savetheearth | [Text | Smartphone]

Lincoln, got it.

Thanks, Bakura.

See you there.

[ The last text Banagher receives has him packing up his work for the day, unceremoniously shoving all his books and papers into his school bag. Focusing wasn't easy, and trying not to think about the difficult stuff wasn't easy either. Bakura had even suffered a brief (and still unfortunate) argument for it, so he's praying this little slice of everyday will help ease his nerves a bit, calm the waters.

Plus, meeting someone else from the network. After his last encounter, he figures his faith in those who shared his situation could use a little work.

So he makes his way across the major streets, following Lincoln down to 23rd, where a busy little entertainment district was nestled. On approach, he scans for another high-school student. ]

[[Bakura's already loitering around the entrance, alternating between scrolling though things on his cell phone and scanning the crowd for any familiar face. Though lightly, he would be the one who was more easily spotted. Wasn't many high schoolers with white hair around, and Bakura had long since resigned himself to the fact that everyone would recognize him, even if it was just from passing in the hallways.

Still, when he spotted someone who looked around his age searching the crowd, he pockets his phone, gives a wave and calls out.]]

Hey, Banagher!

[[Worse case scenario, he got the wrong person. But it wasn't as if there would be two people with that name around, right?]]

[ Right you are! Because react to his name he does, picking Bakura out from the milling traffic almost immediately. He discovers that he does recognize him, the shock of white hair was difficult to miss even out of the corner of his eye between classes. Funny, how someone just on his peripherals could suddenly hold importance, even if the intent of the network still wasn't very clear.

Banagher gives a small wave to indicate Bakura had the right person after all. He approaches with a smile, one that holds a twinge of apology for the earlier scrap via text. ]

Hey, so we finally meet.

Only took a week, not too bad, eh? [[smiles warmly before pushing open the door to the arcade, heading inside and assume Banagher will follow]] Especially with how crazy everything's been.

[[and how touchy he's been. He had been in no mood most of the week to track down anybody... well, with good intent, anyway. So it was likely for the best to wait this long.]]

And really, with how I pay attention in school, you could have been in my classes without me knowing. [[a small, sheepish laugh.]]

[ Banagher trails after him, catching the door thoughtfully. From inside, a blast of cool air and the smell of snacks foods, sweets and popcorn, greet him. ]

It feels longer than just a week. Some of us are just trying to be more cautious than others, I guess.

[ Once the door shuts, they're sealed in the dark interior flashing with neon and LED, a symphony of arcade game jingles droning in the background. He steps next to Bakura. ]

But I've seen you around school a few times, even if I don't think we had any classes together.

Not surprised, I kinda stick out, [[Bakura smiles a bit sheepishly, pushing an errant hunk of white out of his face as he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. He had a few tokens left from last time, but best to crack a 5 anyway.]]

Feel a little bad sometimes that with everyone who recognizes me, I barely know who most everyone in that school is.

You don't, not even in your own grade? [ Sounding a little surprised by that, Banagher fishes through his messenger bag for his own wallet. ]

Just a few that I have a couple classes with. People leave so often, no point in remembering who they are, right?

[[It's a defense mechanism, really. Something his therapist said was because of the accident. Because the two most important people in his world had been ripped away from him, he didn't form connections with other people for fear they would be taken as well. Which Bakura didn't really think was true. He was just... picky, with his friendships. Most of his classmates, he just couldn't connect with. He was just different than they were, that was all. They couldn't understand. They hadn't been there. Their hair still had colour. They were still normal. Normal, vapid, air headed idiots....

He shook the thoughts off, pulling out the 5 and stuffing his wallet back into his pocket.]]

I don't know if I'd say that. [ In truth, the whole sequence of events since the network's appearance have made him feel a little isolated from his whole life. He dislikes it well enough that trying to imagine that kind of feeling being normal disconcerts him. ] Humans aren't really made to be solitary, are they?

[ Finally rescuing his wallet from the depths of his neglected schoolwork, he loosens a few dollars from it and throws it back in. Righting again, he takes a quick glance around to see what was free. They'd already talked about the heavy stuff—this was supposed to allay it, even just for a while. ]

Least of all when it comes to two-player.

[[A small laugh]]

Yeah, it helps with two player games. Or things where you're supposed to have a group, like D&D. I just never really spot too many people from school here. So I just play solo. [[a shrug]]

Usually I wind up being too busy, between a bunch of school and helping out at the library. But today, we can change that. What do you usually like to play?

School's not worth wasting all your time over. [[Clank clank clank clank goes the torrent of quarters as the machine transmutes his paper money into coin.]] And I'll play anything~ have a high score on half of these machines, even.

I had to make something of it. [ His father's money was the only thing he had from the man, after all. After Bakura gets his tokens, Banagher feeds his own bills into the machine. ] Anyway, I'm probably not going to beat you, in that case. What's your favorite?

[[blinks over curiously at that first comment]] Why do you say that?

[[and as the other teen continues, gives a small smile]] It isn't anything about beating anyone or anything like that. Especially since I think some of the two player games here are co-op games, so it's not even a contest. Unless you're going for a fighting game or something. There's one side scroller that I actually kinda still really like, that has a 2 player mode.

[[a pause before a grin]] Or there's an air hockey table. Since you can't play that solo at all.

[ He debates over whether or not to offer up the information, and decides in the end there's not much to hide. ] I don't know my dad, but he's the reason I had the chance to take classes at the university. My mom taught me not to pass up an opportunity, so I suppose that's why...

[ The machine spits coins into the catch dish after rifling through the dollars he'd offer it, and he scoops them up without further ado, jingling them in his cupped fingers. A smile tips into the corners of his mouth; it was refreshing to encounter someone that didn't breathe competition. ] We might as well go for a bunch of everything, right? I don't have anything else planned.

[[Bakura blinks once]] Did he teach there or something...? And I thought you were still at the high school?

[[and a grin.]] Air hockey first, then. Then you get to choose.

[[Bakura could be rather competitive. But it was far more important to have fun than to win. And besides. A loss was just a chance to learn and get better. Wasn't like these were serious games, right?]]

Oh, no... I don't know what he's doing. He paid for it though, so it seemed like a waste to not use it. [ Cascading the tokens between his palms absently, he makes he way through the arcade. ] Since I don't have a full schedule at the high school, I take two entry level classes at the university.

[ He chuckles a little sheepishly. ] But it's just a lot of math, mostly. [ Coming upon the air hockey table, he flips one coin to end that particular line of thought. ]

First round's on me?

Ug. Math. Why not take something interesting, if they let you skip out? [[Because really. Math? You were forced into those classes in high school, like hell he wanted to take them in college too.]] Though now that I know they let you, maybe I can get them to let me too...

And yeah, sure! I'll pay for the next one!

I need it! Even if I thought about taking an art history class. In the end, I needed the math credit though. Besides, there has to be something you're into learning about too.

[ Taking up one side of the air hockey table, Banagher pops in a token. ]

Art history is so much better than math! You should have taken that instead. [[There's an odd... strength to that instance. Which totally had nothing to do with fond memories of his younger self sitting on on his father's lectures during a break from school, doodling poor reproductions of famous paintings in colored pencil.]]

And there's plenty I'm interested in learning... just not really anything they try and teach you at school. [[shrugs as he picks up his paddle, stance suddenly very focused, even as his tone is conversational]] Some of the stuff in English is OK, but the books they give you suck, and bio's fun when we get to dissect things. But most of it's stuff I just don't care about.

[Text | Smartphone]

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To action? Since this will be their first time face to face proper?

( to action it is! )

\o/

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Likely warm air. Spring is late this year. :)

i live in a hot mcwarm place, i forgot, consider it retconned!

No worries~

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