B1, Day 2 [public channel]

[whattaprick]

[ There are a lot of things people need to do right now: help the Prince's servants get resettled, get started on figuring out who can work on a cure for the petrification, deal with the trauma of dying in a hopefully healthy and non-self-destructive way, show the new people the ropes of what the Carnival has to work with.

Instead, in the morning of the second day since the Prince was defeated, anyone on the radio gets this: ]

So, I've been wondering.

[ The Nightrider's voice, for those who recognize it, has definitely been better. It's a low, hoarse rasp, and the pause at the end is not just for effect, but to actually catch his breath. ]

Just how old is everyone here, anyway? Here, I'll start. I'm ... pretty sure I'm almost sixty. [ A beat. ] ... Maybe.

[ Why did anyone let this man have his radio back again? ]

[ ooc; Lambert's flat on his back in the medical tent for this, feel free to bug him in person and threadjack each other at will. ]

Comments

[whattaprick]

What did he need to train so hard for, anyway?

[hippocarnival]

Well, we're all duelists so we got to stay in shape for that! [A pause.] It's a sport-game where I'm from.

[Although Gongenzaka's training goes way beyond that, and he realizes that.] I think it's also a discipline thing? And since he's so strong, he always protects people who are weaker.

[whattaprick]

Well, he certainly looks strong enough for that ... but you said you're both duelists? [ Not that duels aren't a known concept where Celandine's from, there's just a gap in the explanation that isn't making sense to her (or Lambert). ]

We've never seen you use a weapon. [ Archery at the manor and an iron poker in Portland don't count. Even back then, Yugo was the one using the sword. Yuya just seems too much of a pacifist. ]

[hippocarnival]

Not like that! [He laughs.] We play a game called duel monsters. It's really popular back home, and people who play are called duelists! Usually you play on big, solid hologram fields, running around with your monsters to get special action cards.

[whattaprick]

Solid holograms ... is that like hard light? [ This is not actually a concept they're really sure of. It's just something Peridot brought up, once. ]

Are the monsters real?

[hippocarnival]

Yeah, exactly! [It's actually strikingly similar to how the gem's bodies function.

That second question gets a long, uncomfortable pause from Yuya, however. When he speaks again, his voice is softer and more hesitant--as if that would prevent people from hearing him over it or not.]

Um... most people would say no, but... [He scrambles quickly for a better explanation for that sentence.] But good duelists always really treasure their cards like they are.

[whattaprick]

[ Oh booy, the long pause. Celandine waits, patiently, for Yuya to speak, but unfortunately the concept still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to them (because, primarily, they have no clue what a duel monster acts or looks like). Fortunately, there's a good extant example of this sort of thing at hand: ]

Like Rita and her blastia?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya also pauses for a moment, and Lambert's lucky he's actually talked to her about her blastia (but who hasn't Rita talked about her blastia to) and he keys in on how important that is to her. Something that was more important than other people for a lot of her life, and maybe still is.]

Yeah, it's... a lot like that. [Except he knows they really have spirits, and he's not just humanizing a card. He's less sure about the blastia, but... the way that she treasures it is exactly the same.]