EGYPTIAN WHEELIES

[obeytherod]

[Malik had found something while looking through the East Wing. Just what that "something" was becomes apparent when an engine roars to life, and the skid of tires on tiled flooring echoes through the halls.

Sure...sure, he could just walk his new bike outside...but where was the fun in that?! This wasn't an ATV, and it likely wasn't going to fair well in the spotty terrain outdoors...

So he's just going to take a few smooth-riding laps in the halls before he goes to test it outside.

When somebody gets in his way, he rears the bike back onto one wheel, skidding a few feet on the floor before the front tire slams back down and he comes to a stop.]

What, are you trying to get yourself killed?

Comments

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Snap.

In that one instant, his patience breaks. Malik is acting like he's won, like there's some sort of power he has over him now just because he got the drop on him once. It's foolish!

Now he's firmly set in his decision.]

When did you get the impression you were in charge here?

[His voice is curt and the minute he thinks the bandages are done, he tries to stand up.]

[obeytherod]

Oy--! [Malik grabs Bakura by the arm, yanking him back to the floor.] I'm not done yet!

[fluffydeathdealer]

Ow-!

[Bakura's resistance places him firmly on top of Malik's legs.]

[obeytherod]

Ow! [The yelp mirror's Bakura's own as the weight rather abruptly settles onto him.]

Idiot! [He shoves him off, scooting back to give his legs some room. Seething as he may be, he still gets back to the bandages.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Look who's talking! You're the reason this needs to be done at all!

[He submits grouchily, arms folded over his chest in an irritated manner. He has to think of something simple to offer them to play, something that Malik won't be bored by... Maybe he'd give him a little incentive!]

Hey, Malik... Why don't we play something with a little bit of a stake to it?

[obeytherod]

Oh yeah? I'm pretty sure I wasn't the one kissing Karasu. This is your own fault.

[The bandages had to be completely redone now, thanks to Bakura unraveling half of them by standing up like a fool.

Malik's considerably less gentle this time.]

A stake? [He's suspicious; this was Bakura, after all. Malik wasn't about to just blindly agree.] What kind of stake?

[fluffydeathdealer]

[He growls a little, but smiles at the reminder. He'd done a little more than kissing... even if they hadn't truly gotten very far. It was a good thing Karasu wouldn't remember where his hands had been. That was a little secret.]

Heheh. Nothing too major, this time. If I win, you apologize to me for causing me this much pain and don't try to ruin my friendship with her.

But if you win, I'll call you by whatever title you wish. It doesn't matter if it's in public or private. I'll even call you 'Malik-sama'...

[obeytherod]

... [Malik narrows his eyes, the prize of victory was rightfully appealing, and since he didn't plan on losing...]

Okay, but what's the game?

[fluffydeathdealer]

If I had my dice, it'd be easier to find something... But, have you heard of a game named Menko?

[His voice is casually relaxed. You're playing into his hands, Malik...]

[obeytherod]

No. [Malik leans back against the counter, crossing his arms. His own voice is deadpan.] I'm Egyptian, remember?

What is it?

[fluffydeathdealer]

It's pretty simple... you can use your duel monsters cards to do it. Each player gets a certain number of cards. One person sets down their card on the floor, while the other has to try to overturn it using one of theirs. Just one. They can't touch the cards, other than the one that they use to try to turn it over. If they can overturn the card, either by the force of impact or by creating a strong enough gust of wind from the momentum, they take both cards back into their hand.

The person with the most cards at the end is the victor.

[obeytherod]

Hmm... [It sounded almost too easy, but then again...the stakes weren't that outrageous either. Even if he was fairly certain that Bakura was getting the better deal if he won, Malik still had no intentions of losing.

Besides getting Bakura to call him "Malik-sama", he'll also do the exact opposite of his would-be winning request. Keh keh heh.]

Alright then, let's play. [Lips stretching into a confident smile, Malik pulls out his deck.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Shall we set a timer, or play until one person wins a certain amount of cards?

[A sardonic smile on his lips, Bakura leisurely fumbled with his pocket to draw out his own deck, playing with the cards there.]

[obeytherod]

An amount. How does fifteen sound?

[Malik plucks fifteen cards from the top of his deck, grasping them showily between his thumb and forefinger.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Fine! I hope you're prepared to lose, Malik!

[Spreading his fifteen cards in his hand like a fan, he sets the rest aside with an amused look on his face.]

[obeytherod]

Shouldn't I be telling you that? [He does the same, looking at his own cards curiously.

Ra was in his hand...hmm. He closes his eyes momentarily in a silent apology to the God for the misuse it's about to undergo, but hey...he needed to win! He just didn't want to get smitten.]

You can go first. [Malik would much rather see if Bakura has a technique before he goes, so without another word he sets one card face down.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Heheheheh... we'll see.

[Strategy is more important than force in a game like this. He eyes the card thoughtfully for a moment before drawing one of his own, holding it between two fingers.

Then, in one smooth movement, he throws the card in his hand. It strikes the edge of the other card with a surprising force, lifting it - and flipping it over.

A look of amusement on his face, he stoops to retrieve them.]

I win.

[Sixteen cards to Malik's fourteen. Heheh... He'll just set a card down for Malik to try now.]

Your turn.

[obeytherod]

... [Malik's expression remained sober, even thoughtful. He expected Bakura to get the first card, and that was just fine with him, because seeing the other man's strategy had been his goal.

Drawing a card, Malik attempts to copy that same technique...with failure.]

Tch...! Your turn. [He slaps the card that had just failed him onto the ground.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Losing your temper already?

[He demonstrates again, though this time there's less success. The force isn't enough, and even the wind it creates only lifts the card up halfway before it sinks back down.]

It looks like luck isn't on my side this time... Your turn.

[obeytherod]

Hardly. [Malik coolly picks his card back up, satisfied to see that Bakura isn't an ace every turn. That's good, because if he was...he'd lose.

Bracing his card again, Malik attempts to flip Bakura's card by slapping his own against the hard floor. A small gust of wind causes the card to flutter in place before inevitable skidding backwards to hit Bakura's knee.]

...Your turn. [He tosses his card down again.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[How weak... He could have done that with much more force, Bakura's sure. After all, he's at a disadvantage here. Though his fingers are mostly healed, his arms still hurt. Throwing the cards like this requires finding a balance between his own tolerance and his desire to win.

He had to win, after all. There was much more at stake if he lost-!]

Here-!

[The card lifts, looking for a moment like it's going to flop down again - and falls over, revealing its face to him.]

Heheh...! Your turn, Malik! Hurry, hurry! You need to catch up, after all!

[Reverse card set.]

[obeytherod]

[Malik's lips twist as his card is taken. That's two now...meaning he only had thirteen left. If he didn't flip a card over soon, it was going to get harder and harder to catch up.]

I'm just getting warmed up.

[Trying his second method again, Malik slaps his card down from an angle this time. Hopefully if the bottom hit the ground first with the top snapping down afterwards, that will create enough pick-up to flip Bakura's card.

His hopes are answered.] Yes!

[He swipes the card and then tosses his own carelessly to the floor.] Looks like your bragging ends here, Partner.

[fluffydeathdealer]

That's one.

[His voice is taunting even so. So Malik figured out one of the tricks of the throws... he'll have to calculate a little harder to offset that.

This time, he puts all of his force into the throw, hard enough that the card is thrown aside... and continues to lie face down where it lands.]

...tch.

[obeytherod]

Kehehe...too bad~ I guess luck has left your side in favour of mine.

[Malik picks his card back up, eying Bakura's. Now that he knew the trick...he saw no reason to change methods.

Just like the turn before, Malik makes sure the bottom touches the floor first and that the top flicks down.

Another victory for him, and he is smug about it.]

Fifteen and fifteen. It looks like we're back to square-one.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Heheh...

[His lips twitch into a cruel smirk. If Malik thinks he's won just because of a couple of lucky plays, he's wrong...]

The game's not over yet!

[This time, the card overturns easily and he adds it to his collection, setting his next card down coolly.]