ohmyarceus | July - August Test Drive Meme

[The blonde is too focused on his own thoughts and anger to notice the facade.

He's about to smack him upside the head for being all self-deprecating (good lord, Marik. Calm down.) but his following statement gives him pause.

Marik will admit, he doesn't know much about Ryou or how much he's aware of when it comes to Bakura. But that last comment has him suspicious.

He places a hand on the alley brick wall next to Ryou's head and leans in far too close for comfort, violet eyes studying the boy's face intensely.]

How do you know who Shadi is?

[He leans back but doesn't break eye contact. Instead he narrows his eyes a little, furrows his brows and pulls a bout.]

Because I met him, of course. Yuugi told me about him too, he's one of... Well, not one of his other self's friends, but like. ...an ally? He has something to do with the items? I'm sorry, I don't know him very well. We only met once, when we all went to the museum to unlock the Pharaoh's memories, and ...well.... ....

We all wanted to help, but he used one of the items and said that I couldn't come. Only me. It's embarrassing, but I left right after.

[That episode had been both a lucky break for Bakura because it'd given him an excuse to split from their little friendship squad, but it had also made him want to kill Shadi once again. Ryou's hurt had radiated that strongly that even he had felt it as if it were his own, and it had royally pissed him off. Nobody but him got to pick on his host without his prior permission!]

[Color him impressed than Ryou didn't back down. The explanation is satisfactory for him as well. He backs off, instead crossing his arms as he gives the other teen another look over.

Gods, he looks ridiculous in that get up. Like trying to make a puppy look intimidating.]

He probably sensed the Spirit of the Ring. Don't take it personally.

[He clicks his tongue.]

We need to get you out of that uniform and figure out how to have you quit the organization. If there's even a way. Because they'll get you into more trouble than Yugi and his friends do.

[Success! He makes sure not to show his trademark smirk as he blinks up at Marik.]

You want me to undress?

[OH MY GOD RYOU. Marik's shoulders slump and his expression is just... one of both annoyance and pity.

This kid is hopeless.]

No, you fool. Do you have a change of clothes? What did you arrive here in?

[Okay, he can't hold it anymore! He starts laughing, although he still manages to keep the worst cackling out of it. Wiping a tear away from his eyes, he smiles at Marik.

Keeping acting was definitely the right choice! Now he only needs a really good time for the reveal.]

Relax! You were so tense that I couldn't resist trying to break the mood a bit! I understand what you want from me, I really do! I just fear that it won't be so easy as just changing clothes.

[He wants to pull his hair out at this point. Why did he even bother helping this git. Is it because he still feels some strange sense of camaraderie towards the Spirit? That's the only explanation that makes sense to him.

Marik inhales and slowly exhales, trying to calm himself down. No point in strangling the poor bastard over a weird sense of humor.]

Changing clothes is just a bandaid solution. You can hide with me while we figure out how to free you from... whatever contract there is.

[He purses his lips.]

The thought of you getting hurt by them is... like watching someone kick a puppy. I don't want that on my conscience.

[The sad thing is: the real Ryou would probably have pranked him even worse if he'd felt like it. People like to mistake the Spirit and the Host as opposites like good and bad, but in truth their line is way more blurry than that. It's just that Ryou doesn't really hate anybody, while Bakura only has wrath for others.

This has slowly gone on for long enough, though. Time to teach Ishtar just who needs to have somebody looking out for them.]

Mn. Thanks, but I'll have to decline. I thought about it while I was stuck with their 'training'. Just running away won't bring us anything. The organization is really big from what I understand, and I don't want to endanger whoever I'm going to stay with, either. So.

[He steps back and holds his hands out, subtly brushing by his belt in the movement as he offers his best angelic smile for distraction.]

So! I'm going to stay with them and act as your undercover agent instead! That way I can do good and nobody will get- AH! My pokeball-! Please catch it!

[There it goes rolling, well-calculated right past the blond's feet and back towards the street.]

[Looks can be deceiving indeed. Marik would never once suspect that of Ryou. Just like everyone else, he figures the boy is shy, unassuming, and incapable.

Which is entirely foolish considering he can handle the Spirit of the Ring.

Another thing that's foolish is how he manages to relax a bit when Ryou gives his answer. Marik blinks, surprised by it - in a good way.]

... Alright. I can respect that. If you... think you can handle it.

[Marik doesn't fully believe he can but credit where credit's due.

... Aaand there he goes, being a clumsy oaf and the blonde has half a mind to bash him in the head before he dives after the pokeball, giving himself a good amount of cement scrapings as he almost slides against it.

He curses in Arabic. Like, a lot. Particularly foul words he's never uttered in Japanese/English. But he's caught the ball. He rolls on to his back, teeth gritted, and his anger through the roof.]

/You fucking idiot!/

[A language he can speak, Marik. No point insulting him if he doesn't know it.]

... Stupid! You've got to be more careful with your damned Pokémon! Their lives should be more important than your own! Shit...

[Gods, that smarts. He hasn't been this cut up since before he arrived here.]

[And just like that, a warm but immovable weight settles on top of Marik. Bakura smirks down on him, the act finally dropped.]

Oh, don't worry. I knew that you'd catch it. And even if you didn't--

[A ghostly snicker can be heard as a Ghastly materializes between them and the street. It's a fair deal away, safely out of Marik's reach or that of any surprises he still might be hiding somewhere. It's also blocking the way to or from the street. Bakura's knees dig into the concrete and against the taller youth's sides as he presses his chest down with a firmly planted hand. The other is holding a small utility knife right against the pulse at the blond's neck.]

Hello, Marik~ I trust you'll believe me when I assure you that this knife has been both sharpened, and that I know exactly where I only need to cut a little bit to have you bleed out all over the street within less than a minute.

[Wha-

It happened so fast, it takes him a minute to realize just the kind of position he's in.

With a knife pressed against his throat.

Now, normally he would be freaking out about this but when the inflection in Ryou's voice changes to the one he's far more familiar with, Marik actually finds a laugh escaping from him.]

Bakura...!

[His body is throbbing from pain and adrenaline but he seems in good spirits as evident by the big toothy grin he's giving his partner-in-crime.

He's still tensed up, of course. How can you not be with a knife to your arteries? But it's almost a relief to him that it's been Bakura this entire time.

He'd hug him if it wouldn't get him stabbed.]

You gods damned bastard. How did you-

Wait. ... Do you have the Ring?

[Okay, that laugh is slightly disconcerting. It has Bakura squint, wondering if Marik lost his marbles and he's actually crouching in the lap of the Tomb Keeper's 'other' instead. Which'd be... bad. That bastard's crazy enough to ignore the knife and try to rip out Bakura's jugular with his teeth just for fun.

.....or maybe he's just ordinarily crazy again, judging by that smile.]

Who else would I be? And what do you think?

[He rolls his eyes as he shifts his weight slightly, taking some of the pressure off the other's chest.]

More importantly, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you got tired of suckling on the Pharaoh's tits already!

[Let's be real, he lost his marbles back when he went through the ritual.

But despite his crazed response, Marik is one whole being again. The Pharaoh may have kicked out the second personality but that just means the blonde is in full control of all of his emotions now. He's more familiar with the corners of his mind.

Which might be worse in some cases.]

I thought you were your host, you jerk.

[Oh, thank goodness. He can breathe a bit easier now.]

I didn't come here by choice but... it's honestly not a bad place. I'm shocked to find you here though. The powers of the Millennium Items shouldn't be working...

[Not that he actually knows, not having his Rod with him.

... Marik decides to push his luck and pats Bakura on the legs dismissively.]

You can get off me now. I'm not going to do anything foolish around you.

[(Okay, that's fair. Can't really blame him for that.)]

Which was the point, you idiot. I was going to see if you'd recognize me like that or not.

[He offers him a 'sweet' smile before he sits back and strips out of his jacket. Bakura remains pointedly seated while he takes his sweet time pulling his shirt out of his pants as well and smoothes it back down over them.]

That'd be new. Are you planning to completely stop moving and die to do something like that?

[But he finally gets off. Flipping the jacket inside out Bakura ties it around his waist before he bends down and gingerly takes his pokeball out of Marik's grasp.]

Thanks for the catch~

Well, I never interacted with Ryou directly so I don't know him now so I? Why would I know what to look for?

[Now it's Marik's turn to roll his eyes. Bakura isn't exactly wrong but harhar.]

Alright, Mr. Pedantics. I won't punch you. How's that?

[As the graverobber is taking his sweet time, Marik tries to carefully shove or buck him off from being on top of him. He doesn't look that heavy... Why won't he budge?!

He hisses at Bakura once he's finally off and has retrieved his pokeball, propping up his upper half and glaring daggers at him.]

You're lucky I give a shit about Pokémon. I would have just left it rolling otherwise.

[The blonde winces as he slowly rises to his feet, dusting himself off, and checking out his nasty scrapes.]

You're a right proper bastard, you know that?

You didn't?

[Then what was all the acting for, except his entertainment?]

I figured you did, after the end of Battle City. [He shrugs, already dismissing it as irrelevant. Bakura doesn't care what friends Yuugi's little group did or didn't make. Instead he gives Marik a saucy smirk.] Cute. You're still thinking that you can hit me if I'm not entertaining you.

[Or that Bakura won't be a bastard. Has Marik already forgotten about the 'evil' part in him being an evil spirit? Bakura hums pleased to himself as he lets the knife vanish back to where it came from and hooks the ball back onto his belt. It sits next to his card case with his deck.]

Luck's got nothing to do with it. You're a Keeper. You're bred to protect things and keep them from being broken. It's in your instincts. All I had to do was to give you no time to think.

No. We pretty much left right after things wrapped up. They were cordial with us but I very much doubt Yugi and his hand actively wanted to get to know myself or my siblings. I just gathered a few clues here and there about Ryou's behavior to pick up on your differences. Or so I thought.

[Marik shoots him another glare. He will catch him off guard one of these days.

Maybe.

The glare dissipates though as he considers what Bakura says to him. He never really had that instinct- or so he thought. It's that why... he wanted to protect Odion from their father? Why he wants to protect Chenzira? His hand hovers over the Yamask's pokeball. That... would certainly explain his strange attachment. It's in his genetics.

He huffs and looks away. Time to change the subject.]

You have the Ring. How are you able to use it here?

If it helps you to feel better, Yuugi and his friends usually can't tell it's me, either. Being able to imitate him somewhat successfully is one of the perks of cohabitating for as long as we have.

[He can tell that Marik is thinking something stupid, but he decides it's best not to ask. Any fool could tell that such a reaction has more to do with personality than genetics, but letting him believe it could still be a leverage at some point.]

Beats me. Just as I don't know how I got here. My best guess so far is that this is some kind of Dark Game.

[Probably not a Shadow Game, but there's still too much game-based things here for him to not lean in that direction. The ghastly decides it's time to float over and give his 'trainer' a headbutt before hovering over his shoulder. Bakura reaches up and absentmindedly pats it.]

Good work, there.

They don't seem the most keen in noticing things, particularly with your host. They just shuffled you off with his grandfather and completely forgot about you until you showed up for the semi-finals.

With friends like them, who needs enemies?

[He crosses his arms, wincing a bit at the scrapes again.]

No... It's too... innocent to be either that or a Shadow Game. This place honestly seems like a simulation. I wonder then... can you sense Ryou still?

[His gaze falls on the Gastly.]

... Fitting that you'd get a ghost type too.

[He just flashes his fangs, proving Marik's point.]

It's my good luck that they're not as good as the ones I caught for him before.

[Way back, when the isolation and being marinaded in dark magic and Zorc's influence had still done a thing on his sanity or two. Trying to help his host had really been silly.]

Maybe. Something similar to what the Kaiba brat did, then? I'm not planning on wasting too much time on this. [Ignore the happily purring ghost on his shoulder. Bakura clearly hates this place and everything that comes with it.] We're not sharing consciousness right now. But I can't tell you if that means his soul is somewhere out there, but out of my reach, or not. I'm no soul-sniffing dog.

[He tsks.]

Spirits and shades have always been drawn to me, even before I became one myself. What do you mean with 'too'?

[Yes, that sounds... like a story for a different time. Marik just winces at the idea of what Bakura did to the others.]

Yeah. No one really knows though so... it's probably best we don't try wrapping our heads around it.

[Hmm. Still. Bakura's answer makes him think. If he doesn't sense him then... are the two somehow separate? He supposes that would make some weird sense considering they're two different souls but... then how would it handle one body?

That's far too much involved thought then he wants at the moment. Marik shelves that for later. Or never. Might be best not to even worry about it.

He clicks the pokeball his hand was hovering over before and out pops a very timid looking Yamask, who quickly retreats to his trainer's shoulder.]

My starter is a ghost type. Yamask.

[Chenzira peeps up a little and looks at Bakura with uncertainty. That man... has a very bad vibe.]

Ohh? You got a ghost as well? That's not really your vibe, but I guess personalities can make up for much.

[He reaches out a hand and offers it to the intimidated ghost type, letting it decide itself whether it wants to get closer to him or not. His ghastly has taken to happily nestling between his prominent bangs in the meantime. It's very obvious that this ghost type pokemon is feeling like it hit jackpot with the albino. Probably because Bakura has been rough but never unreasonable or brutal with it.]

There's also this one.

[A tap one another pokeball and an alolan vulpix joins their meet and greet. It gives Marik's legs a curious sniff before it winds around them once and then pointedly sits itself between the two humans(?).]

Careful with this one, it likes to ice the shoelaces or soles of those it doesn't like.

I actually find them quite fascinating. Most of my team are ghost-types.

[Well, if he's holding out his hand... maybe he's not so bad...? Chenzira slowly reaches out a hand to pat Bakura's with before withdrawing again and hiding himself more behind Marik's shoulder.]

Ice and ghost... Those are incredibly fitting for you. I'm not at all surprised.

[He reaches up to pat Chenzira on the head. It's okay, buddy. This is daddy's jerkhead... friend?]

... So, are you actually here to catch some Rotom or was that just a guise?

[Bakura's Haunter lets out a victorious laugh, but the Spirit himself only shows that he is pleased with a brief upturn of the corners of his lips. Taking his hand back, he returns his attention to Marik.]

I can see why the ghost, but why the ice?

[He offers a shrug.]

I might as well. I heard it has the ability to change its secondary elements, that should be useful. Besides, I have a cover story to keep up.

[Oh that's a big scary laugh. Chenzira's sinking lower so only a bit of his eyes and his headcrest are visible. Poor dear.]

Because of your albinism and you're a cold bastard. Or so I assume.

[The blonde looks around, mostly to gauge where they're at.]

Alright. I suppose I can assist you.

[He gives Bakura a stern look that's utterly pointless in the end.]

I'm not joining Team Rocket though so don't get any ideas.

[Because doing grunt work is so under him~

But he leads the way towards the Rotom occupied building. (While Chenzira crawls around to Marik's front to avoid direct line of sight from the tomb robber and scary ghost.)]

July - August Test Drive Meme

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