voice & text | week two

[hauhra]

Since we’re all feeling a little under the weather this month, I thought of a way we could still have fun while we’re rotting away in our beds from boredom: a choose-your-own-adventure game.

I understand that this might be a new concept for some of you, so I’ll explain how the game works before we get started. I’ll give you a single prompt to start with. Your job is to reply to my prompt and wait for more information from me. I’ll then give you another prompt based on what actions you took in your response… in other words, it’s a bit like collaborative storytelling. However, only one writer can establish the setting, and that’s me.

Got it?

Now… let’s begin.

Weary traveler! The spooky, demon castle that you had set out for when you started your journey to slay its lord months ago is upon you. It rests atop high cliffs, its darkened towers and turrets looming over the forest surrounding it. It appears to be guarded only by a drawbridge. But be careful! It hovers above treacherous waters. Try not to fall in.

How do you wish to proceed?

>_

Comments

[godcards]

NO, I would NOT like to try again! I would like to continue because I am NOT DEAD, you insolent fool! Lackey 2 can secure my throne. Any ill fortune that befalls him is his own doing. A sacrifice for my goal. It it will be MY THRONE and I WIN THE GAME!! AND THEN I WILL RULE OVER THE KINGDOM AND ALL FIENDS AND GHOULS WILL BE MY SUBJECTS ALONG WITH THE MEAGER TOWNSFOLK!! ALL OF THEM WILL HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME

[hauhra]

I didn't think you would be so into roleplaying, Malik.

However, as much as I admire your enthusiasm, I can't give you special treatment, even if we were partners prior to arriving here, because that simply wouldn't be very fair to the other players. I'm afraid you'll have to start from the beginning just like everyone else, especially if you're going to send lackeys in your place instead of going on the adventure yourself.

[ the one and only time bakura gives a shit about being fair ]

[godcards]

No! I have HAD IT with your game, Bakura! Your poor strategy and heavy handed style of play no longer interest me, so I am leaving

[hauhra]

My poor strategy?! Last I checked, the one who didn't know all of his trump card's abilities was you, and that's what cost us the duel that got us here in the first place!

[godcards]

Oh? Did you ever consider that card wouldn’t have been an issue if you had focused on defeating our opponent instead of wasting all your life points?!

[hauhra]

It's not like I could use the Ouija Board strategy because he had already seen it through you... that gave me no choice but to try something else, and that's why I had to give up those life points. It was necessary for our victory, and it would have worked, too, if it weren't for that one-turn kill ability.

Besides, you're one to talk about strategy when you weren't fighting half of your own battles even before that body-snatcher showed up!

[godcards]

That WAS my strategy. I’m not about to put myself at risk when I have the Ghouls to do my legwork for me. You should know better, Bakura. I have a lot of ground to cover, and I can’t be everywhere at once... Not physically anyway. Besides, using my Rare Hunters let me see everyone else’s strategies so I could firm my own. I have plans, Bakura, and I mean to achieve them. You didn’t forget that, did you? If I recall, you had your own goals you were working towards...

[hauhra]

Surely you could have fought your own battles once we had gotten to the Battle City semi-finals, though.

But instead, you boarded the Battle Ship as Namu while leaving baldy to fight on your behalf, almost as though you were afraid that the vessel and his pathetic little friends might retaliate the moment they found out who you really were. You do know that the only ones among them that could pose a very real threat to your physical well-being are Jonouchi and possibly Honda, right? And that you would still have been perfectly fine with baldy and fortune cookie on board, yeah? Face it, Malik. You're just lame and too cowardly to admit it. Don't try to deflect by bringing my plans into this when you're the one who kept changing the terms of our original agreement on short notice.

[godcards]

That would have been stupid. Unlike you, I was not keen to make myself an open target. And unlike you, they didn't know who I was... I saw no point in revealing myself so early. They had a lot more anger directed at me than at you, for whatever reason. I wasn't afraid... I was just being smart. Without them knowing who I was, I could collect information I could use to better manipulate and move my plans along. You just have to be more flexible, Bakura. You were still getting what you wanted out of the deal, so my methods hardly should have bothered you. In fact... if you just listened to me from the start I wouldn't have had to change any of my plans! You could have defeated Yugi and taken Osiris in that first duel! Isn't that right, Bakura? I don't think I'm the one who was being a coward. I lead you to victory!

[hauhra]

You seem to have conveniently forgotten that the plan was only changed because you were the one who had lost Osiris in the first place, not me... meanwhile, I had already upheld my end of the deal by lending you my host, who is the very reason I can afford to be an open target at all, unlike you, who needed an "in" to infiltrate Yugi's circle as "Namu" to begin with - and how do you repay me? Not with the Millennium Item you promised me, oh, no - but by cowering behind me and my host, whom you very well knew I couldn't execute my goals without before the goddess of this world so very graciously gave me a body I could truly call my own, demanding that I sacrifice myself in your place as though you've mistaken me for one of your brainless goons even after I've already shown you that your Millennium Rod has no power over me!

[godcards]

You did NOT uphold your end of the deal! You LOST, which means I had to change my plans to compensate for YOUR screwup! Don't go trying to blame this on me when I handed you the PERFECT opportunity for victory, Bakura! You could have won and gotten my Millennium Rod just as you wanted, all within one round of the semi-finals, if you had just listened to me! I didn't brainwash YOU, I brainwashed your host, so control was never a problem there... It was your insolence that caused all this! My plan was perfect!! Oh, and let us not forget, that not only did you screw up the first time, I so generously picked up the Ring so I could give you a second chance... And you squandered that too! And now we're here!!!

[hauhra]

Yes, Malik, you did brainwash my host and not me... however, right now, you're acting as though it was a package deal, expecting me to obey your words as though they were law, like I'm just another one of your Ghouls, even though you're claiming that the exact opposite is in fact the case simply because my strength of mind was too strong for your Millennium Rod, though you're probably too lame to even admit that much because it would mean confessing that you're not as powerful as you think you are. But you'd better learn right now that your control over my host does not extend into control over me whether you're using your Millennium Rod or not, and you'd better learn it quick if you want to stay on my good side, because right now, you, me, the vessel, and Jonouchi are the only ones from our world that seem to be here, and I'm going to be your best option going forward.

[godcards]

[ There's a long silence before anymore texts roll in. ]

You'd better cooperate if you want this partnership to work, Bakura.

I'll leave it at that.

[hauhra]

Whatever.