[Juudai had been curled up on the couch alone, clutching the Hane Kuriboh plushie tightly, simply drifting within his own personal void of quasi-peace.

Until, of course, Yubel comes in without knocking.

He hadn't been out in a few days, so he shouldn't be too surprised, he thinks, even though she didn't know where he was until now. Yet that doesn't make it acceptable, of course. It takes him a moment to process this, and he lifts himself from his lying position, looking as though it takes him a lot of effort to do so, and then shoots a glare in Yubel's direction for disturbing his personal time. He seems too tired to look or sound overly threatening, however.]

...Yubel. Leave.

So soon? I'm hurt.

..........

[Darkness flares up around him, and he's clearly bristling. Juudai knows, however, it's probably not going to be that easy. Truly, he'd rather not fight Yubel here, or anywhere for that matter, but... if she keeps this up... or worse, if Johan returns while she's still here.]

Out.

[And Yubel doesn't want to leave, not when Judai's right here. It's been too long since their last encounter and Yubel intends to make up for that right now.]

I won't.

[Dark tendrils start snaking their way over to her, running along the floor at first and then rising up from the crawling shadow, spreading like liquid around the ground and reaching out longingly as though to grab at Yubel when their controller commands it.]

...Why does everything have to be difficult with you?

[As usual, Yubel's virtually unfazed by Judai's attempts at a threat. This is practically routine by now.]

If I don't do something, you'll go away. I don't want that.

[He hesitates suddenly.]

...What are you talking about, "go away"? Knowing my luck, I'll probably be stuck here for a good while yet.

If I do nothing, you will only shut yourself away more and more. You'll be gone. I won't let that happen.

[He considers for a moment.]

You couldn't care less if you were to get hurt, and yet... if I am somehow hurt...

...That is your biggest weakness, Yubel. If you put all your eggs in one basket the way you've been doing, you're almost guaranteed to lose them.

So perhaps I can use that to my advantage.

[With a surprisingly sadistic smile, Juudai tosses the Hane Kuriboh plushie aside haphazardly and starts to step up to Yubel.]

[He's up to something, obviously. Yubel's obsessive, but not stupid. Still, Yubel is drawn toward Judai, coming nearer with a rapidly growing sense of anticipation--or is it apprehension?]

[Juudai takes her hand silently, holding it so that her claws are held closely and suggestively to his neck. He draws one of them across his throat then, perhaps dragging hard enough to draw but a tiny line of blood. While he isn't suicidal, a complete bluff wouldn't suffice in this situation -- he has to make it look convincing, has to play around with her head in order to unsettle her.]

[Yubel watches in fascination, eyes locked onto Juudai's neck. Is this his plan?

...Now that it's begun, Yubel doesn't want it to stop.]

[Suddenly, his grip tightens, and he begins to squeeze Yubel's hand tighter as his expression darkens. His palm is right against her claws, and the nails are digging into it rather deeply as he crushes. Energy can be felt pulsing through his fingertips at the same time, though, gathering there to course through Yubel in but half an instant when he feels like releasing the pent-up darkness.]

If it were anyone else, you'd make them pay in an instant for doing anything to me. But... what do you do when I am the one hurting myself? Physically, emotionally... it doesn't matter. You can't even turn me around and get me to love you again, after all.

So tell me... when it's me, how exactly do you respond to that?

[The danger is there, but Yubel is not afraid. The attraction to Judai is too strong, almost magnetic. His words run through Yubel's mind, but it feels familiar--hasn't that been what he's doing all along? The response comes rashly, without thought.]

...With this.

[And with that, Yubel's free arm reaches out to encircle Judai tightly.]

Wrong answer.

[He immediately lets go of the energy he'd been building as though completely unruffled by Yubel's reaction, releasing it into her body like electricity. At the same time, he pushes off from her, leaping back to get distance between them again. He is still bleeding from his hand, but doesn't seem to pay it any mind.]

[Yubel staggers back, hurt for the first time in memory since arriving in this place. Yubel's eyes remain fixed on Judai, never looking away. The attack is painful, but not so much as the emotional damage--so close, and yet ripped away once again.]

Judai...

[Juudai does not waver one bit, meeting her gaze without hesitation, and it seems he's already killed off the last bits of guilt and compassion he had held in regards to her -- or, at least, sealed them off tightly so that they couldn't see the light of day again. When he speaks, the sound has something of a bite to it despite the tastelessness of his tone, and the glaze in his eyes adds to the overall effect of deeply seated hostility. He knows she's hurt, yet appears completely insensitive to any pain she may display.]

You should have known it would end like this, Yubel. It always has and it always will.

Edited at 2009-01-25 11:42 pm (UTC)

Once it did not. It could be so again, if only for you.

No. No, no, no, no.

[At the vehement denial, the creeping shadows return, and they start wriggling towards Yubel's feet, faster this time, apparently aiming to grab her with pitch-black tendrils.]

Tell me, are you honestly trying to get yourself hurt?

[ Tick tock, how quickly time passes! Johan had that thought he'd better get home almost fifteen minutes ago. He usually get back home (and at this point, he does consider what he has 'home') earlier by an hour or so. On the bright side, he's quite certain that Juudai, at the very least, wouldn't worry or dwell over it. That'd be too bizarrely out of character for Juudai, from anytime that he'd known the other. He opens the door, ]

Hey, Juudai! I'm ba --

[ and notices somebody who isn't normally there. Somebody that Juudai is trying to entrap, apparently. ]

[Oh, look. The object of Yubel's rage. Juudai forgotten for a brief second, Yubel glares at Johan; it's so easy to blame him for everything.]

You.

[You probably shouldn't have moved your gaze from him, Yubel, because Juudai's shadows just curled around practically every part of your body; wings, arms, legs, torso, even neck. And then they constrict, hard, with a crackle of energy. He holds a hand out in front of him, manipulating the tendrils carefully. In the meantime, a quick glance is cast to Johan, wordlessly warning him not to do anything stupid like try to reason with her.]

[ Johan looks over to Juudai, and their eyes meet for a moment. There is something understood between them, and he gives the smallest of nods.

Clearly, there's a situation here, a situation that he's going to need to be brought up to speed on. But now isn't the time for casual explanations, and Johan realizes it. He wonders for a few passing seconds what to do -- having a general lack of abilities that would put him on par with Yubel or Juudai certainly puts him in an awkward position.

It feels like there is a balance here; a balance he is clearly disrupting. For now, he maintains his silence, not wanting to throw the scales flying before it's neccessary. ]

[The anger builds up--Johan, it's all because of Johan. Yubel's choked just briefly by Juudai's attack, but in a moment Juudai's hold shatters, still not powerful enough to restrain Yubel for long.

Once that's done, the first thing Yubel does is lunge for Johan.]

It's your fault that he's turned like this!

[Still not enough. Is it ever enough? Juudai growls as his hold breaks, cursing himself vehemently for not having a better handle on his own powers like Yubel has on hers, it seems.

But when she starts to make a move at Johan, a sharp shot of panic rushes through him, prompting him to act on the first impulse that presents itself to him. Although she is fast, he is just as surprisingly swift when something is on the line, wasting no time in jumping to defend the other without thinking. Holding an arm in front of him, Juudai rushes in front of Johan and summons a barrier of darkness to fend Yubel off with. It seems to be more concentrated than his previous attempt, and at the same time the rest of his body is crackling, clothes and hair practically coming alive as the wild energy courses through them.]

Get the hell away, Yubel!!

[ Movement, towards him -- Johan made to dodge, his physical prowess dulled by months upon months of inactivity; save at the last moment by Juudai. Johan's thinking of a lot of things that are going to come back to haunt him, but mostly, he's realizing things. This a role reversal for him, who is used to being in control: a player in the game called Duel Monsters, suddenly turned into a pawn in a chess game. It's not quite a pleasant experience. He calls out, his voice clear, ]

Both of you -- stop it! What are either of you going to accomplish like this?

[ And now he can only hope to be heard. ]

[But Yubel doesn't listen, instead hammering away at Juudai's barrier with the intention of breaking down its defenses bit by bit.]

I--won't--let--!

[Everything is mixing together in frustration: Juudai and Johan, who started what and why--all Yubel wants right now is to get to Johan.]

[Juudai sends a piercing glare in Johan's direction, bristling at the comment while trying to keep distance between Yubel and them.]

You think I'm doing this because I want to? I'd rather see her dead! Or would you have preferred I did nothing and let her kill you?!

[It's becoming clear he's starting to push himself overboard, if only for the sake of driving Yubel off, because he knows he cannot yet kill her. But what to do? There must be something he can say to cause her to back off, at least for now. He already can't forgive her due to Super Fusion, so that isn't exactly an option; saying anything about Johan would just make her more determined to kill him, and it simply doesn't sink in when he tells her he hates her. Plus, there's no guarantee she won't just try to go after Johan if he hurts himself, pinning the blame on him somehow...

But no, he thinks. If he were to hurt himself... chances are she would try to tend to him before she would try to kill Johan for it. Ultimately, Juudai himself is more important to her than Johan's death is.

He steps back suddenly, continuing to hold up the disintegrating shield.]

Yubel, stop it. I swear to god, if you keep this up, I won't hesitate to channel my very life at you, if that's what it takes to make you back the hell off.

[On cue, energy starts to build in his hands, both now held palm-out in front of him. Energy that makes the room's atmosphere swell and weigh down on each of its occupants with the sheer density of the power he's accumulating. Yubel may not think he is serious and try to attack Johan anyway... but, he thinks, that's fine at this point.

He feels rather apathetic to death now anyway. The Supreme King does not fear it; more than likely, he laughs in its face and has done so more than once before.

It's risky, and if things don't go as he predicts them to go, Johan may very well be killed anyway. But it's the only thing he can think of...]

See if I'm kidding.

[ He's not -- no. No. This can only be some form of nightmare, like the ones only a few months ago. It cannot be real. But it is, and once again, he finds himself helpless and useless, unable to save himself, let alone his friend. ]

Juudai --! You...

[ Isn't ironic, how Juudai, who always insisted that Johan's death would not bring him sorrow is now going to save his life, with the payment of his own? A martyr. What a strange word, so clean and dirty at the same time.

The calm part of his mind reminds himself that this is Memento Eden, not Duel Acadamia, or Japan, or even Earth as he remembers it. They can save people from death here. But still, death is death, and there is a finality that sticks to the word. Despite being in Memento Eden, the connotation sticks. ]

Juudai, you aren't --

[ The words catch as he sees Juudai's expression. Almost uncaring, in a sense. Like he is prepared to die.

But for what?

And what is he to do? Play the helpless, and allow this to unfold before him? Or sacrifice himself as Juudai is about to?

The thoughts are not coming fast enough, and he remains unsure as precious seconds slip by. ]

[Juudai's threat finally works. Yubel continues pounding on the barrier, but the thought of Juudai dead weakens each hit little by little until Yubel realizes the futility and finally stops after a few more halfhearted tries.

The urge to keep going, to punish Johan for all he's taken, is strong. Yubel might not even mind if it caused Juudai a little pain--that's not what's important. But the thought of Juudai killed by this is something Yubel isn't yet ready for.

No matter what may happen, Juudai dead is something Yubel never wants to happen.]

[Juudai holds his ground for a while still, despite Yubel having backed off already, apparently trying to get the energy he'd put out under control again. But it's difficult, and he steps back once as the power wavers, seeming to be having trouble withdrawing right away, still lacking a proper grasp on such enormous energy, particularly when used with enough force and speed to effectively kill himself with.

Finally, he falls to one knee, his body suddenly feeling so very, very leaden. The effort is dizzying him, and as time passes, he can manage his overflowing output of energy less and less. Blood roars through his ears and rushes through his head, and he is swept away with the sense of vertigo. He still manages to murmur a breathless warning in-between washes of shaky lightheadedness, however.]

Yubel... stay away from him. Next time this happens... I will not stop myself.

[It isn't long until Juudai submits to the sensation, suspecting it's the only way to bring his power back down to safe levels. He tells himself it's certainly not out of weakness... it can't be weakness. He wasn't even afraid of death just now, was he? Feeling nauseous and disoriented, too much so to think about it anymore, the helplessness floods him finally, consciousness fading, eyes sliding shut, breathing regulating. He hits the floor, slowly relaxing... yet there is a clear expression of turmoil on his face even through unconsciousness, as though not wanting the chance to look within himself again.]

[ Johan watches as Juudai falls. He's still slightly numb to what is going around him, and it takes a few seconds to focus back in. Juudai doesn't look dead, but... it's hard to tell if he's breathing or not.

He shoots something almost like a warning glance to Yubel, although he isn't cocky enough for it to truly be that. The message, though, is clear: This fight is over; your point has been made. Punish me if you like -- but leave Juudai out of the conflict. There is an undertone to it, though, that Yubel might pick up on -- "I care about him too, and I'd rather sacrifice myself then let him sacrifice himself."

With that, he walks to Juudai, obviously intent on assessing the situation, and what the best course of action to assure Juudai's well-being is.

[The anger flares back up as Yubel realizes what Johan intends to do, and Yubel flies over, trying to get in between them.]

You will not touch him.

[ His expression is resolute. He is not going to start another fight, but he is going to make sure that Juudai is safe, and that more than anything. ]

He needs help -- from both of us, and from a healer.

[ Johan is no expert in first aid, but he realizes this, at least: time is not on their side. If there's something seriously wrong, then deliberating over this is going to risk Juudai even more. ]

Surely that is the most important thing right now?

I'll take care of him myself. I don't need anyone else.

[There's hostility in Yubel's voice, for sure, but the words are meant genuinely. Yubel doesn't want anyone else near Juudai, to take care of him or anything else.]

[ It's obvious that Johan wants to retaliate, but it's not the time to do so. ]

At the very least, let a healer see him. I'll do whatever you think is right after that.