[EFFECT ROOM] Dresses for the Dressing Room!

[noisycircus]

[Welcome to Lapin Angelique! Everyone who enters this room will suddenly find themselves wearing a Gothic Lolita Dress. They may also have other gothic accessories such as tiny little hats, frilly parasols, vampire capes, or spooky plushies.

Bizarre things will happen if you try to take off the clothes. Maybe it will just be downright impossible, they're stuck to your body. Maybe you'll start to FEEL GOTH and the BLACKNESS OF YOUR HEART compels you to put the clothes back on. Maybe you start taking off the clothes, only to find that doing so causes you to slowly morph into a bunny until you put them back on (or until you're a bunny. But was that REALLY worth it?) It's all up to fate!

Either way, these dresses are probably staying on, at least until the effect wears off. Which could be anything from a couple hours to the rest of the day.]

Comments

[obeytherod]

Ughh. [And he can't just go and do it himself. He needs somebody to split the blame, and somebody with Karasu's powers was perfect for it. She could defend herself, after all. Not that Malik couldn't, at least now that he could summon both monsters and deck leader armor, but he'd still rather stay back.

Casually after her rejection, he opens the door the rest of the way and shrugs before resting a hand on his hip. He was wearing a sleeveless vest as usual, showing off both the scars on his midriff and the new, dark and grotesque keloid scars on his left arm. It looks as if a wild animal had attacked him.]

Fine, fine. What if I just scare him then? Like I said, killing him is probably pointless anyway.

[moderndaydragon]

[Just a scare... could she trust him to do that? That was something she could actually bring herself to help with, after all. It seems too good to be true, especially with how vicious Malik is. But...

...okay, hold the phone a mo'. What the fuck is that SCAR?]

Did you piss off a bear or something?

[obeytherod]

[He waits for an answer with surprising patience, granted only to him by the confidence he had that she would accept.

And then she totally changes the topic. Malik lifts his arm up, inspecting the nasty, raised scar on it with a bit of a thoughtful frown that soon enough pulls into a smile. It was like a disturbing memory that brought about pleasant thoughts.]

One of my monsters attacked me. Keh keh...it's okay though. They're ugly, but good things will come from it...

[He lowers his arm again, that mumbled musing of his cut off as he settles Karasu with a sterner gaze.] But your answer--what was it?

It's too dangerous for me to go in alone, and I'm sure you don't want to get Bakura involved, do you?

[moderndaydragon]

[Good things... well, he didn't seem too worried, so she wouldn't worry about it either. He's Bakura's boyfriend, after all... if it was a threat to Bakura, he wouldn't be so nonchalant. Not with how possessive he was.

As for that...]

How do I know you'll just scare him?

[obeytherod]

You don't, you'll just have to trust me, won't you? Keh keh... But listen, you can turn into a dragon, right?

[He spreads his arms.] Then if the Thief King tries to kill himself, I'll let you add a new scar to my growing collection.

[My body's already been ruined... His confident look waves at the thought, but his tone didn't betray him quite as much.

It won't make a difference. I'll always have Bakura and Ryou, and when I get out of here...I'll have my family.]

[moderndaydragon]

[Add a scar. Add a scar. She just heard him say that, didn't she?

She did. And there's only one response to that.]

[moderndaydragon]

[Without even thinking, Karasu's arm moves and she slaps Malik, full on open palm, right across the face as hard as she can.]

[moderndaydragon]

You idiot! Is this really so hard for you to get?! Fine, then let me tell you outright:

I don't want to hurt you! I never did!

[moderndaydragon]

[The stress that had been building up with every time the Thief King bothered her, every threat and promise, mixes with her own fears and anger. The pressure hurts, and she has to resist the urge to slap him again.]

What I want is to understand you! On your own merits and terms! But I know that's impossible, which is why I've been trying to give you space! If I wanted to hurt you, if I really had any desire for that, I would've done it already, and Bakura be damned! Just because he's my friend doesn't mean I'll hold everything back for him!

[moderndaydragon]

[Slowly, her hand goes up to rub her face and Karasu exhales, just as gingerly.]

...Come on. I'll show you where he is.

1/?

[obeytherod]

[Malik's head snaps to the side, the slap having been completely unexpected. It was so sudden, he couldn't even be mad, he was just shocked into silence.]

2/?

[obeytherod]

[Righting himself, he seems to listen to Karasu's words with a bit more earnest than before, that manipulative, malevolent side of him lost for the moment.

He really didn't understand this girl, but for once he wasn't even angry at her for it. Just confused, just like he'd been when she came to warn him in the first place, or when Henry had prayed for him on his deathbed.]

3/?

[obeytherod]

[When she finally agrees, he shakes his head and puts on the face of his usual cold confidence. He mimics her actions of rubbing her cheek with his own, feeling the sting of her slap even after her hand had left him. The skin there had darkened with it.]

One second, I need to change.

4/4

[obeytherod]

[Malik recedes back into the apartment, keeping the door open. A moment later he reappears in his purple cloak, adorned at the center of the hood with a golden chain and wadjet. The Rod was grasped openly in his right hand.]

Let's go. [He smirks.]

[moderndaydragon]

...Hey, Malik. If I'm trusting you, can you trust me?

[obeytherod]

[He glances over at her, suspicious.]

For me to let you lead me into the enemy's territory requires a degree of trust, but that doesn't mean I haven't made a back-up plan in the off chance you have a change of heart.

[moderndaydragon]

If I would, I wouldn't have agreed at all. But after being gone this long, he'll be suspicious if I don't show up with the Rod.

If he sees me with it, too... it'll throw him off guard. So as long as you can catch it from a backwards throw... you could have an advantage with that.

[obeytherod]

That won't be necessary. [Like hell he's letting her hold the Rod.] When you open the door, I can immediately knock him back and pin him to the wall.

Keh keh, I won't even need the Rod for that.

[moderndaydragon]

All right, then. I'm counting on you for that. I can't transform in here, remember.

[Karasu's Surprise: 0%. She had a feeling that was going to be his answer anyway, but if he's got a plan, so be it.]

This way.

[obeytherod]

Don't worry, I have everything under control. [Malik follows in silence thereafter, adjusting his cloak idly to make sure it covers the most of his face.

The Thief King knew who held the Rod, but there was still a chance he didn't know his face. He might as well protect what he can that was left of his identity.]

[moderndaydragon]

[She'd say "that's a relief," but really, it's not. She isn't sure if Malik being in control is any better than the Thief King, but she meant what she said; if she was going to have second thoughts, she never would've brought it up in the first place.

As it is, she leads him to the door in silence, only nodding quietly once they get there.]

[obeytherod]

Go on and open it. Let him see your face first.

[Malik reaches into his cloak, pulling a few cards out from within.]

[moderndaydragon]

[Phaa.

She turns the knob, pushing the door open and stepping in.]

I'm back.

1/3

[stealshinies]

H-heh, back already, Karasu...? [His expression turns sour as he sees her empty hands.] I don't see anything in your hand, don't tell me you've failed--

2/3

[obeytherod]

[The Thief King just barely gets to finish his sentence before Malik summons Thunder Nyan Nyan (milk chocolate edition), and Twin Headed Behemoth to rush into the room and knock the Thief King back against the wall.

If he saw those, he might think twice about trying to thieve from Malik again.]