summonthesuit | IC Inbox

[If Steven had known about Bakura's unfortunate Shade situation, he would've suggested a time closer to dusk, or at the very least brought a parasol or something. As it stands, he's quite happy to step out into the sunlight that's bathing the roof. Ever since he started his Neph transformation, he's found that darkness leaves him on edge. He's all but yearning to stay in the light now.

Someone dressed up from head to toe as Ryou is right now is... quite the sight. Steven hesitates for a second before approaching.]

Ah... Mr. Bakura, I take it?

[Ryou absolutely wouldn't have accepted it. Night was already so short in Ryslig that he had to make these kinds of sacrifices. And in this situation, the sacrifice was well worth it. Soon, he wouldn't have to worry about the light hurting him ever again.

Steven can't see it, but Ryou's smiling beneath the scarf, however reservedly.]

Yes, that's me. I'm sorry for being all bundled up like this. Shadows don't like the light.

It is nice to meet you face to face, Mr. Grant. I am Ryou Bakura, and you may refer to me with whichever name you feel more comfortable using.

[Rather than a handshake, Ryou offers a polite bow. Sometimes manners are different from place to place, but he'll accommodate any niceties if he has to.]

[Indeed, Steven can't see the smile, but he can still tell it's there. It's peppered into Bakura's tone of voice, as well as his demeanor. That open attitude rids him of any apprehension he might've had. His instinctive urge when being bowed to is to bow back, but he stops himself in time. It might be rude.]

It's nice to meet you too! [He hesitates, then holds out his hand for a shake anyway, just to see what'll happen.] Um- I'm sorry, I didn't know you're a shadow. Shade. We could've met a little later in the day.

No, it's alright. Please don't be worried about that--I understand that we're opposing types, and that nephilim require sun. As long as I'm not out too long, I'll be okay. It's...quite a small price to pay, a bit of extra sunburn, for what I'm trying to achieve.

And since the nights are so short, I had to make sure things got prepared on a schedule.

[Ryou turns to look at the basin full of water behind him, his eyes narrowing just a bit in thoughtfulness.]

The sooner I sort this out...the sooner I don't have to be a shade anymore. Not for a while.

[Steven peers past Ryou, towards the basin of water, trying his best not to feel pressured. He's never done this before, he has no idea if he even can do it, let alone how.]

Right... Let's crack on with it, then. See if I have what it takes. That ole'... holy magic. [He rubs his hands together anxiously as he takes a few steps closer to the water.] At least I'm not turning it into wine, eh?

H-haha...wine might be more fun, honestly.

[He laughs but the emotion doesn't quite reach his eyes. It might be funny under any other circumstance. Except, you know. He'd just frenzied and attacked a handful of his friends.

Still...he kind of feels as if he's pushing too hard, against someone who he just met.]

Don't worry if it doesn't work out. You're doing me a great favor by even trying, and if it helps you learn something about your power set, then that's just as important to me. Moreso than purifying the water, I assure you. So...take your time. It's still plenty of hours til midnight.

[Steven's the sort of guy who prefers a glass of fresh, clean water over wine, regardless of whether that said wine was processed in a vegan manner or not. But hey, to each their own. He peers down into the tub, then back up to Ryou.]

Oh, no, the sooner I get this done, the sooner you can get out of the sunlight again. At least for a little bit, eh? Trouble is, there isn't exactly anyone to tutor me, so I don't have the foggiest how to... Ah. Well, let's see what happens when I do this.

[He hesitates for a few seconds, then dips both his hands down into the water, fingers first. Obviously, nothing happens. He has to activate the power somehow, but... Hm.]

Hmm, that is true...

[Ryou moves a little closer, peering into the placid water for a moment.]

Well, if it's anything like how I use my powers, I have to push the feeling out, and make it spread. It's not that easy...not at first. But if I focus on what I want, and try to put some of myself into it...usually I can make things work.

Like levitating things.

[Ryou glances around, for something small and easy to lift close by, because lifting a basin of water seems a bit show-offish. Eventually, he locates a small, discarded ball of paper, and he points it out.]

See that? When I want to lift, I make it listen to me, because for me, it's all done with the mind. If you just picture it, and the exert yourself, then...you can probably make it happen too.

[In fairness, Ryou's been in Ryslig for nearly two years, and it's easier for him to levitate a ball of paper than anything else. It's an innate shade ability, so he doesn't even have to look at it to lift it up, or make any kind of extraneous movement. Just...lift!]

[Steven nods his head as he listens to Ryou's explanation, even follows the floating ball of paper with an intent gaze. Right... Do it with the mind, pour some of himself into it... It's a bit like the muscle memory thing. He can drive a car so long as he doesn't actively think about the specifics of how cars work, and he can put up a good fight so long as he shuts that detail-oriented brain off, too.

Don't think, just do.]

Right. Right, right, right... All good. I got this.

[He shakes out his shoulders and his arms a bit to loosen himself up, then closes his eyes. There's got to be some sort of instinct inside him that knows how to use this spell, so he just needs to tap into it. Purify water... Purify...!

Steven's fingers light up, as do his eyes when he opens them. The glow is a pure white, and to a Shade like Ryou, it might even be painful. Careful now! It spreads out from Steven's fingers, slowly inching further and further along the water until the tub's full contents are shining brightly.]

[Ryou watches Steven, his ears twitching and wiggling slightly under his honestly quite oppressive clothing. He's excited to see how this works. It'll probably be different from Atem's purification spell, which is the only one he'd really ever seenused. That one had created temporary purified water that smelled of spices and such--something, he's sure, which had to do with Egyptian holy rituals.

But this guy...he might have something different happen. Ryou's intrigued to see how it goes.]

Oh!

[Ah, his fingers are glowing--wait, are his eyes glowing too? Cool...!! Ryou thought glowing eyes were just a shade thing. It does make him take a few steps back though, because the glow is holy, and it stings against his cheeks and fingertips and honestly whatever was exposed.

When it transfers to the tub, he really does have to put more distance between them though, even so far as to hide behind the roof access. His shade instincts are screaming at him to leave, but...his shade instincts were the reason why this was necessary.]

I...I think you did it!

[He has to call it out louder than he means to, since he's put distance between them. But when the glow subsides, he'll come back.]

[For the longest time, Steven has no idea he's even doing anything. He's gotten lost in his own concentration, the focus seemingly swirling around within his mind in a calm, comforting sort of way. He feels warmth absorbing his fingertips, but doesn't know what it means. It's not until Ryou calls out to him that he snaps back to a more firm reality.

He blinks rapidly a few times, the glow disappearing from both his eyes and his fingers. While the water keeps its shine for a while longer, that too begins to fade. His hands are retracted in a hasty manner, sending a few droplets of water airborne, even as he peers down at the tub with a startled expression.]

Oh! Would you look at that!

You did! That's amazing!

[Ryou's mostly-covered tail whips back and forth in excitement, a bright yellow aura emanating from the tip, almost like a little candle flame. Once the light's faded back a little, he moves in closer so he can peer into the basin curiously.]

Thank you...thank you so much for doing this! I promise I'll make you something good to repay the favor! You've done something both impressive and ultimately extremely helpful to me, so that's the very least I can do.

[This is, hands down, the most that Ryou has positively emoted since the two of them had met here on the rooftop. Someone's really, really not happy being a shade, are they?]

[Steven's still peering down into the water too. It looks so clear, almost unnaturally so. It's hard to believe he'd done something like this. And to think, this came from a 'monster'... He blinks off his astoundment, then turns his gaze to Ryou with an excited smile.]

No, no, it's fine, really! I ought to be thanking you for giving the opportunity to try something like this. The sooner I learned, the better, yeah?

IC Inbox | Ryslig

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WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, HASNOFEAR. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 13.15.15.14 * HASNOFEAR has joined 13.15.15.14 <HASNOFEAR>** Hello! This is Steven Grant! If you need something, just leave me a message and I'll get back to you asap!