT: Yamaguchi is looking for you.
TT: Why he wants to talk to you of all people, I have no idea.
TT: Seriously, what are you doing?
TG: i just fought my dad!
TG: we were tied 24-24
TG: and i was up to serve
TG: and i got a service ace thats how epic it was
TT: Ugh.
TT: Please don't make volleyball references in my direction.
TT: Your obsession with that sport is so lame, lol.
TT: I am rolling my eyes in real life, that is how lame it is.
TG: shut up tsukishima!
TG: why dont u roll ur eyes right into the ocean where they shrival up like prunes
TT: Your grammar and spelling are atrocious.
TT: Enough of that. Did you get the mail yet?
TG: yeah i did!
TT: Are there any packages there? Not that I care.
TG: yeah a big red one!
TT: You should probably open it.
TG: i will! its kind of being blocked by the sburb beta tho. ill open it after i install beta.
TT: So the beta came.
TG: yeah! wanna play?
TT: No thank you.
TG: aww why not?
TT: Like I said earlier, it sounds lame.
TT: Just play with the King, I'm sure he'll be happy to have your loyal support.
TG: where is he?
TT: His internet is blinking in and out, most likely because he broke it again. I'm sure he'll be back soon though.
TT: Also, get rid of that volleyball modus. It's ridiculous.
TG: no way!
Hinata staunchly ignores TT's probably scathing reply and instead clicks onto his Typheus browser. It opens up the last page he was on, an AO3 page on how to format HTML. He shakes his head and clicks out of it. Less meta, more beta!
He picks up another volleyball and aims it toward the beta card. He tosses it up...
...but his hand connects in the wrong place. It hits the cell phone card instead, and both phone and ball fly out the open window, coming to rest near the first one. He really should go and get that.
Once more should do the trick... except he's all flustered now and misses again, hitting the pillow card. At least now his sylladex is fairly empty. He tries one more time and it finally manages to connect, the beta dropping onto the bed. He slides it into the disc drive thing in the computer and while the beta is installing, turns back to spike the red package out of its card.
It's a gift from one of his buddies. He undoes the flaps. There is something suspicious inside. Something suspiciously dirty... and round.
It's a well-worn volleyball! From the colors, it looks like one used in the National Volleyball Championships during that fateful game where the Tiny Giant made a name for himself. But according to this note, it is not merely LIKE one of those volleyballs, it IS one! It's been touched by the Tiny Giant! This is a miracle!
-- adamantTosser [AT] began pestering tinyGiant [TG] at 17:08 --
AT: So u got the game great Im going to connect now
TG: ok but i just got the most awesome present!
AT: The volleyball?
TG: of course the volleyball what else!
AT: Right what else would u get
TG: like ur one to talk
AT: Lets just start the game
TG: oh yeah right!
TG: i have no idea what im doing. what is this?
AT: Why are u asking me? i dont know either
AT: I think i have the server app, so u must have the client app
AT: Its saying im the host user, so i guess were ready to play. u set?
TG: yup! lets do this!