#like those videos where the dominos go all the way down a hallway.

[creekfiend]

I feel lately like all my psychological hangups are falling like dominos

[dreamsister81]

 Jeff and MI:

By age, you fit in the G.I.T generation, but you obviously are not one of them...

These facilities are a mystery to me. There they tell you only one thing: hurry up! This leads you nowhere, afterwards your own children run away from you. Through these trainings you get to know women, you get to know men, music is inoculated into people who have no feeling for it; then they can only scare other people or insult them...

I was in this terrible place too, by the way-G.I.T That was a complete waste of time, apart from the theoretical lessons and the friends that I had there. Otherwise: an absolute wrong decision.

How long have you studied there?

One year, the normal program. They give you tons of material, you have to absorb everything, you practice, you are tested and you go to the next course. An intensive support with development is simply not possible. I did so many things: theory, single string technique, jazz class, rock class, all sorts of genres. My friend John was teaching bass there, and he once said that there is not a single teacher at the institute who says to the students, "OK, you're learning all this stuff here now, you're learning how to entertain people and you're learning to learn. But do you even know that there is no one in the universe other than yourself who plays the music you play? " John left the school then. For me it was all a joke that cost me $ 3,900. People interested in music should take private lessons somewhere, start a band, do something with people who like them and have what it takes. These schools are a scene in their own right, a very small, secluded world-the music, on the other hand, is gigantic and open. If you don't notice it, you miss a lot of magic, pain, development...(thinks) and rock! Apart from Paul Gilbert, there was no one there who really rocked. Session musicians are bred there; and at the end of the year you get a piece of paper that says, "Now you have the skills to become a professional musician." Well, congratulations! And then you look for jobs and play what other people want. But that's not all the music, there's something else isn't there? Where's the music coming from? From your own head or stomach, or the concepts of the people you work for?-Gitarre & Bass, October,  1995

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I had a friend named John Humphrey. I went to this really crappy guitar school for a year, and he used to teach there, he was a bass teacher. And then he left, and we ended up being roommates later on, after I graduated. This is the kind of school where you give them a shitload of money in order to spend a year learning their curriculum.

What was it, G.I.T. (Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles)?

Yeah, it was G.I.T.. They give you their curriculum, and it's not too comprehensive, but it's just enough, and then you can [snaps his fingers] move on to the next thing. And pretty soon you have all this shit inside you and then they give you this paper that says you have what it takes to be a professional musician.

It's a rock-oriented thing, isn't it?

In the end, I think, the only true product of that kind of learning is to get you gigs on the studio circuit and to get you gigs on the session guy circuit.

So, Lee Ritenour went there or something?

G.I.T. was started by Howard Roberts, the guy who played the wah-wah guitar on the theme to Shaft. And this other guy named Pat Hayes. I don't know. It just seemed like a racket, really. John said a lot of things to me that stuck in my mind. He said that there was nobody who stopped you, sat you in a room and said, okay, we have all these artists that you're learning the licks from, you have your guitar heroes, your virtuoso lust objects. But there's nobody who can make the kind of music you can make now except for you. And you can make it now. You don't even have to know how to go fast. And that makes all the sense to me in the world. It's also kind of an unseen process, that concept, originality. It's like that in all the education systems; there's never any real...identity education, self-generative identity art sort of thing, to be yourself. If everybody in Melbourne had a Wurlitzer organ and had the passion to sing something or make something, you'd have hundreds of thousands of different styles, if they were coming exactly from only their DNA, only their makeup, and their emotional percepts, their idea about what art is. You could have way-removed genres from what is already accepted, avante-garde country-rock-punk-folk-whatever. It's unlimited. But for some reason, the conventions always take over and there's a very ready and powerful formula to step into...

Those are the type of [formula-derived] players who can say, "Well, I was listening to the radio in 1967 and I heard the guitar solo in Jimi Hendrix's 'All Along the Watchtower,' and that guitar sound, that tone, would work perfectly for this television commercial."

Yeah. See? "Stealing from the greats, that's okay." That's right. Once I stopped in [at G.I.T.] years later, when I was on tour going through L.A., just to see what it was like. They've got a completely high-tech, multi-million dollar facility...

More so than when you had been there?

Way more. When I was there, it was just a ragtag bunch of teachers, and they had all left by then. They had video facilities and a class for stage moves and all kinds of things. And I saw this guy who was working the desk, the guy who watches the door. He had a bass on, and he was practicing his Nirvana chops! He was playing "In Bloom" on his bass, way up on his chest, jazz-fusion style, to the Nirvana song. I thought, oh shit--he was practicing his grunge riffs! He was getting his grunge down! Best fucking thing you can do, if you have the interest, is go to a private teacher, go someplace, some college, and learn theory. That was something I really enjoyed, actually, something that wasn't totally pointless. Theory meaning the meaning of the musical nomenclature. I was attracted to really interesting harmonies, stuff that I would hear in Ravel, Ellington, Bartok.-Double Take, February 29, 1996

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Once the site of a seakeasy and a bra factory, the 30,000-square-foot quarters were now the home of Musicians Institute, a vocational school for anyone who considered himself or herself a serious musician. With its wooden desks and chipped-tile hallways, MI resembled any other urban school, but at those desks, student guitarists and drummers studied scales and power chords in hopes of becoming the next Eddie Van Halen or Neil Peart, the flashy drummer with Rush. On their way to class each morning, flaxen-haired guitar gods in training could be spotted holding their guitars and practicing licks as they walked down Hollywood Boulevard.

Jeff had heard about Musicians Institute (and its subdivision, the Guitar Institute of Technology) while in high school and told everyone it was his one and only destination. However, potential superstardom did not run cheap. The school charged $4,000 for its one year course, and by the time Jeff Graduated from Loara High School, Mary Guibert was beginning to fall on hard financial times as she went in and out of jobs. In need of money for herself and her two sons, she prematurely broke into a $20,000 fund earmarked for Jeff, but only after he tured nineteen. Once Mary proved to the courtsthat Jeff needed it for his education, he and Mary received it a year early. In a deep irony, the father Jeff had barely met and increasingly resented would be paying his son's way through music school.

On graduation night, September 15, 1985, at the Odyssey in Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley, Jeff, Stoll, and Marryatt closed the ceremony by playing Weather Report's "Pearl On the Half Shell."-from Dream Brother

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With its 30-odd thousand feet of floor space and row upon row of "labs", where hopeful guitar heroes could jam with such shit-hot players as Scott Henderson, LA's Musician's Institute must have seemed like nirvana for someone like Jeff Buckley, trapped as he was behind the Orange Curtain. According to his buddy Chris Dowd, that's exactly why Buckley enrolled there, arriving just before autumn, 1984, bankrolled by $4,000 that Mary managed to squeeze from a Tim Buckley trust fund.

Originally known as the Guitar Institute, which in itself says plenty, the school was opened in 1977. Drawing on the educational philosophy of journeyman guitarist Howard Roberts, it was co-founded and managed by Los Angeles music businessman Pat Hicks, "a real shyster opportunist", in the words of Tom Chang, an expat Canadian who would become very tight with Jeff Buckley during their two years at the Institute. In 1978, thr Bass Institute was opened, followed by the Percussion Institute two years later. Desppite Hicks' questionable business ethics-amongst other things, he'd hire students as cheap labour to do essential maintenance work on the building, which led to Buckley being hired as an electrician's assistant soon after graduating-he did manage to persuade well regarded players and bands to lecture, and play alongside, the hopefuls who'd enrolled there.

What Buckley lacked up in "front" he clearly made up for in ambition. That was proved, in spades, by Buckley's graduation performance which was played out on September 15, 1985, at a venue called the Odyssey in Granada Hills. While the sonic crush and enviable chops of Rush and Led Zeppelin still rocked the world of this Orange County teen, Buckley had also developed a real taste for such "noodlers" as Weather Report.

The number chosen by Buckley for graduation was their "D Flat Waltz" (not "Pearl On The Half-Shell", as documented elsewhere, which they'd performed at a previous event), a typically complicated few minutes of Weather Report neo-fusion-a "really cool piece, very involved", according to Tom Chang-and a standout from their 1983 set Domino Theory. But Buckley, accompanied by Stoll on drums and Marryatt on bass, didn't just play the piece, he also wrote the individual parts out beforehand for the band.-from A Pure Drop

MI pics by me

[devilatmydoor]

love is fatal I part 5

previous chapters - part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 

a/n- sorry for the wait, this was my favorite chapter to write so far! i love writing for cal and veronica; you’ll be able to notice with this chapter how much i love them. i hope you like this chapter as much as i did! i let my imagination run wild with this. let me know what you think in the tags or you can send an ask/dm! i hope you are all doing well- mind, body and soul! 

s/o to my girl @notinthesameguey​ for talking ideas out with me and hearing all my crazy ideas at all hours  😂 love you mamacita 

warnings; hints of smut and sexual situations 

word count; 4.3k+

She tried not to glare at Grayson for not warning her about Calum staying with them, the house wasn’t prepared for guests. She had plans to clean it this weekend since she had time. 

“Grayson told me you had room, did he not tell you?” Calum asked as he looked at Grayson. 

 “No, he didn’t. Grayson, can you take Hershey outside so I can talk to Calum?” She demanded and Grayson knew better than to refute anything she said. Grayson picked Hershey up and walked towards the back door. 

She looked in Calum’s eyes and sighed, “What’s going on Calum?” 

His eyes met hers as he set his bag down, “My ex is in town this week, she has a modeling gig. She’s been at my work twice and I don’t want to see her.” 

“Say no more, stay as long as you need. There’s a spare room next door to mine. I’ll show you where it is” She smiled as she walked towards the hallway and motioned him to follow. 

“Thank you, Ronnie. I appreciate it. I thought for sure you’d kick me to the curb.” He joked as he followed her. 

“I wouldn’t do that, my mom raised me better than that.” She teased and walked with him down the hallway. They walked towards the bathroom, “Here is the bathroom I usually use, or you can use Grayson’s.” She explained as they walked towards her room. 

He looked at her bedroom door which was painted black and chuckled, “This is your room, huh?” 

She nodded and smiled, “I’m that predictable huh?” She giggled as she walked with him to the spare room and opened the door. 

“Just a little bit.” He smiled while she stepped out of the way so he could get acquainted with the room. He set his bag on the bed and took off his jacket. 

“Is Pizza okay for dinner? I’m going grocery shopping tomorrow.” She asked as she leaned against the door frame. 

“I’m a pescatarian so I don’t eat meat but I can order something.” He began as his body faced her. 

“I can order vegetarian pizza, I usually get that with chicken but I’ll get it without.” She explained as she stood up straight. 

“Okay, thank you.” He smiled as he sat down on the bed.

 Veronica smiled at him before turning to walk back into the kitchen. She grabbed her phone and walked to the couch to sit down. She grabbed her laptop and went to the Domino’s website to order dinner. She ordered two pizzas without meat, she set down her laptop once she finished. Hershey came running into the living room followed by Grayson. “Sorry, I should’ve warned you about him coming. I just wanted to help.” 

“I know Gray. It’s okay, I’m happy we can help.” She smiled before she felt her phone vibrate on the table, “Can you show Calum where the laundry room and linen closet is?” She remembered she didn’t show him the rest of the house. 

“I was gonna show him the pool but those are a bit more important.” Grayson laughed as he left the kitchen and she shook her head. 

She put her ear to her phone to hear his voicemail, V! Just checking to see if I was still coming over tonight. I was planning on coming around 9. I completely spaced when you told me you got off so I thought 9 was safe. Text me. 

When Calum and Grayson walked into the living room she gulped remembering their interaction less than 72 hours ago. She knew Caleb wouldn’t be happy that Calum was staying with her, he was incredibly jealous of Luke and they were just friends. She didn’t want to see his reaction to Calum staying with her. She texted him. 

- C-something came up and you can’t come over tonight. Not sure when you can  since I’m finishing up my period. I’ll let you know. 

Calum, Grayson and Veronica ate dinner in the living room while the boys played video games. After she finished eating she decided to go to her room to watch Brooklyn 99 while she organized her makeup. She sorted her make up into different categories simultaneously laughing at Terry Crews lines. As she was finishing up making a pile of unused makeup to send pictures to her niece, she heard a voice that she never thought she’d hear in her house. Or ever wanted to. 

The unfortunate familiar sound of Calum and Josslyn having sex made her want to throw up, so she decided to watch Phantom Of The Opera since it was the only movie to distract to the point where their moans would be nonexistent. She focused on her favorite songs and couldn’t stop herself from crying at her favorite scenes. She paused the movie when she thought she heard the doorbell. She got off of her bed and walked out of her room. The doorbell went off again and she walked out of the hallway and saw Calum showing Josslyn out of the front door, and she realized that they weren’t alone in the doorway. 

“What are you doing here?” Caleb yelped and she gulped realizing this wasn’t going to end well. 

Josslyn made her way out of the house while Caleb stepped inside and Veronica cleared her throat, “Him being here is none of your business. What are you doing here?” 

“Is this what you meant by something coming up?” Caleb retorted while she stepped closer to Caleb and Calum who were alarmingly close. 

“Yes but I still told you not to come.” She said sternly before crossing her arms. 

“But-” Caleb started to say before he was cut off by Calum. 

“You need to leave, she doesn’t want you here.” Calum chimed in as he stood closer to her. Caleb’s only reply was his facial expression. He left the house and Calum closed the door and turned to face her. 

“Why did you stick up for me like that?” She wondered as she uncrossed her arms and looked in his eyes. 

“Because you deserve to be treated with respect.” He assured her before smiling and going into the kitchen, leaving her to her thoughts.  She went back to her room as Calum’s words replayed in her head while she tried to focus on watching her favorite movie.

* * * * * 

The silence alarmed him as he looked around the vaguely familiar bedroom he had called home for the past 2 days. He was slowly getting used to seeing Veronica without make-up and in just over-sized hoodies and shorts. He hadn’t lived with a woman since his ex and it was very different than what he was used to. He left his room and walked down the hallway before  entering the living room to turn on the T.V and as he walked to the other couch where the remote was he looked out the window. His eyes widened as he tried to speculate what was happening in the driveway. His gaze never strayed from her curvy figure accented by the hot pink swimming suit. 

She picked up the hose as water simultaneously dripping down her chest and her piercings became more evident as her nipples clung to the wet fabric. The tent in his shorts became more evident, a loud groan escaped his lips as he looked away from her. He sat down on the couch and turned on the T.V to distract himself from Veronica washing her car in a bikini. He felt his boner through his shorts as he readjusted himself in the cushion beneath him. He slowly palmed himself and it only made things worse, he looked down and groaned. He heard the front door and grabbed the pillow next to him and covered his erection before Veronica walked inside the house. 

He grabbed his phone and unlocked it as he heard Veronica coming inside, he looked up and his gaze was set on her features that turned him on in the first place. She looked at him, “Hey you! I was just about to see if you wanted me to wash your car while I’m outside” She asked with a smile

“Do you want me to help?.” He asserted while he slowly adjusted the pillow hiding his boner. 

“Of course, want to meet me outside? I’m gonna get some more soapy water.” She said while her body turned towards  the sink to dump out the bucket she brought in. 

“I will in a minute, I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” He murmured as he set the pillow aside and walked towards the nearest bathroom. He sighed when he looked down and realized his boner was nonexistent. He went to the bathroom and washed his hands. He left the bathroom and walked towards the front door. 

As he stepped outside he was greeted with her music, he wasn’t sure what she was playing but he walked up behind her and pinched her sides, “Boo!” 

She flinched and looked at him, “Calum!” 

He laughed at her reaction and grabbed a sponge from the bucket, “I couldn’t resist!” 

“Mhmm.” She shook her head and bent over the hood of his car and started to scrub it clean, his eyes widened as he walked to the other side of his car to start cleaning. 

He chuckled as he cleaned the passenger door as he focused on getting dirt off, he felt water hit his face as he looked up to see Veronica spraying water from the hose. “Oh it’s on.” He boasted as he threw his sponge at her and she huffed and moved closer to where he was. 

He snatched the hose from her and managed to spray water causing a squeal from her as she threw her sponge at him and ran from repercussions. He ran after her with the hose as he sprayed water at her. She attempted to grab the hose from him and she turned the hose in his direction as water sprayed at his face. She let go of the hose and ran as he followed after her and threw her hands up, “I surrender!” 

He walked up to her and dropped the hose, “You give up because I’m unbeatable?” 

She giggled and bent over to grab a sponge and threw it at him and the sponge hit his chest, “Just gullible!” 

He chuckled as he grabbed the sponge off the ground as he threw it back to her and he knew they weren’t going to finish washing his car. 

* * * * * 

As she cut the engine of her car she took a deep breath and looked out the window of her car. She wasn’t sure her plan was foolproof but she had to try, even if she hated the idea of going to his house. She grabbed her keys and her phone that was propped on her stand and got out of her car and closed the door. She walked on the sidewalk as her eyes narrowed at his front door, the voice she heard made her skin crawl as she recognized Josslyn. 

As Josslyn walked out of Caleb's house wearing his gray hoodie while Caleb walked her to her car which was parked in the driveway,  Veronica waited for him to notice her standing in his front yard. She did the only thing that would get his attention; she faked a sneeze that was obnoxious. Something she learned from Grayson that she used in situations when she wanted attention but wasn’t going to beg. 

Caleb’s not to sorry eyes met hers as she walked across his lawn towards him, her hands on her hips as she glared at him,  “What the actual fuck Caleb?” She argued as she clenched her fists. 

He put his pointer finger in front of his lips, shushing her, “Veronica!”  

“Don’t you fucking shush me Caleb! Don’t even try to tell me this isn’t exactly what it looks like!” She accused as she tried to take a deep breath. 

“Fine, you caught me. I hooked up with Josslyn.” Caleb breathed as his eyes met hers. 

“Was this the first time Caleb?” She asked, not wanting to know the answer. 

“You don’t want to know the answer.” He explained as he crossed his arms. 

She huffed as she shook her head, “I hope it was worth it Caleb, you and I are done. I don’t want to fight you on this, I’m done.” She fumed as she walked away from Caleb. 

“Veronica wait!” He yelled as he walked up to her grabbing her arm in an attempt to stop her. 

“Stop! Caleb it’s over. Don’t call or text me, just delete my number.” She ordered as she walked as fast as she could to her car. She unlocked the car and got inside. She plugged her phone in before she texted Calum, I’m on my way home- you and I need to talk.

She started to drive and she tried to wrap her head around the reality of what just happened with Caleb. She had no idea Josslyn and Caleb even interacted long enough to get each other's numbers. Her hands gripped the steering wheel as she drove home and sighed in relief when she saw Calum sitting on the front steps. 

As she got out of the car she grabbed her phone and closed the door without slamming it shut. She locked her car as she walked on the grass to the steps where Calum was waiting. He stood up as she got closer and he walked up to her and he crossed his arms, “Ronnie what's going on?”

She shook her head and took a deep breath, “Josslyn and Caleb have been hooking up behind our backs. I caught Josslyn leaving Caleb’s house.” 

He rubbed his temples, “Your joking.” He breathed as he looked in her eyes. 

“I wish I was. I just ended it with him, I wasn’t really happy being with him anyways.” She admitted and realized what she just said. She hadn’t even told Grayson how she felt about Caleb. 

“I feel the same way about Josslyn. She drove me crazy, acting like my girlfriend.” He admitted. 

She sat down on the grass and motioned him to sit, “Caleb acted like mine but way more clingy. I realized that I actually wanted a relationship with someone, friends with benefits isn’t for me anymore.” She added as Calum sat down on the ground next to her. 

“I feel the same way, I mainly had friends with benefits with Josslyn because I knew Eleanor was coming back at some point and she usually fucked me up when she’d visit. She made me think we were getting back together and then she’d leave.” He explained as he crossed his arms. 

“I hate when ex’s do that. I got lucky with my last ex, he moved across the country.” She stated as she took a deep breath and looked at the stars. 

“So did Eleanor, didn’t stop her. I hope for your sake your ex stays where he is.” Calum comforted as he smiled and looked at the stars. 

* * * * 

As he stepped into the living room, the sun beaming from the windows he noticed Veronica sitting on the couch talking on the phone in a swimsuit cover-up. He sat next to her on the couch and grabbed the remote to flip through channels. 

“Feel better, don’t feel bad. I’ll just have to spend my day off alone.” She teased she giggled, “I love you, tell your mom I said hi.” She hung up and looked in his eyes. 

He looked in her eyes and smiled,  “Do your eyes change color or am I losing my mind? I swear you had blue eyes.” He blurted out and shook his head realizing how stupid he sounded. 

“You are definitely losing your mind if you're watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians. My eyes are blue, sometimes I wear colored contacts.” She explained as she fiddled with the strings on her swimsuit cover-up. 

“I was going through the channels! You’re the one wearing a swimsuit cover-up indoors!” He pointed out as he switched the channel. 

“I was going to have a pool day with my niece but she has a stomach bug.” She stated as she looked at him. 

“How about I join you for a pool day hmm? It’s a beautiful day out.” He mentioned as he stood up from the couch and stretched out his hand and she set her phone down. Her cold skin brushed his warm hand as he helped her off the couch with a grin. 

“Cal you don’t exactly have a swimsuit” She observed as her eyes widened and her lips pressed together.  

“I’ll just go commando.” He teased with a smirk and she shook her head and let go of his hand to playfully hit his arm. 

“Not in my pool you won't! Wear your boxers.” She motioned him to follow her as she straightened her cover-up. 

He walked with her towards the pool, “What makes you think I’m wearing any?” He tilted his head and winked at her. 

Her cheeks turned bright red as she stopped in her tracks. “Calum I swear to god!” She burst out as he kept walking. He opened the sliding door and she followed him. The warm sun hit her skin as she closed the sliding door and she took off her cover-up to reveal a black one piece. He could feel her eyes on him as he took off his gray sweatpants to make sure he was wearing boxers. 

They both walk towards the pool and she sits down on the edge and kicks her feet back and forth as he looks up to see the clouds. He feels a splash of water as he looks to see Veronica swimming. He jumped in the pool and starts to swim after her. She stops swimming to float in the water and he stands in the pool to fix his curls.  She takes a deep breath and he feels another splash of water hit his face. He looks at Veronica and she splashes him again. 

He shook his head and splashed water at her before she swam away from him and he swam after her. She swam to the other end of the pool before he swam up to the corner. She looked in his eyes and he watched her eyes slowly scan his body and her eyes are glued to his chain necklace that hung above his collarbone. She softly traced his tattoo that was on his collarbone, “I like this one, it’s pretty.” Her fingertips traced each line. 

“It’s supposed to be a silver fern, I got it for my mom who’s from New Zealand.” He hummed as he smiled. 

She traced the ‘choose life’ tattoo in the middle of his chest while he tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear as she smiled at him. 

__

He opened the front door in the process of him opening the door and stepping inside, her dog came running up to him for the first time all week. He bent down to pet Hershey as she wagged her tail in response. He stood up straight to see Veronica putting groceries away. His eyes met hers as she smiled, “Hey you, how was work?” She asked as she set items in her hand on the island in the kitchen. 

 “Hey, it was good! How was your day?” He asked as he did a double-take of the shirt she was wearing. It was one of his shirts, he looked for it when he packed for his stay at Veronica’s. 

 “It was okay, just finishing putting groceries away. Dinner is in the oven.” She smiled as she walked to the fridge. 

Grayson walked into the kitchen, “Cal! Veronica made lasagna with beyond meat for you!’ 

He looked at her and smiled, “You did?” He questioned as he leaned on the island 

She nodded and smiled, “Mhmm. I got the plant-based meat today and substituted it! I hope it tastes okay.” She exclaimed as she opened the freezer, “Anyone want a popsicle?”

“You know I do!” Grayson gushed as he reached his hands out to grab the popsicle Veronica handed him. 

“I’ll have one too Ronnie.” He announced as he held out his hand, she handed him a popsicle and she unwrapped her popsicle. He started to unwrap his popsicle when his eyes met hers, his eyes widened as he realized what she was doing. 

His eyes peered over to see if Grayson was paying attention to Veronica but he was eating his popsicle and looking at his phone. Calum made eye contact with her as she bobbed the popsicle in and out of her mouth as she winked at him to get a response. He slowly ate his popsicle as he watched her swirl her tongue around it while Grayson left them to sit in the living room. He took a bite off of his popsicle and he almost choked when he heard a soft moan from her as she put half of the popsicle in her mouth. 

He looked at her up and down, staring at her in his tee-shirt seductively eating a popsicle. He walked away from her as he tried not to think about what he just witnessed. He looked down and groaned at the tent in his pants. 

* * * * 

Her eyes tired from the long night at work but her thoughts racing a million miles per second. She switched sides of her bed to see if it would make any difference. Her stomach grumbled and a soft groan escaped from her lips as she shifted the blanket covering her body. She got up from her bed and shrugged remembering she wasn’t wearing shorts under her long tee shirt. She walked towards her bedroom door and slowly opened the door and closed it carefully behind her. 

As she walked to the kitchen she realized she should’ve worn shorts under her shirt. She opened the freezer and grabbed her pint of mint chocolate chip Haagen Daaz. She grabbed a spoon from the drawers and jumped up on the counter, the cool marble sent goosebumps all over her thighs. She dangled her legs over the edge and started to eat her ice cream. She kicked her feet in an attempt to stay warm with the chill air surrounding her. In the process of setting down her finished pint she heard a door close in the direction of her room. She watched to see if it was who she was anticipating. 

She was greeted with shirtless Calum in just his boxers, the moonlight hitting his skin perfectly as he got closer to her. His eyes darker than she’s ever witnessed. “It’s late, shouldn’t you be asleep?” His voice low and husky, she softly bit her bottom lip as he stepped between her legs that hung over the edge of the counter. 

“Just having a midnight snack” She breathed as she felt his warm hand rest on her exposed thigh. 

His breath hot on her skin as he leaned closer to her to grab from the cabinet behind her to grab a glass. He hummed softly in her ear and she tried to act like he wasn’t affecting her. He quickly walked to the fridge to get water from the dispenser and he drank the entire cup before returning back to her with a smile. Both of his warm hands rested on her thighs as she looked in his eyes. 

“Cal.” She breathed as he moved his hands further up her thighs and her breath hitched immediately when his thumbs traced circles on her skin. 

“Yes?” He taunted as he softly rubbed her inner thighs as his plump lips ghosted over hers. 

She held his face in her hands as she breathed “Kiss me.”

He held her hips at the same time his pillowy lips attached to hers, kissing Calum almost felt too natural to her as she inhaled the warmth radiating off of him. His lips soft and firm as he slowly licked her lower lip to deepen the kiss. 

Her hands rested on his neck as he softly rubbed her hips as his warm lips left hers, “I forgot to tell you earlier, this is mine.” He pulled the tee shirt she’s wearing up her torso and as she lifts her arms so he pulls it over her head. The cold air leaving goosebumps all over her body as he looks at her. 

“Cal please.” She softly whines as his hands rest on her hips while he kisses her jaw to her neck. 

“What pretty girl? You’ve been driving me crazy all week.” He breathed as he groaned when he saw the waistband of her panties, “Fuck. No shorts tonight?” 

 She shook her head before she traced the tattoo between his collarbone and her fingertips grazed over his nipples. She ran her fingers over his tattoo as a loud groan left his lips and he looked in her eyes and bit his bottom lip, “It’s too hot.” She purred while his hands cupped her breasts.

 “Fuck.” She muttered as she bit her bottom lip in response to him softly  kissing  her neck. The pads of his thumbs slowly graze her nipples causing them to harden under his touch. His thumbs softly rubbed her nipples as he left open mouth kisses down her neck as she gripped his shoulders. 

She moaned softly as his thumbs softly tugged on her piercings, a gasp escaped her lips and he slowly moved his hands back down to her hips and the look in his eyes was unlike anything she’s ever seen.

He bit his lip and let go of her hips slowly stepped away from her, “Now you know what happens when you tease me.” He winked and her eyes narrowed at him as he walked by the fridge, “Sweet dreams pretty girl. Thanks for the shirt” He smirked as he walked back to his room and she couldn’t believe what just happened. 

What is a fever dream? Did Calum touch her like that and walk away?

t a g l i s t-  @pxrxmoore @sublimehood​ @talkfastromance4​ @ghostoflrh​ @calumscalm @mellifluoushood @calumthomcs @twilightmomentswithyou @boytoynamedcalum @ohhmuke @calswildflower @highscal @sanrioluke @softlrh @flowers-on-the-graves @currentlyupcalsass @clemmings @tirednotflirting @highfivecalum @idivedeeperforyou @mellifluoushood @malumsdildo @wastelandcth @tirednotflirting

[psychosistr]

Don’t Cost a Thing- Part 1

Summary: Steelbeak, well-known ladies man and chief officer of F.O.W.L., unintentionally ends up annoying his partner, Dominic Domino, by showering him with incredibly expensive and unwarranted gifts. Will he figure out the right way to earn the other bird’s attention?

Notes: This is a Steelbeak x OC fic starring the amazing character Dominic Domino by @thefriendlyfour​ / @eleanorose123 . If you want to learn more about him before diving into the fic, check him out here on her account then come back. Enjoy!

Deep beneath F.O.W.L. headquarters, agent Domino- or Dominic, depending on whom he was speaking to- made his way through the base’s large garage of cars to his own vehicle. It had been another long day of running missions and he was more than ready for the comfort and quiet of his own home.

As he approached the car, keys in hand and already planning out what the rest of his night would entail, something in the driver’s seat caught his eye. “Hm?” He peeked in through the window and spotted something that made him roll his eyes with a scowl on his long beak. “Not again..” He unlocked his door and reached in to pull the offending item out of his car and into the poor lighting of the garage.

The item in question was a small box wrapped in shiny metallic wrapping paper (steel colored, he realized) with a red ribbon tied around it. There was a small note tucked under the edge of the ribbon, but he didn’t even need to read it to know who it was from- with the box’s color scheme, it was pretty obvious.

Still, his eyes glanced at the card out of habit and he saw the expected combination of letters that was short but irritatingly familiar by now: “To- D.D., From- S.B.”

It was the same card that had appeared on every gift he’d received for the past six weeks, five days, and 22 hours- yes, he’d been counting. Dominic had been receiving these sorts of unwarranted presents at a steady rate of at least one every three to four days, all from the same person.

“Aw, c’mon- ya could at least humor me an’ open it, Deedee.” Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear…

Dominic spared a glance to one of the garage’s pillars and spotted his partner, Steelbeak, leaning casually against the tall column with his arms folded over his chest.

“Whatever it is, I don’t want it.” Dominic said while setting the box on the hood of the car next to his own. He then turned back to his own car and opened the door. “And quit breaking into my car- at this rate you’ll bust the locks.” He was about to get in, but a hand on the car’s door prevented him from closing it. “Steelbeak..” He said in a low, warning tone of voice.

“You ain’t leavin’ me a lot of options here, Dee.” Steelbeak said while looking down at his partner and not letting go of the door. He was careful to keep a couple of inches worth of space between his hand and Dominic’s own on the door, making sure they wouldn’t touch by accident. “Ya could at least open it.”

Dominic gripped his car door tighter in preparation. “Like I said-” He jerked the door out of his partner’s hand while putting his key in the ignition. “I don’t want it.” Before the rooster could get the chance to try continuing the conversation, Dominic started the car, closed and locked the door, and drove away from the parking lot, leaving the frustrated looking chicken behind to glare after him.

Some would call Dominic’s attitude towards his partner unnecessarily harsh. Some would say he was putting up walls that didn’t need to be there. And some others (like Steelbeak himself) would say that he needed to remove the stick from his backside and loosen up a little.

To each and every one of those people, Dominic would simply say in return that they needed to shut it and mind their own business. They weren’t the ones that had to deal with Steelbeak and his constant barrage of unwarranted gifts that were, frankly, becoming a hassle to deal with.

Arriving at his apartment and opening the front door, he could instantly tell that something was…off. Not in the life-threatening “assassin hiding in the coat closet preparing to kill him (again)” way, more like the “someone was in here earlier and already left but he could still practically smell their high-dollar cologne” way.

Closing his eyes and taking a quick inhale confirmed Dominic’s theory. He took off his hat and coat, hanging them neatly in the foyer closet before following the now-familiar scent through his apartment.

Jasmine and roses in the front doorway.

Carnations, lavender, and lily of the valley in the living room.

Cedar and sandalwood as he passed the kitchen.

Tonka beans, musk, and a few assorted spices down the hallway.

Then, finally, the spicy final piece to that distinctive combination- red pepper, cloves, and black pepper- when he opened the door to his bedroom.

“Carrion Poivre.” Dominic stated as he scanned his bedroom for any anomalies. “There’s only one person I know with THAT taste in cologne.”

Then, he spotted it. Sitting like a flare in an empty street in the middle of the night, there it was- the silver present with the red bow, right on the foot of his bed on top of the black duvet.

To be even more exact, it was in the same spot he always sat down on when he got home while changing his clothes. The fact that Steelbeak knew THAT (there were no cameras in his home, he’d checked for them countless times by now) bothered him far more than how the present had wound up there in the first place- after all, they were spies, and stealing or leaving items behind in nearly unexplainable ways was part of their job description. He could already see the many possible ways it could have been done- Steelbeak could have taken a jet to beat him home, or he could have taken an underground tunnel, or “borrowed” some new teleportation technology from the lab, or the present before was just a fake and he’d already snuck in earlier to leave the real one there long before he entered the garage, or he could have hacked into the city’s traffic control system and delayed him with the ludicrously high number of red lights he’d run into on the way home-

Dominic stopped himself before his mind could continue conjuring up scenarios. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then let it out slowly. He was NOT going to let this get to him.

Walking over to the bed, he brushed the offending box aside so that he could continue his daily routine in peace.

He succeeded in ignoring the tacky silver paper-wrapped package for as long as it took him to change back into his regular every-day clothes. However, as he adjusted his shirt, he saw the metallic paper gleaming in the light and his curiosity finally got the better of him.

Picking the present up from where he’d knocked it over on the bed, Dominic untied the ribbon before neatly plucking open the sides of the wrapping paper without tearing it (the tape was hidden better this time- his skill at wrapping these was improving). With the paper gone, he saw an unmarked black jewelry box inside.

Opening the box revealed a watch. Not just any watch, he noted- a genuine Crowlex. It was part of their newer series that he’d seen advertised in some of his magazines recently, the oyster perpetual set. He had to admit, it was tastefully designed with its black metallic face, stainless steel band, and the myriad of diamonds all over the watch. It was nice, but more than a bit ostentatious for his liking, something he’d probably save for a classier event such as a black-tie party or-

No. That train of thought was stopping RIGHT THERE.

Getting up from his bed, Dominic walked over to his dresser and opened the third drawer on the right side- the one that his mind was beginning to label as “The Steelbeak Drawer”. Opening it revealed a plethora of equally expensive trinkets: Diamond studded cufflinks, a jewel encrusted tie-pin, an assortment of gold and silver rings, and a bottle of cologne studded all the way around with genuine Swanovski crystals.

Dominic placed the watch in the drawer next to the bottle of cologne before closing it again. He then gathered up the wrapping paper and ribbon, threw them away in the waste basket by his bed, and went about the rest of his day as if his partner hadn’t broken into his apartment just to leave a gift worth thousands of dollars on his bed in a vain attempt to buy his attention.

It wouldn’t work, anyway- he wouldn’t LET IT work.

Next Part->

End Notes: Kept the intro short since the second part’s a bit longer ^^” FYI- I’m setting all of these to post in the morning around the same time, but I’ll be going back and editing the links to each chapter once they’re up.

Also, sorry for all of the fancy brand puns, I just couldn’t resist xD

For anyone who didn’t get all of the item references, here: Carrion Poivre is a play on Caron Poivre- an expensive gender neutral perfume/cologne that costs about $1,000 an ounce and felt like something Steelbeak would use. Crowlex is obviously a play on Rolex, and the watch is a real one (though this video offers a better look at it). And finally, Swanovski crystals is a play on Swarovski crystals and they actually do make their own perfume/cologne line (ironically called Bond no. 9 xD).

[grinnoire]

in an effort to obliterate prototype 2 from my mind here's a list of hcs for a dana-is-fine-now 5yrs later self-indulgent au

alex, dana, and ragland moved to canada via some -cough- slightly illegal maneuvers, so blackwatch can't move in on them even when they find alex again at risk of causing an international incident

(basically canada is like "hes been here for 5 years and its been fine, also if youre gonna provoke THAT then do it on US soil bc we know what happened to manhattan and do NOT want a repeat in toronto (also, cranky bc your bioweapon is ours now arent you)")

(everyone thinks ragland died after contact with ZEUS but he's fine and lives down the street.)

so mostly blackwatch just spies on the gang as they get up to dumb slice-of-life stuff

alex got a bachelor's in psychology (doing one of the "hard" sciences would feel like too much of a repeat and he's soul-searching) and now has a job as a forensic psychologist. mostly he's everyone's paperwork jockey because he doesn't complain when they dump theirs on him, but sometimes he gets to decide who gets to sit on jury duty. this drives blackwatch absolutely nuts

dana is working as an editor for a local magazine. she still keeps up with news journalism on her free time, but she’s decided to take it easy after everything that happened and the job pays pretty well.

dana has more or less come to terms with virus brother, mostly because every other week he goes on some dark and broody rant about being a monster/hearing the screams of those he's killed/his innate desire as a virus to kill consume assimilate infect, and you kinda just get used to it after a while

alex got a deal with a local slaughterhouse to buy some of their stock from them, since he likes his meat so raw it's still mooing. literally. they are convinced he's either a butcher or a cultist but you know what, that's his business

dana starts referring to the real alex mercer as just "my big brother," and not by name. similarly, she usually calls alex by name, but she also refers to him as her little brother, and when joking in private, her baby brother (he is five and she will never not find that funny)

she also really does think of him as a kid, and notes that one of the most divergent traits he has from the real alex (besides empathy) is how easily he trusts people (she jokes that she worries he'll get lured out into a white van behind the mall with promises of meat). he's also super dramatic about EVERYTHING, so her impression of him has slowly morphed from "scary semi-insane virus man but still a step up from my actual brother" to "haha, kid brother who sucks at smash bros"

since alex doesnt sleep, he usually whiles away the nighttime hours by hunting (he's got a permit and everything, at dana's insistence) or playing video games

he's REALLY GOOD at rhythm games but plays with the sound off ("it's distracting, dana" "it's The Point Of The Game, alex") and he's shit at fighting games ("have you ever considered NOT charging blindly in on me clearly about to unleash an ultimate").

he's also not great at puzzle games and dana has caught him melted into a pile of meat moss over professor layton before. this is in spite of his constant claims to have consumed some of gentek's most brilliant minds, so it only further cemented dana's "kid brother" impression

alex: i dont have a preference for toppings so i get everything on it since i dont eat with my mouth anyways. thousands of dead men's preferences means no preferences -later, after dana has forced him to try things using taste buds- alex: can i get a large pineapple and anchovy pizza with alfredo sauce instead of tomato the guy at domino's: im arresting you for pizza crimes

an argument they constantly rehash is that dana insists that alex should try shopping for real clothes while alex insists he can just shapeshift into whatever clothes he wants. this has, on one occasion, led to neighbors in the hallway overhearing alex yelling angrily that "IM ALWAYS NAKED, DANA"

dana is a big lesbian and kicks alex out of the apartment when she's got "friends" over. they both know what dana's up to but dana insists that her five-year-old brother "will understand when he gets older" when he complains about it

most people that know alex thinks he has no sense of humor. this is untrue. he just has a very limited one and very dull reactions. but one time dana showed him this

and he let out an involuntary snort/giggle and then looked very confused and kind of scared, like he had no idea what that sound was or where it came from

most people believe alex’s brows drawn, eyes narrowed glare means he’s angry, but dana knows that that’s actually his “i’m confused” look. this is also the look alex wears 70-80% of the time.

(his actual “i’m angry” look is brows drawn, eyes wide open)

alex has a tendency to blurt out random factoids, like a walking trivia book. these facts are ALWAYS morbid and he ALWAYS only realizes that after he’s said it out loud. dana goes “i think i’m coming down with a flu that’s been going around work” and alex goes “huh, you know flus cause 200,000 hospitalization and 3,000 deaths every year” and dana gives him a Look and he pauses for a long moment before adding in a “sorry”. dana actually thinks this habit might be a leftover from how OG alex mercer liked to mansplain, but when this alex does it it’s less insufferable and more just awkward, so she doesn’t mind it that much

“butterflies can taste with their feet. I can also do that, if i try.”  “awesome, alex”

they have separate rooms since they both make a decent amount and live a ways out from the big city, and dana’s looks pretty normal, slightly messy, and alex’s is, hm. dana keeps insisting he try decorating it and actually putting stuff in it, so it’s home to his attempt at interior decor. the room features: a bookshelf crammed full of old textbooks and basically anything remotely novel-like that he could buy from the clearance rack, 2 (two) whole deer skeletons, picked entirely clean, a large, stainless-steel industrial-grade refrigerator/freezer unit (full of huge slabs of meat), the world’s loneliest computer desk and chair, a moldy cantaloupe in a glass box on the windowsill (”alex what is that” “i’m growing penicillin” “...why?”), a tiny photo of him and dana in a really big frame hanging on the wall, and also framed, dana’s MRI scans showing that she suffered no lasting effects from the infection. dana has had her partners accidentally walk into that room instead of hers and then call the cops. she kinda wants to say something to him about it, but since one of alex’s most common broody speech topics is how he doesn’t feel like he has a personality of his own, and since what he does have in his room certainly shows...”personality,” she figures she’ll leave it alone.

whenever a coworker starts to get friendly with him, alex pulls them aside to let them know he’s actually the blacklight virus that ravaged manhattan. he doesn’t actually use his powers because frankly it takes more energy than his current dietary plan can make back, but he insists until the coworker goes “haha okay, okay, i got it.” no one actually believes him but alex is convinced they all do, and dana has never been around for this to correct his mistake

[butchblooms-blog]

When it gets weird

When it gets weird, it gets really weird. Unsurprisingly, she says she's been asked to do to a ton of weird things including: "I spanked my ass with a spatula" and "I've recited Shakespeare while fingering myself. Fortunately, she views those moments as "funny awkward. Plus, she says she refuses to do things all the time and only does what she feels comfortable with. If anything, she says the job made her realize "the importance of boundaries, expressing what you like, and really allowing yourself to feel comfortable and free to enjoy sex.Working an eight-hour day, she earns close to 4,000 euros (£3,600) per month - nearly 10 times the Romanian average wage. As Lana's employer, Studio 20 also makes 4,000 euros per month from her online sessions. And at the top of the video chat money-making pyramid, LiveJasmin - the online cam site that streams Studio 20's content and is responsible for collecting payment from the credit cards of clients - takes double that: 8,000 euros. "What can a member do to me? If he crosses a line or even if he is rude to me, I just click the mouse and stop it. And I can talk to the administrator on the website and they ban the IP address, so the guy can never enter again even if he changes his nickname. I mean, those people are thousands of miles away from me. They don't touch you - nobody touches you. You go online alone and you work online alone. This has nothing to do with prostitution.Each network will ask you to fill out a brief bit of biographical information — list your interests, and try to sound fun — and then check a box or pull down a menu saying that you're 18 or above. You'll need to submit some sort of identification proving your age, but with standards low, laws international, and documents scanned, forging such a thing is a cinch, making underage cam girls a real problem.

Her conditions at the next studio were bare at best, and at times the most personal privacy she had, while performing for strangers on live camera, were a few hanging sheets separating her from the others walking in and out of some rundown flat. Although she was the frequent victim of what would certainly qualify as flagrant, physical sexual harassment in any other business, Anna stuck through it, priding herself on her ability to talk a path out of a "bad situation" with male employers.That wasn't always the case. Before she started stripping — both online and off — Domino was a suit: working at a Fortune 500 company as a graphic designer. She quit the firm out of boredom in 2010, and now mainly flexes her aesthetic skills to push her online sex shows. Unlike most cam girls, Domino isn't affiliated with a network like LiveJasmin. She's completely independent, streaming strip and fetish sex shows from her home studio, straight from a website she built herself. Stripping at a local joint came first, but after breaking her wrist, Domino segued away from brick and mortar clubs. She'd heard there was good money to be made doing pretty much the same stuff online — and she could be her own boss.But the English teacher, Andrea, has a remit that goes far beyond language skills.There are still big ticket European customers these days, men who Anna is reluctant to call "addicted", but "spend more time... you need to entertain those people who are going to stay for hours and hours in your room, even if they finished what they came for — they want to get to know you. Either way, camming keeps Anna in comfy sweatpants and Fanta.

The first time I went private with a guy I freaked the fuck out. All he wrote was get naked. And so far all Id done in a chat room was flash my boobs for an influx of tokens. I froze up in stage ­fright and closed the room. In my group chat I wrote: Sorry, cam froze. And I logged off for the night.No, this isn't what they want to do forever. Granted, there might be some cam models who want to do this for life, but she says that's not the case for her. She finished her degree while being a cam girl and was also accepted into grad school. Camming helped her pay her bills so she didn't need to take out a loan, but she says "I realise [sic] I wont be in my twenties forever. I'll need to work a 'real' job. And I will :) Wearing clothes.Inside, Studio 20 feels like the Paramount Pictures of camming. You walk in and theres hallways and hallways of rooms. One of them is decorated for a surfer girl, one of them is a girly teen-looking bedroom, one has teddy bears, one has a stripper pool, one is a fake bathroom with a tub. And theyre all just these fake sets where one side is a bedroom and the other side has a huge monitor, camera, computer, and professional lighting.That week I became somewhat obsessed. I scribbled notes on receipts every time I thought about something, I analyzed the way that my colleagues spoke and acted, the way that the clients at the club behaved, in greater depth than I ever before had. I wanted to know what it was that we were doing - of course, we were taking off our clothes and dancing, but were we really doing? CONTINUED BELOW...

[meanblondez-blog]

It is illegal in Romania

It is illegal in Romania for a man and woman to webcam together, but it is impossible to say how commonly the law is flouted in the way Oana describes. She went on to work as a prostitute in Germany, until she found the courage to return to Bucharest and a new life. Now she works in sex work prevention - talking to young women about her experiences, and trying to persuade them of the danger of video chat.Each network will ask you to fill out a brief bit of biographical information — list your interests, and try to sound fun — and then check a box or pull down a menu saying that you're 18 or above. You'll need to submit some sort of identification proving your age, but with standards low, laws international, and documents scanned, forging such a thing is a cinch, making underage cam girls a real problem.But the English teacher, Andrea, has a remit that goes far beyond language skills.I choose who I perform for, when I will perform and for how long it will last. I choose how I perform. When I dance, I feel like I have found liberation in the free expression of my sexuality, in a world that usually tells me to be ashamed of my body. And it is true, I do feel a curious kind of control over those who watch me, a feeling that is so far removed from the usual feeling of my body being controlled by men in my everyday life. I have felt more objectified being a waitress where I politely and quietly serve the needs of men than I do as a stripper.

Would I recommend it? It's up to the individual (obviously), just make sure you do your research and find other women in the industry to go to for advice.As with most sex work, webcamming doesn’t have the best reputation. It’s often seen as exploitation or a last-resort hustle to pay off debt, but Reed Amber, 26, explains how webcam models are just your average self-employed freelancers with the same amount of agency and independence as anyone else.MyFreeCams, one of the most popular of the cam portals, has a domain registered to a Leo Radvinsky, and a legal contact in the Netherlands.In the heart of Bucharest on the pavement outside a tall apartment building a group of young women smoke, talk and laugh. It is an unremarkable scene. Except that in the bright morning sunlight, their heavy makeup, sky-high heels and shiny, revealing clothes contrast with the sensible, summer dress of passers-by.

This comes off as somewhere between cynicism and naive denial, but the fact that she knows of any girls at all who've raped and beaten suggests that it is, at the very least, a real occupational hazard.Even so, it’s clear that Ona Artist really likes her job. People get into sex work for various reasons, but I think that what’s left out of the conversation around sex work a lot of the time is that some girls get into sex work autonomously because they want to, because they enjoy it, and because the money is good. Ona Artist got into camming because a photo of her butt went viral and she realized she could capitalize off of it.Inside, Studio 20 feels like the Paramount Pictures of camming. You walk in and there’s hallways and hallways of rooms. One of them is decorated for a surfer girl, one of them is a girly teen-looking bedroom, one has teddy bears, one has a stripper pool, one is a fake bathroom with a tub. And they’re all just these fake sets where one side is a bedroom and the other side has a huge monitor, camera, computer, and professional lighting.It also gives Domino a chance to indulge in her geeky professionalism: "I like being able to network with people who aren't my strip club customers, [and] it's a way for me to see how good I am at SEO and social media." This is fun for her. Domino says she's "always been a very sexual person," so while camming is tiring, of course, on-camera kink isn't onerous, if you can put the monotony aside. CONTINUED BELOW...

[that-fandom-sucks-tho]

Circuits of the Heart

Title: Chapter 1: Just Look Up What a Hug is Okay?

Warnings: Small amount of swearing

Summary: Circuit (code name) is the newest member at Mount Justice and your first meeting with the team. Interactions with humans are hard especially if your brain is a computer and your technokinesis only allows you to connect with technology. And especially if one of those people is Nightwing.

A/N: So um this is my reintroduction into writing. This is an old idea I stumbled across because of nostalgia. It can be read as Nightwing x reader/ OC because only the characters code name is used. It's a slow burn so not too much romance touchy feely stuff. Umm like this if you want more because this is only like 6 pages of the 11 I have so far. (I just didn't know where to split it so it kinda just ends)

Chapter 2  Chapter 3  Chapter 4  Chapter 5  Chapter 6  Chapter 7 Chapter 8

I entered feeling more nervous than ever. Batman was to my side and basically dragging me along to the training area.  He said that was where most of my new teammates were. I was in my new costume, it was a metallic gray color with purple and yellow trim.  It helped me to better connect with technology because of its a metallic inlay and magnetized fingers. Before all of this I didn’t have a special suit or a special name.   I was just a girl who liked to play with computers. I was just the hacker girl trying to figure my way into the Wayne Enterprises computer system.

Now I was a girl being dragged by Batman through mount justice to meet a bunch of people I didn’t really want to.  It is not like I hadn’t thoroughly searched through my new teammates background and history; I knew everything about everyone and probably some things even they didn’t know about themselves.  So when I saw Artemis's green suit my mind immediately began to swim with sportsman, cheshire, and tigress, etc. I hadn’t meant to but I put Artemis’ entire life into graphs and numbers.

“ Hi I’m-”

“Artemis number B07 one of the newer members of the team besides Zatanna and now me.  Age 19.”

Artemis just stared and then laughed “ Hey Wonder Boy we’ve got a new you on the team.”

Though Batman was my mentor I hadn’t yet met any of his other prodige. Batman said it was because I wasn’t really part of the bat fam.  Which I tried to pretend didn’t hurt but it did a little bit. Sure I had actual powers but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t belong with them.

“I told you not to call me that or I’d call you Mrs. West.”  A tall boy with black hair turned and said this. I recognized Nightwing immediately from the hours of research I did.  He had his signature black and blue suit and domino mask.

Artemis yelled and lunged but a girl with green skin (probably Miss Martian) held her back. “You are so luck Wally’s not here and M’gann is or you’d have an arrow to the jugular.” Artemis said with a cool glare. Then Nightwing turned to face you.

“Hi the name is Nightwing.  Not Wonder Boy.” He winked from under his mask.

“No your real name is Di-”  I started.

“Woah woah lets not let that slip.”  Intervened Batman hastily.

Nightwing looked shocked that I might know his real name.  “How in the world could you know my real name?”

“It’s part of my powers.”

“I thought you had a way with technology not fortune telling.” Nightwing joked still staring at me intently.  I shifted under his gaze suddenly feeling like he could see my circuits.

“No I can hack any database, write any algorithm, and program any tracker I need. Finding out who you are was easier than hacking NASA, the Pentagon, and the NSA at the same time.”

“Well my new team mate that is quite impressive I am sure you will be a valuable asset to us.”  For some reason that made me blush. I had never had such a strong reaction to a person. Being a tech mutation made people all that much more confusing and incompatible to my brain.

I immediately took two steps back and added the peculiar reaction to my database on Dick Grayson. I turned to face M’gann.

“Hello M’gann B05 from the now deceased planet Mars.” M’gann smiled and offered no other reaction to my greeting.

“You can just call Megan and I am so excited for you to join this team and become part of our little family.” Megan went in for a hug but I didn’t understand the movement. Stiff and confused and awkward I just stood there as Megan wrapped her arms around me.

“What is it that you are doing? Is this a normal human social interaction?” I inquired in a clipped tight voice. My eyes were wide and were looking at my fellow teammates. Most were trying to hold in their amused laughs.

Megan quickly let go and stared at me in shock.

“You don’t know what a hug is?”

“Well I know theoretically what a hug is. It is the joining of two bodies in an embrace. Is that what you were trying to accomplish?” At my mentioning ‘the joining of two bodies’ the whole team burst into laughter. When I heard Nightwing laughing I felt a heated rush to the apples of my cheeks.

Again with this strange reaction to him. I was going to have to investigate this further.

“Well, um, kind of… I guess?” Megan responded with confusion.

“As much fun as it is to see teenagers fumble with social interactions, I’d like to help settle Circuit  so she can get started as quickly as possible” Batman motioned for me to follow him to the housing arrangement he had set up for me.

Growing up in a lab that doesn’t exist anymore means I don’t have a lot of places to stay. Walking down the hallway that is an odd amalgamation of metal and rock, I sorted through my internal memory to find the schematics of Mount Justice. Hacking the system was pretty easy and my first mission will be to change that.

Batman showed me to my room and informed me that my boxes had been delivered earlier and that I should unpack my belongings and try again to interact with the team.

“Look I know that your childhood was, less that optimal in the interacting with humans part, but you have an infinite memory and can learn anything you download so just, look up what a hug is” Batman said before turning with a dramatic swish of his cape.

I turned to face my door. There was a lock on the door and I realise I wasn’t given a key or passcode. These were the moments that my powers came in handy. I had technokinesis and while in the lab they turned my brain into a computer. Basically by touching any technology I could control and interact with it. From hacking to controlling weaponry, as long as it had a microchip it was mine to mess with. The brain part, while a little messed up, meant my body acted more like an interface for a motherboard rather than organs. It also meant that the memories stores in my old brain were no longer mine. I has no idea what my life was before the lab.

I reached out and touched the keypad. Instantly I felt the connection and how the electronic was just waiting for my command. Technology was a living and breathing being to me. I felt the pulse of its electricity and how it spoke to me in binary. Closing my eyes I told the little box to open up for her. It immediately flashed ‘open’.

Walking through the threshold I took in my new living quarters. A single twin bed was pushed off into a corner. Three walls were the metal that outfited the volcano hideout and the other wall was the volcanic rock. A desk with a computer was off to my right. Just from looking at it I could tell it was inferior to my needs. I’d have to make improvements. As Batman had said my boxes were already in the room. I didn’t have much so packing would not take me long.

By the time I was done the room hadn’t really changed. There was a new pillow on the bed and the desk was now covered in random computer parts that I has been experimenting on. The closet that had only contained a thin layer of dust now had my few outfits. I decided that this was as good as it was gonna get and that I should greet the rest of the team. Hopefully with less awkwardness. I followed Batman’s instructions and downloaded basic interaction procedures. Hugs, hands shakes, and common greetings were apart of this new information. Sifting through it would take a while so I just add the protocols to my programming.

Using the schematics I found the kitchen/ living room. Sitting on the couch playing video games were Kid Flash and Nightwing. Kaldur was on the adjacent loveseat with a book. Megan and Superboy were sitting on the stools along the kitchen counter talking.     As I walked in the group turned to look at me. Locking onto my newly learned social interaction protocols I stepped forward to greet some of the new members. Kaldur was the person that was closest to me so I walked up to him first.

“Hello Kaldur B02. I am offering my hand for the customary human greeting” I held my hand out to shake Kaldur’s. My movements were sharp and choppy but the general idea was there.

“Ah yes that is the customary greeting and it is nice to meet you Circuit.” Kaldur laughed light heartedly.

“Thank you, I downloaded basic human interactions since I messed up meeting Megan,“ I looked over at Megan in embarrassment, “human’s social interactions still vex me but I’m working on it.”

“You said ‘human’ as though you are not one. Are you not human?” Kaldur questioned.

I could tell that the rest of the team was also expecting the answer. I took a second to ponder the question.

“Well, genetically I am of a human species but,“ I paused trying to figure out how to put the next part of my sentence, “ my brain is now a computer and there are parts of me that contain circuits. Would you count that as human or something else?”

They all sat and puzzled the question I had proposed. It seemed that no one had an answer. A sudden breeze and a whooshing sound were accompanied by an arm around my shoulder.

“Whatever you are you’re hot and I’ll help you with all the ‘interactions’ you want.” The red headed Wally West stated, a smirk he assumed was smooth was plastered on his face.

“I do not believe that I have a fever. My internal alarm would have told me and the temperature of this room is at 69 degrees. So my outer temperature is also at baseline.” I rattled off with a confused expression.

Wally’s confidence was now shattered due to the misunderstanding of his compliment and the fact that he would no have to spell it out for me. Trying to pick up the pieces he continued on.

“No, um, I meant that you are attractive. Like your appearance.”

“Oh, well I have no protocols for that but we can participate in a hug if you wish?”

“Boy would I-” Wally was cut off by Nightwing shoving him to the side. He turned and glared at Wally.

“Dude leave the poor girl alone, she doesn’t understand and we don’t need you to corrupt her.”  He lectured as Wally rubbed where he had hit his head. Wally sat up grumbling.

“I was just gonna hug the girl geesh.”

Nightwing turned and faced you with an apologetic look.

“Sorry about that he hasn’t learned his manners yet.”

Nightwing put his hand on the small of my back and glided me over to where Superboy and Megan were.

“This is Superboy and you already met Megan.”

Superboy greeted my in a grunt and head nod. I nodded back and smiled. This was my favorite meeting, quick and simple, no mess human things.

“So now that you have met the whole team just get comfortable and make yourself at home.” Nightwing offered a smile that made my stomach feel fluttery. Again these symptoms were peculiar to me.

[nocrying-offical]

Darkest Hour

I’m never sure where to start about my father. He’s a tall man, six foot one. Silent and solemn if he’s not angry. Alcoholic. Smoked on and off. Ex military. Easy to anger. Scary when angry. Played favorites with me and my brothers. He praised David but was clinical with him. He chose to spend time with me because I was quiet and, if something went wrong, it was Eli’s fault. Always. That’s how I would describe him.

I hid under my older brothers and never saw my father’s wrath because I was the baby. Most of our time spent together was watching TV or quiet board games. He taught me dominoes during a snowstorm, chess in the fall and even mahjong, something he picked up in his army days. I don’t know if he liked me the best, it was obvious he was the most proud of David, but I spent the most time with him. So… I knew. It didn’t surprise me when it finally came to.

Dad liked to drink and when he drank he was easier to set off. He took it out a lot on the twins and my mom by blaming them for things out of our control. Sometimes the cops were called because the screaming was so loud, especially since Eli would instigate out of confused anger. So, I think to ease things with everybody, Dad used to take long camping trips with his old war buddy, Adam. I don’t know how long they knew each other, my mom made it seem like longer than she knew him. But whatever happened to dad’s eye Adam was there for.

I noticed… Their body language with each other. The way Adam would laugh whenever Dad made a joke. The way Adam was the only one who made Dad crack a smile. They whispered to each other when Mom wasn’t in the room a lot. Adam was always there when the family needed him. If Eli got into a fight at school he would ease it over, if we needed new school clothes Adam would take us, if my mom started considering more shifts at the diner Adam would hand her envelopes with cash. He always helped with Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays… In a lot of ways Adam was like our uncle but… Brothers don’t act like Dad and he did. I’m not sure if anybody noticed that but me.

I was 11 when it happened. My brothers had just turned 14. Late June of 2000. The twins were interested in completing video games and enjoying summer. I was noticing both David and Eli’s shifts into becoming teenagers and not kids at that point. My relationship with my brothers was reaching this turning point and being the baby felt like it meant being left behind.

Mom was trying to do some deep cleaning in her bedroom, looking for an old pocket knife she promised Eli. She never found it. She did, however, find old letters in a cookie tin. Some were dated two years ago at the time. Some way back to the mid 80’s. I remember her crying so much that afternoon and Eli sitting with her trying to figure out what was wrong but, all she could muster was “your father has some explaining to do.” Dad was supposed to go on one of his trips with Adam that evening. So, maybe it was fate but I think there was never a knife to begin with.

David and I were taking turns at the Playstation by this point. I had the gist of the game down and pointed out a strategy Eli hadn’t thought of. So, while he was in the other room comforting our mom, we just tried to keep out of it.

I looked over to my brother, “Do you know what those letters said?”

He shook his head as I made my next move on the TV.

“I think Dad is seeing somebody.” I said this quietly, just throwing the idea out there in the open.

“Yeah?” David’s face scrunched up with a mixture of worry and doubt, “Do you think they’ll divorce? Then we’ll get split up?”

I paused and sighed, looking over at him, “Maybe.”

There was a long silence as we both stared at the television. This wasn’t the first, or last, time our father made Mom cry like this.

David spoke up quietly, “I just wish he didn’t put me on the spot and make all of you feel bad. Sometimes I think about being bad at school so Eli would feel better but whenever I fuck up he still compares us.”

I could feel my face sagging with sadness, “Sometimes... I feel bad that he only likes spending time with me because I’m so quiet. I’m afraid if he leaves he’ll split me from you two.”

David looked me dead in the eye, “I’ll never let that happen. Okay? I promise. None of us will ever be split up. We’re all in this together.”

I nodded.

“I taped some old Nitro if you just wanna watch something.” My brother tried to force a smile.

I shrugged and we screwed around with the TV to get the Playstation unplugged and the VCR hooked up. David started to rewind the tape and as I put the game console back into the entertainment cabinet, my mom came out into the livingroom, “David? Caleb? Do you know where you put your baseball bat?”

We both looked at each other with worry and I stammered, “Um, I left it out on the back patio last week.”

“Okay. Well... It’s almost time for your father to come home. I want the three of you to stay inside. Promise me, okay?”

We back at each other and nodded as Mom left through the back door from the kitchen. Eli came out of the hallway shortly after, looking around, “Mom went outside?”

I nodded.

“You might wanna turn off wrestling, something better is about to go down.”

I reached over and turned off the VCR player, watching Eli get on the couch and peek out the window it was sitting up against, kneeling low. David murmured, furrowing his brow, “What’s going on?”

“Come and watch.” he grinned, biting his lower lip in anticipation.

We both got up on the couch and peeked out of the beige and red checkered curtains, catching a glimpse of our mom standing in the driveway with a louisville slugger.

David squinted, “What the hell is going on?”

“Dad’s cheating on Mom. Those letters were filthy but I could only read what mom left on the table when she wasn’t looking. It was like something out of Playboy. And she packed bags for all of us except him. She purposefully unpacked his shit for his trip this weekend.”

My oldest brother looked over at me and we exchanged looks.

Eli glanced beside himself, “You knew?”

I shrugged.

He frowned and went back to looking out the window, “Help me open this real quiet.”

The three of us gently cracked open the front window, hoping to hear whatever argument was about to ensue.

About five minutes passed and I let out almost a whimper, “I hope nobody gets hurt.”

“Shut up.”

Eventually, The sound of crunching gravel in the driveway and the hum of a Chevy Silverado slowly came into earshot. One by one we turned around quickly, afraid to be seen peeking from the curtains.

“Did you see-”

“Yes.” David whispered.

I reached out and I held my older brother’s hand. Both of us went into a cold sweat hearing the truck turn off. I mouthed “Don’t let him, please.” and my brother nodded, chewing on his cheek.

The car door popped open, “What’s wrong?” It was my father.

“Why don’t you tell me that, Huh? What the fuck is wrong? You wanna tell me?”

Another car door opened, “Janet.” Uncle Adam.

A hiss from gritted teeth escaped from my mom’s lips, “Oh. You stay the fuck away from me you cocksucker.”

“Let’s just talk about this like adults, alright?” There’s no reason to bring out a bat.”

“Oh. But it’s fine to throw bottles at me? Huh? Or threaten to stab your own son?”

I opened my eyes and caught Eli wincing. David whispered he was going to bring our luggage into the living room and got up, clearing his throat.

“Does he tell you about that Adam, huh, when he’s fucking your ass in the woods?”

“Janet!”

Eli let out this noise that was halfway between a snort and a gasp.

“Dad’s gay?” David whispered, dropping all four suitcases.

His twin slowly tried to take a peek at the backpedaling going on outside, “That doesn’t even make sense. But-” He slid back down into the couch, “Maybe that’s why he hates us so much. We’re not family to him.”

“Just a cover.” David finished.

“Let me just take my shit and go. Nobody has to get hurt, Okay?”

“Oh! That’s how you think it’s gonna go? I’m just gonna let you pack your bags and leave? No. You are not getting into that trailer.”

”Fine I’ll jus-”

There was a loud crack, and then two male scream. We heard keys jingling and then quick stomping up the stairs. As the door slammed open our mom screamed, leaning into the house, “Boys!”

The three of us scrambled to grab our old thrift store luggage. David offered to carry Mom’s and in almost one swift motion, we were in the backseat of the truck. I’m not sure how, or where, but mom got ahold of Dad’s hunting rifle. She slung it over her back, still holding the bat as she ushered us into the car.

I never saw where Dad or Adam were during that, especially since between the luggage and the three of us it was like a clown car in the extended cab. We drove until the first stoplight in silence and then mom instructed David to take the rifle and put it under the backseat, along with the bat.

I finally spoke up, “Mom?”

“Mh.”

“D-... Did you kill dad?”

She shook her head, “No, he’ll live.”

“Where are we going?”

Eli sighed heavily.

My mom looked up into the rear mirror, “We’re going to Grandma’s, okay? It’s going to be okay.”

We eventually moved the luggage into the truck bed and Mom stopped to kiss all three of us on the head before heading back on the road. The three of us were getting to be as tall as her at this point and she commented how there will be a day where she wouldn’t reach our heads anymore. The evening set into night,and we stopped at a dirty truck stop for dinner when god knows when. Mom dug up some quarters and called her mother outside while we got back in the car. It took a few tries before somebody answered

“No Ma, He- There were letters.”

I watched Eli roll up his window so he could rest his head against it. David had been using an old jean jacket as a blanket and started to nod off.

“Please don’t do this now.”

The conversation on the phone very clearly went nowhere and was extremely short. We didn’t go to our grandmother’s.

[itshollandsgirl]

WE WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES // Sam and Colby, Corey Scherer, Amanda Swearingen, (Y/F/L/N)

"Whoa whoa whoa, guys sh. Do you hear that?" Elton said. 

Everyone stood silently, my hand in Colby's tight grip. 

"Get out! Get out of here!" 

"Oh shit!" "Oh fuck" "Everyone run now!" 

 ~3 hours prior~ 

"Come on, babe, it'll be fun." Colby begged.

For the past week Colby has been trying to persuade me to go with him and everyone else to an abandon building to shoot another TFIL video. Colby knows how much I hate those videos because I'm always worried about his safety. He always has to be the one who dangerously climbs things or trips or cuts himself, just thinking about it makes me sick. He always tries to convince me to come so I watch out for him, I would but I don't because I hate scary places as well. 

"Can't you just sit this one out and let everyone else go? Stay with me safe in the comfort of your bed or we could go explore a Domino's. Doesn't that sound like fun?" I tried to persuade him, but I couldn't even persuade myself to seeing that as fun. “(Y/N), even you can’t convince yourself to that sounding fun. Just this once, please? If you go, we’ll spend a day doing whatever you want and I won’t complain.” Colby dealed. “Whatever I want..” “Anything.”  “Where are we going and who died?” I sighed in defeat.

Colby threw his hands up in victory before kissing my face.

~1 hour prior~

“What’s up everybody, we are here tonight at Linda Vista Hospital. It’s said to haunted by people who were mistreated during their time here. It closed because so many people died and many doctors left. So we’re here to investigate!” Elton started off the video.

We began our walk to the the front of the building and I was holding onto Colby’s hand for dear life. I do not like this. I hate this. I hate scary things, but yet this gives me an exciting feeling inside. I never do things like this, so it’s a bit intriguing. Elton was behind us talking to Sam and Amanda about ghost stories from this place.

“Colby this is exciting yet terrifying. Are you sure this is safe?” I asked. “Babe you’ll be fine, I’ll make sure nothing hurts you. Nothing will ever hurt you.” Colby said pulling me closer and kissing head. “God I’m in love you.” I sighed. “I love you too.” He chuckled.

I looked up at him and leaned for a kiss but I stopped and my eyes grew wide.

“(Y/N), are you okay?” Colby asked. “Elton, everyone do you see that?” I asked pointing to the building. “No. No. No. No.” Corey said. “What the fuck.” Amanda said. “I thought you said this place was abandoned?” Sam said. “Holy shit, no I’m not going in there.” I said.

In dead center of the hospital, a light was on. The building was closed in 1997 and has’t been used since. So why the hell is there a light on?!

“Maybe we could say hi to whoever is in there.” Elton joked. “How do we know they’re alive? Maybe it’s a ghost.” I said. “Well, I guess we’ll just find out.” He said fulling out the devil’s board. “No. No. No. Colby you didn’t tell me he had that.” I said smacking his arm. “What? You scared? We haven’t even entered the building yet.” Elton said. “I don’t fuck with that shit Elton. I’m dead serious.” I said. “Well then you don’t have to do it, just watch.” He compromised.

We finally make it into the hospital and I’m ready to leave. Colby held the flash light as we explored the abandoned hospital. There was rubble everywhere along with rats and bugs. Gross. 

“Should we split up or stay together?” Elton asked. “Stay together! Are you crazy? We just saw a light in this abandoned building and you think it’s a good idea to split up?” I said. “Yes, because if it’s a murder then he can’t get us all at once.” He said. “If he doesn’t kill you first, I will.” I grumbled. “Calm down kitty, put the claws away. No need for violence.” Colby said bringing me into his chest. “(Y/N) is right, but at the same time so it Elton,” Amanda said. “It is pretty sketchy that a single light is on throughout this building considering it’s been abandoned since the 90s. But if it some type of creepy murder person at least he’ll be on a hunt to kill us all instead right there and then together.” “I say we stay together.” Corey said. “I agree, it’s too risky to split up.” Sam said. “Fine, you guys are no fun.” Elton said.

We continued on into the building, finding all types of graffiti and old stuff. 

“Check it out.” Sam said going in a room. “The end is near.” Preach.” I said. “Those beds must’ve been really uncomfortable to sleep in, there are holes everywhere.” Colby humored. “Shut up, Colby. You’re not funny.” I said shaking my head. “I’m hilarious.” He defended.

I was going to reply but a sound startled all of us.

“What was that?” Elton asked. “Sam was that you?” “No, it came from the next floor.” Sam said. “There’s definitely someone else here.” Corey said. “Which is our queue to leave.” I said. “No, let’s go investigate it.” Elton said. “You’re mad. This isn’t an episode of Scooby-Doo, this is real life. Something can go seriously wrong.” I said. “She’s right, but I kinda want to know what or who is up there.” Amanda said. “I’ll do whatever you guys decide.” Sam said. “I don’t know about this, I’m with (Y/N) on this one. We don’t know who or what is up there.” Corey said. “I want to know who or what it is and how it got the power on.” Colby said. “I want to go home.” I said. “Babe, come on. I told you nothing will happen to you, I won’t let anything happen to you.” Colby said. “What about you? I don’t you getting hurt.” I said. “Babe please, it will be fine.” Colby said before giving me a kiss. “Curiosity killed the cat.” I sighed.

Sam was the first to go up the stairs to start our approach. Everyone was quiet and kept close to each other. When we finally made it, we opened the closed double doors and saw a completely ‘clean’ dark hallway.

“Someone is definitely living here.” Elton said. “Guys look, foot prints.” I pointed out. “And they look fresh too, it’s definitely a guy living here.” Corey said. “Okay now we sound like we’re from Scooby-Doo.” Colby said.

I giggled cause he was right, we kinda did.

“Hey, I think that’s the room we saw from outside.” I said.

We all walked in the room and saw a bed, lamp, clothes, a desk and papers.

“You were right about it being a guy living here.” Sam said looking at the clothes. “Could we be arrested for this? Not only breaking and entering but also invasion of privacy/property.” I asked. “I chose to not look at it in that perspective.” Elton said. “Hey guys check it out, medical files dating back to the 50s.” Sam said. “That’s when the hospital was built.” I said. “Why was it closed down again?” Corey asked. “Too many fatalities mainly, but also because doctors left to work at other hospitals.” I said. 

As everyone was searching I heard another noise, but it was louder than before. Tugging at Colby’s arm, he looked at me but my eyes were set to the door.

“What is it?” Colby asked. “He’s here. On the floor.” I said.

Then another sound, broken glass.

"Whoa whoa whoa, guys sh. Do you hear that?" Elton said.

Everyone stood silently, my hand in Colby's tight grip.

"Get out! Get out of here!"

"Oh shit!" "Oh fuck" "Everyone run now!"

Everyone busted out of the room, dropping anything they picked up. We ran down the stairs, but my dumbass looked back for second and I saw the man watching us run away.

“Run faster he’s right there!” I called out.

Everyone doubled timed out of there. Colby slipped and fell, damn it. I quickly helped him up and got out of there. We ran all the way to the cars, everyone out of breathe.

“Baby, are you okay?” I asked Colby. “I hurt my wrist, but I’m okay.” He said.

I examined his face, small cut on his chin but otherwise he was fine. I planted a kiss on his lips.

“We’ll ice that when we get home.” I said taking his hurt hand in mine. “Well that’s all for this video guys. I hope you enjoyed it, we didn’t cause we almost died. If you want us to do another one of these videos leave a like and comment where we go next. See you guys later.” Elton ended the video.

I drove Colby’s car back home since his wrist hurt. The car ride was silent with the radio softly playing. Colby had fallen asleep a while ago, the man’s face was stuck in my head. He was tall, dirty and old. He had a long beard. His stare was deadly. We shouldn’t have gone there, it was a bad idea. But curiosity killed the cat.

A/N: What did you think?

[mystical-flute]

Come Sail Away Ch. 6

I’m so excited for this chapter ngl.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

You've been summoned to headquarters. Be here by 3:00.

Reika exhaled slowly through her nose as her gaze flickered up to the time in the corner of her cell phone's screen.  It was two-thirty, and she sat outside the meeting room she'd been led to. The wording of the text from Kenji was certainly… an interesting one. Summoned to headquarters instead of just needed at headquarters probably wasn't a good thing.

"Reika!" Akio called, running up to her and pulling her into a hug. "I was so worried about you! Well, I still am considering you're sitting outside of the meeting room but…"

"That damn newspaper let it all slip," she joked. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I didn't disobey orders. But – oh, can you watch my phone for me? I don't want it with me. Too distracting." She'd be fidgeting too much with it in her pocket.

Akio nodded. "Of course I will."

It wasn't long before Reika was sitting in front of the higher-ups in the organization. Looking around the room, she then started to feel nerves beginning to form. So this was why the wording of the text had been so ominous. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong, but still, the stares of the more-experienced adults that had taken her under their wing looking at her like she had committed the worst crime in the history of the organization, well, it was hard not to feel like a child who had done something wrong.

"Reika Mutou, do you know why you've been summoned here today?" Yume, the director of the organization in Domino, asked.

"Because you all believe that I snuck onboard the ship to Duelist Kingdom despite being ordered not to," she said calmly, despite the fluttering of her stomach. "However, I did not. Pegasus kidnapped me after I left the meeting."

The six pairs of eyes narrowed in confusion. Kenji finally broke the silence that had settled over the room. "That… explains the strange email I'd gotten this morning. I didn't think it had anything to do with this but… Reika, why did you tell him – "

"He already knew. That eye of his? It can see into other realms. He saw the Pirate Dimension, and then he found my key card in my purse. But why he even knew where to look I still don't know… but it was blackmail. He threatened to make everything public," she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, trying to think. "But I didn't tell Pegasus everything, and he couldn't see into my mind. My Millennium bracelet stopped him."

There was some murmured discussion among the older members at the table with her, before Yume spoke again.

"Miss Mutou, I know you aren't an employee of Kaiba Corporation or anything, but would you happen to know who – if anyone – was left behind after Gozaburo was removed from power?"

Well, that was a question Reika couldn't say she expected to answer today, and she cleared her throat before answering. "The Big Five. They're major shareholders in the company. Roland and Fuguta are two of the Kaiba brothers' closest bodyguards. And then there's Kemo. He was the one that kidnapped me. He was another bodyguard at Kaiba Corp but he was working with Pegasus and the Big Five."

Yume exchanged a look with Kenji, and as Reika opened her mouth to question it, Akio began pounding on the door, her voice muffled through the wood. "Yume, you have an urgent call from The Boss."

The Boss. Their mysterious figurehead of the organization. There had been many throughout the years, but this one seemed extra cautious to never show his face or name. Actually, Reika wasn't sure if they were a man or a woman.

"Very well. Miss Mutou, you're free to go. Make sure you get your reports done," Yume said, giving her a small smile before exiting the room, followed by some of the other big shots.

Reika let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and looked at Aiko with a smile. "Told you I'd be okay."

"You sure? Because your phone rang five times while you were in your little meeting," Akio said, sliding her phone over to her as her heart sank.

One missed call and a voicemail from Mokuba. One call from Grandpa. One from Yugi and two from a number she didn't recognize, plus a voicemail from the unfamiliar number. Frowning, she put the phone to her ear.

"Reika, it's Mokuba. The Big Five kidnapped Seto! He's locked in a video game. I hope you're home because I don't know where else to go!" Mokuba's voice whimpered from the other end of the line. Her blood went cold as she moved to the next voicemail.

"Hi Reika, this is Téa. Yugi gave me your number, I hope that's okay. Um. We're at Kaiba's secret testing facility and Joey, Yugi, and Mokuba went into the virtual world to rescue him. I'll keep calling you to update you on what's going on."

She tensed, waving Kenji over frantically. "The Big Five are trying to usurp Seto Kaiba again. They have him trapped in some virtual reality or something. Mokuba and Téa weren't very clear. I know there are at least four people there," she told the man. "I know this sort of thing is handled by the police usually but – "

"I need you and Akio to go to where Mokuba is. I'm sending the rest of your squad to take care of the Big Five," Kenji said immediately, cutting Reika's sentence off. "And keep us informed on what happens."

She didn't hesitate to move with Akio, rushing out of the building as fast as the elevator could take them.

"My car is this way," Akio said as they ran through the parking lot in the pouring rain. "What do you suppose they're having us doing this for? It's not like we can arrest them or anything."

"I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with The Boss calling earlier… but I know I was going to take off anyway regardless of permission…" Reika replied with a shrug as her phone lit up again. "Téa! I was just about to call you. What the hell is going on? Where are you?"

Téa's voice was whispered as she spoke. "W-we're at this little research lab or something about a mile away from the docks. You can't miss it. A-and there are some guys trying to find us to Tristan and I are setting up a blockade on the door."

The color drained from her face as she muttered the directions to Akio as the car sped down the road. "Téa, listen to me. Stay where you are and don't let them find you. I'm on my way."

"Okay – "

The call was cut off suddenly as the car screeched to a halt in front of the building. Reika was halfway out the door before it came to a complete stop, bursting through the already opened gate as she heard Akio behind her.

"Ready for round three you pointy-haired bastard?" she called when she saw Kemo standing in the doorway of where she could only presume Téa and Tristan were.  Kemo turned, startled, as Reika aimed a punch at his face, which connected with his cheek.

Kemo staggered back, Akio rushing into the room to help Tristan. "You again?" the disgraced bodyguard snarled, eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses.

"You keep trying to hurt people I care about so yeah, me again," she retorted, taking her fighting stance and narrowing her eyes. "But this time you're not escaping and neither are the Big Five."

They circled each other in the hallway, neither paying any attention as one of the other guards was thrust out of the room by Tristan, collapsing against the far wall with a groan.

She grunted in pain as Kemo managed to punch her shoulder as she tried to dodge his attack.

"Why are you so against the Big Five? Mr. Lechtier took you in like you were his own after your parents went missing. Is that any way to treat a man who acted like your father?" Kemo asked.

"That man has never been, nor will he ever be, a father figure to me. Not after what he's done!" she shouted, her foot colliding with Kemo's stomach.

"Kemo, we gotta go! The brats are awake!" one of the other men suddenly called, breaking the tension in the hallway.

Reika exhaled as the goons ran like hell back down the hallway and looked at her cousin and his friends with a smile. "Everyone okay?" she asked, trying to hold back the grimace of pain as her shoulder began to throb, frowning when she saw Mai walking out of the connecting room. "Mai?"

"Hey Reika. Turns out the Big Five weren't exactly happy that I helped you out back on Duelist Kingdom," the blonde explained, running a hand through her long hair and shaking it out.

"Oh my God. Mai, I'm so sorry. Iwould neverd have asked you to help if it meant you were going to end up kidnapped!" she groaned.

Mai waved her hand. "Don't worry about it Reika, really. I was happy to help you. I'm just glad Yugi, Joe,  and Mokuba showed up to help me."

Reika wanted to protest this, but she had a feeling if she did, the argument would never end, so she simply nodded. "I'm just glad you're all okay."

Mokuba looked up at Reika with his big eyes. "Seto must be awake now too. We should go see, Reika!" he said, already making his way out the door as Reika trailed along behind him, pulling out her phone when she felt it go off in her pocket.

The Big Five escaped. We've called another meeting for tomorrow morning. You need to be here by nine o'clock, Kenji's text read. Her blood ran cold, but she forced what she hoped was a real-looking smile as she looked at Mokuba.

"I think that sounds like a great plan, Mokuba, but – "

"But I'm more than happy to give you guys a ride back to Kaiba Corp. We don't want you running around alone in case those goons come back, do we?" Akio interrupted as she caught up to the two of them as they reached the exit.

"See you later, Yugi!" she called to her cousin and his friends, watching as the group started making their way back to the game shop.

The drive to Kaiba Corp headquarters was a talkative one – Mokuba had always been the more outgoing of the two brothers, and Reika smiled as he filled her in on all of the things he and Seto had done while she'd been gone, even though Seto had told her about them when they'd happened.

Akio grinned as they stopped. "Okay Mokuba, we're here."

"Thanks, Akio," Reika said as Mokuba darted out of the car with a wave. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good night, Reika," Akio grinned, winking as Reika grabbed her back out of the back seat with a blush.

She put her bag on her shoulder as she moved into the building, waving at one of the receptionists that was getting ready to go home.

"Mr. Kaiba is in his office, Reika," the older woman said with a knowing glint in her eye that had Reika ducking her head and practically sprinting to the elevator.

She let out a puff of air as she was whisked up the elevator to the top floor of the building, knocking quickly on the door before entering.

"Reika."

He looked tired as he sat at his desk, and she didn't blame him. He probably hadn't slept well the night before, having been dealing with the Big Five, and she gave him a small smile as she walked over to him and hugged him. He pulled her onto his lap and exhaled into her hair.

"Thank you," he murmured. "For helping protect Mokuba."

"I didn't do much. Tristan and Téa were there longer than I was," she told him with a small smile. "And Yugi, Joey and – "

He let out a groan, rolling his eyes. "I know, I know."

"Where is Mokuba anyway?" she asked, only just realizing that the younger boy was gone. He hadn't gotten that much of a head start on her, had he?

Seto chuckled against her hair, sitting up slightly. "He went to go greet Roland. He just got back from a vacation with his wife."

Well, that explained how Seto had been captured by both Pegasus and the Big Five with little effort. If Roland had been there…

She forced those thoughts out of her head and smiled slightly in amusement as she leaned against his chest, fighting back a wince as pain shot through her shoulder. "How are you doing?"

"I'm so tired…" he admitted, and from her angle on his lap, she could see the circles that were beginning to form under his eyes.

"Then go home and get some rest."

"You sound like Mokuba. I can't. I have to figure out what I'm going to do about the vacancies the Big Five left, and then I have to finish the algorithms for the new duel disk system I designed," Seto said. Reika could see his jaw and throat muscles trying to fight back a yawn.

"Seto. .." she sighed, standing up and in front of his computer. "You need a break, or you're not going to make the right choice about who to pick for your shareholders and you're not going to figure out the right algorithms for your duel disk if you pass out at work. Believe me. I've seen it happen where people don't get enough sleep at night and they end up passing out at their desks and suddenly they fail an exam or a project…"

He exhaled. "I see your point. "

"I just think we could all use a night to decompress from everything, that's all."

Seto suddenly got a glint in his eye that Reika found… dangerously alluring. Her pulse quickened as he smirked at her and stood up, wrapping an arm around her and leaning over her, her back pressed against the desk.

"Decompress, hm? I'm sure you and I could think of a few ways to decompress…" he murmured against her ear before straightening up at the sound of the door handle turning. She kept her back to the door as Mokuba burst into the room, trying in desperation to control her flaming red cheeks and racing pulse.

The rest of the day was a blur, and before long she was resting against Seto's chest, shivering as his fingers danced along the skin of her back, feeling his heartbeat slow as they both drifted off to sleep.

She was on board the Going Merry, standing on the deck as the ship moved swiftly through the water, her crewmates milling about nearby in the bright, warm sunshine.

A perfect day at sea.

"How much longer until we reach the next island, Nami?" she asked, looking at the navigator with a smile.

"According to my calculations, it should only be another day. I expect if the weather holds, we should get there around this time tomorrow," the navigator said, spreading a map on the table in front of her. "We should start making lists on what supplies we're going to need."

"I know I'm going to need some more arrows. That last fight nearly drained my supplies," she said with a small frown as her stomach gurgled impatiently, knowing there was food cooking away in the kitchen, sure to be a perfect meal from Sanji again.

Usopp looked over at her. "Your arm feeling okay?"

"Yeah, it's feeling back to normal now. Chopper did amazing work as usual," she said with a smile, hand brushing against the bandages gently. "Thanks, Usopp."

"Okay!" Sanji called from the galley. "Lunch is ready!"

Captain Luffy nearly bowled the poor doctor over in his eagerness to get into the dining room; Reika shaking her head in amusement as she followed, but as she crossed the threshold, the galley fell away, twisting and warping until she was left standing in a familiar hallway.

"Hello…?" she called. "Anyone home?"

"Reika!"

Her blood ran cold at the voice, and she refused to turn around. This couldn't be happening.

Footsteps ran up to her, a hand grabbing hers and tugging her toward one of the rooms. Her feet automatically knew where despite her mind screaming at her to stop, to run.

"Come on, Reika! Father got me some new music books and I want you to accompany me!" the boy said as they went into the great room, where the instruments were stored.

She finally found her ability to speak, forcing herself to look at the boy. "I haven't played in years. I don't know if I can – "

"Sure you can! You did have the best teachers, didn't you? Just like me! It was father's pleasure to allow you to learn alongside his son," the boy said, picking up his violin as he shoved her toward the piano bench.

She took a seat, fingers hovering over the black and ivory keys as she looked at the music. "What's this piece called? There's no title on the page." Violet eyes lifted to the boy with the violin.

The boy tuned the violin, not meeting her gaze. "It's called Betrayal. Just like what you did to me."

Oh God.

He began to play, and after a brief moment, she followed, her fingers awkward and clunky against the keys. The melody was making her skin crawl, the air becoming colder.

"Why do you think I betrayed you?" she finally asked when the keys became too cold to touch.

"You replaced me! As soon as I died you were suddenly around those two orphans when you should have been sad about me!" the boy cried, the piano and violin fading away as they stood in the frigid, empty room.

"Noah – "

"You thought you could push me out of your mind after my death, but I'm not dead, Reika. I'll never be dead. Not as long as you're alive. You can't push me away anymore, Reika."

"I never pushed you away!" she protested. "I never stopped thinking about you! Your father told me not to – " she reached for the door handle, only for it to vanish.

"You can't escape me."

"Noah, let me go."

"Never," Noah replied, beginning a laugh too cold and too cruel for a twelve-year-old to have.

She shot up out of her sleep, hearing someone call her name and she clutched her ears, knees pulling toward her chest. "Go away, go away, go away!" she whispered as Noah's voice rang in her ears.

"Come back. Come back Reika…" a new voice cut through the laughter. This one warm and concerned.

"Seto…" she croaked, trembling as she looked up at her boyfriend's wide blue eyes, her violet ones filled with terror and dread. "Oh God…"

He sat next to her on the bed, pulling her close against his chest, rubbing circles into her back. "It's okay. It was just a dream. He can't hurt you."

Slowly, the tremors stopped, her flight-or-fight instinct settling as she leaned against him. "It feels like he can…" she whispered.

"It was an illusion, nothing more." He meant well, and she knew it, but that wasn't what she wanted to hear after a nightmare like that.

"He was so much more than that."

Seto's thumb stroked against her cheek. "Then tell me who he was…"

Her mind reeled. Gozaburo had warned her not to say anything. To never mention Noah Kaiba to Seto and Mokuba, under threat of being cut off from their friendship. But then again… Gozaburo was dead, right? Seto had more than taken care to make sure of that. So the threat that had hung over her was gone, wasn't it?

"His name was Noah. He was a friend of mine when I was a kid… but then he was hit by a car when we were twelve. He died."

Seto said nothing, but his brow was furrowed.

She sighed. "I tried not to think about it because it was too hard, and then I met you and Mokuba, and before long, six years passed… I guess everything with the Big Five rattled all of those memories." She glanced over at the clock, which read 6:00, and took in Seto's already dressed for work form. "I'm going to shower."

She stood, beginning to make her way toward his master bathroom when Seto stopped her again.

"What happened to your back?"

Reika paused at the door to the bathroom. "Remember when I told you about my friend that almost died?"

He blinked. "Yeah?"

"I was protecting him."

With that, she closed the bathroom door and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water relax her muscles and the bruised shoulder. The nightmare had rattled things she'd worked so hard to build up over the years, but in the end, she knew Seto was right. Noah was long dead, which meant he couldn't hurt her.

…Right?

[constelacionde-orion]

Begin the End (2/3)

Prompt : What will you find first Jason or darkness?

A/N : Grammar… yup. 

Pairing : Jason Todd x Reader ft. BatFam

Song : Begin The End

Warnings:  Swearing, blood, mentions of death, angst (not to cry)

Chapter 1

And I don't enjoy to watch you crumble I don't enjoy to watch you cry

Bruce looked at the paper Alfred gave him, it was a place, maybe you were there. He was on the Batcave in front of his big computers when he received an incoming video. He didn't actually opened it, it opened itself, he was about to close it when he heard a laugh.

"Batsy, Batsy! There you are!" The joker said, his face not at the camera.

"Joker, what do you want?" Bruce said with a stern voice, (Thank God he was wearing his Batman suit).

"I want you to look at my masterpiece" He heard him said and soon his face appeared.

Bruce didn't said anything, he was watching the pale skin of the clown on his screen with repulse and a frown.

"I'm not talking about me darling, don't look at me like that" The joker said with a laugh and soon the camera was on Jason.

Bruce tried so hard not to jump on his seat and yell Jason's name. Hi balled his hands into fist as he slammed them in the keyboard in front of him. Jason was unconscious, tied up to the roof, he was covered in blood and Bruce heart ached, he looked like the first time he, died.

"Let him go, Joker" Bruce spat with anger.

"Common Batsy, for the old times" The Joker said with another laugh "But if you want me to let him go I'll do, but then you better talk with Scarecrow" Joker said with a smirk.

"Explain Joker" Bruce said, anger making his blood boil.

"You see. I have your pretty Robin here, but Scarecrow had your lil' black Batsy, oh I forgot! Your other birds are coming, so, How many birds those Batman had to lose to finally kill me?" The Joker said with a dark laugh.

And then Bruce realized, everything was a trap. Joker knew you would do anything for Jason, and your family will do anything to protect each other. Everything was planned, he had everything under control, but what exactly does he wanted?, Batman to kill him?.

"What exactly do you want, Joker?" Bruce said with a stern voice.

"I want to take everything away from you, I want to watch you crumble, I want to know the man behind that mask" He said with a dark frown and dark eyes as a evil smile made its way on his lips.

And after that the video of Jason and the Joker disappeared, seconds after a video of you appeared on his screen. It made Bruce's anger increase, he saw bruises on your visible skin, you were no longer wearing your helmet (but you still had the domino ), you were bleeding badly and you were tight to the roof too. 

He watch you open your eyes and fight against the chains, he tried to call your name but you didn't heard him, so he just watch you. Screaming, yelling, fighting, blood ran down your wrists as you try harder to break them, and then the gas appeared, he heard your voice said ‘not again’ . He watched you cry and it aches him to looked at you like that, and he knew, he couldn't stay there and watch you like that.

The video was still on in one screen as he searched the place on the paper with the origin of the video, it was on the same city at least, each point far away from each other, but he knew where you were. He looked at your video when he heard a loud sound, you broke the chains, he watch your movements, you stand up, you were walking, barely, and then you screamed as you fell once more on the floor.  You tried to get up over and over again, until you found an exit. 

Bruce sighed in relief, at least Alfred was right, you were strong, you didn’t gave up that easily, but, where were you going?.

Make no mistake  Make no mistake

"Are you sure this is going to work, Tim?" Dick asked as he looked at the building.

"Well, if it doesn't then... then we can figure out what to do" Tim said with a frown.

"Tim, get need something that it's a 100% not a 50%" Damian said with a scoff.

"Well, sorry, but any plan could be a 100%, so better go with this, now lets go" Tim said with a roll of his eyes.

Tim and Cass entered from a forgotten entrance first and then Dick, Damian and Steph from a window in the opposite side of the building. They turn their comms as they made their way to look for you.

They walked in the hallways without making a sound, it felt weird and uneasy, something wasn’t right, but how could it be?. They walked and walked and the thing they only found was Jason's helmet and then they heard the sound of the door closing behind them, seconds after a gas appeared and they fell on the floor, it was slowyly painful, nightmares the their worst fears came in their own visions until they got lost in the darkness of unconsiuoness, same happened with Damian, Steph and Dick.

Jason barely opened his eyes, he was tired even after being unconscious for hours. His whole body was aching, Joker had beat the shit out of him over and over again, he couldn't move at all, first he tried to protect himself and he succeeded but then, the Joker kept on playing dirty with the fucking gas, he was tired physically and psychologically, he couldn't tell what was real or fantasy anymore, he had seen you and the whole family die over and over again in his mind, he had dreamt about you, you felt so real, but right now he didn't know if that fragil figure shaking his shoulders was real.

"Oh my God, Jason" you said with a sob as you tried to broke his chains.

How you found him?, Why wasn’t anyone around the room? How did you manage to walk? You don’t had any idea, the only thing you knew is that you were in the same situation as Jason, you knew you may had some broken bones, but when you found Jason you couldn't help it. You actually didn't knew if that was the real Jason, the gas made you saw a lot of shit, so right now, you didn't knew what was happening. But this Jason looked exactly like yours.

"Jason?" You said once more, you touched his cheek and his saw you, his eyes full of pain, that couldn't be a vision.

You don't know how you did it, but you broke the chains of Jason, you tried to grab his body so he couldn't hit the ground. Thank God the gas effect was losing it effect, at least on you, but you couldn't hold your tears of sadness more, you looked at Jason's body, he was barely alive, you though it may be the last time you see him so you cried more and more, until he touched your cheek.

"My belt" he said in barely a whisper, still you understood.

You searched for his belt and you found some medicines, because, Batman really thinks about these situations at least. You tried to clean Jason and after some time you began feeling better, Jason maybe wasn't going to die, but now you need it to figure out how to get the fuck out, you were looking at every single spot on the room, maybe something that could help you or-

“You came” Jason said with a tired voice as he placed a hand on your cheek.

You looked at him, he was smiling and your heart melted, after everything that has happened, he was happy to know that you went after him and in the same time it ached you, how could he have a single thought about you leaving him?

“I could never leave you Jay, I can’t lose you again” you said as your voice broke, you couldn’t help to remember the first time he died.

You leaned and kiss his lips in a tender way, you wanted him to know that you loved him now and always, he smiled on the kiss and your heart hammered inside your chest faster than ever.

The kiss ended when you heard voices in the hallway outside the room, you helped Jason to stand up, he could walk, that was good, really good, you scanned the places faster as you heard Scarecrow's voice by the door, finally you both climbed to the ventilation duct and you hide there.

Scarecrow and other guys entered the room and when they didn't saw Jason there, they left, but you heard him said 'Tell Joker we gotta move quick with the others, now!'

“others?” you thought, seconds after you realized, well, fuck.

Jason couldn't help it but stare at you as you looked at the room. You went after him, you were all bruised and hurt because of him, you really loved him. He gave you a small kiss on your cheek and you looked at him.

"Jay, they had our family" Jason looked at you and without more conversation you knew what you had to do. 

Look me in the eyes, say that again Blame me for the sorry state you're in

Bruce was on his way to help his family when another upcoming video made its way.

"Baaatsy!" Joker heard again the Joker's annoying voice.

"Guess what? I may had the answer after all! Seven birds!" The joker said and Batman saw the video.

Five different cameras in different rooms, in each one of them a Robin tied to the roof, all of the unconscious, and a bomb tied to their chests.

"Leave them alone!" Bruce yelled in anger.

"Ups! can't do that, but you could totally play a game! Which one should blow first?" The Joker asked him with a giant smile.

"Your count is wrong Joker, where is Black Robin and Red Hood?" Bruce asked trying to win more time for the Robins.

"Those two lovebirds? Well Batsy, It wouldn't surprise if they are dead now, they breathed a lot of gas and you can guess the rest by looking at this" The Joker said and he show Batman a crowbar.

Batman couldn't answer when the video began to glitch until it disappeared, and he went full speed towards his family.

"What the heck? I was enjoying that!" The Joker scoffed when the screen said 'Lost Signal'

"Anyways, Where are the other two?" The Joker said when he turn around to see his crew, and none of them answered.

"Two! Just Two! Find them now!" The joker commanded once more. 

"His going to arrive in less than 10 minutes" The Scarecrow said.

"What about the bombs, are they ready to go?" The Joker asked with a smile.

"In 20 minutes, clown." The Scarecrow said while looking at the screen.

"Good, good. Finally, without all the Batfam outside Gotham, we can succeed" The Joker said with a laugh.

"And, we can kill them now, easily" the Scarecrow said with a dark chuckle.

"How many gas you put on them?" The Scarecrow asked when he saw the deep sleep in each of the robins.

"I don't know, a lot" The Joker said with a laugh.

What they didn't knew is that you and Jason hacked the cameras so they were looking a infinity loop. You found the Robins and you disabled the bombs, you told them to play along, Joker and the Scarecrow need it to think they were winning. You left the Robins and you waited. 

It's not my fault if you can't comprehend That tonight's the night that we begin the end

"Why windows?!" The Joker laugh as the Batman landed on his feet right in front of him

"Where are the Robins?" Batman asked as he grabbed the clown by his throat.

"Tick-tack in their chest" The Joker said with a smirk.

"Cut the shit Joker, What's the plan?" Batman asked the Joker, closing tighter his hand.

"Now!" The Joker shout and something sting Batman's neck, even that needle passed through the thick suit making Batman release the Joker, seconds before, gas appeared, Batman tried to put the lower mask but he couldn't.

"Tsk, Batsy, I though you knew how to deal with these" The Joker said with a smile before everything turned black.

He opened his eyes just to find himself in the same way as the other's. Fucking great. He was alone in a room but with a giant screen in front of him, the same video as before. He was going to yell in anger until he saw something, the way the robins moved their head... it wasn't an actually On Air video, he didn't say anything as the Joker may his way into the room.

"Let me tell you my plan Batsy in a simple sentence. Gotham will die today" The Joker said with a laugh.

"So everything was your plan, bringing everyone here so you could do all of these?" The Batman said with a stern voice.

"Well, my plan was to turn your lil Batsy into something darker, but I didn't knew she had the balls to go after him, so I made other plan and Ta-da" The joker said as he pointed to the Robins.

"So you kill us, and? you win? Gotham will be chaos... as always?" Batman said with a lack of surprise, he knew the Joker will lose his shit.

"As Always?! I will make chaos bigger, not only we will free the gas all over that goddamn city Batsy, not only they will see their blackest fears alive... villains are going to leaved Arkham, we will rule Gotham and there will be no one to save them!" The Joker said with anger and a scoff.

"You know, you plans always fails, Joker" Batman said.

"Not this time, I have everyone here, I can kill them in seconds!" The Joker said, his expression full of joy.

"Do it then" Batman said.

"What?! You actually want me to blow your birds?!" The Joker said with a laugh.

"I want to see if you have the guts, clown" Batman said.

"Of Course I had the guts, do you remember Jason?, do you remember the first time I blow him?" The Joker said with a laugh, remembering that day.

"But this time will be better" The Joker made a signal with his fingers and the lights turned on.

All of them were actually in the same room, all tied up with his mouths covered, except for Y/N and Jason.

"You'll see each other blown and Gotham death in first row!" The Joker said with a laugh as he walked away from him.

"So, why don't we begin with the little one" Joker said as his finger pointed to Damian.

Damian's eyes went wide as he struggled with the chains that held him tight on the roof. Everyone started to fight against the chains even Batman, The Joker was laughing hard and then he stopped.

"What didn’t you blow?!" The Joker said after he realized that the bomb failed.

"The only thing blowing tonight it's you, fucking McDonalds clown!" You said as you kick his fucking face.

When the fuck you arrived? no one knew, but that kick was amazing.The Joker released the control from his hands as he saw you once he was on his foot again. 

"So here you are" He said with a smirk "You came to see the end of your family?" he asked you with that insane smile.

"I came to see your end" You said after you began punching him again, this time was an actual fight. 

Scarecrow appeared with more man as they made their way towards you and your family. 

"Now Red!" You yelled and the chains of the robins broked (not Batman's one) they removed the bombs from their chests and they began to fight against the Jokers and Scarecrow's mens. 

Jason appeared seconds before fighting against Scarecrow, the whole family was fighting against them, but you were only focused on the Joker, of course his mans made their way towards you, but common, you where the Black Robin, you beat the shit out of them. 

Your brothers helped Bruce with the chains and he looked at Jason, he saw the Scarecrow unconscious on the floor, the Robins were winning and then he saw you, up fighting the Joker, you were fucking tired of that fucking clown, you wanted him dead. 

"Pudding, all of this just for a man?" he asked you, cleaning his bloody face with the back of his hand. 

"I can ask you the same" you tell him with all your anger as you make your way again towards him. 

He tried to press his fucking flower again but you ripped it of his suit. 

"What? You need your toys to fight me?" You told him with a dark smirk, thing that he did too.

"You should be the disappointment of your family" He told you as one hand made it's way to his back, which you didn't see.

You were a little taken aback, that question was always inside your head for different reasons, you had fail the code, you had kill people, you had made terrible decisions, but one thing you were sure, you did it because of your family.

In those seconds the Joker grabbed the knife he was hidden and the tried to stab you, but thanks to Cass, you knew a little about body language, so you knew he was going to do something before he made that move.

You grabbed his hand as you punch him mercilessly on the face, he was laughing as the maniac he was, but you couldn't stop, memories about Jason, how he died, how broken you was, how bad he had hurt your family, you just wanted him dead.

And then you grabbed his knife, ready to stab him when a wand grabbed your wrist. you looked at the gloved hand, Batman's hand.

"Stop" he said as he moved you aside, but you fight against.

The Joker was getting unconscious as he saw you and Bruce fight, he laugh as blood ran from his eyebrows, nose and mouth.

"No, I can't! and you can't protect him!" you told yell at him.

"It's over Black, we need to go and -"

"And disable the bombs? we did, not thanks to you, actually you haven't done anything but keep protecting him?! Why we can't end this?!" you yelled at him again, this time Bruce was getting annoyed.

"Because it's not right! You don't undestand, you are to young to do it" Batman told with a glare.

"Understand?" you asked him with a frown,

"What should I understand? That I have to keep him alive so once again he try to kill everyone?!,  for him to kill Jason again?!,  so he can kill every single one of us until there is no one else to save?!" you yelled at him, you felt anger tears on your eyes but you didn't cry.

Bruce looked at you in silence, we didn't know what to say, to he said once again, 'Don't do it'

"You don't have any idea of what it was to lose everything, you don't have any idea how it feels to being close to your nightmares again, and It's not my fault if you can't comprehend why I'm doing this. But I’m not letting MY family die" you told him in a stern voice. 

When you looked back at the Joker he wasn't there any longer, wait?! what?! how?!, he ran away, but how?! You were more than pissed, you were close to end everything until Bruce stepped inside.

You turn in your heels once again to look at Bruce, but in a swift motion he placed a syringe in your neck and in seconds you fell to the ground.

[lisatelramor]

To Immortalize in Full

...and gain something new along the way

You know how I kept saying I was going to make one of those kiss prompts actually shippy? This is the shippy one. Shhhh. I know. 

That said, I've crossed over Yu-Gi-Oh! and Hikago, and now Yu-Gi-Oh! and DNAngel. All that's left is squishing all three together some day into some sort of unholy angsfest of moving on from your now-absent mind-spirit-buddy. Person. Thing. This prompt was Yuugi-Daisuke: perplex. Noooot sure if it really came out to much perplexing so much as 'this person reminds me of me for some reason' for most of it, but hey, prompts are just there to light the spark.

The Mutou Yuugi that first stepped foot in Domino High never planned to go to college. He’d hoped to survive school without too much bullying, make friends besides Anzu, and eventually take over Grandpa’s shop where he could be surrounded by the latest games of all types to his heart’s content. But the Mutou Yuugi who entered high school was not the Mutou Yuugi that left it, and several years with a spirit sharing his body and confronting an array of powerful, morally questionable people and an ancient Egyptian evil kind of put him at a different mental state than when he’d entered high school. The world was a lot bigger than his little game shop and there was a lot he would love to know more about. Plus he had friends now who were all making their own way in the world. Yuugi had had to decide what to make of himself.

So, contrary to where he thought he’d be, he’d decided to go on in schooling. Learning more about Atem’s country and times was helping fill the gap he’d left. And learning about game design was right up Yuugi’s alley. In fact, Kaiba had even made subtle, backhanded remarks that insinuated that he wouldn’t mind having Yuugi’s brain coming up with games for his company once Yuugi was out of school.

So there he was.  In college and in over his head whenever he had classes that didn’t immediately relate to his obsessions. Yuugi still couldn’t really believe he was there. He could have just gone into pro Dueling like Jonouchi had. But as much as he loved Duel Monsters and always would, Duel Monsters had been a little too painful to play for a long while after Atem had left. Back around again to why college had ended up in his future.

Yuugi sighed. Game design, he was finding, required just as much knowledge about art and computers as it did crafting unique gameplay elements and storylines. Neither of which were his forte. Painting a figure for a tabletop game did not transfer over into sketching a character. And that was why Yuugi was at that moment sitting in the art building and hoping he could catch a professor or someone from one of the lower level art classes to get some tips, or at least some book recommendations.  He didn’t think his professor would be very thrilled with Yuugi’s current doodle designs. They looked more like balloon figure caricatures than a serious design for the video game concept he was piecing together for his class final.

Somehow Yuugi hadn’t expected a whole art building to be so...quiet. Or empty. He’d passed six classrooms and what looked like the entrance to a dark room, but there hadn’t been a single person. Maybe they were in a computer lab? Or one of the reserve-able workrooms upstairs? Or maybe there just weren’t any art classes taking place at ten thirty in the morning.

Yuugi wandered up a staircase and down a hallway. Whoever built the art building had an interesting idea on how architecture worked. In that there didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to where the halls and rooms were in relation to each other and different floors. It would be an easy place to get lost in.

At the end of that hallway before it took a sharp left, there was a room with the door ajar and the light on inside. Yuugi clutched his sketchbooks tighter; finally, there was someone else in the building after all.  

The room’s occupant was painting, headphones over his ears with spiky red hair jutting out around them. There was a large canvas propped on an easel in front of him and a few more finished works scattered around the room. The current painting was still in a sketchy framework phase, rough shapes and colors blocking out segments of the canvas. In the paintings around the room, there were clear interconnected color schemes of purple and black and blue and red, with the occasional jarring yellow. The second thing Yuugi noticed was that every painting had wings—feathers, winged figures, or just silhouettes worked into an abstract design. Looking at them felt a bit like intruding for some reason. Yuugi tore his eyes away.

“Excuse me!” he said, raising his voice a little to try to get the painter’s attention. He edged further into the room. “Hello?” The painter set down a brush, turned to grab a tube of paint. “Hi,” Yuugi said with a wave. The painter jolted as he caught Yuugi from the corner of his eye, accidentally sending a paintbrush spinning across the room. It left a streak along an already stained floor.

The artist clutched at his chest with one hand, the other lifting one headphone away from his ear. “How long have you been there?!”

“Um. Just now actually,” Yuugi said.

“Oh.” The headphones slid off completely. The artist rubbed a hand against his face leaving a small streak of indigo just under his left eye. “Hi? Did you need something?”

Yuugi opened his mouth, then closed it, painfully aware that he’d just interrupted a private painting session for completely selfish reasons. Still, this was the only person he’d found so far... “You wouldn’t happen to know if there’s a professor around? Or if there’s anyone who tutors for drawing?”

“It’s kind of quiet today, isn’t it?” The painter glanced at his mixed paint and the canvas before shrugging and wandering closer. “The professors are all out today because there’s an art exhibit opening up in town with some work from an alumni featured in it. A lot of people have class assignments related to it too.” Yuugi vaguely remembered something being mentioned about an art exhibit. He’d been a bit too caught up with thinking up puzzle mechanisms for the game he was designing to pay attention that day. “As for tutoring,” the painter said, “I don’t think there’s anything formal like that here. You can always ask a professor or a classmate for pointers though.”

“Ah.” Yuugi deflated a bit. “I don’t know much about art,” he said. “I’m a game design major, not an art major.”

“Okay.” The painter nodded. “You know what, I’ve got a bit of time. How about you show me what level you are at and we can go from there?”

Yuugi glanced at the unfinished painting. “That’s okay! I can come back another day to talk to a professor!”

The painter smiled, and he looked too young to be in college the way it softened his face—not that Yuugi was one to judge; people thought he was still a middle school student on a regular basis. “I’m not working on an assignment. This is just for...for fun. I have time.”

“Thank you then.” With some lingering hesitation, he handed over his sketchbook. “I’m Yuugi, by the way.”

“Daisuke,” the painter replied, already flipping through the couple of pages Yuugi had filled with sketches. His eyes lingered on the little things Yuugi had drawn in the corners; duel monsters and doodles of his friends. On one page he’d written out hieroglyphics that Atem had recognized at some point or another and Yuugi’d sought out again in the immediate aftermath of his passing on. It was uncomfortably soul baring to have someone seeing some of the things in there.

“I’m not much of an artist,” Yuugi said while Daisuke looked at a doodle of Jonouchi with a hoard of Duel Monsters cards.

“Actually,” Daisuke said, not looking up from the page, “this isn't so bad. You have your own style developing here.”

“Yeah, but it's all just doodles. And they all look the same.” He hadn’t noticed until he was looking at examples of character design in his class, but all Yuugi’s doodle people had the same ‘U’ shape head and proportional chibi bodies with hair to distinguish them from each other.

Daisuke looked up with a hint of a smile curling at his lips. “I was worried it was going to be stick figures or something from how nervous you looked. You just need to practice more and play around with shapes.”

Play with shapes. Practice was a given, but Yuugi wasn’t sure how to really go about the actual playing around bit. “...anything you can recommend? Books or...?” Examples would be great.

Looking thoughtful, Daisuke nodded slowly. “Actually, yeah. Here....” He pulled a pen from seemingly nowhere, turning to a blank page in Yuugi’s sketchbook and jotting down a list. “These are some useful titles for character design, and these are helpful for things like anatomy. Even cartoon styles can benefit from that. You need to know what you're doing before you exaggerate it anyway...”

Yuugi’s eyes went wide as Daisuke kept adding to it. “So much...”

The pen paused, finishing a character with a slow slide of the nib. “Ah, this isn't all that helpful is it? You were probably looking for more of a hands on approach...”

“No, it helps!” Yuugi shook his head. When Daisuke held out the sketchbook, Yuugi took it from him. He ran a finger along the list, plenty of books to get examples from, much as he felt intimidated by the amount of things he didn’t know that they could provide. “I’m a little overwhelmed with everything. Somehow I just wasn't expecting to need to draw for game design....”

“Well... when you think about it, in most game design it's a team effort, so you'd have people who focus on character design and people doing coding and someone else working on story and dialogue.... So you don't have to be great at it, but it doesn't hurt to know how to do it either.”

“Huh. Good point. I'm more used to coming up with plots and puzzles.”

Daisuke grinned. “I have a friend who is in the design course too and he's the exact opposite. He's great at the art end but is having trouble with the whole game aspect.”

Yuugi couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to go into games if they didn’t know much about them. “Well what kind of games does he like?”

“I don't think he ever really played games until a year ago. I'm not sure even he knows what he likes. Having fun is hard for him.”

“Why on earth is he in game design then?” Yuugi asked, but then he thought of Kaiba who made games but only seemed to enjoy them if he was winning. There were reasons to do everything he supposed.

Daisuke smiled ruefully. “It's about as far from what he was doing before as he's comfortable going. He had a degree in criminal law before. And art history too I suppose.”

“Huh.” Whoever this friend was must lead an interesting life.

“Yup.” Daisuke shrugged before nodding at the sketchbook. “Here, try sketching some random shapes and once you've done that, make faces from them. That will help get some diversity. Try to figure out what the rest of them might look like and go from there.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” Daisuke turned back to his painting and after a moment, Yuugi sat a ways away and started sketching. They worked in silence, just the soft sounds of pencils and Daisuke’s paintbrush filling the space. It was surprisingly both relaxing and focusing to have someone working nearby; it was a motivator to keep working.

Yuugi couldn’t say how much time passed, but after a whole he had two pages full of sketches. They were still pretty simple, but trying to use different random shapes had helped.

Daisuke, noticing the pause, glanced over. “See? You’re getting the hang of it.”

Yuugi rubbed the back of his head. “Thanks. Sorry again for bothering you.”

“It's not a bother.” Daisuke grinned. There was another bit of paint next to his nose, purple like one of the figures slowly taking shape on the canvas. “I needed a break anyway. If you need any help later, I'm usually in this room...”

“I’ll keep that in mind!” Yuugi had other classes to get to now, and books to find from the campus library, but it was reassuring to know that he had someone willing to help. He waved to Daisuke and left the artist to his winged paintings.

*

Daisuke hadn’t been joking about being in the room a lot. Every time Yuugi had sought him out over the next few weeks to ask about techniques or opinions on how Yuugi’s designs were coming, he was always in the art room. The painting was almost done now, filling in from its rough figures to be something that reminded Yuugi of a yin yang, but with winged people instead of black and white images. It was a color-clashing purple and yellow piece, but there were other colors subtly worked in so that it balanced out somehow. Yuugi was sure Daisuke could have explained the color theory he was working into it, but Daisuke didn’t seem to like talking about his paintings. The one time Yuugi brought them up, he’d found the conversation deflected around to the sketches of Duel Monsters he had left in the margins of his notes. So Yuugi hadn’t asked again, even if he was curious about how if he stepped back and viewed it from a distance it almost looked like two more people overlaid the angels on the canvas.

Yuugi was content to let Daisuke keep his secrets. He was just glad to have a new friend and help on his project. Daisuke was easy to get along with and easy to work next to; Yuugi found himself visiting Daisuke’s painting room a lot more than he planned just for the atmosphere and quiet company.

It was sometime during the third week of this that Yuugi walked in to find someone else sharing Daisuke’s work space. The stranger had a notebook in his lap, bent over it with Daisuke’s head bent alongside his as the stranger wrote in the margins. They both looked up when Yuugi walked through the door. Daisuke smiled and welcomed him. The stranger lifted one eyebrow before staring at Yuugi like he was a museum exhibit. Yuugi paused in the doorway.

“Hey!” Daisuke said, sitting up and giving a wave. None of his painting things were out for once. The painting he had been working on had been set aside, perhaps finally complete. “Yuugi, this is Satoshi, the friend I told you about that was in game design like you. Satoshi, this is Yuugi.”

“The person you’ve been teaching to draw,” Satoshi said. He had a flat tone of voice that at first reminded Yuugi a bit of Kaiba, but there wasn’t any of Kaiba’s defensive hostility in Satoshi’s voice or body language. He looked curious if anything.

“Giving tips,” Daisuke corrected. “He already has a style.”

“Teaching,” Satoshi said. “Teaching art is giving tips and things to practice and watching students improve through their own efforts.”

Daisuke rolled his eyes good naturedly. “Satoshi’s been working on a game of his own, but he’s having a little trouble with character dialog. Think you could help?”

“I can try?” Yuugi said. But this was something that he was good at. Tabletop RPGs and text games had given him a lot of practice in this sort of thing. As he walked over, he thought he heard Satoshi whisper to Daisuke, “You always run into interesting people.”

Yuugi chose to ignore that and whatever connotations were behind it. He could give Satoshi the benefit of the doubt. And it was fun to help someone else with characters and plot for a bit instead of prodding at his ever changing character designs.

And that, Yuugi thought, was how he made friends with Satoshi and cemented himself in Daisuke’s friend group without realizing it.

*

Yuugi held up his latest sketches to his laptop camera. “What do you think?”

“Looks good!” Anzu said, smiling. Her hair was long enough to tie back right now, a bit flyaway at the moment since she had just got back from her morning run. Behind her Yuugi could see the early morning sunlight streaming through her apartment window. Here in Japan it was already well into its decent. Yuugi felt a little wistful of the past where they didn’t have to work around twelve hour time difference. “You’ve got a lot of details now. They remind me a little bit of us actually. All of our friends.”

“That’s what I’m basing it off of a bit,” Yuugi admitted. “The characters aren’t too close to us, but...” He couldn’t deny that he’d drawn on his friends for inspiration. “I wanted to write something similar to what we went through. Not so close that anyone who looks at it can figure it out, but for those of us who knew Atem...”

“Yuugi...” She looked at him with the same expression she’d had when they gave up trying to date, a bit sad, a bit worried, but mostly supportive friendship.

“I’m making something he’d like,” Yuugi said. He smiled because focusing on the good things pushed back the times he felt sad. “But enough about my game, how did your audition go?”

Anzu gave him a look that said she knew exactly what he was doing by changing the topic, but she launched into an explanation on how she’d managed to get a minor stage role as a backup dancer and how there was another audition coming up in a few weeks and that show was compatible with this one so she was going to try out for that. It sounded busy and stressful, but Yuugi couldn’t help smiling genuinely at the pride and determination in Anzu’s tone as she spoke. She was following her dreams and that made him happy.

“I saw Jonouchi and Mai when they were in town for a bit,” Anzu said toward the end of the conversation. “Did he send you the picture we took?”

“The one with the port in the background?” Yuugi nodded. Jonouchi and Mai were both pro Duelers now, and that lifestyle took them all around the world. It could be fun to see where he was at any given time.

“Yeah! They were heading out to semifinals of a tournament—not hosted by Kaiba this time, can’t remember who. He’ll probably call sometime soon.”

“I look forward to it.” Yuugi missed Jonouchi but he was glad all of his friends were finding what they loved in the world.

“Good luck with your game, Yuugi,” Anzu said waving at the camera.

“Have fun dancing,” he said back.

Like always, it was a bittersweet feeling to end the call.

*

Daisuke had started a new painting. This one wasn’t purple or yellow, but it did already show signs of wings. Yuugi sat off to the side and worked on making tiny pixel sprites for his character designs. While he wasn’t expected to actually make a functioning game yet, he couldn’t help starting it in his spare time. Making a plan and design and building it up in concept was enough to make him want to make it real. Today Daisuke wasn’t painting, though, but sketching, off in a separate corner. The soft scratch of pencil lead along paper was almost meditative alongside the sound of Yuugi’s tablet.

Yuugi was so caught up in making a tiny coat for a tiny pixel character based off Kaiba that he almost didn’t notice that the sounds of Daisuke’s pencil had stopped. He glanced up and found Daisuke looking at his character sketches again. “Hm?” he hummed in question.

Daisuke twitched, like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t rather than just looking at sketches he’d seen dozens of times. “You know, I don’t think you even said what your game was about?” he said. “You’ve talked about the characters and what they’re like, but...”

Yuugi set aside his laptop and tablet. “It’s a puzzle game,” Yuugi said, picking up his sketches. He pointed out characters as they become relevant. “The main character is a high school student that solves an ancient puzzle and ends up sharing a body with a millennia old spirit.” Beside him, Daisuke blinked rapidly, but leaned in to look at the drawings with new interest. “There’s the protagonist, and then there’s the protagonist when he’s possessed,” Yuugi said, pointing to the slightly different designs. Showing the shift in pixel avatar has been harder than drawing the design had been. The character didn’t resemble Yuugi or Atem much, but Yuugi knew what he represented and that was enough. “Whenever the main character is possessed, his abilities to solve puzzles goes up because the ghost was obsessed with solving them before he died. The protagonist doesn’t realize he’s being possessed at first, but as the story goes on and you solve more puzzles, other characters create challenges. If you can complete the challenges right, you can make friends, and making friends opens more opportunities.” Like making friends had given Yuugi more from life. He smoothed a finger along the possessed version of his character.

“That sounds pretty cool,” Daisuke said slowly. “Does the protagonist ever realize he’s being possessed?”

“Yeah.” Yuugi smiled. “As you go on, you unlock bits about who the spirit is and at some point you become able to talk to him. He can become another friend, and you can unlock even harder puzzles where you have to work together to solve them. The end goal is actually to solve the puzzle of the spirit.”

“And if you solve it?”

“Then you have to decide whether to keep the spirit or to let him pass on to the afterlife.” Yuugi’s heart hurt thinking about it. It was a risk putting so much of himself into this, but it felt right to do it. If he made it, it would be just the sort of tribute to Atem’s memory that he’d appreciate.

“Oh.”

There was something sad in Daisuke’s voice and Yuugi glanced up. He’d never heard Daisuke sound sad before.

“That sounds like it would be a hard decision,” Daisuke said finally. “Because you made friends with him.”

“Yeah.” The echo of heartbreak he’d felt in that moment of decision was still there. To be selfish or to do the right thing? To feel whole or to let his other half rest at last?

Daisuke touched the sketch of the protagonist, something similar to Yuugi’s heartbreak in his eyes. Almost like he also knew what it felt like to make that kind of a decision. “What would you choose?” he asked. “If you were playing through the game?”

“I’d choose what I thought would make the spirit happiest,” Yuugi said immediately. “The protagonist has all the friends he’s made over the course of the game to fall back on, but the spirit was stuck in the puzzle alone for a long time, and could be stuck for who knows how long after the protagonist dies. If it was the only chance to let him move on and be at peace, I’d choose that than the possibility of condemning him to being alone and forgotten again.”

There was the sort of silence that comes after a confession, too close and personal, with all the blatant emotions out in the open. Yuugi didn’t take his words back though even though he felt like it could reveal too much. Daisuke swallowed thickly. “I can tell you’ve thought a lot about the choices,” he said finally.

“Yes,” Yuugi said. Because the choice had once haunted him like a second ghost until he’d come to peace with it.

“I don’t know if I could be that selfless in making the choice,” Daisuke admitted. “If I was the protagonist and cared about the spirit, I don’t think I’d want to let go.”

Yuugi’s smile was wry, barely the upward twist of his lips at the edges. “That’s how hard choices and love work; you might not choose what you want but you’ll do what will make everyone happiest in the long run.”

With one last touch to the sketch, Daisuke pulled back. “Sounds like you’re talking from experience.”

Yuugi shrugged. He closed the sketch book, suddenly not wanting to look at it. Or maybe not wanting Daisuke to look at it; Daisuke looked unsettled, like talking about the game had brought up things he didn’t want to think about. “That’s my game more or less though. I’m working on the puzzles already. I like that sort of thing, so it’s fun to come up with.”

“It sounds like it will be a cool game.” Daisuke gave him a quick, there and gone smile, moving back toward his work space. “If you ever do make it, I think I’d like to play it.”

The idea of someone playing a game Yuugi made, playing a game and enjoying it, made him feel warm inside. Like a little part of him would reach out to each and every person who played it, giving them a connection whether they knew it or not. And a little part of Atem that went into this game would live with them too. He wondered if that was part of what Kaiba liked about creating games; it was forging a connection without the difficulty of actually socializing.

“Thanks,” Yuugi said. He wrapped that warm feeling up inside to bring out whenever he got frustrated about the project. Then, curious, he asked, “What would you choose? Would you befriend the spirit knowing you had to choose?”

“I wonder,” Daisuke said, introspective. “I might be one of those people that never finishes the game, not wanting to make that choice at all.”

Fair enough. Yuugi couldn’t fault that he supposed. It would be a pity to leave anything unfinished though. He always has preferred to see things through to their ends.

*

They were in the usual room, Daisuke starting a new painting again, this one smaller and like none of the other paintings in the room. A scenic painting, Yuugi thought, instead of abstract or angelic portraits. Satoshi was there today as he sometimes was, poking away at his game concept. It was not the sort of game Yuugi would be attracted to playing, full of dark and introspective themes with a main character that is slowly losing trust in his own mind and judgment. Whatever it means to Satoshi though, he looks like each bit of progress is cathartic so Yuugi had the idea that it meant about as much to his as the game Yuugi was working on meant.

The door was propped open to let airflow in and Yuugi had music playing in the background as he ignored homework in favor of building up his game world pixel by pixel. He had far far more respect for Kaiba’s skills now than he ever thought he’d have. Granted, Kaiba had a team that probably did the tedious stuff like making textures for terrain and background images.

He had just about finished up the layout of the school when he heard a familiar voice.

“Yuugi!”

Yuugi’s head whipped up, seeing his best friend standing just outside the doorway. He couldn’t put his laptop down fast enough. “Jonouchi!” Yuugi tackled his friend. Jonouchi whirled him around in a hug, grinning from ear to ear. “What are you doing here?” Yuugi asked when the room stopped spinning. “I thought you were in the middle of a tournament?”

Jonouchi laughed. “I got a place in the finals so I have a bit of time off before the semifinals finish up! Figured I'd visit my best bud and see how college life was going. Your campus is a hell of a maze by the way.”

“You should have called!” Yuugi said, pulling back. His face hurt from grinning. It had been months since he last saw Jonouchi in person.

“That'd ruin the surprise,” Jonouchi said. He set Yuugi down. While Yuugi wasn’t nearly as short as he’d been in high school, he would always be much shorter than his best friend. Jonouchi got twice the growth spurt Yuugi had gotten.

“A friend of yours?” Daisuke asked, and Yuugi realized they had an audience.

“Ahaha, yeah.” He rubbed the back of his head, finally noticing that both Daisuke and Satoshi were staring intently. “This is my best friend, Jonouchi Katsuya. Jonouchi, this is Niwa Daisuke and Hiwatari Satoshi.”

“The guy who’s helping you with your drawing, right?” Jonouchi said, remembering their Skype conversations. “Nice ta meetcha. Hope you don’t mind me barging in.”

“It’s fine,” Daisuke said, since it was his study room after all. “We could probably use a study break.”

Jonouchi grinned before turning back to Yuugi. “So, being around all these books and drawing, how’s your Dueling? Getting rusty yet?”

Yuugi narrowed his eyes at the challenge. “Rusty? Never. How about I show you, Mr. Tournament Finalist?” He reached for his bag. Even now he had the habit of carrying his Duel Monster cards with him. “I challenge you to a Duel.”

“Duel?” Satoshi asked sharply.

“Duel Monsters,” Jonouchi said holding up his deck of cards. He snorted at Satoshi’s blank look. “What, did you think I was gonna whip out a knife? I don’t look like that much of a delinquent these days.”

“Nope, just scruffy as always,” Yuugi said. He cleared a space on the desk before shuffling his deck, intent on his friend and opponent. “Duel Monsters is a strategy based card game,” Yuugi explained to the others. “With a certain amount of luck too.”

Jonouchi snorted. “Luck, fate, whatever you wanna call it.” He exchanged a glance with Yuugi.

“Heart of the cards,” they said at the same time.

“Anyway,” Yuugi said, “Jonouchi plays it professionally. I used to enter tournaments but I haven’t played much in a while.”

“Yet you still hold the title for King of Games,” Jonouchi said.

Yuugi shrugged. It was a title he didn’t feel like he’d earned. After all, Atem had done most of the Dueling to get it. “Anyone’s free to seek me out and win it properly.”

“If they can beat you.”

Yuugi shrugged again. They set up their station and drew their hands. It had been a while since he last Dueled, longer still since he Dueled without Kaiba’s technology bringing it all to life. It felt a little bit like high school, playing games at lunch. The cards were warm and familiar in his hands, feeling almost alive as they sometimes did. Yuugi wasn’t calling on anything, didn’t have Atem’s power over the shadows, but the cards still had presences even if he wasn’t using them that way.

“Huh,” Satoshi said, looking at the cards in their hands like they were something particularly strange and intriguing.

“Two thousand life points?” Yuugi asked.

“Standard Duel’s four thousand,” Jonouchi said.

“Yeah, but it feels more like high school if we play it that way.”

“Works for me.”

It was funny how normal it felt to play a Duel against Jonouchi—or maybe it wasn’t strange at all considering how big a part in his life Dueling once held, but he hadn’t Dueled anyone since the last time everyone was able to meet up together, and that was almost half a year ago. Everything still felt right though. His cards rose to the challenge like they always did, chipping Jonouchi’s life points down bit by bit. Even having an audience was familiar. Daisuke and Satoshi weren’t Anzu or Honda, but the balance felt right.

Yuugi called on his Kuriboh to end the Duel, just like old times.

Jonouchi made a face as the last of his life points drained away thanks to one of the weakest cards in the game. “One more turn and I’d’ve had you with my dragon. You’re still as good at this as ever, Yuug. No wonder Kaiba’s always trying to drag you into Duels.”

Yuugi snickered. “Kaiba just wants to beat me once and for all. Or make me test all his Duel tech.” If Yuugi ever took him up on that job offer, he had a feeling he’d end up doing more Dueling and product testing against Kaiba’s over competitive ego than actual game design.

“Wait,” Satoshi said from the sidelines. He had followed the game with interest, though it had looked like he was analyzing what game attributes made it enjoyable rather than enjoying watching the game itself. “Kaiba as in Kaiba Seto, billionaire game maker Kaiba?”

“Yeah?” Yuugi said.

Jonouchi sat back in his chair and laughed at Satoshi’s consternation. “Yuugi won the title King of Games years ago. He’s still the reigning champion Duel Monsters player and Kaiba hates it because Yuugi won’t enter tournaments anymore so no one can win the title from him.”

“They should just accept some other tournament winner as the best player winner,” Yuugi muttered. “Kaiba’s won most of the ones since I left the Duel scene.”

“Yeah, but Kaiba’s never satisfied til he can beat you.” Jonouchi turned back to their audience. “Moneybags was a classmate of ours in high school. Real ass, but he’s gotten better now that he’s stopped pulling shit that can get people killed. Still dramatic as heck though. Betcha he’ll come into the arena for the final on a jet pack or something with the Kaiba Corp logo all huge on the back. Or have it shaped like the Blue Eyes.”

“He’s a friend,” Yuugi clarified. Jonouchi always made Kaiba sound like an enemy when he hadn’t been anything like an enemy in a long time. “He wants me to join his company after school, but if I did that I’d have to Duel him because he’d hold my paycheck.”

Jonouchi snorted. “Sounds like the sorta manipulative thing he’d do.”

Yuugi hummed. “I wouldn’t mind Dueling him sometime though. I just don’t want to Duel at his command.”

“Fair enough. Beat him once and he either won’t leave ya alone til you have a rematch or he pretends it never happened.”

“...This is the CEO of the largest gaming empire in Japan?” Satoshi asked, skeptical.

“In the world,” Jonouchi corrected.

“Charming.”

“Eh, he grows on you.” Jonouchi grinned, lopsided. “Kinda like some sort of fungus.”

Yuugi rolled his eyes. “Kaiba is Kaiba. He’s there when it matters and tries. He actually has a pretty good sense of humor.”

“Yeah, at my expense.”

Yuugi patted Jonouchi consolingly. Kaiba and Jonouchi would never really get along, and that was okay. Besides, he figured that by now their back and forth taunts were just the only way they knew how to interact. The words didn’t really hit anymore. Yuugi was pretty sure that Kaiba even found it fun. Not many people insulted him to his face anymore. Jonouchi was a bit too straightforward to notice that though.

“I suppose he is still a good connection to have if you’re going into this field,” Satoshi said in what was clearly meant to be a diplomatic tone. It still came across a bit skeptical.

“He is.” Yuugi grinned. “Though I kind of want to set up my own indie gaming thing out of Grandpa’s shop and see how he reacts.”

Daisuke shook his head. “Save that for when you can actually do everything yourself.”

“Or have a team.” For a brief moment, Yuugi pictured combining the strengths of his friends from high school into the project. They all had something they could have brought to the table—Anzu with music, Hiroto with coding, and Jonouchi with story development and puzzles. Even Bakura could have helped with the graphic side of things. But he dismissed it after that moment. This wasn’t high school anymore and they each had their own lives to work through.

“Or that,” Daisuke said.

They were all quiet for a moment, then Jonouchi held up his deck. “Anyone wanna learn how to Duel?”

And then Yuugi was digging out the extra cards he still couldn’t help carrying everywhere he went, and Daisuke and Satoshi were tentatively Dueling each other, Satoshi frequently looking at the cards like there was something he didn’t trust about them, but Dueling all the same.

It was nice.

Yuugi sat back and watched friends interact, new and old.

It was very nice.

*

Jonouchi only stayed a few days, but by the time he left he’d made friends with Yuugi’s friends, corrupted Yuugi’s sleep schedule with first a Duel, then a movie marathon, and told enough stories about the Dueling circuit that Yuugi wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or relieved that he hadn’t gone into Dueling professionally. It sounded like a wild time.

Then he was off back to attend the finals. Yuugi promised to watch them. He intended to drag Daisuke into watching them with him too.

The quiet after he left was a bit like missing a limb. Yuugi found himself in the art building even more that week. Daisuke, in his comings and goings—though usually he was there before and after Yuugi arrived—didn’t comment on Yuugi’s extra time there. He just brought a few more snacks and had music playing to fill the silence when Yuugi didn’t feel like talking.

It was a nice reminder that new friends could fill the open spaces old ones left without really replacing them.

*

Lately Daisuke had been sketching. No paintings, no charcoal drawings or powdery pastels covering the worktable with colorful dust marks, just pencil and a sketchbook every time Yuugi was there. Yuugi leaned over one day to ask about any tips on drawing foreshortening and blinked at the lines on the page.

“Is that a sketch of me?”

Daisuke almost dropped the sketchbook. For a second, Yuugi thought he was going to slam the book shut. “Yes?”

It was Yuugi; spiky hair and dark clothing, a profile of him smiling to himself as he worked on his tablet. There were smaller more dynamic thumbnails in the corner—Yuugi walking, laughing, throwing down a card in Duel Monsters, dozing off on the worktable. In all of the sketches his distinctive hair shape stood out along with the outlines of his clothing. “So, was it the hair or the clothes that made me an interesting sketch subject?” he joked. Those were the two things that people always noticed first after all. Spiked, bright colored hair, chunky silver and gold jewelry, and a taste for leather and belts.

Daisuke surprised him by flipping back a few pages to show studies of Yuugi’s face—just his face. “Your eyes actually...” Daisuke mumbled. He flushed and Yuugi couldn’t help blushing a little too. The sketches of his face were...intimate for lack of a better word. His eyes were riveted on a sketch on the right, his penciled lips frozen in a melancholy smile and a far off look in the sketch’s eyes like he was looking at something only he could see. It had to be a moment he was thinking about Atem and he wasn’t sure what he felt about having that captured on paper.

“Oh,” was all he could say.

Daisuke flushed deeper. “If it bothers you, I can stop.”

Did it bother him? Maybe if it was someone he didn’t know, but Daisuke was a friend now. He could see Yuugi as he was in all his range of emotions. “No,” Yuugi said. “No, it’s fine.”

Daisuke’s shoulders relaxed, his hands no longer gripping the sketchbook so tightly. “Your eyes show what you’re feeling really clearly,” he said. “The other day I was watching you work and I couldn’t help...” He waved at the sketches. “I like how you look.”

Yuugi could count on one hand how many times people said they liked his appearance, and two of those times had been Anzu while they were dating. He opened his mouth to...to what? Compliment Daisuke back? Thank him? He shook his head. “I don’t mind you drawing me.”

“Ok. I’m glad.” Daisuke twirled the pencil in his hands like he needed to do something with his fingers. “I’m also glad you came here months ago. It’s nice to have someone else in here.”

“Considering you practically live here.”

“Yeah.”

Yuugi sat back, asking a question that had been bugging him for a while now. “You’re here pretty much whenever I’m here. And lately if I’m not at classes I’m here. Are you always here? Is this a free study or...?”

One shoulder lifted in a shrug as Daisuke couldn’t meet his eyes. “I only have one class right now. I kind of had to take a break. I’m only supposed to be here for my class project but it felt like the only place I could be for a while.”

“Oh.” Yuugi reached out. He didn’t think he was imagining Daisuke leaning into his touch, gravitating toward the hand on his shoulder. “Is everything ok?”

“It wasn’t, but I think it’s getting better.”

Yuugi waited to see if Daisuke would say more, but he didn’t. That was okay. There were some things that you couldn’t talk about with just anyone, and some things that just couldn’t be talked about at all.

“Painting helps,” Daisuke said. “Seeing friends helps too. You help.”

Yuugi squeezed his shoulder in support. “I hope I can keep helping.”

This time he was sure he wasn’t imagining Daisuke leaning into his touch. “Just keep coming around.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about me leaving anytime soon.”

*

“The cards aren’t normal,” Daisuke said one day as Yuugi was helping him form a deck of his own. He’d Duel him sometimes if Yuugi was really in the mood for Duel Monsters. Daisuke held up a Chimera card, spinning it between his fingers. “There’s something about them... They almost feel alive.”

“The game is based off of an ancient Egyptian game played with stone tablets with souls sealed inside,” Yuugi said. He drew a card, unsurprised to find the Dark Magician in his hand. “I know it sounds superstitious, but the cards have spirits still, the medium just changed.” Dark Magician was joined by the Dark Magician Girl, then Kuriboh. “If you call them, they can answer.” He waited for Daisuke to scoff or look skeptical. Instead, Daisuke was nodding slowly.

“I can see that. It explains the weird feeling they have... Is it the art itself that gives them souls? Can anybody make a card or is there something specific?”

Yuugi stared.

“What?” Daisuke shuffled through the cards, pulled out Harpy’s Brother and Shadow Spell. “Art has a spark of life. Sometimes more than that. Why not cards too?”

“Most people don’t believe it unless they’re Duelists,” Yuugi said, “and even the people who are and have lived through spirits manifesting still don’t always believe.” Kaiba didn’t for the longest time. He does now, though. His Blue Eyes are all the closer to him for it.

“I can feel them,” Daisuke said, tracing fingers along the image of the cards. “So can Satoshi. That’s why he keeps giving you weird looks by the way. He’s not sure what to make of it.”

“Huh.” Yuugi could feel his cards—specifically the ones in his deck, and sometimes a few others, but not all cards spoke to him, and he hadn’t been able to until after he’d had Atem and started Dueling. “If you can feel them, you could probably call them. Some of them are still connected to the Egyptian monsters, and some were created by Pegasus, the person who resurrected the game, but... So far as I can tell they’re all alive to some extent.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

Yuugi wanted to laugh, and not in a good way. The Egyptian God cards had definitely been dangerous. “It can be,” Yuugi said bluntly. “I’ve seen it kill people.” Daisuke stilled. “But I’ve also seen the cards save people, and these days you don’t see as much summoning.” Not since the millennium items were sealed away. “Even then, outside of the top circuit of Duelers it’s pretty unheard of seeing anything like this at all.”

Daisuke looked at the cards in his hands like he was seeing them all over again.  “And kids play with these?”

Yuugi stifled a laugh. “Like I said, not many people can actually use them that way.” He rested his chin on one hand. “I wonder what one would answer you?”

“I don’t think I want to find out,” Daisuke said.

“This one’s mine.” Yuugi held up Kuriboh. “And sort of this one too...” Dark Magician joined it. It was more Atem’s card, but it had answered Yuugi’s call before too. Kuriboh just liked Yuugi in general.

“A winged fur ball and a purple sorcerer,” Daisuke said. “Yeah, I can see how they fit.”

“Was that supposed to be an insult?”

“Maybe.”

“Hey!”

Daisuke laughed.

He did finish putting together a deck eventually. He didn’t look quite as relaxed around the cards after that though.

*

“It’s not going to work,” Satoshi said to Daisuke as he added details to yet another winged painting. This one was made up of subtle shadows and glints of light, all purple and blue and black. The lightest points were the glint of gold in the winged man’s hands and the white of his smirk in the dark. “I know it’s different for you, but no matter how much you paint him—”

“I know,” Daisuke said, sharp. “I know it isn’t going to bring him back, but I can’t help it. It’s like it’s keeping him here.”

“There’s no him, only them now.” Satoshi sighed. “Have you thought any more on going back to regular classes?”

“It feels like too much still.” Daisuke set his brush down. “Do you think if I paint him enough, people will remember?”

“Perhaps.” Satoshi was quiet a moment. “I thought things were getting better.”

“They are.” The clink of Daisuke’s brush being rinsed clean, picked back up to start again. “But better isn’t completely over it yet.”

Satoshi sighed again and said something under his breath.

Yuugi took that as a cue that today was really not the best day to be there after all. He slid away wondering who Daisuke had lost to spend all his time painting him.

*

“Congratulations on your win!” Yuugi chirped over the laggy Skype call.

Jonouchi grinned at him, thousands of miles away, but still as close a friend as ever. “Thanks! Mai’s kinda pissed that I beat her out in the second to last round, but she’ll get over it.”

“It was a good Duel,” Yuugi said, having watched it very late—or early depending on your perception of time—in Daisuke’s dorm room with his friend drowsing off next to him and waking on and off whenever Yuugi got particularly excited. The thought had been nice even if it hadn’t quite worked out how they’d planned. “What now?”

“Eh, Mai and I’ll be headed back to New York to catch up with Anzu. Stay for a while there til the next tournament sign up starts. Maybe we’ll get a chance to visit Japan again too, if the timing works out.” Jonouchi was still beaming. It made Yuugi feel warm and happy to see him happy, glad to see him confident in his skills and excelling in life. It had been the right choice for him to Duel professionally.

“Going to go on some dates?” Yuugi teased.

“Well, if Mai forgives me for Time Wizarding her Harpies again, yeah.” With a shrug, Jonouchi added, “Not gonna tell you the details though.”

Yuugi wrinkled his nose. “I don’t want to know about the details of that kind of date, Jonouchi. Mai and Anzu would kill you if you talked about it anyway.”

He laughed. “Yeah, yeah. Hey; what about you? Have any dates lined up?”

Yuugi made a noncommittal hum in the back of his throat. His legs kicked aimlessly against his bedframe. “Still not dating anyone, Jou.”

“But do you liiiike anyone,” Jonouchi teased. If he was in person, he’d be pulling Yuugi into a playful headlock by now.

Yuugi hummed again.

“Not even that Daisuke guy you keep talking about?”

Did he? He wasn’t sure whether he did or not. It had been a while since he felt those things, wasn’t sure if he could tell them apart from friendship right now. The two had always gone hand in hand. “I don’t know,” he said finally.

“Huh.” Jonouchi sounded thoughtful. His expression didn’t give anything away for once, whether he thought it was a good or bad or anything in between.

“What?”

“It’s the first time you haven’t said no when I ask that question,” Jonouchi said.

Yuugi felt a roiling mess of embarrassed and flustered because that, he realized, was true. He didn’t know if he liked Daisuke that way or not, but he wanted to spend time with him—did spend time with him almost as much as he could spare—and that meant something even if it might not be romantic. “I’ll tell you when I figure it out,” he mumbled.

Jonouchi laughed and wished him the best before launching into a story about Haga and Ryuuzaki, leaving the topic of romance behind.

It was Yuugi who couldn’t get the thought to stop lingering.

*

The semester was almost over now. Projects were done and it was just Yuugi with his laptop poking at his game again in Daisuke’s art study room. Daisuke wasn’t there for once, just his multitude of paintings. There was a tiny painting of Yuugi up there with all the other ones and he wasn’t sure what to make of that. His eyes glinting purple from a shadowed image. It could have been a threat or an invitation into a secret, and Yuugi kind of hoped it was the latter because it wasn’t a very good thought that his friend might find him threatening.

Yuugi got caught up in the minutia of coding and checking his plot and dialogue script with each advance. So caught up he didn’t even notice Daisuke’s arrival until he turned to get his character reference sheets and found Daisuke sitting in a chair back to front watching him, and looking like he’d been there for a while. Yuugi dropped the reference sheets.

Daisuke leaned forward to pick the few that had scattered up. “You’re really making progress on that aren’t you?”

“Some?” Yuugi said. “Not as much as I would like, but I’m only one person and there’s a lot to do for a game, even just a simple one.”

“It’s come along pretty well,” Daisuke said. He looked at the character sheets in his hand, at the Spirit’s sheet on top. “You’re not making something simple after all.” A double tap of his fingers against the chair back, a tic he had every once in a while, like his hands got restless but he tried not to fidget with them. “You’ve written the rest of the plot now, right?”

“Pretty much.” It had taken almost as long as putting together the sprite world had. It was harder than Yuugi had anticipated to create a game off his life even in a once or twice removed fashion. “I still have some dialogue to go but the main parts are all written.” It was the puzzles that were harder to make.

“Did you ever decide what would happen if the player chose to keep the spirit in the end?”

“If he keeps it?” Yuugi glanced down at his drawing. The spirit looked nothing like Atem, the only connection the eye of Horus worked into his design.  “The spirit stays with him, still locked in the puzzle.”

“And after the protagonist dies one day?” Daisuke pressed. “What would happen to it then? Would it pass along to another family member or...?”

Yuugi shook his head. Whatever had been between him and Atem, he couldn’t imagine it happening between anyone else. Not his grandfather, not his friends, and not even a hypothetical child in the future. “It’s a once in a millennium sort of thing,” Yuugi said. Fate, or more that they’d perhaps once been one soul before Atem had been lost. Egyptian mythology held that the soul had five parts after all. “The spirit would be stuck in the puzzle alone until by some chance someone else who was compatible was born, which could take a long, long time.” Yuugi smiled wryly. “I’m sure they would be happy for the lifetime they had together, but there’s the question of if that evens out against a possible eternity alone after.”

“Oh.”

“There’s also a point where the spirit could have taken over the protagonist’s body,” Yuugi said. “Instead he rescues the protagonist’s soul. So they’re both looking out for each other in the end.”

“Oh,” Daisuke said again. This time it was slightly choked. “With two souls that close, it makes sense.”

Yuugi hummed, agreeing. For him and Atem, it had made sense. Even for Ryou and Bakura it had a certain amount of sense, and that was with Bakura lashing out at all times and willing to sacrifice Ryou. In the end he hadn’t—maybe couldn’t—and it was all more complicated than Yuugi could understand. Daisuke looked like he understood, though. Understood in a way that only someone who had lived it could. “Why does it mean so much to you?” Yuugi asked finally. “I know what this means to me, but what does the story mean to you?”

Daisuke, instead of answering, looked at the paintings leaning against the walls. “It’s hard,” he said finally, “to choose what’s right when there isn’t a right answer that will make everyone happy.”

Yuugi didn’t press the topic. The faraway look in Daisuke’s eyes was something he was too familiar with. “We make the choice and keep going,” Yuugi said. “Because if they cared, they’d want us to try to be happy too, right?” He smiled, more a slight lift of the corner of his lips than a true smile. “We have people who care to fall back on and then we find other ways to cope. You paint. I make a game.” Daisuke looked back at Yuugi. They hovered over the edge of mutual understanding. This wasn’t something that needed to be explained to be understood. Pain and loss were universal as were happiness and friendship. “We’re doing pretty well with what we have, don’t you think?”

“Maybe,” Daisuke said. He sighed, then slumped abruptly, leaning against Yuugi’s shoulder. “How do you make it seem so easy to keep going?”

“It’s not.” Yuugi touched Daisuke’s hair, and maybe it was his imagination that Daisuke tilted himself into that touch. “But moving forward doesn’t mean the past never happened or that you can’t remember it or that you weren’t changed by it.” Atem changed everything in Yuugi’s life, from helping him make his first friend besides Anzu to opening up his world to so many more things than he thought it would ever hold. “I’d rather remember than forget, and if it’s hard, then it’s a good thing that there’s always someone who can help even if they might not be there yet.” Like meeting Daisuke and Satoshi had helped.

Daisuke breathed out a laugh. “Yeah. Thanks.” He moved away, back toward the side of the room that had become his as Yuugi had slowly taken over a part of his own. “When you finish that game someday, I’d like to play it,” he said. “With both ends.”

Yuugi nodded. In real life you couldn’t have both endings play out, but in a game? “When I get to the test phase, you’re one of the people I hope will play it.”

“I will,” Daisuke said with a quiet conviction more like an unbreakable vow than a casual promise. He started sorting through paint tubes and Yuugi pulled his character references to himself. He had a lot of work to go if he was going to meet that promise halfway.

*

The sun was bright and it was unseasonably warm for March, warm enough that they could sit outside with only a light jacket and enjoy the fresh air. Their convenience store bentou were empty beside them as they sprawled out in the grass and enjoyed the early spring sunlight.

Yuugi tilted his face toward the sun, eyes closed, a happy smile on his face. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I missed being outside so much. I didn’t even realize how much I was inside until it was winter and I missed the best of spring and summer glued to my computer.”

Daisuke, sprawled next to him, snickered. “You really do have to go out sometimes. I go out in the mornings to sketch. Believe me, your body will thank you for the sunlight.”

“Mm, no, I remember someone calling me a gremlin this winter, and gremlins don’t like sun.”

“You seem to like it right now.”

Yuugi aimed a half-hearted elbow jab in Daisuke’s direction. It missed and all he got was another laugh and a tickling poke to his side. Yuugi squirmed away.

“This is nice though,” Daisuke said.

“Yeah.” Tucked away in a quiet corner of campus with the first birdsong of spring and a cluster of daffodils a few feet away, it was peaceful. A little private bubble that wasn’t the art room and both more and less connected to reality because of it.

“I exercise most mornings too,” Daisuke said. “If you’re missing sunlight you could join me and—”

Yuugi groaned. “No, I am not a morning person!” Or an exercise person. Or someone who would ever combine the two.

Daisuke laughed at him. “Maybe that’s why you’re so short. Stunted growth from lack of sun, like a plant.”

This time Yuugi’s elbow connected. The tiny hiss of breath as Daisuke massaged the hit was satisfying. “I’m short because of genetics.” Gramps barely got over a meter and a half tall. Yuugi considered himself lucky to pass him up by a handful of centimeters. “I’m not sure why you’re so smug when we were both asked if we wanted children’s menus that one time.”

They watched wispy clouds chase like feathers across the sky.

“I think,” Daisuke said suddenly, “I want to paint something new.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He looked toward the daffodils and their bright green and yellow against the browns of winter hanging on. “I signed up for more classes this spring. I think...” Daisuke trailed off, voice going soft. “I think I can handle it now.”

“Great!”

The small smile Daisuke sent back Yuugi’s way was like the sun coming out from behind clouds.

*

It was Yuugi that moved first. It was less a conscious decision and more an inevitability, bridging the gap between them during a post-finals movie binge. Daisuke had looked at him for some reason—something to do with the movie that had immediately gone out of Yuugi’s mind because Daisuke had been smiling—and like an object caught in the Earth’s gravitational pull, he’d been pulled in by that smile. Lips, smooth except for the corner Daisuke was forever biting while he worked. It went on for an eternity. It lasted only a moment.

Yuugi pulled away. Daisuke’s eyes fluttered open; at some point he’d closed them. The movie kept going, white noise in the background of the moment. The air had the same feeling Yuugi got before he pulled the card that would turn a Duel on its head.

“Oh,” Daisuke whispered, both too quiet and too loud for Yuugi’s frantic heartbeat in that space of a moment before it was clear whether it was a good or a bad reaction. Then Daisuke’s hand was tangled in one of the heavy chains and gaudy pendants around Yuugi’s neck, pulling him back in. The second kiss was better because Daisuke was kissing back.

When they finally parted again, Yuugi couldn’t help but burst into giggles at how Daisuke looked more like he’d been hit over the head than like he’d been kissing someone.

“I thought—” Daisuke’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “I thought...your friend? You seemed...close.”

“Jonouchi?” Yuugi asked. He was almost in Daisuke’s lap, couldn’t help but keep touching him, fingers trailing on bare wrists and arms and along Daisuke’s strong fingers. “No, we’re just friends. He’s my best friend.” Yuugi reached up to touch Daisuke’s hair, like that kiss was permission to give in to all the little things he’d longed to do. “He’s dating Mai and Anzu. Or they’re dating him and each other. Or something.” He couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s complicated. And you’re not with Satoshi?”

Daisuke blinked, the dazed expression fading away. He caught Yuugi’s wandering hands in his own, lacing their fingers together. “No. Satoshi’s not interested in people like that. Isn’t Anzu your ex?”

“Yeah.” Yuugi kept grinning. Everything was right in the world right then. “And one of my oldest friends. But we didn’t work out, and she ended up falling for Mai, who also liked Jou, who liked her, and I don’t know how it all works with them, but they’re happy so I’m happy for them.”

“My ex only talks to me via her twin sister.”

“I think it helped that we were friends for a long time first. Friendship is more important than anything else.” And for Yuugi it always would be. Friendship had been part of what made him notice Daisuke. He wouldn’t have a romantic relationship any other way.

Daisuke scrubbed the back of his hair. “We weren’t not friends, but, uh...” He glanced in Yuugi’s direction. From this close Yuugi could really notice how long his eyelashes were. And how they were the same red as his hair. And how Daisuke was blushing and had very faint freckles from how he’d been making time to go outside lately. “I can see why being friends first can be good.” Their eyes met. Yuugi couldn’t look away, not even if Kaiba’s Blue Eyes were to burst through the door right then.

“I like you,” Yuugi blurted. “A lot. As a friend and more.” He gripped Daisuke’s hand tight.

Daisuke’s head tipped forward, their foreheads bumping together and noses brushing. Yuugi could feel the flutter of his eyelashes on his cheek and Daisuke’s breath against his jaw, so close, but not quite close enough. It was ticklish and electric, everything narrowing down to those points of contact as his heart beat too fast and hopeful in his chest.

“I think I like you too,” Daisuke said. He laughed softly, the tremors shaking Yuugi with him. “I like you a lot.”

“Date me?” Yuugi asked hopefully.

Daisuke pulled back and gave him a lopsided smile. “Yes. I can’t guarantee anything, but yes.”

“No one can guarantee anything,” Yuugi said. “If you worry over whether things will or won’t work out, you just miss out on actually living what you have.” If he’d learned anything over the years, it was to appreciate what he had when he had it. Friends, family, memories; all of that had been discovered and rediscovered with Atem and after him. This was just one more case of learning it again.

“I guess I should appreciate living then,” Daisuke said. He pulled Yuugi into another kiss. Yuugi took his own advice and just enjoyed the moment.

*

The game wasn’t complete, but it was far enough along to be playable in a rough way. It was far beyond the school project it had started as; in fact, Yuugi was already wondering if he could eventually submit it as his final project. It might just take the next three years of school to get it to the point where he was satisfied with its quality.

Still, it was playable. And Yuugi could feel the pride and weight of most of a year’s worth of work as he arrowed his avatar through a pixel world.

“So this is the game?” Daisuke asked. He sat next to Yuugi on Yuugi’s bed. He was the first person Yuugi was showing it to. The first person he would let play the parts that he had finished. If Jonouchi was here, he’d let him play it too, but Jonouchi was on a break in New York and Daisuke was the closest person to his heart right now even if he wouldn’t get the game the way someone who lived the events it was based off of would.

Yuugi handed over his laptop. “You can play through making your first friend and unlocking the spirit.” Technically you could play further, but only the main events could occur without any of the interesting side plots and puzzles and NPC interactions.

Daisuke settled against Yuugi’s side and let his fingers skim the keyboard, familiarizing himself with the controls. “It’s cool to see your character move,” he murmured.

Yuugi didn’t answer. He rested his head on Daisuke’s shoulder and watched him play with his heart in his throat. Somehow this was more soul baring than sharing the drawings. Than sharing the art room for almost a year, more vulnerable and intimate than kissing or any of the things that could follow that. This game was Yuugi baring his soul and most precious memories into something that perhaps one day hundreds of people would see and play. Those people wouldn’t know Yuugi, wouldn’t know how it mirrored his life or what it meant to him.

Daisuke knew him and how important the game was.

Onscreen, Daisuke played through the introductory puzzles and met the characters who would be the protagonist’s friends. He seemed to know how important this moment was because he didn’t say anything as he played, just followed along with the storyline. Yuugi could feel when Daisuke got it, right when the protagonist awakens the spirit and makes a wish. Yuugi had told him once how he became friends with Jonouchi. “It felt like fate,” Yuugi had said. As Daisuke continued, completing the puzzles as the spirit to get back at the bully and cement your new friendship, Daisuke finally looked Yuugi’s way.

“This is you, isn’t it?” Daisuke said. It wasn’t really a question with the certainty shining in his eyes. “Your story.”

“More or less,” Yuugi said. “I’m not including any ancient Egyptian gods or card games in this though. That would make it a bit too obvious.”

“The spirit?”

“He was a spirit trapped in the puzzle.” Yuugi hid his face in Daisuke’s shoulder. It felt so weird to talk about this to someone who hadn’t lived it, but so freeing as well. It wasn’t a secret hovering over his head anymore. “He was like a part of me, a part I didn’t know I was missing until he was there, and then he left.”

“You let him go.”

Yuugi hummed in affirmative. On screen, the protagonist’s avatar climbed into bed, the spirit’s outline hovering above the bed as he slept. It was the end of the intro chapter. It was a bittersweet feeling. Daisuke set the laptop down.

“That had to be a hard choice to make,” Daisuke said.

“It was and it wasn’t.” The hard part had been knowing he would be alone in his head again. The actual decision to let Atem have his peace in the afterlife hadn’t been hard to make at all. “There was only one way it could go in the end.” He wasn’t selfish enough to make any other choice.

Daisuke hugged himself, curling in on himself and it would have been closing Yuugi out except he was still angled toward him and hadn’t made any effort to stop Yuugi from leaning on him. “I.” He wet his lips. “I didn’t have any choice. With mine.”

Ah. “The person you paint?”

“Yeah.” Daisuke uncurled a bit. “He was a spirit of an artwork that was tied to my bloodline. Sort of meant to be closer to a curse than another half of a soul, but...”

“When you share a mind and body...” Yuugi said.

“Yeah.” Daisuke sighed. “He was half of a whole work. Return the two halves together, fix what shouldn’t have been separated... He doesn’t exist anymore. Not how I knew him. And after we sealed the painting he might as well not exist in any form at all.”

“We?”

“Satoshi.”

“Oh.” Yuugi thought of Bakura, the thief king he’d housed. He wondered if however Satoshi had been involved had been anything like their situation. Bakura’s relief at having it all over hadn’t been something Yuugi could fully empathize with even if they could both look inside and feel the missing pieces where the spirits had resided in their souls.

“I’d bring him back if I could,” Daisuke said. “It wasn’t a curse to me. It was to Satoshi though, and in the long run it wasn’t doing either of our family lines any good. I’d still paint him back if I could.”

Yuugi felt the part of his soul Atem had been in ache, like a phantom limb. He knew that emptiness well, but he was filling it with new bonds and experiences, bit by bit patching over the emptiness. He could be happy and mean it with his whole self again. It sounded like Daisuke was still reaching that point.

“It’s not possible,” Daisuke said. There was sadness there, but acceptance too. “It’s time to move on with living.”

“Souls,” Yuugi said after a long moment, “have a way of returning to each other.” From the Duel Monsters seeking out those they had been connected with in life like Atem and Mahado to parts of a whole like Yuugi and Atem had been, to even significant lives like Kaiba’s previous life had been to Atem. Even if it took a millennia, they found their way back. He’d see Atem again one day. And Daisuke would see his spirit again too; that was how the world worked. “Maybe not in this life, but you’ll meet again.”

“Thanks.” Daisuke said. He didn’t sound like he believed Yuugi, but that was okay. He hadn’t seen the things Yuugi had to have that solid certainty. Daisuke twisted against Yuugi until they were face to face. “I only ever told one other person about any of that. Everyone else lived it or already knew.”

“Me neither.” Yuugi smiled suddenly. “Although I had to explain it to Kaiba a few times and he lived it and he still doesn’t want to believe it happened.”

Daisuke laughed. There were tears in the corners of his eyes that they both ignored. “I know people like that too.” His laughter trailed off, both arms coming around Yuugi in a loose hug. “Thank you.”

He didn’t need to say more than that. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for existing. Thank you for being here.

*

Kaiba set down the file in front of him, one eyebrow raised as he surveyed the man in front of him. “Let me get this straight, Mutou. You agree to work for me if I hire your boyfriend and his friend as an artist and a coder.”

“Yep.” Yuugi in high school might have felt intimidated by the cold stare across the desk, but Yuugi had lived a lot of life since then. Kaiba wasn’t very scary at all in comparison to some of the things he’d seen. That and Kaiba was the one who wanted him as an employee in the first place.

“Why?” Kaiba demanded. “I was under the impression that you hoped to start an indie game company of your own. Your first game has a cult following already.” Kaiba said it like it was more of an insult than a compliment, though it was probably because he took it as a slight that Yuugi had made and sold the game without ever approaching Kaiba about it.

“I considered that,” Yuugi said, rocking back on his heels. He’d thought about it the whole time he was in college, made several smaller games besides the one centering around Atem’s counterpart, all of which had done fairly well. But those games had been made either by Yuugi alone or with Satoshi and Daisuke’s help, or one of his classmates, all on school equipment or Yuugi’s own laptop. “It was pointed out that you had the resources and teams already if I wanted to put any of the more complicated game ideas I have in mind into action. It would take me a lot longer to establish a brand and get a decent staff and funding of my own, and that’s not the kind of thing I’m good at.” Starting from the ground up was more Kaiba’s thing really.

“What makes you think I’d put you in charge of a team?” Kaiba challenged.

Yuugi frowned at him. “Well you’re not hiring me just because you want an excuse to make me test all your new Duel Monsters things,” he said.  “That would be a waste and you know it. You hate wasting resources.”

There was a moment where Yuugi thought Kaiba was going to get annoyed, but instead he smiled. Smiles did not fit well on Kaiba’s face. He settled back in his desk chair looking too pleased. “You’re right. I do hate waste. Which is why your friends had better be top notch or they’re not getting hired, deal or not. I can’t have useless employees.”

“I’ll have them send you a resume and portfolio,” Yuugi said. “Daisuke was an art major and Satoshi has been doing coding for indie games for the last year.” He had a running bet with Daisuke on whether Kaiba and Satoshi would get along or hate each other on sight. It would be interesting to see how it turned out.

Kaiba snorted. He was still smiling. He always was in a better mood when things went the way he wanted. “No speeches about the power of friendship and how you believe in their abilities?”

“I could give one, but I figured you’d prefer seeing their credentials over taking my word,” Yuugi said drily.

“Good. I don’t need to hear that sentiment anyway.” Kaiba steepled his fingers. “Are either of them Duelists?”

“Daisuke has a Wind-Dark deck but he only plays casually.” Yuugi put on as harmless a smile as he could manage. “Satoshi doesn’t like the magic clinging to the cards.”

Kaiba grimaced just like Yuugi expected him to at the mention of magic. “So you’ve found more people who believe in your mumbo jumbo.”

“You lived it, Kaiba,” Yuugi said, more amused than anything.

Kaiba waved a hand, turning away to gather up papers from a file. “Something happened. I’m sure science will reach an understanding of it one day.” He held out a stack of papers. “Here. Get these signed and back to my secretary by the end of the week and you’re all hired.”

“There’s not a clause saying I have to Duel you at your leisure in here is there?” Yuugi flipped through the stack, glancing at the pages.

“No.” Kaiba sat back in his chair again, smug and content that things were going his way again. “But you can expect to be asked to test things in the future.”

“Of course.” Yuugi hadn’t expected anything else.

“I expect you to be an asset to my company, Mutou.” Kaiba stared him down. “If I’m putting you in charge of a team, I expect high results.”

“Of course,” Yuugi repeated.

“Then we have a deal.” Kaiba waved a hand and Yuugi knew he was dismissed. “I expect those papers back as soon as possible. If there’s anything on there that you need to discuss, you have my office number.”

Yuugi had his private number too, but he could appreciate keeping their private and work lives separate. He stood up to leave.

“And Mutou?” Kaiba said as Yuugi was almost to the door. Yuugi waited. “Tetsuro? Really?” Kaiba asked, referencing the game character Yuugi had based off him. His character had the most dramatic character development of everyone, going from full on villain to reluctant heroic tag along.

Yuugi sent him a grin over his shoulder. “I thought it was a pretty good likeness.”

Kaiba huffed and Yuugi laughed, leaving him to the rest of the work day. As soon as he was out of the office, he pulled out his phone to call Daisuke and let him know their jobs were lined up. He had an idea for a game that Daisuke would want to be involved with. It involved a phantom thief. His boyfriend had experience in that after all.

[kohakuhime]

The Reluctant Guardian, Ch. 5

Surprise! I’ve finally caught up again after being a week behind schedule. Barring unforeseen circumstance, we should be back on for regularly scheduled Sunday updates.

Takes place post canon. Michael and Kazuo belong to @mpuzzlegirl; Rowen, the twins, and Sylvie belong to me; and YGO and its associated characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi.

                                            +++++++++++++++++++

“I’m going back to put dishes up. Anything I can get you before I go?” Rowen asked.

Sylvie handed her plate back to her brother. “I don’t think so,” she replied, snuggling back under her blankets. “Thank you for breakfast, Rowen.”

“Anything for the little lady. Pancakes are the best cure for colds,” he said sagely. “That and orange juice. It’s to make up for having to take that nasty cough syrup earlier. That stuff’s gross,” he added, making a face.

Sylvie started to giggle, but the laugh triggered a coughing spell that left her breathless. Her coughs were jagged and harsh, especially coming from such a small and quiet child. Rowen sat on the mattress next to her, unable to fully banish the uneasiness at the sound.

When she was finished he wordlessly handed her a Kleenex. “Sounds like the cough syrup isn’t the only gross thing around here.”

“It tastes icky, too,” she said unhappily. The little girl crumpled up the used Kleenex and gently tossed it into the wastebasket by her bed. “Do I have to spit that stuff up?”

“Unfortunately, lamb,” Rowen replied with a good deal of sympathy. “Otherwise it’ll get stuck in your lungs and get you really sick. Then you’d have to go to the hospital and get poked with needles.”

Sylvie’s face scrunched into a frown. “I don’t like needles. They always miss the pincushion when they bring the needles around me,” she said stiffly. “They missed Papan’s arm too.”

Rowen hid his smile. “Who said being sick was fun? And those doctors are always under the impression you’re the pincushion, kidlet,” he replied warmly. He stood and took hold of the coverlet. “I’ve got to go do dishes, but I’ll be back up here once I’m done. If you need anything, just give me a ring,” he continued, gesturing to the little bell he had left on the nightstand. “Do you want a movie on in the meantime?”

Rowen had brought the television upstairs for his little sister last night, as something for her to do while he worked today. He had to dust, vacuum, and finish cleaning the downstairs; he was supposed to clean the whole house, but he was concerned that the chemicals and flying dust would only agitate Sylvie’s cough.

Sylvie nodded silently. She waited until Rowen finished loading in one of her movies before speaking again. “Can I please have Filly before you go? She fell off and went under the bed.”

Rowen came back over to her bed and bent down, reaching for her stuffed rabbit. The plush had been made by their mother when Sylvie had been born, a fluffy and soft crème colored rabbit with flowered patches sewn onto its belly, paws, and inner ears. The rabbit’s full name was Felicity, but Sylvie hadn’t been able to pronounce her name and so Filly had stuck. “Here she is, Sylvie, and she’s happy to see you,” he declared, handing her the rabbit.

His little sister instantly snuggled with the plush. As Rowen finished pulling the covers up she directed a warm smile at her older brother. “Thanks, Rowen.”

“Of course, lamb,” he responded warmly. “I’ve got the movie on for you, but if you want to take a nap feel free, ‘kay? I want you getting better.”

Rowen left after that, and he had been partially down the stairs when he heard something and paused. He leaned over the banister and looked down the hallway. Had his grandparents come back? He did not see anything unusual and so he kept on going to the kitchen—at least until he heard the front door open and close.

“Hello?” he called, walking back to the front hallway. He looked around once again, starting to frown. “Grampa? Grandma? Is that you?”

There was no answer, but when Rowen went to the front door he found it unlocked. “That’s odd,” he murmured. He opened the door and stepped outside, his eyes moving across the front lawn. “Hello?” he called again.

No one answered him and Rowen sighed, running a hand through his bangs. Maybe he’d just been hearing things. It was something all too common these days for him, since he had spent so much time hoping for his parents to come home. There wasn’t anyone outside anyways, just parked cars and an occasional bird that flew overhead.

Well okay, then. Definitely hearing things again. Rowen shut the door and locked it, and then as an afterthought locked the other deadbolt. He moved for the garage door and the back door next, making sure that they were locked as well.

Just to be sure.

                                       +++++++++++++++++++

“Michael? Hey, you’ve been awfully quiet, you okay?”

Michael started and redirected his attention back to his cousin. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied quietly. “Just…something caught my eye, that’s all. Don’t worry about it.”

Kazuo studied him for a while longer. “You aren’t fooling me any, Michael. What’s up?”

His red-haired cousin shrugged. “Just feeling kinda weird, that’s all. You seemed like you were going to say something?”

Kazuo frowned, not entirely convinced that the younger boy was all right. “Yeah…Mom just texted me. She’s coming to get us.”

“Mmkay.” Michael was still distracted, not entirely paying attention to the other teenager.

Kazuo raised an eyebrow and poked Michael’s cheek. “You sure you’re okay? You keep looking around like you’re expecting to find something. Did you see something in a shop?”

Michael made a face and pushed Kazuo’s hand away. “I’m fine, really, Kazuo. So Aunt Isabel is coming? I thought she said we had about another hour or so.”

“That was before Mister Travis’s flight landed early. Mom’s on her way to come get us, so we’re gonna go meet her. It’ll be easier for her to find us in the mall.”

“Okay. Anywhere in particular?”

“Yeah, same place we came in. Food court in about fifteen minutes.”

“Let’s get going then,” said Michael, walking past Kazuo. His cousin had to half jog to catch up to Michael, as he had not realized the other boy was already walking.

“Hey, wait! We aren’t in that big a rush to get back! Michael, slow down!”

Michael did not wait for Kazuo, though his stride shortened the smallest amount to allow his cousin to catch up. Truth be told, he didn’t want to even slow down that much—he wanted to get back to Aunt Isabel and get out of here.

It would at least make it harder for the man in the sunglasses to keep following them.

Michael had noticed him about twenty minutes ago, starting from when they had left the video shop. He didn’t stand out too much, wearing slacks and a black turtleneck sweater, but Michael didn’t like it. Maybe it was coincidental he kept showing up when they did, he had thought, but when they had started moving so had he.

They had to get out of here, he thought grimly, and as they walked he started looking for mall security. His hand gripped his cell phone, his stomach clenching unpleasantly. It was taking everything he had not to start running, as that would alert the man tailing them that Michael was onto him.

Where was security when he needed them?

“Michael, you’re starting to scare me. What’s going on?” his cousin asked. His blue-green eyes darted around them as they walked.

“Kazuo, keep walking,” he ordered quietly. “We’ve got unfriendly eyes on us.”

Kazuo said nothing for a beat, and then said just as quietly, “You mean the guy that’s been following us for almost thirty minutes?”

Michael shot his older cousin a startled look, then recovered. Of course Kazuo would have seen him—he was a Kaiba and he had learned to spot threats a long time ago. “Yeah, that guy,” he said curtly. “Have you seen any other of his friends?”

“No…not really. Maybe it’s coincidence?”

“Maybe.” Michael sounded just as doubtful as his cousin did. “Let’s stick to the crowds, yeah?”

“Yep,” replied Kazuo, eyes dark. “Already messaged Mom to get here as quick as she can.”

Michael’s grip on his phone tightened. Already the debate to message his other cousins had started raging, but without knowing anything yet for certain he didn’t dare message Rowen and the twins. Not until he was sure this wasn’t an isolated focus on Kazuo. He couldn’t imagine why anyone would want him—Kazuo was a Kaiba, and while no one in Domino was foolish enough to take a Kaiba prisoner it didn’t mean outsiders held the same restraint.

“We need to lose our tail altogether,” he said aloud. “Any ideas?”

“Duck into a store and lose him in a clothes rack?” Kazuo suggested seriously.

“Yeah, that actually sounds like a good idea. On three?”

“Three,” Kazuo said, grabbing Michael by the arm and tugging him into a large department store on the right. They pushed through the crowd and instantly moved for the dressing rooms. They didn’t have to talk about where they were going, since they both had the same destination in mind. Once they got back there, Michael resolved to text Rowen and the twins.

The boys had nearly made it to the dressing room when an announcement sounded in the store. “All right, folks, our five minute special begins now! Shop until you drop!”

The store had been crowded to begin with, but the announcement seemed to send the shop into a frenzy because the aisles burst with frenetic activity. Kazuo tried his best to keep his grip on Michael’s arm, but then one gentleman cut between them and his older cousin lost his grip.

“Michael!”

Michael tried to fight his way back through the crowd, but then a new hand on his arm started dragging him towards a door that led outside. Another man in a turtleneck and sunglasses, not the same one from before but definitely friends with their other “shadow”.

He struggled angrily against the other man. “Let me go!” he snarled, futilely tugging at his arm. He shot a desperate look back into the store. “Kazuo! Kazuo!”

But his voice was swallowed by the crowd’s excited babble and he couldn’t see his teal-haired cousin in the chaos. He scowled up at the man trying to drag him away. A blast of cool air hit him as he was pulled out of the mall altogether, finding himself in the parking lot instead. “Hey, mister, you don’t have a gun, do you?” he guessed coldly. “You would have pulled it by now.”

The man smirked down at him. “How astute of you, but I don’t need it for a scrawny brat like you,” he sneered.

“Yeah? And what about shin guards?” Michael challenged, gaining a smirk of his own. “Is that a part of your Goon Squad uniform too?”

The man didn’t get a chance to fully grasp the significance behind Michael’s question meant before the boy swiftly kicked the man, making double sure to kick him as hard as he could at the inside of the leg. His captor swore angrily, but his grip loosened enough for Michael to pull away sharply.

He would have to trust Kazuo would be okay in the crowd in the shop. There wasn’t any time to get back into the store, especially if the men tailing him knew where he was going. He’d only endanger his cousin, and there wasn’t even time for Michael to call for help.

No time for him to think or process. He turned on his heel and ran.

                                     +++++++++++++++++++

“And that should do it,” Rowen declared. His eyes swept around him as he started undoing the hair clips holding his bangs back. It had taken an hour, but now nothing was out of place and everything had been dusted. He had done all the dishes and even started laundry.

He hadn’t heard the sound of any ringing bells while he had been working, even checking in after he had finished vacuuming. So far Sylvie had been content where she was upstairs, though he could hear her coughs from downstairs; the last he had seen her, she had dozed off and had been curled up on her side, Filly in her arms and giving small coughs in her sleep. He’d never heard such a grating and harsh sound out of his little sister before, and if it hadn’t cleared up by tomorrow he resolved to take her to the doctor.

He was about to start going up the stairs to check on Sylvie when he felt his cell phone start to buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and arched an eyebrow at the caller ID: Unknown Caller.

“Sorry, buddy, not in the mood,” Rowen said, pocketing the phone again. He never answered unknown callers.

A few seconds later, Rowen felt the phone vibrate twice in rapid succession. A text message? He pulled his phone back out and stared in surprise at the brief and curt message: Answer your phone.

The phone started ringing immediately after he read the three word text. This time Rowen answered it, though it was with a good deal of reluctance. “Hello?”

“You are Rowen Knighton?”

Rowen frowned. The voice sounded aristocratic, a stranger’s voice he had never heard before. “Yeah…hey, how did you get this number?”

“Get out, boy.”

He stopped trying to place the voice once he processed the warning. “What? Who is this?”

“Who I am does not matter. Get your sister and get out. They’re coming.”

“Who is?” Rowen repeated, voice hardening at the mention of Sylvie. Dread washed over him in cold waves. “Who’s coming and why do I need to leave? Who are you?”

“I do not have time to explain. Get out or get caught, your choice. If you value your sister’s safety, you’ll run. Go, now.”

“But—“ he growled when the other line went dead. “Hello? Hello?”

Rowen stared at the now silent phone, thoughts racing a mile a minute. Either this was a prank call or this was something of legitimate concern, and from the sounds of it he didn’t have enough time to figure it out.

He moved back down the stairs, cautiously peering through the window. There wasn’t anyone he could see out front, just a black car at the—

Wait, hadn’t that car been there earlier this morning? Come to think of it, Rowen didn’t recognize the car as one of his neighbors…why would it still be there unless…and now it was starting to drive into the neighborhood…

There was no uncertainty now, no hesitation—he knew what he had to do. Rowen pulled out his phone again, opening a group chat and typing just one word into it before he pocketed the phone and ran back upstairs.

He hurried into his own room, grabbing a backpack from a closet and the blanket his mother had made him long ago before returning to Sylvie’s room. He moved to her closet and pulled out a smaller backpack, then strode to her bed.

“C’mon, kidlet,” he murmured gently, scooping Sylvie into his arms. “Get this on.”

Sylvie blinked at him hazily, her bangs matted with sweat. He was not pleased to note how flushed and yet pale her face was, nor of the glassy quality of her eyes. “Row’n…?”

Rowen gently eased the backpack onto her back and then wrapped his blanket around her—it was brisk outside, but it would be even colder to his sick little sister and there was a chance they would be gone until evening. “We gotta go pick some blueberries, Sylvie.”

Sylvie’s protests died immediately. Her arms moved and then wrapped around his neck. “Filly…?”

“She’s in your backpack,” he said brusquely, already out of her room and starting towards his parent’s bedroom. “I know it’s hard, lamb, but try not to cough. We have to be quiet now.”

He kept his voice calm and even for the sake of his younger sister, but he couldn’t stop the fear from internally climbing when he heard the sounds of someone picking the locks at the front door.

                                             +++++++++++++++++++

“Almost got ‘im, Claire! Now he’s gonna start using sequence attacks—“

“I know, I know, hush,” Claire retorted impatiently, eyes glued to the screen. “Can’t focus with a backseat driver.”

Sora rolled his eyes, biting into another Pop Tart. “Noth a backtheat drwver,” he said, sounding sulky.

“Sorry, bro, don’t speak Poptart-in-mouth,” she replied with a quick glance and a grin at Sora. “Not something we were taught in school yet.”

Sora opened his mouth to reply when he heard their phone vibrate and trill. “Ohp, we got a text. Probs Mikey, wishing for us to come save him from the dreary boring mall,” he declared. He reached over for the phone to check the message. “Hey, Claire.”

“Yeah it could be Mikey, but it might be Ro checking on us.”

“Claire.”

“Heck, it might be Risa, or maybe even Uncle—“

“Claire.”

Sora’s voice was sharper this time, enough so that Claire turned in her seat to look back at her twin. She heard her character in the game yell in agony as he was defeated and only briefly caught the Game Over sign flashing on the screen from the corner of her eye. It didn’t hold her attention nearly as much as her brother did.

For once there was no amusement in her brother’s eyes, no smile on his face. He looked sober, grim-faced and tight-lipped.

It scared her more than she cared to admit. “Sora?”

He held out the phone wordlessly to his sister. Claire didn’t even have to hold the phone to see the message, a single word on the screen, and she sucked in a sharp breath. “You think…?” she began slowly.

“Ro wouldn’t bluff. We gotta go.”

The twins were off the couch in seconds, already going for their shared room in what was their aunt and uncle’s office. They grabbed their knapsacks, briefly checking to make sure they had what they needed. The twins, along with Rowen, Michael, and Sylvie, all had “emergency packs” that remained stocked with a change of clothes, a first aid kit, and any personal items. While their original packs had burned in the fire in their old home, Sora and Claire had found spare backpacks in their relative’s home to use as their emergency bags instead.

Once assured they had everything they needed, an easily twenty second check, the twins headed to the back patio. There was no time to leave a note, and both of them whispered a hurried, “Sorry Auntie Mai, sorry Uncle Joey” as they passed a picture of their relatives. The first chance they were able, they’d send a message out—but right now they had to go.

They were on the fifth floor of their apartment complex, but that didn’t deter them any. Claire was in gymnastics and Sora had enough parkour experience to know how to scale down the side of the building. There was a reason “monkeys” were included in the ever expansive collection of nicknames they had.

They vaulted over the rail in a smooth, near simultaneous motion. Hands over feet, moving as easily as if they were walking, Sora and Claire climbed down.  They reached the ground in a matter of seconds, already heading for the side entrance of the complex and keeping largely out of sight. After one last check to make sure no one unfriendly was at the gates, the twins pulled on baseball caps and hurried out of the complex, melding into the crowd.

They left just in time. They were not there when the apartment door swung open and the strange men rushed inside. The intruders weren’t able to find anything beyond an empty apartment and an open patio window, curtains fluttering in the breeze.

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[recentnews18-blog]

New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/slice-director-and-cast-on-their-wild-and-weird-horror-comedy-interview/

'Slice' Director and Cast on Their Wild and Weird Horror Comedy [Interview]

One of the most talked about streaming releases of the week was dropped on the unsuspecting public on Monday like a new album by Beyonce, Radiohead or Kanye West, with nearly identical fanfare, due in large part to it being the big-screen acting debut of Chance the Rapper (or as he’s credited in the film, Chance Bennett). The film in question is a horror-comedy offering called Slice, the feature writing/directing effort from Austin Vesely, who has worked previously with Chance and some of his label mates on music videos over the last few years.

Slice opens with the murder of a pizza delivery driver (played by Vesely) in the part of town occupied by ghosts — and there’s nothing spooky about it. The film takes place in a version of reality where ghosts and other supernatural beings are just a part of day-to-day life. Chance plays a werewolf, who also used to deliver Chinese food; there are also witches about. The town’s only pizza place (owned by Paul Scheer) is built atop a gateway to hell, and it’s partly up to another delivery person named Astrid (the great Zazie Beetz) to find out who’s being what becomes a string of murders of her co-workers.

/Film spoke with several members of the Slice production, including Vesely, just hours before the film’s world premiere in Chicago, where it’s release plan was announced (the film is being distributed by A24, which has an impressive history with releasing unconventional horror films). Joining the filmmaker was Beetz, who most recently kicked serious tail as Domino in Deadpool 2, as well as appearing in the epic second season of FX’s Atlanta. She also has somewhere in the neighborhood of six films scheduled for release in 2019, including the latest from Steven Soderbergh, High Flying Bird.

The third member of this interview gathering was noted film buff Sheer, the co-host of two Earwolf podcasts, How Did This Get Made? (on which he talks about bad movies) and Unspooled (where he and co-host Amy Nicholson are working their way through the AFI’s top 100 movies list). Sheer also starred in such films as The Disaster Artist and Popstar, as well as series like The League. We get into the origins of Slice’s story, capturing the proper horror/comedy balance, and the challenges of shooting in Joliet, Illinois (home of the infamous prison from The Blues Brothers).

***

I heard you talking to someone earlier about tech checking your film earlier today and seeing you name on the big screen for the first time. What was that feeling like?

Austin: It’s bananas! It’s absolute crazy. It doesn’t quite make sense to me just yet. But even walking down the hallway to the theater and seeing the digital readout that said Slice outside the theater, it was heavy.

And you’re not going to get many chance to have that experience with this film, at least on the big screen.

Austin: And I’m glad that happened here in Chicago, where we made the movie.

Paul: What’s so crazy about this movie is that when it was just a spec script, there was a poster up on line for it.

This is a comedy-horror film, which can be fairly awful if done the wrong way, but it can be beautiful when done correctly. Tell me about the balance for you—how funny did you want to make it, how gross and bloody do you get on the horror side?

Austin: To me, it’s primarily a comedy. What I like about horror is that it’s got these very recognizable genre conventions, and what’s fun about that is that everyone recognizes them and you can subvert them easily. That just gives you a lot of room to play around and go into this genre that people know and love and play around with it. It’s more of a comedy masquerading as this horror film. But you’re right, it is a precarious tone. I think it was all in the casting when it came to figuring out who was going to be able to ride that line. But there’s a spectrum of performances too.

There’s a spectrum of performers just on this couch. Was your approach, when in doubt, go for the comedy?

Austin: I think so, but then when I saw that I feel like it’s not true. The auditions we did here in Chicago, we had all of these amazing theater actors come in, and one guy in particular, Tim Decker, who I think about a lot because he so is the tone of the movie. He came in and he’s not telegraphing the humor; he’s really committed to what the world is.

Zazie: But that’s what works so well about his performance—he’s not trying to be funny. He’s just committing to the world, and the world in itself is so ebullient that going straight there, it still works.

Paul: I’d also argue that one of the things that’s so defining about this movie is how good it looks. That’s the thing that’s often missing in these slapdash…like you said, when horror-comedy goes bad, because it’s like they don’t care. I feel like, “No, it’s got to function as a real thing.” This thing has a defined set of characteristics, and Austin’s fingerprints are all over this. It really does like a movie you made and not just a collage of different ideas.

You make it seem like this doesn’t take place in this world exactly. So where are we playing exactly?

Austin: Yeah, yeah. It’s like middle-America, but it’s middle-America where ghosts exist and people are like “These fucking ghosts.” They just annoyed by it and take it for granted that this is where the world is. “Oh, we had a werewolf problem.” Stuff like that. It’s definitely not the universe we’re living in, as far as I know.

Paul: Also, it doesn’t comment on it that much.

Zazie: It’s just assumed that ghosts and things are a part of the world around you.

What was the germ of this story?

Austin: It was about six years ago, I was thinking of ideas for movies, and it was just like “Pizza delivery, horror—that sounds like a good idea.” I ended up writing a version of it that was more grounded in the world that we live in, it still had it’s own tone, but it was more of an Edgar Wright tone. Eventually, I started to develop it, and there was this book that I really loved called CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders, and there was a little thing in this novella where he places ghosts in the universe and deals with them like they’re a pain in the ass. “The ghosts are out there booing and wooing in the parking lot all the time when I get off work,” and I thought that was so funny and I’d never seen it quite done in a movie. So that was how it became something else and it started to be about putting in these other horror genre conventions. Let’s put in ghosts and werewolves into this pizza/middle-America story and see how that goes.

Are there certain horror tropes that you subverted as well?

Paul: I think this movie keeps you on your toes because you don’t quite ever know what kind of movie you’re seeing. At the beginning, you’re like “It’s this,” and then it switches to something else.

Zazie: It’s almost a bit of a genre shift by the end as well.

Paul: Yeah, and I’d even say at certain points, the lead of the film even shifts. It passes off a bit. People do things, then they go away, then they come back again. It’s a very fluid, different thing. I think one of the things that’s so interesting about it is that in this world of indie film, there’s often a very similar type of script that you see—dramas, dramedies, and then there’s horror. And this is unlike all of those. For that simple reason, it’s exciting. When I was growing up, when I saw indie films, it was everybody doing their own thing and each one felt very unique, and not just “We’re in a family and things are troubled.”

Tell me about your characters.

Paul: You should go first, because I can speak in context to your character.

Zazie: I’m one of the only characters who survived from the short film [script].

Austin: Actuallym you both did.

Zazie: My character’s name is Astrid. It’s difficult to talk about without revealing too much. Somebody close to me gets killed, and I go out for revenge.

Paul: She used to work for me, and you come back to the pizza place to figure out what the deal is.

Zazie: Yeah, I get the team together to help figure out what’s going on. There are killings happening in the town, and we’re trying to figure it out. I’m emotionally spearheading it.

Paul: And I’m upset because all of this is diluting my final money totals [laughs]. This is a work-stoppage situation. I’m looking at it from a commerce perspective.

You’ve worked with Chance a lot in the past, but making a film is a huge jump in many ways. When I saw that he was in, I wasn’t in anyway concerned with his performance because he was so good on SNL. Talk about the discussions you two had, and how involved was he in creating this with you? It sound like most of this came out of your head.

Austin: It is, and that’s what was great about it. He was so willing to get on board with what I was trying to do, even when it was extremely strange. I think that comes from us having a comfortable working relationship form the past several years. We were working together but we were supplementing his art. So in this case, it was the opposite.

Paul: When this movie was being shot, it was right at the point where Chance went supernova.

Zazie: His album was released that year.

Paul: Right. I think right before I started shooting, he was on Ellen, and I think of Ellen as being the marker of grand success. He was on tour when we were shooting, but at that moment, he was exploding into the cultural mainstream.

How was he to direct?

Austin: Luckily, part of writing this werewolf character, I was writing it with him in mind. I was thinking of his voice. We all know that Michael Jackson werewolf in “Thriller,” so I was thinking “What is Chance the Rapper as a werewolf?” [laughs] He’s kind of a rascal, just wily dude. It was a lot of fun to play around with him on that.

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When you bring in these really fun people to be in your movie, do you give them a chance to customize their characters, play with them a little bit before you start shooting?

Austin: I felt that way.

Paul: I don’t know if it was as much changing as it was having a real collaborative experience. One of the interesting things about Austin is that he’s a first-time feature director who was so open to making the best product. We work with a lot of people who, the first time out, want to hold onto every idea, every instinct. And allowing us to go in different directions, whether of not you used them or not, I think it speaks to someone who to do a lot of great work because you’re willing to be a collaborator.

You shot this mostly around here?

Austin: Yeah, Joliet.

Are there recognizable locations?

Austin: [laughs] For Joliet residents.

Did you get the Blues Brothers prison in there?

Austin: Yes! It’s in the background of a scene that Zazie is in.

Paul: One of the cool things about Joliet is that people were psyched that we were shooting a movie there. They wanted to participate. I remember our producer driving to set, and he saw a cool car on the side of the road, very unique looking. And went there and asked “Can we use your car?” And they said, “Yeah, sure!” That’s not something you’re going to get anywhere else.

Austin: That guys was like “Yeah, you can use my car. Do you want to use my other car?” But no landmarks you would know unless you’re from Joliet. It’s that middle-America thing again. I grew up in smaller towns—I’ve only been in Chicago about eight years. One of the things about it was as I was writing and developing this, it’s funny to think about werewolves and ghosts in Bentondorf, Iowa. I needed a place that was city-adjacent.

Zazie: And then also being in that kind of bubble helped us. We were all staying in Joliet, which is right off the highway, and there were days when I was like “I need to get the fuck out of here.” [laughs]

I hear they have a lovely riverboat casino.

Paul: [laughs] I remember being in that hotel, it was isolating because even getting to Chicago was like 45 minutes, so now we’re talking about a two-hour drive back and forth.

Austin: I remember Zazie was here when the first season of Atlanta came out. She’s having this big, huge moment and she’s in this hotel in Joliet.

Zazie: Yes, September 6, 2016. I was in Joliet.

Talk about transitioning the short film script to a feature. What did you grow upon, what did you create from scratch?

Austin: I really liked the idea, and when I started adding those supernatural elements, I realized that there was a lot to play with here. What it started doing for me was giving me this political look at the town that it takes place in. As a viewer, that’s something you can take or leave—the politics—but I became more interested in the culture of the place by expanding it. I started to write it as a pilot, and started thinking of it as Twin Peaks—it’s really about the place—and I was really interested in exploring the culture of this city, where these ghosts exist and other people exist, and what is this weird dynamic happening here?

When you say politics, is there a metaphor going on here for the world today?

Austin: Yeah, but it wasn’t overtly written that way. That’s just how it shook out.

Zazie: It definitely reads that way [laughs].

Austin: Yeah, there’s some allegorical stuff happening in there. Again, that’s one of the beautiful things about horror and those recognizable conventions. These movies do this.

What do you remember responding to specifically about your characters? What did you latch onto and try to build upon?

Zazie: For Astrid, I latched onto her motivation of love, that she is embarking on her journey because it’s a real, and she’s reaction viscerally to a very traumatic experience. I liked that within the hubbub of this world, she felt very like the beating heart of it all.

Austin: There’s an anger in her too.

Zazie: It switches on an off. I wouldn’t necessarily say that she’s the lead of the film. The story does focus on multiple storylines—there’s a reporter, and the narrative in the pizza place, my story separates from the pizza places for a while.

Paul: She is the driving narrative of the story, which is trying to figure out what’s happening. For me, it came down to less of a character thing and more of the script and the people who were attached to it. I’d seen these videos that Austin had directed, and the script was so different; it made me excited. This was something I wanted to be a part of. When I first read it, I was like “What’s the underlying thing in here?” But it brought me in in a way that I’m not often brought into things. I can diagram most movies pretty simply, but with this, I was like “I don’t know exactly what this is, and I’m really enjoying it.”

I actually had my second child right when I got offered to do this, and it was tricky because I left about a month after her was born to go do it. I wouldn’t have done that normally, but I liked this so much. I really wanted to do it, and it allowed me to do some fun stuff.

Zazie: And the team felt to passionate, and it was really driven by everybody wanting to be there and wanting to make something good, and that’s a really good energy to be around. You could pick up on that right from the beginning.

Paul: I will say one thing too, my father-in-law passed away during the shooting, and this whole team took the entire week of shooting that I had left to do, and we shot everything in one day so I could be there for my wife and kids. That was so impressive to me. This team was so competent to be like “Let’s go!” and we all jumped in, especially the camera. They were wrestling with a million things, but everyone jumped in and was a team player, and when I think back on this movie, I think back on that. It was an awful, sad time, but it was also an amazing time to see everyone just committed to do it together.

Is this the start of something new for you, Austin? Do you have more movies in you, perhaps a drawer full of scripts?

Austin: Oh, yeah.

Paul: What if he’d said “No”? [laughs]

Austin: One and done. “Hope you liked it; see you later.” I’m excited to keep going. I don’t really know what I’m doing; I’m still figuring it out. I’m not thinking I need to do another thing where I flip horror, but I think a lot of the ideas that are in this that have more of a political bend, those things will be present in future stuff.

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Source: https://www.slashfilm.com/slice-interview/