[Marik scoops up the hiccuping Yamask and passes him along to King. Chen hangs like a ragdoll with his little tongue sticking out in exasperation. This is a terrible sensation!]
If he's regained his memories, that might explain the shift in his demeanor. I guess we're... lucky he arrived from the time he did. I would have stayed hidden if he were from any point before the tournament.
[Gods, talking about time lines is weird. Marik shakes his head.]
I'll... message him later. Once this fool-[which is somehow said with affection]-gets rid of his hiccups.
[Chen lets out a tiny groan that's interrupted by said hiccups.]
... Think we should give the Pharaoh some of our Meowth money to help him start off?
[ King is happy to take over as the Team Dad. He comforts Chenzira as best he can, patting him firmly to get everything under control. He's a slimy boy, he doesn't mind. ]
I can wire him some. I'm going up against Whitney tomorrow, and if I've prepared enough we'll have another windfall soon.
We can donate supplies in person at the tournament as well.
[ King makes a gentle shushing noise as he cuddles Chen, making sure the little guy's okay. He'll hand him back to Marik in a moment, he just wants to be absolutely sure he's fine. Kaiba watches them with a little smile as he sips his own smoothie slowly and carefully. ]
I'll go with you. Your team's really grown the last few weeks, and I'm eager to see what you do.
[ Speaking of a strong team, King hands Chenzira back to Marik. All good now! ]
[Marik leans over to take Chenzira back and slumps him over his shoulder, patting him on the back like a baby.
... He's not sure why he's surprised to hear Kaiba wants to go with him. He stares at him for a bit, at a loss of what to say at first.]
You will?
[Of course he will. Kaiba's the reason he was able to get to where he is now. Why wouldn't he want to see how much Marik's grown? It makes sense.
Still, the blonde manages a sheepish smile. He wants to make his friend proud.]
I... I appreciate it. I've been writing down some strategies while you've been at the beach. I'm thinking... by the time the tournament is over, everyone but Oba should be strong enough to use. Oba can stay with you and King to watch. If you're alright with that, that is.
I can use the extra time to catch and train a deeper bench of team members. I love my main team, but I'm thinking of raising more for different situations. And we might be able to buy more useful items at the battle convention...
[ King warbles happily at the mention of his baby brother! ]
Oh? Why not just buy TMs? That's what I was planning on doing. I want Chen, Usi, Oba, and Anippe to always be on my team. I'm not sure about my last two yet...
[He doesn't like collecting too many pokémon. Having them sit in an electric box seems... cruel even if they're in stasis like and don't mind...? It doesn't sit well with him.
Hm. If it's after the meetup... Marik shifts a bit.]
Do you think... the Pharaoh will want to... travel with us?
That's true. I believe the core of my team's going to be King, Mizuchi, Zephyra, and Leizi...but I think I'll be rotating the last two slots for different situations. I'll make sure they all get to come out and play at every town stop.
[ Mizuchi lets out a small stream of bubbles where she's curled at his feet, and he rubs her head. ]
It's possible. We can see how our meeting in person goes, and if we both agree, we could invite him. But I don't want to do it if you're not comfortable.
I'd be upset with you if you had thought about switching out King, Mizuchi, or Zephyra.
[Especially King.
Marik smile returns at Mizuchi's display even as they discuss the topic of their newly arrived acquaintance. Adversary? Colleague? Yeah, colleague sounds better. He still looks a bit uncertain but nowhere near as nervous as he was before.]
I need to get used to interacting with him eventually, right? Like ripping a bandaid off. It's better for the injury underneath in the long run. Maybe getting to know him better might help put some of my... issues to rest.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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He'll probably be fine. His starter's a Sigilyph...fitting, I suppose. It just orbits around him all day, apparently.
He seemed to be in a good mood. We'll be fine.
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Marik chuckles at the description.]
I think I briefly saw one of those when I was at the Ruins. That is... really fitting for him.
[There's a hiccup from his lap. Marik doesn't even need to look down to know what happened.]
I told you not to drink too fast.
[And without missing a beat he continues his conversation with Kaiba.]
... Huh. It's odd picturing him in a good mood. I've only ever seen him be serious and commanding.
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It was strange for me too. We've never exactly been on great terms, but he seemed happy to see me. Maybe he can take the time to loosen up too.
We'll find out what's going on in a few days together, I guess.
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If he's regained his memories, that might explain the shift in his demeanor. I guess we're... lucky he arrived from the time he did. I would have stayed hidden if he were from any point before the tournament.
[Gods, talking about time lines is weird. Marik shakes his head.]
I'll... message him later. Once this fool-[which is somehow said with affection]-gets rid of his hiccups.
[Chen lets out a tiny groan that's interrupted by said hiccups.]
... Think we should give the Pharaoh some of our Meowth money to help him start off?
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I can wire him some. I'm going up against Whitney tomorrow, and if I've prepared enough we'll have another windfall soon.
We can donate supplies in person at the tournament as well.
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Alright. That works.
[He smiles.]
I'm really looking forward to watching the match. I know it'll be just as awesome as your previous one in Violet.
[Marik looks over at Chen for a moment then back to Kaiba.]
I think... after the tournament, I'll finally try my hand at challenging Falkner.
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I'll go with you. Your team's really grown the last few weeks, and I'm eager to see what you do.
[ Speaking of a strong team, King hands Chenzira back to Marik. All good now! ]
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[Marik leans over to take Chenzira back and slumps him over his shoulder, patting him on the back like a baby.
... He's not sure why he's surprised to hear Kaiba wants to go with him. He stares at him for a bit, at a loss of what to say at first.]
You will?
[Of course he will. Kaiba's the reason he was able to get to where he is now. Why wouldn't he want to see how much Marik's grown? It makes sense.
Still, the blonde manages a sheepish smile. He wants to make his friend proud.]
I... I appreciate it. I've been writing down some strategies while you've been at the beach. I'm thinking... by the time the tournament is over, everyone but Oba should be strong enough to use. Oba can stay with you and King to watch. If you're alright with that, that is.
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I can use the extra time to catch and train a deeper bench of team members. I love my main team, but I'm thinking of raising more for different situations. And we might be able to buy more useful items at the battle convention...
[ King warbles happily at the mention of his baby brother! ]
Don't worry, we'll look after him.
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[He doesn't like collecting too many pokémon. Having them sit in an electric box seems... cruel even if they're in stasis like and don't mind...? It doesn't sit well with him.
Hm. If it's after the meetup... Marik shifts a bit.]
Do you think... the Pharaoh will want to... travel with us?
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[ Mizuchi lets out a small stream of bubbles where she's curled at his feet, and he rubs her head. ]
It's possible. We can see how our meeting in person goes, and if we both agree, we could invite him. But I don't want to do it if you're not comfortable.
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[Especially King.
Marik smile returns at Mizuchi's display even as they discuss the topic of their newly arrived acquaintance. Adversary? Colleague? Yeah, colleague sounds better. He still looks a bit uncertain but nowhere near as nervous as he was before.]
I need to get used to interacting with him eventually, right? Like ripping a bandaid off. It's better for the injury underneath in the long run. Maybe getting to know him better might help put some of my... issues to rest.
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[ He smiles. That...feels about right. ]