[CLOSED - SETO KAIBA] Base Essentials

[noasark]

Who: Noa and Seto Kaiba
Where: Anastara, First Ring
When: Late April
What: Talking- and Shopping- between awkward sorts

He arrives at the gates a full fifteen minutes early, and whether Seto plans for that or not, does not seem to matter to him. Frankly, as intriguing and even exhilarating as taking classes in a magic school has been, the entire matter of his step-brother, talking (on 'good' terms no less!) to his step-brother, and even planning for a meeting with him, has been enough excitement that he has found himself unpleasantly jittery for the last number of hours. He tries not to let it show.

He's doing an incredibly poor job.

Noa is accompanied by- as usual- a single penguin, this one a calm chinstrap bearing a properly sized pack across their back. Whatever is inside is a mystery- but it's hardly a mystery that will be worth much fussing.

For now, Noa simply waits- wearing his uniform for the school, and trying not to figet too much with the pendant ocarina he recently received from Adelai for classes.

At the very least, he has noted somewhat wryly, that penguin has decided to either treat him as his own or as a strange 'son' of sorts rather than a proper partner, and Noa isn't quite sure if he's irritated about that or not.

With any luck, the scheduled meeting time will roll over shortly and Seto (of all people) can provide some distraction fron the thought.

...

(It is at least, he admits, a nice ocarina- even if it won't measure to his instrument of choice.)

Comments

[blue_ice]

The elder Kaiba isn't entirely sure how this is going to work just yet. After everything that happened between them...this is always going to be a little weird, isn't it?

But that's been his entire life since arriving at this cursed school.

He values his time too highly and values precision too much to arrive too early, so he won't be seen approaching until five minutes before. He's wearing his usual white and blue uniform, but there's a new silvery-blue coat fastened over it. Somehow it seems to billow even more than the white one from home, even when he's standing still.

As practiced as he is at projecting confidence, even he falters a little here.

"Hello, Noa, and...Noa's penguin. Did you eat yet?"

[noasark]

Noa only barely jolts at the sound- however bare it likely is- of Seto's approach. It at least means he appears relatively calm by the time the taller of them is properly greeting them however, and Noa inclines his head in turn. "Seto," he greets, continuing. "I've eaten, yes." Though he'd barely remembered to, and it was also a while ago he quietly warns himself, and it is a poor habit already. He can't go forgetting human needs that often- it won't end well.

"This is..." He stares at the chinstrap. "...Unfortunately, the most I get from Adelai is squawking sounds whenever I ask for the names of these ones, so I can't answer that. ...Apparently he has funds for whatever I have to buy today though," he notes- and quietly he can't ignore that this Also means the penguin can technically prevent him from buying things as well.

He hopes very strongly that if his purchases need to be barred by a penguin, it is not in front of his step-brother. He can only take so much. "...Have you eaten yourself?" Noa asks in attempt to continue some conversation. After all, if the question has to be asked to begin with...maybe Seto himself had plans there?

[blue_ice]

"I'd say that gives you permission to give them nicknames," he suggests, squinting down at the bird. What strangely generous creatures.

"Mm. I was going to show you a restaurant in town if you were up for it, but there's always next time. Have you spent much time in the larger city yet? There are some places that would interest you."

[noasark]

"That would require me to be entirely certain each example of their species is the same one when assigned..." he mutters, the adelie giving a soft 'AAAAAUH' in what appears to be oblivious cheer. "Mnnh. Regardless, it means I have some form of an allowance, which should make things a bit easier."

At least until he spies something Really nice, and has to bargain with a bird.

There is a brief spark of interest at the idea of seeing a restaurant here- after all, he hasn't exactly been remembering to even eat on time, let alone consider the idea of treating himself. "Ah...perhaps after everything else then," he suggests, continuing with his answer. "I've wandered some...but I sincerely doubt I've seen much," he huffs almost grudgingly. "More than likely any place you have in mind will be one I haven't seen."

It's both easy, and difficult to admit. Easy, in that it's only expected. It hasn't even been a month. He has classes. Books! There's an entire library with plenty of tomes for students to peruse. Beyond that, most normal residents likely haven't seen everything the city has to offer.

....this does not make it sting any less when he was once able to know everything on the spot, and the irritation is difficult to banish.

[blue_ice]

"Fair point. Well. I'll just call them all Shorty."

Not the most creative of names, and it certainly won't bite him in the rear later...but that's all right. He swipes his hair back and nods, beginning to lead the way past the gate.

Seto's not usually one to care about emotions, but classic Kaiba annoyance is difficult to miss.

"Is something specifically bothering you, or is the whole school just nonsensical? Because I definitely understand feeling that."

[noasark]

"If you think this one's short..." he mutters in amusement, failing to finish it in the end. It's hard to conceive some of them as 'short' from Noa's end admittedly- the emperor ones are just a little too close to his own height to see it in that way.

It really does figure that his annoyance showed however, and he outright flinches when he's caught. "It's nothing," he replies a bit too quickly, almost just as quickly realizing that such an answer won't work here.

Grudgingly, he relents before things are either pushed into awkwardly dancing about the topic, or something else. "...Nonsensical I can handle- if anything, I've found it interesting. Taking on the challenge of understanding an entirely new set of 'rules' for natural order isn't something most can expect to face. ...I just need to get used to certain limits," he adds, crossing his arms as he mutters that last bit. Whether he means socially, mentally, or even physically, is up to interpretation.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba listens patiently. There is an academic value in the exercise of expanding their minds to rethink absurdity, he supposes, but he's still had enough for a lifetime.

He wonders what limits Noa can possibly be referring to.

"You're still committed to being the best. I didn't expect anything less. And with your flair for the dramatic..."

He stops outside the theater.

"You'd probably appreciate this place more than I do. Those in your house are all about performance art, and...hmm. I see you already have your instrument."

[noasark]

He doesn't refute the statement, that idea of where his commitment lies. Frankly, Seto is very likely right after all- as much as Noa would rather consider it 'best' in his own personal books, it's still the 'best' over some form of standard that he cannot presently reach.

There is the slightest arch of an eyebrow as his step-brother mentions that flair for the dramatic, and given the timing of their arrival he cannot keep from giving a dry 'laugh'. "Hah... Speak of the devil then, hmm?" He fingers the ocarina, lightly tossing it once before letting it rest in his palm. "...It wasn't my first choice I'll admit- but for now at least lessons have been focusing on wind instruments. It's easy enough to manage," the boy continues, looking at the theatre more properly.

"Not a fan then, Seto?" He asks as if he does not likely already know. It's something he'd rather stick to- having Seto admit things as he will or won't, instead of having the knowledge that his memories were utterly ransacked dangled in front of the other's face. Besides.

It isn't as though he paid much attention to that sort of interest/disinterest, when it mattered so little in the grand scheme of his goals.

[blue_ice]

Seto gives him a nod. Fantastics has practical application, to be sure, and he knows Noa will exploit it for all the potency it offers. He's probably not as afraid as he should be, to be honest.

"My education was a litttle different from yours. Things like that were considered a waste of time for me, as I wasn't born into it. What he wanted from me wasn't like what he wanted for you. My 'hobbies' were all about crushing opponents in games."

He sucked in a breath. "I can admire the technical aspets of a performance, though, and I know yours will be worthy of respect. "

[noasark]

Be afraid, Seto. Be very afraid.

The minute he can figure out how to get in the good graces of the various magical professors, he's intending to take this school by storm.

Noa does well not to flinch immediately at the reminder of the stark differences. He can't help but grimace when his thoughts wander into the matter with more detail either- "...I still can't tell how that changed..." he finds himself whispering, eyes narrowed not in disbelief- he knows full well that Gozaburo absolutely did do what Seto refers to- but the sheer shift from one treatment to another still feels so very wrong.

He had at one point- as a computer- wondered if it was simply punishment. Perhaps if things were completed 'faster' there would have been boat trips and music and such.

He isn't fool enough to entertain that sort of thought now, and he almost wishes he was. Noa blinks himself away from those thoughts, looking over what showings their are and smirking in Seto's direction. "I'll just have to make it enjoyable on those points then when the time comes," he declares. "...Perhaps I'll even find something here that you would like."

It is about as unsubtle as he can get when it comes to the idea of asking to see a show with his step-brother one day, and maybe one day he'll actually be able to ask with normal words.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba regards him silently, a thoughtful expression on his face. He doesn't hold a grudge about the difference in treatment. He has a clear enough perspective by now to understand that they were both hurting in different ways, and that Gozaburo's raising of Noa wasn't all that great either.

That comment does draw a snort from it. "Knowing you? You just might succeed. I'd try it once...and watch you if you landed a role in one. Thought about auditioning?"

[noasark]

The difference is at least enough that Noa does wonder, briefly, if a gilded cage is or isn't any better than a visibly rusted one.

He's quickly drawn from those thoughts by the idea of auditioning- one that has him wrinkle his nose. "...Definitely not. If I'm doing any sort of 'presenting', it'll be for something I create- and for better reason than just putting on a show," he mutters, admittedly at a loss for what that reason would ever be.

Not to mention what 'just' even covers.