things that go bump

[blue_ice]

who: Seto Kaiba and you
what: Spooky late night sneaking around!
where: Purifeul tower or the hallways of the Magicademy
when: After good students have gone to bed
warnings: none anticipated. Maybe some spoopy ghosts later.



Of the many things Kaiba dislikes about life at Diatu Magicademy, the dormitory arrangement nears the top of the list. He usually makes himself scarce in the Purifeul tower, retreating to back corners to study or holding the pillow over his head. After spending most of his life cherishing solitude, enjoying giving others a wide berth, to be so crowded in is a real pain.

((prompt a: for purifeul))

Fellow students in Purifeul tower will find him in the common room long after he's supposed to be in bed, drawing circles in front of him with a wand. There's sort of a hazy barrier around his chair, and it's intended to keep the sound out, but in practice it's creating a weird reverb effect in the common room, along with the slight chime of bells. Have fun with that, late night snack seekers!

((prompt b: for all late night wanderers))

As far as anyone else who walks the castle at night? They'll find Kaiba hiding at the base of a staircase, sitting at the edge of a moonlit patch on the ground. He's trying a different spell here, one that results in a cloud of golden glitter coating him and the entire patch of ground.

He huffs, brushing it from his hair. That is not the intended effect...but he does suddenly feel a little more relaxed. That part, at least, is intended. And should anyone approach, he'll lift a hand to attempt to dismiss them. "Despite appearances, it's under control."

Comments

b.

[puzzlers]

"...!" Yugi hadn't been expecting to run into someone else out this late, so he bristles when he hears Kaiba, a sheepish laugh follows as he apologizes for... no real reason. It's just an unintended and very much automatic reaction.

"It's under control..." He echoes as he looks at the glitter, but he decides not to press the matter. Things have been a bit strange between them recently and he's not really sure how to dispell the awkward tension that really only seem to get worse with each ( brief ) encounter. "Carry on then."

B

[king_of_egypt]

Finding himself unable to sleep either Atem decided to go for a brief walk along the corridors. There wasn't really anything weighing heavily on his mind, although losing a game of cards to a cat would have been a good enough reason to question your life decisions, cough but he was enjoying the quiet of the night. It was hard to believe how these halls could be so crowded during the day and vacant at night.

At first he failed to notice the figure ahead of him, but when he heard who it was and saw what had happened he couldn't help but chuckle at the other's expense.

"I never realized that you wanted to be immortalized in gold glitter, Kaiba. Most people would commission a statue or a painting."

[blue_ice]

And there's Yugi. He seems to be back to normal...physically, at least, but there's a distance in his expression that bothers Kaiba. What is his problem? And does it have to do with why he's wandering too?

He wants to ask a hundred questions, but he starts with the most obvious.

"...where are you going so late?"

[puzzlers]

"I'm just going for a walk." He has no real destination in mind, but when his mind wanders he can't help but wander too. He looks to the moon, giving it a smile, because the campus is also so peaceful at night. During the day there are too many people and between the professors, the students, and the spells he just can't think. Now, however, he has nothing but time.

"If you're busy don't let me keep you."

[blue_ice]

And there's the pharaoh, amused at his misfortune again. Kaiba's bristling might have been genuine once, but there's enough gladness in seeing him regularly again that the grumbling no longer has a bite to it.

"I'd choose glass for my memorial. Gold isn't my style."

It just wouldn't feel right, and as he looks up at his once-lost friend, there's a glimmer in his mind about why. But he sets that aside to brush the mess off of himself as best he can.

"Looking for something out here? Other than my magical...errors?"

[blue_ice]

"If you qualify failed extracurricular magic tests as 'busy', then I guess I was. But when I hit a rut, rarely, sometimes I pull back and try the problem again later."

He looks up at Yugi again. "...I wouldn't mind a walk."

He knows things are strained between them, and he hates it, but he can still hold out hope. He can still push back the sharp edges. Maybe that 'failed' spell dust meant something after all.

[puzzlers]

"..." Yugi is too polite to tell him not to join him, so he just gives him a small smile and waits for Kaiba to get to his feet so he can join him. He starts down the path and starts rolling his familiar dice in his hand again. It's somewhat comforting and he knows that, if he needs him, Peregrin will be here the moment he drops them.

"Do you practice magic at night often? Or did you come out here because you couldn't sleep?" Might as well make some small talk, because walking in complete and utter silence would get old quick.

[king_of_egypt]

At least there isn't anything malicious behind the amusement.

"Why do I have the feeling you're questioning my own aesthetic."

Again, he's not being serious but they both knew that out of the two of them, Atem was more likely to be donning the glistening metallic substance.

"No," Said with a shake of the head. "Not a thing." Although, at some point he should like to explore the grounds more thoroughly. There might be much to be gained through further knowledge of it. "I was just going for a walk." The thought that Kaiba was practicing magic outside of class and so late at night had Atem thinking that he needed to up his game. Sure, this wasn't a race but he still felt a slight competitive edge, even when it came to magic.

[blue_ice]

"I'm practicing magic at night because I can't sleep," Kaiba admits, folding his hands into the pockets of his robes. "As an executive I relied on coffee after nights like these...but if I'm going to learn something so far outside my norm, I need a more effective solution. And there's no good coffee in this town."

He huffs a breath. "I was trying to craft a sleep dust. All it did was make me look ridiculous."

B

[bearshermark]

Luminary.

Never before had the title stirred such a dreadful, disquieted feeling in the pit of his stomach. It pulled him out of bed and led his feet down dark and empty hallways. His new bodyguard wouldn't approve, but Eleven was an adult and he brought his sword everywhere just in case. Hendrik's arrival only reinforced his paranoia.

The temples were closed at such late hours, but maybe the library would still be open. Much as he loathed his Language paper, the droll nuances of linguistics would at least give him something else to focus on. And so, books tucked under his arm, he trudged his way downstairs.

And promptly jumped out of his skin.

Eleven flattened himself against the wall, heart beating a rapid tempo in his chest, and eyed the unexpected figure silhouetted in the moonlight.

"H-hello?"

[puzzlers]

"So did you want to go to sleep or did you want to stay awake? Or both? I can help with one, but not the other." Yugi takes out his wand as they walk, creating a small blue cloud materializing in front of him. He holds his hand out, giving it a moment to start to dissipate, wherein it changes to a glitter of all different shades of blue.

"I probably should have materialized a bottle before doing this, but..." Yeah this was a stupid idea. Now he's just holding a handful of what's essential sleeping powder. "It's not nearly as flashy, but it gets the job done for a few hours at least." He'll perfect it when he needs more than a couple of hours at a time.

[blue_ice]

"Maybe I am." Kaiba laughs, but it's gentle, softened by his exhaustion and this changing bond between them.

He looks up at Atem, considering this. "So...you're just walking," he confirms. "Is this a nightly thing?"

[blue_ice]

Kaiba watches his wand movements, reluctantly impressed that his rival has already mastered what he's come out here to attempt.

"I've got it," and his wand is out, drawing glyphs as he imagines the bottle's shape in his mind's eye. It materializes, and he holds it below Yugi's hand.

"Here. But is the skin exposure going to affect you?"

[blue_ice]

Kaiba flinched too, dreading discovery by a professor. Not that he particularly cared about the colormarch, but a punishment would be...embarrassing.

It becomes apparent that the intruder is not a professor when he's so easily startled. Kaiba doesn't exactly recognize him, but he rolls his eyes and calls out.

"I don't bite, you know. Too tired to bother with it."

[king_of_egypt]

Atem can't help but to smile at that, amused that for once they're sharing in a lighthearted moment. It's a welcome and endearing change that he feels privileged to experience.

"Sorry to disappoint, but yes... just walking." With that he steps closer and kneels down, pinching a cluster of golden dust between his thumb and index finger and holding it up to look at it. "No- not at present but maybe it should be. You never know what interesting things you may come across when presumably everyone else should be asleep."

"If you don't mind my asking, what was the intent behind this spell?"

[bearshermark]

It takes him a beat - two - to peel himself from the wall. His books are gripped defensively over his chest, but his breaths begin to steady by degrees and he takes a cautious step forward.

"Maybe you should sleep then?"

[blue_ice]

Kaiba shifts a little when Atem approaches. What? Did he count as one of those interesting things? He rakes a hand through his hair, frowning when glitter comes away with his hand.

"It was intended to be a calming powder. I'm trying a few different solutions in an attempt to get to sleep, since sustaining myself during the day with coffee isn't an option anymore."

[puzzlers]

"No." He deposits as much of the 'glitter' as he can into the bottle before he dusts his hands off. "If you blow it into someone's face or splash some on your own, then it'll work." Basically it had to get near the face.

"I've been working on that since the researchers asked for volunteers a second time." Sleep had been difficult.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba gives him a considering look. Just what is he so scared of? He holds a hand up, palm-up, because he really doesn't need him freaking out and drawing more attention.

"That's what I'm trying to do. If you know any cures for insomnia, I'm all ears."

He's a little flippant, yes, but mostly out of frustration because his own solutions haven't been working.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba nods, corking the bottle and slipping it into his robes with a thankful expression. "Again, we have the same goal and you're the success."

His expression is wistful. "Heh. The same thing happened to me. I'd been having some trouble before that, but seeing Mokuba's reaction..."

He's suddenly aware that he's said too much, and his expression is pained for a second.

"Everything's so far out of control."

[bearshermark]

"Just hibiscus and alcohol," he supplies, breathing a sigh. The other student doesn't seem dangerous anyway. "Not together, though. ..But I guess it doesn't matter, since we don't have access to either of those things here."

[blue_ice]

"I'll keep that in mind for later," he snorts, attempting to magic his mess away. He manages to turn it silver. Perfect.

"I've tried a noise barrier in my dormitory. Now I'm attempting sleep powder. I'm about to hit the books to look for something else..."

He sighs. "The only good thing about the over-complicated web of magic is the existence of multiple solutions."

[puzzlers]

"Kaiba..." He stops and looks up at him. "Don't knock your own efforts. I have yet to accomplish as much as you in Modification. I'm trying." But math. "I know you would have gotten it." He starts walking again.

"What did you see? What happened with Mokuba?" Was everything alright? Without a brother of his own he could really only imagine what Kaiba was going through. "Did you... want to talk about it?"

[king_of_egypt]

That was certainly the implication, Kaiba. Catching sight of the others displeasure at having found yet more glitter upon his person, Atem fights the urge to snicker. Once was enough, laughing again would be a little cruel.

That admission was enough to help wipe the amusement from Atem's features.

"Sleep has never been something that's come easily to you, has it Kaiba?" He assumes, since beyond being a known workaholic the brunette always had a lot on his mind. Years of terrible habits were preventing this from being a smooth transition for him. "Have you ever thought of trying a more natural method first?" Unsure whether magic was really the only solution Kaiba could avail himself of.

[bearshermark]

"I used to be able to put people to sleep," he recalled with a nod. "But that magic is lost to me now. ..I wonder what branch of magic that would fall under here."