the_campus | For moderndaydragon and fluffydeathdealer

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For moderndaydragon and fluffydeathdealer

[Kai's managed to dig up at least two books on memories, but they aren't as simple as 'How to recover lost memories in five easy steps'. The books he's found look to be similar to the spellbooks he's studying from, and that means he's definitely going to need Karasu's help going through them. Even if they find something useful, he wouldn't dare try to cast anything on her; he's hoping it'll at least point them in the right direction. Kai has a sneaking suspicion the Creeper's involved in the mess somewhere, just based on what Karasu had told him.

Honestly, if it weren't for Ryou...

Kai takes another bite of his carrot stick and glances over at the closed bedroom door from where he's sprawled on the couch, flipping through pages. He'd put Surge in just a while ago, and so far the big Labrador's being as quiet as a mouse.]

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Ah, maybe! He did say it was probably a bad cookie.

[She'll just leave it at that, fidgeting with her hair a little. She nods at Kai some, waving a little without managing a smile this time.]

Alright, Kai-kun. See you later.

I had a carrot earlier. [As if it's any of the Creeper's business what he eats. Kai suddenly laughs though, because gee, the tone that came out in is familiar.]

Very reliable.

[Behaving, behaving, everything's fine...he looks over at Karasu and inwardly groans. It's not like she'll be comfortable if he sticks around, but damn it.]

Maybe I should walk you back, at least.

What, Kai? If you're feeling ill, you should go back inside and lie down. I'll escort Karasu-chan home.

[Bakura's not terrible at pretending to care, but considering the friction between the two of them, it's a little harder.]

That is, if Karasu-chan doesn't mind?

I don't mind it at all. If you need to lay down, Kai-kun, you should.

[She knows he doesn't feel sick, but she's a little confused now. He didn't want her to stick around earlier, but now he doesn't want to leave her? Conflicting messages, man!

Not that there's anything else she can say besides going with what he told her, but she does leave it open for him to correct her if he really does want to stay.]

[Okay, he'll work with that.]

I'm starting to feel a little better. Maybe I just need some air.

[And a new voodoo doll to go with the Thief King one he made. He manages a small smile in Bakura's direction.]

We can both walk her back. I think we ought to talk after anyway.

Hoh... Alright. I'm not sure what we'd have to talk about, but I'll listen if there's something on your mind.

[Well, that makes that decision easy. He returns the smile, looking entirely at ease, if a bit surprised.]

Shall we, then? Oh - should I take some of those books from you? It's probably best for you to try to relax until you feel well again.

We can leave them in my room. I have to look over some of them anyway, right, Kai-kun?

[Well, this is kind of nice. Off to her dorm!]

[Yeah, no, no touchie the books, Bakura. Kai just shifts them again to get a better grip.]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm not on my deathbed yet.

[If he doesn't watch himself, 'yet' might be 'pretty soon'. He gives Karasu a smile, a real one, and nods.]

Okay. Do you want the headache-inducing one?

[Oh, it's very nice. An awkward walk with a girl and a pain in the ass.]

Oh? That's fine, then. I just wanted to help out a little, that's all!

[Instead, he loops his arm around Karasu's in a friendly manner, walking beside her.]

Karasu-chan, don't tell me this slacker's making you do all the work for him!

Sure, I'll take that one. I can probably figure it out eventually.

[Bakura's affectionate gesture gets a blink, then a laugh as she shakes her head some.]

No, not at all! I just offered to help, since it's my memory we're trying to fix in the first place.

It's appreciated.

[Being civil is about to make him sick. Maybe if earlier hadn't happened, he'd be able to deal with it better...but he's a little surprised at himself when Bakura's gesture doesn't get his hackles up like usual. Huh. Maturity, maybe.

Or he's just choosing his battles for once.]

Let me know if you want to switch, I don't mind.

[A little too late for Kai to decide to choose his battles... he's already stepped onto the battlefield, after all.]

Well, if it gets to be too much of a headache, you can always call on me to help. I don't have magic like Kai's, so I can't really do much other than that.

[He has to bite back the words "I'm old enough to have been around when that writing style was common". No sense giving away what he was doing.]

Sure! Maybe you can read it a little better than I can. And the more help the better, right?

Maybe we should recruit Henry and Jack.

[Kai's not sure where that came from, but he's finding the idea funny anyway. He glances down at the books in his arms and frowns. Hell, maybe they should.]

So Bakura, what've you been doing lately?

[Besides, you know, making Kai want to spray you with a can of bug spray.]

... [Henry and Jack... Tch, what an annoying person to bring those two up.

Jack irritates him and Henry... He likes Henry. It's an unfortunate bad habit. But Henry is always in control when they're talking. If those two get involved in this... he'll have even less chance of keeping control over Karasu.]

Oh, the usual. Making friends, playing games... I've gotten into a little bit of crafts too thanks to Ryou and my own boredom. Speaking of which... I gather you're learning to play Duel Monsters! We should duel sometime, when you're more acquainted with it. I've got my duel disk back and everything.

[And he totally isn't planning to scare the hell out of the kid with his monsters. Much.]

Edited 2014-01-29 06:06 (UTC)

I wouldn't want to bother them too much, because I think they've been working on something really important. At least, Henry-san always seems preoccupied whenever I've seen him around, so...

[It's because he's so friendly that she doesn't want to put any pressure on him, especially with something not even close to life-threatening or vitally important.]

Maybe we can all have a three-way duel!

[Kai'll take Bakura's silence at that as a sign that he should probably go bother them about it. Hell, even if it didn't annoy Bakura, it does still seem like a good idea.]

At least you're keeping busy.

[Yeah, like little Heartless figures...what difference if Ryou made it, Bakura still sealed the creature's soul in there. He really hopes Anubis finds a way to chew off a leg or two. He glances over at Karasu and frowns.]

C'mon, it's your memory. It's important! How about we just keep it open as an option.

[He gives her a smile before his mind settles on the cards. A three-way duel? Yikes.]

...Ha, so Karasu mentioned that. Naw, like I told her, I'm terrible at card games. Probably won't even get past the rules.

[He'll try, but good luck. Wouldn't it be nice, though. Not so much the goofing around, although that'd be fun, but sending a monster of his own after the Creeper...

Eh, keep dreaming, Kai. Be easier to sic one of the Heartless on him.

...Not that he's seriously considering that. Yet.]

[Those words make something in Bakura's expression flicker, like he's trying to hold back the urge to say something insulting. Like many others in the game, Bakura's pride as a duelist means that he tends to look down on those who aren't willing to put in the effort to get better... and those who just suck. Kai's admittance pisses him off on a high level and he has to look away to hide the irritation on his face.

Okay, delaying tactic; answer the other bit first.]

Of course memories are important. But even if those two were willing to help, it's probably rude to just approach them out of the blue about it. I'll get Henry's opinion on it later. Ryou can handle Jack.

[It's impossible. He can't possibly answer Kai's comment on dueling in a nice manner...]

With that attitude, it's no wonder.

Edited 2014-01-31 08:14 (UTC)

And it's not like I'm getting so bad I'm forgetting who you guys are. It's scary, but it's not going to kill me or make me lose everything right now. So if they are doing something really important, it can wait.

But if Bakura-kun and Ryou-kun are willing to ask, that's probably better than just one of us.

[STRANGERS and all. Karasu frowns a little at Bakura's reply, sighing some. She's not anywhere near as prideful as Bakura is, nor is she as skilled, but she does have some pride in it. She'd been going easy on Kai because of the whole "other worlds" thing, but...]

That's a little harsh, Bakura-kun. Even if you do have a point. [To Kai, now:] You'll never know until you actually try it. And you have to believe in yourself! Otherwise, how can your monsters do the same?

[Well, not like he can mention he knows Jack just a bit more than in passing conversation. Not that there's been much happening on the training front anyway. Kai sighs and raises a hand to rub the bridge of his nose. If Bakura does do anything to help, he'll be surprised. Hell, he might even thank him.]

Okay. I'll stick to being a library gnome then, I guess.

[Just...not going to snark at Bakura about attitude. See, he can be mature. Or something.]

Then we'll have to start building my deck soon. [He falls silent for a few seconds, then nods.] Yeah...guess it's not too different from wielding a Keyblade.

[Strength of Heart and all that fun stuff.]

...

[Bakura frowns, but nods.]

Sorry, Karasu-chan. I just don't like it when people give up on things too easily using bullshit excuses.

[Turning his head, he looks Kai over thoughtfully. He's sure Kai will never learn the type of magic required to summon from the cards - and he'd better not have told that little tale to Karasu, or he'd have to lie about it - but even to be a regular duelist requires some dedication.]

Listen, Kai. I know you don't like to take advice from me, but I'm offering it anyway. Dueling isn't all strategy. Apart from the luck factor, there's something else that Karasu might have mentioned.

Cards have a heart all of their own. If you build a deck that feels right to you, it'll serve you well. Your deck should be constantly improved as you gain more cards; even a veteran needs to rework their deck between duels. But despite that factor, if you're drawn to a card, keep it. It doesn't matter if it's in your deck all the time, or if you keep it in your side deck - the cards you keep on hand to trade into your deck between duels. Call it instinct, or a connection of hearts, or whatever you like... That feeling is what makes a duelist. The bond between your deck and yourself.

[Feh, he's said too much. His brow furrowing in annoyance, he looks away.]

Something like that.

[She nods a little back at Bakura, flashing a smile, though she stays quiet so he can talk.

When he's done...]

Pretty much exactly everything Bakura-kun said. It's why it's not the same as anything else you play, and why I think anyone can do it; especially you. It's why I always use the Samurai; they feel connected to me, so I feel like they're trying to help me out in duels.

And once you find yours, all you'll need to do is practice with them! Everyone starts out on the "bottom rung" no matter what it is, right?

[Wow Bakura, you've surprised him. Enough that Kai almost stops in the middle of the hallway before he gives himself a mental kick. Geeze, what's that about? He'd be tempted to not trust him if Karasu hadn't backed him up.]

...Thanks Bakura. I'll remember that.

['Bottom rung'...She has a point. It wasn't as if he'd instantly known what to do the first time Heart's Star had appeared in his hand; it'd taken a lot of practice.]

Right. I'll try my best, then.

... [Don't read too much into it, Kai. He's a duelist. That's all it is. More than anything else, he detests hack duelists who can't put in effort. And non-duelists almost never gain his respect. Tolerance, perhaps... But never respect.

If Kai is willing to try it, then that's good enough. He still won't respect him if he becomes a duelist, and from what he knows of Ryou's interactions with him, he's got not reason to believe he'll be anything but a weakling that plays for fun... but it's still good enough to garner that little bit of information. All duelists have their signatures, and it's rarely because of strategy. There are thousands of ways to win. No deck is perfect. It comes down to that connection.]

Don't mistake me for being helpful. I'd rather there be fewer hack duelists who think the key to victory is piling their deck full of strong monsters; that's all.

Kai-kun's a little rough, but he's already doing pretty well with cards, I think. We just have to get it together in the right way.

[And no, she won't tell you what it is. That's a secret~. ♥]

Edited 2014-02-07 18:34 (UTC)

For moderndaydragon and fluffydeathdealer

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