the_campus | CAMPUS WIDE EVENT: EVERYTHING AND THE KITCHEN SINK

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CAMPUS WIDE EVENT: EVERYTHING AND THE KITCHEN SINK

[Hopefully everybody likes waking up outside.

Because as it were, in the middle of the night when everybody had been asleep or lulled into a sudden one by the sheer weight of the air around them...the Campus disappeared in its entirety. Left behind was only the cool surface of the concrete foundation.

For now it seems the residents were left to fend for themselves in the wilderness of the island. Not even the voice from over the intercom would comfort them.]

((ooc: the school has disappeared, along with all the NPCs and everything that was inside! no opt-out areas this time around. The temperature is cool during the day, and colder at night.

The event will last until October 20th, and I'll post a closer to signify it. Everything will be returned to its rightful place then.))

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[There's something about Mahad's look that makes Henry shiver slightly, but he tries to brush it off.]

I assumed that much. After all, attacks and healing, I could do that easily enough channeling through the cards. The reason I want to learn is so that I still have something to fall back on if the worst happens.

After all, if I hadn't slept with my deck, then I would be personally helpless right now, wouldn't I? No armor, no weapons, and no creatures.

[And freezing cold. He's been in frosty situations, but never almost completely naked and the Deck Leader armor only does so much in terms of actual warmth. Henry blows on his hands, pulling in on himself a little more.]

[He tugs Henry closer to the fire, giving him an intense look for a moment.]

Then, I know what your first lesson should be. Take one of your cards. Any card. It isn't important.

[Ah, that's better. He can feel the heat start to warm his body up and he closes his eyes for a moment, content.

At the command, he pulls a random card out of his deck, coming up with Swords of Revealing Light.]

All right. Now what?

Now, I'm going to teach you how to do the little trick I did with that book. Hold it flat on your hands. You're going to want to know it intimately well. Focus on it, but not as if you were planning to activate it. Feel it out inside your head.

[He gives Henry a moment to try it before he resumes.]

Imagine a space that cannot be touched. A pocket or a box that takes up no space. You cannot see it, or feel it, but it exists. It is something that you alone can access. It is always with you. Put the card inside that container in your thoughts. And focus on these words. Repeat them, placing your will inside of them as if they were a spell card you were activating.

[Whatever he says is complicated, but not long. It's no more than four words, from the sound of it.]

[Interesting... a type of "storage" trick? He turns his palm up, settling the card in it and putting his other hand over it so that it's still flat like Mahad instructed but the wind won't take it. After a moment, he lets the armor drop, then closes his eyes, focusing on the texture of the paper, the picture on the card, the words that describe it... all of it.

A box with no space is a bit harder to imagine, but what comes to Henry is something more like the Dark field that he found Mahad in and often resided in on duels. A box -- no, more like some sort of chest -- in that space that no one else could access but him, hidden but there, much like the monsters in his deck. He tries mentally placing that card in that trunk, his focus shifting entirely to Mahad's voice. Those words... he has no idea what they are or what they mean, but he'll try.

Slowly, but carefully, he pronounces each one as best as he can, trying to lace the magic of his through the words as he does the cards so regularly.]

[Mahad keeps his gaze on Henry firmly, watching him - and watching his energy levels as well. He can see it, the way that energy flares up around him, though surely few others could. For one so synchronized with magic, it was easy.

He repeats the words for Henry's sake, so he can be sure of the pronunciation.]

The words are an order. A command that will place the card in your container. Can you feel it? Just like activating a card, the words powered by your energy will take the card from your hand and slip it into the safety of the container you created within you.

The hardest part is already in your past; you know how to focus your energies, and that is the part that all learners struggle with. Keep working on it until you can feel with absolute certainly that it's been taken. Do not open your eyes before then.

[Sitting back, he cradles Yugi carefully against him, keeping him wrapped up in his robes as he watches Henry's energy fluctuate.]

[The hard part... yes, the hard part was that training with Margaret, the fierce working that had left him mentally and physically exhausted and drained. After that, something like this is simple. He needs to expand his magic, yes, but he also needs to control it outside the armor better. He will, in fact.

He says the words again after Mahad's repeating, managing to get the pronunciation properly. Just like activating a card... yes, that's all it is. It's simple. Just another trick of magic...

As Henry focuses, trying to control and steady that energy, Yugi shifts against Mahad again, murmuring a soft, content little sound and smiling in his sleep. After one more mention of the words a few minutes later, the king opens both hands and eyes.

Nothing there.]

...Hah. There, I think...

Good work. Rest for a moment, and I'll teach you how to get it back once you feel ready.

[He strokes fingers through Yugi's hair soothingly, smiling fondly down at the sleeping boy. How well people slept these days... heh. It was almost cute.]

[Henry blows out a bit of air, smiling at Mahad gently and shifting to lay a bit more comfortable by the fire. Yugi makes a happy noise at the petting, smiling even brighter in sleep.]

I wonder how often he's slept quite that deeply.

It's hard to tell... Surely he must have slept well at home, for the most part. He doesn't show any signs of long-term sleep deprivation.

[He returns the smile, somehow both relaxed and on guard at the same time. Despite the barrier, he's keeping his attention spread out in case of trouble.]

[Mahad gets a look of appreciation for that. Even if the barrier should keep them safe, a camp out like this was one that required at least one person on watch constantly... and with Mahad not needing sleep, it meant the rest of them could sleep or relax as they needed to.

Though he did intend to relieve Mahad at some point after everyone was settled and feeling better. The Dark Magician deserved rest too, after all.]

It must have only been what happened recently that caused a problem... I can hardly blame him for that.

[Mahad pauses thoughtfully at those words. What happened recently... if that was all that upset Yugi, then he led a charmed life indeed. He doubts it somehow. But it definitely hit him hard, that's for sure.]

Nor I. More prepared people than him have been thrown into torment by that man.

Hmph... if only there really was a way to contain him. Or at least end his life for good.

[Sigh. He sits up some, working his body a little. The fire does help to warm him up, though it's somewhat less than it should be, seeing as he's still half-naked and just in sleeping pants.]

All right. I'm ready.

[A sigh follows those words. If only you knew, Henry...]

It's the reverse of what you did before. This time, you don't need the visualization, at least not unless you're failing at recovering it. What you want is to focus on calling.

[He tells him the words he'll need quietly.]

Those words can be either spoken or thought, but the important part is to focus on the card you put away. You want to 'draw' it out into your hands.

[Henry nods a little, not closing his eyes this time. Instead, he cups his hands like before, saying the words quietly and carefully as he imagines "drawing" the Swords.

Like before, it takes him a try or two, but soon enough the card is back in his hands and he feels that same drain from before.]

I can't imagine doing multiple things at once, like a deck, is easy...

Good, Henry.

[He smiles in approval, but pauses to consider those words.]

It's possible to make it easy... but only if you can conceptualize it as a 'set', where each piece is part of the same thing. The size of the object doesn't matter, in the end... what matters is how easily you can recognize it.

After all, a book is made of many pages. I don't need to visualize the entire book to summon or conceal it. My mind already recognizes it as one item, despite all of the parts.

Hm... so before I start trying to do this with my deck, I have to completely fix it as a set in my mind, much like your book.

[He shivers suddenly, blowing out a little and tapping the deck to let the armor wash back over him. It's too cold to be out in barely anything, dammit, but the Campus took all their clothes!]

I think I'll work on that some, first. If just because I'm afraid I'll freeze without the armor. What a death that would be... the King of England, freezing out in the middle of the forest in just thin pants.

You underestimate things, my king... I'd give you my robes before I let that happen.

[He could handle the cold after all.]

[He laughs a little quietly.]

Make Yugi and I cuddle up by the fire while you sat spotting naked? That would certainly be a sight.

[Yes, he remembers Mahad has some clothes under that, but that's not as funny.]

[His face burns at that thought and he has to look away abruptly, under the pretense of clearing his throat.]

Is that the sort of place your mind goes, my king?

[Henry gives a louder laugh at that, settling down near the fire to give an innocent smile.]

Of course not. I'm just a bit spoiled by having someone to tease and somewhere I can tease them, I think.

[Thank the gods his dark skin didn't show blushing as easily as it could have.]

You're lucky I like you, Henry.

I take it I'd be feeling your magic first-hand if I didn't?

I don't use my powers frivolously.

[...says the man who afterworld-warped a piece of cake to entertain Yugi.]

Using them on me would be frivolous, then? I'm insulted.

[He's not. Not even close. The laughing says as much.]

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