soul_campaign | Seventh Roll: February 7th, Evening. [Text]

So he just left you alone?!

What else could he do...? With how often I had to move.... there was no way he could have stayed with me even if he wanted to.

[His face darkens.]

Bullshit! Why'd you have to move and he can stay where he is?

Because of work... [[said very softly]] Everytime I had to change schools... there was no way he could change where he was working every time...

And why did you have to change schools? [He's trying to get it, really. But right now he can't make either head nor tail of the logic that must've been used.]

Because all of my friends would fall into comas when I played games with them... [[And there was no way he could bear the silent accusations and social shunning that followed...]]

They fell into comas? [Yep, making less and less sense.]

[[a small nod, his hand going over his chest where the scars from the Ring lay hidden]]

Because I wished that they could play with me forever....

[He notices the gesture and his eyes narrow.]

You made a wish? And because of that they never woke up?

Something like that...

Something like that. What the hell are you trying to say?

He twisted my wish... he trapped their souls into the figures so they could never leave. [[said in a very soft voice]]

'He'? Who, he? [He doesn't like the sound of this at all, but he's still got not enough pieces to make sense of anything.]

[[shakes his head. He knows there's no way he can explain the Ring's Voice, there's no way he would even know how. It was starting to get into dangerous territory, things he shouldn't say, things that sounded crazy even to his own ears!]]

[He gives him a slightly worried look but stays silent in order to give him time.]

[[No matter how much time, there wasn't going to be an answer. Bakura was shutting down those doors, trying to pull away from what was upsetting him.]]

Ryou... I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong.

It's nothing that can be helped... [[said in a quiet voice]] Even without him, I'm still being left...

[His expression turns sad. He knows how it is, to be the one left behind. But he had the drugs to blame.]

Don't say it like that. Who left you, except Vash?

I've been alone most of my life, Leo... unable to make friends, losing Mother and Amane... then every single friend I managed to make in almost every school... Everyone always leaves... even Father...

....

What about me?

[[Without saying anything, Bakura reached out to take hold of Leo's hand, gripping it tightly. There was a very quiet, very deep fear that history was going to start to repeat itself and he'd find himself alone again. He'd lost a few friends here already, but not ones he had been so close to, letting him cling to the optimistic hope that somehow, they'd be safe. That they wouldn't be taken away from him, that he'd paid off his horrible karma and would be able to be happy...

He'd rebuild that again later, but for the moment, now that he was finally facing reality, that fear was a crushing weight that had shattered his ability to keep that optimistic view.

And he'd already almost lost Leo once already....]]

[He freezes for a moment, confused and not knowing how to react. This kind of physical contact and silent admitting of needing another - it's nothing the he is used to, especially not coming from an another boy. Were they back on the streets that Leo grew up in, it's be a blatant show of weakness. A request to be used and killed. But here... It's a sign of trust?

He doesn't really know what to do about this, but he returns the hold, giving Ryou's hand a light squeeze in return.]

You humans are always so soft.

I'll be better tomorrow, I promise... [[his voice is very quiet, but a lot of the tension leached out with that small squeeze. He's never had anyone along side him before when he's lost someone. His father had fallen to pieces worse than he had and never seemed to know what to do afterward. He'd never had a close friend before Yuugi, and as things had been, he'd tried his best not to show anything to him, afraid he'd lose him too. He was still learning how to trust people with true things, still trying to act on what Yuugi had always said were important things between friends. He was showing weakness... but between friends... it was okay, wasn't it?]]

Don't. [The word was almost a sigh. Leo has seen far too many people break themselves over trying to get over something they hadn't. Sometimes he thinks that he should include himself to those as well.]

Don't break yourself over bein' fine when ya aren't. You're doing no one a favor with that.

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]