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

[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.

[fluffydeathdealer]

...

[That makes him snicker to picture it.]

That bad? That's a surprise. You always seem to have such poise!

[helpusduelist]

Practice, Ryou. Everything comes with practice behind it, and I was taught for a long time to be able to keep like this in any situation.

The fact is, no matter how bad you may do in any of these tests or training... don't forget that I was just as bad, if not worse! Even kings have to start with one foot in front of the other before they can walk.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Un... I'll do my best not to forget! Judai-kun said that too. That everyone has the potential to be good at something, if they're willing to keep going and not let themselves be overcome by failures.

[helpusduelist]

Judai... ah yes. I almost felt tired after talking to him, like I'd gotten so hyped up on energy just by being close to him I expended that much myself. He's a simple child, it seems... but in a good way.

Especially because he is right. Talent helps, but in the end, it's the work that matters the most.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Un. Judai-kun's like that. But it's refreshing. That much joy in one place... you can't help but feel good around him.

He's hanging around my apartment a lot now. It's kind of encouraging, because he doesn't let your mood lower for long.

[helpusduelist]

He seems the type, yes. I wonder what sort of past could make one so cheerful? I'd like to hear about it, myself. It seems like it would certainly be interesting, if nothing else.

[fluffydeathdealer]

If I find out before you, I'll tell you. Assuming he doesn't mind, that is.

But you know, it's a little strange... he seems to have no self-preservation skills at all. He spent the first few weeks he was here eating nothing but junk food from the vending machines. I've been making sure he eats cooked food.

[helpusduelist]

...And now I suddenly wonder how he's survived this long, if that's his first default. Those things from the vending machines were certainly tasty, but to eat just that?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Yeah... They're called 'junk food' because they're tasty, but don't have much of anything in them that the body usually needs. They're 'junk' because they're nothing but taste and no substance.

When I heard that, I had to take him home right away out of fear he was going to collapse from poor nutrition. And to run on that much energy even despite that... it's a little frightening!

[helpusduelist]

He must be truly something else to be able to keep going like that! Now I'm even more curious about him... I might have to talk and see what I can learn.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Un. I think it'd be a good idea. I like him, but it'd be interesting to know how he got by like this.

Ah, hold on! [brb going into his own dorm to grab those figures.]

[helpusduelist]

Of course.

[Henry stops, casually waiting outside the door.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Ryou returns after a moment, a small box held carefully in his arms. He sounds pleased.]

It looks like Malik-kun isn't home yet, so it didn't take long at all.

[helpusduelist]

That's a relief. I'd rather not deal with him any more than I have to.

[Sorry Ryou, he's still kind of sore Malik's other self killed one of his friends.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

You and me both... I never know whether to run away from him or not.

[He rubs his mouth a little awkwardly, unconsciously. Ugh... he still remembers that taste.]

[helpusduelist]

[Henry's expression darkens considerably.]

Has he done something to you?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Uhm. Nothing I can talk about in polite company.

[Sigh. If he's vague, it should be fine, right?]

It's my fault. I wanted to find out how far he and... the other me... had gotten. And how... uhm. Safe, he'd been. Especially since he did this sort of... blood oath thing using my body that he tried to get me to agree to. It's not safe mixing blood like that, and... uhm. Other things can be even less safe.

[Gah, talking about this stuff is weird... He keeps fidgetting.]

But he wouldn't answer me directly. So I had to tease him a little until he snapped at me and admitted it. And then he kind of... got the other me to let me wake up... in a bit of an awkward situation.

[helpusduelist]

[Blood oath... Henry suddenly looks very tense, as if he's holding a mirror that could smash at any moment.]

Did you take it? Not the Spirit. Did you take that oath?

[fluffydeathdealer]

No. I told him that I wasn't going to be bound by it. When he insisted, I told him that I didn't want to be a part of anything like that, and that it didn't matter, because I wasn't going to do anything to hurt him anyway as long as he didn't try to get me involved in his crimes.

It seemed to satisfy him.