[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

[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.