ruinsprofessor

[ He thinks, Solomon may have underestimated the range of six and utters a silent sigh; he's going to get slapped again, he can see it now. ]

At the dojo.

[It will be, probably, both worse and better than he expects.]

[Raine doesn't answer the message via the console. Rather, a suitable interval for travel time later, she simply shows up at the dojo looking for him. She's not on the warpath, really, though she would have been a few days ago. Instead she's just... measured.]

[When she spots Bakura, she'll make her way toward him and pause, quiet. Looking him over. Maybe she's looking for something from him; maybe she just doesn't know what words she wants yet.]

[ He's waiting for her in the main portion of the dojo, at least being considerate enough to meet her. The dojo's closed, no one else in the area. The silence is unexpected, and for as much as he claims that she's not subtle, Bakura has no idea what she's thinking right now. When she doesn't speak, he shoves his hands into his pockets. He's not used to being the one off-guard. ]

I didn't think I'd be gone that long.

[It is, from him, almost an apology. It does not, however, mollify her much if at all. Raine's brows draw down.]

You thought this might happen.

[Her tone is cool. Remote.]

How certain were you?

Well... I didn't know she'd run herself through, no. That caught me by surprise.

[ That, at least, was the truth. He'd anticipated the sword being used ON him, which was why he'd had Traps in reserve, but to turn her weapon on herself hadn't factored into his plans. Good Duelists improvised anyway, though. ]

I've always suspected I could re-enter the Ring. There was just never a need for it before now.

[Bakura is not helping his case. 'Suspected' is not good enough. Especially not when it comes to starting a fight with someone like Valdis.]

[Raine gives his words a moment to sit in the air between them. Her jaw tightens a bit, but she nods, slowly, judiciously, like she's considering accepting his explanation as something perfectly reasonable. Like perhaps that was an acceptable risk to take.]

[Then she slaps him.]

[It's a quick snap of a movement, open-handed and sudden and barely telegraphed. Raine drops her hand to her side. Takes a breath. Then, counting on surprise and Bakura's general tolerance for her to still him, she takes two small, quick steps forward and pulls him into a tight hug. Her hands are a little shaky; so too when she speaks is her voice.]

You idiot.

[ He'd almost, almost convinced himself that he was going to get away without some kind of retaliation out of this whole incident. Not that that had been the goal of this, but a potential side bonus. Alas, it was not to be.

The slap is a sunburst of pain against the side of his face, but he didn't have much time to register it before she was hugging him tightly. She'll feel him tense slightly, and then relax again despite the unfamiliarity. In the exhale following her vehement accusation, one hand finds the space between her shoulder blades and rests there. ]

Yeah. This is one hell of a learning curve you've got me on.

[The tensing-- she expected that. The subsequent drop in tension, and the reciprocal touch, halfway to a return embrace? That's a little surprising. Raine doesn't loosen her grip, rather sets her chin on his shoulder and generally gives off the impression that Bakura gets to put up with this for the foreseeable future.]

[She'll let him go if he needs to free himself, of course, she's never gotten the idea he's all that comfortable with things like this, but-- just for now.]

What were you thinking?

[It's quiet, as it's very nearly in his ear, and it's as much genuine desire for explanation as it is anger with him and Valdis.]

[ It helps a good deal that they're both somewhere private that he's familiar with, and that he knows she'll back off if he wants her to. If anything, it made all the difference. His hand stays where it is, so long as she chooses not to shrug it off. ]

We had a difference of opinion as to where my jurisdiction began and ended. She showed up here a week past dropping that vision in everyone's heads, to apologize for it with a side serving of "advice" I had no interest in hearing. She said it was time to end our arrangement, and after some thought on it, I decided she didn't get to make that decision without proof. That's what happened the following day.

[ He shakes his head, careful not to dislodge her position. ]

It doesn't matter. I gave her my word on something and then broke it... she has no reason to listen to me now, even if she wasn't right about my being better at breaking than fixing. It's not like I didn't know.

[A 'difference of opinion,' coming from Bakura, covers a fair amount of ground. That may be an understatement. The worst part is Raine can just about follow his logic, in his particular sort of way. She sighs, resigned, a little frustrated.]

In the middle of the street?

[Really? That can't have been strictly necessary, and opened up a lot of potential collateral damage. That particular choice is a solid part of her anger, too.]

[It's difficult picking out what part of the rest to focus on first. Raine... doesn't think she can help with his relationship with Valdis, such as it is; that dynamic frankly eludes her most of the time. If either of them even wants to fix it. Words about destruction always being easier than creation-- no, that, too, Bakura knows, can hardly not know. In the end, she settles on something he had to remind her of some months ago.]

Bakura. You aren't... you're not replaceable.

[If not for Solomon, she would have thought him dead. If he'd been wrong, he might well have been genuinely dead. She disapproves of both possibilities.]

Remember that, the next time you decide to do something so indescribably foolish.

[ gruffly: ] I was keeping an eye on the bystanders.

[ He had been, more or less. It was a Duel after all, and those weren't supposed to involve the spectators. Shadow games had surprisingly strict rules, when one got right down to it. Bakura decides pointing this out to Raine is probably ill-advised, however. But he hadn't expected to hear his own words in a situation like this, certainly not in a context where he was at fault for the what had happened, and it stills him for a moment.

Then the touch returns against her back, just firmer than before. She'd asked him, not altogether that long ago, if he couldn't imagine grief for a world he was no longer in. He hadn't answered it at the time, but Bakura revisited the idea now; it still didn't sit well, but he began to get it. ]

Tennut a'ai-er, nebet taui, nehem uai khasefiw en-i.

[ He doesn't offer to translate it, but it's as close to fond as anyone has probably heard from him since he eventually warmed to Emily-Helen. ]

I'll remember.

If I asked for a translation...?

[The question dies half-formed and quiet. Curiosity is in her nature, but she's only uncommonly heard something that soft from him. Raine isn't going to push that, either.]

[Another quiet sigh, then. Much of the initial rush has gone from her, leaving mostly relief. She still questions Bakura's judgment on the matter, is still not best pleased with either of them, but--]

[There were only so many things she could think when she'd heard that Bakura started a fight with Valdis, without the context Bakura has provided. He knows what Valdis can do.]

I'm still angry with you.

[Which makes quite a fine juxtaposition for the way her fingers are curled into his shirt.]

[ He smiles, wry, even though she's not looking at him directly to see the expression. ]

Just take the adulation in the spirit it's given, seba-rekhet.

[ He has no ability for mind-reading, but Raine's words and her anger mark a fairly clear trail as to her thoughts-- and for that much, he does feel regret. He realizes the last week has been something of a perfect storm leading to an outcome she likely feared, but had presumed. Her quiet words seem only to confirm it. ]

I know.

[ He deserved that. The pressure against her back lifts, hesitates, and resettles against her hair near the base of her neck. ]

I am sorry, for making you assume the worst. I know I just told you that my word doesn't mean much, but I don't intend-- I'm not looking for a way out, okay?

[Adulation? ...She's still curious, but supposes she can accept that for now.]

All right.

[She didn't expect-- any of what's followed, really. Hadn't gotten much farther in her head beyond you idiot. That little touch is a peculiar intimacy, from Bakura, something Raine doesn't know quite what to make of. The closeness and care that it implies, the fact that she trusts him so much it doesn't startle or unsettle her...]

[Raine is reminded that she's steadily ignoring the possibility Bakura may have feelings for her. Hm.]

[That consideration, fortunately, is quickly overwritten by the reassurance that his next words bring, a near-tangible weight off her shoulders. He's followed the reasoning that made her worry most near exactly, and even if he's so disparaging of what his word means, she's still inclined to believe him. She relaxes a little more than she had, lets her breath out in a rush.]

Good. I'm glad.

...Thank you.

[ Bakura lingers a moment longer, as if giving her an extra few heartbeats to find her equilibrium with her relief (which he doesn't understand why it's so strong, but it puts a peculiar feeling in the back of his throat) and then he drops his hand, stepping back. The quiet of the empty dojo seems paradoxically loud, and he seems momentarily unsettled by it, like he's been caught doing something he shouldn't. ]

Do you want some coffee, or does the Guild need your attentions?

Edited 2015-07-30 08:00 (UTC)

[She lets him go with no fuss when he moves, judging that everything she wanted to communicate has been gotten across. She watches him, though, not quite sure what it is she's seeing.]

I have the time for some coffee. Though I should return before too long.

[She set out at the time she'd usually break for lunch, anyway, and warned the others she may be a little late returning. They know where to find her, and it was important. Not quite a family emergency, but even so.]

[ He nods, and leads back to the office, through which the door to the living spaces at the dojo was found. The kitchen is uncluttered, save for the few dishes in the sink, which means he did at least eat breakfast. Taking out the tin of coffee and the kettle for heating, he fills the kitchen with domestic sounds, instead of words... unsure what else to say, and not normally being stellar at small talk in general. ]

[Raine follows him quietly. Notes he's eaten, at least, absently marking the dishes off to mean she doesn't have to harangue him to take care of himself. In that respect, at least. She leans against the counter, watching him set coffee in motion.]

I don't think you missed much. Save Zatanna's efforts regarding Tu Vishan... hm. How long have you been back?

[Raine had assumed he didn't delay all that much before contacting her, but she might be wrong.]

[ Bakura might have laughed at the phrasing, even though it's appreciated, but it did sound like he'd just gone for vacation and returned. ]

Last night. Managed to interrupt the sefatjiw at bedtime, no less.

Then I needed some sleep.

[ And to make sure that there weren't any lingering aftereffects of having ones soul disconnected from its body for a week, even if the latter had been more or less in hibernation inside the Shadow Realm. Something to make note of, if it ever happened again.

Also, he'd needed to get the information on Raine's temperament from Solomon. Which had been inaccurate. His cheek still stung.

All in all, about 12 hours. Which, given the circumstances, he felt was reasonable. ]

I heard there were more visions. Can't say I'm displeased to have missed those.

[ Even if they hadn't been horrible, the one involving the hatchlings had been enough for this month. The kettle boiled, it and the coffee grounds went into the press, and the scent of the roasted beans began to fill the kitchen. ]

Without further incident, I see.

[The necessity of recuperating is one that crossed Raine's mind, certainly. And Bakura sought her out to tell her he was back, which was considerate. It's an entirely reasonable time frame.]

[The thought that he might have stopped to check on her temperament has not even been considered.]

It seems there were, yes. [She's a little sorry she missed it, but given what Solomon reported his vision entailed... perhaps not.] By most reports, better than they might have been. Cryptic as they were, they may even prove helpful, given some time.

[That's a good smell for a kitchen to have. As accustomed as she is to tea, this is a pleasant change of pace, as well.]

[ Bakura offered a noncommittal noise in response to the "without further incident" comment, neither confirming nor denying. In comparison to what had precipitated it, there hadn't been any issues. The hellhound had still managed to rankle his mood in the span of the mere few minutes he'd been there.

Instead, he pours two cups and adds the fixings she prefers to hers; doesn't ask, just does it and gets it right, before setting it down in front of her on the table. ]

Well, she seems to know what she's doing, more or less. [ referring to Zatanna ] For a magician.

[She'll take that as agreement; if it isn't, she doesn't actually want to know right now. Raine nods thanks to him when he sets the cup down, curls her hands around it. It certainly looked like he prepared it exactly according to her preferences. She tests it, finds that hypothesis accurate, and despite the lingering mass of less happy sentiments, smiles over the coffee at him. He pays attention.]

She does. We spoke about it, at some length.

[Something about his term choice makes her wonder.] You distinguish her from other mages.

[ He makes his own cup, glad for something to occupy his hands, and leans back against the counter across from her. ]

Her magic is... more similar, to that of the magicians in Egypt.

[ The ones he'd referred to in the past more than once, in terms less than than glowing. Actually, closer to loathing. He decided it wasn't the time or place to inform Raine that he and Zatanna had once had a magical street brawl that had left them both in straits. Really, he was surprised she'd resumed talking to him, even a few years after the fact. ]

Her magic doesn't have the same... costs, that some does. That makes it more dangerous.

[This is good. This is a basis for recovering equilibrium, a hot drink and their equivalent of small talk. The remaining anger will fade, and things will be, if not as they were, then perhaps more sturdy. Raine drinks her coffee carefully, and lets herself relax.]

I believe I see. A lack of checks, in essence? Nothing except the user's morality to keep them from doing things that shouldn't be done?

[Maybe don't tell her about the magical street brawl right now, no. If ever.]

[ Raine couldn't have known how much better that her following his half-spoken train of thought made him feel. He didn't have to explain the context for her to draw the right conclusion. It was something that so rarely happened that it left him momentarily quieted, just appreciating it. ]

Aa. Exactly that.

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