FOR MALIK

[duranduel]

Comments

[godcards]

Which part is supposed to worry me? The bleeding, the unspecified curse... the mysterious voice that talked to us about punishment?

[ he's like one step removed from a ptsd flashback ]

[duranduel]

That's...a lot.

[Hm.]

Do you...still hear the voice?

[godcards]

No. But I--

[ he glances down to another eye that's on the back of his hand. ]

...I think about it. Remember it.

[duranduel]

[...]

[Something...flickers in his expression?]

[He reaches out, and just. Holds Malik's hand.]

I don't know what that voice wanted to punish you for, but...I don't think you deserved it.

[godcards]

[ haha oh wow there's a lot of feelings all of a sudden.

any other time he'd fight back, push away, and honestly? he really wants to. he doesn't deserve this, no matter what mandricardo says. but after this weekend? after everything he's been through?

fuck it. he's allowing himself this. he can't fight back with words, so he doesn't say anything at all. ]

[duranduel]

[They're just holding hands now! Mandricardo is vibing. Malik is not telling him to stop so he must be alright with this.]

[He swings their hands a little.]

This is good.

[godcards]

[ from deep in his thoughts, malik finally snaps back to reality. ]

What is?

[duranduel]

[Matter-of-factly:]

This. Holding hands. Doing this with you.

[godcards]

[ VERY QUICKLY: ] You don't mean that.

[ still holding hands tho. ]

[duranduel]

Why...wouldn't I mean that?

[are you gonna call out his Vibes, Malik]

[godcards]

I think you're just placating me. People lie all the time. You've been hanging around me a lot, but that doesn't really... mean anything.

[ he fucking hates this. ]

[duranduel]

I'm not lying. I would have no need to.

[He's vibing! Malik is nice to talk to!]

Placating assumes I would have something to get out of you. What do I get out of you besides you?

[godcards]

I don't know. You're the one who's doing the placating.

[ despite his feelings, he's been relatively austere up until now. but his face is starting to turn red. ]

[duranduel]

Is it placating? Is that the same thing as "making you feel better"?

[Just! Shrugging!]

...Are you sick, Malik?

[The red cheeks...]

[godcards]

..........Yes.

[ to all of that. sure. ]

[duranduel]

Then we need to get you something hot, I think.

[Swinging their hands a little! Back to going to the cafeteria.]

Tea will be good.

[godcards]

Yeah...... Tea.

[ He's not going to say anything else can we please get to the cafeteria PLEASE he is DYING ]

[duranduel]

[mandi: what is dying i only know vibes]

[But they're here! Time to get some tea! He'll just drag Malik over to the selection.]

Do you have a preference?

[godcards]

[ my friend just reminded me there is a ygo game with dating sim-style sprites hello. ]

Just black tea is fine. Or... uh, black tea and mint.

[duranduel]

[WHY WOULD YOU CURSE ME WITH THIS]

Mint? You like the flavor?

[But as he reaches for it...his hand is still weak. Its fine. It takes him a moment.]

Let's get a mug.

[godcards]

[ because it's funny. ]

...Yes?

[ mandi your HAND but that's ok malik is also preoccupied but for other reasons. mostly wtf is wrong with his preferences??? IT'S JUST MINT? ]

[duranduel]

[submits a murder proposal for you. not malik just you]

Mm. It's something that...wakes you up. A sharp taste.

[also me crying because i can't write that mandi likes or doesn't like something]

I think I'll take jasmine.

[godcards]

[ i didn't even send the bad one???? ]

It's a plant.

[ look. he has some peripheral knowledge of the power of plants, given his upbringing, but like. it's a flavor, it isn't medicine? ]

Jasmine is a plant too, you know.

[duranduel]

[THERE'S A BAD ONE???]

Oh, I know that. In my kingdom, there was a version of tea we would brew called suutei tsai. It was made from milk steeped in green tea and toasted millet. Jasmine can be just as soothing, I feel.

[godcards]

[ yeah. now you can kill me. ]

I didn't realize you were a tea connoisseur. I've only had black tea before coming here... I don't mind complicated flavors, but simple tea is what I'm used to.