( 001 ) ≠ video;

[denyamenti]

I'm starting to think these World Turtles have a fascination with using people's souls as cosmic currency in some way or another.

[ Someone's grouchier than usual today. And apparently uncaring about the hypocrisy of him presenting this particular argument. ]

That's the only reason I can think of for why they're continually attaching ours to some kind of tangible reminder: first lanterns, then jewels, now being marked like a gods-damned heifer at market.

At least no one should be able to swallow these tattoos, unlike the gems-- and before anyone asks, yes, that's a thing someone tried once.

Comments

video;

[prana]

( Everyone keeps going on and on about these markings... it's a bit tiresome after a while, Sera still under the impression that she lacks one. The only reason she even bothers with listening is that they speak with experience of this place. Perhaps they could provide her with better answers than her so-called caretaker (does she really need a guardian in this place, she wonders) or the others who are as equally confused as herself. Her guard is lowered when she connects with an expression that betrays her boredom (truly it's not as interesting as the realm she resided in prior), Sera staring down at the screen.

It doesn't take long for the features of her face to change to express an entirely different emotion. Confusion and anger both fill her, though she isn't entirely sure what to make of these feelings. As far as she was aware, she came to this realm all by herself―yet here he was. The voice was familiar now that she was reflecting on it silently. Familiar, but different in some manner. Was it his dialect or something else? )

... ( She knows that it's rude to be silent when answering a call yet that does little to stop her. There's nothing to say to this person, is there?

Not that she really needs to speak out loud: the look in her eyes should be enough to convey whatever it is she needs to say. This was a being who brought a fair amount of internal conflict to her and now she only had a few seconds to process that. )

Re: video;

[denyamenti]

[ The lack of verbal reply means he doesn't notice her end of the video feed at first, and when he does he takes in her appearance and outfit first, followed by her expression. There's not-quite recognition there in his gaze; a connection of two and two not yet summed yet. ]

Cat got your tongue, girl?

video;

[prana]

No. ( It might have, but she's forcibly reclaimed it now. )

I was uncertain if I should point out the obvious.

( She doesn't give him much time to consider what might be obvious. ) That you and I come from the same world.

Don't we?

[Voice]

[darkwingsofkilvas]

Hmph. I would have preferred a gem to this. How do we know these tattoos don't have some sort of hidden power over us?

Re: [Voice]

[denyamenti]

Almost certainly. Were you planning to try something with yours?

[Voice]

[darkwingsofkilvas]

Like what? We don't know that mutilating ourselves to remove it will actually remove the magic or not.

[And then he mutters,] I thought I was done with nonsense like this...

video

[corundrum]

Oh? I didn't know humans could eat gems. Maybe I should be worried, huh?

[The person sitting in front of the screen and looking faintly amused about the whole thing has a massive, messy length of glistening hair. The sound it makes as it moves isn't that of hair, but of slivers of gemstone sliding against each other. Their nails are similarly gemlike, visible as they reach forward to adjust the screen a bit.]

There are a few people who've been here before, aren't there? A lot of them have been complaining lately.

Re: video

[denyamenti]

They're not supposed to, any more than they should eat a piece of wood, or a pebble.

[ The second remark about them being worried is puzzling; he's seen his fair share of races in his tenure now, but this is new. Bakura isn't sure what to make of the allusion, so answers the other question first. ]

Some of them wanted to be done with places like these, that's all.

[corundrum]

No, it sounds like it would ruin your insides, since you're all so soft. [It's not meant to be an insult, but they can't see rock against the fleshy interior of any kind of animal going particularly well.]

I heard a few hundred years had passed in this place since you were all here. But I hadn't heard anything about these "world turtles" yet. Are they the ones bringing us here?

Video

[redlightgreenlight]

[Really, Bakura? Though it's not like she can judge.]

It's not quite that bad. Though, if there's a way to mess with the tattoos, someone will find it eventually.

[Knowing how such things have gone before.]

Re: Video

[denyamenti]

What would you call it then, if not a brand? And don't say 'tattoo', I know what it is.

Video

[redlightgreenlight]

There are some similarities, that is true, but it's not as if we are being treated like livestock.

[Though branding had been used as punishment in the history of her world, among other things. Perhaps his objection had more to do with the idea of that than anything else.]

video;

[driverslicense]

You have been marked in different ways before. [He's heard people on the network say that they're "back," but this is new to him.]

Could you remove them from your person? The other...objects.

Re: video;

[denyamenti]

Marked in the less literal sense than this, but yes. Fore-- Dreamfolk, we're called now. There used to be a piece of jewelry with a magical gem set in it, everyone's was different.

You could take it off, but if you did so for more than a day or two, you started experiencing ill effects, and eventually you'd die from it.

[driverslicense]

Then we should not attempt to remove these marks... There would be no way to get it back.

[Also—he noticed that slip. He's been gnawing on that issue since he's gotten here, so it's an easy thing for him to add—] What did you used to be called?

[annihilist]

Ah, the dojo owner. [Yet another familiar face. This one is hard to miss, although Devin sounds a little bored. He's not in the mood to be social, but he's still taking distraction where he can get it.]

Using souls as currency isn't exactly a new concept, so it's certainly possible. I've found there's usually more screaming and signing things in blood, however.

[denyamenti]

[ He's been identified as much worse than that before lol ]

You only have to sign things if you ask first.

[annihilist]

I did say 'usually'. Every world is different, I'm sure.

[And Bakura seems remarkably unperturbed by this topic of discussion, which is intriguing although not reassuring. Good thing he doesn't have a soul to steal?]

Complaining about it hasn't helped anyone with this problem before, from what I've seen.

Audio;

[meds4sale]

It is astounding...


[Wait for it...]



[Wait for it........]




[It's coming I swear!]


[Wait for it...]



...What people will put into their mouths.

[Totally worth the wait.]

Re: Audio;

[denyamenti]

Not once you've hung around this group for a while, it isn't.

Re: Audio;

[meds4sale]

Gems do seem fairly tame. Considering.

[Considering what? You probably don't want to know.]

video;

[afoolsgold]

[there's some fiddling on the other end of the device before the Fool succeeds in getting it working. then,]

I've heard much of these world turtles--please, would you make time to speak of them with me?

[he's either missed Bakura's sour mood, or has chosen to latch onto something of particular interest in hopes of diverting the subject somewhat.]

Re: video;

[denyamenti]

[ Unfortunately, Fool has picked one of the few topics that Bakura isn't actually keen to speak on for personal reasons. Therefore his response has more to do with the topic avoidance than with Fool's inquiry itself. ]

Someone else would be better to ramble on that topic.

video;

[lasergrenades]

At least they give us something cool with the tattoos? And, you know, if we're heifers, then we're still heifers together.

[It's gentle, not quite teasing and delivered with a fond smile.]

Re: video;

[denyamenti]

Aa, just wanted I always wanted to be: half of a matched set of cattle. How lucky we are, biahbenat.