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kaiba is ridiculous, a post (dec. catchall)
who: Kaiba and you!
what: Brooding, searching, and making trouble around campus
where: All around campus and town!
when: any time!
It's been a whirlwind of a last few days for Kaiba. He's been even more emotionally distant than usual from the proceedings as of late, swooping around campus bundled in his winter cloak and pointedly striding to his next destination.
His first attempt at ignoring his problems is a midterm prep disaster. He's studying illusory magic by attempting to create a living chess game, and the pieces...aren't quite behaving. There's a miniature war all across the floor here---might want to step back or you might find a tiny knight ramming into your foot.
His next attempt consists of burrowing in the living library, surrounded by a stack of books a mile high. And they're getting higher, somehow...a stacking spell gone wrong. He fires up at the stack trying to contain it, but finds himself pushed back and over another pile. This...is a mess. Careful trying to enter or the tide of hardcovers might sweep you away!
Finally, realizing that his magical control isn't in top shape today, he retreats to a small hallway a short distance from Purifeul tower, tapping his pen against the pages of a journal. He'd almost welcome being thrown into someone else's chaos at this point.
what: Brooding, searching, and making trouble around campus
where: All around campus and town!
when: any time!
It's been a whirlwind of a last few days for Kaiba. He's been even more emotionally distant than usual from the proceedings as of late, swooping around campus bundled in his winter cloak and pointedly striding to his next destination.
His first attempt at ignoring his problems is a midterm prep disaster. He's studying illusory magic by attempting to create a living chess game, and the pieces...aren't quite behaving. There's a miniature war all across the floor here---might want to step back or you might find a tiny knight ramming into your foot.
His next attempt consists of burrowing in the living library, surrounded by a stack of books a mile high. And they're getting higher, somehow...a stacking spell gone wrong. He fires up at the stack trying to contain it, but finds himself pushed back and over another pile. This...is a mess. Careful trying to enter or the tide of hardcovers might sweep you away!
Finally, realizing that his magical control isn't in top shape today, he retreats to a small hallway a short distance from Purifeul tower, tapping his pen against the pages of a journal. He'd almost welcome being thrown into someone else's chaos at this point.
no subject
[ And he does, standing at the doorway and looking like he could sleep for a week. Despite it all, the corner of his mouth twitches up when he sees Yugi. ]
...can we sit? This might take a while.
no subject
[ as soon as he enters the dorm looking like that yugi is on his feet and helping him to a chair in the common room. he casts a spell to surround them, so nobody else can hear their conversation as he uses another to bring a blanket over to drape over kaiba's shoulders. he falls into place beside him, tossing his dice out to summon peregrin - who takes the form of a jackelop with wings. ]
Peregrin, please, if you could get Kaiba some lavender chamomile tea. [ the familiar chirps and then runs off. ]
Kaiba... what... what's going on?
no subject
I've been hit with a hard reality check. Of how far I have to go. As a duelist and...on a more personal level.
That girl I warned you about? She challenged me to a duel. Somehow, she had two Duel Monsters decks. One was a Blue Eyes build, so I took it...and I lost. Her deck had summoning mechanics I've never seen. Remember when I used to call Atem a cheater? Like that, but worse.
[ He bows his head. ]
She said she couldn't believe I'd ever held a title, not when I'm an utter scrub. I...didn't take it well.
[ An understatement, clearly. ]
no subject
How? How did she get your cards? [ that's his first question, because didn't kaiba have his cards here. well, his blue-eyes, at least, even though he hadn't been able to get their power back he still had the three of them... ] ...And just what kind of summoning techniques are we talking about? [ and yugi knows exactly what kaiba is talking about. the heart of the cards and how atem was always able to pull the card he needed when he needed it, but he's curious about what kaiba is talking about. ]
What? [ there's a very distinct and very sharp edge to yugi's tone that kaiba has probably never heard before. ] She couldn't believe you ever held the title? [ yugi is seething on his boyfriend's behalf, so he can only imagine how kaiba must have reacted. ] Kaiba... you might have been a pompous jerk when I first met you, but you are a very skilled and a very proud duelist. You're brilliant and strategist and you absolutely deserved the title once upon a time and I enjoy each and every duel we fight. Like you've said to me you help me come alive on the duel field. You're no scrub.
no subject
By banishing specific cards with she was able to basically...pull cards out of her sleeve that never would've been allowed under our rules. I didn't pick up all the new rules, and there's no way I'm asking her now.
[ He looks up at Yugi, finally, a glimmer of something in his expression. The anger on his behalf is cute. Touching, even. But unnecessary. He tentatively lays a hand over Yugi's in an attempt to calm his boyfriend. ]
I didn't bother to read through the cards I was given and learn the new rules, as she said. I can't honestly say I didn't deserve it. I'm just wondering where that leaves me now. Ever since the incident with my cards...
I don't know if I'll ever be who I was.
no subject
[ he shakes his head and looks to kaiba, trying to wrap his head around the rest of what he's saying. well, alright, if kaiba had just jumped right in, then that's his own fault. he probably should have taken a moment to familiarize himself with the deck even though it was probably somewhat similar to his own. ]
You don't need to be exactly who you were, Kaiba. You can be somebody better. You were learning a new game, yeah, the War Games, and if you were interested I could get you into Fantastic Foils, since I work at the shop. I know you know a bit of the game, but it's kind of similar to Duel Monsters and you've already played it a bunch with me, so it's not like you don't already know the basic rules.
no subject
[ It takes him a few minutes of leaning back and staring at the ceiling to figure out what exactly is bothering him. That inner voice that's driven him mad all this time isn't as loud as before, but it's still there, taunting him.
He groans, dragging his hands down his face. ]
Every failure is a mark of dishonor. And this one's entirely self-inflicted.
I've been told I should just...decide not to feel that way anymore. To dismiss it and move on. But that feels too much like accepting my mediocrity.
no subject
[ he supposes he had just been doing his best to get kaiba to stop thinking about it, at least for now, but that's not going to be enough. not this time. he lets him get it all out. ]
I don't think you're mediocre at all, Kaiba. [ he sighs, his shoulders sinking inward. ] And you don't have to accept it and move on. You can become better. Each loss is something to build on. I know that's probably not something you want to hear, but it's how you can make yourself stronger. She found a weakness... and she attacked it, but now you know about it and you can turn that weakness into a strength. It doesn't have to be a weakness anymore. She doesn't have to get the better of you time and time again. You will beat her and you will show her that you are the best, Kaiba. She'll see... what I see... [ he moves into his lap and leans in close. ] A bright star with all the potential in the world. How else would he have done all the things he's done, huh?
no subject
[ Kaiba wants to withdraw. He wants to hide in his room and work through his failures over and over again until the pain from this fades to background noise. But the dark cloud over his emotions is not yet invulnerable to Yugi's charm, and he finds himself nearly nose to nose with Yugi, a faint blush covering his cheeks. ]
I used to see that pretty easily for myself. Heh. But I appreciate it.
[ He squeezes Yugi tightly, tucking his head over his. ]
I still don't know how the hell you put up with me. But if you're gonna keep the habit, I'd be up for a game later.