whiterosefoes | ☄ ATTACK OF THE FILLER

Who do you think you're talking to? I can handle it just fine.

[He pauses to glance back at her with a slightly disbelieving expression. Of course she can leave it to him. He needs her barrier! She's got him by the balls, so to speak. He's the only one guaranteed to find them, so he has to go out there and get them. And if she's worrying about his survival, then she's clearly more shaken up by the tornado than he thought.

He doesn't see what the point of fussing about stupid humans is. If they died, they died, if they lived... well, they were lucky. But Harriet was completely attached to these people, so he wasn't going to bother trying to dissuade her. Not right now, anyway. Later, he'd make fun of her plenty. Now, though, he had bigger fish to fry. He's pretty sure one of them's stuck in a tree. The Ring keeps pointing up.]

Later, Harriet.

[She meant neither of those reasons, but the fact that this is the conclusion he drew is perhaps more reassuring than the right one would have been. Harriet gives him a grateful look. And then, grateful words.]

Thank you. I'll catch up to you as soon as I can afford. Orion, stay with him.

[That way she'll know his location. For now, she'll look for a way upstairs, praying that she didn't doom her classmates.]

[What the hell is up with her? Bakura looks confused at her look and words, shrugging it off as he heads off. He doesn't get it. Why was she so grateful to him for doing something necessary to them both? They need the barrier if he's going to accomplish his goals any time soon. Ryou has a lot of ground to make up after this, and they're going to be delayed enough with the building wrecked like this. It's standing well enough, but open to the elements, with everything inside of it wrecked, it's almost irritatingly useless. Are the Gods taunting him? Trying to slow him down? Don't make him laugh. He doubts they even know he's alive. But they will, eventually. He'll make sure of it.

Absently, he makes a note to watch out for smiting.

It takes him longer than he'd like to retrieve the remaining cards. Ryou's weak body might be enhanced by his consciousness, but it's still nowhere near as powerful as he'd like, and there's rubble and downed wires all over the place that he has to avoid - or in one case, check under. By the time he returns, he's scratched, the midges have irritated the hell out of him until he wasted precious energy burning them out of the air with a spell card, and his mood hasn't been helped by the fact that he's returning to a wrecked dormitory.

...the question is, where is Harriet? Upstairs, the Ring tells him, pointing out a handily collapsed pile of rubble outside the building he can use to clamber up on. From there it's just a shuffle along the wall until he manages to hop inside and a trot down the corridor towards her location. He has to step over one or two bodies of unfortunate people. One of them looks like they got brained in the head with some heavy object. Probably the collapsing roof. It seems to have fallen in around this part. That cheers him up a little, though not as much as it should. The impending misery isn't going to be fun to deal with. As he gets near, he calls out to her.]

Harriet? What's taking so long?

Edited 2016-06-21 00:27 (UTC)

[Yes, it was very necessary, so he could easily have told her to suck it up and stay down there with him to help gather them - maybe it's even a little surprising he didn't just show her where the spindles pointed and tell her to get them herself. She wouldn't risk losing rose cards, so it was likely she needed him as much as he needed her. He shouldn't have any reason to let her go, with as low concern he had for her little 'normal' life. But instead, he thought of her request as question of capability. In a subtle way, that she wouldn't understand if she thought about it for more than a second, he had struck her as quite reliable. If he wanted to attribute the weirdness to something, heightened emotions from a disaster weren't too wide from the mark.

They don't seem to have settled at all by the time he's found her, either. Gold circles spin in the open air where walls once were. She's laughing to herself, a long, greenish stone tight in her armored grip. Fortunately, she's not so disconnected that she doesn't hear his voice. Harriet's eyes raise toward him.]

Someone's still unaccounted for. Over half of the people in this dorm are dead now, but monsters are coming, so the seven left asked me to look... I'm starting to think he was taken away by some fiend.

[Her voice is cold, dry. She's not as distraught as a normal girl should be, not like how she would have if this had happened before everything else. Of course, she cried for a moment when she found another best friends' body, both from loss and futility - how many people were here because of her?! Fueled in her anger (this wasn't a "natural" disaster, someone did this) she had attempted to learn the secrets of their attacker by drawing soul magic into their card that she won. Instead, it was her own soul that had been tested - not that she could know, there was no way of recognizing the sensation of having it slowly ripped out of your body with each motion of retreat, because she didn't retreat for a second. The pain still tingles as a shock in her skin, but now that she's holding the stone, the sorrow of loss seemed to vanish within. All she can think about is one truth.... That this was a lesson she had learnt over and over. That she could never go back, no matter how she yearned. Now the only thing she had left were those cards.

At least he'd gotten them for her. She crosses over to him, letting her monsters stand vigil. Orion rejoins them, its purpose as a beacon gone unused. He looks worse for wear, and ticked off at that. She was distracted, caught up in misery, but she should probably address that.]

Sorry. I'll have to find a better container for them.

Edited 2016-06-21 18:03 (UTC)

[Aw, great... she's completely snapped. Random and erratic laughter is all very good in him, but he has a feeling in her it's a bad sign. Her eyes have gone from being a blazing house fire, warm orange and bright energy, to being low embers devoid of any real feeling. He can't tell if she's burying her emotions or just overloaded by them. She seems too calm. She's never been the type to lose control, and even that coldness isn't entirely new, but there's no way she hasn't been seriously hurt by losing those people. She brought them here to protect them, and then something like that killed them... of course it'd hurt her. She's still human, still vulnerable, even if she's considerably strong. Those pitiful attachments... he's seen what they do when they're broken forcibly. She has to be severely in pain.

There's nothing he can do that won't make things worse. The fact that he even wants to make things better still confuses him, and will never stop confusing him, he's sure, but he attributes it to the fact that she's much more fun when she's not gone off the deep end. Tch...

His gaze flickers curiously down to her hand, noticing the odd thing she's holding, but it's much less important than the rest of it right now. It's probably some card she activated...]

You could just use the Ring. Just put your hand on it and think about the person you're looking for. If he's around here, it'll tell you where.

[Really, Ryou under-utilizes the all-powerful demonic artifact he has. It's just a pretty necklace to him, he swears... he hardly ever thinks to use it. So Harriet might as well. More importantly right now...]

(Tag, you're it.)
(I'm what, now?)

[The sleepy reply inside of his head is confused, and understandably so, as Bakura retreats into the darkness of the Ring. He could just retreat into Ryou's mind and watch, but... he'll give them privacy for a little while. He wouldn't be able to resist teasing otherwise. Besides... he needs to be immersed in that solitary blackness right now. It's calming. Familiar. Not like these strange worries and protective urges. The Ring'll tell him if there's danger anyway.]

Edited 2016-06-28 04:27 (UTC)

[And just like that, he's back. It's not exactly the same, though. The last thing he remembers was being crouched in terror in a bathroom, clinging to - oops, he was totally clinging to the poor lady, wasn't he? He silently apologizes to her as he looks around, taking it all in. What's going on? Harriet looks tired and cold and frustrated. She's filthy from the dust all over the place, but the look on her face is...]

Vaughn-san...

[The damage to this place is far greater than he would have expected. She must have been through hell while he was sleeping. Were people hurt? Dead? Panicked and in need of help to calm down? Harriet must have been dealing with all of that by herself, because there's no way the spirit would have helped anyone. He probably sat down and laughed like a lunatic at their pain.

Ryou's not exactly a social expert, and his politeness usually prevents him from doing anything like this, but there's one thought first and foremost inside of his mind right now.

Dear God, this girl needs a hug.

His arms awkwardly wrap around her shoulders as he tries to draw her into a friendly hug.]

Are you alright? If anything's needed, I'll take over it, so you should rest for a while. Well, unless it involves summoning monsters I guess.

[He'll defer to her on that one. He still can't summon anything.]

Edited 2016-06-28 04:39 (UTC)

[There are monsters already surrounding them - the best chance they have against the enemy monsters, until she can get the barrier back up. Now that she's taken back the rose cards, she can do it, and worry about her friend after. But... that's a thought put on pause when Ryou appears before her, learning everything he needed to know just from her broken expression. She doesn't know what to tell him. Maybe nothing, for he's only lost a day's work, nothing in the wreckage that he would or should care about... but then, that darkness taking root says that neither did she. This place, these people - she hadn't belonged with them, couldn't have possibly after everything. They were a cocoon. A shell that you break and then don't come back. She was a fool for believing otherwise. All that she had ever fought for, betrayed for killed for and it was wrong- wait, hug?

He's hugging her. She can feel his slight hesitation, and it makes her laugh sadly again in response to his first question.]

Well, I look pitiful, don't I?

[She must, if he's overcoming a part of himself just to comfort her. Still, she'll return it, not knowing that her armored hands would shake as she did so. She tries to breathe, and avoids crying, just listening to his offer. Rest... she didn't know if she could do that. It's sweet of him to ask though. Her hands travel back to the ring pressed between them, and she heaves a sigh.]

I'm looking for our friend Peter Belowski. After I find him... this can end.

[It's kind of a desperate way of putting it. But, after all that time discovering bodies, she can't deny that she's very eager to get out of this terrible excuse for a former dorm. She'd rather do that than rest.]

You look like you've been through a really bad time.

[As if he'd ever call her pitiful. He doesn't even think that. Wounded, miserable, pale and a little like she's on the verge of snapping... but not pitiful. He can feel her hands trembling and his own arms tighten around her in response. Without hesitation, he shifts so that he can hug her from the side instead, letting the Ring respond to her desire. One of the prongs lifts slowly, trembling, to point due north. It's glowing like a beacon, standing out in this dim light.]

Let's go, then.

[He's scared as hell. There are real, genuine monsters out there, dangerous creatures that wouldn't think twice to tear them apart. Logically, having her go alone would make sense. Ryou doesn't like that logic. It strikes him that Harriet is in a very bad place right now, and leaving her alone is the worst thing he can do to her.]

Once this is done, you're resting for a while, okay?

[His voice is firm, for all his questioning. He won't accept arguments on this front, Harriet.]

[For a moment, she presses her forehead to his chest as he hugs her tighter. He doesn't know the half of it, but she's grateful to him anyway... as soon as the spindle lifts though, she snaps to attention. He needn't be afraid, as her Orion and Airknight will flank them as they walk - ephemeral, angelic fairies bearing trumpets float in the air above. Their battle tunes will make all of her fairies stronger, but they remain silent at least while there are no enemies. Harriet is in no mood to play around.]

Fine, Ryou. I ... I've done all I can do.

[She'll gently steer him away from bodies, though. She frowns a bit, out in the direction that Belowski is supposed to be in. Where did he think he was going, all by himself?]

[Ryou lets her as long as she wants. When they start to move, he keeps his arm around her as long as he can, then eventually moves it so he's just resting his hand on her back, so as not to get in the way. He feels like he's in a very weird parade right now. The floating fairies, the monsters around them... it's all very surreal.]

You've worked really hard. I can tell.

[He appreciates being steered away from the bodies, that's for sure. This is very creepy. A few times he stumbles on debris, but finally, they're outside and heading towards where this friend of hers is. The closer they get, the steadier the glowing pointer gets, fixed on him now.]

There was a lot, I suppose. Too much.

[Harriet's used to the way her battlefield looks, so she doesn't give it a second thought. It's much more surreal having someone there with her, supporting her through it. Elly was always far away on her own mission, and Ryou... he doesn't belong somewhere like this. He's too gentle. She takes care to stand in front of him when enemies come and get blasted with lightning and floating runes, though she can't help but notice the contrast from when she was guarding Bakura before.]

I should teach you to do this...

[It sounds like an afterthought. She never would have thought to say that, with Bakura able to protect his own body, and with how little use she imagined he'd need for this kind of ability. But... with how kind he's being to her, it just comes out. Maybe it's because she doesn't want to lose anyone else. She doesn't know.]

[He wishes he could be of more help to her. He's not very strong or anything like that, and he's definitely not very brave unless he's got something he can do to protect his friends. All he can really do is try to support her. The idea of teaching him seems to come out of nowhere and he blinks at her in surprise, mulling it over for a moment before he responds. She's right that there wouldn't be much use for it, not really, but it would be useful to have even so. It means that in situations like this, she doesn't have to just face it on her own, and that he might actually be useful when things get crazy.

Well, they're already crazy, but even if this eventually goes away, it could still go back to being crazy at any time. He's seen too much weirdness to not be worried that it could catch them in a bad situation... and he can't afford to just sit back and cower in fear while people are in danger.]

I don't think I'm much of a fighter, but it'd be pretty good if you didn't have to take it all on yourself. Even if you're capable of it, it's a lot to bear.

[She forces a grin.]

I wasn't either, but I suppose that's impossible to imagine now.

[Maybe asking another innocent to become like her was wrong. She's sure she would have thought so before all of this, but right now, she doesn't care. It doesn't matter anyway... this situation is what it is, and they need to keep following the Ring. He seemed to not mind that she said it, so that can be all for the time being.]

Where the hell did that man go...?

[....And why is there a monster just sleeping over there? That's weird.]

No, actually, it's quite possible.

[She seems like a pretty normal lady a lot of the time. She has dolls, she has hobbies, she has friends. She goes to school. She acts pretty normal most of the time. It's just the occasional sign she gives off that tells them that she's seen things he can't imagine.]

Uhm... I think he's... over there.

[The Ring is indicating the monster. Ryou releases her after a moment, hurrying towards the sleeping monster as quietly as he can. He has to tiptoe once he gets to it, but by that point he can see him.]

...uh, Vaughn-san?

[Ryou whispers at her, waving her over so that he can point down below them. The guy's asleep... underneath the monster. He must have been trapped there when it fell asleep on top of him and just gone to sleep after a while. Talk about relaxed... Ryou can't even imagine it.]

Edited 2016-06-28 09:42 (UTC)

[Harriet tried to stick close, so it wasn't that far to wave. But... she can't believe what she's seeing here either. How could Belowski's contact high be enough to take out a big poisonous snake lady?! ...On the other hand, with as battered as the both of them are, it might start to seep into their consciousness before long. Honestly a bit apprehensive about this, she approaches and hisses over at him.]

Peter! Wake up, damn it!

[This is honestly terrifying, maybe he's been poisoned or is slowly being crushed by the coils in their sleep... if she wants to remove him, she'll probably have to employ the use of teleportation, but he'll need to give her something to hold onto first. He's still snoring though... frustrated, she fishes out a coin and flicks it at his cheek. As with most duelists, her aim is impeccable - he jolts awake, though then he turns his heavy-lidded eyes on them and wriggles a hand out to give them a relaxed wave.]

Wassup?

[...Well, she's relieved he's alive, but what's with that attitude?!]

Don't give me that! Everyone's worried about you, what are you even doing with that thing?

What, her? Nahhh, mate, scaleytits here is totes chill. I think she's saving me from the tornado? Like, it sorta looked like she was gonna eat me at first, but now we're slumber buddies so it's allllll good~

[He nods sagely. It's so jarring that all of her anguish seems to slip away into total bewilderment. Pulling out the white rose cards, she shakes her head.]

Ugh, never mind. Just ... Just give me your hand, Belowski.

Okey doke~

[He stretches it out past all the snakes, and she takes a deep breath as she takes it. One incantation later, he disappears from her coils and reappears at their side. Then he just drapes over both of them like a large dog.]

Aww man, that was sweet! Muchas gracias, amigos!

...

["Scaleytits"? What on earth was wrong with this guy? How drugged was he? Ryou watches with sheer disbelief as he talks. He feels like he's stepped into another world. This guy is so relaxed... Is he just a really relaxed drunk?]

Uhm, I don't think she was trying to rescue you...

[Though why she fell asleep on him, he doesn't know. He stiffens as the guy drapes over him, unsure how to handle this, then relaxes. He doesn't seem to have any untoward intentions. This is fine, right? They got the guy, safe and sound and unhurt. All they need to do is to find somewhere safe to hole up. He shakes his head, wondering what the hell is wrong with him to think that. Fine? None of this is fine. At least the guy is safe... Though he doesn't have a clue about half the things the guy is saying. 'Totes'? Is that even English? ...eh, he doesn't care.]

I'm not sure 'sweet' is what I'd call it. We should probably get away from her before she wakes up.

[He totes just uses whatever language that stuck with him in his bizarre travels... it's nothing to worry about. The monster doesn't seem like she's waking up any time soon either, as even her snakes-for-hands are soundly napping. Peter blinks, not really seeming to process the danger at all.]

Whoa... she wasn't? I guess that was just good luck, then...

[Harriet, on the other hand, is with Ryou. It's hard to stay mad at someone like Peter, but the feeling rebounds a little at his calm. How dare he enjoy himself at a time like this, part of her thinks, so she snaps, ducking out of the hug and thereby permitting Ryou to do the same.]

It wasn't. We don't have time for this - people are dead.

[His jaw hangs open at that - some part of him must have known, but it's a tough pill to swallow.]

I-I'm sorry...

[Harriet's eyes face forward, avoiding the hazards of a kicked puppy face.]

Well look, you can't run away from this. You belong with the others, they need your... [A pause.] ... Encouragement.

[That's not a good word to describe what he brings to a group, but... uh... whatever. No state to think. She's not handling this situation well, part of which is that enduring contrast she feels - that she doesn't belong, that she wants to run away, so damn well the ones who do can't. Tiredness is sinking in faster than before. And he's looking down, guilty. Agh... it's unbearable. She reaches out to pat him on the shoulder, leans in a bit to speak more quietly and gently.]

Oi... Petey. I'm really glad you're safe.

[...Why are her eyelids still getting heavier? Did she push herself that badly? All of a sudden, she...

she just fucking collapsed on him oh my god]

[He feels a little bad for Harriet when he sees that look on her face, but somehow, he doesn't have the energy to worry as much as he usually would. He reaches out to pat her arm lightly, giving her a sympathetic look that goes unseen as she focuses on Peter. He doesn't feel the need to say anything. It's between the two of them right now, so he just tries not to listen, letting them discuss what's going on quietly. At least... he does until he feels Peter's body lurch against him involuntarily as Harriet slumps suddenly.]

V-Vaughn-san! Are you alright?! Vaughn-san!

[The feeling of oddly peaceful serenity that was starting to wash over him is briefly shattered as he sees that, eyes widening as he grabs for her to try to support her. He feels a rush of panic, heavy enough to sweep away his tiredness for a moment, but it's not enough. His mind feels like it's growing foggy. Is it how much stress this whole event has put on his mind? He can tolerate a lot, but he's been worrying a great deal today. Perhaps his fear for her is overloading it.

Perhaps... he should...

just
not

worry...?

He sinks down without realizing he's doing it, slumping against the stranger's leg as his thoughts are swept away by that fog. Yeah, a nap sounds nice... right now...]

Edited 2016-08-04 22:05 (UTC)

[His eyes flash open suddenly, briefly cold, before settling into a semblance of Ryou's pleasant expression. What the hell was going on? Ryou just suddenly collapsed too? Was there some kind of bug going around? Was this guy contagious? ...he feels fine. But then, he's more durable than Ryou by far.]

Ah-! I'm sorry about that. I must have been tireder than I thought.

[He picks himself up, dusting him off.]

Wow, Harri- Vaughn-san must have been exhausted too! We should get her back as quickly as possible. We don't want her to get eaten by any monsters, and we can't fight them without her. She's a superhero, after all, and we're just ordinary, helpless people! We'd be torn apart by their strong jaws before we managed to run two steps...

[He barely manages to bite back a little chuckle at the image of this guy going up against a dragon. Chomp chomp~...]

I don't know if I'm strong enough to carry her though. Can you?

[Pft, yeah he is. But he didn't infect her, so screw you, Peter.]

[Compared to Ryou, he doesn't seem to mind that much that she suddenly fell asleep on him. She said what she needed to say, and now she's resting. It's natural to a weirdo like him. And obviously, Ryou just followed suit. Though as empty-headed as he seems to be, he picks up on the cold look instantly. Sweat beads on his face. Is he mad at him!?! Oh, whew, he apologized. He must not be, then.]

Heh... when you're like super relieved, that's a pretty good time for a nap. I do that all the time... no worries, my dude.

[Despite the serene response, he's not smiling. He processes things in incredibly strange ways, but it isn't as though her words didn't reach him at all. He's listening to Bakura too, muttering sadly as he does.]

Man, Duel Monsters aren't even supposed to crave human flesh, though. What harshed their mellow? Maybe they'd chill if we ordered em' some pizza.

[At least he nods when he suggests Peter carry her. He's been propping her up comfortably, as though there was nothing wrong with her leaning against him, so it doesn't seem like a stretch. He tries to give her a piggyback ride, though his body is rather twiggy, so he slumps noticeably under her.]

Ah... crushed by the weight of responsibility....

[Well, at least he can move like this. He's just going to start heading back to where he hopes he remembers the others are.]

...pizza? Really?

[He stares at him blankly for a long moment, then shrugs and starts to walk off, expecting him to tag along. Which he does, which is great. He glances back at him and bites back a laugh as he sees the stupid way he's carrying her.]

Where have you been? Duel Monsters have been trying to eat us for a couple of days now. It's why Har- Vaughn-san is so stressed.

[Probably getting high, he guesses. This is one of the stoners, right? He tucks his hands into his pockets, then remembers he's meant to be Ryou and tugs them out.

And he's not your dude, dude.]

[He tilts his head at that. From his hunchbacked pose, he kind of looks like a weird animal.]

Huh... no, I know that, but it still doesn't make much sense... all the monsters I met were relaxed like the snake chick. And then there's Harriet's partners. They don't try to eat anyone either. That's how it's supposed to be, yeah?

[He looks up at her, over his shoulder. Her armor slipped when she passed out, but he only just noticed.]

Whoa. Where'd her cool hat go?

Edited 2016-08-05 06:51 (UTC)

[Pft, like he's going to answer that legitimately.]

Maybe one of the monsters stole it!

[He smiles brightly, all too entertained by the silly look, but his mind is racing. All of them? All of the monsters reacted like that? And then Harriet and Ryou had passed out. Surely this guy couldn't have some kind of weird power, right? ...pft, that was silly. Humans didn't get magic.]

I don't know how monsters are supposed to act. I've read about them in stories, of course, but I've never actually ran into any before this.

Holy shit, [He believed him instantly. He whispers.] It must be invisible...!

[Never mind worrying about how monsters are supposed to act now. They gotta protect Harriet. The monsters are invisible.]

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