duel 9. video

[puzzlingly]

「There is this guy, finally showing his face on the network after like a month or so of chilling at Hope's temple. He smiles widely at the camera.」

Hey... What did I miss?

「How long has it even been...? Please don't say 3,000 years...」

Um, thanks for the umbrellas, by the way... to whoever did that. 「He pans the camera to the umbrella fort that someone made around him, it's got the most stylish umbrellas~

He manages to get out of there and then his face lights up like if it was Christmas Day.」

... Kaiba, guess what?! They are here! The Duel Disk pieces! You can finally put it together and stop being so moody! Thanks, Hope!

「He shows them to the camera as well, a bunch of electronic little pieces scattered here and there on Hope's altar, he picks up one gently and examines it, yep, he has no idea what it does. Any other day he would have just skipped this and go look for his friend privately, but this is way too cool to let it pass! Everyone has to know! Specially the moody part.」

Come on, come help me carry these so we can have that duel!


( ooc: coming out of meditative state will make this guy extra emotional to absolutely everything and might explode at the most stupid things, this will last a couple of days. take this is a blanket apology <3 )

Comments

[whip_poor_will]

Mm, not quite as long as many others, but...

[She stops and thinks. Her perception of time works very differently in her mind than most with normal lifespans.]

Nine months, I suppose?

[puzzlingly]

「That's more or less the entire time he's spent here so, yeah, it's a lot.」

I thought you wouldn't care much about that kind of things.

[whip_poor_will]

Which "kind of things" are you referring to?

[puzzlingly]

Um... minding about being above ground and, time, probably. You know, that kind of stuff.

[whip_poor_will]

Hehe, well, you know how it is. Seeing the same old walls for so long can get rather boring after a time. Although I cannot say that last planet was much better.

[A little too similar to the current world state of Ravine's home.]

[puzzlingly]

So you could not get out of the caves at all either? ... What about now? Or the last planet? What's stopping you?

「From leaving him!?

...

Nooo, Ravine, don't go!」

[whip_poor_will]

There are some limits to how far my reach extends. Not much, but some. For instance, I cannot leave the world I am presently in, so escaping the caves was not an option.

[If that was something all reapers could do, then many of them would have checked out that way a long time ago. They had to go and take dramatic measures instead.]

As for the planet... I had certainly made plenty of day walks on the other side and around. It was rather dull, not much left. I suppose either the Null intended that, or the hosts of that planet were of a minimalist culture. They were a simple race, after all.

[puzzlingly]

I see.

「Oh, that's a tad disappointing, somehow he expected her to be able to move through all worlds. But it makes sense, why would she? On the other hand, yey, she's not leaving him!」

Oh, I asked Rage about that, about the last planet; she said it has always been like that, so it wasn't the Null's doing. The residents were cool with the weather and the sun's pattern and all.

「This is a little pause he makes.」

How are they doing...? Do you know?

[whip_poor_will]

Ah, that would explain that, then. They were not very talkative.

[Not that Ravine blames them. The host spirits were terrified of her at first, and even then their methods of communication were primitive.]

They are for now. I had to secure them with Hope due to an... incident. [A Caedra-shaped incident, no less. Other than being mildly annoyed, Ravine doesn't sound too distracted by jt.]

[puzzlingly]

I guess it's... natural. We are very different.

「Wait, hold a second.」

Incident?

「She didn't say anything back then.」

What happened?

[private]

[whip_poor_will]

[Hmmm...

[Before she says anything again, Ravine cautiously secures the line. It's probably better than reaching him telepathically, at least. She could randomly pop up where he's at as well, but.

[She don't wanna.]

You know of a woman by the name of Caedra Allal Nisariel, yes?

[There was something about speaking her full name that had set Caedra off, and Ravine sensed it. The name had power, and that is something that Ravine will use. She is a demon, after all -- the rules and respect a reaper should have for the living don't apply to her.]

[private]

[puzzlingly]

「This is definitely a little different, coming from Ravine, she's using the device and now making it private?

oh...

She is still here. Great. Just great.」

... What did it do now?

「That's no woman, it doesn't deserve being called that. Atem's whole being loses whatever cheerfulness he had, he's not quite mad (yet) just incredibly serious, maybe the look he has is the very same he adopted when sitting at his throne back then, when dealing with shit.」

[private]

[whip_poor_will]

[Ravine lets the pronoun game slide because she doesn't think it's important, as far as she is concerned.]

Quite a few things, as of late.

You recall how the hosts' souls were acting erratically?

[She doesn't wait for Atem to respond:]

One was unfortunate enough to end up close enough for her to catch, torture, and attempt to destroy it after she was done.

Regardless of how people feel about the gods, those souls are innocent. They do not deserve to suffer any more than they already have and then be discarded like refuse.

[private]

[puzzlingly]

「It's what you call a demon. Nothing less, nothing more. Atem can't help but feel a little guilty of how he used to address the so-called gods now, this one was a demon, not them.

Atem remains silent after the explanation, it might be the temple's influence that keeps him from doing anything too drastic, but he still approaches to the closest wall and without much of a warning he simply punches it as hard as he can.」

[private → action]

[whip_poor_will]

[Most might be waiting for Atem to say something.

[Ravine, however, doesn't require words.

[She doesn't care for announcing herself, either. Not when Atem suddenly finds a dark, towering woman speaking behind him, rather than through his phone.]

Hey.

[Sup.]

[puzzlingly]

「Atem's not quite sure what he'd achieve by doing this, it doesn't feel better and he definitely feels worse on top of his hand hurting a lot of sudden. But he doesn't show it yet, in fact, he remains leaning on the wall for the moment.」

You didn't have to come.

[whip_poor_will]

I thought that it would be easier to talk to you like this.

[She knows she didn't have to, but she wanted to, so whatever. Honey badger don't give a fuck.]

[puzzlingly]

「Atem finally turns to face her, even if he doesn't look at her and he leans his back against the wall instead. like an emo kid」

Something must be done, Ravine...

「But what? It still seemed just like yesterday when Ravine herself was telling him it was not up to him. He could do nothing. And now? Even less.」

[whip_poor_will]

[See? It's already easier like this; Atem can sulk without holding a stupid phone now. Convenient!]

I am aware. I have worked with Hope to secure the stray souls, but something more must be done. It may be beyond his ability to act, but not mine.

[puzzlingly]

「When did she become more of an action girl? That alone makes him look at her.」 

What is it that you're doing?

[whip_poor_will]

[Typically, she's not all about kicking ass and taking names. Ravine is as neutral as it gets, staying out of most things.

[Sometimes, it becomes clear to her that she is required to get involved. And it's not something she takes lightly.]

Become the boogyman's boogeyman. That much I can do.

[There is a slight quirk of her lips, turning into a small grin.]

[puzzlingly]

... You're haunting it?

「Is that what she means? Yeah, he doesn't sound too convinced that's the best thing to do either, but he will not sound too convinced about much things at the moment either. It's not her.」

[whip_poor_will]

[Despite the severity of the subject at hand, Ravine chuckles.]

It is rather difficult to haunt something that expresses little to no regret or remorse for their actions.

No, I intend to make things inconvenient for her. The Dead Zone is capable of containing her for a time, I have learned.

[Ravine just doesn't want to ever leave Caedra alone in there for long, in case she ever finds ways out. It's the threat that counts.]

[puzzlingly]

Hmm. 「Just as he thought, it doesn't sound like it is enough.」 Like a time-out? It's only gonna get more and more bitter at you.

「It might not end well for Ravine either, says his pouty face.」

That's not gonna last. 「He knows about that one... intimately so.」

[whip_poor_will]

Perhaps not.

[She pauses, her expression somber but barely changed.]

A soul wound, however, would deliver a more lasting impression. It is what our weapons do. [And this time Ravine wouldn't have to feel bad about leaving a tear as is.]