#but Yugi's hair is so difficult god damn it

[lucadrawss]

Thinking of these two idiots almost all the time recently

GOD I NEED TO DRAW THEM-

[sitabethel]

Fic tag game, and I was tagged by @rochelle-echidna, @isisishtar, and @ninjam117

1 - how many fics do you have on ao3?

Like any good Suikoden protagonist, I have 107 Stars of Destiny in my castle

2 - what’s your total word count?

2,445,507 (Daddy...Imma get that to 2.5 mill by the end of the year. Watch)

3 - what are your top fics by kudos?

The Lemonade Stand

Out From the Cold

King of Thieves

Safe

Talk Dirty to me

wtf, y’all. The puppyshippers are giving out more kudos than the thief stans. Shame. Shame. Talk Dirty To Me isn’t even a fic??? It’s an RP supersteff posted for funsies??? 

4 - do you respond to comments why or why not?

Most of the time (as long as I’m not overwhelmed with life). Responding to comments is how I’ve made most my friends in this fandom, so A++ would recommend. 

5 - what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Definitely Three Nights. My only fic w/a sad ending (which is why I wrote Three More Nights b/c I couldn’t handle having a sad ending. I had to fix it.)

6 - what’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I honestly couldn’t say. I’m here to have a good time and to make sure all my favs also have a good time, so I’m always actively trying to give them the happiest possible endings. 

7 - do you write crossovers?

Nope.

8 - have you ever received hate for a fic?

I sure the hell have

9 - do you write smut? What kind.

ROTFLMFAO

10 - have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes. It was kinda funny b/c out of all the fics, it was “Me” a 5k deathshipping one shot that is one of my least popular works. But like...I don’t really think they were *trying* to steal it so much as homage it? But they were too young and unskilled to know how to rework something properly, so it was almost an exact copy of my fic. I tried to go over it and show them how to rewrite parts in order for it to be more original (Like, you can give YM piercings, just don’t give him the exact same piercings. You can have YM play with his hair/clothes/presentation in order to explore his identity, but pick different things that are more unique and how *you* would imagine YM being as his own person, instead of just copying exactly what I did). 

11 - have you ever had a fic translated?

There’s an Italian version of Storm of White on ao3 (go kudo bomb it!)

12 - have you ever co written a fic before?

Lots! I love colabs <3 The last one I did was Conspire With You, but there was also A Way Home, and I’ve co-written a few things with SuperSteffy. Please support all the other writers who worked hard on these fics with me! (kudo-bomb the hell out of them)

13 - what’s your all time favorite ship?

*Cries in polyamory* 

I can’t...choose one. Thiefshipping and Deathshipping were my first favorites, but like...damn, Kingshipping and Trapshipping have honestly ruined me. And Arrestshipping...Euroshipping...Rustshipping...Boundshipping...LISTEN!!! If it’s any combination of Seto/Atem/Yugi/TKB-YB/Ryou B/YamiMa/Malik it’s my favorite, okay? I’m a dragon who hoards ships. Especially polyships. I will literally froth at the mouth at any combo of those 7. Now let’s move on to the next question before I add more characters to the list........

14 - what’s a wip that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

That demon/angel au I was working on years and years ago. A shame, since I think there was a lemon that spilled into 3 chapters in that and it’s what Bakura deserves, but the plot was just...meh. 

15/16 - writing strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: Dialogue, sometimes imagery, projecting the right trauma/personality traits on the right characters in a way that can make scenes relatable/authentic. 

Weaknesses: I can be lazy with some plot points b/c it’s fanfiction, and I’m only here to have a good time, so eff it. And I will absolutely “sum up” certain chapters in order to finish a story at 80% potential. Anons used to get on my ass about this, and some commenters too, but I refuse to repent of my hasty ways. I write a lot of stories, and sometimes it’s better to get 3 80% stories out instead of one 100% story (for me. absolutely nothing wrong with ppl who want to write their best all the time. Like, mad respect to those peeps). Anyway, the ppl who complain are 100% accurate, right, and valid, but again, If you call me out on this I’ll just shrug at you and remind you of my commission prices b/c I’ll be happy to personally tailor a story for any angry anon-- if they want to put their money where their critique is *blows kiss*

17 - what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Depends on the context and how it’s used. 

18 - what was your first fandom you wrote for?

FFVII, but I never posted any of it thank god

19- what’s your favorite fic you’ve ever written?

I honestly love so many of my stories. I honestly re-read my own stuff all the time for comfort/self-care. I especially love a lot of the more intense, emotional pwp one-shots. It’s extremely difficult to pick one, but let’s go with humor and link 

Measuring Up 

Gotta love Bakura’s monster **** And the interaction involved with writing that story made it so much more fun. I really miss the days where you could slap a vote on tumblr and get a lot of responses, and dammit I miss Abby throwing random things into my ask box (like Bakura’s monster ****) 

Not going to tag anyone, since so many ppl are in the same little thiefshipping circle and I’d probably just accidentally tag a lot of ppl who have been tagged by others already. 

[thosewhoruleegypt]

What Followed the High Priest Home (Chapter 2)

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!   Characters/Ships: Puzzleshipping/Blindshipping (Atem/Yugi); Gemshipping (Thief King Bakura/Ryou Bakura); Puppyshipping/Revertshipping (Priest Seto Kaiba/Jounochi); Atem, Yugi, Thief King Bakura, Ryou Bakura, Priest Seto Kaiba, Jounochi Katsuya Rating: M (WARNINGS for steamy fade-to-black moments, banter of a sexual nature, and some abuse of lotus wine) Length: Chapter 2 / 7; 3300 words

Summary:

Upon his homecoming, Priest Seto Kaiba certainly didn’t expect to find a statue of the Thief King in the middle of the palace courtyard, right where the Pharaoh’s statue ought to be. He also didn’t expect the stray puppy he picked up on his travels to follow him all the way home.

In the meantime, the Great Royal Husband, Yugi Mutou, makes a new friend, one Jounochi Katsuya, and Pharaoh Atem wonders when the power dynamics around his palace got so difficult to navigate.

Sequel to “For Love of Pharaoh and King;” “The Pharaoh’s Lotus Garden—Part I” accounts for the time between the two works. Can be read separately, but will make more sense with context.

Full Story Begins Here! Read on AO3 Previous Chapter – Next Chapter 

Chapter Two: Priest vs King 

Jounochi ate, noisily and enthusiastically, the food that Yugi had ordered brought up to the room. Yugi rustled around in his wardrobe for something suitably inconspicuous for the newcomer to borrow. 

"If that bastard eats like this every day, no wonder he's such a spoiled jerk!" Jounochi exclaimed, leaning back once he'd cleaned the plates. Yugi held out some fresh white linens, and Jounochi changed obediently into them. 

"I think Priest Seto was meeting with the Pharaoh, earlier. I can ask Pharaoh to set up a meeting for you, if you'd like. Or we can work out something a little more discrete, if you'd prefer." 

"Oh man, I can't wait to see the look on that jerk's face!" Jounochi said, snickering. "This is gonna be great!" 

"So you... and Priest Seto are...?" Yugi prompted gently, sitting down across from the visitor. Jounochi shook his head. 

"Not quite sure, y'know? I mean, I'm the one who does the chasing, I guess, obviously, but it's not like he's ever kicked me out of his bed. Well, not at night, anyhow. In the morning he's always back to being a stuck-up jerk." 

Jounochi had gone about his work as usual and, as the morning wore on, he tried to convince himself that the stranger from the night before wasn't worth his effort. He tried to convince himself that the pledge he'd made—that the stranger hadn't seen the last of him—was both unrealistic and pointless. It wasn't in his nature to give up, but he also couldn't afford to disrupt his family's peaceful life. A sudden flurry of activity at the temple's entrance made Jounochi look up from his cleaning, though, and he was surprised to see a series of white-clad royal priests file in. 

"They're back!" one of the local priests gasped. 

Jounochi glanced over. "Back? Who are they?" 

"They were here yesterday—the Pharaoh's priests," the man said, and Jounochi remembered the unusual business of the day before. 

Jounochi leaned up, peering toward the activity. He was hoping for some distraction from his thoughts about the night before, but what he saw was a very familiar form near the center of the crowd, standing with head bent and hands jammed into the pockets of his expensive blue and golden clothes. Jounochi pushed forward, startling several of the lesser priests as he more or less changed into their cluster. 

"Great Set! It's you!" 

The man glanced up; looked away, pointedly. "Me? I don't know you. Guards?" 

"Hey!" Jounochi shouted, even as several guards appeared on either side of him. He kicked out as he was picked up; struggled against them, as they began to haul him backwards. "Hey! Jerk! Deal with me yourself, you stupid, high-class bastard! Don't think you can just tell your goons to make me disappear!" 

"Get him out of my sight!" the Royal High Priest spat, and the guards obeyed. Though Jounochi fought for all he was worth, even managing to struggle free and strike back several times, numbers overwhelmed him. 

"Not only did he kick me out of my own damn temple," Jounochi told Yugi, hand forming a fist on the table, "but I lost my job. I found out from one of the local priests that Seto wasn’t supposed to come back, that second day. When he told me he was leaving town, he really thought he was. But something about his mission for the Pharaoh took him back to my temple, so..." 

"You lost your job?" Yugi asked softly. "What about your family?" 

"That's just the thing," Jounochi said, shaking his head. "When I went home, Mom told me that some priest had come by and given her a whole bunch of gold. They said it was because of a favor I'd done for their High Priest." 

Yugi thought for a moment, then said, "Were you insulted, by that?" 

"Of course!" Jounochi snapped. "I'm not some cheap whore! ...Or an expensive whore, I guess, because it was one hell of a lot of gold." He cleared his throat. "But anyway, it gave me the freedom to follow him. To leave Mom and my sister, because they were gonna be fine, with all that gold. So I followed him—High Priest Seto." 

"You followed him?" 

Jounochi nodded. "He was visiting all these different temples, for some reason. And I followed him. I even caught up with him that same night." 

"You..." 

Jounochi nodded—out of breath, dusty from travel, and triumphant. "I told you you hadn't seen the last of Jounochi Katsuya." 

The High Priest was sitting outside a temple in the next city over, sipping wine. Jounochi leaned in; relieved him of the glass, and took a long drink. 

"How in Set did you find me?" 

"I followed you," Jounochi said, wiping his mouth. "I needed to tell you to your face that I wasn't a damn whore. So I appreciate the gold, for my mom and my sister, but make sure you don't think I'm some whore that you can just pay and be done with." 

"I didn't think that..." the High Priest murmured, then stood. Jounochi took an uncertain step backwards, when the man caught his wrist. "I don't pay whores so generously, fool. And I did lose you your job, at the temple." 

"Yeah, that was sorta your fault." 

Then the High Priest leaned in; kissed Jounochi, as passionately as he had the night previous. Jounochi let the wineglass fall, wrapping his arms around the other's broad shoulders. 

"What is it about you, pup...?" the priest breathed, and Jounochi bit the other's lip lightly. 

"At least call me by name, you jerk..." 

"Very well. Then you will call me Seto. Seto Kaiba." 

"I'll call you 'jerk' if you're being a damn jerk, Seto." 

The High Priest laughed softly. "This is the last time, pup... Joey..." 

"Yeah, whatever. You can say that all you want. Won't make it true." 

"So I followed him," Jounochi told Yugi, once again. "All over Egypt, for almost a year. Every morning he'd leave, and every night I'd find him. And now his mission is finally over, so I followed him all the way back to the palace. I know it's the end this time, really, but he owes me one more night, for all the trouble—one last kiss, and a proper goodbye, you know?"

"Why are you so determined, to follow him?" Yugi asked gently.

Jounochi gave that considerable thought; scratched the back of his head. "Because the sex is great?" he asked, with a chuckle. Then he sobered; said, "Because being with him is way more exciting than the day-to-day back at the temple. And it's more meaningful, too. I think... I mean, it's meaningful for me, but I think Seto, too..." He trailed off; smiled tenderly.

Yugi nodded. "I see." He was preparing to say more when a tremendous explosion rocked the palace. Yugi stood; Jounochi bounded to his feet. Moments later, the door flew open.

"Lord Yugi!" Ryou's face was flushed and his hair disheveled. He spared the stranger a glance—Jounochi waved slightly, in response—but then turned back to Yugi. "There's a duel—you need to come see this!"

"A duel? What's happening?" Yugi asked, trotting to meet his friend.

"It's Obelisk, isn't it?" Jounochi asked. Ryou looked up sharply. "Obelisk the Tormentor?"

Ryou nodded, then turned back to Yugi. "I don't know what got it started, but Pharaoh is supposed to duel the winner!"

"The Pharaoh will duel the winner?!" Jounochi demanded, grabbing Ryou's arm. Ryou flinched, and Yugi got gently between the two of them.

"Come on. Let's go down to the duel ring. All three of us."

... ... ...

Thief King Bakura hit the ground hard, blown backwards by the force of the summon. The walls of the castle shook, and even Atem brought his arms up to shield his face.

"So you see your folly now, thief?!" Priest Seto called. "You cannot stand before the force of a god!"

Bakura laughed; grunted in pain, struggling to see the massive monster through the cloud of dust. A crack burst across the ceiling as Obelisk the Tormentor came to raging life on the duel field.

"The power of gods, ay?" the Thief King called out, shielding his eyes with one forearm as a stinging wave of sand buffeted him.

"Seto, you... succeeded..." Atem breathed, and his High Priest grinned over at him.

"You see, Pharaoh?" Seto called. "I've done it! And when we duel, after I finish this vermin, you too will bow before the power of the gods! I will reclaim my pride!"

"Don't think you've won yet!" Bakura called, struggling back to his feet. "You have to beat me to face the Pharaoh, don't forget!"

"It's over, cur!" Seto shouted. "Obelisk! Destroy his Diabound!" 

"I activate my set cards, Spirit Shield and Soul Absorption!" Bakura yelled, struggling to make himself heard over the roar of the god Obelisk. "I banish Souls of the Forgotten to activate Spirit Shield—your battle phase ends, and I gain 500 Life thanks to Soul Absorption!" 

Obelisk's roar petered out to a low rumble, and Seto folded his arms. "Tch. All you've done is buy yourself a turn or two, cur. As soon as you're out of fiend monsters to banish, Spirit Shield will vanish." 

"Oh, and I suppose you've kept count of how many fiend-types are in my graveyard, hmm?" Bakura sneered. "They'll hold your god at bay long enough for me to figure out a way to defeat it properly, and in the meantime I'll just keep gaining life points." 

"It's only a matter of time, thief," the High Priest said again, with a self-assured smirk. 

Bakura drew a card—not the card he wanted. "I end my turn," he said, and glanced briefly at Atem. The Pharaoh was watching the whole affair with keen eyes. 

Footsteps on the stairs made all three men look up; Yugi appeared first, then Ryou, and finally a strange young man with blonde hair. Priest Seto nearly dropped his hand, and Bakura began to laugh. 

"Now that my Ryou is here, watching, I won't lose!" the Thief King declared, as the three newcomers halted beside the duel field. "Gods have never frightened me—I've beaten my share of them, over the years, and I'll do it again now!"

Seto grit his teeth, unused to people responding to Obelisk in such a way. Then another voice sounded, and he looked up sharply.

"You can do it, Kaiba! Obelisk's on the field! You've got 'im runnin' scared! And then you'll get to fight the Pharaoh! Then you'll get your revenge, for sure!"

Seto's eyes flashed over to the young man who'd spoken, and he straightened his shoulders. "Prepare yourself, filthy cur!" he called to Bakura, and drew a card; grimaced slightly.

"Nothing that'll stop my Spirit Shield?" Bakura purred. "Pity."

"You're only delaying your fate!" Seto shouted. "Obelisk! Attack!"

"I banish Abaki, from my graveyard! Spirit Shield, activate!"

"Pharaoh, what's happening?" Yugi asked silently, his mind pressing close to Atem's. Atem shuddered with the touch.

"I can't believe I'm rooting for the thief..."

"?"

"If Bakura wins this, I swear to Ra, I'll throw him a feast so splendid that his greedy head will spin."

"You don't want to fight Priest Seto?"

"I've been denying Priest Seto a rematch for years," Atem admitted, reluctantly. "A Pharaoh and his High Priest shouldn't fight. He's an ambitious and ruthless man, too, which makes matters worse. But he's only grown stronger, and now he has at least one of the god cards in his deck... I fear what should happen, if he's able to best me."

Bakura drew a card; smiled. "Sorry, Necrofear..." he breathed, to the monster in his hand. "Gotta bet on Diabound, this time." He held up the card he'd drawn. "My card is the spell Card Destruction!"

"Fine by me," Seto muttered, discarding his hand. He drew three new cards, his face impassive.

Bakura, too, discarded his hand, Dark Necrofear included, and drew five cards. He examined them, searching for a strategy: Portrait's Secret, Souls of the Forgotten, Snake of White Shadow, Dark Artist, and Dark Necklace. Plus my face-down on the field... and Diabound, Spirit Shield, and Soul Absorption face-up... Thoth must be smiling on me, today...

"First, I activate the magic card Dark Necklace and equip it to Diabound, raising his attack to 2300! Then I summon Snake of White Shadow, to attack!" Bakura grinned, pointing. "When Diabound is on the field, it can attack your Life directly! Prepare yourself! Snake of White Shadow, attack the priest!"

Seto cringed as the pale little serpent struck out at him; cursed under his breath. The 500 point injury knocked his life points down to 2900. With his banishment of Abaki, Bakura's Life had risen to 2200. Jounochi, beside Yugi, shouted encouragement.

"Fight and flail as much as you want, thief!" the High Priest spat. "As long as you can't get Obelisk off the field, it's only a matter of time!"

"You keep saying that," Bakura said, crossing his arms. "So finish me, already, if you can!"

"I've never seen someone stand up to Obelisk like this..." Jounochi breathed, and Yugi glanced up. "Usually, they just..."

"The Thief King isn't afraid of some bulky, clumsy god!" Ryou snapped, startling Jounochi. 

Yugi glanced up at Atem; saw the Pharaoh's teeth worrying lightly at his bottom lip. "Pharaoh? Do you not think that Bakura can win...?"

"If anyone has a chance, it's him," was Atem's evasive reply. "But even now, he's managed to hold off Seto's seemingly unstoppable offense. That's something—and it proves that it can be done, at the very least."

Despite Atem's apparent anxiety, Yugi could feel the vibrations of excitement thrumming through him. Pharaoh... it's been a long time since we've faced a worthy opponent, hasn't it...? Despite what you say, I can tell... you want to fight High Priest Seto.

Priest Seto drew a card; declared, "I end my turn!"

"He's not letting Bakura banish to activate Spirit Shield..." Yugi murmured, for Atem only to hear. "He can't regain any more life points, then...!"

"It's a true standoff..." Atem agreed. "Soul Absorption makes things unpleasant for Seto, certainly... but if he doesn't burn through the fiends in Bakura's graveyard, it'll stretch on forever... or at least until one of them draws a card that can change things..."

"I'll just take mine, then," Bakura said, drawing a card and revealing it a beat later. "The Moon is smiling on me today, priest! My card is The Cheerful Coffin, and with it I send the three fiends in my hand to the graveyard!"

Seto's irritation permitted the air like a heavy, cloying incense. Atem had to hide a snigger behind his hand as Bakura dropped the cards with a dramatic flutter; they dissolved, vanishing into his graveyard.

"You're very unpleasant," Seto stated, and Bakura grinned wickedly.

"My specialty, honorable priest, is being unpleasant. Snake of White Shadow attacks, and then I end my turn." Bakura's Life Points remained at 2200; Seto's, as the little snake withdrew, dropped to 2400.

"Bakura's safe for at least four more turns, unless Seto can get rid of Spirit Shield..." Yugi said, amazed. "And with Snake of White Shadow, he can knock 2000 points off Seto's Life, in four turns. In five turns, he'll actually win!"

"He also has no cards in his hand," Atem pointed out, unsettled. "Five turns is a long time. He has no strategy right now, beyond surviving."

"I'm not so sure..." Yugi gave a mental nod toward the set card behind Diabound. "I think he's got something planned."

Bakura sneered. "Make your next move, priesty."

Seto didn't respond, drawing a card. From his expression, it clearly wasn't the card he was looking for.

"Pity!" Bakura called over, and Seto glared at him. The Thief King stuck his tongue out.

"Obelisk! Attack!" Priest Seto snapped, and Bakura waved one hand.

"I banish Dark Necrofear! Spirit Shield activates, and your battle phase is over!"

Seto folded his arms; inclined his head. "Your turn, thief."

Bakura drew a card; held it, and shouted, "Go, White Snake of Shadow! Attack him directly!"

Seto yelped as the snake sunk it's fangs into his ankle; cursed as shook it off, his Life Points dropping to 1900. Bakura's stood at 2700, after the banishment of Dark Necrofear.

"If your pretty little god can't attack before I chip your Life down to zero, I don't even need to fight it," Bakura jeered.

"That's the most ludicrous strategy I've ever heard!" Priest Seto snapped back.

“I end my turn," Bakura purred, folding his arms. "Go on—let me banish another monster. Just try to attack me and my Diabound."

The huge white serpent shrieked to echo him; the smaller Snake of White Shadow added it's own hiss to the taunting.

Priest Seto scowled; drew a card. His expression eased, then split into a manic grin.

"It's over, Thief King!" he yelled, raising the card high. "You've mocked me one turn too many—my card is Cosmic Cyclone! I pay 1000 Life Points to banish your Spirit Shield!"

"Pharaoh!" Yugi exclaimed, and felt Atem flinch as Spirit Shield was shattered amidst Cosmic Cyclone's whirlwind. Bakura threw up his arms to protect himself from the gust, and Ryou cried out in alarm.

"Yeah, Kaiba!" Jounochi cheered. "'Bout time!"

"Are you ready, Thief King?" Seto demanded. "Prepare to taste true defeat! First, I summon Luster Dragon, to attack! It destroys your Snake of White Shadow!"

The draconian monster surged forward; slashed through the little snake effortlessly. Bakura muttered a coarse apology to his monster as 1400 points of battle damage buffeted him.

"And now, face the wrath of the god you dared to mock!" Priest Seto called. "On your knees, Thief King! Bow, as Obelisk the Tormentor obliterates your Diabound and your pride! Obelisk, attack!"

The god-monster gave an earth-shaking roar that made the palace, above the duel field, groan traitorously. There was a tremendous explosion as Diabound and Obelisk clashed, and Bakura was completely obscured in the resulting cloud of sand and debris. Ryou cried out in alarm, and Priest Seto's laughter rose above the sounds of the battle.

The dust began to settle, though, and Bakura still stood on his feet. Ryou gave a relieved exclamation.

Priest Seto's eyes narrowed sharply. "What in Set...?!"

"Partner...!" Atem exclaimed.

Yugi, almost simultaneously, gasped, "Pharaoh, Bakura's set card...!"

"My set card is Prideful Roar!" the Thief King declared, extending one hand. "I pay the difference in our monsters' attacks points out of my Life, and Diabound gains the balance plus 300 attack! I gained 500 Life when you banished my Spirit Shield, thanks to Soul Absorption, then lost 1400 when Snake of White Shadow was destroyed—Diabound's attack, plus what he gains from Dark Pendant, is 2300—1700 less than Obelisk, so I now pay 1700 of my own Life so that he can stand against your god! Go, Diabound! Counterattack!"

The snake gave a fearsome hiss; charged Obelisk, and tore through the great god-monster. Seto's jaws stretched wide in a soundless scream, and Bakura staggered as his own Life was all but drained. Priest Seto could only stare as the mighty Obelisk the Tormentor dissolved, then vanished entirely.

"That makes 300 battle damage for you..." Bakura breathed, with a faint chuckle, and pointed at Seto. "600 Life left for you, High Priest. Think you can take away my mere hundred before I finish you off?"

"Bakura!" Ryou cheered, and the Pharaoh gave an approving nod; Yugi felt the relief and pride that Atem would never admit to, and shared it. Priest Seto, mouth agape, stood speechless.

"Well, I'm not going to let you," the Thief King continued, and then sat down heavily on the ground. "I've defeated your god, Priest Seto—I've won my pride, and wounded yours. So I won't play spoiler to your duel with Horus any longer. I forfeit."

[riyuyami]

A fanfic based on an au of an au of an au, haha.

So I mentioned before that I had an idea based on this idea, where during his travels, Yugi comes across the real Yami, and they join forces. Well, in this spinoff of that idea, crazy shit happens to Yugi and things don’t look well for him or Yami.

So yeah, ink demon!Yugi! :D

Summery: Sometimes you just gotta literally fuse with the man you hate so much in order to kill your doppelgänger.

Warning: body horror, written in detail, lots of… painful sounding events, though are rather short, still, reader discretion is advice

On with the fic!

--

Yugi had lost sight of Yami when they had been swarmed by black dragons and searchers, the little Toon had run to safety, but Yugi hadn’t seen which direction he went into. Gods above, he hoped his friend was safe somewhere. He would call out to Yami, but he needed to keep quiet, it’s been a while since he’s heard whistling and skittering in the pipes…

He quietly walked through the halls, being as careful as possible to not make too much noise, he even avoided stepping in ink puddles to keep from leaving shoe prints. But even with all of his careful efforts, he was spotted.

The walls around him suddenly grew dark with trails of ink, spreading along the old wood. There was shuffling from down the hall, of someone who had a twisted foot. Heavy breathing through clenched teeth sent shivers down Yugi’s spine, and he knew he was screwed, since the hallway he entered led only to a dead end and two locked doors…

Nervously, Yugi turned, holding his axe as he saw the monstrous copy of Yami come around the corner. It turned its head in the direction Yugi was in, and the man swore that fucking grin got bigger.

Your little axe won’t do anything to me, Yugi… “Yami” hissed through those damn teeth and Yugi took a step back. I see you’re alone…

Yugi narrowed his eyes. “He’s safely hidden somewhere you’ll never find him.” He sure hoped so…

“Yami” laughed loudly, with his strange, distorted voice, it sounded like he was laughing into a metal can, and it hurt Yugi’s ears, but at least he wasn’t screaming. I’ll find him, I always find you two. He took a step forward with his good foot, the other one dragging behind him.

“It’s wrong that you can talk…” Shortly after escaping from “Lady” and her demented desires for beauty and perfection, Yugi had found out from a nasty encounter (where he had almost died, luckily “Lady’s” screams from somewhere worked as a distraction and Yugi had escaped) that “Yami” could speak.

Though at the time, all he said was Yugi’s name, but it looks like his vocabulary has improved. Probably from the pendant around his neck, so much like Yami’s own, but so different. He knew Yami could use his, had seen him turn it into a sword and a shield already, but Yugi had always thought that “Yami’s” was a by-product of his creation.

Looks like it might have some powers to it, but this is all just speculation.

I rather like it… The monster grinned still. It’s nice to speak again…

This caught Yugi by surprise, again? Wait, could this bastard talk in the past?! “What are you talking about?” He gasped when he was shoved hard into the wall, shit! He moved so fast!

A wet, inky hand was pressed against his throat, choking him. Yugi struggled, trying swing his axe, but it was slapped out of his hand by the smaller hand “Yami” possessed. You always did ask too many questions, little Yugi…

Orchid eyes widened, wait, when was the last time he was ever called ‘little Yugi’? No… no, it couldn’t be… maybe the monster had overheard him being called that? This couldn’t be what happened to him, oh God…

“Yami” chuckled, pressing a little tighter, making Yugi wheeze painfully. I’ve been thinking… it’s rather hard to catch that little rough draft of a double, he’s eluded me for so long… he’s scared, but he’s stubborn, just like how you made him…

The monster leaned in closer, Yugi could smell the strong scent of rubber ink coming from the monster. He’s difficult to fight and catch, always was in the show… but there was always a strong weakness to him, that would make him break…

The grin was painfully wide. His friends are his biggest weakness…

“No…” Yugi gasped, was the monster going to use him as bait or something?

His dear bird is in a terrible battle with herself, and his mutt is probably dead for good this time… so all that remains is you, Yugi, and you’re perfect… he only has you left, and he’ll do anything to keep you safe, right..?

Yugi started to feel faint as his throat was squeezed tighter.

I think the best way to destroy him… is to make you mine… and have you kill him… an ironic situation, the first to betray me will kill the last to do so... hold still, this is going to hurt a lot…!

Before the animator could react properly to what he heard, his eyes widened in pure horror when “Yami’s” mouth snapped open, revealing terribly, sharp, misshapen teeth. It let out a horrible scream, the vertigo came back tenfold, enough to make Yugi gag as his body reacted terribly to the sound.

The hand released him and Yugi dropped, slumped on the floor, gasping loudly as his body tremored, his ears ringing, his vision a mess. But he still saw “Yami” get down on the floor, pulling him up to his knees. Yugi felt wet, ice cold things touch him, and it took him seconds to realize it was ink, coming from “Yami” as it did on the walls when the monster walked.

It felt horrible, like leeches, especially since it felt like it was biting into his skin. He hissed, trying to pull away from the tightening hold, before a surge of burning hot pain erupted from his shoulder. The Ink Demon had bit down right onto his right shoulder, digging his teeth in hard. Blood mixed with ink as Yugi sat there, frozen from the pain and cold sensations on his skin, staring at the slowly melting creator.

He felt sick, he felt things piercings into his skin from the bite, as if the ink was entering him through the multiple holes produced from the beast’s teeth. The tendrils of ink covered his right arm, and Yugi knew he had to get this thing off, before it did whatever it planned to do to him!

Weakly, Yugi struggled to get his axe, pleased that he was able to grab a hold of it, but his arm felt like it was on fire again as the skin started to bulge. Ink began to pour out of the pores and he screamed, both in fear and in pain.

“Yami”, though smaller now that his ink was in going into Yugi, managed to lift him to his feet, slamming him into a wall. More of the monster was pumped into Yugi, causing more changes, painful changes. If it was going to control Yugi, it might as well make him suffer what it suffered.

Yugi screamed in horribly pain as his left arm felt like it was being twisted wrong, like someone was gonna break it. The pain doubled, and he let out a choked sound when his right foot cracked, snapping backwards, just like how “Yami’s” foot was.

He almost vomited from the pain as more ink came out of him, falling from his hairline, streaking down his face in black lines.

It only took ten or so minutes of agonizing suffering and pain, but it felt like hours to Yugi as the world began to go black and he felt like he was falling.

The body collapsed on the hard, wooden floor, laying there in a puddle of ink. “Yami” was no longer standing there, it was gone, but Yugi remained.

Well…

It wasn’t really gone, it just found a new mode of transportation…

“Hehehehe…” Shifting, the body began to rise, getting to its mix-match feet. It bent down, picking up the pendant that had fallen to the ground during the body modification process.

Yugi… well, what could only be presumed to be ‘Yugi’ looked like a mess. His hair was full of ink, as his face was covered in it, except his left eye was exposed, black in the white, with a small, orchid dot glancing around.

The left arm was twisted wrong, as if someone broke it, just like the right foot. He was covered in spots and streaks of ink, his right arm completely soaked in thick, lumpy ink. What could be assumed to be his hand was wrapped tightly the axe still, soaked in the black liquid.

A shaky, toothy grin pulled at his lips as he stumbled, trying to get his bearings. He laughed as he leaned against a wall, feeling a struggling inside of him. “Oh… try as you might to gain control, little Yugi, you are in for the ride. I hope you don’t mind, but I feel that using our flesh suit is the most perfect way to destroy that treacherous doppelgänger.”

He let out a sharp, harsh laugh, ink and blood dripping out of his mouth as he coughed, limping his way out of the hall to find the little Toon.

Unknown to the creature, Yami was very close, so close that he had seen everything through a ventilation shaft grate.

TBC?

--

I dunno if there is gonna be a part two, but there might be if people want one.

Sorry, this could have been better, but I’m tired, and wanted to get this idea written before I forgot it.

It’s funny, this goes against my normal headcanon that the monster really is the little Toon, but I’m also a fan of the idea that the monster is actually a corrupted human, so in this? Yami is his own character and “Yami” is a ink demon/human hybrid (its Kaiba btw)

[spellcastersjudgement]

For the number thing, possible 1 and 44 for Joey and Kaiba...? O-or 11 and 14 for Ryou and Kaiba, of course you don’t have too

OKAY SO first of all thank you for this!!! second, the reason this took so gosh darn long is because i am a long winded person and though this was supposed to be a drabble/ficlet ask thingy but i think im physically, spiritually, and emotionally incapable of writing anything thats short. please enjoy this 4500 word fluff bomb because i know i sure as hell enjoyed writing it

#1: chocolate + #44: puppy love

 This was a load of horseshit if Seto Kaiba had ever seen it. He’d lived through whatever the fuck happened to his Battle City tournament, that fucker Dartz highjacking his company, the existence of Maximillian Pegasus, and hallucinations of an ancient version of himself subservient to the Pharoah that supposedly lived in Yugi Moto’s necklace, but this—this was what brought him to his knees.

“Seto, I know you’ve got nothing better to do tonight.” Mokuba had said, and if it weren’t a phone call Seto had no doubt his little brother would be fixing him with the trademark Kaiba stare, the one he reserved for board meetings and press conferences and had inadvertently passed on to his sibling. “You’re gonna come and you’re gonna be polite and you’re gonna have a drink and you will leave no earlier than ten.”

“I have no interest in hanging out with the dweeb patrol.”

“Seto Kaiba I know where you keep your deck and if you think I won’t hold your cards hostage you are sorely mistaken.”

The CEO stopped typing his reply to the millionth email of the day at that. “Is that a threat, little brother?”

“It’s a promise. You need human interaction and if I have to be the one to socialize you, I will.”

The serious tone of his voice plus firsthand knowledge of how crafty Mokuba could be when he wanted (Seto would never forget the pancake batter in his shampoo incident) made Seto wary to call his bluff. Taking his hands off the computer leaning back in his chair, he breathed out as loudly as possible to communicate that he was not a fan of Mokuba’s demands but that he would do it anyway.

“Good, it’s settled. Remember, you don’t have to be nice, just polite.” There was too much satisfaction in his little brother’s voice and Seto could feel the smug smile through the phone.

“If you’re lucky I might be cordial.” He huffed as Mokuba hung up, his last words to not be late and for the love of god don’t wear that trenchcoat.

Presently, Seto was replaying the conversation as the car slowed to the front of Yugi’s apartment complex. In hindsight, he should’ve just moved his deck and maybe left the country until Mokuba’s annoyance wore off to avoid any pranks that would ensue, changed his phone number so no one could contact him, then reappear in a Blue-Eyes themed blaze of glory with a new tournament or the schematics for a new virtual reality game that would prove his solitude was an asset rather than a detriment.

Socialization. Mokuba and Roland were enough socialization for him, plus there were the other executives and his assistant and he answered all his emails personally. He was very well-adjusted and had plenty of human contact, the fact that most of it was through technological means notwithstanding.

“Call if you need anything, Mr. Kaiba.” Roland waved as Seto stepped out of the car.

“I need you to take me home.” Seto adjusted his tie, looking at his scowling reflection in the car window. He may have not worn the trenchcoat, but he would be damned if he didn’t go out looking like he was ready to crush whatever mere mortal dared speak to him.

“Not until ten.” Roland laughed as Seto glared. Of course he and Mokuba were co-conspirators. Fondly, Seto remembered a time when Roland would shatter under his anger. “It’s three hours, Seto. If you can last through a conference call with Pegasus you can make nice with the nerd herd—” here Roland took his hands off the wheel to emphatically do air-quotes “—long enough to appease Mokuba and maybe even enjoy yourself.”

Scandalized, Seto slammed the car door as loud as he could and whipped around, ignoring the muffled from the car. “You’re fired!” he yelled as Roland drove away, causing a woman walking her dog across the street to turn her head and fix him with a raised eyebrow.

He hadn’t even made it into the party or whatever the fuck this thing was before he felt like strangling the next person that spoke to him. This was a prime example as to why Mokuba’s plan to socialize him like a feral cat fresh from the shelter was ill-conceived and probably a torture method banned by the Genera Convention.

Why hadn’t he just moved his deck and left the country?

Thinking of how this torture would most likely buy him another sixty days of Mokuba not plotting to kill him via friendship, he squared his shoulders and steadied his breathing. Polite. Mokuba said he had to be polite, not nice or friendly and his little brother had certainly not demanded he enjoyed himself. Roland had only said that to get a rise out of him and god damn had it worked.

Apartment B23—god when was the last time he’d even set foot in an apartment? Probably when he visited Mokuba a few months ago. Seto had taken about five steps into the dorm room and promptly decided that the cramped space and plastic mattresses and general lack of anything that would provide privacy deemed it unlivable. How Mokuba lived with a roommate he would never begin to understand.

It wasn’t difficult to find Yugi’s apartment, the too-loud music a veritable death omen. Steeling himself and forcing his face into a neutral expression, he rapped on the door and waited with bated breath.

The door swung open, and Seto saw the spiky, obscenely gelled hair of his sworn rival. “Kaiba!” Yugi’s voice was so cheery and genuinely happy that Seto almost felt bad for writing off this evening as a waste of time.

Almost.

“Come on in!” Stepping out of the way so Seto could enter, Yugi hollered his arrival over the music. “Kaiba’s here, everyone!”

Seto was afraid of who “everyone” was.

“It’s so great that you could come,” Yugi was smiling and Seto found it in him to politely smile back, not a real smile but enough to appease the shorter man. “Mokuba’s already here—let’s get you a drink and join the party!”

“I’m not drinking nasty cheap beer.”

Fuck. That was not polite or cordial.

Maybe it was because he hadn’t seen Yugi in a while since Mokuba was the one who was unironically friends with their little group, but he expected the other to give him a disappointed look and lecture him on how he should be nicer and open to friendship and all that. Instead, Yugi simply laughed and beckoned Seto to follow him to the kitchen.

Well alright.

The unmistakable voices of Tristan and Duke grew louder as he ventured deeper into the apartment, which certainly meant Wheeler was lurking around some corner ready to nip at his heels like the annoying mutt he was. He had already been rude to Yugi, and though that had been met with laughter (why were all of his scathing remarks not landing today he wondered) Wheeler would certainly try and fight him—physically and/or verbally. Mokuba would not be happy with him if he couldn’t resist the temptation and Seto knew his little brother would be watching him the whole night.

He couldn’t believe his little brother now doubled as his babysitter.

“Okay, so,” Yugi opened the fridge. “There’s beer in here—obviously Tristan brought the Natty but there’s a variety in there if you want. There’s white wine too, just don’t touch the Riesling, that’s Téa’s. Mai bought some really fancy stuff I can’t pronounce—basically we have everything.”

“Thanks.” Seto said. If Mai was here then there would be at least one person he could tolerate. “You went all out, I see.”

“I had to, it’s Téa and Joey’s welcome back party.” Yugi beamed. “They flew in from New York yesterday and we haven’t seen them in person in so long we had to celebrate.”

A welcome back party? Mokuba had mentioned that Wheeler had left for whatever reason, but Seto had assumed it was a permanent situation. Why on earth would Mokuba require he go to a party in Wheeler’s honor?

“I’ll be in the living room!” Yugi made his exit, leaving Seto alone in the kitchen.

Grabbing a plastic wine glass, which is something he’d never though he’d do ever in his life, Seto went straight for the wine Mai brought as she had an above average taste in pretty much everything. Maybe if he started with the quality alcohol he could stomach drinking the shitty stuff when he got buzzed.

Pouring himself a generous glass, Seto stared at the buttery yellow color of the wine and immediately decided that if he were going to get through this night he needed to get a head start.

He would never admit this even on pain of death, but he shotgunned that wine like a frat boy during hell week, not even bothering to enjoy the taste. He then poured another, more reasonable glass and took great comfort in the fact no one would be the wiser.

“—and then—shut the fuck up Duke you don’t get to tell the story—then this shithead tells me that no open containers in the pit and I’m all ‘if you give me two fucking seconds this drink will be gone’ and he threw me out!”

Seto took a long sip of wine.

“Hey, look who’s here!” Duke cut off a very inebriated Tristan who was still trying to continue the story. “Look at that, Seto Kaiba himself drinking out a plastic glass.”

“Take a picture, Devlin.” Seto quipped.

“I just might—I’ll even tag you in it.” Duke laughed and Seto felt like he’d been robbed once again of engaging in verbal fisticuffs. “Scoot over, asshole—Kaiba you can sit here.”

“So you can spill your drink on him?” Mai said, and Kaiba was relieved to see that there was a spot next to her on the loveseat. “I saved you a spot, Seto.”

“Thank you,” he said, and he truly did mean it.

“Why do you get to call him by his first name?” Tristan took a long sip of that nasty canned shit that was closer to cat piss than beer.

“Because I don’t test his patience like you do,” Mai returned, smiling over the edge of her glass. “And I beta test all the VR technology.”

Seto surveyed the room as they traded banter over who could call him what. Mokuba wasn’t in the room, which was surprising given that there wasn’t a lot of other places to be. It did seem that there was a balcony, and Wheeler’s little sister—god rest that child’s soul for having to share genetic material with that dog—was standing out there, talking to someone he couldn’t see. Tristan, Duke, Yugi, and Bakura were all crammed onto the couch, meaning that Wheeler, Téa, and Mokuba were the only ones unaccounted for.

“I’m glad I’m not the only one that dressed up.” Mai held out her own plastic wine glass for a toast. “Yugi said it was casual but I never learned the meaning of that word.”

Seto tapped his glass against hers, the toast not as satisfying since there was no clink but he wouldn’t say no to drinking more. That first glass he’d downed was starting to make his cheeks heat up but he was not nearly buzzed enough to take the edge off.

“Téa!” Tristan called, and Seto looked over his shoulder to see her emerging from the bathroom. “Can you get me another beer pretty please?”

“I thought this was supposed to be my party.” Téa rolled her eyes in a manner Seto was actually impressed by. He remembered her as the annoying little cheerleader on the sidelines at their duels, somehow getting into every tournament despite never being invited. Maybe her time in New York had shaped her into more than a megaphone for friendship speeches.

“It is, that’s why I need more beer.” Tristan countered, pointing finger guns at her and earning him a laugh. “Thank you Téa, I love you!”

Gross. Seto drank again.

The conversation and music blended into white noise around him. Tristan and Duke were telling another story, cutting each other off every other word and being generally loud. If Seto were inclined to such things he might find it amusing. Yugi and Bakura were laughing and asking questions like their story wasn’t just a retelling of some boneheaded drunken scheme and needed elaboration and explanation. Téa came back with the beer and her own drink before settling down next to Yugi on the already cramped couch, the two of them sharing a smile before Yugi laid his arm around her shoulders and kissed her.

Oh. Gross. Seto finished his wine and tried to forget he’d witnessed that.

“Where’s our other guest of honor?” Seto asked Mai. He wasn’t sure why he was even interested in knowing. He blamed it on the alcohol.

“Outside with Mokuba and Serenity.”

Serenity. That was the sister’s name. Seto tried to remember that in case he had to talk to her later.

As if on cue, the door to the balcony slid open. Mokuba and Serenity came through first, followed by the faint smell of cigarette smoke and then Wheeler.

Holy shit. Was that really Wheeler?

“Kaiba took your spot, Joey.” Tristan said.

“Guess I’m gonna hafta sit on your lap then.” Joey was still loud as ever, with his stupid accent and stupid hair and stupid face.

What was definitely not stupid was how he looked—Seto remembered him as this gangly little fucker that was the only person in the room the same height as him and never knew his place, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and knockoff sneakers making it look like he’d rolled out of bed seconds before leaving the house. Now, Wheeler was even taller—probably taller than Seto though he was loathe to even think about it—and he was tanned like he’d spent day after day working outside (here Seto glanced down at his hands and was smacked in the face by how pale he was), and his shoulders were broader and his he was much more muscular, the sleeves of his halfway unbuttoned gaudy Hawaiian shirt looking like they could barely contain his biceps.

The fashion could use some work. Wheeler looked like a white suburban dad in his Hawaiian shirt and jeans.

“Mai, you want anythin’ from th’ kitchen?” When the fuck had Wheeler crossed the room? Seto buried his nose in his cup and tried not to think of how he’d been appraising the mutt’s body.

“If you’re offering, you can grab the bottle I brought.” Mai held her cup out to him. “Try it, you might like it.”

“This what you and moneybags are drinkin’?”

Moneybags. Those were fighting words. Seto couldn’t help himself.

“What? Did you expect me to drink the same swill as you, mutt?”

God damn it. Now Mokuba, who had pulled up two chairs for Serenity and him to sit in, would know he’d not been “polite” or “cordial” or any variant thereupon.

The whole room interrupted in cheers and Seto was absolutely fucking floored.

“Take a drink!” Wheeler held up Mai’s wine and downed the rest of the glass, as did everyone else in the room, even Mokuba who looked like he could barely contain his laughter. “’Dere he is, same ol’ Kaiba.”

“What the fuck just happened?” Seto turned to Mai.

“When Joey found out you were coming he said we all drink whenever you call him a dog-themed insult.” Mai didn’t even try to hide her amusement. “So unless you want all of us to be absolutely hammered I would get creative.”

Slumping back into the cushions, Seto was inclined to throw a tantrum. Wheeler was supposed to return fire, not take their verbal sparring and make it into a goddamn drinking game.

Was he in the twilight zone? He had to be. This had to be a hallucination.

When Wheeler returned, he handed the bottle to Mai and made good on his promise to sit on Tristan’s lap. Seto’s head was still spinning as Mai poured him another glass so he didn’t even get to relish in Tristan pushing him onto the floor and pouncing on him, the two of them roughhousing like elementary schoolers.

“Let’s play a game!” Yugi turned down the music.

“Not Duel Monsters, a game we can all play together.” Téa added as Wheeler perked up from where he was pinned under Tristan. “This is my party too, Joey, don’t give me that look.”

“A’right, a’right. What’d you have in mind, T?” Wheeler shoved Tristan off of him and Seto tried not to think of muscles.

He couldn’t decide if he needed to drink more or stop drinking for the rest of his life.

Seto missed the discussion of what game they would play. He vaguely heard their voices but he was mostly focused on his wine and how he would never be able to show his face in public again if he kept these thoughts about Wheeler and his dumb broad shoulders and his dumb biceps and how his dumb hands looked so rough and strong and so unlike his own lily-white smooth ones.

Fuck. Seto drained his wine and set the cup firmly down. He needed to take a break and regain control over himself.

The nerd herd had decided they would play Monopoly. Seto had never played but it surely couldn’t be that difficult. Wheeler was positioned directly across from him, as if purposefully tempting Seto with the exposed skin of his chest—what had possessed that mutt to not button all the way up? Mere minutes after it had started, Seto broke his prohibition on drinking and poured himself another glass.

It was eight now. He only had to survive until ten, then he could call Roland and be spirited away.

Monopoly, as Seto soon discovered, was hell.

“I don’t understand how I’m supposed to win.” He groused. Mai’s wine was long since gone and they’d both had to move on to subpar red wine that only went down because Seto was riding the line between a strong buzz and drunk. “Anyone who gets Boardwalk is guaranteed victory.”

Bakura was the proud owner of a Boardwalk hotel. “Oh surely you can afford it, Kaiba.”

“If this were real money, then yeah, ‘course.” Seto begrudgingly handed over the money and crossed his arms tightly over his chest, well aware he resembled a child rather than the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company.

“C’mon moneybags, you can pull off the upset.” Wheeler chided him, laughing as he drank his Blue Moon, which was weirdly high quality for him. “If ya’ can’t what’ll ya’ shareholders think?”

“It’s not the same, Wheeler.” Seto had wisely refrained from dog-themed insults.

“Okay, I seriously have to pee.” Duke interrupted. “Let’s take five and then we can go back to humiliating Kaiba.”

A break sounded like a good idea. Seto regretted wearing business casual, as between the alcohol and the long sleeves he was sweltering. Extricating himself from the loveseat and gingerly stepping over Yugi and Téa, who were sitting next to each other and holding hands under the coffee table and being generally gross and affectionate, he made his way to the balcony. His legs were a bit wobbly from sitting down so long, the alcohol not helping, but he kept himself relatively composed as he slid the door open and stepped out.

It was blessedly cool outside. He closed the door behind him and stepped to the railing, leaning on it and enjoying the feeling of the night air. The last time he’d looked at the clock it was eight, and as he pulled out his phone to check it he was surprised it was a quarter to ten.

Huh. That hadn’t felt like almost two hours.

Behind him, the door opened and shut. Seto turned around to see Wheeler holding two plates, an unlit cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

Oh god.

“Yain’t eaten all night, rich boy. Here, have some cake.” Wheeler put a plate on the railing in front of him and pulled out a lighter.

“What the hell is this?”

“Never seen cake before?” Wheeler puffed on his cigarette and stabbed the cake with a plastic fork. Did Yugi not believe in real flatware?

“Of course I’ve seen cake before.” Seto contained the mutt at the end of his sentence. “Why did you bring me some? And since when the hell did you smoke?”

“I only smoke when I drink. Nothin’ compliments a night of drinkin’ like a nicotine buzz.” Wheeler smiled though a mouthful of cake and Seto wanted to reprimand him for being so uncouth but his alcohol-addled mind could only think of how disgustingly cute he looked with frosting on the corner of his mouth. “An’ to answer ya’ other question, I brought ya’ some because you and Mai been guzzling drinks all night and neither one of ya’s eaten. I ain’t cleanin’ up vomit at my own party, moneybags. Plus, Téa makes the best chocolate cake.”

Seto looked down at the confection precariously placed on the railing, eyeing it with suspicion. Had Wheeler actually done something nice for him? Now that he was looking at food, he realized he actually hadn’t eaten since breakfast this morning and it would be a good idea to eat. No other reason.

Silence fell over the balcony as Wheeler smoked his cancer stick and they ate their cake. Seto was pleasantly surprised. Wheeler hadn’t been lying about Téa’s baking abilities. Unlike Wheeler, who had shoveled in the cake like he was a prisoner on death row and it was his last meal, Seto exercised some restraint, eating in neat, careful bites.

It was strange how quiet Wheeler was being. Seto had never been within a hundred feet of the guy without the two of them berating each other, which would culminate in a duel that Seto would win and Wheeler would vow to win the next one. It was their ritual and Seto didn’t know what to make of this amicable silence between them.

Just as Seto was beginning to feel comfortable with the silence, Wheeler spoke.

“Would ya’ believe me if I said I missed ya’?”

Seto choked.

“’M gonna take that as a no.” Wheeler thumped his back and Seto tried not to think of how big the mutt’s hands were as they rested between his shoulder blades. “’Das my fault rich boy, didn’t mean t’ make ya’ choke.”

“Then what did you mean to do? Give me a heart attack perhaps?” Seto spat, violently ignoring how heat, blush heat not alcohol heat, was in his cheeks and how Wheeler’s big dumb stupid warm hand was still on his back.

“I apologized, Kaiba. Didn’t know ya’d react like that.” Wheeler was smiling, his eyes holding an indiscernible look. Seto remembered there used to be only anger when Wheeler looked his way and desperately wished this was all a cosmic joke because there were too many new variables. Seto Kaiba had two emotions: disappointment and rage. When it came to Mokuba there were more, but Wheeler was not Mokuba and he didn’t get the benefit of Seto’s emotional range. Wheeler wasn’t angry though. If Seto had to put a name to what he saw in Wheeler’s eyes it would have to be fondness.

Disgusting. The mutt couldn’t just look at him like that.

Seto thought back to how this party was a violation of the Geneva Convention.

“It’s true, though.” Wheeler continued, moving his hand to Seto’s shoulder and suddenly the night air wasn’t so cool anymore. “I did miss ya’ Kaiba.”

Did Wheeler think this was some Nicolas Sparks novel? Did Wheeler expect him to say he missed him too?

“Why are you telling me this?” Seto asked, his gut twisting, the chocolate cake threatening to come back up. What. The. Fuck. He hadn’t seen Wheeler in forever and now because he’d come back with sunkissed skin and broad shoulders and thick muscles and Seto’s emotions were threatening to get the better of him? Un-fucking-believable. It had to the be the alcohol.

“I dunno actually. I just wanted ya’ to know. Back in th’ day we’d be at each other’s throats and I missed you and ya’ snarky attitude and ya’ dumbass trenchcoat and that godawful dragon jet. There ain’t nobody quite like you Seto Kaiba.” Wheeler squeezed his shoulder and smiled and Seto felt like he was staring into the sun. Seto fought to keep his face neutral and thought about how he was going to shave Mokuba’s head in his sleep for making him come to this stupid party and making him see stupid Wheeler and have stupid fucking emotions he never should’ve had in the first place.

“Ya’ don’ have to say anythin’ back. Just wanted ya’ to know that and that I’m glad ya’ could come tonight. You’re a sight for sore eyes, Kaiba.” Wheeler dropped his hand from Seto’s shoulder and Seto desperately wished that he didn’t want to grab it and put it back. The mutt gathered their empty plates and fixed Seto with another smile. “C’mon, we got a game to finish.”

“I’ll be inside in a minute.” Seto said, angry he lacked the normal acerbic edge to his voice.

Wheeler closed the door behind him and Seto could hear muffled voices welcoming his return. What the ever loving fuck had just happened?

His phone buzzing shocked him out of his reverie. Roland was calling.

Placing the phone to his ear and leaning heavily on the balcony, Seto answered. “What?” he spat, still not happy with the man from his earlier quip.

“It’s five past ten Mr. Kaiba. You ready for me to come pick you up?”

Retrospectively, Seto should’ve known that’s what Roland was calling about. He looked over his shoulder into Yugi’s apartment, and could see they were all talking and laughing and Wheeler had Yugi in a headlock and they all looked happy. Maybe it was because of the alcohol, maybe because there seemed to be no more bad blood from days long past, maybe it was because Seto Kaiba really had nothing better to do tonight, but he wanted to go back in to Yugi’s quaint little apartment and maybe have a few more drinks and maybe try to win that godforsaken Monopoly game.

“Actually, Roland, I think I’ll stay a bit longer. You might say I’m enjoying myself.”

[terraaurea]

DSOD Differences between ENG and JP

These are just my observations from watching the DSOD movie in English twice, then once in Japanese (Here’s where I watched the sub, so credit the fan subber! Also remember to support the official release of the JP with subs when it is fully available! -- https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3pKUWJ9VACyR2RueEN0ZS15R0k/view ). Feel free to add stuff/your own thoughts. I don’t know Japanese, so I’m going off the fan-sub. 

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT, DUH.

·         Yugi's not like "I wish I could have told him what he meant to me" he's just like "we're in our own worlds now..."

·         Omfg the short bully guy has a REALLY DEEP VOICE I love it

·         and he's like to Aigami "Well, you are CUTE..."

·         He's like "I'm gonna make you famous...the theme this time around...IS PAIN HAHA"

·         I forgot that Kaiba calls Atem ‘Yugi’ in the JP

·         "Leaving Yugi behind like a COWARD and vanishing without a trace made it difficult to track you down..." (In the Cathedral)

·         ORE NO TAURN

·         I forgot that the music from the jp is pretty cool--very orchestral--rather than GUITAR RIFFS

·         Already makes more sense with the duels—they mention sacrificing monsters more often thank god

·         The mirror absorbs neo 3 blue eyes whatshisfuck and sends it back at Kaiba. It doesn't deflect it and then send a new attack like the dub implies

·         Kaiba doesn't mention any coiffed hair but says "I even replicated his provoking personality"

·         Jounouchi, you're fired! Instead of NO CLOWNING AROUND

·         More explanation about the Plana/Planners--ok so 7 items found, Pharoah goes back home, and it opens up that new dimension where they've gotta keep the order or something like that

·         They want to get rid of the old world to make room for a new order? And they gotta eradicate evil?

·         "We've been waiting for you" instead of "You've graced us with yer presence sIR"

·         Still has the "Ok but it took Yugi 8 years..." "Yeah, but Yugi has the brain of a child" KAIBA SAVAGE

·         Kaiba's jp voice is so much more intimidating just a reminder

·         "Even though I didn't register my deck or duel disk anywhere, you still knew where I was. You're quite the control freak, aren't you?" - Diva

·         "I hate dangerous murderers like you, you see...so I think I'll need to erase you from this dimension." -Diva, with gun at back

·         They're actually talking about the connection between consciousnesses. Which relates to that 2 chapter prequel manga (Transcend Game).

·         Diva's like "Kaiba, you know all about the human consciousness, don't you? Everything done in this world is done by the unconscious mind...all of which are linked together...even you, the dictator of this city, are powerless to control the consciousnessesses of all of Domino…let alone the world."

·         I’m not going to bother spelling consciousness right anymore

·         Because Kaiba had to use the consciousnessess of all the children combined playing his VR prototype to catapult himself up into the afterlife the first time in the manga

·         So to keep everything in order you need those links to be balanced, too.

·         It’s in the ENG too but if you watch the children that Diva summons are all connected with these golden darting lines and now that makes more sense THX

·         He's borrowing the power of other people's consciousnesses (all those children) in order to have enough energy to wield his powers by using the cube

·         So in the other dimension that he sends the gunman, the gunman is no longer connected to the consciousnesses of everyone else in the world anymore

·         In the JP then too Diva explains that he is using the power of the Plana, but also the Plana's Mind, which makes the control of his consciousness (and by extension the links to everyone else) 7x stronger than everyone else's

·         Instead of saying "NOT SO FAST/etc." when he's not disappearing into the other dimension, Kaiba goes "DON'T WORRY, MOKUBA” BIG BRO IS HERE FOR U AND DON’T YOU FORGET IT

·         So the reason why the power didn't send Kaiba to the other dimension is because his ego is SO INFLATED and thus his consciousness and intellect are so great that he's on par with Diva's Plana Mind

·         With his duel disk connected to his brain--which if you remember is connected to that Cloud Network--he's got enough connections with other consciousnesses in the cloud to combat Diva's powers??? I think

·         "Kisama no TURN..." sounds so cool like damn

·         JP also explains why he can summon shittons of blue eyes

·         JP explains the spell cards better

·         I think they left out the monster noises/screams in the ENG? Someone should confirm that for me

·         "I was the one who had to bury Yugi, no, Atem inside of me. His ghost continues to wander in my unfulfilled consciousness. Yugi!" – Kaiba

·         The eng music slightly is based off the jp music but with 10x more guitar riffs and zero chill

·         As for why the fuck he could summon Obelisk—in the JPDiva says there's residual energy left in that place due to it being where the Pharaoh left the world, and that Kaiba must have picked up on it. And Diva says that Obelisk is only a servant to the pharaoh. I think Diva missed that whole Battle City thing tho and doesn't realize that other people were wielding the god cards too

·         Still got "IT'S NOT A MONSTER. IT'S A GOD."

·         No "I NEED TISSUEEEEES" thx

·         Still got "Pharaoh can't come back if we get rid of his vessel" gotta kill Yugi

·         The big duel tournie takes place at Kaibaland

·         To put the puzzle back together quickly he needed his machine to be in space to utilize zero gravity—still extra

·         "Enough of the boring Flattery. // My Apologies, Mr. Kaiba" No "I'm programed to remind you of your genius" darn

·         Yugi says he's keeping the Dark Magician in his deck and is like "I wonder what Aigami's gonna use in his deck" instead of "You got me out of a lot of jams!" Suggesting Yugi actually knows how to fucking build a deck wow shocker

·         Shadi was supposed to collect all 7 items so he could send Pharaoh back to deadland and Yugi was a necessary vessel that had to have been chosen to help the Pharaoh get there out of the puzzle and shit

·         Yugi shares a consciousness wavelength with the Plana people because welp he let the pharaoh live in his bod

·         Instead of Joey just losing his memories in the dimension it's more him struggling to find out what's real and what's fake because he also can’t trust his own memories. And the idea is that he's not connected to the consciousness of the rest of the world so he's only seeing what he has ever seen. But if he does forget things then he does lose everything because he's relying solely on his own consciousness

·         Shadi's eng voice is VERY similar to his jp voice nice

·         Diva asks about rulers and how they aren't afraid because they have everything and never have anything taken from them. And so Shadi is like "Yeah but then they take everyone from others"--makes sense given that Diva tries to control everything so that he loses nothing. No talk about how easily manipulated children are like in the ENG. Just talk about power/loss/fear and loss/loss and fear

·         Shadi says an evil thing lives in the ring and has already chosen a master, and that you have to surpass a trial to be able to wear it. Obviously that doesn't end well for him.

·         3 items are for justice, 3 have evil presences inside them, millennium puzzle has both

·         Shadi says that there will be a young boy that will become the vessel for the pharaoh, and then says that he's the same as them (the Plana children--meaning he's probably just got strong connection powers or whatever/spiritual powers)

·         "Oh, did he finally croak? You guys are an eyesore" -Yami!Bakura

·         "I'm going to paint this world in darkness" – Yami!Bakura

·         Diva doesn't know that Bakura doesn't have evil dickmix in his blood anymore

·         "But...I killed someone very special to you, didn't I?" -Bakura. No "I also lost someone very important to me that day..." though obvs his dad is dead AF

·         Joey was able to come out of the dimension because his bonds with his buds surpass dimensions--which is fucking intense given that going to a different dimension is supposed to prevent that in the first place friendship is sTRONG

·         No "My cardio stinks", just "Bakura-kun..."

·         Kaiba's under the impression that the afterlife is still connected to the puzzle--sorry Kaiba

·         He really wants to resurrect pharaoh to face him again welp

·         Also Mokuba isn't like "HEY YUGI, LOOKIN GOOD!" He's like "Hey Yugi! We've already got the game shop covered for you!" So that's nice. No worries about G-PA getting snatched in the meantime

·         Diva says even with Kaiba's tech it's impossible for them to go into another dimension (inside of the cube to get the puzzle piece)--obvs Kaiba's not gonna be havin that later...

·         Your body is a flesh prison for your soul and when you die it's free but until then you're stuck in flesh prison and even when you win murderous wars and fight needlessly you are still in yer flesh prison.

·         So through Kaiba's duel disk he wants to allow people to go beyond the flesh prison to eliminate language/barriers/need for fighting/etc.

·         So it's a lot more than just "PLAY MY CHILDREN'S CARD GAME"

·         he legit says flesh prison

·         Shadi's always been able to go through dimensions as a priest of the Pharaoh?

·         Shit. "Yugi, I'll remind you, that you're just a vessel! -Kaiba

·         "It looks like you won't summon the pharaoh...until I duel you into submission!" Ok kaiba

·         No lemons being sour jokes

·         No "You really hate dragons...don't you?"

·         Kaiba does have a very dramatic line about Deep Eyes coming to live from the blue abyss

·         "No you gotta let him go" but "This is the reality...he's no longer in there..." Yugi's like "I've accepted it and you gotta accept it" but nah

·         But yeah the idea was to open a new dimension and drag the world into it with the 8th millennium item (cube).

·         But, if you bring it into a dark world like Diva was going to, it would only bring the chosen ones into the new dimension, eliminating everyone else

·         Still says "Kaiba, why? // Because of him. Yugi (the pharaoh)"

·         Still has "Call him." But also has "Call him to you."

·         Yugi just says "Draw...I'm sorry...everyone..." because there's no heart of the cards bullshit in the jp. So Yugi is convinced that he's failed instead of hoping in cards

·         No epic music when Atem comes back so it's definitely more unsettling. Kind of underwhelming but makes it weightless. Which I can appreciate because it's basically like "Diva literally has so little power that there doesn't even need to be epic music because Yami just wipes the fucking floor with him"

·         Instead of saying "DID HE ASK ABOUT ME?" Joey says "I saw him too!" And Yugi goes "I knew it!" So Atem did pay him a visit to get him to come out of the weird dimension. That’s cool

·         "So he did really come here then, Yugi." - Kaiba

·         "I had all but given up, Kaiba. But you still believed."

·         "I don't know about that. Farewell, Yugi. You were indeed a proud duelist." - Kaiba

·         So instead of being like "I got my thing with the pharaoh, bitch. And you got yours." it's more like hey we saved the world together, and I recognize you as a good, strong dude. We can be 'friends' now…in Kaiba's own way

·         "Kaiba, I really have to thank you." -Yugi

·         Mokuba’s like "Are you sure you want to do this?"And Kaiba says, "Once this is completed. It will create a new type of duel as we know it."Then Mokuba does say that this new prototype using the dimension emulator (different than the VR used earlier) is too dangerous.

·         Kaiba isn't like "I leave everything to you...Mokuba..." He's like "Watch over everything while I'm away." Implying he plans on coming back.

·         Thus this version of the movie is definitely less "KAIBA HAS NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!! BATTLE PHARAOH ANYWAY" It's a lot more that he develops even further in his technological goals. So he still wants to battle the pharaoh but he's using him more as a guinea pig for testing his transdimensional duel system rather than saying "fuck everything I'm gonna go duel dead people ANYWAY BECAUSE I'M AN EGOTISTICAL ASS” tho maybe he still wants some pharaoh dick who knows

[themillenniumscribe]

Yu-Gi-Oh: Brilliancy (31)

Her name is Clarisa Swansea. She was born in Hong Kong to a wealthy yet loving family, a father, mother, and two older sisters. A competitive beast in women’s lacrosse with a pretty face to match, there was no mistaking that she was striving for greatness far beyond any expectations. But, when one accident took her family along with her mobility, her life took an intriguing turn into the world of chess.

Clarisa was still steaming when she checked in with her medical staff. She gave them short instructions on where to send the patients, ordering that only two keys be used to access the space. One she gave to the head doctor and the other she kept on her person. When one of the KaibaCorp physicians attempted to complain, she shot him a glare so fierce that his heart stopped. Her surgeon gave him a few words of advice, requesting that he not provoke Clarisa further into her beastly temper. The only one who seemed safe from it all was Shizuka, the auburn girl staying by Mai’s side the entire time.

“If you need to get back into the room, just let me or my doctor know.” Clarisa told her as gently as possible, eyeing the staff as they made their way out of the quarters. “I will be in Kaiba’s room.”

“I will,” Shizuka whispered gratefully. “Thank you for letting me stay by Mai’s side.”

“I don’t think I would have stood a chance of convincing you to stay away. You’re more of a fighter than you let on.” Her observation made the younger girl blush. There was some truth behind the secret fighter inside Shizuka and her crooked smile verified it.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Clarisa’s cheerful demeanor turned dark. “If anyone comes to the door, verify who it is before letting them in.���

“Why? Is someone trying to hurt Mai?”

“Not Mai. Him,” Clarisa indicated to Rishid with a jerk of her head. “I caught his master trying to stab him with that rod of his.”

“Wha_?!” Shizuka sputtered, the color draining from her face. “Shouldn’t Mr. Kaiba know?!”

“He’s preoccupied with running the tournament. I’m taking over the medical staff and everything therein.”

“But, if someone is after Rishid…”

“Kaiba doesn’t give a damn what happens to anyone in this tournament. He has made that perfectly clear by letting people duel while injured, fall into comas for unknown reasons, and allowing a raging psychopath threaten everyone on board. Besides,” Clarisa stated surely. “Mr. McKnifey won’t get a second chance. I already had a go at him and I won’t be so nice the second time around.”

Shizuka was struggling to find more words when realization hit. With a silent nod, Clarisa confirmed to the girl where the injury to her face came from.

“Keep an eye on them, Shizuka.” She said softly. “Especially Mai. Don’t let anyone but my staff and your friends in.”

“You can count on me!” Clarisa admired Shizuka’s courage. The little mouse had some bite to her.

She had to fake her kindness a little longer when Yugi and his friends showed up to visit. They filed in, surrounding Mai’s bedside just as the door slid shut. Once it latched, the prior anger that Clarisa was feeling returned to her face. Body tensing, she began to move away from the medical wing.

“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you are not in a good mood?” Charles appeared beside her. He was rather chipper, much to Clarisa’s annoyance. Her shoulders tightened as she rolled her way back to Kaiba’s empty room.

“It’s not every day I get to feel objectified by a man who thinks I’m an ‘investment’ rather than a person.” She spat, shoving the spare key into her bra. It took a few minutes for her to adjust herself but the card tucked itself nicely to the left side.

“To be fair, I think anyone is an investment in his eyes,” Charles was trying very hard to be soothing. “He seems to struggle in the social department.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Clarisa looked up, her eyes still burning. Kaiba had pricked her to the core and she was itching to take it out on someone. She was somewhat tempted to go after Charles but his gentle face made it difficult for her to stay mad.

“He should write a book. ‘How to Offend People in_’” He counted silently on his fingers. “…’Eight Syllables or Less.’”

“Really?” Her eyebrows rose skeptically. “That’s the reference you decided to go with?”

“…It’s not…what it seems….” Charles gasped with overly dramatic flair. Though Clarisa wanted to continue to stew, her anger phased out in a badly suppressed grin. Shaking her head, she rolled herself forward, Charles close behind.

The call was made for lights out shortly after they made it into the room. Clarisa settled herself comfortably in her chair, getting in a little bit of light reading while Charles guarded outside. Though her initial lounging activity brought her some peace, something felt off and a peculiar restlessness entered her mind after an hour of comfort. She waited a few moments, hoping the feeling would subside but it only made her nerves sharpen. Sighing, Clarisa put down her spare book, tentatively making her way to the door.

“Charles?” She called, leaning her head to the side for a better listen. A voice didn’t answer but there was a metallic tap outside.

Clarisa’s skin began to crawl. Everything about the situation screamed for Clarisa to keep the room closed. She even heard her own words echo in her head.

‘If anyone comes to the door, verify who it is before letting them in.’

There was no peep hole and, if there was, it would be out of her reach. Hands trembling, she went against her better judgement and opened the door.

As expected, the halls were dark save for the emergency lights. Their glow took a minute to get used to but Clarisa soon noticed something off. Charles was nowhere to be found.

“Charles?” She called again, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.  She leaned forward, her head popping out of the doorway.

“R-Risa!” Whipping her head to her left, she could see the familiar glow around Charles’ body. He was pressed up against the wall, struggling to get free from his supernatural binding. It took Clarisa a moment to notice but a pooling of red was starting to form at his feet.

“CLOSE THE DOOR!” He bellowed.

It was too late. The moment Clarisa moved to do as she was bid, she was struck out of her chair and onto the floor. Her cheek banged against the metal surface, singing the familiar praises of a still fresh bruise. She grunted, attempting to roll over when a foot pressed against her jugular. Clarisa could see the familiar evil burning in Malik’s dark eyes as he leaned forward to greet her.

“Give me the key.” Malik’s sinister voice purred, lips curling.

“F-Fuck…you…” Though she was choking, she managed to spit out the words. It also came with a complimentary spit to his face. His smile dimmed but didn’t dissipate his heel digging further into her neck. Clarisa gagged, clawing desperately at his foot when some of her self-defense training kicked in.

Twisting sharply, Clarisa took Malik’s leg with her when she spun, throwing the man off balance. He staggered and fell on top of Clarisa. The sheer weight of him knocked the wind out of her but, with the adrenaline pumping in her ears, Clarisa wasted little time trying to catch any semblance of breath.

She used her arms to shove him off of her, tossing him a surprising distance when she heard the chiming of metal just behind her. Eyes refocusing, she noticed that Malik had accidentally released the Millennium Rod from his grip. Despite the growing numbness in her legs, Clarisa managed to get to her feet, stumbling over to the item and reach the staff.

Her fingers gently grazed the tip of the sheath when a rush of sensation hit her like a truck.

Something was being pulled out of her. It was painful, more painful than any shrapnel in the car accident. A woman crossed her vision, pale as silver and the brightest blue eyes. Behind her, a white dragon appeared, screeching out in a mixture of pride and pain. Tears were falling down the woman’s face and a faint whisper of breath escaped her peach colored lips. A yellow emperor laughed.

When the whisper faded, the vision faded too, leaving Clarisa on her back in the hallway. Even more frightening, Malik was on top of her, golden blade twinkling in the little bit of light that remained in the hallway.

“Die,” He commanded in the same faint tone, thrusting the blade toward her chest.

It never struck.

The blade barely nicked one of her buttons when Malik was picked up and thrown down the hallway. She heard muffled screams and her blood pounding in her temples when she finally gained the courage to sit up.

Kaiba was in the hallway, blocking Clarisa’s view of Malik’s crumpled body. He shouted some kind of command to the Ghoul but she couldn’t make out the details. She noticed the horde of staff whisking in to take care of the mess. Isono and Fubeta escorted Malik to his room and a doctor went to attend to Charles. Another went Clarisa’s way but she waved them off, indicating at the blood below Charles’ feet.

As for the CEO, Clarisa remembered a very stern glare being shot her way. The high-pitched tone of Mokuba’s voice was to her right and she registered his body being there. But, she wasn’t able to comprehend the words he said. It sounded as though they were talking through Jell-O.

“Make sure he stays in his room.” Kaiba barked. “As for Miss Swansea, she will be in my personal care.”

“Can I opt out of that?” Clarisa slurred, lifting her hand.

“Shut up!” The tone of Kaiba’s voice shook the blimp. Most of the remaining staff jumped in their skin and remained fearful of the CEO. Clarisa was not so frightened. The fogginess around her mind was so intense that all he got was a slow blink. Their eyes connected briefly and Clarisa could see the irritation swirling in his eyes.

“Mokuba, take her to the computer room.” He ordered, rubbing his eyes in frustration. “I will be there shortly.”

The younger Kaiba did as he was bid, coaxing Clarisa back into her chair and escorting her to the computer room. She was tempted to object but the fuzziness in her brain kept her from being too terribly quick. Instead, she settled for silence until Mokuba’s hazel eyes locked ferociously onto her person.

“What was that all about!?” He cried, the door lock hissing when he slammed his hand against the button. Clarisa pursed her lips with a shrug.

“I’m not exactly sure what you mean.” She replied with a slight grin. “Try asking me again with more feeling.”

“You could have been seriously hurt!”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Her brow furrowed lightly. “And you don’t know that.”

“Don’t know what?” The younger Kaiba retorted.

“That I would have been seriously hurt. If anything, I gave him a run for his money,” Her response didn’t settle Mokuba’s nerves. If anything, it only enflamed him.

“You were on the ground and had a knife heading for your chest!” He cried, becoming pricklier when Clarisa waved him lazily with her hand. “Malik is dangerous! There is no way you could have taken him on by yourself!”

“Why? Because I’m a cripple?” Clarisa let the words escape her lips without a thought on the consequences. Mokuba sputtered away, trying desperately to find the right answer to her confrontation. She smirked in her seat, pleased that she caught him in this blunder. But, it was very short lived.

“How about because you are an idiot?” The confidence was stripped from her face when the CEO’s penetrating voice answered back. He wasn’t as angry as before but he certainly wasn’t calmed from their brief time apart.

“Seto, I_”

“Get out,” Kaiba ordered Mokuba, crossing his arms over his chest as a dagger like glower locked onto the blonde woman. Clarisa watched the dark haired boy duck his head as he slipped out into the hallway. That just left her and the older, socially inept cactus.

“Miss Swansea,” His voice was a hiss. “We need to talk.”