[OPEN] O soft embalmer of the still midnight...

[denyamenti]

Characters: Bakura & OPEN
Date: January catch-all log
Location: Midnight Hotel, various
Situation: Bakura's reappearance on Tu Vishan in a critical state and subsequent healing left him in a coma for a couple weeks, but now he's woken up and has some processing to do.
Warnings/Rating: Angry angst? POSSIBLE SUICIDE-ISH THEMED (SORT OF?) CONVERSATION IN CLOSED THREAD "A". Add specific warnings if needed in subject headers.


A. MIDNIGHT HOTEL - CLOSED TO SOLOMON;
Waking didn't feel like waking, and for several long moments he didn't even realize that his eyes had cracked open and flooded with light, unable to distinguish it from a fever dream. His temperature had developed shortly after he'd finished being healed, as his body sought to marshal whatever strength it could find from a depleted soul. Its efforts were apparently sufficient however, and after forcing a couple blinks to determine that the light was going to remain, he stirred beneath the blankets, seeing which limbs responded. Blankets..?

The room was unfamiliar, the twinge across one shoulder like an old wound he couldn't remember getting, and soreness told him he'd been reclined like this for a while. He felt like he could barely scrape together enough energy to do so, but he managed to get himself leveraged half upright in a vaguely muddled haze. The action was more on instinct than any conscious desire to be sitting upright, before he realized why his head was pounding so unbearably, and broke off his efforts with a strangled, aborted sob. No...!

B. MIDNIGHT HOTEL - OPEN
It had taken another few days after waking before Bakura was recovered enough to start moving around on his own, but he was chaffing to leave the room and be away from Solomon's smothering presence. He had no specific destination in mind, and so had started exploring the various hallways of the Hotel, just to give him something to concentrate on instead of the horrible empty ache that he couldn't get away from. Once or twice he's touched a door frame to illuminate the inscribed sigils there, anything, anything to focus on. His constitution was still lacking however, and several times he's had to stop with one hand pressed to the corridor's walls, bracing himself while he waits for his strength to return. He'd rather drop into another coma than ask for assistance, but he's also in no position to avoid anyone who wants to approach.

C. KEELIAI; FIRE SECTOR - OPEN
Eventually he does start feeling better physically, something he can't quite deem a relief but certainly a state that's preferable. He's still too drained on energy to muster any kind of access to his shadow magic, but a few simple reconnaissances shouldn't be a problem. Bakura's first stop is the old Foreigner housing, to his old suite in the Fire Sector. He heard what's happened to these buildings and thinks that is a perfectly logical thing that the kedan did, although it was vaguely irritating to lose what eclectic possessions he'd had accumulated. His suite is currently lived in by a kedan family with four children, and the thief thinks, at least the space is being put to decent use, having always thought the Foreigners were allotted a lot of housing for individuals themselves.

The family does at least agree to open the door and speak tersely with him, but the immediate denial of having found anything of his possessions comes so quickly that there's a 50/50 chance of being truth or just flat refusal to help him. Bakura gives consideration to the possibility of just pushing his way in and searching for his things himself, but discards it after a moment and lets the door shut. He's not sure what he'd have done with his notes on the various planes and the links between the Dreaming and the khajbit anyway, save feel some kind of vague satisfaction at getting something of his own back.

D. KEELIAI; VARIOUS - OPEN
It's almost startling how much the city has changed in the span of almost a year, but Bakura supposes that if anything's going to spur such an overhaul, it might as well be the removal of any semblance of law and order and the high that comes from surviving almost-annihilation. There's a very different ambiance to the city now, and in a lot of ways it's better, he thinks. He stops to read a large poster that a kedan has just finished nailing to a notice board, who gives the thief a dirty look before moving off, and Bakura slowly works through translating it with his rudimentary knowledge of the language.

A public... court...?

---

((OOC: Or tag in with your own!))

Comments

[ruinsprofessor]

"The word Solomon used was 'latent,' not 'gone,'" Raine noted, almost gently. Regardless of how Bakura felt about Solomon at the moment, he was the person in the next best position to know besides Bakura himself. "I wonder-- when we spoke, that time, I had the impression they were bound to the Ring you wore, not directly to you. Or is it both?" Since Bakura, too, had been in something like that position.

[denyamenti]

He doesn't address the first part, because he's angry at Solomon, and Raine citing Solomon won't get a good response. Bakura could tell no practical difference in the terms... one just sounded kinder, and the thief was not processing kindness right now.

"Both, in a way. They were bound to the Ring against their will -- all the Items, technically, but especially the Ring -- but they chose to do so to me."

[ruinsprofessor]

Raine would almost rather a sharp answer than that simple lack of response; Bakura like this didn't seem right. She folded her arms across her chest, tapping her fingers absently against her upper arm. "I would suggest that you seek out the Ring, in that case. Ryou has it, doesn't he?" Another curiosity -- why had it stayed with Ryou, when it was evidently tied on so many levels to Bakura? "If they are tied to both you and it, the split of focus is likely not helping."

This was almost pure conjecture, but since Bakura was evidently refusing to consider the input of the person who did know something of the way his magic worked, conjecture was what he was going to get.

[denyamenti]

Bakura blew out a breath in a long exhale. "It's not so simple as that. Yes, he has the Ring, its ownership went to him when I left. The Items aren't sentient but there are... rules, that govern them. The Ring can't be taken, not even by me. It has to be given, or won, or the previous owner must be dead. If possession is taken by force, it has the tendency to set fire to that person from the inside out."

A pause, and then, "Plus Ryou wanted it, when he got here. I told him no, that I'd had it first. He does technically have tenure here now."

[ruinsprofessor]

"You might try asking," Raine murmured, half to herself; she'd said nothing of taking it by force, simply looking to see if it might be helpful. Then she shook her head, slowly. "I'm sorry-- I don't know enough about the magic involved to be of help."

Because it was not even a question that she would help him, if at all possible.

[denyamenti]

"Would it be too much trouble to ask you to be less helpful," Bakura sighed, knowing it was a rhetorical question, that she'd probably not even consider that an option. And yet, that was really what would have been a relief at the moment.

[ruinsprofessor]

"You don't have to do everything by yourself." Though gentle, it was nevertheless something of an admonishment. Still, Raine stood back a pace shortly thereafter, considering that she might have overstayed her welcome. "But I can certainly leave you alone for now, if that's what you prefer." The way she looked at him was faintly resigned, already reasonably sure that he wouldn't ask help even if he needed it.

[denyamenti]

"If I was doing everything by myself, I wouldn't be in this mess," is the angry mutter under the thief's breath, though he knew very well that Raine would hear it. "Thank you for the visit, I guess."

[ruinsprofessor]

"Don't strain yourself," Raine returned, more wry than offended. She'd heard less sincere thanks, but uncommonly. "I'm aware you're not pleased with this outcome. I'm also aware that most of the time you would sooner walk unprepared into a snowstorm than outright ask for help. Just--"

What was she saying. Raine exhaled slowly, shook her head again. "Never mind. Take care, Bakura," she said, and turned to go.