RL meeting with Gaara

[puzzlemasters]

*Yugi stands in the middle of a baseball field at dusk, Yami manifested by his side.  It had been Yami's idea, to meet their new friend at that time of evening, not knowing what his arrival would look like and figuring that the almost-twilight might be a good balace to mask any energies or other disturbances of the passage.  Not that they're expecting anyone to witness it anyway, but one can never tell.*

Yugi: *is nervous in spite of himself*

Yami: *usual arms-crossed pose - half the time a sign of at least slight discomfort himself . . . glances at his partner*  [Aibou . . . ]

Yugi: He'll be here.  I'm sure of it.

Yami: *small, wry grin*  [That's not what has you concerned . . . You wonder what he'll think of /me/.  Knowing the truth about me.]

Yugi: 6,6;;;;;;  I think . . . I think neither of us have ever quite told him . . . Nor told /anyone/ on the community for that matter.  Um, except for that mediator I was just talking to recently.

Yami: [I wouldn't worry about it, Aibou.  He'll think what he will.  We've not lied to anyone, nor deliberately deceived.  Just that I am not living.  Unless he's afraid of ghosts . . . ]  *shrugs - then turns over his shoulder, looking off to the side*

Yugi: Other-Me?

Yami: [I sense something.  I think he may have just arrived . . . ]

Comments

[puzzlemasters.livejournal.com]

The two shifted, turning to face the young man approaching them. He was a little older than the stylized character Yugi "knew" from the manga, but he - and, by extension, Yami - had already decided that whatever little they thought they "knew" of that fictional character did NOT figure into this real-life personage. For all intents and purposes, /that/ entity did not exist and did not affect this person here beyond their ability to look at him and recognize that he was the one they were here to meet.

Yami hung back as Yugi stepped forward with a big grin to greet their new friend, not even sure Gaara would be able to /see/ him.

Yugi gives Gaara a bow. "Gaara-san? I'm Mutou Yugi. I'm so pleased to meet you in person at last!"

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

Gaara slanted a nod to him and responded with, "Likewise."

He was a little surprised by the bow. Not that Gaara wasn't accustomed to the gesture itself, because some people in Suna treated him in that manner as well, but he really didn't think friends performed it to one another. Was he expected to do the same?

Sensing an unusual presence, the Sand ninja tilted his head slightly to the side in curiosity. It seemed as though Yugi Mutou had not only one, but two entities in his body. Was his alternate presence a... demon?

[puzzlemasters.livejournal.com]

((quick question - is Gaara meeting Yami's eye at all, and just hasn't made the connection between him and what Gaara's sensing from Yugi in terms of the possible demonic presence? Gaara can see Yami, right? Cuz with Yami manifested, wouldn't Gaara be able to trace the energies /to/ Yami? Sense the link between them? Just wondering. ^^;;;;

Or . . . wait . . . is he sensing the Orichalcos Serpent? Or even /Zorc/ in the Puzzle?? >D *very likely possiblities too* **ebil** Neither of the boys are aware of Zorc, btw . . . though if pressed, Yami will admit he suspects there may well be such a presence. It'd certainly the nightmares Yami's suffered from for as long as he can remember. >3))

OOC note

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

(OOC: He's sensing Yami's presence, per our discussion. He just hasn't figured out whether or not the second entity is good. He guesses it might be a demon based on his own experience. The fact that Yami looks like Yugi doesn't really mean anything, as clones are abundant in the Naruto world.)

Re: OOC note

[puzzlemasters.livejournal.com]

(OOC: *facepalm* Gotcha. "...as clones are abundant..." LOL - good point! Gaara's just confused Yami, who's not sure if he's been acknowledged or not. "So . . . can he see me or not? Must just be my wishful thinking...>.>" *pets him* Although . . . that /does/ bring up something else, come to think of it. I'd forgotten . . . Very likely Zorc's behind strong enough seals and boundaries that Gaara /wouldn't/ sense /him/ . . . but he /might/ sense the Serpent in addition to Yami. Up to you if we wanna bring that up. I'm cool either way. *picks pieces of brain up off floor*)

[puzzlemasters.livejournal.com]

((Yayy for not realizing he's being "ignored" cuz he's being taken for a clone and Gaara thinks the one called Yami is still inside Yugi? ^^;;;))

Yami stifled his disappointment. It seemed that Gaara could not see him after all. He thought for a moment that the ninja had met his eye, but perhaps something behind the spirit had caught the young man's attention instead.

Yugi noticed the gesture, giving a bit of a headtilt of his own. "Is something wrong, Gaara-san?"

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

As the minutes stretched on, the redhead grew increasingly aware of the second presence standing next to Yugi. The two looked similiar, except the stranger was taller and had a more stern expression on his face. A clone, perhaps? But Yugi was not a ninja.

Gaara took a moment to think of what was the most appropriate way to phrase his question, finally coming up with, "Yugi. What are the extent of your spiritual powers?"

[puzzlemasters.livejournal.com]

"Eh..." Yugi rubbed at the back of his neck, fishing for a way to explain, one that might not take half the night . . . /and/ wouldn't make him sound like raving lunatic with MPD.

Yami stepped forward. [Well, for starters, anything you're sensing . . . is probably mine.] What the heck, he thought. If Gaara truly does not see me, he'll likely not hear me either, and it will not hurt anything for me to try to speak up . . .

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

The Sand ninja waited patiently as Yugi fumbled over his words in trying to explain whom his lookalike was. It didn't seem like he was an enemy by the way Yugi stood so casually next to him, but just in case there would be any possible conflicts, Gaara inwardly prepared his defenses.

He stared directly at the second person and demanded in a calm tone, "Who are you?"

[puzzlemasters.livejournal.com]

For just an instant, both sets of eyes widened in surprise. And a huge grin broke over Yugi's face, shoulders sagging a bit with relief. "Oh, you /can/ see him! Awesome! That'll make things a /lot/ easier!"

Yami, too, relaxed a bit, a small grin playing across his features as he met Gaara's eyes with equal calm . . . and nodded a greeting. [I do not know my true name. That knowledge and any other of my life was lost to me long ago. My only memories are what I've gained since Yugi awakened me when he solved the Millennium Puzzle.] He tipped his chin at the real artifact that Yugi wore, even as he found himself cradling the ethereal copy hanging against his own chest. [Until we can recover that knowledge, I have adopted the name "Yami."] His grin widened a bit as he nodded again. [I'm pleased to meet you, Gaara.]

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

Yami. Darkness. Interesting choice. Gaara mused silently as he glanced at the objects dangling around their necks without comment. They looked identical. He wondered if the two items had the same usage, or differed just a little. What was their purpose, for that matter? Not that it was any of his business, of course. If Yugi chose to tell him about it, then Gaara would listen, but if not, he certainly wouldn't press for information.

"Likewise." He responded to Yami with a neutral expression. His curiosity wasn't satisfied quite yet, though, and so he commented, "You seem to be a spirit."

[puzzlemasters.livejournal.com]

Yami gave a low chuckle. [Because I am one. I am bound to the Millennium Puzzle . . . and now to Yugi.] He casts his partner a fond look.

Yugi glanced back and forth between his two friends, grinning. "Gaara-san, would you like to come sit down at one of the bleachers where we can talk more comfortably? ^_^ Um . . . or . . . we were going to head back to . . . your world, I think." He doesn't want to rush Gaara or make him feel put off

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

"I presume you're referring to the object on your necklace." Bound to each other? It sounded like... what he and Shukaku used to have. Though Yugi and Yami seemed to be on much more friendlier terms.

He glanced around the field before looking to Yugi with a sliver of confusion hovering over his expression. Since there was no baseball in his world, he didn't know what the surrounding structures were. "Bleachers?" The ninja repeated hesitantly.

[puzzlemasters.livejournal.com]

Yami nodded, palm brushing down the face of the Puzzle, feeling the thick bas-relief of the udjat on the surface. [Indeed. Aibou carries the real artifact.] He shrugged. [This is merely a reflection, much like my clothes.] And he /is/ wearing the same thing Yugi is.

Yugi rubbed the back of his head at Gaara's understandable confusion. "Oh! Sorry, Gaara-san. It /is/ a strange word, isn't it? 'Bleachers' - the seating structures over here, meant for sitting to watch the games that are played on this field." He gestures to indicate what he's talking about.

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

"What is the purpose of having a mere replica?" He inquired reasonably. Was the object just there for decoration? If so, then that was fairly pointless. But then again, perhaps the object itself served as a symbolic representation of the close friendship between the two.

"I see. Games as in sports?" Gaara certainly could not imagine any board or table games being played outside, let alone on such a huge field. His friend from New York had once mentioned some sports, and he struggled now to recall what they were...

(OOC: Holy crap, sorry for the late tag. D8 I still don't have Internet at my home yet.)

[puzzlemasters.livejournal.com]

((Yargh! Heh, I have Internet at home and work, but IRL's been trying to bury me again. This got lost in my Inbox, just found it again - yesterday, actually, but didn't have a chance to respond. *HUGGLES!* No I-net, though? Everything okay? =S))

Yami blinked, taken a little by surprise by the question. It wasn't that he was offended, just that . . . he'd never thought about it.

Yugi glanced at his partner and decided to give him a moment to collect his thoughts by answering Gaara's other question first. He nodded. "Sports are one kind of game, yes, one that usually involves two teams of people with a goal between them of scoring points acheiving various tasks with a ball - or preventing the other team /from/ doing the tasks - and those kinds of games, called sports, are played on special fields like this one, depending on the sport."

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

Yugi's reluctance to answer his first question made the ninja think he had said something wrong, so he fell silent and did not press on the matter.

They began to walk toward the bleachers, and Gaara mused aloud with a bit of curiosity in his tone, "My friend mentioned this sport once, though I've never actually seen it."

He adjusted his clothing and shifted the gourd on his back before gingerly taking a seat, trying to imagine how he would see baseball as a spectator, but to no avail.

(OOC: Oh man, my reply is so late. D: Sorry again! I had lost the connection at home for a couple of weeks. Really, really frustrating. And I can't RP at work or I'll get in trouble...)

[puzzlemasters.livejournal.com]

(("I had lost the connection at home for a couple of weeks. Really, really frustrating." Been there - and it /is/! *hugs!* I /can/ play at work (no one can see my computer without my spotting them coming first), just been too busy, and after work . . . *COLLAPSE*))

Yami had recovered from his initial reaction and . . . thought he had an inkling of a response by the time Gaara and Yugi had sat down. [Heh . . . you're question is an intruiging one, Gaara. I have to say I've never really thought about it. I think . . . ] He cupped up his Puzzle in both hands, eyeing it almost ruefully. [It is very much a part of my existance. I would not be here without it. Probably whatever determines my physical appearance - from my own facial structure to the clothes I'm wearing - just automatically factors it in as well.] He shrugged as he let it dropp back against his abdomen, then turned his attention to Gaara's own attire, his tone indicating that Gaara did /not/ have to answer. [If you don't mind my asking of after something of /yours/, what is that on your back?] He gestured to indicate the gourd.

Yugi too had been eyeing it, though he'd not wanted to be rude.