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[numberoneduelist]

"Not the worst Kaiba I've ever met" is the text printed on the mug with blue eyes white dragons on it. It was a joke gift, of course. But inside the mug was a note. "Mine doesn't like celebrating. If you feel the same, I apologize, just throw this out. But I do hope you vary in that department. Because... You should be proud of what you've done." - Aigami [@indioragod ]

This is entirely unexpected. So far out of left field that its not even in the same area code.

Diva? Giving Seto a present?

He pauses, holding the mug between his fingers and rolling it from one side to the other - just observing it.

He's not surprised that the other man hadn't stuck around to get a reaction. And if put on the spot, the executive likely would've made an offhanded, rude quip that killed the mood immediately. They would've started arguing. So he's a little thankful that the room is empty right now.

He eyes the trashcan, but makes no move towards it. He takes the note and folds it in half before opening his desk drawer. He places it gently inside, and closes it back up.

And with a little chuckle, he sets the cup down on the corner of his desk and rotates it so that the text faces him.

[numberoneduelist]

Kai is here to wish Kaiba a happy birthday....And he's brought a couple of wrapped gifts that are, of course, all blue-eyes themed.

Seto isn't sure how Kai keeps getting sent straight up to his office. He hasn't actually given the man any special clearance, hasn't put him on any lists for the employees to be on the lookout. And yet, here he is.

Now that they've grown... closer, he's not exactly upset that he's been interrupted.

His hard stare softens a little as he realizes that the man is holding... presents. He hadn't expected that.

"Oh?" He'd almost forgotten the occasion, he'd been so lost in his work. "Those are... you didn't have to get me anything."

He gets to his feet, takes the few steps across his office, and gently takes one in his hands. He looks at it, and then at Kai, and then back at the wrapped package.

He's always hated having to open things in front of others. There's an expectation tied to the reaction that he knows he won't be able to live up to.

But they look so nice, even wrapped in themed paper. As the smaller man looks at him expectantly, he's a little reluctant to rip into it.

"Thank you."

[numberoneduelist]

"Wrf!" the woof is muffled by several flowers in her mouth. She knows what the day is, had already changed the weather from rainy to sunny. But this was a little something else she could offer. Though that woof is all she can do to try and get the point across, craning her head up and offering the flowers to him.

-- Sunlittgoddess ( the best she can do for a gift)

When Seto had woken up, it was overcast. As he got himself ready for work, the rain started. This, he did not mind. He's always preferred clear weather, because it makes most things - like the travel he often has to do for work - far easier. But he likes the rain well enough.

When he leaves work, he's surprised to find that the downpour that had been getting progressively worse all afternoon has... vanished. It's replaced with a sky that shines brightly, devoid of any hint of raincloud.

The only evidence that it had happened at all are the various puddles littering the sidewalk.

Another surprise comes in the form of his new animal acquaintance. She approaches him confidently, offering him a small bouquet and a bark to get his attention.

Well, that's... almost cute, actually.

"...Thanks."

He takes the flowers carefully from her mouth and looks them over. Chrysanthemums; his favorite.

"I'm not sure if it applies to... gods... but these are toxic to dogs, so be careful next time."

Without thinking, he places his free hand on her head, gives it a little rub.

[numberoneduelist]

"Happy birthday, Seto!" Yugi chimes brightly, though breathlessly as he struggles to tug a Blue Eyes plush twice his size through the door.

He sees the plush before he registers who's holding it. Quite large, even compared to him. In Yugi's arms, it's massive. His first response is to raise a brow, curious as to why the man had deemed it necessary to lug such a large toy around when he could've just gotten something small - or nothing at all. Seto doesn't need gifts.

But the sentimentality of it is... heartwarming. It pulls a small smile from his lips and gets him off of his couch.

He strides over and places a hand on Mutou's shoulder, looking down at him with a mix of amusement and... something else.

"Thank you, Yugi."

Then he reaches through a gap in the door to grab ahold of the stuffed dragon from the other side. He gives it a decent pull, and then another with a little more effort.

It takes a second, but they manage to drag it through. He inspects it with a careful eye and makes sure to play it up a little. As if there were a chance that he wouldn't like it.

Blue eyes flicker back over to the smaller man and he smiles again.

"Very nice. You are aware that you didn't have to get me anything, right? But I..." No, he still can't say that word. "Like it. Thanks."

[numberoneduelist]

He does not have anything special planned for his birthday this year. He doesn’t really ever plan for anything, to be honest. He prefers his time alone, plugging away at his computer on one project or another. There’s no need for over-the-top get togethers or gift exchanges. He doesn’t like owing anyone anything, and if people don’t present him with anything, he doesn’t have to remember their birthdays.

Besides, holding a celebration for the anniversary that you came kicking and screaming into this world seems... pointless. It’s a day just like any other, really.

Sometimes Mokuba makes a small party happen regardless - just them and occasionally a small handful of close acquaintances. People that don’t outright annoy him. This year, things are a little hectic; they’re still balancing work between them since he returned. He figures the date must’ve fallen through the cracks.

He doesn’t blame his brother for forgetting. And he’s not necessarily upset.

But as he sits in the living space of his apartment, flipping through garbage television after work, he finds himself feeling a little something else. Perhaps... disappointed? No.

Lonely?

Maybe. That one is tougher. It’s not the first time he’s spent the day alone and it likely won’t be the last. That’s the nature of growing up.

He spends a lot of his days alone now.

After a few minutes in silence with the television set muted because he can no longer take the barrage of sound, he feels a sudden weight on his lap. Then soft fur pressing against his fingers, demanding his attention.

He lifts his hand and absently scratches behind Aoyuki’s ears. She begins to purr loudly, beginning to knead into the couch cushion. Normally, he would discourage this because he’d like to keep it nice, but to be honest, he’s got the money to reupholster and she looks like she’s having a good time.

The sight brings the ghost of a smile to his face.

They sit together like this for a while as the sun begins to dip over the horizon. Soon, the only thing left to illuminate the room is the big screen. And in the dim light, he finds his eyelids steadily growing heavier.

As the silent images begin to blur in front of him, he recognizes that he’s probably going to have a crick in his neck in the morning. 

Eventually, he no longer sees anything.

And tonight, not even his dreams bother him.

[numberoneduelist]

birthday boy overworking on his birthday

[numberoneduelist]

HBD 25/10

[numberoneduelist]

sunlittgoddess​:

Those coal black eyes watch him but his approach does not trigger any sort of negative response from the wolf. Instead she only watches him with tail still furiously wagging behind her. A wolf she might be but a wagging tail was a wagging tail all the same. An aggressive canine does not wag its tail, does not pant with lips lax and no show of fangs. There is no need to be aggressive with him and, so far, none had been presented. Amaterasu was no stranger to human hearts that caught her interest, that made her intrigued, want to stick with them for a time.

This one… this one has been through much hardship. She can sense those scars, the weight. But the strength is there too. The moment Seto speaks, the wolf tilts her head slightly to the right. In truth, talking was not an ability granted to her in this form. It was where Issun had been the most valued as a companion, among other things. He would have spoken for her. But the little Poncle is not with her now. Out traveling, acting as a Celestial Envoy to inspire belief in her and strengthen her own powers. 

But it is clear that she does understand him. Her attention does not wander, she makes eye contact– something that no wild wolf would do out of fear of prompting violence. Ears pricked, listening intently, she gives a short huff. Another bark is given as well as her moving in a tight circle for a second only to face him again. The wagging of her tail ceases and instead it moves in an odd, sashaying manner almost like the way a painter would move with steady strokes of a brush. 

The instant the tail’s movement stops, several flowers burst into existence around not only her own paws but Seto’s feet as well. Her powers were the closest thing she could use to showing her capabilities.

“Raf raf!”

This whole situation is certainly... strange. It appears that the animal does have the ability to understand him for the most part, but none to communicate verbally in return. Interesting, but not shocking. If he were to apply the logic to people, there are plenty of folks out there that are able to understand a certain language without the capability to speak it.

He doesn’t necessarily like that he’s comparing the intelligence of a wolf to a human, but he supposes that the species already wasn’t too far off, and this one is unique.

It moves, and he is surprised again: suddenly there are flowers at his feet that hadn’t been there before. His eyes dart to the nearest animal control worker.

“Take your men and get lost. This is above your pay grade.”

As if they were waiting for the order, they disperse. A couple of them trip over each other in their hurry.

Seto steps over the flora and towards the canine.

“Alright, what kind of weird magic creature are you? You’re not any duel monster I’ve seen. Some sort of demon? A god?”

He squints, and his scan finishes. Now he just has to wait for it to process.

[numberoneduelist]

kaibacorpbros​:

He didn’t expect his other self to understand. No one did or would be able to so long as Seto couldn’t put it into words. But he didn’t need anyone to understand why this would work to make it happen, lucky for him.

Maybe this wouldn’t be very helpful to his cause. After all, this Kaiba must have tried to get to a different Atem so who could even know if the same rules applied to the science? But anything that had a chance to be helpful, Seto would take.

“I am.”

A pause.

“If this is useful in the slightest, I’ll owe you one.”

Was there much outside of another Kaiba’s reach? Probably not, but Seto didn’t like being in debt to people. So if this proved fruitful, he’d pay it back somehow.

The helicopter is prepped exactly as promised, the only person attending it being Isono. He does give both men a look, but knows better than to say anything about the situation. Seto gives him a nod, and after he leaves the pad, they take off. The trip is exactly as uneventful as expected - a lot of noise from the spinning blades and wind whipping against the vehicle.

The launch site is manned remotely these days, since he hasn’t actually used the station in a while. As they approach the tube, he wonders if maybe he should change that. It was a lot of money, after all, and could actually be utilized for a multitude of projects. He makes a mental note to do a little rearranging when he gets back to the office.

They rocket up as quickly as the technology allows, and they are greeted by the computer’s assistant when they approach the door.

As they enter the facility, Seto stands aside, eyes trailing his double.

“Alright, have at it. Let me know if you find anything good. If all goes well, maybe I’ll resurrect the project with an... updated objective. I don’t think I would mind taking a trip to your dimension as an educational experience.”

[numberoneduelist]

sxcondchxnceduelists​:

Kai could see the visible relaxation that showed in that second exhale, even if it was subtle enough for most people to miss. Seeing the other leaning slightly to one side, he offered a small chuckle. 

“Oh you know, rude customers, lazy teenage employees trying to slack off, the usual. Nothing to report really.” He mused, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders and moving to lock the game shop doors before turning to trot casually past Kaiba, pausing only to motion for him to follow. 

“Come on, let’s head upstairs. There are still a good handful of people around and there’s more privacy in the house. Do you want anything to eat or drink once we get up there like tea or coffee?” 

He was doing his best not to rush things, but Kai was not usually a very patient person….Especially when it came to someone he had eyes for. Still, Kaiba was someone he knew was worth waiting for and as a result he was pushing his usual impatience aside, wanting to make the taller man feel welcomed and comfortable. 

As he led the way upstairs, he opened the door to reveal a small yet cozy little two-bedroom home. It was kept meticulously clean, with only a few small things here and there, and though the space wasn’t the largest it was quiet and welcoming, soft yellow lights creating a soft glow around the hallway. 

“Feel free to make yourself at home, let me know if there’s anything you need.”

Having never worked retail, he doesn’t actually have any firsthand experience with most of that stuff. The nice thing about being the head of your own company is that you don’t really have to deal with most of the consumers. Slackers, though, he has plenty of experience with. He’s fired plenty. But he assumes that Muto has to be a bit more lenient to make sure he’s got enough staff to keep the place running. Must be hard.

He turns on his heel as Kai slips past him, and dutifully begins to stride after him. He hadn’t realized that the man actually lives over the store. Of course, it’s fairly reasonable: saves a lot of time on a commute, and he can keep an eye on things pretty well. But Seto couldn’t do it - the square footage alone just wouldn’t be enough.

When the door opens, though, he raises a brow. It’s not bad. Very clean, much like the executive likes to keep his own home. And it’s a little bigger than he’d pictured it. It fits what he’d envision when he thinks of Kai.

He removes his footwear as the door closes behind him.

“I’m alright.” Truthfully, he could probably use a drink. But he’d like to remain sober for this. “...Nice place.”

He hesitates for a moment before he takes a few steps further into the space. He then looks to the man of the hour.

“You want to get this show on the road, or did you have something else in mind first?”

[numberoneduelist]

x-heartofthecards-x​:

Yugi could not help but to chuckle at the good-natured jab. With all of the uncertainty and the vague tension in which neither of them truly knew how to navigate, that felt familiar and comforting. The smirk was rather pleasant as well, "I will do my best to not be a crap teammate."

It was still an incredibly new sensation to have Kaiba so easily filling his stomach with butterflies and making him feel weak in the knees. But now, just like with everything Yugi tended to do in his life, he was in these feelings with his whole chest, his heart on his sleeve. The moment he caught feelings and recognized them, well, he was a goddamn simp.

He only hoped he could manage to play it cool.

The tiny duelist then hopped up to sit on the counter near Seto in a spot that was reasonably far away from any kind of food prep and mused with a bright smile as he let his feet dangle off the edge, "I know that I am weird. But hopefully it is mostly endearing at this point. Alternatively, I just hope that I've gotten cute enough to make up for it in a manic pixie dream boy kind of way."

Well, that’s one thing that Mutou shouldn’t really have to worry about. He’s been cute his whole life. Truthfully, he’s only gone from less cutesy to more... how could it be described? Pretty? That doesn’t seem like enough, but beautiful might be too strong. After the way life has taken a toll on him, Yugi’s small stature and big eyes seem less child-like and more... prepossessing.

Or maybe Seto is just smitten. That’s also a possibility.

“There’s a little more nuance to your character than that, but you’ve got the look down. You could be on a high-schooler’s pinterest board.”

Seto is hardly a Young Adult protagonist, but he’s got the brooding covered - he’s been told as much more than once.

It’s strange to feel these things, to think these thoughts, about another person. He’s been focused on Yugi for years, of course, but never like this. He finds himself observing little mannerisms and movements that he would normally sweep out of his awareness. And it’s not even in an effort to make an AI simulation - he’s filing them away... just to have. To remember. Because half of the actions that this man takes give him a strange tightness in his gut that he... doesn’t dislike.

“...Plenty endearing.”

Is it strange to want to just... pick someone up? It seems like it would be easy. He refrains for now, though. He’ll save the idea for later.

The timer goes off, and he pushes off of the counter. As he goes, he places a hand on the man’s knee, gives it a squeeze - quick and fluid with the rest of his movement. He doesn’t even think about it.

He turns the grill off, opens the drawer, and uses a hand towel to grab the edge of the tray and remove it. He sets it on the stove, then picks up the tray of asparagus and slides it into the oven. Another timer, and then he pulls a bag of buns from an overhead counter.

“If you open the fridge, there should be a few things to be used as toppings if you want them. Some will require slicing, though, so try to avoid any cutting of limbs... or spontaneous combustion.”

[numberoneduelist]

Post-R, Post-DSOD Bandit Keith RP Blog Please read RULES and ABOUT before following! (Non-RP Blogs please do not reblog)

[numberoneduelist]

sunlittgoddess​:

Animal control? How rude!

The wolf gives a hard snort as if scoffing at the very idea. Not that any humans would be able to do anything to her. A Celestial Brush kind of trumps any sort of technology for the most part. Amaterasu is hardly impressed by the notion and instead of running or becoming aggressive like one would expect from a creature like her, she instead begins to wag her tail.

Something about this one intrigued her, hence why she had barked in the first place. Though that would have to wait most definitely because it really isn’t that long before the aforementioned animal control does show up. My, they worked very quickly didn’t they? A glance, her coal black eyes landing on them and watching intently. She knows of them, what they do and how they do it. The first attempt would, of course, be tranquilizers. 

And they are fired, her brush activated. 

The darts are sharply sliced in half before touching the animal, sending them to the ground.

“Raf!”

Everything happens a little faster than most can process.

Animal control mobilizes, appearing quicker than even Seto could’ve expected. He supposes that money can make anything happen in the blink of an eye.

They’ve barely got time to survey the situation before they attempt to tranquilize the creature. And just as quickly, something happens. Something that the team will be hard-pressed to explain in any report they may have to file.

The executive is familiar with magic. He still figures it for bullshit, but knows that it exists in some capacity. So when... whatever happens, he’s not flabbergasted, but is instead merely some level of surprised.

He holds a hand up to signal for his men to hold action for now. This is going to be a little more complicated than he initially anticipated.

Seems like this creature is more intelligent than the average wolf.

His eyes narrow as he assesses the situation and tries to determine his next move. There are a few dangers - primarily concerning what kind of abilities this animal has and whether or not it can be taken down by regular means. If it’s quick enough to slice through tranquilizers fired through a gun, it’s almost certainly equipped to deal with regular ammunition. And he’s not sure he wants to put it down anyway; seems like a waste.

He’s actually a little intrigued. If he were certain he could contain it, he’d love to run some tests. Instead, he opts for the safer route, and begins a scan with some of his peripheral tech. A couple of taps on his bracer allows his computer to get working.

As it runs, he begins to take a cautious step forward, eyes locked on the wolf.

“You’re special, aren’t you?” How does one speak to animals? He talks to his cat like she’s an adult human, so he might not be working with a full deck in this scenario. “What are you doing here?” A pause. “... If you have the capability of communication, now might be a good time to use it. Otherwise, this is going to be pretty difficult for the both of us.”

[numberoneduelist]

sxcondchxnceduelists​:

He’d been thinking about it all day, a mixture of slight excitement mixed with nervousness making it a little difficult to focus on everything else. Still, Kai was pretty good at being able to shake those thoughts and feelings aside whenever someone walked through the door and tried his best to give them his full attention.

Honestly it was hard to believe that Seto Kaiba had actually agreed to something like this, he’d been fully expecting rejection when he’d walked into that office and now suddenly he was wondering if the other would decide to go through with it or not.

When the end of the day finally rolled around and everyone had started going home, he saw that text pop up on his phone and he smiled a little, running up to get a quick shower himself and changing into a simple Tshirt and tight skinny jeans, wearing his usual belt around his waist though the choker remained off for a change.

As he was finishing up the last few closing duties within the store, he heard the chime of the door and that familiar voice calling his name. Turning, he walked over to greet Kaiba with a smile.

“Hey, welcome in. How was the rest of your day?” He greeted, figuring he would just let things play out relatively naturally to remove some pressure from the situation.

The greeting feels casual, easy. As if Seto has walked in a hundred times before in the same manner and they have a good rapport going. The truth is so far from this that the executive feels a little off-kilter. He’s not uncomfortable, but he definitely isn’t where he should be.

Yet still he finds himself relaxing at the smaller man’s smile. It feels as if a valve has been loosed, allowing him another exhale.

“Relatively uneventful. It’s been a while since such a short timeframe seemed so long.”

Ah, small talk. His disdain for it knows no bounds.

“There are only so many ways to re-word emails to make the same message a little different. Kind of annoying, actually.” He sighs quietly. “No different than any other day.”

He begins to lean a little heavier on one side, arms crossed.

“How about yours?”

[numberoneduelist]

x-heartofthecards-x​:

​The shorter man chuckled as he looked up at the CEO, who even now in this intimate and private moment sounded a bit like he was trying to navigate a business call. It was really cute and endearing, if he was being perfectly honest.

It was true that their relationship in their youth had been tense. Seto had been a total dick, really. But Yugi had always known that a solid part of that was a form of self-defense and protection from a guy who had been given the short straw in a lot of ways. 

Not many people looking at Seto Kaiba would think even for a moment that he had unfortunate circumstances. But Yugi knew. Maybe not all of the specifics, but he could definitely see the pain there. He could tell that there was a front to hide some deep insecurities.

He gave a bit of a shrug and said, “I try not to hold grudges. Especially from way back then. I mean, there was a bit of tension between us all those years and some people might be left soured by it. But, even my very best friends used to be my bullies. And I get it. I was a weird kid. Super weird.” 

Yugi glanced up with a little chuckle and said, “I have absolutely no experience with any of this. I want to, though. And I am glad that we get to figure it out together. I won’t ever judge you if there are moments that are a bit clumsy. I am sure that I will have plenty of them too. We can tackle all of the unknown together. We’ve always made a pretty good team. I can’t see why this would be any different.”

Woof, that sentiment is a pretty endearing. He should’ve been prepared for that. Instead, he’s taken a little off-guard. It’s not inaccurate, though. Despite the intense rivalry, every time they’ve dueled together on the same side, they’ve done a damn fine job. He nods.

The timer on the grill goes off, and he uncrosses his arms to pop it open. He takes a moment to find a spatula and flips them. Assessment determines that they’re doing well, so he closes the drawer and resets the timer.

He’s never really had anyone to help him figure things out. Even his teachers just gave him the basics and let him make sense of it all by himself. Still, he’s always done his best to gain the most knowledge he can out of a subject, and acted accordingly. He doesn’t like to make mistakes.

But he supposes that with Yugi... he might not mind so much. He’ll still be annoyed, but not to the same degree. 

“Alright,” he finally decides on, “I don’t like team games, but you’re pretty good at pulling your weight.”

Seto sidles over to lean back against the counter a little closer to Mutou.

“You’re still weird, by the way.” He offers a small amused smirk. “Though that’s a little more acceptable these days.”

[numberoneduelist]

There's a sharp bark suddenly from behind, the noise semi-excited and trying to get attention -- Sunlittgoddess

Few things startle Seto these days. He's been through it all, seen it all, and survived everything. He has advanced technology that can detect certain threats, and has great faith in them.

But when he hears the bark from behind him without any warning, he almost jumps a foot out of his skin.

Luckily, his physical reaction isn't so animated. He manages to keep it cool, swiveling on the heel of his shoe to face the sound. To his surprise, it's not an actual dog waiting for him. Close, though.

Instead, there is what appears to be a leucistic... wolf? What is a wolf doing in the middle of the city? It looks at him and he looks at it, eyebrow raised.

Moving a little slower than normal in an effort to make sure that he doesn't startle the animal the same way it had done to him, he pulls his phone from his pocket, dials a number, and brings it to his ear.

"Isono, I need animal control at my location... immediately."

[numberoneduelist]

marik-dominant-prominent​:

Marik smirked a little. The other was attempting to joke, cute. “Oh~ you must realy be in dire condition to joke with me instead of just calling me gross. Don’t worry I won’t tell anybody.”

Pursed his lips a little. His mental image of a guy in a crown and cape. “You make it sound like the burger King mascot is making fun of your outfit choices.”

“The what-”

It takes a second for his brain to catch up. He really doesn’t want to be thinking anymore today. The only reason Seto has any idea what the hell Burger King is has to do with the fact that it’s one of the bigger multinational hamburger-related corporations. There isn’t even one in Domino.

“No, that would be ludicrous.”

The executive can feel himself beginning to sink as the fog begins to overtake his brain. He’s probably got about two minutes left before he’s fully unconscious. God, finally.

“It was the Pharaoh.”