tabularasa_rp | (open) You're so quiet

[It's tempting to ask about the bet - he rightfully looks confused at the comment since he has no context - but his attention is drawn to Parsee describing the 'memory' she had seen. He winces just a bit - which... likely didn't accord with the confident version of him Parsee may have seen. Ah, of course it would be a duel.]

It's always a duel...

[He mostly says that to himself, rubbing the back of his neck. It almost sounds a little fond. But now he is in that awkward position of agreeing that it was him when that was only partially the truth; something that is nearly but not quite old hat to him. Yugi feels a little evasive, but he doesn't deny that he was there at least.]

Was it in a coliseum? That would have been Battle City. I get why he would be upset about it. No one wants to lose their own tournament.

[And Other Reasons as well, but he doesn't know how much Parsee might know about those just yet.] ... and the other one?

Yep. That would be the one. He got his memories jumbled with a time I got my butt handed to me by someone back home. It does not help that I know a demon named Yuugi. Let's just say there's been confusion in the past.

I think he's pretty much obsessed with viewing you as his ultimate punching bag. He gets stronger every time he fights you until one day he wins. Or that's how it works in his head anyway. [Gruuuunt] He talks about you a lot.

[She was totally spilling the beans on him there. Calling him out for that whole obsessive semi-respect he seemed to have or this guy. Turning her gaze, she squinted a little, not entirely sure if she should, but whatever...]

You were standing over him, and he had his heart in his hands, in pieces. Whole lot more confident then, too.

I'll admit, I prefer my moral lessons a little less visceral.

That does sound pretty confusing. Hopefully it doesn't happen again. Memories should stay where they belong.

And you're not wrong, that's... actually a pretty good description of our dynamic. [Sort of.] Sort of. He never really got another good chance after that point to get what he wanted. Maybe you can get a break from hearing about me now that I'm here? I'm a lot less interesting in person, and now I'm just as stuck in this place as anyone else.

[A bit of an obvious deflection, coupled with Yugi looking down and toeing some of the nearby junk. Not that he seems to mind. But, uh, that description of a 'memory' catches him off guard, and it shows. 'Moral lesson' certainly points to one particular event, but then...]

No, I wasn't. I mean, I wasn't there. That didn't happen when I was there. [... did it?]

Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. Don't tell me anymore about that one. If I wasn't there, then it should be private.

Memories should absolutely stay where they belong.

[She was in pretty firm agreement. She snorted at him deflecting and gave him a kind of bemused look. Yeah, she wasn't buying it. The way Kaiba went on about this guy, even if he was nervous and less confident than he'd appeared in Kaiba's mind and memories of him? He was plenty interesting. More interesting than a spirit of jealousy like her anyway. But as she was about to say something, she caught that he suddenly looked, felt uncomfortable. His thoughts wandered, but she wasn't able to pin them down and very suddenly she glanced away, looking in another direction.]

So... if I'm not looking at you, there's a reason and it's no offense. This world... it doesn't really understand 'what' I am exactly, and I don't exactly have my normal powers. I can get a feeling of emotions, surface thoughts, if I'm looking at you anyway. I don't want to read yours right this moment.

I think you know more than you're letting on, but I'm also ok just leaving it there? Like you said. That's something I think should probably stay private. I don't know how I feel about having seen it in the first place.

Kaiba's an interesting one.

[His eyes widen a bit at that admission. It's not his first time meeting someone (or something) with 'powers', but that was in the past. Except that wasn't really the case anymore, was it? Not if he and a group of people were in this strange place now.]

None taken. It was nice of you to give the head's up. You didn't have to be honest about that.

[Because it was. And because he is a little bit thankful that she doesn't want to read him at this time. And, most importantly, because he also wants to take the escape route she's left open so they don't go down that line of thought anymore. He looks away as well, more out of reflex than anything else.]

Whatever you saw, Kaiba has always been interesting. He's kind of like a force of nature. But... you must be interesting as well, if you know demons and have 'powers.'

[But he doesn't pry any further than that, not in his nature.]

[You didn't have to be honest about it. She almost chuckled at that statement. After all, how much could you accomplish with a good half-truth? Being a little honest bred trust in people at times, and avoided confusion later. It was natural to her, given how she used to operate, and it worked well here. She really didn't think too much of her own choice in the matter.]

Better you find out that way than the alternatives, heh.

He's... a strong force of personality, and his jealousy's actually impressive even to me. That ambition drives him, and he's usually not mastered by it. Usually. You seem like an exception there. I don't often see humans that good at handling being jealous of others' success.

As for knowing demons, I am a youkai, so ... yeah. Definitely know a few monsters, being one myself. I'm a bridge princess. If you don't know the old stories, it's a spirit born out of jealousy and vengeance. We're usually the sort to wield envy like a blade, but around here?

Well, things are changing but I'm still the jealous type.

Better for me, sure.

[But the way he gives a shrug at the comment... well, he knows that 'better for him' doesn't necessarily mean 'better for everyone else', depending on their motives. Still, he doesn't seem very wary of Parsee and speaks freely.]

It's complicated, but you're right. At least, I think so. Kaiba and I haven't had too many heart-to-hearts on his feelings. [Sort of. More like Kaiba had no interest in reciprocating the previous attempts...] But he's more accomplished than anyone else I know, and that has nothing to do with our bond. He knows how to push himself forward.

[He also seems to take the whole bridge princess/spirit thing in stride.] Ah, sorry. I hadn't realized you were... anyway, but, see, you are interesting! Are things changing for the better then? You sound pretty unfazed by it.

He's not really the 'heart to heart' type, that I've noticed. So that doesn't exactly surprise me. But he's definitely the driven sort.

[She shrugged when he apologized. It wasn't like her type of youkai came with a sign around it neck she supposed, not like Oni.]

Heh. Most people who knew what a bridge princess was would be less interested, more nervous. I'm not sure if I'd say better, but ... it's easier being me here than it is back home?

I'm always interested in meeting new people - humans or spirits or otherwise. You haven't done anything to make me nervous, and even if you had, no one's perfect.

[Which... might sound smarmy out of a different person, but Yugi says it earnestly and without a hint of motive, expression affable. Hopelessly trusting in the face of someone that self-identifies as being born out of jealousy and vengeance. Then again, befriending aggressive spirits hits close to home.]

You make it sound so ominous. But whatever the reason, I hope it's been good for you.

[He's not sure if that's a sensitive topic. Maybe it isn't, but if it is he has no interest in prying through delicate information. So, he offers something else instead.]

Were you looking for something? Besides seeing how tall I am? Sorry to disappoint, by the way.

Heh. Nobody's perfect. Funny enough, you're the first to say that since I came here.

[She clearly sounded a bit amused by that fact, chuckling some and then shrugging.]

It's not ominous, but it's tied up in youkai superstitions. What happens to a spirit of jealousy if there's no more envy or they stop being envious? Some of us get afraid of the idea of it, that we might stop existing. So, there's sort of an ominous side.

But it's been... yeah, I can say it's been good to me. I don't know if I like using that qualifier, but it's definitely been different and easier in some things.

[She tapped her lips.]

Oh. I think I was just sort of curious when I saw you, since you know... memories and all?

Really? I'd be scared if someone was looking for perfection. Life doesn't work like that, and if it did I don't think it would be very fun.

[But Parsee sounds amused and that sounds like a win in Yugi's book! So he looks pleased by that. Or as pleased as one can be when they're contemplating the nature of spirits and whether they disappear when what they were born from also disappears. It's familiar, but isn't quite the same.]

Is that what you think would happen to you?

[Because she had said some of us. Which seems interesting.]

I'd like to think no, but I'm starting to get that just because things work one way back home it doesn't mean it works that way where you're from. Or that it works either of those ways here. But I'd still like to think that someone shouldn't be penalized for growing.

[He toes at some of the debris on the ground.]

Fair enough. But that isn't what brought you to the beach. Maybe you wanted to dig through the junk too?

No, that isn't what would happen, at least not here. If it was, I would have already started to fade, not change. The rules here aren't like that, so I'm safe. And people went to a lot of effort to purify me, so I'm not even sure that you would say I'm the same as I was before. I'm still pretty jealous but it isn't quite the same.

[She grunted and nodded in return, putting her hands behind her back, shrugging to herself.]

People definitely don't get punished for growing around here. If anything, this place seems to encourage change to some extent. It's just uncomfortable and weird at points.

Oh! Right. I was coming down here to see if there were any discarded tools that were awake to make sure thy got homes before they cause problems.

(open) You're so quiet

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