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

[helpusduelist]

[That's why Henry chose that side specifically. He won't do anything that could hurt his precious son.]

It feels like that at first. For the time you have free, carry it around like that. You don't even have to do anything with it; just have it on your waist. Drop it off in our dorms before you take the Ring again, or just bring it to me if necessary. You won't see the changes immediately, but it's a start to something better once you heal.

For now, why don't we address something more important: Do you have a deck of your own?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Aha... kind of.

[That doesn't sound too clear, so he clarifies.]

The deck the Spirit uses used to be mine, but he's made so many modifications that I hardly recognize it any more. I keep meaning to make a new one.

[helpusduelist]

Then while you've got your free time, let's make you one. If we're going to get you set up to duel the way we do, the first thing you're going to need are cards that are loyal to you. The ones the Spirit calls... they won't be, not even remotely. Their master is the one in the Ring, not you... and considering we want to hide this information from him, trying to call on his creatures is one of the worst things to do.

Furthermore, it can be a more intensive test of hiding your mind from him. I'll keep ahold of the deck, and if you can manage to avoid letting him find out about it by the time your monsters are summoned into it... then you should be strong enough to keep the England Duel information away.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Hm... I understand! I'd be happy to do that. Duelling with his deck is fine, but using it for something like that would be kind of troubling even if it wasn't designed pretty much entirely to lockdown opponents.

[Oh, that's right, he hasn't explained it...]

The Occult Deck he used to use and the Lockdown Deck he uses now are both designed to render the opponent helpless. It's neither fair nor particularly useful. So it'd be better to make a separate one anyway.

[helpusduelist]

Well, I can't hold not being fair against him. That's something you do have to drop when in war. But I understand where you're coming from.

Let's go to our dorm. The other Duelists and I have been gathering up as many cards per day as we can in case there's something vital in them or for a situation like this. We can look through everything in one of the empty dorms nearby it.

[fluffydeathdealer]

There's not being fair, and there's the Lockdown Deck. It's designed to make you unable to even make a move, if it's drawn right. I built the Occult Deck myself, but the Lockdown makes even me feel kind of nervous. It's hard to get attached to a deck like that.

[His voice is quietly serious.]

Un, let's go then.

[...and then he nearly overbalances after about one step.]

[helpusduelist]

[Henry's hand snaps out in case he needs catching, chuckling softly.]

Easy, there. One step at a time.

[fluffydeathdealer]

[He has to grab onto it for a moment to steady himself, before letting go.]

Right! Sorry, I forgot already.

[helpusduelist]

It's all right. Feel free to hold onto me if you need to until you adjust to the weight a bit more.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Thank you. I'm not the best at balancing at the best of times, so it's really good to know. It's part of why I wanted to get back to doing gym stuff today. I'm sick of falling over all the time.

[helpusduelist]

You fall over fairly often, then?

[He sounds more amused than anything.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

A ton. My balance is kind of terrible, so I seem to end up on the floor a lot.

[helpusduelist]

We might have to figure out a way to fix that...

[Still, he steadies Ryou with that gentle smile.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Hehe... Posture is important, right?

[He's grateful, though he tries not to rely on it too much. This is really weird...]

[helpusduelist]

Not so much "posture is important" as "we prefer our princes without constant bruises."

[He grins, clearly teasing.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[His face burns a little and he manages an embarassed laugh.]

I'm used to bruises, by now.

[helpusduelist]

Then we'll have to find a way to make it so you aren't.

[He uses his free hand to gently brush some of Ryou's hair out of his face.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[He smiles in response to that, looking a little amused.]

Are you worried?

[helpusduelist]

Should I not be? You are my son, after all, and I don't want to see you hurt. Even mildly.

[fluffydeathdealer]

It's not my place to decide what you should or shouldn't be... I've got little experience with this too.

But if it bothers you that much, I'll do my best to get better at balancing. I guess I'm too complacent about it.

[helpusduelist]

Well, if you're ever going to duel properly, balance is important. ...Then again, I suppose if you keep tripping around, your opponent will be laughing too hard to actually focus.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Father, that's cruel! [He laughs, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.] I don't fall over every step I take!

[...he says as he promptly overbalances and falls over.]

Oof!

[helpusduelist]

...What was that, now, Ryou?

[He's laughing loudly, bending down to help him back up.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

...I think I need to practice walking with this thing some more. Good thing it's a little while to the dorm.

[His face burning with embarassment, he gratefully gets up with Henry's help.]

[helpusduelist]

[His laughter quiets and he gently pats Ryou's head.]

It took me a week to get used to it. I was tripping over it and over myself all the time. My mother finally had a guard with me at all times, even in the castle, just to keep me from getting banged up so much.