fluffydeathdealer | [CAMPUS/IC] II

[Bakura blinks over at the fragment, coming closer. What's he up to? The fragment isn't really of much use now anyway. Unless it remembered something. But he doubts that's the case. Surely it would have just said it, if it was?]

What is it?

[Malik gestures for Bakura to lean over as well, holding out the palm of his hand. At the center, a transparent ball of dull light circulates and grows larger in proportion to Malik's own fading presence. He looks tired as he holds it out.]

I want you to take a part of my soul with you. Just don't put it in the Ring.

Wha- you can still do that?

[Bakura stares at him. How the hell did a soul fragment manage to split itself? Though considering the form it's taken, it can't be more than the tiniest piece of Malik. He reaches out his hand to take it, slowly, then stops.]

[Malik's soul is surely at its' limit. The main Malik is too prone to breaking himself apart... and this fragment, can he truly survive if he starts doing it too?]

No, Malik... you should keep it.

[His voice is quiet.]

The amount of damage your soul has taken is phenomenal. There can't be much left of the main soul. And you yourself are only a fragment. If you split apart... you might disappear too.

[Harriet rolls her eyes, just letting them do their thing. She is so done with all of this soul shit. Though, she looks back over at that, raising an eyebrow.]

Oy, when he says that, he means the dark side doesn't do all this splitting up right?

In that case, you might want to keep as much of yourself in tact as you can. Just a thought.

... [Malik pulls his hand back, that dull light pulling back into his palm and restoring him to his slightly more visible state.

As long as he achieved his goals, he never cared about how much he was hurting himself. After all, he could still function. It never seemed to hurt except when one of his ghouls died.

But that was a frightening thought that Harriet brought up... Was his dark side able to take over because he'd split himself up like this? If it was true, then he doomed himself.

What a fool he's been. He didn't want it to end like this. What about the future? Everything he had planned...

Malik slumps forward in his misery.]

...

Even with all my experience, I've never run into a case like Malik before. If the other Malik's right, then they're not separate souls. The trouble is, how much of the soul is 'owned' by each personality is impossible to tell. It might be that Malik's has been worn down, and that it's easier to take over as a result... but then again, it might be unaffected by that at all. Or it may be that the soul division is weakening you to the point where the darkness within the Rod is slipping in to feed him.

Regardless, I agree with Harriet... There's too much of your soul that's completely gone now. If the 'main you' doesn't cut it out, I'm going to have to take drastic measures.

[Still, seeing Malik like that is rather saddening. He pats it on its' intangible shoulder and sits back.]

...still. This place is reassuring. There doesn't seem to be any real damage to Harriet.

[Harriet eyes her tape, then back at Bakura. She thinks being completely immobilized is real damage. He's probably saying that to make Malik feel better, but for him to say that makes her wonder.]

Um. What were you expecting?

[He gives her a surprisingly honest response, looking over at her with a serious expression.]

...Remember that the soul room reflects your state of being. I wasn't expecting to be able to speak to you at all, let alone to have you be aware and not in pain, or suffering beyond indignation.

I half-expected you to be suffocating in an ocean of darkness. The other Malik did that to me, once. If my soul wasn't bound to the Ring, it'd probably have died.

I see - 'Ocean of darkness' does sound more in-character for the other Malik.

In that case, maybe this was the best he could do. There must be a reason... wait.

[Thinking about this, she's remembering something.]

[scrambling for the memories, they're not quite there, but there is one thing that she's suddenly sure of. Whatever it is, it makes a sly grin appear on her face.]

.... I know what it was. I won.

[Had he really thrown away that much of himself? He'd only been doing what he needed to do. For his family, for Rishid and Ishizu... He'd let them all down, and now he might never get his body back, let alone see them again.

Malik was too lost in his own thoughts to even bother listening to them. His chest was tight and his breath--as unreal as it may be--felt cold.]

...you won, and yet you still ended up in a coma?

[Bakura sounds surprised... and slightly offended. Talk about breaking the rules, Malik! Your other half is a bit of a dick!]

Yeah - real load of shit, that. I guess he's a sore loser.

[it's not that surprising though... except one thing.]

Still, I'm not sure how he managed it. By that point the game would be over... something's wrong with this.

[thinking...]

Have you seen my deck leaders?

Their cards are in the pavilion... but I haven't seen the actual spirits.

[It's surprising to him. Talk about a fucking cheater.]

Hmm... [she doesn't really know if that's out of the ordinary or not, having no experience with soul rooms. And Bakura had never met any war duelists before this, so he wouldn't know either.]

Well, at least they aren't in boxes. But maybe I should try to chat with em'...

I get the hint, already.

[Oh fine. He gets up in a lazy manner, reaching out to pick her up again. He doesn't actually mind it, it being better than the recent solitude that happens otherwise, but it's still tedious.]

Malik, come on if you're coming.

... [Malik slowly rises to his feet and trails behind the two of them.]

Oh!

[Harriet blinks as she's lifted again - she never asked him to do it right the fuck now! Is he sure he doesn't just like carrying her around!?

But anyway, they're up now so they might as well go. There wasn't any point in not leaving immediately anyway. And it was kind of nice of him to just intuit that.]

Err, thank you.

[But having to be carried is still humiliating, especially with Malik around.

... Not that he's even paying attention. He's wallowing in self pity ever since she called him out.]

Oy, Malik. How long are you going to mope about that? It was only a theory. I just meant for you to take better care of your soul, not regret every life choice you've ever made about it.

[though if she knew exactly how many fragments were out there she might think he should regret his choices.]

Edited 2014-04-05 02:04 (UTC)

...

[He doesn't even feel up to answering her. What was he supposed to say? It was too late now to change how he felt.]

...

[Bakura frowns, shifting her in his arms to carry her easier.]

Tch. Maybe it was less depressing outside.

[It's partly joking, but enough of a hint as to how downcast he'd been feeling. Not that he expected anything else, but this atmosphere is depressing even to him.]

It's no good asking him to be careful of his soul. He's frustratingly reckless. Like a kid who keeps playing with a toy even after it's put his eye out.

Shut up! [He shouts suddenly, locking in place as he stares at the other two, a mixture of fear and fury on his face.]

I did what I had to do--and I don't regret it!

...

[He pauses, a few steps ahead of Malik. That came out harsher than he meant it to, didn't it? He supposes even a fragment still has the intense feelings of its' original... Being this callous probably isn't good even to a mere fragment of a soul.

Not that he usually cares what's good but... Malik gets exceptions. Since he is one already. Not that it usually stops them biting at one another, but this isn't the time. Tch...]

Oi, oi... I guess that was a little harsh. I'm just worried.

[Like hell he's apologizing to a fragment.]

I should check on your actual soul next time I run into the other you. See what state it's in.

[Sigh. Well, Harriet's almost kind of glad that he's yelling at them - it's a step up from wallowing, at least.]

That's a good idea. I'm worried too.

[Huffing loudly, Malik begins to move again. He doesn't slip back into his previous despair just yet; his blood's still boiling, his stomach twisting harshly inside of him.]

How can you tell? I mean... How can you tell how much is "left"?

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