the_campus | Effect Room: Amnesia

... [Malik is rendered speechless. He doesn't exactly feel guilt right now, or even bad...but he knows that inside him, somewhere, he should. When those memories come back, how painful is it going to be?

He can't resist any longer. Even if it's inappropriate he pulls at his tanktop to untuck it and take a look at what lies beneath. It's not burns like he expected, but two large and darkened scars. One was slashed across his side and permanently raised, and the other, much smaller but still ghastly lied just above his navel at an angle.

He lets out a soft noise, light a frightened whimper.]

[Bakura's gaze softens at that sound. How awkward must Malik be feeling right now? With no memory of the wounds marking his body, no memory of anything...]

Sit down. I'll make you some tea.

[Going over to put the kettle on, he speaks calmly, if expressionlessly. It's good, in a way. Though Malik's shock is bad, he's reacting like he should to marks like those. It's better than the carefree manner he spoke about them in the future.]

...Rosenkreuz gave you one of them. He's the same man who cut my face. We had to camp out in the forest for a while for fear of him. But we have a peace treaty with him and his group now, so we don't need to worry about that.

Are you hungry? We have some leftover koshary.

[A little shaky on his feet, Malik makes his way to the couch and sits, eyes still trauma stuck as he kept glancing down to his covered torso.

"Rosenkreuz" did this to him?]

Yeah...I'll eat. But...why?

Why did Rosenkreuz do this to us? Why did we need a peace treaty? Who's his group?!

[As he went on his questions grew more desperate and agitated, his voice losing its timidness as he demanded answers.]

[Fetching the carefully wrapped koshary from the fridge, he spoons it out into a bowl and brings it over for him, setting it on the table in front of him.

He should hold some of this back, he's sure... so he judges his words carefully. Without lying, he begins a brief summary of the events.]

The Rose Duelists are the group I speak of. They're led by a man named Henry, who bears a strong resemblance to our mutual enemy. You were overcome with hatred because of that resemblance and tried to kill him; Rosenkreuz retaliated by trying to kill you. I was able to stop him by holding something important to him hostage, but not before you were injured.

I nursed you back to health, and we managed to make something resembling peace between our groups, until your other self awoke. In the aftermath of that debacle, I arranged a proper peace treaty between our groups, and you agreed to abide by it once you'd recovered from the stab wound that led to it.

The other scar is from that wound.

This is...a lot to take in. [Malik tries his best, but without the memories to go with it, it's merely a vague and disjointed run down of events. All he knows is that he tried to kill someone. Was that really the sort of person he was? And yet Bakura said he wasn't a bad one.

The thought never entered his mind that maybe that "mutual enemy" had done something to deserve such hatred. At least, in his eyes.]

I... [He scrunches his eyes shut, thinking.] Remember being in the jungle, a little. And being in a lot of pain. Is that from that time? And when you said The Rose Duelists, I imagined the color pink.

Is that the color of their emblem? [Bakura did say they were a group.]

Your memories are probably from that time.

As to the pink... One of their number has pink hair. A girl named Harriet Vaughn. You two have been getting closer, from what I can tell, since she started training you.

[Hearing the kettle click, he disappears back to see to it. Tch... Malik would probably remember everything else before he remembered him. It was a painful thought. Did he really mean that little to him? Returning with a cup of hot tea, he sets it on the table beside the koshary.]

A girl...

[He hums, picking idly at his food as he thinks and sorts through the shattered fragments of his memories. It would be easy to dwell on those terrifying facts he'd just been told, but Malik would rather dig into what had been revealed because of them.

He would have plenty of time to worry later.]

I remember something else too... It's more a feeling than an image.

...hoh? What is it?

[Bakura stares at him curiously. Folding his arms over his chest, he leans back against the wall, outwardly at ease. Inwardly, he was a tempest of questions and concerns.

Malik was his anchor, that much was true. A link to a world he felt only tangentially attached to, and cared little for. And only now was he realizing just how unstable he felt without the boy being his usual self.]

...Even though I can't remember you, I feel comfortable around you. More than I should. I feel...

[He hesitates a moment. Bakura had called them "partners", right? Maybe that's why. It was strange to imagine himself in that position, though, especially with someone who fell so stray of what he felt were his innate tastes.] ...really comfortable around you.

[And when he looked at Bakura's face, he felt a sense of ease. He knew this man, somehow.]

[Bakura is silent for a moment. It's not what he expected, but he's grateful for it. He can't help but smile in response. Malik felt comfortable with him, even now... that thought made his heart ease somewhat.]

It's good... hearing that. I was worried.

[Remembering something, he disappears into the bedroom for a moment, seeking out - where did Malik leave those damn things? - the figures he'd made and returning with them.]

Here.

[He sets them on the table.]

[Malik smiles faintly in return before Bakura turns towards the bedroom. When he comes back with the miniatures in tow the Egyptian leans in to inspect them. There's a slight, confused recognition written on his face as he looks, but it's not from what Bakura might think.]

You made these. [It's not a question, but a statement of which he's not entirely sure how he knows it.]

That's right! [That realization makes him smile wider. They're not the best things he's ever done - how the hell Ryou avoided cutting his fingers to pieces, he'll never know - but he's still pleased with them. And if they mean enough to Malik to be recognized, that's even more happening to make him happy.]

You were kind of depressed, so I made you these to cheer you up.

[Bakura made these to cheer him up? What a weird thought, that this man cared for him that much.

Malik looks the miniatures over awhile longer, feeling like he should recognize them but unable to draw up the memory. Finally he looks back up at Bakura, eyes searching for answers.]

Who are they supposed to be? Or are they just a gift?

This one is Ishizu. Your elder sister. [He taps it on the top of its head, before glancing at the other one. Those marks on his face were tiresome to replicate...]

This- [Tap.] -is your brother, Rishid.

Ah...! [Malik picks them up again, holding them close so he can inspect what little features there are to then.]

How could I forget? [His voice wavers, as the slight familiarity came back to them. He couldn't see their faces clearly, but an image was coming back to him now.]

Edited 2013-12-15 22:11 (UTC)

[He could answer that, but there's no sense in bringing up the whole magic thing just yet. Instead, he sits on the sofa beside him, crossing one leg over the other almost boredly. Resting his head on his hand, he watches Malik study the figures and chimes in a little.]

That Rishid... he's really tall and intimidating. And he doesn't talk a whole lot, from what I saw.

[Malik nods, muttering more to himself than Bakura.] He's the quiet type... He listens to me.

[He glances towards Ishizu's doll.] Unlike my sister.

[Piece by piece. Repairing little by little, the man before him puts together his memories. One key after another clicks into place. It's slow work, so far. But until that puzzle of memories is complete, he's sure Malik won't stop seeking.]

I never met your sister. Like I said, I didn't even know she was there until you told me, a couple of months ago. But you were protective of her, even if she's disobedient. In the end, I guess everything you do is really for them. You don't really think of yourself much at all, any more.

... [He closes his eyes, shaking his head a little.]

No, I'm sure I do. I have to... I don't feel like the selfless type.

You're not. I never claimed you were selfless. You're probably the most selfish person I know.

But lately, it's been worrying. You keep acting like nothing matters except getting back to them, not even your own body. I advise not looking at your arm.

[At least they can agree on that, although Malik would argue that he's not that selfish. Based on his current knowledge, anyway...

And now he has to look at his arm. Malik glances at both his leather sleeves, debating that warning.]

If I'm stuck here without them... I can believe it. What happened to my arm?

...

Beats me. I think you stuck your arm into a monster's mouth or something.

... [That's it, in a flurry the jacket is coming off so Malik can see just what the damage is. When he sees the condition of his arm, however, it's worse than he imagines. The boy sucks in a sharp gasp, staring in horror at the dark, keloid scars that ran down his arm. It really did look like he'd stuck his arm into the jaws of some monstrosity.]

W...why? I didn't tell you?

[The mark isn't any more tasteful to him than it was before, but he doesn't react to the sight of it.]

You were training with Harriet when you were bitten. It's better to ask her for the details on that one.

[Because like hell he's explaining it.]

[Malik makes a note to do that, reluctantly pulling his jacket back on so he can hide that wound. For now, he'd rather not see it.]

Right, okay. [Realizing he still hasn't touched his koshary, Malik picks the bowl up and starts to do just that. It's kind of rude to eat at the couch like this, but Bakura had put the bowl there...so maybe it was okay.]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject