'there is only one blanket'

[blue_ice]

It's a classic conundrum. The wind is howling, the snow is falling, this building somehow lacks the slightest bit of electricity. And a very grumpy young man is stuck here, with a single ratty blanket. Another unfortunate soul is here with him as well. It's quite cold, and he has to continuously rub his hands together to stimulate blood flow.

But there's a blanket. As thin as it is, it would assist in retaining body heat. If he were to take it, though...that would be an unacceptable display of weakness in front of his unfortunate companion, would it not? No. Unacceptable. He will glare at it.

"Take it," is his terse response.

Comments

[king_of_egypt]

Equally irritated by the frigid state of the predicament they've found themselves in, Atem is staring at the floorboards trying to pretend like he has perfectly adapted to this colder climate, despite his origins from a considerably warmer one. Clenching his teeth tightly together was about the only way to prevent them from chattering. He was aware of the one bit of comfort either one of them might have received from the blanket, even in it's present state, but he was just as stubborn to accept it.

Sure, he could just take what was being offered- but then that would make him the inconsiderate one wouldn't it?

Looking up, he met Kaiba's gaze. "I'm perfectly fine. You should use it." Great. They were going to freeze to death because one of them was trying to out-polite the other and his opposition was trying to feign-strength.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba gave Atem the Look. The 'are-you-serious' look. How could he....

"You're from a desert. It'll likely bring you closer to your normal than it would for me."

Perfect logic. Surely.

[king_of_egypt]

When one is trying to give the illusion that they are perfectly in control of a situation... they are less inclined to be agreeable to such an incredulous look.

"We do get snow- occasionally."

Infrequently at best, and it usually melts before anyone really has much time to appreciate it but it does happen.

"You should take better care of yourself... for Mokuba's sake." Trying a different strategy, he pulled out the little brother card early.

[blue_ice]

The brother card? Really? Kaiba scoffs, but he reaches up for the locket regardless. His brother...he suppresses a shiver. No. He won't let the cold defeat him. How could he fall to something as ridiculous as temperature.

"He wouldn't want to lose you either," he points out. "And do you really want to disappoint Yugi?"

[king_of_egypt]

"Don't bring Yugi into this.." Atem harrumphed as if it was such an underhanded scheme... that he hadn't just attempted to use in the reverse. It was also true that Mokuba was fond of both of them but Atem knew that losing Seto would be a considerably worse blow.

Unable to endure just sitting in the cabin any longer, the pharaoh stood up and began to pace the room. His muscles already were feeling the drain from having been idle for too long in these temperatures.

"Technically, I'm already deceased." There. Try to beat that one. Checkmate. It was a little grim, but not untrue. Honestly, Atem wasn't sure how he'd managed to take on a physical form again after having been only a spirit previously. While he was in no hurry to throw this second life away- Kaiba was only on his first.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba gaped at that shot across the bow. Really, pharaoh? Really? He wanted to play the dead card? He bristled and stood up, beginning his own search around the room. Maybe there was some wood that was still dry, maybe it would be possible to start a fire with friction. He searched high and low for kindling, not finding much.

"I'm not letting you die on me again before we duel," he shot back. There really wasn't much...but he eventually found two pieces of wood and set to work. It was hard to achieve the required friction with trembling fingers, though.

"I'll start a fire. Somehow."

[king_of_egypt]

It was the most unfair argument he could have made, and in hindsight he regretted having said it. Kaiba had gone to an awful lot of trouble to track him down and he had his doubts that it was merely just to reinstate his pride in a card game.

"... but afterwards you'll finally let me rest?" He was kidding, as evidenced by the first hint of a smile since this discussion had begun.

"Have you done that before?" With his financial situation securely in tact, Atem doubted it. He couldn't really envision Kaiba going on camping trips either. "Just don't burn the cabin down or we'll really be in trouble." The last part was said more quietly. Moving closer he peered up the fireplace flue to make sure it looked relatively clear before drawing himself back out of Kaiba's way.

[blue_ice]

"No. Then we'll have to duel again. And again. One match won't satisfy me."

Yeah...there was definitely something going on there with his enthusiasm. Or was it an unwillingness to let go? Whatever it was, they were both going to escape this frigid mess alive.

He felt his pulse pick up just a little as Atem came close, then bristled again. "I won't. It's perfectly safe."

If only because his fire-making attempts were going precisely nowhere. He bit back a curse as his shaking fingers dropped the wood again. He pulled them back and frantically rubbed the frigid digits together, unwilling to surrender.

"The blanket's useless if neither of us take it," he points out grumpily, yet unsure what to do about that.

[king_of_egypt]

With a shake of his head, Atem let that subject slide. It was as he expected. It wouldn't be just one duel, even if Kaiba did manage to best him. Whatever the reason was he wouldn't push it.

"Mm, very well then." If Kaiba said he was confident that he could handle the process then Atem was certainly willing to trust him. Boastful though his rival may be, it was never without foundation.

"I suppose you have a point." Finally, he moved over to take the blanket, but it was only to walk back over and place it around Kaiba's shoulders. In the kneeling position he'd had to assume to work on the fire, it made it possible for the former king to be able to reach. "Now it's being used."

[blue_ice]

He was infuriating. Kaiba growled low in his throat as he felt the blanket cover him. Determined as he was to not show weakness, he wanted to throw it off, but...if he pulled his hands back and into the blanket for a moment, maybe he'd succeed in starting a fire. He inhaled, then exhaled...time to calm himself.

"Fine. I'll start the fire. Then it's your turn."

They could take turns, surely. He made another attempt, and...there was a spark! He watched with a held breath, then carefully nudged to try to grow the small flame.

[king_of_egypt]

He's not the only one. Both of them were nothing if not stubborn about certain things. Fighting the urge to smirk like the cat that caught the canary, the pharaoh was pleased that the offer was accepted. For the time being, he folded his arms cross his chest to try to retain any remaining warmth he had, but there was something almost unnatural about this temperature. Nothing he seemed to do, helped.

He'd take this as a win. "Fair enough." Also, he was getting just a bit too cold to feel like resisting any longer. How did people in colder climates deal with this, all the time?!

"You did it." Color him impressed, since those sticks hadn't looked all that promising. If they were going to keep it going though, or help it grow.. they'd need more kindling. What was available..? Some of the furniture... maybe? Sparse though it was.

[blue_ice]

"Now I just need to keep it alive..."

And keep them alive. That would help as well, wouldn't it? He looks over his shoulder at Atem for a moment. Is he really fine? Well. He'll be better if Kaiba gets this fire bigger. He feeds another wood scrap, then another. He just has to be careful not to waste them all.

"At least sit closer. I didn't light it to look pretty."

[king_of_egypt]

At the instruction to move closer, snapped Atem out of his thoughts. "Oh.. right." Before complying he went to collect a small wooden chair. Then he returned to the fireplace. "You don't think we'll need this? do you?" Although he would feel some guilt at destroying someone else's property, it was an emergency.

Not waiting for an answer, Atem drew the chair into the air then brought it smashing into the floor below. The aged wood gave easily under the force of the blow, breaking off into pieces. It took a bit more finagling before what was left of the chair was in more manageable pieces. Gathering them into a pile, Atem then plopped down closer to the fire to try and warm himself.

Disconcertingly, it didn't seem to be helping but maybe he just needed to wait a little longer for the numbness to wear off. "Are.... you feeling any warmer?"