#c: raph peruggia

[emmett-ashford]

Location: Statesboro Press Duty Date: November 16 Time: 9:32 p.m. (CLOSED for @raph-peruggia​)

Emmett’s been on a handful of press duties before. He’s been with the Foxes for three years, it’s the only real downside to the team really. He doesn’t hate being picked for it but he doesn’t go out of his way to go either. Reporters are weird and every time he wraps up a session he leaves feeling tongue tied. Not to mention he usually ends up looking foolish too. It’s not so bad if he gets teamed up with someone eloquent but when Wymack taps and and Raph out Emmett knows he’s in for a rough session. Maybe if he keeps it short things will all right. Maybe Raph is an eloquent soul in front of people with notepads and microphones. Who knows. He nods, smiles and stands up front he couch and motions Raph over. “The sooner we get this over with the better, huh?” His smile is wide, maybe a little wider than normal. He doesn’t want Raph to know that he’s all that nervous.

He pushes open the door with his shoulder, the din of the small space an all its people a little overwhelming. If his dad can charm people he can too. He takes his spot in the middle of the room with a big smile on his face. He’s got no reason to be in a bad mood. They won and he’d played what was probably the best game of his career tonight. Even if it was against a team no one was worried about. “Hi. Hello. Good evening. Killer game wasn’t it? The Eagles did a great job for their first year as a Class I team. Just have to work on that temper.” He laughs. Tensions always ran high on the court, fighting happens,  God knows Emmett knows this, he’s on the Foxes after all.

His arms are crossed as he settles into a more comfortable stance. He nods to the gathered crowd and the first reporter of the evening gets the ball rolling. “Raphael, we were wondering how it felt to get back on the court again after your long stint on the bench for violence this season. How’d it feel to get back out there?”

[akira-sxto]

Location: The Court Date: October 21 Time: 10:14 p.m. (CLOSED for @raph-peruggia​)

Akira knows he shouldn’t be tempting himself by spending time alone on the court like this. Knows that it’s just a recipe for disaster. But he can’t help it. The court is the only place on campus Akira even feels remotely like himself anymore. Which isn’t saying much because every time he sits through a Fox practice with Wymack’s firm demand that his ass not leave that bench, it wears away a little more. And he’s just over a week in to this god forsaken injury and starting to fall apart. Akira didn’t like the Raven’s any further than he could throw them but tonight? He hated them. It was a visceral reaction and did very little to actually make Akira feel any better. All he wanted to do was drown his dark thoughts in the familiar and easy rhythms of Exy. He had plenty of drills he could perfect and plenty of drills he should run to perfect himself. But Abby had made it abundantly clear if she caught him using his arm before she gave him the green light he’d be out for the rest of the season. And if Akira thought this week was killer? He knew sitting out for the rest of the season would be enough to make him lose his mind for real. And Akira couldn’t risk that.

And yet, here he was. Every bone in his body told him to take off the sling and test things out but Abby’s threat hung heavy in the air. So he elected to head out to the court without bringing his racket. Better safe than sorry. And without the usual rush of noise of a Fox practice engulfing him Akira found his frayed edges smoothing out a little. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot, but at least he wasn’t feeling distinctly useless anymore. 

He’s only there for a few moments before the idea strikes him. Akira can’t play exy but there’s a whole slew of Foxes that can. And Akira knows a handful who would make for a fine stand in this evening. His phone is out of his pocket in the blink of an eye and to Akira’s surprise he doesn’t go straight for Grant or Claudia. He goes for Raph. They haven’t spoken since that disastrous evening on the roof. Akira’s not even mad but he’s not exactly sure how to proceed from there either. Part of him wants to avoid talking to him altogether, Raph made it plain he doesn’t want to be friends, but another part of him doesn’t care. There’s so much raw talent in Raph and Akira would be stupid to lose out on it. In the end Akira’s need to do something involving Exy wins out and he taps on his number and lets it ring. He doesn’t wait long to speak once he hears Raph pick up. “Come to the court. I have a new drill I want to try out on you. If you want.” Akira wasn’t going to force him but he wasn’t trying to cover up how much he wanted him to come either.