fallers_rpg | it's that hat, you know the one

it's that hat, you know the one

Who: Zahra
What: Zahra has been living like a hermit int he wilderness for the past week. It's high time somebody meets them.
When: December 24th-January 31st
Where: Hau'oli City, Route 2, Route 3

A. Drop the Bass (Hau'oli City)
As much as Christmas Eve is a time for quiet contemplation, holiday spirit, and togetherness, it's also a time for teenagers and young twentiesomethings to party their heineys off; and this goes double for the week leading up to New Year's.

But somebody's got to handle the AV work for these venue-busting events, especially with Team Skull having finally made peace with the local populace and thusly able to shamelessly crash parties and tear things up. (Not that they weren't doing this before, but there's less of a chance of a Jenny getting involved now.) And after hanging with Hideo's group of vaguely thuggish bikers for an extended period of time, Zahra does have the experience.

So they're perched in the booth hanging in the scaffolding of whatever party you're frequenting, carefully monitoring the lights, the sound, the mood of the crowd, the DJ, everything... except for their little baby Deino, Obsidian, who's clumsily nipping her way around the booth. Towards their precariously-placed ankle. It would be cute if it didn't send Zahra tumbling from the scaffolding, hanging by a single hand as they struggle to pull themself up. Normally, this would be an easy task for them, but Obsidian is making things a tad difficult as she panics, flailing around and loosening Zahra's grip every time they're close to safety.

With the light and the heat and the noise and the mosh of the party, it doesn't seem like anybody else has noticed. Maybe you should go up and, you know, make sure they don't die.

B. Menacing Katakana (Route 2)
Fishing is an inherently peaceful activity. Sit down, cast your line, zone out while you wait for wild Pokemon to bite. There still long lulls when it's nothing but you, your thoughts, and nature.

And yet, somehow, there's a palpable aura of menace all around Zahra as their line dangles in the water, mind racing with all the information they've gathered about this new world—and the intriguing way its inhabitants battled using the creatures that ruled it. There were competitions, and professional teams, and metagames, and charts to memorize, and and and

Suffice to say, despite the cold weather, Zahra is liable to spend much of their time hunched over the beach, rod in hand as they contemplate uber-tier teams, type matchups, and movepools; their air of intense, almost furious concentration usually more than enough to deter passers-by and even wild Pokemon.

But even if you're normally put off by the suffocating pressure Zahra exerts whenever they're concentrating, when they bark, "HEY, YOU! HELP ME OUT HERE!" as they fight against their rod while something thrashes in the not-so-deeps resisting their attempts to reel it in... well, they've gotten quite used to giving orders in a commanding voice during crisis situations.

C. Trainer Zahra Wants to Battle! (Route 3)
It's a nice day on the cliffs overlooking the deep blue sea off of Route 3. Flying-types are singing, plant-types are blooming... and Zahra is leaning against the rock, tossing a Pokeball up and down as they stare out into the ocean, expression unreadable. That same energy radiates off of Zahra in waves (appropriate for the setting) while they contemplate the water, albeit less intensely when they were reeling in their biggest catch.

Your presence jolts Zahra out of whatever spell they had put themself under, and they turn to you, gentle smile on their face. "I don't suppose you'd be down for a battle? Me and Obsidian need the practice if we're going to pass the trials."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This is not the time to fish! Not that Kaiba feels any particular need to fish, because he has water type pretty well covered and should really be looking for other Pokémon, but he's definitely on his way to relax and enjoy the season when he hears that holler.

There's something...bizarrely familiar about it, even if he doesn't quite recognize the voice.

"What if I'd have more fun watching?" he huffs almost absently, though that fades when he sees the person struggling. Oh. Maybe he should...

...yeah he's just going to stand on their other side and grab on. Shh.

Zahra is too busy trying not to be pulled into the water by their quarry to register the familiarity of Kaiba's voice. Sweat sheens on their forehead, bags are under their eyes, and it's a miracle that the rod hasn't been ripped out of their hands with how slippery it is at this point. Zahra has been at this for a while.

(Two and a half hours, to be precise.)

But with Kaiba's help, Zahra manages to steady themself, getting enough leverage to finally reel the Pokemon in. The creature bursts out of the water, cyan scales gleaming in the sun, white fins like wings shaking droplets off... it's a Dratini.

"GOTCHA!" Zahra immediately throws a Pokeball, capturing the dazed and discombobulated Pokemon before collapsing onto the grass, laughing with delight.

Kaiba watched the capture with interest. Dratini....they were powerful as they grew. It would be a match for his Goose, definitely.

And then the odd familiarity registered as he picked himself up off the ground, his Pikachu jumping back onto his shoulder as he stood.

"Do I know you?"

Edited 2019-12-25 01:15 (UTC)

Now that the no-longer-endless endless fishing was finally done, Zahra has enough brainpower to process what's in front of them. Namely Kaiba. One of the biggest jackasses in the history of the multiverse.

They squint up at his face, still laying on the grass. "Are you doing a bit, or do you genuinely not remember?" It would be more of a blessing than anything else if he completely forgot who Zahra was. Who knows, maybe they could actually get along if he didn't have a revenge complex against one of their components?

...nah, he's still too much of a jerk for that.

The Millenium Puzzle hangs around Zahra's neck, gleaming in the sun.

"...wait..."

Yeah, he's a bit out there. It's all that pulling that has him winded. He squints suspiciously at the familiar object taunting him, then the face.

"Mazaki. What the hell. Okay...whatever this is, that I shouldn't care about. Catching a dragon to challenge mine, then?"

A decidedly not-threatening Goose slides out from behind his coat to say hello.

Hypothesis confirmed! New world, same ol' Kaiba. Zahra rolls their eyes, prying themself off the grass to sit cross-legged, staring up at Kaiba.

"Please. Don't flatter yourself, Kaiba. I've been living in the jungle and sleeping on club dancefloors for the past week; I didn't even know you were here until you decided to perform a random act of kindness for once in your life."

wow that's certainly a way to live zahra,

"It's been more than once," he grumps, reaching down to see that his Pokémon are all right. Of course they are, they have better balance than he does. Goose in particular is just fine, the Goomy bobbing its head in a wave at Zahra. And even if Kaiba's not that fond of this one either, that's still concerning.

"Were you assigned a host family and don't trust them, or...did you just fell through the cracks?"

Not that either would really surprise him.

Zahra waves back at Goose, smiling. "Your Pokemon are all just adorable." Now that ought to hurt.

Furrowing their brow, Zahra stares up at Kaiba and cocks their head to the side. "...host family?" That sure explains a lot.

"Unfortunately most Pokémon species have an obligatory 'cute' phase before they become intimidating," he sighs. Poor Goose will never be intimidating....but his team will get there.

And hey. That Dratini will remain just as cutesy when it grows up.

"We were all assigned host families when we arrived. If you head back to Immigration they should be able to help you. You'll be offered food and shelter, and unnecessary parenting."

He's a little fond of his Grandmother Anela, though. Secretly. She amuses him most of the time.

"As fun as it's been roughing it in the wilderness, hoping that some brightly-colored predator doesn't devour me whole or making a bed out of used water bottles in the aftermath of a club party," Zahra springs to their feet, stretching, "I think I'm going to have to take you up on that offer."

They cock their head to the side, looking at Kaiba strangely. "Wait. You haven't insulted me, demanded Atem back, or cold-cocked me in the face yet. Are you, like, okay?" While the concern is obviously false, there's a bit of genuine curiosity in Zahra's (dirt-stained) face.

"Look, I'm not an idiot. Yugi showed me crystal-clear that he's not in the puzzle anymore. I don't know or care why you're carrying it, but as much as he likes you...if threatening Yugi didn't bring him back, threatening you won't do it either."

And he huffs and sounds a little more like the him that they're used to.

"I'm working on building my reputation as a responsible guest here, which I'd rather not blow on an old grudge for no other reason. You can't get away with murder without the money and power to back it up. But if you want me to antagonize you for old times' sake, I guess I could..."

He sighs. He's more tired than anything else at the moment, honestly.

Zahra squints at Kaiba's explanation, not quite believing it. On the surface, everything matched up, albeit in a typical ever-so-slightly unhinged Kaiba. But something didn't feel quite right. Maybe... no, never mind. Taking whatever bait he's set up was not going to be worth it.

"You know, as much as I'd love for the fires of my hatred for you to be stoked once more," there's genuine spite and fury under the casual sarcasm, unlike anything anybody in Yugi's friendgroup had ever expressed before, "I don't have any fucking time for that." Woah, language!

(Zahra's rude now.)

"But I would appreciate it if you lead the way to Immigration Services. It would be nice to sleep with a roof over my head AND no headache from club music for once."

"Fine. This way."

Kaiba starts on the path ahead, giving her a curious look. Something isn't right. This isn't the Mazaki she knows----she stood up to him on more than one occasion, yes, and she was indignant when he'd hurt Yugi, but this felt deeper than that.

"...I'm getting the feeling we're either from vastly different points in the timeline or similar but divergent parallel universes."

Kaiba's observation is astute: even beyond the platform boots and the little bit of extra muscle, Mazaki is a few inches taller than when he last saw them. They stand taller now, too, a nearly-imperceptible shift in posture that only a duelist like Kaiba would detect.

For their part, Zahra gives Kaiba an appraising glare. The fact that he isn't demanding to see Atem would suggest that he was from before the finals, but Zahra wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing when they came from. (They are still very, very bitter over the publicity they got at the Grand Prix.) "Wouldn't you like to know, dragon boy?"

"Mm. You never liked me, but I've clearly done things to you that I don't remember."

He scoffs. "Since you're clearly not interested in any kind of truce, or in hearing me out, I should just leave you here. I'm sure you can figure out where Immigration is just fine."

"You know what?" For some reason, Kaiba not even remembering how he hurt them—how he hurt Shizuka—infuriates Zahra even more than if he did. Ignorant of all the pain he caused, strolling along casually, not even knowing he did anything wrong (not that their Kaiba was regretful either, but)...

"Sure. Goodbye, Kaiba." Zahra strolls past Kaiba, then pauses. "Oh, right! I think you'll want these." Zahra fishes out a few keepsakes from their bag, considering them carefully. They've been waiting for this opportunity for a while now. "Oh, right. Seeing your despicable mug reminds me of something I need to do."

They casually twirl the cards towards Kaiba: three copies of Blue-Eyes White Dragon. They're his, to, down to every detail that not even Zahra can detect.

The next thing Zahra takes from their bag is a lighter.

Kaiba pales. His deck couldn't have been swiped without his noticing...could it? He doubted the Puzzle was still active, but if it was...the pharaoh could have.

He's not one to beg. Or plead. But the fear that runs through him is more powerful than any he's felt for a while.

"I didn't set out to be your enemy, Mazaki. I might not like you, but Mokuba does. And I promised him I'd make an effort. But I can't if I don't know what I did."

The mention of Mokuba dims the fires in Zahra's eyes for a few seconds, taking them back to a quieter time. When it was just all their friends in a basement, playing games, laughing, having fun.

But the blaze returns brighter than before, and they snarl like a wild animal. If Kaiba looks closely, beyond the hatred and fury, he'll see genuine hurt. Disappointment, almost like how the Pharaoh looked at him when he went too far. Regret.

Zahra is well aware that they're going too far. All of their stored anger outweighs that urge to back down, to stop. "I gave you so many fucking chances, you know. To get it through your thick skull that he's gone, and there's nothing you could do to change that. That I'm me, whether you like it or not. Because he believed that you could be better. But after you betrayed my—our trust like that... I think you're rotten to the core, Kaiba."

Their eyes rake him up and down, coldly appraising him. Zahra can't nail down a precise time, but that look in his eyes... he knows the Pharaoh is gone, so he must come from after Doma. "This is a new world, though. So I'll give you one more chance.

"Say. My. Fucking. Name."

(A comedy of errors.)

Well...yes. Yugi had made that very clear, and then Atem had taken the puzzle away when he'd rescued them one last time, or so Yugi had said. ...and then he'd planned to chase him into the afterlife. But somehow he doesn't think they're on the same wavelength.

"I don't know what you want. The answer on my tongue is obviously wrong...but..."

We. Our.

"The two of you fused...souls?"

He just looks honestly confused. But he keeps talking, hoping to stall them. "In my world, Atem was partnered to Yugi. To my knowledge, they were separate...and after he left, yes, I chased him, because he'd left me without the chance to reclaim my title, and worse, without saying goodbye."

His expression darkened as it all sunk in. Because he really tried not to think about this particular incident most days... "But I was wrong. I risked Mokuba's future for my selfish desires...I risked everyone's futures, because I couldn't let the past lie. I fucked up. And I don't have the power to divine who you are...but I'd listen."

Edited 2019-12-27 00:55 (UTC)

Zahra's expression is unreadable for almost a half minute as they glare at Kaiba. Their stare exerts the same unbearable pressure that they radiated while catching their Dratini, except this time it's directed at a single target: Kaiba.

Then, Zahra laughs.

Their harsh chuckle doesn't have any humor in it. It sounds more tired than anything else. "Two minutes. It took you two fucking minutes to figure out what I've been trying to pound in my Seto's head for two years, and you don't even know anything that happened to me."

Still laughing hollowly, Zahra strides back towards Seto, hands in their pockets. There's still that simmering resentment and suspicion, but it isn't nearly as acute as it was before. "I'm Zahra Mazaki, and yes, that's exactly what happened." They pause, taking the cards out of their pocket to look at them again. "...you know, I think Kisara would want a non-shitty version of you to do the honors. I wasn't screwing wi- okay, I was screwing with you, but Kisara asked me to destroy the original Blue-Eyes copies. Having just enough awareness to know that your soul and memories have been sealed inside a piece of cardboard but not enough to actually know who you are really sucked for her. At least on my world, I don't know how it works on yours."

Zahra hands the cards to Seto, carefully assessing him through blank eyes.

There's so much he doesn't understand, but as cautious as he is, he's listening. And at the mention of her name, a certain floppy-eared Pikachu approaches, nudging Zahra's leg curiously. And that probably merits an explanation.

"...my Pikachu is also named Kisara. I didn't name her, she already had that name when we met. And I don't think she's an incarnation of her, but sometimes I wonder if we're connected."

He traces his fingers over the cards.

"But doing this will set her free?"

Edited 2019-12-27 23:45 (UTC)

"She's already free, Kaiba. There isn't really a trace of her spirit in these cards anymore." Zahra crosses their arms, looking away. They still remember that day, full of so much fear and pain and loss until finally, they somehow managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

(Sometimes Zahra wonders if it was only because of him that they had the ability to bring Mana, Kisara, and Mahaad back.)

"But... knowing that they're still out there, fearing that the same thing might happen to her again... she needs the catharsis."

"...mm. I didn't get to learn much about her, and I'm not usually one to go off instincts or emotions. But I'm not as dismissive as I once was."

But for her, the maiden with haunting eyes and a heavy weight that he'd only passed by briefly...Kaiba lapsed into silence. He breathed deeply and closes his eyes, recalling the thrill of battle. The surge of power he felt when playing the majestic dragons. And then the tragedy he'd witnessed from long ago.

Kaiba frowned as he smoothed his fingers over the cards. They were near identical copies, of that he was sure, but the wear and tear lines were in just slightly different places. As his most frequently played cards, he would know---they weren't his own dragons, but the parallel universe Seto Kaiba's.

Now for himself, Kaiba would never argue that he was a good person. But he was trying to be a better one. And from how deeply Zahra was hurt, from the incidents that were alluded to...this other Kaiba clearly needed another reality check. He pictured himself wielding Mind Crush against his past this time. The effect would likely be similar, once the roaring rage wore off.

More immediately, the action would perhaps make it possible for Zahra to forge the most tentative truce with him, eventually. And it wouldn't be easy, but at the moment, it felt like the right path to pursue.

So he took a breath, looked at the familiar illustrations, looked at Zahra, and then at his Pikachu, who gave him the most minute nod...

And in one smooth motion he ripped all three in half, letting the pieces flutter to the ground.

Zahra solemnly watches Kaiba as he deliberates over the cards, eyes sharp and discerning. Their Kaiba would never have been able to bring himself to destroy his precious dragons, even if they weren't technically his. Hell, he'd probably rant and rave about the audacity if they even asked. There was no way that this one would either, no matter how sorry he-

Rip.

The cardboard lays on the seafoam-damp grass, and Zahra doesn't break their gaze with Kaiba for a moment. A minute passes as they look into his soul (metaphorically, not literally). Then, they sigh, the harshness in their eyes halfway fading to something that almost looks like exhaustion.

"...alright." Not entirely certain what to say, Zahra turns and starts to walk away. Then their hand leaps to the puzzle, and they pause. "He's wants me to tell you that he's proud of you." Pause. "Noa, I mean. And... him, too. I guess."

The fading surge of adrenaline has Kaiba feeling like he'd just run a marathon. He looks down at his trembling hands in disbelief, then back up at Zahra, still staring at him. He straightens his posture and looks back, defiant. He'd prove himself yet.

And then it's over. They turn away, and he exhales. Kisara the Pikachu jumps into his arms and he gives her a little nuzzle, but then the voice cuts across his consciousness and he stands still.

Now, one would think he'd immediately latch onto any crumb of approval from Atem. And you'd be right. But the name that immediately precedes that grips his mind, and he latches onto it.

"Noa's still alive? Or... his consciousness still exists?"

His tone is largely one of disbelief, but the emotions flickering through him are hard to grasp. He hadn't thought about his stepbrother much...but Noa had been so young when his body died. And whatever atrocities he'd committed at Gozaburo's urging, how could Seto of all people condemn a person for being warped by that monster?

Not that things would be all peachy between them. Noa putting his trauma on public display had been one of the most humiliating experiences of his life. But from the way Zahra had phrased the message...and from what Seto remembered hearing from Mokuba...was it possible Noa had mastered the change of heart before he himself did?

Clearly, there was still more he had to learn.

"Zahra. I guess I'll see you later. And...if you ever have the time, Noa, I'd like to see you too."

There's just the beginnings of a terrible idea slotting together in his mind.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

it's that hat, you know the one

fishing!

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this is the fourth time i've used this icon

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i'm sorry kaiba was such a shitlord in zahra's canon

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i guess this doesn't get a gagtag? phooey

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they can be such a dipshit i'm sorry,,,

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