Parting Gifts [CLOSED]

[betheman]

Who: Yuuya & Gongenzaka
When: Day 61, after Steven's Rescue
Where: The Carnival grounds
What: Having rescued Steven, Yuuya and Gongenzaka go deal with Cast Matters
Warnings: Nah

With the many of them who had come to retrieve Steven, the Medical Tent was crowded even with their group alone. Of course, the other rescue teams didn't take too long themselves- in particular, the waterlogged Doctor was more than ready to get back to his job- but even before that point, it appeared Steven had more than enough to keep watch over him within its walls.

As such, with one last promise that they would visit later, Yuuya and Gongenzaka both took their leave. Steven would be fine- he had the effects of a healing draught from Tyki, not to mention the man's watchful eye in addition to Amethyst and Joker's own. (Yuugo, meanwhile, had muttered something about having to 'check in' at the Wardrobe tent before driving off)

It left a slight silence over the pair, as they made for Gongenzaka's trailer. No doubt it would be wise if they helped to bolster the Carnival defenses for now...but the fact was, they were both simply too strung out now to focus on anything. It had been a long run of physical activity and improvization both, and the results taxed them mentally and emotionally as well. Hopefully even just sitting for a while could clear their heads again, but the fact was it would all be up in the air.

Gongenzaka carries Yuuya on his back, but when they get to the tent in question he finds himself pausing with belated upset. Ahh. Right.

"...Aaah...that is right...Yuzu had requested to take 'leave', hadn't she..."

Not surprising, but she also left them a few things to sort out on top of directly passing certain things on. "Hmnn..."

Comments

[hippocarnival]

Yuya is... a little unsettled by the way she just grabs his hand. Suzu was more dog like before the evolution, and it feels like she's grown a little more away from that. Maybe it's just because her limbs were short and useless.

Regardless, her head is getting scritches now. His expression twists in a small smile. "Pets have a way of knowing when you're upset. You've never had one before Suzu, have you?"

[betheman]

"Auh...aah, certainly not- though," he adds, watching as Suzu promptly sits down and starts beating her short tail against the ground gleefully at the scritches, "It does not entirely help, no doubt, that Pokemon are fairly intelligent as a whole..."

Suzu isn't exactly 100% dog in mind, by virtue of being a pokemon after all...

[hippocarnival]

Yuya laughs, his attention thoroughly stolen by Suzu. "Even then! You know, when I'd come home sad En and Core would always come and curl up with me. They just kind of know when you need them."

For comfort, love... to wake you up because you're late for a duel. Yuya blinks rapidly, fighting off a wash of tears as he thinks about home. It's been six, almost seven months? He hasn't seen his mom, or his home, or principal, or Nico, or the school...

He tries to reach with his other hand to wipe his face, but it's a little trapped with the angle he's laying in now.

[betheman]

"Hmnnn....I see..." He finds himself half muttering, but even while his words trail off, his attention is drawn to Yuuya's distracted motions. Without really thinking of it, his snout is right near the other's face- and a few moments later, his hand instead, moving to get the tears in Yuuya's stead.

(Quietly, he hopes he never forgets to do that so late that he's nosed someone's tears away. That, would REALLY be embarrassing.)

[hippocarnival]

Yuya makes a muffled sound as there's suddenly a nose and a hand up against his face, and he twists over to his back to try and look at Gongenzaka in bewilderment. His reaction is delayed, but as soon as Gongenzaka motions to wipe the tears away more of them start to fall.

Yuya takes a shaky breath in a belated attempt at control. He attempts to speak, but it only comes out as a hiccup and Yuya quickly swallows his words.

[betheman]

He can't quite explain how he 'knew' the other would be upset. If he thought about it he'd assume it was their friendship, their closeness, so on. Either way, he holds the other close now, Suzu herself apparently somewhat resigned to watching them be 'upset'.

"...It shall be alright, Yuuya," Gongenzaka whispers, doing his best to reassure the other of what he's saying. "I, the man Gongenzaka, promise that. ...We shall get through this..."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya purses his lips to muffle a whine as he starts to cry. Gongenzaka's hand is already clearing his face, even as he starts to try harder, so briefly his hands flail in uncertainty where to go before he gently grips Gongenzaka's forearm.

"I--I know, I just..." He sniffs, squeezing his eyes shut. "I miss home. I haven't seen any of it since Academia invaded!"

Remembering it all makes his heart ache. Normally, he's good at keeping it out of his mind. But it feels like forever since he's seen his mother, had pancakes, slept through class, everything that felt so normal.

[betheman]

His face presses against the other's, eyes closing gently as he holds Yuuya there. He can't say he doesn't miss home himself- certainly not when he's considered at lest temporarily going back, catching up to where Yuuya himself left off, but...

"...I know," he whispers. And then, after some thought, he has an idea. "...Let us talk about it, then," he decides, brushing away another tear. "...About what we know from home...what we shall see when we return, and do when we are able to go back."

[hippocarnival]

There's a pause before Yuya nods, swallowing heavily to try and find enough strength in his voice to speak. His eyes remain closed as Gongenzaka leans in closer, but the weight is enough to ease the tension in his emotions just a little.

"Okay," he breathes, his hand sliding down to simply rest over Gon's. He pushes away the thoughts of what he really was doing before the carnival, of the bright light, and trusts that things will be the way they should be. To focus on what he still wants to be there when he returns.

"I want--I want Dad to come home. And I'll see Yuzu, and Mom and Principal will know she's okay. And then I wanna sleep all day and wake up to Mom's pancakes." Sometimes, he's terribly simple minded.

[betheman]

While Yuuya speaks, Gongenzaka nods. Nods, and then smirks against the other when his friend adds that last bit about pancakes, barely containing a chuckle.

"....With the war in our own home 'over', more or less, I, the man Gongenzaka, think it certain your father shall return. We will see Yuzu...and they will certainly know they are well, aah?" And....

He snorts, rubbing against the other again. "Unfortunately, I, the man Gongenzaka, must say that you will have to survive with Hinawa's pancakes for the time being..! But that will no doubt make the taste of your mother's that much better, aah?"

Another short chuckle....and he sighs. "...I, the man Gongenzaka...imagine that will be the case with my own mother's omu-rice..."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya snorts, turning his face away slightly as Gon's fur brushes against him. "I'm surviving!" Sometimes it feels like he's only surviving, but... this isn't one of them. He's sore, but Gongenzaka is a balm and he already feels a little better.

He half opens one of his eyes to peek out at Gon. "Do you think we'll have to do the tournament all over again?"

[betheman]

"Mn? The tournament?" he repeats, frowning with thought.

"...Mnn. That is right, it was cancelled during the final rounds... ...given everything, I, the man Gongenzaka, suppose it could end up continuing then- with those of us who became lancers facing against the other, but..."

He can't be sure. It's a bit of a mess given who was involved in that, after all. "...Perhaps asking Reiji may be wise. He would have organized it in the first place, aa?"

[hippocarnival]

"That's right. He probably has other thingson his mind..." Like his dad, Reira, the carnival... no, Yuya won't ask him yet. But he probably will be the one to make that decision when they return.

"It'd just be too bad to have to wait for next year again. I was ready to give it my all, even against you and Yuzu."

[betheman]

Well THAT gets a chuckle. "Hhahahaha..! Do you think you could not simply duel me at some point here, and have us both give our all? I, the man Gongenzaka, am certain we could find the space..!" he adds, already considering if they could borrow one of the tents during off week.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya shakes his head. "No, it's not that! Only one of us could move on to the Youth League through the tournament, right?"

Like the qualification duel, it's one with higher stakes for both of them. Of course he can duel with anything whenever, but it's different when there's a reason.

His expression slips slightly as he remembers something. "Oh, but I might need your help dueling anyway. Me and Yugo."

[betheman]

"Mnn... ....that is correct..." he mutters, slowly comprehending the stakes that would be involved. Tense indeed. Though-

He blinks, and this time moves to sit up a little. "...Yuugo and yourself? What for?" he asks, curious. Reira would know if she had been the one asked- or perhaps more accurately, have been able to guess.

But he himself?

He hadn't witnessed their matches.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya rubs the back of his neck, looking uncertain. "Uh--sometimes, when I was around Yugo, or Yuto, or Yuri our brains would start synchronizing."

He waves his hands quickly. "It hasn't happened since Zarc was separated from me! But before, during the Friendship Cup there were times I was suddenly part of Yugo's duels. I guess it was helping him?"

His face scrunches up briefly, then he shrugs helplessly. "Yugo wanted to see if we could trigger that again."

[betheman]

"S...synchronize..?" He thinks over the word, while Yuuya explains. That sounds a bit like... "You mean to say...it is as though one of you were with the other? Perhaps, in spirit, or similar?" he adds, not focusing on the matter of Zarc.

Awkwardly, he sits up further, glancing aside. "That...most certainly, if one or the other could reach the other to even offer aid..." The gears in his mind seem to be turning, but not necessarily for Yuuya's own goals. Quickly, he snaps himself from those thoughts, focusing. "Mng- if dueling is what will help, then I, the man Gongenzaka, shall gladly do so..!"

[hippocarnival]

"More like... our minds were becoming one. Yugo thought it could be useful." Yuya's still not confident in it. Syncing during Yugo's duels was the least painful instance, but it was still unsettling. And was there a risk of them becoming one again by getting that close?

He's already agreed to try, though, so there's no backing out now. "Anyway--thanks. I'll let you know when we need you."

With space between them again, Yuya moves to sit up and look over Gon to Yuzu's things. "I guess we should sort through those now."

[betheman]

"Becoming one..." Having, conveniently, also missed out on all of the Fusing people nonsense of their own world, he once again jumps to a very different thought. "...Amethyst spoke of gems doing something similar, earlier- when she was warning others about the threat that could be created between Jasper and Lapis combining themselves. Yuugo may not be wrong," he adds, nodding. "...Apparently, two together make something of an excess of power compared to the actual sum."

In any case, Suzu is moving now that both of them are- or at least, moving to curl up on one of the pillows. Gongenzaka looks toward Yuzu's things, nodding. "Aah. ...The crown at least, seems like something beneficial for myself..." he notes, looking somewhat embarrassed given the obvious reason why. "...However, you certainly are not in need of more armor..." he snorts, looking over the hard-light set.

[hippocarnival]

"Yeah, it's... something like that. Except the thing we made wasn't a good one." Dragon destroyer of the world and all that, and it was super painful.

He moves to give Suzu one more pat before rolling over to glance quickly through what she left behind. "No, you and Mr. Strange made sure I have plenty of that. I guess I can keep most of it put away fot when she comes back?"

[betheman]

"Hmn. Well..." He doesn't know much about That, but he can take a guess. "In this case...it sounds as if some sort of cooperation is necessary- a proper kind," he emphasizes. "Not...what you described, with 'him'. If you and Yuugo are attempting to do this willingly, to help the other.."

Gongenzaka smiles encouragingly. "Then, without a doubt, that 'synchronization' cannot possibly result in anything that isn't good..!"

Now then. "Hrnn. She asked us to see if anything here could have use where we could- it would be wiser to think more upon if anyone else requires armor, before doing that..." With a snort, he adds. "...The younger Akaba, certainly, should not be receiving it, with that in mind....Better to not encourage..." he mutters, frowning.

[hippocarnival]

"But if it's not... you'll stop us." He's not asking, because he needs someone to, and he trusts Gon to be able to handle it.

He smiles a bit before turning back to everything. "Well, she'd probably want you to have the crown, since it's useful." he props his chin on his hand. "Reiji doesn't have anything to fight with. And we can't duel them..."

[betheman]

He frowns. "Naturally, I shall. However Yuuya..." He looks to his friend with a fairly stern eye. "...You must have more faith that it will turn out, when you attempt this then."

Now then. With Yuuya's words, he shrugs and gestures back at the armor. "...In this state, it would naturally not fit, but... ...Perhaps, if we were to ask Wardrobe, or even the Ringmaster herself, that could be changed? ...He is at quite a disadvantage otherwise..." And he still can't shake how... Uncomfortable the teen seemed about things having come back.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya nods absently. They have just as much magic, so there's bound to be a way.

He pauses, then turns to Gon and raises his eyebrow. "Did you know he asked for that? I think the Ringmaster was playing a prank on him... but he should have talked to us before signing anything."

He's sure keeping low, which in this circumstance is a good thing. But, well, he still lost his legs.