Duel 002: Peaceful Days! The Fluffiest Training Montage Commences

[fluffydeathdealer]

[It's a bit of a pain, being in a school with no teachers.

Ryou Bakura isn't the type of kid who really likes being too active; he's about on the level of most ordinary teenagers. But after being laid up for so long with the burns to his arms and leg, not only is he extremely restless, but he's sure even his metabolism won't hold up much longer, with the amount he eats. That's why, after checking to see that Henry isn't home to take him up on that training offer, he's decided to try treating this like school and taking an hour or so to do his very own gym class, all by himself. It'd be easier with teachers, but... he doesn't have a choice right now.

Most kids probably would just take the break and be lazy, but right now, Ryou's working hard. Apart from the occasional break, he can be found pretty easily in the east wing, dressed in gym clothes and doing everything from running laps on the track field to climbing ropes.

...though that last one is more like 'falling off ropes'. Stupid mats... they don't cushion that fall at all. Hopefully nobody's dumb enough to stand below him.]

Ow...

[Time for a banana and some water, he thinks.]

Ah, I'm so tired...

Comments

[moderndaydragon]

[He... god. Karasu's hand goes up to gently touch the scar, horror on her face. Malik is this crazy? Why is Bakura even...

...No, he knows well enough to understand his own friends. She bites her lip a little, lightly, looking at it. Just this getting done from something as simple as kissing without it really meaning anything at all...

...]

Well... Bakura-kun!

[It hurts, but... the best thing to do often did, right?]

The two of us... we're just really good friends, right? So there's absolutely nothing for Malik-kun to get jealous over, because it's nothing more than that and won't be.

Right?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Yeah... that's right.

[He lets her touch, smiling a little. It's a bittersweet smile, at least in appearance. Too bad... He'd rather have enjoyed having both of them to play with.]

It's a little sad, though... But part of the condition for him not going completely insane on me was that.

I don't want to bring that 'other him' again.

[moderndaydragon]

Of course! And besides... if you're my friend, then everything else is okay! That's the most important thing to me. And Malik-kun was just upset because he thought we were more than that, right?

So... everything should be okay now.

[Except the clenching in her chest, but her smile betrays none of that.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

I won't abandon you. We're still friends... and we always be, right?

[Stepping over to the ropes, he grabs one of them, testing it... and simply jumps up to grab onto it. It's unfamiliar, after all this time, but even in this weak body it's not impossible to figure out.]

That fight was probably one of the worst I've been in and that includes the time I got set on fire.

[moderndaydragon]

Of course! I won't ever abandon you! I promise.

[And there's that almost desperate undertone of "So please don't abandon me." Karasu goes over as well, watching how he does it.]

...Malik-kun must really be as scary as that "other self" of his, then...

[fluffydeathdealer]

[He can't rely on his upper body strength... not like this. His legs will need to compensate for it. But he doesn't even bother to take it slow.]

Bastard took me by surprise. I had bruises all over my throat for a while, too.

[Well... He's thinking of something.]

Karasu... if I tell you a secret, promise not to get angry and go after him?

[moderndaydragon]

[That perks her up a little bit, though at the request...]

...Malik-kun is your friend. Unless he tries to hurt me, I won't do anything to hurt him. No matter what I know about him.

[fluffydeathdealer]

...

Fucker stamped on the burn on my left side. Tore it right open.

Then patched it up again as if nothing had happened.

[There. He thinks he's gotten it.]

Are you coming up? I'll have to yell if you don't.

1/????

[moderndaydragon]

[He... Malik...]

2/

[moderndaydragon]

[Anger floods her. Anger so hot that for a moment all she can see is red. That son of a bitch! How dare he! How could Bakura be friends with someone like that?! Someone who could hurt him, someone who --]

3/3

[moderndaydragon]

[...Who could lose control of themselves and do serious harm when they did.]

...Coming.

[She grabs onto the rope, trying to climb up after him.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[He glances down at her, watching her movements.]

Your hands aren't quite grasping it right... they look kind of shaky. Don't pull yourself up until they feel steady, okay? You'll get worse than bruises on your hands.

[moderndaydragon]

...they'd probably heal pretty quickly anyway.

[Sorry, Bakura, her spirits have tanked from that thought. She tries to shift her hands a little, though, holding onto it a bit better.]

Is this right?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Much better. I think you're helping me get my understanding of this back just by watching you.

[It's a lie, but he has to find some way to explain his higher level of skill.]

[moderndaydragon]

[Not that she's in a mental state to question it right now. But she does seem to perk a little at that.]

Heheheh... you really think so? I probably look ridiculous, though!

[fluffydeathdealer]

How do you think I look? I'm the one wearing gym clothes, after all. It's not exactly my usual style.

[He grins down at her.]

[moderndaydragon]

I'm wearing jeans and a bra with no shirt. I think I beat you out!

[She grins a bit back up.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Hahaha! That you have! I thought you'd be wearing something under that hoodie of yours. I'll probably be seeing you in my dreams, after this.

But I don't usually wear shorts, you know?

[moderndaydragon]

[Pang.

It's most likely that Bakura didn't mean it that way, but it hits that still-bleeding wound in her chest. There's a moment of hesitation before she "slips," letting go in a way that makes it look like she just fell and hit hard.]

Ow!

[fluffydeathdealer]

-!

[He just lets go, dropping down to land in a crouch on the mat.]

Oy, Karasu! Are you alright?

[moderndaydragon]

Y-Yes, I'm fine.

[Actually, her hands kind of got burned up from the rope, but she's rubbing them on her pants and ignoring the stabs of pain.]

Sorry, I... need to go. We can talk more... a little later, yes?

[She all but runs to grab her hoodie and throw it on.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Sure, Karasu. Take care, alright?

[Huh... maybe he pushed too hard on that last joke. Well, it's fine. She'll get over it.]

[moderndaydragon]

R-Right. Later.

[And Karasu is just going to be running off down the halls here, unable to fully resist the crying.]

[shadowscall]

Hey, remember the first time these two met, when Kai wasn't paying attention to where he was going? Guess what? Except this time he actually manages to realize she's there at the last second and not literally crash into her. That'd be because of the crying.

"Karasu? Hey, what's the matter?" Who does he get to beat up?

[moderndaydragon]

K-Kai-kun... s-sorry...

[It's a miracle she can see at all, with how heavy's she's crying.]

I-It's... nothing.