the_campus | PERMANENT EVENT: A WHOLE NEW FRONTIER

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PERMANENT EVENT: A WHOLE NEW FRONTIER

[Surely it was too early for another announcement, right...? But then there it is, that tell-tale electronic feedback screeching through the halls before a mature female voice resonates through it.]

The doors are unlocked.

[That's all she says. Those who are curious might test the front doors...and they'll find that they open not to the seemingly civilized outskirts of town as the now vanished view from the roof may have made you think, but to the horizon. Likewise that barrier and its lies blocking anybody's escape via the roof or sky has collapsed, leaving the air a tad bit...more temperamental. You see, there was weather now.

Out from the front doors of the Campus can be see an expanse of land and then the sea. Anybody who ventures out further will find that they're still trapped, only in a bigger cage. This new cage is now five miles across the diameter at its longest point. The island itself is about as varied as it comes: covered jungles, a cave system, a single stream leading up to a freshwater lake, and a lone mountain near the center. One part near the front of the school is home to a sometimes-pleasant sandy shore ripe for the hunting sea life. Everywhere else is a perilous cliff fall into the sea.

Anybody who tries to escape via the sea will find the riptide tearing them back to a cave near the shore.]

((This event is a permanent setting expansion, you can read more about it here as well as in the island setting page near the bottom here. Have fun, if you have any questions simply address them to the OOC post, plurk, or AIM if applicable, and please don't forget to tag your series!))

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[Kaiba truly doubted that, but he supposes he'll see. Without another word Kaiba enters the school building and walks straight to the front doors. He pauses only a moment before pressing his hand against the push-bar, shielding his eyes at the blazing sunlight that peeks beyond the crack in the open door.

He strides on through afterward, not even bothering to hold the door for Bakura. Once outside, Kaiba stops to take a look at the scenery--or rather, figure out which direction to go in. There was a beach to their left, and the start of a jungle at their right.]

[Bakura caught the door with his shoulder, forcing it open further and slipping past. There was a brief moment of awkwardness as the backpack was caught by the closing door, but he pulled free of it a second later. The light stung his eyes momentarily and he paused, blinking at the sun before looking around.

Surreptisciously, he checked the Ring, only to find it unable to point the right way still. Really, it was too bad. The one time he really needed the thing, and it had the millennium item equivalent of trauma-induced impotence.]

This place is so strange.

... [While staring, something occurs to Kaiba, his eyes briefly widening with shock.]

This isn't the view I saw from the roof.

[Where's the roads...the buildings? At the very least, he saw a building a far enough walk away to justify needing to take a little food, but this was...an island!]

Edited 2013-08-16 18:09 (UTC)

[It wasn't? Ryou hadn't been to the roof, but it seemed impossible for the view to be different. Unless-]

Maybe it was some kind of projection?

[Kaiba clenched his jaw. That's right...that wouldn't be too far fetched, considering everything else.]

Hn. Moving on. [Jumping to the conclusion that this was an island was a little too far...so he saw a beach, so what! His best bet right now was to head down to the beach and see if there was any evidence of civilization, but really, just from here he could tell that there wasn't.

So the jungle it was. Kaiba turns and heads to the right.]

[Welp, good thing he brought so much food. If Kaiba'd been expecting this place to be hospitable, he'd probably need it too.

Ryou could easily have seen the benefits of going to the beach; if you wanted to verify whether it was an island, circle the perimeter. But at the same time, that was more energy-consuming. At least the jungle would be shaded from the sun.

He followed Kaiba without hesitation, keeping his pace steady.]

Whoever's behind this must have a lot of power behind them. I wonder if this isn't a trick too.

[Kaiba didn't answer Bakura right away, but he did think on those words. This was somebody, or some organization, with another prowess to steal his jet engine from right under his nose, to create a forcefield around the entire Campus roof, to make the locks unpickable, the walls unbreakable, and to create and illusion from the roof that the outside was civilized.

Who's to say they couldn't do something like this? A virtual world, of sorts...]

I don't think so.

[He shakes his head. No, they were simply on an some strip of land, island or not.]

[As soon as they enter the jungle, it's much more humid, but lacking the dry heat and pressure of the sun. Kaiba seems intent on moving in a straight line, only glancing to his sides. Occasionally he stops to place a small marker on a tree.]

...

[Ryou, being more immersed in the occult than Kaiba, is less sure about that. Still, he doesn't bother to argue the point. If this is a trick, they'll find out soon enough.

The crunch of the earth beneath their feet is far from the only sound. It's almost like an entirely different place here. The difference between the jungle and the school is astounding. It's like being in an RPG and suddenly entering a random battle that takes you into a closed space.

Maybe it was a closed space.

He follows Kaiba wordlessly for the most part, going as fast as he can under the weight of the bag. Even though the humidity makes it uncomfortable, there's no point in complaining. Kaiba would just scoff anyway. At least the shade is nice.]

You flew here, right? Did you see anything like this on your way in?

I don't remember this arrangement including me having to talk to you.

[More so than that, Kaiba didn't want to admit that he'd been tricked when flying here. He thought he was landing at KaibaCorp HQ, not at this damn school.

So...he keeps walking, glad that just a bit ahead it can be seen that the jungle is thinning.]

True... Nobody's forcing you.

[He falls silent, looking around curiously as he walks. He's not seen scenery like this in Japan, that much he's sure of. Can they really have gone so far? More and more this place confuses him.]

Edited 2013-08-16 18:57 (UTC)

[That's right. Nobody was forcing him, and so Kaiba said nothing to Bakura for the next hour of walking. They passed through the jungle and ended up in a grassy sort of plain. It, too, showed no signs of human life and so Kaiba moved on, eventually coming to a stream which he followed.

Any humans here would be wise to set themselves up along a water source, so it made sense, at least. When the finally come to the source of the stream--a sizeable lake, Kaiba is forced to take a seat to allow himself a moment of rest and reflection.

His long trenchoat, pants, and sleeves were hardly conducive to such travel. Worst of all, he felt like he was getting absolutely nowhere.]

...

[Seeing Kaiba sit down, Ryou lets the backpack sink to the ground, sitting against a tree for a moment. He deliberately keeps some distance between them so as not to annoy Kaiba too much. He stays quiet for a little while before he speaks, drawing a small bottle of water from his bag and sipping at it. It's a relief to sit down. His entire body feels like it's aching and they're nowhere near done.]

Do you think the stream water is okay to drink? I'd fill this up, but I've heard sometimes there's water that even boiling won't make safe.

I don't know, why don't you drink it and find out? [Kaiba says with just a hint of sarcasm, reaching into his own bag to pull out a bottle of water so he could take a drink.]

[The scenery around them was beautiful, serene...he hated it, and the fact that he was wandering aimlessly right now, under prepared and already tired from the heat.

But there was no time to rest. He had to keep moving forward to get back to his brother and his company.

Kaiba sweeps his tasseled bangs aside and rises to his feet. The lake is small, but not shallow enough that he can simply walk through it. Time to walk around.]

I'm... going to take that as a joke.

[Crossing over to the lake, he takes a second to kneel in front of it and dunk his face in the water. The coolness of it is revitalizing, mostly because of the sudden temperature shock. Shaking his head and letting the water from his hair fly everywhere, he gets up and grabs his backpack, slipping it on while running to catch up to Kaiba.

He has a feeling he's going to be exhausted tonight. He's already pretty tired now.]

Hey, Kaiba? I was wondering. Why would anyone go to this much trouble, do you think? I can understand them kidnapping you, but the other people I've seen here seem pretty ordinary.

Too bad. I was being serious. [He wasn't, actually, but he wouldn't mind if Bakura drank water and got himself sick, either.]

[Kaiba gets splattered by some of that water, and he looks none too happy about the matter. Even worse is...that looks really refreshing, but he'll be damned if he follows Bakura's lead.] You're acting like a mutt. I'm going to leave you here if you keep it up.

[But to answer the question, for once...] All I know is they're going to regret it.

Edited 2013-08-17 03:00 (UTC)

Kaiba-kun! That's cruel.

[Though to be fair, he wouldn't die from it. At worst he'd get insanely sick and his other self would need to drag him back to the school.]

Sorry. I didn't bring a towel. I won't do it again.

[He looks a little embarassed. At least the sun'll dry off the rest of it.]

Hn! [Is that supposed to make him care? Because it doesn't, and since Bakura doesn't say anything else worthwhile, he's just going to keep walking forward in silence until he gets to the other side of the lake.]

Edited 2013-08-17 03:12 (UTC)

[Stretching his arms up above his head, he feels the muscles strain. They'd had the benefit of starting earlier in the day, but that just meant that the heat was going to get worse. The bag on his back was starting to get painful and he was grateful for the thin shirt he wore. If he'd have been wearing his jacket he'd have been screwed. As it was, his naturally pale face was flushed from the heat. He really hoped he wouldn't get sunburned. The perils of pale skin.

Someone was laughing at him right now. He was sure of it. He stayed quiet as long as he could before speaking to fill in the quiet.]

This place is bigger than I thought. I wonder how large it is. Maybe we should have been making a map as we went.

I've been leaving markers. [Kaiba actually responds, leaving a marker on a particularly large rock as they pass.]

They'll keep us from going in circles. [At the very least. It's far from a map, but a map would be too time consuming, and he doesn't have the resources available to do it efficiently.]

[By now, Kaiba's legs are starting to feel strained, while he can still go for quite awhile longer he's far from comfortable. Back at the lake it would have been wise to rest a little longer, but at least this way his adrenaline keeps the pain from being too noticeable. If he stops now, it'll only be harder to stop again.

His coat, though...that was a mistake. Underneath he was practically stifled with heat, and it was only Bakura's presence that stopped him from taking it off. If he took it off in front of the other teen, it would show weakness, a mistake on his part...he couldn't do that.]

That's good. With the sun being like this, it'd be easy to get turned around otherwise.

[A nod and he falls silent again for a moment longer. Deliberately falling a few steps behind Kaiba he checks the ring and makes an annoyed sound when it still doesn't work. Oh come on. What should we do? he thinks and frowns as the ring delicately points back the way they came. Tucking it back under his shirt with a bit of effort, he tries to ignore the dampness of his hair sticking to his face, and the discomfort and aching.

...it's not working so well. Sigh. He's really starting to regret this. If he wasn't at risk of sunburn, he could at least take off his shirt - but then Kaiba'd refuse to stick around anyway, so it wasn't a viable option. Well, at least there's food for whenever they stop.]

I wonder what time it is.

It's just past twelve. [Kaiba glances at his clock, having been curious of the time itself. The sun wasn't at its peek just yet...]

[A couple hours later, however, and it was beating down on them. They'd reached the entrance to a small cave, and Kaiba's actually stopped to consider resting there. By now he's exhausted and grown so overheated he had little choice but to remove his coat and stuff it in his bag.

Along the way he'd also eaten the few piece of fruit he'd brought, leaving his bag empty except for his coat and a few bottles of water.]

Kaiba-kun, do you mind if we take a break? I'm getting hungry.

[Pride be damned, the darkness of the small cave was a glorious alternative to the sun. His hair was practically wilting and he sank down in the shade without waiting for Kaiba's response. If the guy wanted to go on, he couldn't stop him anyway.

Shade. Glorious shade. Suddenly he understood why so many crazy people he knew loved the darkness. Leaning his head against the cool stone, he slips off the backpack gratefully. At least eating would make the damn thing lighter.]

Tch. I knew you would be nothing more than baggage.

[Kaiba scoffs, crossing his arms and looking out towards the mountain side.]

I should just leave you here. Let you find your own way back.

[If he does...he might actually be able to pace himself better. Without the other boy following him, Kaiba won't be so bothered by actually taking the time to rest himself properly. Unfortunately, as it were, he felt on the brink of exhaustion and needed to rest. This cave was probably the best spot he'd find.]

I'm sorry!

[Ryou looks worried. He really hopes Kaiba wouldn't just leave him here. Finding his way back now would be hell and he's already exhausted. At best, he'd be able to follow the markers and drag his way back.

At worst... he could end up lost here forever.]

Kaiba-kun, please don't go. I don't want to be left alone out here...

Pathetic... [Kaiba glowers at the other boy, a smirk pulling at his lips. That's exactly what he wanted to hear--dependency. Now he could rest himself.]

You should have never followed me if you couldn't handle being alone. But you're in luck. I have some work to do.

[With that, he enters the cave, setting his bag and briefcase down before taking a seat on the floor. It's all he can do not to heave a sigh of relief when he's finally off his feet and out of the heat.

Reaching over, Kaiba pulls out his laptop and starts to do something on it. Now that they're out in the open (more-or-less), he's going to see if he can reach his satellites.]

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