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]

Vocal anger is one thing. Physical is quite another. Even I will snap at someone from time to time, but I have never struck anyone.

Even if what you woke to wasn't an attack, any further abuse on you after our talk will be considered so. Whether or not that will stop him... well, we'll have to see.

[Sigh.]

I wish we could offer to let you stay with us, but even if we had the room, I sincerely doubt the Spirit would be that accommodating.

[fluffydeathdealer]

I doubt it too... But you can ask him, if you want. I left him in the refrigerator.

[Struck anyone...

He lifts his hand to the new cut on his face, frowning. He doesn't know for sure, but...]

Can you... ask the other me something for me if you do? He won't answer me.

[helpusduelist]

Hah. I'd have to speak with Rosenkreuz about if the barrier can be made to refuse entry if there's even a hint of the Ring's power, but I suppose it can't hurt.

[Hm?]

Certainly. What is it?

[fluffydeathdealer]

I... woke up the other day with my side... hurting really badly. And the burn there was torn right open under the bandages. On top of that, there were bruises on my neck, like finger marks... and this cut, right here.

I want to know where it came from.

[helpusduelist]

[...And there goes that anger burning again.]

I have a good idea where that was from... but I will ask, yes.

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Meep.]

Un. Thank you. Then, shall we?

...I brought some cream puffs too. They're in the box.

[helpusduelist]

[Henry breathes slowly, getting himself under control and nodding. No need to get riled up. It wouldn't help anything.]

Ah... thank you.

[He smiles again, pausing when they reach the Rose dorm.]

Give me just a moment, if you will. I'll grab the box.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Un. I understand.

[Seeing Henry calm down is a relief. He really needs to stop being open with people he likes... it just upsets them. Obediently, he waits, rearranging the figures inside the box secretively as he does. A little closer... There.]

[helpusduelist]

[Unfortunately for Henry, he can recognize when his thoughts overstep what's proper to do. Being calmed down makes him realize the rashness of what he said, and with the type of man Malik is...

Sigh. At least he's always made a habit of thinking about things before acting on them, which in this case...

He returns before too long, a somber look on his face and a box under his arm.]

Ryou.

[fluffydeathdealer]

[He starts, looking over at him.]

Yes? Do you need help?

[helpusduelist]

No, it's not that. [Sigh.] I apologize. I got... a bit carried away. Approaching Malik in the way I intended... I fear that would cause more harm than it would good.

Still... I can at least offer you myself if you need someone to turn to. Whatever the problem... I feel better knowing that you can trust me enough to tell me. And that you trust me enough to at least stop myself from doing something too rash to hurt any of us.

I'll still speak with Rosenkreuz about the possibility of editing that barrier, at the least. So... please forgive me.

[fluffydeathdealer]

[...is that all? He smiles brightly at Henry, friendly as ever.]

It's fine! I don't hold any malice towards you. I promise. As long as you can forgive me for upsetting you, I don't mind. I don't have a reason to be angry that you can't do anything. After all, that's what we're working towards, right?

But I wonder... maybe Rosenkreuz-san can make it that way easier if he encounters the Ring and I separately and manages to find a distinction between them?

[helpusduelist]

[...Heh. How could he have doubted that? Henry smiles, nodding gently.]

I'd rather be upset and understand it than anything else. Being upset, at least, is easy enough to cool, but not knowing... that's worse.

[Hm...]

That might be a way to do it, yes... I'll see what he says.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Then that's fine! I'll tell you anything, okay? I trust you, after all.

[helpusduelist]

Thank you.

[He smiles, calmed down, and pushes open the door into one of the empty dorms, nodding Ryou inside.]

This should do.

[fluffydeathdealer]

[He heads inside, setting the box on the coffee table for whenever Henry feels the need for a snack or gets too curious, and sits down - with a little difficulty and adjusting of the sword.]

Eheh... this is weird.

[He sounds cheerful.]

[helpusduelist]

It will be for a while. But think of it as the first visible sign of our training.

[Oh, he's curious all right. He sets his box down and looks into the one Ryou brought.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Inside of the box (and beneath the cream puffs) is a little glass case, with the lid off. The five figures inside are carefully arranged, and carefully designed. Rosenkreuz looking stern, wielding his sword like an angry teacher with a ruler. Eleanor and Harriet pushed close together in the corner like giggling schoolgirls, happy smiles on their faces. And Jack and Henry... very closely arranged indeed, so their figures fit together, but look normal when apart. The five are arranged so that none of them are actually 'foremost', all of them gathered closely, so that they have their groups, but still stay close.]

Un. I'll do my best not to mind it. After all, it isn't much.

[helpusduelist]

[...Henry can't help but smile widely at the sight of the little figures, reaching down to gently pick up the figure of him and Jack.]

...you truly have a talent, Ryou.

[His voice is fond, soft, and happy. After a moment, he replaces the figures, taking the cream puffs out and carefully putting the lid of the box back.]

Thank you.

[fluffydeathdealer]

I'm glad you like them. I had fun making them. I'm going to make the others soon, once I get a proper picture of them in my head.

[Ryou's voice is filled with pleasure. Seeing Henry so happy with them is a joy and he smiles all the brighter for it.]

[helpusduelist]

Of course I do. They're beautiful and they're from you.

[He'll be opening his box now, showing a... whole lot of tied stacks of cards, dear lord. Have they been hoarding these things?]

There should be most anything you can think of in here.

[fluffydeathdealer]

...woah. You guys must have been collecting these cards for a long time... I doubt even Kaiba-kun has this many.

[Shifting, he reaches out to take a look at some of the cards.]

[helpusduelist]

We've been trying to get as many from the machine as we could, in case we found something to work well with our decks, or in a case like this, where we needed to make another one.

I'm far from an expert on deck building in this time... but if you need my help or for me to look for a card, I'll do what I can.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Is there anything specific I need to know about building a deck that will work with the duelling style you spoke of?

[Checking through cards, gently. Judai's words are in his head suddenly.

Cards you can trust...

Maybe he should go about it less logically than usual.

He spreads the cards he's holding on the table, leaning over to look at them seriously.]

[helpusduelist]

With dueling in our time, the monsters are sealed within the cards themselves. This means that they will be constantly resonating with your soul and will always be in this world with you. It's important to pick monsters that have some feeling with you, that you feel loyal to and that you can make feel loyal to you as well.

Some are slow to trust, but can be won. Others, like the Charmers, can sense the feelings of someone and know immediately what they want. Still others are not loyal to any master but themselves.

I can offer some opinions on ones that I have seen in my time, but there's many I...

[Henry trails off, looking curiously, not at Ryou, but at the girl so cutely snuggled in his lap. She looks up, giving Ryou an adorable smile and giggling, then reaches out, pointing at one particular card in his spread.

Ryou might be able to hear the girl's voice, faint as it is. She's calling to you...]