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]

Un! A little.

[He stretches, the healed - if scarred - marks on his arm made visible by the gesture. It looks like he's taken the bandages off of his leg too. He was feeling a lot better.]

I'm not really the sporty type, but I have to admit it feels pretty good after being idle for so long.

[obeytherod]

It does! I hated having to just sit around when I was hurt.

[Malik walks over, tilting his head at the climbing wall.]

Still...I didn't expect to see you here.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Eheh... I'm trying to get a little more in shape, so I thought I should start at least by doing what we did in gym class. But it's a little awkward, without a teacher... I haven't been to school for a long enough time that I've forgotten a lot of it.

[Sorry, Malik... he's not going to tell you that he's going to be learning to fight and needs to get in shape for that. He'll just tell you the rest of the truth.]

Do you spend a lot of time here?

[obeytherod]

Gym class...? [No, not ringing any bells. Malik props one foot up on one of the lowest neon-colored "rocks" that lined the wall.]

Not much more than a couple hours a day. It depends. Heh...it's definitely more interesting this way than what I'm used to using.

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Huh... did Malik never go to school? Or are Egyptian schools so different?]

It's a class you have to take in school... where they make you run and climb and do stuff like that. Students don't get a lot of exercise usually, so it's a required lesson unless you're sick. Every school I've been to did it, though some were more fun than others.

But it was a pain sometimes... We used to have this really awful gym teacher for a while, until the other me scared him.

[obeytherod]

Kehkeh, Bakura scared him for you? How kind.

[For a moment, that seems to be all Malik took in from Ryou's little spiel as he starts to climb up that rock wall, foregoing the harness entirely.

Once he's at the top, he looks down at Ryou.]

Back home...we just called that "having fun".

[fluffydeathdealer]

Aha... He tried to get me to cut off my hair, and 'Bakura' decided to punish him for me...

He never so much as raised his voice at me ever again.

[For all his kindness, he really can't pity that guy. He deserved what he got...]

You really like it, huh? Maybe I should ask you to teach me, sometime. If you'd be alright with that, anyway.

[obeytherod]

Really? All that over your hair? [He was teasing him now, his lips pulled into a toothy grin.] I think it's too long anyway.

[Malik starts to make his way back down the wall, letting go entirely and jumping down the last foot and a half.]

Mhmhm, I don't know how well I'd fair as a teacher, but you can follow my lead, if you want...

[fluffydeathdealer]

Ehhhh! Malik-kun, that's cruel! I'm really fond of my hair, and he only tried to get me to cut it off because some really annoying girls kept following me around.

Besides, my hair was a lot shorter back then... it barely went past my shoulders.

[That jump... Malik-kun really was brave.]

I'm not asking you to teach me, precisely. Just to let me practice with you a little. So that's fine!

[obeytherod]

[Malik just snickers at Ryou's reaction. After all, all he'd been after was a reaction.]

Yeah, yeah, that's fine. I don't care as long as you don't get in my way.

[He walks a few paces over to a set of pull-up bars of various sizes side-by-side. He's a bit taller than Ryou, so he goes for the tallest of the bunch, leaving the middle-one available.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Well, he'll just... do what Malik's doing, then. Observe, and imitate. That's how you learn, right?]

You're really into this sort of thing, huh? I've never have pictured you as the type.

[obeytherod]

Really? [He shoots Ryou a dubious look, as if to suggest he must have been blind not to. After all...look at his arms, and mid-riff!

Wrapping his hands around the bars, palms facing him as he does, he starts on a set of pull-ups.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Well, you definitely have the figure for it. But it's somehow hard to picture you enjoying this sort of thing.

[Right, he can do that... Just... going to try it.]

[obeytherod]

I enjoy the results and feeling afterward more than the activity itself, but I guess it depends on the activity too.

[While Ryou struggles with that...Malik has a pretty steady pace going. It's obvious he has the routine down, but he's still far from the kind of person who could do several reps without breaking a sweat.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[It really is hard... he won't be able to do it for long. And he doesn't, stopping before Malik does.]

Man... I'm really out of shape, it seems.

[obeytherod]

[Malik finishes about 10 chin-ups and then drops down, giving his arms a moment to rest.]

To be fair...it's not easy. Hmhm, I really don't like doing them at all.

[fluffydeathdealer]

I see... then you only do them to keep your physique, right?

[His own arms are aching just at the thought.]

[obeytherod]

[Malik nods, glancing over at the bars...and not looking like he wants to go back on them either.]

That and sit-ups...

[He grabs the bars again, this time his hands facing away from his body as he does a set of pull-ups.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Stretching his arms to prepare himself, he tries it too, finding it a little easier... though nowhere as easy as Malik seems to find it.]

Eh, really? You're pretty strong too, from what I see... you really must do this a lot.

[obeytherod]

I do it every day.

[Malik has to talk through gritted teeth since he's working, but he's finished soon enough and simply drops down again to let out a heavy sigh of relief.

He rolls his shoulders a bit as he speaks.]

Hmhmhm...you know, you wouldn't look bad with a little more muscle tone.

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Ryou's already stopped by that point, needing to do less. But it's an interesting suggestion. ...even if he suspects he knows why.]

Eheh... Who knows? It might happen, if I keep doing this.

[obeytherod]

Maybe~

[Malik walks off, taking a seat by the low-level overhanger he'd usually stick his toes under in order to do sit-ups.

But Ryou was here today.]

Oy, you wanted to learn, right? Kehkeh, then come over here!

[fluffydeathdealer]

...eh?

[He curiously approaches, wondering what the hell this is and what Malik's doing.]

Un, I did. What is this for?

[obeytherod]

[Malik points down at his feet, which are neatly sitting right next to each other. Notably, he wasn't wearing his usual loafers. Instead, he had a pair of sneakers.]

Hold onto those so I can do my sit-ups.

[fluffydeathdealer]

Uhm. Alright?

[A little awkwardly, he sinks down to grab onto Malik's feet.]

Why do you need that?