CAMPUS WIDE EVENT: EVERYTHING AND THE KITCHEN SINK

[intercom_voice]

[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.))

Comments

[whiterosefoes]

What?

Hmm... The way you're used to summoning must work differently from this, then. What did you try to do?

[obeytherod]

I just told Twin-Headed Behemoth to summon a monster. [And before that, he literally just held his hand out and thought of a card, expecting something to happen.]

Hm...usually I'll just open a "door", so to speak, and draw the monster out by force if it's stubborn, or it'll come out willingly as long as I have the strength. It feels strange to try and summon without that...

[whiterosefoes]

You told it... [pffft.] Okay, I see where the mistake is now. You can't just order your armor around. You have to synchronize with it!

[obeytherod]

What the hell was I just doing if not synchronizing with it just a minute ago?! [Malik curls his lip, but ultimately sighs and lowers his head, attempting to... "synchronize" further. However that was done.]

[whiterosefoes]

Don't think of yourselves as separate entities. Reach out vicariously... but don't force it. The energy should flow naturally.

[She hopes this makes sense. It's a bit of an abstract process to have to try and explain.]

And another thing... You're not calling it temporarily. It's simply going to stay dormant within your deck. It's quite different from what you're accustomed to... you'll need to get used to the feedback.

[obeytherod]

Ah, that's right. Bakura told me something about your monsters always being in this world, and from there you only needed to use the energy to call them forth physically.

Okay... [He thinks he gets it now. All he needs to do is use his Twin-Headed Behemoth as a medium. If he thought of it that way, it wasn't much different from using the Rod in conjunction with a soul fragment to control one of his Ghouls.

That's right...this was easy. All he had to do was apply that logic to it, and...

A wisp appears at his side, indicating the presence of a hidden monster. Malik knows he's succeeded even before he opens his eyes, and his smirk betrays the fact.]

There we go.

[whiterosefoes]

At least you're a fast learner.

[Harriet holds her chin, curious about the wisp.]

Well now. You've got a card, and so have I. The eye's in the sky, and an hour left to kill... shall we duel?

[obeytherod]

I have to be.

[Malik glances over at his hidden monster, thinking on it.]

My deck is built for summoning Ra, I'll be at a disadvantage without it. But I suppose that'll just make my victory that much sweeter, won't it? Hmhmhm.

[Pulling out his deck, he begins to shuffle it...and then he pauses.]

Wait, we still draw cards, right?

[whiterosefoes]

The deck I have with me is the one I used in the wars. I'll have to hold back...

[Harriet chuckles a bit at that.]

...You can for now. It's not practical in an actual war to be physically holding a hand of cards while you fight, so we draw out the card wisps through our mental link with the deck. But it will still work with the physical cards.

[obeytherod]

Hm...traps and spells work differently too, don't they? You don't just set cards down, you move them around like the field like pawns.

[Finishing up with his deck, Malik draws his first hand.]

[whiterosefoes]

That's correct. The traps have to be triggered within range, so you place them strategically just as with your monsters, who also move. And monsters may benefit from the terrain... typically the challenged summons a field that gives them a home field advantage, but as we're on the roof, I won't. It will all be considered "normal" terrain.

[obeytherod]

Hmhmhm, I see...I should have brought my duel disk. Oh well~ Since we're using "wisps" on the field, I guess I can just hold my hand and keep my set cards in one pocket, with my deck in the other...

[It definitely sounded convoluted, but he wasn't quite ready to duel without physically touching his cards just yet. The idea of not physically drawing was a bit jarring.

Despite all that, Malik still seemed confident as ever.]

Let's start then, shall we?

[whiterosefoes]

[Harriet tilts her head at the mention of a "duel disk"... but she is ready to get started, having been shuffling while explaining. She smirks]

All right. We'll continue the order from before, [meaning she goes first. She draws, pulling five wisps at her fingertips]

Duelist, en garde!

[and they play for some time...]

[obeytherod]

[Malik seems to have a decent strategy at first, but it soon becomes clear that even that is rather amateurish. His "strategy" involves using rare and powerful cards more than anything, and the one or two combos he utilizes aren't very effective in this new dueling style, and they leave him utterly vulnerable once broken.

It's a losing battle, even if he initially puts up a fight and seems to be a worthy threat, everything eventually falls apart on him.

Ultimately, he loses horrendously once Harriet powers up her fairies.]

Tch...you're a skilled duelist, Harriet! That was exciting...

[And now that he's seen first hand how these duels work, he has an idea of how to reorganize his deck. Or rather, make a secondary deck just for this.

...Not that dueling in this style was something he needed to do, but he couldn't just let Harriet have her victory without an attempt to snatch it back.]

[whiterosefoes]

It was a fine duel! You have some rather impressive cards at your disposal, as well...

[Harriet's grinning with satisfaction befitting a sound victory. She genuinely enjoyed herself - something that surprises even Harriet. Come to think of it, it's the first time she's played a war duel that didn't carry with it the consequences of a war. A teaching game against a good opponent was a totally different feel. Although she couldn't deny that part of her also liked beating him down because she owed him one. She may have stopped holding back at some point toward the end, as monsters in the 6000s power bracket could attest to.]

Heh heh.

...Well, that should do it for now. We'll need to duel again if we are to promote your deck leader. You've chosen a good type to bond with - I believe a dragon deck leader can eventually reduce summoning costs. It's certainly helped Rosenkreuz a lot with his Blue Eyes.

[obeytherod]

Hmhmhm, you could say I'm a collector of rare and impressive cards...

[Not that Malik had bought or traded for a single card he owned. All of these were thanks to his rare hunters, and anything else he owned he'd simply piled in as filler.

Back to business, he flicks through his deck thoughtfully as he speaks, stopping just short of drawing the actual Ra.]

If Twin-Headed Behemoth reduces summoning costs, that means I'll be able to summon Ra in no time. Good... I'll have to start making arrangements~

[whiterosefoes]

["you could say?" usually that means there is more to be said. She raises an eyebrow.]

You don't say... putting it that way, it sounds a bit shady. I don't know what I expected from you, though.

[Malik, you sure are trouble. At least in training him, Harriet will be keeping tabs on his progress. She'll just have to make certain she stays stronger than him.]

Well, don't pack your bags just yet. It'll take a lot of hard work to get to that point. But I suppose we'll both have loose ends to tie up...

[And Harriet's mostly revolve around Henry. Aah.]

[obeytherod]

You're so mistrusting... [He teases, idly looking over at the new marks on his arm. It seems to take some of the good mood out of him, but not much.

When he speaks again, it's much more serious, even pensive.]

When I want something, I get it. No matter what it takes, or how long it takes... I'll get out of here.

Even if I have to work my body to its limit... [He brings a hand up, clenching it into a fist.] It'll be worth it in the end.

[whiterosefoes]

Working to your limits... [Harriet likes the sound of that. This was already a harsher way of teaching him to summon the armor that she'd created for the situation. If they can keep up this pace, they could level him up much faster than she had done in the wars. As long as he didn't end up hindering himself with overexertion. The gears in her mind are spinning as she gestures with her palms facing each other.]

I can accommodate that. If we were to have serious duels every day... with me making up new decks so it doesn't get predictable... yes, it could simulate the experience you need.

... Though, to get promotions, you also need to win your duels. [She smirks a bit condescendingly.]

[obeytherod]

[Malik doesn't falter at that comment, smirking right back as he lowers his hand to rest on his hip.]

Oh? I'll win next time, now that I know how this type of game plays. This was my first time dueling in this manner you know, so don't get too confident.

[Dueling everyday. He already had a daily routine, and there was plenty of space left in it. The more time Malik spent doing anything but feeling miserable or angry over his situation, the better.]

As for dueling every day... That sounds good to me. Let's just pick a time, and we can meet here.

[whiterosefoes]

...We shouldn't make a habit of meeting on the roof. If we do, our whereabouts will become common knowledge.

[Harriet says it instinctively, the sneaky thinking belying her claims to staying honest with her dorm mates. However, she's gotten too wrapped up in her plans to notice.]

I'll create a schedule with various locations.... since I'll be employing fields in my strategies from now on. So don't you get cocky either.

[No matter how he constructs his deck, she'll always have the home field advantage. But that's necessary for him to become stronger. If he's up to the task.]

[obeytherod]

Hmm, you're right. Fine then, I assume you're going to give this schedule to me ahead of time?

[And for the record, Malik doesn't look like he has any intention of not getting cocky.]

Keh keh, or if you want, I could just contact with you the Rod at our designated time, and you can tell me the location then. Either or.

[whiterosefoes]

[Harriet tilts her head with a hand on her hip, giving him a bit of a stink eye. It's always annoyed her whenever he used the rod on her without warning. She doesn't like it at all, and would prefer it to be kept away at all costs.

But then, telepathy was objectively useful, wasn't it? And the way it gets under her skin... allowing that to happen gives him power over her as well. She tsks.]

Do it that way if you like. It doesn't matter to me.

[obeytherod]

Very well then~ I think I will! Hmhmhm...

[Deciding now is as good a time as ever to make his dramatic exit, Malik turns and heads for the door.]

Until tomorrow.

[whiterosefoes]

Same time? All right.

[She turns away as he goes. The sun's starting to go down... she holds her arms behind her back, and decides to watch it set. She has a lot to think about. Especially, how to break the news to her dorm mates...]