[Closed Log]

[obeytherod]

Found them. They're separated. [Bakura held the ring in his hands, the charms that hung at its sides now pointing in the direction of their targets.]

[Nearby, Malik smirks at the news, his face mostly concealed beneath hood of his purple cloak.]
Good. You take Eleanor, and I'll get Harriet then. You know what to do from there.

[Bakura leers in the direction of his target, smirking.] Understood. It should be easy.

[The Egyptian, in return, turns towards his own target and lets out a small laugh.] Hehe...I'll meet you back at the cave then. We'll lure in Henry and Rosenkreuz once we've got the girls.

((ooc: GENERAL WARNING: there will be violence throughout the threads in this post.))

Comments

3/3 - MUCH LATER

[fluffydeathdealer]

[The Penalty Game fades.

Silence fades to normalcy. The first thing he realizes is that the things beneath his fingers are once more solid. His legs shaking, he grabs onto the wall for support and is relieved when it doesn't simply pass through his fingers. As much as he'd like that ability sometimes, the Penalty Game has given him enough of it for a short lifetime. It had felt like one, that much was certain. It felt like a much greater time had passed, trapped in that torment. For a moment he doesn't even know what day it is. Though it's the same day, he's not sure. It feels like too much time has passed.

The shock of the punishment is pretty heavy, even for him, so even as he returns to the jungle to try to find Malik, he's swaying somewhat. By the time he gets close to their hiding spot, he's seething. Paler than usual, eyes slightly wider, and looking honestly as if he's seen a ghost that pissed him off a great amount, if Malik was awake by that point he might get a shock.

But if all honesty had to come into play, there was something he wouldn't admit all that easily.

Right now, part of him just wanted Malik to speak to him at all. Yell at him, tease him, berate him; it didn't matter. If Malik spoke to him, it meant he was there. That he was recognised. That he existed.

Right now, he wasn't sure that he existed at all.]

[obeytherod]

[Malik woke up in recluse, except for the Man-Eater Bug guarding him at the front of the small mountain-side niche.

Or...well, previously guarding. Malik had grown bored too, and was now playing catch with the creature. He threw a rock, Man-Eater Bug caught it. He threw another rock, Man-Eater Bug caught it. Ad nauseam. On top of that, his Spirit Reaper card was laying nearby, suggesting that Malik had been practicing trying to summon it.

When the other man enters, Malik looks up, relieved to see his partner hadn't tried abandoning him. He never doubted it though, considering Man-Eater Bug's presence.]

Ah, there you are Bakura. I was beginning to wonder...if... [He trails off, lips pulling into a lopsided look of confusion. He'd never seen Bakura wear such a look on his face before. It's as if he's seen a ghost.] Did something happen?

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Bakura strode closer, making note of the game Malik had been playing for later. He'd ask him about it then. First, he was just going to drop to his knees in front of him, and reach out his hands to touch Malik's face.

A flood of relief filled him at the connection. Malik was very warm. Even a person as isolated as him couldn't have stood that world of intangibility for too long. But Malik had asked a question, right? What was it again?]

What did you say, Malik?

[obeytherod]

...Uh, Bakura...? [Malik's eyes widen, startled by how the other man drops to his knees and touches his face. It wasn't a threatening touch at all...it almost felt desperate. It was completely unlike him.

Malik repeats his question again.]

Did something happen?

[fluffydeathdealer]

...

[His fingers shook slightly against Malik's skin. For the fist time in absolutely hours, he felt like he was actually there. Slumping forwards, he rested his head on Malik's shoulder.]

Yeah. I ran into someone that we really don't want to mess with any time soon.

[obeytherod]

[Malik can feel the trepidation in those hands. What could have possibly happened...?

He shifts away when Bakura rests his head against him, pressing the question again.]

You're going to have to tell me more than that! Was it Rosekreuz?

1/2

[fluffydeathdealer]

...stay here.

[His hand drops from Malik's face to rest on his other shoulder, gripping it and preventing him from drawing away too far.]

For once in your life, just don't be difficult and let me be glad you're here.

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Malik's warmth is almost comforting after that endless nothing. No, it definitely is comforting. Like a favourite toy, often abused, but still treasured in secret.

Malik doesn't even know it yet, does he? Just who it is that he belongs to. Who's in control of him. Nobody is allowed to kill him yet. Not until he gets bored with him. Not until he wrings every bit of fun out of their partnership. For a moment, he just sighs, staying quiet. Then he speaks.]

It wasn't Rosenkreuz. I ran into a version of the Pharaoh that I think we should avoid.

[He was almost as terrifying as Bakura himself!]

[obeytherod]

[Having Bakura leaning up against him like that...the last time he'd ever had anybody do that to him, or vice-versa, had been years ago. But this was different...Bakura wasn't family, and he'd been acting strange ever since he woke up with him carrying him in the forest.

Inhaling, Malik could feel pulse quicken.]

The Pharaoh...? [His eyes widen. Another one?!] We won't avoid him, we'll kill him like the other one!

[fluffydeathdealer]

Be silent-! This one isn't like the one we know at home. He's dangerous.

[He doesn't care if it's strange. Right now, Malik's closeness is the only thing calming him. And he is calming, slowly but surely.]

[obeytherod]

Tch... [Malik grits his teeth, squirming roughly out of Bakura's grip again as he wants to argue, not be held.]

Then all the more reason, Bakura! We'll go after him after we take out Henry.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Malik-! [That anger is surging inside of him again.]

Just stay still and listen to me, you damn fool!

[obeytherod]

I--! [He opens his mouth to retort...but then, suddenly...a memory flashes into his mind. Bakura, warning him about an ill omen with Rosenkreuz.

Then, of course...the ambush.

Malik settles down, but he still gives Bakura another good shove to keep him off.]

Fine, fine! Go ahead and explain yourself.

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Bakura grabs his wrist, giving him a warning glare. The easiest way to stop Malik being a problem is to pin him down, so he does, straddling his legs.]

The Pharaoh that I met was. Very different. For one thing, he threw a knife at me.

[His own knife, actually.

Just waiting for the reaction before he goes on.]

[obeytherod]

Ah--what are you doing?! Get off of--OW! [Being pinned down like that causes Malik to struggle, and it ends in him aggravating his stitches. The young Egyptian stops struggling, only writhing slightly as the pain spiderwebs out across his side and then dulls back into a throb.]

Ahh... [It takes him a moment to open his eyes again and register what Bakura had said.]

..A knife? [It was a genuine surprise followed by...] I'll be the one throwing a knife at your next if you don't get off of me!

[fluffydeathdealer]

Not just that. Apparently his version of Shadow Games are a little different to ours. The ones he had... they're unwinnable. Some sort of magic forces you to lose. And when you do...

[You little brat, stop threatening him. He scowls down at him coldly.]

Malik. Firstly, I'm not doing this to annoy you. Secondly, your knife is inside the Rod.

[obeytherod]

Unwinnable...? Tch! Does it really surprise you after seeing what Henry did in his duel with Harriet? [The Pharaoh was a cheating bastard!]

Keh heh! And that's what you think, Bakura. [He reaches back into his pocket, pulling out a sharp scalpel.] I stole this while that nurse wasn't looking.

[Smirking, he points the knife at Bakura, although he doesn't intend to use it.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[As if in answer, he slams his hand onto the blade, feeling it pierce the side of it.]

Now will you shut up and listen, Malik Ishtar?!

I mean it's quite literally impossible to win. It manipulates your inner nature to make you make mistakes. I didn't even realize what I was doing until I'd already lost.

[obeytherod]

Hh?! [Malik jerks back slightly when Bakura stabs himself with the knife, blood leaking down the blade and soaking Malik's hand.]

Why the hell did you do that?! [Malik yanks the knife back out, only causing blood to spurt out with it and splatter across his face.]

If you're that scared of the Pharaoh...fine! [He'll hold off on him for now. Malik had to take Bakura's warning a little more seriously after what happened with Rosenkreuz. They couldn't just do anything...their plans had to be air-tight.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

I'm not scared-!

[The insult stung, because as much as it bothered him, he had been afraid. He had one weakness. One. Death was impossible. Time meant nothing. But his mind could still be attacked. It would have been easy for him to go insane - or, more so? - if he had stayed there.

That was a good look for Malik. Ignoring the wound to his hand, he leant forwards to trail his tongue along one of the blood trails.]

You were going to attack me anyway, right? Because I need you right now... And you don't like it. So I did it for you.

[obeytherod]

You're scared. [Malik narrows his eyes, driving the insult in like a nail on a coffin.]

[When Bakura leans in, Malik turns his face away, worried he might bite him again. Instead, when he feels that wet tongue trail across his face...Malik takes the scalpel and presses it threateningly to Bakura's neck as he hisses out his next words.]

I wasn't. We're already hurt enough as it is...and I need your hand working. That was a stupid move.

What's gotten into you? [What does he mean by "I need you right now"?!]

[fluffydeathdealer]

I'm not scared-! And my hand is fine-

[He pauses where he is, hot breath brushing against Malik's face as he feels the metal of the scalpel. He doubts Malik will do it, but there's no sense agitating him. The question is, how honest should he be?]

Heheh. You really want to know what's wrong, Malik?

[His voice darkens and he speaks with his usual sharpness at last.]

I just spent several hours trapped in a hallucination where my existence was reduced to a worthless thing that could no longer so much as touch anything!

[obeytherod]

[Finally, Malik's beginning to understand why Bakura was acting as touchy as he was. Not that he liked it, but...he could understand.]

How...? [The word is feeble at first, shocked. But then Malik's curiosity starts to grown, this new information bolstering an idea. He sounds almost breathless as he drops his knife to instead grab Bakura's face, turning it to grin against his ear.] If that's the potential of a Shadow Game, Bakura...think of what we could do if we learned to use that power!

[fluffydeathdealer]

...tch. [You power-hungry brat, he thinks, as if he wouldn't have thought of it himself once he calmed down. But Malik's right. It has potential. But the only person that knows how to use it is-]

And how do you plan to learn that, Malik? Do you plan to walk right up to him and ask him for lessons?

[Malik's breath against his ear makes him shiver unconsciously.]

[obeytherod]

...That depends. [Malik languidly releases Bakura from his grip.]

Does this new Pharaoh know who I am?