[Event Post]

[triade_oscura]

::In the park or on Duel Academy island, you can find an unusual little girl huddled under a tree. She's surrounded by books. A lot of them seem to be philosophical works and psychology related. She's completely hassle-able, but she's got her nose in a book. You wonder how such a young child could understand these books.::

Comments

[fantasticfeline]

"You try too hard."

There's a short kid staring.

[triade_oscura]

::Doesn't look up.::

Trying too hard at what?

[fantasticfeline]

"looking smart."

[triade_oscura]

... I am smart.

[fantasticfeline]

"Still trying too hard."

[triade_oscura]

Says the boy trying to hard to impress himself.

[fantasticfeline]

"I do not!"

[triade_oscura]

And you seem rather prone to jumping at criticisms.

[voicesofspirits]

*Walking back to her Ra Yellow dorm, books clutched in her own arms, Ruka notices the young girl and catches sight of what she is reading. They do seem quite advanced for the age she looks, but Ruka herself has read books people considered too advanced for her in the past as well.

Most of the other people she knows at the Academy, including her own brother, don't really like reading or studying more than they have too. Maybe she could make a new friend with those interests.

With that, she approaches the girl*

Um, hi there.

[triade_oscura]

::Doesn't look up.::

Why are you trying to interact with me?

[voicesofspirits]

*Ruka steps back a little, slightly surprised at the response.*

I-I'm sorry if I disturbed you, I just noticed what you were reading and I thought I'd say hi. It's not often I see other students here reading books like that after all.

[triade_oscura]

Well that's their problem for being slow and dull-witted. You must be lonely.

[voicesofspirits]

Lonely...?

*Ruka seems taken off-guard by the remark, but she tries to shake it off*

Oh, no, not really. I mean I have my friends and my brother, but they don't really like studying or reading as much as I do...

[triade_oscura]

That's what I mean by lonely.

::Closes the book, sighing and putting it to the side.::

[voicesofspirits]

*Ruka looks to the side a bit awkwardly*

I... guess that's true. I don't really have anyone to study with, who actually enjoys it, or anyone to discuss the things I've been reading with.

And almost everyone else in my classes... they just think I'm showing off.

[triade_oscura]

Exactly. You're a one in a thousand year genius, but no one cares. Or they're jealous of you and hate you. I know the exact same behavior, and suffered it similarly.

Though... Do you like being smart? Or would you like to be like the masses?

[voicesofspirits]

I want to do well in my studies, of course... but...
... there are times I wish I could be like everyone else. Do the same things, wear the same things...

*She seems to subconsciously grip her right arm as she's talking*

... though, I just don't think it's possible.

*Ruka is wearing a long sleeved black shirt under her uniform, which is already something you don't see many of the students wearing. Also, it's the middle of the summer and the temperature, especially on the island, is particularly warm.*

[triade_oscura]

But your brain separates you from them. ::Notices that as well, as you grip your right arm with that black shirt.::

And you have something in your past you're not comfortable talking with. Are you a Yakuza head's daughter?

[voicesofspirits]

What? No! It's nothing like that!

*She seems to be getting more and more awkward as the conversation goes on.*

[triade_oscura]

But whatever it is, it's enough that you wear long clothes to hide parts of your body. Which would make people think that. And that just makes things worse, doesn't it?

[voicesofspirits]

I guess...

*Ruka falls silent and looks away from the girl. She didn't even realize people would think that of her, just for covering her body. At worst, she figured that they would just think she was stupidly anxious of showing off skin or something.
But what would people think of her dragon mark if she showed it? Surely that wouldn't go down all that well either... it seemed like a lose situation either way.*

[triade_oscura]

I know the judging feeling. It's never fun.

[voicesofspirits]

*Ruka nods*

It really isn't.

[triade_oscura]

They probably say terrible things behind your back.

[voicesofspirits]

*Ruka looks up suddenly at her, her eyes widening with shock*

...terrible things...?

[triade_oscura]

They probably hate you for being smart. They might think you're a delinquent, or as I said, a Yakuza brat. And your hair? You might be a Duel Spirit to them, and not everyone likes those...

[voicesofspirits]

My... hair...? I...

*Ruka is noticeably more distressed than she was, as she thinks all this over, her mind jumping to conclusions. Did people really hate her for being smart? Did they really think all these things about her...?*

I-I...

[triade_oscura]

... Am alone and hated? Probably, miss. ::Just stays there, calm as a cucumber.::

[voicesofspirits]

*Ruka steps back a little.*

I- ... I have to go...

*With that, she turns and runs off, tear-drops flying from her eyes as she does.
As she runs, she thinks to herself that even if she's a complete failure and everyone else at the school hates her... at least Rua doesn't. As long as she has Rua, she can never be fully alone and he'll always be by her side

No matter what.*