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[[pokemon has taken over my life..... damn my b/f for bringing me back into this obsessive series :V ]]

Malik returned with a six pack of water bottles. He sneered a little at Lerena when she suggested the possibility of her being a masochist- because it was highly doubtful. Or so he thought? He shook his head a little and handed her a water bottle. Her next sentence made him blush a little. Took a few moments for his mind to process what she said and when it did he replied, "You wouldn't want to be with someone like me. It's bad enough you're around me like this." He bit his lip a little, he sound like he was pushing her away and he actually didn't like doing that. "Well I'm not the luckiest person to be around. Bad things always seem to happen when I am around," he said for the first time being honest and somewhat open. Malik narrowed an eye at Renoko- thinking she was teasing him. "You've been hanging around my partner too much, quite teasing us," he said. He then looked back at Lerena and said, "I'm not telling you to not like me, obviously it doesn't work like that. But I will only bring you pain and misery if you were to become close to me. And from what I gather from other people- that's not what a man should do for a woman." Malik twitched a little, he was being painfully open with them. He shouldn't be open with people- it only leaves you vulnerable. But words were spilling out of his mouth without his mental consent.

[[meh, tossing and turning, stiff body..... atsc]]

Shinigami thought for a moment. Signs of pain meant the other worldly spirit was strong and hurting her soul. "Sometimes, other worldly beings return to the possessed victim in due time. Usually under the same circumstances- in this case in her sleep. Especially angry spirits, and if it was chased away somehow, it will probably want to return. Most likely there is no reason they want to possess Akiko- except that she may just be unfortunately more in tuned with other worldly beings. They sense this and are drawn to it. Angry spirits enjoy causing misery or gaining control of people," Shinigami-sama explained, "in all, there is no rhyme or reason to their actions." He then added, "The best thing to do is to just keep watch, recognize patterns, and try to disrupt the other worldly being if it looms over her again. You never know, maybe it won't even come back."

Jonouchi kicked out so Akiko lost her grip on him. He then attempted to get up but he was stopped when Akiko scrambled back and grabbed his arm. She tried to put him in an arm hold (which the end move would result in breaking his arm, but she wasn't going to go that far) but he jabbed her in the side.

When hit, Akiko scrambled away and hacked a little. It was actually a hard hit, but she understood his energy a lot more with those hits. She got up on her feet and brought out her palms as if they were claws, one in front of her and one close to her stomach.

"What's this?" Jonouchi said standing up to see her pose.

"Tiger pose, you don't know?" she asked.

Now that she mentioned it, it was. "You know tiger style?" he asked.

"Tiger Crane," she replied. "Why do you know a discipline?" she asked.

"Nope, I just hit things," Jonouchi replied with a chuckle. He did not practice any style- he was technically a street fighter ((lol)).

"Good to know," Akiko said as she launched toward Jonouchi, swiping her arms at him with her open fists. When he avoided her, she switched styles and attempted to jab him with the tips of her fingers (keeping the hand open and straight). She struck him once in the diaphragm but it wasn't a complete hit as he was in the middle of moving back. Jonouchi lost his breath for a moment and when she attempted to strike him again he blocked her arm, rather then evading her. He then went to hit her with his open palm, she blocked using tiger and gripped his arm, pulling him down and kneeing him.

Even though Jonouchi was hit he grabbed her leg."Gotcha now," he said seeing it was hard for her to move.

Akiko tried her best to keep her balance. She struck him in the side of the neck with an open palm. He did not flinch.

Jonouchi swipped her other knee so that she lost her balance. He grabbed the other knee so both legs were up in the air, ankles at each of his sides, and her back and upper half was on the floor.

Akiko squirmed to get free, but this was a difficult position to regain control. "Jonouchi! Let me go! This is just stupid!" she said feeling unable to break free.

"Oh no, now that I am winning you can't just quit," he said.

"Then do something!" she said continuing to squirm.

"I am, I'm keeping you in this hold until you lose enough energy. This is a form of fighting. I do know a little judo," he said. Keeping her like this will make blood rush to her head and make her dizzy. Jonouchi didn't strategize normally- only when he had to, and it was mainly last minute.



[[geek information, not important:

Tiger style:
Yang - Round sudden punches and direct kicks; round downward clawing techniques first impacting with the base of the palm and then clawing their way downward, including the famous Tiger Claw (hu zhua) technique (from which whole styles have developed). The techniques are in fairly large, wide and circular motions, much like a big cat swiping. The back legs of a Tiger are powerful and lend themselves to straight kicks and knees.

Yin - Digging the claws into the meat and separating tendons, muscles from bones with pulls, twist, tears, or strikes. Straight inward claws, again using the base of the palm to strike and in this case bunch up the flesh. Then clamping down with the sharp claws,digging deeply into the flesh, tearing, ripping and twisting (sounds gory; but tiger style is not a gentle art!)

Crane style:
A twitch of the foot, a slap of the hand, a flick of the fingers, a short grab and twist at the wrist, and extended tripping leg, the Crane Stylist would use no or little force of their own choosing to allow their attacker to defeat themselves.

Ideally, the Crane seeks to convince their attacker(s) to stop attacking by with patience, corrective guides (strikes & kicks) and more patience. The longer the Crane is attacked, the more 'education' the attacker will receive. The Crane will neither increase or decrease their defence but will allow the attacker to be the architect of their own education and learning.]]

[[atsc = all the same crap XP haha. I should know better not to do that.... that may catch on XD. lol math >3>]]

She wasn't talking about that? But wasn't she? Now he was just confused. Was he interpreting things incorrectly? If so that meant he was thinking about it. "Then I guess disregard everything I said. But I am still bad luck," he said. He then turned his head to Renoko and said, "How.... does that even???" Marik wasn't very into math, only math that has to do with money.

"The only other thing that may help with such are dreamcatchers," Shinigami-sami added.

"You mean those things that are at alternative stores and supposedly catch nightmares?" Stein said thinking it to be a poor idea.

"Not those exactly. More like hazelnut reeves," Shinigami-same answered.

"So they are calling those dreamcatchers now?" Stein said now knowing what he was talking about.

"Some, since they could not come up with a good name I guess. Anyway," he said looking back at the two boys, "most spirits do not like hazelnuts for some reason. This method has been used since ancient times. You can either string the hazelnuts yourself for a quick fix or find a 'spirit' store that sells these reeves - already blessed too. They basically look like dream catchers." He then added, "You can also put a cheap flat mirror on her door, the reflective side facing the door." When he got strange looks from the boys he elaborated, "Most spirits will enter through doors. They will peek their heads into the room. If the mirror is there, which obviously has to be at eye level, the spirit will see itself and frighten itself away."

[[The mirror thing is real. So is the hazelnut thing but they are no considered dreamcatchers. Normally its a string of hazelnuts in the doorway. Also I'm too lazy to type Akiko and Jonouchi's training scene. They are fighting the same way as last post hurf derf.]]

A small smirk crossed Malik's face when the two girls went back and forth. However he turned around, his back to them, to try and hide it. He began walking with them to the room. He saw his good for nothing partner laying there on the bed waiting. "What are you doing?" he asked him, "what if there was a situation and I needed you? You're in here like a lazy ********>"

Marik looked over and said, "Finally you guys are back." He had no idea what had happened, but if he did he probably would not care. "First of all, you are in constant need of me, all the time. Second, if you can't fend for yourself then you are just useless," he cracked at him.

"You'll be pretty useless yourself when I'm gone and nobody can wield you," he pointed out.

"Hmmm, maybe," Marik said reconsidering being there for his partner. He sat up on the bed and looked at the three of them. "Well? What now?" he asked.

"Food. So get up," Malik told his partner.

"Because they are still learning. It may not look like it to you two, but they are well matched. They just don't understand one another," Shinigami-sama answered. "Akiko is too focused on treating Jonouchi's soul like Spirit's soul when they are no where near the same. Not only that, but she's trying to balance between wielding two different souls. As for Jonouchi, he has to learn how to adjust his power output. Even with Honda, he doesn't hold back any of his energy. He's at a constant 100% power output," he explained. Shinigami-sama then shrugged and said, "Or so I guess. How should I know?" He then added, "You should go back and tell her what I have told you."

Akiko was starting to lose energy but she kept wiggling to get free anyway. She snapped her tail at his lower legs to try and make him flinch.

"Damnit!" he said after a few snaps from her. However he didn't flinch, "Knock that off!"

Akiko went off to one side and curled up, trying to hit his knees or something. Jonouchi moved her back with his foot. Akiko tried to sit up and climb up to hit Jonouchi- to free herself. That didn't work and she came back down on her back, "Jonouchi, I"m going to beat you so hard when I get free."

[[again I disappeared. Stupid s**t happened in RL. And hopefully now that the holidays are almost over with I will be on more often. Also I got to see episodes 1-4 of Elfen Lied- it's really good]]

As the girls squabbled over how to pay for the pizzas, Marik laid back on the bed putting his arms under his head and closing his eyes. "We can just make him give us the pizzas without asking for the money. Or we can just kill him....... he'd make a good meal later on...." Marik teased evilly. He may be evil but he wasn't a cannibal- people meat probably taste gross. But it was fun to mess with people.

"Nasty," Malik responded apathetically to Marik's cannibal remark. He even knew he wouldn't go that far.

"I bet his soul would taste good," he then added being serious this time.

"Probably would taste like grease and old cheese," Malik added looking through the take out menus the hotel supplied of all the local places. Though they preferred people to eat there they gave the option to order else where.

Marik rolled over on his side looking away from everyone, propping his head up with his hand. "Bah! You don't understand!" he replied slightly frustrated. Because Malik was a miser he did not need or have to eat kishin eggs. Marik was a weapon though, so he had to to get stronger. They really didn't have a taste, but they were delicious. Explaining that to his idiot miser was impossible. "Get me one pie- I don't care what is on it, just no pineapple," he said.

Malik rolled his eyes. "Nobody tends to like pineapple so I will get my own pie," he said finding a pizza menu he liked.

"If he had it his way, he would ask for chopped dates on his pizza as well," Marik teased.

"My heritage shouldn't offend you Marik, since you too are Egyptian," Marik snapped keeping his eyes on the menu scanning. He liked foods known to Egypt, what was so wrong with that? And yes, if they offered dates on pizzas he would get them- it would go well with the pineapple.

[[damn it I want dates now..... they are also a popular Greek fruit *is Greek*]]

Jonouchi looked over to see Atem and Yuugi had returned. "Back already?" he questioned though happy to see them. He then looked down at Akiko and then back at them, "This isn't what you think it is...." he said realizing it looked wrong in two different ways.

Akiko laid her head back feeling herself starting to pass out. Her eyes were half opened looking away from the others. Upside down, she saw a shadowy person walking slowly toward her. "J-Jonouchi...." she said lowly since she was only half conscious, "who is that?"

"Atem and Yuugi came back," he said thinking she meant that. He then put her legs abruptly seeing how it looked strange. He then noticed she wasn't even looking their way. "Akiko?" He did not see what she saw.

The shadowy figured came in and out of sight. Once it came up to her, facing her with it's feet near the stop of her head; it quickly came down having it's 'face' get in her face. There was nothing there but a single eye. It then took each of her wrists and pulled them above her head. To everyone it looked like she was moving by herself. That is, until she was pulled quickly across the floor- which could not be done by any human by themself.

Spirit had been cautiously watching the shadowy figure, raising the back of her fur to raise. The second it started to pull her was the second Spirit freaked out and viciously barked and growled at the entity.

[[Dude.... what the ******** is with the girl cousin? I haven't seen much remember, but in like the last episode I saw she said something retarded to her cousin like, "Don't you ever think about touching my breasts?" And I was like WTF IS WITH THIS CHICK?! Nana was ok. I felt bad when she died.... but I think she comes back to life? I dunno. I love Lucy- also her English voice for her more aggressive side is great!

Ok, the corner thing is scary as ******** because I used to stare at the corner when I got upset. Or read the fine print on stuff animals but w/e]]

"Too much information for meeeeee," Marik said. Even the evil Marik was disgusted by some things. How could something BLEED for seven says and NOT DIE? He scooted away from Lerena on the bed.

Malik rolled his eyes at his weapon's remark. Lerena's behavior was...... odd. He sat on the bed....kinda somewhat close to her, but not too close in case she wanted to swat at him. He had no people skills to begin with, comforting was out of the question. If she needed it, he was not sure. He had no idea what she was feeling- all he knew was that it was odd, so something was not right. Trying to unravel the puzzle was silly, he didn't care.... right? Ok, so maybe he cared a little about her- a lot more then any other person outside of his family. He was concerned and curious, but did he care? If it bugged him this much to make her stop...... then...... yes? Whatever, it didn't matter what he felt right?

He looked at her, her behavior reminded him of himself. When he was bored, wanting to go outside, he'd stare at the wall. He had hoped to burn a hole in the wall to escape out of. "I already tried, you can't burn holes into walls by staring at them," he said lowly- compulsively. Once he said it he had to finish, so he said it lowly so hopefully nobody else would hear him.

Akiko's consciousness stated to come back to her as the blood from her head surged down to her feet and circulated again.

Although the being could no longer be seen, it wiped it's head around at Atemu. He could no longer possess the girl now that she was awakening so he flung toward Atemu and smacked him so hard that it caused Atemu to fly back and hit the wall. The being then screeched minisingly and disappeared.

Akiko started getting up slowly and the first thing out of her mouth was, "Jonouchi, I'm going to bust your jaw...... holding a lady like that..... that's not fighting....."

[[That' pretty lame, hope you get it back soon]]

"Love? No love is not necessary, love and companionship is what brings a man to his death," Marik said grimly. What would he need with a loved one? He already can't stand being around Malik all the time. Marik was a loner, he cared only about himself.

Malik thought about her question. He wasn't good at comforting people, he never had to. But he had to be comforted by his sister when he was younger so he thought about her. "You exist to live your life. It doesn't really matter what affect it has on other people as long as you keep living," Malik said. It seemed like something a loner would say, someone who has not been around people in a long time. But in saying so made him think of his sister and Odion. He lived the life he wanted to without thinking about anyone, was that wrong? It couldn't be, it's his life and he has the right to choose the way he wants to live it. But now he couldn't stop thinking about them. It didn't bring him sorrow as much as it brought him yearning and a bit of shame. And yet these feelings made him feel alive, how strange. "Does... the thought of possibly bringing misfortune to others really bother you?" he asked almost in a naive sense. Why would it bother someone, everyone is looking out for number one in life right?

Everything happened so quickly, Akiko being slid across the room and Atemu being flung back. He didn't know who to go to first. Instead, he scouted the room to try to find the thing that did that to his friends. "Where the hell is it?! I couldn't even see it," Jonouchi said aggravated.

Akiko heard the yell of pain along side a thump when she was down but couldn't equate it to anything. When she sat up she looked around, Jonouchi was trying to.... find something, and Yuugi and Atemu were talking. Atemu then asked if she was alright. Akiko looked at him and thought. Now that he mentioned it, something seemed wrong- why was she all the way over here? She was being held by Jonouchi and then she blacked out. "What... happened?" she asked feeling oblivious.

"Something threw you backwards, we couldn't see what it was but..... I think you saw it. You asked me who someone was," Jonouchi answered her.

Akiko thought and then remembered something. Her eyes widened when she remembered the way the being looked, "It was a shadow man, he had one eye in the middle of his face...." she said in shock and almost to herself. She rushed up and walked away from Atemu and Yuugi- looking for something- tossing things aside as if it was the utmost importance to find this item. She found a pad and paper, rushed back to the table, and put the pad on the table. She quickly sketching what she saw- rushing as if she would forget what she saw. Akiko didn't normally draw, she wasn't creative enough to come up with scenes or pieces of art. But she was decent enough to draw as correctly as possible something from memory or something in front of her. "I remember what it looked like, I remember how I felt...." she said again almost to herself and almost in a scared tone.

Jonouchi gave up looking for whatever hurt his friends, "It's probably gone..." He then joined Akiko to see what she was drawing.

Perhaps soul reaping would be the best thing right now. However, Lerena didn't want to- next thing he knew she started to cuddle him. Oh god..... physical contact..... what should he do? His one arm that was behind her did not touch her as his mind tried to possess what his next move was. Uncomfortable? Yes, it would be a lie if he said he wasn't. But it wasn't all that bad, just sudden and shocking. It wasn't in his nature to cuddle, touch, or care- so he was trying his best not to react like an a*****e would. He repeated that in his mind- commanding himself not to treat this like some other person. Because he didn't want to act that way to Lerena, because alright fine, he did feel something for her. He didn't know if it was friendship or if he really cared for her, he couldn't say love right now. Him? Love? He was still under the impression that he was incapable of doing so. Malik lowered his arm to rest on her back and accepted the cuddle. "We have to wait for pizza anyway- we should just stay," he said making it seem pointless to leave this moment. If it made Lerena feel better then it was fine...... and it made him feel a little bit more at peace.

Marik smirked and said to Renoko, "Home is where the heart is." He referred to her comment about the darkness. He then looked over to watch Lerena snuggle up next to Malik. And he let her, embraced her. A scowl crossed his face. Love, what a joke. Hanging around these girls was making his counterpart weak. It disgusted him. He took personal offense almost to it- after all, he was born from Malik's trauma and hate. Marik stood up and looked down at Malik. "You better not be getting weak on me. You are my miser, and you and I have unfinished business. Pray I never mind you to be useless. Remember that," he said darkly showing his true nature. One thing mattered to him and that was to rip the Pharaoh apart. All this other bullshit they were going through was pointless- but he has so far allowed his miser to go along with it. His tolerance was dwindling. If Malik forgets what they had to do, he would make him remember through any means possible. Marik walked away from the two and to the dinning room- away from the others.

Malik stayed quiet and replied only with a scowl of his own. He did not move, he kept his arm strong so that Lerena would not jolt up. He was starting to get more and more sick of Marik's constant demanding and threats.

Akiko stopped and dropped the pencil. She backed away from it to look at it a bit further away. She looked closed her eyes and a look of worry crossed her face, "I remember part of my dream..... there was a cave, lined with bloodshot eyes, there were bodies..... something was ripping my guts out........" she said turning away from them not wanting to look at their faces. It was shameful, would they not think she was strange? She thought she was. Akiko looked back at Atemu when he told her she would have to defeat it herself. She walked back to the table and picked up the picture, "I wouldn't want any help anyway," she lied. She was scared but she didn't want to drag people into this. She crumbled up the picture and threw it away. However her attitude changed when he said that it attacked him. A look of concern crossed her face, she walked up to him and asked, "It attacked you? What did it do???" She then shook her head and said, "Then you both can't stay here or near me..... you need to leave." This is exactly what she didn't want to happen- if they get involved they can get hurt. "You too Jonouchi, leave," she told him. It hurt her so much to push people away, but she felt it had to be done.

"What?" he questioned her demand. "I'm not leaving, I'm your partner," he said.