diatu | July Event Log

The Defense Association

Given some of the recent events, Atem agrees that it would be wise to brush up on defensive magics since it would better prepare him to defend either the school as a whole or his friends and acquaintances. Therefore, he makes the time to swing by after his regular classes. Combined with all the extra studying he did last month, he isn't leaving much time for recreational activities. That's just as well since he'd allowed Fantastic Foils and other games to consume much of his time in previous months.

"Ha- you've fallen into my trap." Atem replied a bit smugly during one of his practice duels. "You must have missed when I placed that glyph there moments after we started." As intended, really. The more overt spells he'd cast had been for the express purpose of distracting his opponent's attention.

The small but effective explosive energy of the glyph felled his "foe" with relative ease. Once the match was called, Atem moved over to offer them a hand up. "It was a valiant effort though, I'm sure the same trick will not work again."

Research on the Sundered

Having stuck with the research this far, Atem saw no reason to stop now. Yes, there might be danger involved but if it would help the other sundered find a way to their own dimensions then so be it. It was a risk he was willing to take. At first he didn't perceive a noticeable change, but that was how these things usually worked. There was often a delay of a few hours to even a day before the results manifested so he wasn't overly concerned, just quietly hoping that it would not mean winding up in a compromising situation.

In fact, he'd nearly forgotten about it when he was sitting in one of his classes, listening to the lecture that was in progress. That continued even after a husky began speaking to him from an adjacent desk.

Oh, isn't this convenient.... for you pharaoh. The emphasis on the last word displayed the speaker's utter disgust. Atem turned in his seat, gaping at who he saw before standing up.

"Bakura!?" It was a shame that no one else could see the delusions he was now experiencing.

... Getting a second chance at life, or is this a third? The shaggy-haired specter continued. A shame that the villagers of Kul Elna were never afforded such an opportunity. The delusion tilted his head to one side and followed that with a laugh lacking mirth. Tell me, pharaoh, what would all your new friends think about you if they knew the origins of that puzzle around your neck.

"Enough! I don't know what you're playing at this time- but mark my words it will fail just as before!" Someone might want to escort Atem out of the room before he causes more of a scene than he has already.

Lady hadn't really been interested in offering the researchers any assistance, because she didn't really trust them. She'd heard whispers of effects both good and bad, and still pretty nervous about this place she didn't want to throw herself into harm's way. It took several hours of serious thought to realize that if she didn't help, then she very well might be stuck here. Permanently. And that was even scarier. She didn't mind this place, but that didn't mean she didn't want to go home.

And so she took them up on their offer.

She was sitting in class with Atem when her own delusions began to manifest. The cultists from that fateful day surrounding her desk and taunting her until she was on the verge of tears, but she was quick to excuse herself, ducking her head and hurrying into the hall as the followed. Reaching for her. Getting closer and closer and- She snapped upright when she head Atem yell from inside, their ghostly visage dispersing as she quickly ran back in. "..." The entire class had turned to look at him, so she quickly ran over and took his wrist, all but yanking him out of the chair and dragging him into the hall.

Ignoring all of the eyes now staring at him in bewilderment, Atem kept his eyes trained on the source of his unease. Temper, temper... you're making quite a scene. The amusement evident in his non-existent voice. Finally, the pharaoh looked aside and up to the professor.

"I don't know when Bakura arrived, but you cannot allow him to study here with the others. This man can't be trusted." The student he'd actually been shouting out slipped lower in his chair wishing he was anywhere but here. It was obvious that he wasn't this Bakura fellow, and he had no idea what Atem was going on about.

It was about this time when Lady drug him out of the room, and he struggled with her a bit to try and free himself but discovered she was surprisingly strong. "Lady, I am sure there must be a good reason for this, but I have to see this through. If.. he's here then others may be in danger as well. He's not the sort of person who cares who gets hurt in the process."

Surprise! She's a lot stronger than she looks. "Atem." She did her best to ignore the people talking to her, the whispered threat of torture on their tongues. Her grip doesn't ease up and, instead, tightens as she forcibly turns him back toward the class. "Look a- and look hard. Bakura, whoever that is, he's... he's not there."

Finally she let go of him, but only so she could lash out at the phantoms. "Get away from me!" She shouted, her words warping into a roar loud enough to shake the building. "Leave me alone. Leave me alone." She moved away from Atem, taking her head in hand as she doubled over, defensively. "I'll kill you if you touch me. I'll fight back this time. I- I'll fight back!"

That would stand to reason since she wasn't exactly human to start with. "Not there!?" Atem questioned as she spun him to look into the room. "What to you mean, he's right there in the desk just to the rig-.. he's gone?". Feeling even more puzzled, when no one else had gone through that door save for the pair of them. It would have been foolish to go out a window from this height. Then he looked back towards Lady. "You... mean you didn't see him at all?"

Before she could answer, she started shouting herself. "You're the one that pulled me out here...?" It came out as more of a question than a statement. It didn't take long to figure out that she was talking to something or someone he couldn't see either. "Lady! Get ahold yourself."

"It's just the two of us out here". Taking a step forward, he only halted when she said she would kill to defend herself. Eyebrows furrowing, he wondered just what it was that she had experienced in some point in her life to be acting this way. "Lady please... listen to my voice. There's no one else here. No one is going to hurt you."

Lady doesn't answer and instead lets him find out for himself that Bakura had been no more than an illusion, or perhaps a sick joke done by one of the students. Honestly it can be pretty hard to tell sometimes. When he seems to realize that something strange is afoot she shakes head. "Not at all."

But shortly after she's plagued by her own phantoms, which have her growling loudly and threatening to snap at anybody that comes close. She hears him, but at the same time she doesn't hear him; the voices of those monsters rising high above Atem's. Eventually they die down, class ending and the flurry of students causing them to disperse. She blinks, trembling, her hand clutching at her chest. "W- What?"

That's probably for the best, he wouldn't have believed it without confirming it himself. The illusion was so lifelike, the voice was right out of his memories. The spirit of the ring had looked as real as either one of them now. ".... I could have sworn..." Looking toward the floor, he soon looked backed towards her.

When Lady had her attack, he wanted to reach out and place a hand to either one of her shoulders to help snap her back to reality but she might actually try to make good on her threat. Then she would have the guilt of having lashed out at someone who was innocent to go with the rest. Still, he persists in trying to help talk her down. Their voices likely carried into the classroom they'd just left.

"I said, no one is going to hurt you..." When she seemed to regain her senses. "Lady, what did you see?"

"N- Nothing. It was nothing." She tried to force herself to relax, but when the halls filled with people she suddenly felt more afraid. The hustle and bustle caused the voices to start stirring again. We're coming for you, Lahdinokhind. It started with your wings, but it's not going to end there. We'll cut you up bit by bit.

"Iiiii I need to get out of here. I need to get out of here r- right now."

"It's... not nothing." Nothing doesn't make you issue death threats, and writhe around in fear. There's nothing you can do to help her, pharaoh. She'll fall to the shadows that haunt her mind, just as you will. Not this again. Of course his own delusions couldn't lay off while he was trying to help Lady. "Not now..." he muttered openly. "Now that I know you're not real- you hold no power over me."

Can you be so sure?

Trying to tune it out, Atem shifted focus back to Lady. "Come this way, there's a door that leads out to the the courtyard."

"A- Alright." He's leading you into a trap. You have no friends here. He's actually working with us, Lahdinokhind. He wants more power. He wants your power. She hesitates to follow for a moment, bristling and looking at Atem as if she'd be able to tell who was telling the truth. Eventually though she starts walking, trying to ignore the phantoms. His own delusion had been just that, so surely hers were the same. What had caused this she didn't know, but she couldn't wait for it to stop.

Little did Atem know how the voices were specifically trying to poison Lady's mind against him. Then again his own constant pest was still trying to convince him of his eventual failure. Bakura's words would hold more weight had he not been soundly defeated before- but still the voice was greatly troubling and grating on him. As they began to make for the exit, it was only a few strides before they were outside in the fresh air which he hoped would somehow dispel their problems.

"Is it any better out here?"

"I want to get away from the school." Because she assumed it was the source of this madness. She continued to ignore the chiding from the seemingly malevolent spirits as she transformed into a dragon. She had done it a few times before, but never in front of somebody.

"If you want to get out of here, then get on, otherwise you can stay here and try to figure out what's going on." She wasn't sure this would work, but it was worth a shot. The school seemed to be the source of a lot of problems, so maybe getting further away would help?

"Sure, we can go into town... or.. to the outskirts..." He started thinking of places to list when she made her transformation. Atem stood there transfixed never having witnessed such a thing.... since... well.. facing Leviathan- only in that instance the dragons turned into the knights of Atlantis. This was like that only in the reverse. You've been spending so much time with monsters, you've become unable to spot one right when she's right in front of your nose. He grimaced at the disparaging remark and tried to push it to the back of his mind.

Holding a hand to his head.... he nodded slowly. Even if he didn't think fleeing the grounds was the answer, Lady shouldn't be alone. "...... Get on?" He questioned. I mean....... it was fine because she already gave him permission, but still.

Lady had a few places in mind, since she didn't normally stay at the dorm. She just didn't really feel comfortable being trapped in a tower with a bunch of strangers, even if a few of them had been very nice. Oh, if only she could hear what Bakura was saying. That would probably be the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Get on." If he doesn't, then she's going to take off without him, because she really just can't stand being here and the open air should help her clear her head. Or so she hopes. He's going to stab you in the back. When he finally puts you down he'll be hailed a hero for killing such a monstrous beast.

Not really being aware of her habits, he wasn't sure where she most liked to frequent. Also he would prefer that she should never have to hear the cruel words of Bakura for herself.

Something in Lady's tone told him that he shouldn't hesitate again, so he complied. Climbing on her back, he secured himself as best he could, as she took off. Then he proceeded to take in the sights to behold from high up in the air. So trusting, pharaoh... all it would take is for one little mishap and then you would fall to your doom. I don't think they've bothered to teach you how to fly in that rundown old school... hmm?.

She's careful, at least, though she does occasionally spare him a glance no thanks to the whispers she's hearing in her ear. Flying to the far edge of the campus takes almost no time at all and soon she's landing and waiting for him to get off, so she can change back. There's a moment of silence, one where she thinks she's gotten the best of the phantom, but the it begins chuckling again, the apparitions appearing around her and encroaching at an alarming rate. Lady backs away, stopping only once she's hit the trunk of a tree.

"S- Stay away."

Yes the flight over is surprisingly smooth, despite how they were both being tormented by their various disembodied voices or collections thereof. Atem, slides off as soon as they land as it would have been uncalled for to linger longer, then he hangs back as she transforms again. A silence hovers over them giving them both a moment to breath- but only just.

"I... .guess this means it isn't tied to the school." Atem replied quietly and weakly, since the statement was of no real use to either of them.

"Lady- there's really no one else here.. it's still just us..."

As soon as her back hits the tree she sinks down and brings her hands up over her head. "Don't come any closer!" A dark edge creeps into her tone as the voices keep taunting and teasing her, going into detail about how they intend to continue the torture they started all those years ago. "I said don't come any closer!" It's another roar, one that may be powerful enough to knock Atem back a bit.

But she seems to realize something's afoot again, because she looks at him, frowning. "I- I'm sorry! I didn't... Atem are you okay?"

Atem heeds her warning at first, but it's getting harder to mind. They spent all that time in the air together and not once did she turn on him. So he risks it and takes a step forward. "I don't think you would do anything to strike out at me, Lady...." But that is when she restates her initial command. It's clearly meant for the unseen enemies, but the roar does end up pushing him back, and making him lose his footing.

His backside collides with the ground and he grunts. Were you always this naive pharaoh? I should have crushed you years ago...

Atem missed hearing her apologies as his delusions grew in strength, the image of Bakura appeared over him, hands gripping his neck. Although Atem told himself it wasn't real, he still felt pressure applied to his neck as Bakura started to choke him. So... the pharaoh began to fight back trying to throw said delusion off of him, or unbalance it in any way.

It's probably a bad idea, but as soon as Lady has her head on somewhat straight she rushes forward and grabs for one of his flailing hands. She pulls him to his feet, assuming he's fighting back an unseen enemy like she'd been doing just a second ago. Lady pulls him into her and holds him closely as she transforms again, keeping him secured in her coils.

"It seems like it's getting worse. But it's all not real, right, and if we keep telling ourselves that, then we'll be fine. We have to protect each other from these enemies. They'll be relentless, no doubt, but they're not real. I'm not under attack and neither are you... and if we were... I would do what I can to help you fight them back."

There is a wheezing 'fweet' sound as Noa spits his ocarina from his mouth, the pendant thudding noiselessly on his front.

"Ughhhh..." Noa swears there's spots in his eyes right now- and realistically he should have seen it coming. At the end of the day, he simply wasn't made for combat- not even Magical combat.

At least his pride is softened enough that he's able to actually take Atem's hand to get up. "You say that," he huffs, "But that implies you would use the same trick at all."

He might not know Atem that well, but he's practically certain they're not about to recycle the same thing over and over.

Noa was generally a bright and observant opponent so there had been a real threat that the boy would have seen through the ruse. Once their hands met, Atem helped draw him back to his feet.

To that remark, he couldn't help smirking. "Oh, I don't know.. there may be some cause to use it again in the future." Said more or less just to keep Noa on his toes and dissuade him from ruling out the possibility.

"How do you think you're coming along with these defensive magic lessons?"

"Oof..." He can't help but rub his shoulder with his free hand, still grimacing. "...Slowly," is his initial answer, before he huffs at Atem's first remark. "I should hope if it's a repeat that it isn't against me then..! It won't do you any good in that case," Noa insists, choosing not to think about how utterly embarrassing it would be to be fooled twice.

"Not a lot of defensive magic is based in Fantastics however...I've been taking Intimation and Thaumaturgy so far, but you can imagine the difficulties from that." Intimation after all, is even less concrete than Fantastics tends to be- he needs to get a bit more trickier than he already is.

Dewey picked himself up off his tail and straightened out his shirt with a cough.

"Good one, dude. I'm taking Glyphs, you would've thought I'd see it comin'."

Given that he ... hadn't noticed that Atem was in his Glyphs class, that statement was totally up for debate.

July Event Log

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research. now we've both lost it.

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DEFENSE....

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Defense Association