friendship was a mistake [closed]

[blue_ice]

They all needed a vacation, he'd said. They should take it together, he'd said.

After that little bit of uncharacteristic thoughtfulness on Kaiba's part, he regretted it almost immediately. But the plans were now set in motion, too far along to stop without undoing the progress he'd been making these last few weeks.

That was how he found himself on Hano Beach, dressed in his casual beach wear (with cargos. rip.) and sitting on a large trunk full of Stuff. His smaller Pokémon are nearby, playing in a shallow puddle he'd carefully dug for them and stuck an umbrella over.

There's a table with Anela's famous berry smoothies, also with an umbrella over it, and chairs for the humans to sit and relax. Have fun. Try not to kill each other.

Comments

[bloomingdespite]

Zahra, likewise, has their best manic crazyface on. Nobody is escaping from this madness. Not even you, Kaiba.

Watching him squirm under the Spirit's dubious flirting is part of the fun.

"We got..." Zahra counts heads, including Kaiba, oh no, "nine voices, including Noa?" wait what, "So... AHA! Got it!"

Zahra grabs Kaiba the older by his forearm and begins marching him to the stage. They're... surprisingly strong, for having such a wiry frame. "PUT ON BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY!"

[blue_ice]

Wh-what---

Kaiba may not know much about interpersonal relationships, but he knows what that gesture means and turns the slightest shade of red. No, no way, absolutely not. He frowns and folds his arms.

"At least I'd drown my misery---"

He can't say much more before Zahra advances on him, and despite digging his heels in he finds himself on stage with the others. Oh hell. They're going after this song. What a painful few minutes it will be.

Is this real life? Or is this just fantasy? Gods, he wishes it was...but the voice that comes out of him is surprisingly not too terrible? He's just trying to do his part to keep them from utterly ruining this song, keeping to the background of the piece with some chorus lines.

How's that for community spirit.

[shadowslipping]

"Liven it up? H-ff!" Just as she's protesting, the Ring Spirit is pulling her in- leaving her stammering in weak and fruitless protest as she's pulled in.

At least it's not like how her 'uncle' is struggling at the moment?

Uh-

"....B...Bohemian... ...hah?"

why y'all playin classical music for this

[improvking]

The Spirit scowls, because brain damage?, excuse u ...it might be though, he has no idea.

He shrugs irritably, still maintaining 'eye'-contact with the Puzzle. "Maybe? I have it on highly dubious authority that it's """probably temporary""" -" (exaggerated air quotes! can't eyeroll though, staring contest) "- but she had no idea what caused it, and she (according to her) 'was there'. Her explanation of how she managed to 'be there' for something she couldn't detect was just a long string of insults."

He continues to stare down the Puzzle, then adds an absentminded "Who or what is 'Jonouchi'?"

[improvking]

The Ring-Spirit. ...can read the screen fast enough to mostly keep track, but he lags a split second behind anyone who does know the lyrics... or even just the tune,, (On-The Spot Learning New Lyrics While Setting Them To Music Ya Also Don't Know,,,)

Heee... pretty quickly decides fuck it and embraces his not-actually-helping role. The song is long enough to make it a viable option! Slightly-out-of-sync steps up to 'major key when it should be minor, minor when it should be major', and fumbled words just straight-up become new words.

His singing voice is perfectly fine, at least. For now. (Normal Human Voice is optional and is subject to change when he gets bored.)

[gm_of_my_own_soul]

Ryou gives a sad smile and nods.

“Yeah... I get it... It’s my favourite game but I took a while to pick it back up again. I’m glad you like it enough to try... I want to make sure the things I love aren’t tainted by him... so more good memories would be good.”

[gm_of_my_own_soul]

“Oh right. That’s fair. I mean... I can imagine vacations end up as world saving and ending adventures, right?”

[gm_of_my_own_soul]

Ahab, now out of the sand, is also noticing the strange similarities and thinking about it quietly. Then, noticing Mimikyu’s eyes, the ghost looks at the other Pokémon. There is a small pause before the Dhelmise gives a low hum. This is true. The spirit is not battling properly... and messing something up?

“You can’t die? Like... okay. That’s weird.” Ryou does look fascinated by that before he remembers this is indeed the Ring Spirit and not a typical ghost or occult thing. “... but... you know you can’t die but you don’t know who I am? What kind of amnesia is this?”

[luckydragonsfoot]

"Heh! 'F I gave up everythin' tha' almos' killed me, I'd have t' give up a hell 'f a lotta stuff aft'r all!"

It's true, and he'd have zero fun things left. And also no potential girl friend-

[bloomingdespite]

"I'd be happy to." Noa extends a hand, smiling... not quite warmly, but close enough.

It's progress, at least.

[blue_ice]

...is he supposed to shake hands with a ghost? Is that how this works?

Regardless, he sucks it up and reaches for his hand anyway, regardless of how foolish it might make him look. He smiles back, uncertain but willing to try.

"I never thanked you for saving us...mm, even if it was all for Mokuba's sake."

He can certainly understand that.

[improvking]

The mimikyu continues her hissing whispers to the dhelmise, side-eyeing the Ring-Spirit from deep within her homemade costume. Apparently, the Spirit 'messes up everything' because he's 'an idiot'. This is why she's taken it upon herself to babysit him.

The Spirit, meanwhile, seems to understand her whispering and glares at the mimikyu indignantly. He's about ready to argue against some of her points, but Ryou's questions distract him.

"Tch, so I've forgotten the details, I still have instincts." Clearly I am for sure immortal, maybe is ~just one of those gut feelings~ and needs no proof. What kind of question is that. "I might not remember you, but I knew to be careful about my approach - for all the good it did." He gives the dhelmise a sour glance. If 'Ahab' is staying over there... hm.

He eyes the mimikyu calculatingly, then sizes up Ahab and Ryou. HM. ...Ok fine, fight on hold for the moment. He stalks back just close enough to grab the bag of chips he'd dropped. "What set that off, I didn't even do anything."

yet

[bloomingdespite]

Zahra... Zahra has a surprisingly beautiful singing voice. Deep, contralto, husky, but with the range of an absolute angel. At least somebody here knows how to do it professionally.

Then there's their other singing voices. Which they sing a three-part harmony with.

The Spirit, Bakura, Jounouchi, and Kaiba can easily recognize the other voices as distinctly Anzu and Atem, which may make it slightly less surprising—but it may slightly disconcert Yuume.

Slightly.

At least they're all having fun, though.

[bloomingdespite]

"You know what? Out of the spirit of our friendship, I'm not going to tell you just to fuck with you."

This is exactly the kind of relationship the Spirit and Zahra have on their world.

[bloomingdespite]

"It was more like we tried to take a vacation in the middle of the apocalypse and it didn't work out."

[bloomingdespite]

"I'm afraid it wasn't even that heroic." Noa sighs, turning away to look at the ocean. "After regaining the capacity for empathy while in a human body, I was struck with the enormity of everything I had done, and was selfishly, desperately trying to make amends. I thought the only way to redeem myself was to take Gozaburo down with me.

"...thankfully, Anzu didn't particularly take a liking to the idea of a twelve year-old spending his last moments with his horrible father in a display of pointless self-sacrifice and dragged me into the puzzle."

[blue_ice]

"But however we got here...still. Thanks."

Kaiba doesn't seem bothered by the admission. As long as the end result is the same...

It sure leaves Noa in an unfortunate bind, though.

"And I'm glad someone was quick enough. But I wonder if there's a way to give you more..."

It'd be stupid and dangerous if there was, but Seto's an expert at stupid and dangerous. And he feels this lingering guilt pushing him forward.

[bloomingdespite]

"No robots." Noa's tone is harsh, firm. "Or androids, or what have you.

"Not again.

"Other solutions, though... I would be open to."

Ryou, Dhelmise can drain an ENTIRE WAILORD you hopeless friend.

[gm_of_my_own_soul]

Dhelmise gives a hum of approval. How noble of you, Mimikyu. Humans certainly needed to be minded and protected. Ahab themself has to look after Ryou because the boy seems like he has no survival instincts in the slightest.

"You have instincts?" Ryou says doubtfully. However, his hair still stands on end. The arrogant, cocky attitude certainly told him this was the spirit...

"I don't know... Ahab seems to get a bit antsy whenever I'm... uneasy or angry." Ryou sighs and eats a little bit of his food. "Man, I'm so tired."

Well... Ahab has been sucking his energy which is why Ryou's so tired and hungry. And being scared made energy taste bad, Spirit. Ryou knows about this and allows it but he doesn't exactly want to share his Pokemon's dietary habits.

[gm_of_my_own_soul]

Ryou laughs and deals the cards.

"That's what I always liked about you, Jonouchi-kun. Your spirit is so exciting. Almost as exciting as that ghost behind you."

RYOU.

[gm_of_my_own_soul]

"Understandable," Ryou says. You gotta have vacations whenever you need them but Ryou understands sometimes life gets in your way.

"You really don't talk much, do you?" Ryou asks. "You give a lot of one sentence answers and don't elaborate. We may have just met but we're hoping to be friends, neh? It's okay to talk if you want."

And satisfy his own curiosity.

[bloomingdespite]

"I. Um." God this is an absolutely horrible topic of conversation Zahra really hates this-

"Here's the thing. I... we... kind. Of. Knew the spirit. For a lot longer than we knew you." Zahra looks away, sighing. "And it feels weird, knowing how much you hate him, and kind of us by extension on my world, and we're just... having a casual conversation."

[luckydragonsfoot]

"GHOST-!?" Just as Katsuya starts yelping, he pauses, and frowns.

"............there's a pok'mon b'hind me ain't there." You can't !! Trick him like this!

[blue_ice]

"Damn," he mutters. That of course was his first thought.

"I'll have to go 'spiritual' or something, but if that's an option anywhere, it's here. I'll need time."

He doesn't really know where to start, but for what he owes to his brother...he closes his eyes in thought. He'll try.

IMPENDING IRONY (end)

[bloomingdespite]

"Considering where we are? I believe we have all the time in the world."