IC: Newspapers

[guardianofduel]

Huh. I was just in the library the other day, and it turns out that there were some clippings about me and Rua. Weird, huh?
They're about the time I fell into my coma, about eight years ago. They're from the Tatsu no Kiba papers.

Comments

[ankhetisis]

... by 'Duel Monster Spirits,' I assume you mean the sacred Ka beasts that are controlled by our priests and sorcerers. Foolish child - do you not know how the armies of Pharaoh protected the City from the wretched asiatics?

[guardianofduel]

Asiatics?

No, that's why I asked. All I knew until now is that they lived in their Spirit World.

But you know where they come from?

[ankhetisis]

... Mitanni, Assyria- Uncultured heathens from the lands to the north who do not live within the blessing of the Two Lands.

And these- monsters are either sacred guardians or demons from the West, depending on the purity of the heart of he who carries them, or did at one point. The demons, naturally, must be confined. Their hearts are weighed, and those that are found wanting never meet Osiris; they are left to die the second death, as is no more than they deserve. Petty criminals, after all, do not harbor any such demon.

The judgement is always just.

[guardianofduel]

I've never heard of those countries.

... so... duel monster spirits... come from human hearts?

[ankhetisis]

They are, of course, nothing to Kmt.

In that... the heart is the center of thought and self... I suppose you could say that. It's an indirect way to put things, however - the spirits, as you say, are beasts made of the Ka of the person who creates them. All other aspects of the soul determine everything else - the Ba is the living force that connects the spirit and the sorcerer, the ib and sheut determine characteristics more than anything else.

[guardianofduel]

Kmt?

So if all the spirits come from people, then how do they, um, outlive the person they're from?

[ankhetisis]

... kmt, the sacred black land that lies around the mighty Nile.

And they are sealed.

[guardianofduel]

Oh, we call that Egypt now.

Sealed?

[ankhetisis]

Yes. If they are judged against the feather of ma'at and their hearts are found wanting, their ka beast is taken from them and sealed so that they cannot use it for destruction and it cannot corrupt them itself.

Why? And if you call upon ka beasts for battles then why do you not already know this?

[guardianofduel]

You take their spirits?

Umm. [Ruka pulls out her handy, dandy DUEL MONSTERS DECK OF COLLECTIBLE TRADING CARDS.]

They don't really say 'sealed heart of Ichiro Suzuki' on them or anything.

[ankhetisis]

Their ka.

{And... the cards. Ankhetisis is staring.}

... how in the sacred name of the Aton did you get all of these? Surely they aren't all yours.

[guardianofduel]

Well, I have others back at home, too, but I didn't have them with me when I was pulled here.

Mama and Papa bought them for me.

[ankhetisis]

{Silence. Siiiiiilence.}

[guardianofduel]

... Are you okay?

[ankhetisis]

... the sacred beasts which no one but trained priests and acolytes can use without risking their own safety, let alone those of everyone around them, and your parents bought them for you.

{She's looking at the deck and almost looks repulsed - this is practically sacrilegious.}

There have to be dozens of beasts in there. And you have more?

[guardianofduel]

Nobody gets hurt when we duel, though. It's all harmless.

....... well, except when Aki duels. But that's not her fault!