"You need to understand that you don't have bad mental health - you have mental illness."
Malik didn't teach Bakura how to love himself, but he was the bridge that helped him get there.
[ Credit for cover: samael_dire on Instagram ]
[ MLM, Thiefship...
So @helensrocks is a real instagram account that does do exactly what is said in the story. Please take a look at it and try to spread it if you can. Please review, and I'll see you nerds next week.
CW: Cancer, Malik's initiation, panicking
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"I'm sorry, you did fucking what?" Ryou demanded, looking up at Malik.
Beneath him, Bakura sighed. "It was a protection spell, Ry. We didn't summon shit."
"Still. Mirrors are fuck-y. Don't mess around with them without at least telling me." Ryou scowled at Bakura and dipped his brush back into the purple face paint. "You of all people should know better than that, you fucking parasite."
"And yet, here we are." Bakura rolled his eyes as Ryou finished the rainbow on his cheek. "It was a spell I'm used to-"
"There's more magic in the world than just Egyptian," Ryou pointed out. "Fucking gods, Bakura. If we were in Ireland or Holland-"
"We're in Japan."
"Japan has a history too, dickhead."
"Guys, calm down," Malik sighed, crossing his legs. "Nothing bad happened." He adjusted his skirt slightly. He was still getting used to them, but he liked them. A lot more than he wanted to admit. Hasegawa had thought they were a good idea too. "I've been doing it for a few days a week and nothing new."
Ryou leaned back to glare at Bakura. "A few weeks and this is the first I'm hearing of this?"
"Calm down." Bakura nudged Ryou up so he could climb off the chair and glance at his face in the mirror. "Fuck, I look good."
"Of course you do," Ryou sighed. His anger evaporated, shoulders slumping, and now he just looked tired. "Did you at least burn sage? I mean it's the most low-level thing but please tell me you did that."
"Nope." Bakura rubbed a bit of foundation on his cheek to blend it better. "I already told you - we weren't summoning shit."
"Still." Ryou shook his head. "If you didn't carve the runes correctly on the edge-"
"Wait." Malik looked up from his Instagram. "Carve runes?"
Ryou frowned. "Yeah. You're meant to carve runes into the mirror frame specifically to channel energy through it. Also bless the glass. Otherwise it won't work." Malik stared at Bakura, who shifted uncomfortably. "You guys are fucking idiots," Ryou snorted after a moment. "You didn't do that?" Bakura shook his head. ",Well congratulations. You've been chanting meaninglessly into a mirror for the past few weeks."
Malik scowled at Bakura. "You're kidding."
Bakura shrugged. "I didn't know - I never did that before and it worked-"
"It worked because you had a god ka, rock hard abs, a good mind for strategy, and a dark god behind you that brought you back to life," Ryou reminded him. "Or maybe because the mirrors were already carved and blessed by your family since - you know - you were a kid."
