[The sharp jolt, the unmistakable feeling of the panic of a person who feels they are about to die wrongfully (or perhaps suffer a fate worse than death) causes Johan to drop the Hitomi with a yelp at first. When the dream finishes and he collects himself, he sends a voice message after a few minutes of thought pass, hesitating a little at first.]
[It's a little while later that Malik responds. After he's managed to wake himself and find his voice, himself, rather, once more. And he has pressed his face into the crook of his elbow, cradling it against the aching in his head.
Thus when he answers his voice is tired and weak]
If you know whats good for you, you'll forget anything you just saw. [Its a whisper, and possibly rather pathetic, but its clear he means it.]
Then you're a fool [Voice getting stronger the more he snaps out of it.] and you're going to get yourself killed if you keep running into things you know nothing about.
[Not a threat. But a warning. He doesn't know you. You are not his friend nor his enemy so the scale doesn't tip for or against him if you live or die, but things have already gotten messed up enough...perhaps he is getting a little tired or things going wrong.]
Then, if you want me to ask for something in return?
[The video turns on, so Johan can emphasize his point.]
Give me your trust, or your friendship at least.
[Said casually and light-heartedly, which normally might've made it difficult to tell if he was serious or not, but the sense of him totally, 100% meaning it still remains somehow. There's no falseness to his request at all, and you can see him grinning. If they were face to face, he'd probably be offering a hand to Malik, as well.]
[Where do these fools come from? Crawling out of the woodwork practically begging to be friends with any goddamn stranger who appears on their screen. Asking for trust, when they hardly know the truth of it. It would make him sick to his stomach, if he weren't laughing so hard at the absurdity of it all.
His laughter echoes through their mind, darkly amused.
Oh, are we 'qualified' now? Maybe we should take him up on his offer. Unless you think yourself unworthy of such generosity.
Well, it happens all the time! Juudai and I are best friends, and we're still rivals, too! We want to beat each other, but it doesn't mean we're bitter enemies. And I know a lot of his friends are the same way! It's just competition between friends, you know?
...You okay there?
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Thus when he answers his voice is tired and weak]
If you know whats good for you, you'll forget anything you just saw. [Its a whisper, and possibly rather pathetic, but its clear he means it.]
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...Sorry. Don't think I can do that.
I guess I'll take that as a no, then, huh?
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[Not a threat. But a warning. He doesn't know you. You are not his friend nor his enemy so the scale doesn't tip for or against him if you live or die, but things have already gotten messed up enough...perhaps he is getting a little tired or things going wrong.]
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You seem like you might need it, anyway. You had a dream like this before, didn't you?
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I don't see why you are doing this.
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[He does not know these people. Does not believe in their existence]
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[The video turns on, so Johan can emphasize his point.]
Give me your trust, or your friendship at least.
[Said casually and light-heartedly, which normally might've made it difficult to tell if he was serious or not, but the sense of him totally, 100% meaning it still remains somehow. There's no falseness to his request at all, and you can see him grinning. If they were face to face, he'd probably be offering a hand to Malik, as well.]
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Besides [he adds with a bit of a bitter laugh] don't think i'd fit in with your group of friends.
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That's all right, though. It's not really something most people just hand out to anyone who asks, anyway. I'm willing to give it time.
And hey, even if you don't fit in with everyone else... you still play Duel Monsters, right? That's a good enough qualification for me.
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His laughter echoes through their mind, darkly amused.
Oh, are we 'qualified' now? Maybe we should take him up on his offer. Unless you think yourself unworthy of such generosity.
He snorts.]
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What would you know? Malik snaps back internally. What would you ever know about friends?
To Johan he just mumbles]
So duel monsters is your only requirement, sounds rather idiotic to me. How good of friends can opponents be?
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Hahahaha! Hey, haven't you ever heard of people being friends and rivals at the same time? It's not just people who oppose each other completely!
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No. I haven't.
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...Speaking of which, we should duel sometime!!
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