#noa's arc

[capucapo]

(( rp log continued from here !!! directly copied from Discord w minor editing for typos and formatting. Less card games this installment, I promise. I also realized that I probably should have just included Noa and Seto's interaction in this series but I've been promising 4 parts since the beginning so I'll post that as a standalone follow up next lol

Seto Kaiba @blueeyesking , me as Noa, Mokuba, and the Yugis. Wyatt @seashaper , Hika @nameless-brand , and Pyre @redeyesandchilifries ))

NOA

[ Noa only rolls his eyes at Rook's taunting and threats. Empty, empty words. Don't they realize that he's in control of everything here? That the only reason he doesn't snap his fingers and turn them inside out is that they simply aren't worth the processing power?

Far away on his own tower, Noa is unfazed by the blade drawn by the other. He looks away as the chair goes flying into the void, no longer interested in the stranger's temper tantrum.

Mokuba still hasn't attacked. Noa feels rage boil inside of him. What's going on? Why does his connection to his little brother feel so unstable now? Why are so many of the teenager's thoughts coming through as static?

"Attack him already!" Noa snaps, quickly growing impatient with this impasse. "Show them what it really means to be a Kaiba!!!"

But he doesn't.

No, Mokuba's turn comes to an end instead, without the fearsome dragon moving a powerful muscle. Lightning splits the darkness of the void as Noa's rage overflows.

"What are you doing?!" he snaps, bracing himself against the parapet as he shouts down to his puppet below. "You were supposed to kill him!!! Did you forget that he hurt you?? Or who it was that saved you??!" ]

Seto Kaiba

Seto draws, saying nothing. Giant Germ.

Unfortunately… This is his perfect chance for a comeback. At least, it will let him stall another turn. He sets the Giant Germ in attack position, then sets his Ring of Defense face-down beside Crush Card Virus.

It just requires a sacrifice of Giant Germ for him to activate and reveal Crush Card Virus, which will allow him to destroy Red-Eyes Archfiend and look at Mokuba's hand, then destroy any monsters in Mokuba's hand that have 1500ATK or more. And then Mokuba can choose three monsters of 1500+ATK from his deck to send to the graveyard.

However, Seto pauses, watching Mokuba instead of playing and drawing his attention away from the inner conflict.

NOA

[ He won't give up this easily. Reappropriates some processes, affording more energy towards his control over Mokuba. There's no one else in this world he wants beside him when he takes over and makes it new. Why would he?

Humans are worthless.

"This isn't over, Mokuba. Don't listen to these liars," Noa growls, the gentleness of his voice long abandoned. "They don't care about you!! Don't you see that? They just want to use you to escape from here and save themselves. I'm the only one who's ever loved you!!! Who ever will love you!!"

Mokuba's brows knit tight as he glances in Noa's direction. The storm inside his head starts to calm as his eyes glaze over again

Noa smirks.

"That's it!! That's my good Baby Brother. Don't give up now!!! You can still win, you can still make me proud!! We can get sundaes after this, wouldn't that be nice? We'll be a happy family, forever! You just have to kill Seto Kaiba first!"

Mokuba doesn't respond.

Seto Kaiba

"No, Mokuba!" Seto doesn't play his cards. "These friends of yours- Levant, and Rook, and Chi, and Lark! They love you! You will always have friends who love you, Mokuba!" He gestures to Rook and Levant, calling on his memories of their time together in the Minecraft server, or of Mokuba's blog, for names of his friends. "These people wouldn't dream of leaving you behind, and neither would I. Do you remember what I wrote, Mokuba? In response to that ask you got, a few days ago?"

Seto places the cards in his hand onto their slot on his Duel Disk.

"This arena Noa has conjured… was from a duel between myself and Yugi. The same stakes. And when I knew I was going to lose, I stood at the edge, bargaining my life- but while I was there, I saw you, Mokuba, inside of my rotting Blue-Eyes. I kept trying to save you, and failing, over and over, until the version of myself standing on the dueling podium started to rot, too."

"When that duel concluded, Téa and Joey reminded me of two very important things, that at the time I refused to listen to: Duel Monsters is not about murder, and that I hadn't won against Yugi- I had lost to myself, for bargaining my life as if it meant nothing… and refusing to let myself live with a loss."

"It was only after that duel that I had a real chance to save you from Pegasus, Mokuba… and I lost, despite my best efforts. It took Yugi and his friends to save us both. And when I awoke in that dungeon, alone, it was a vision of myself, as I was when we were kids, that lead me back to you. I knew then, when we embraced… I needed to be a better person. For you, Mokuba, if nothing else."

He had been staring at the floor, lost in the memories, but now Seto looks up at his little brother with an intensity he rarely holds.

"It's like I told you: I would live for you, Mokuba. It's harder than letting yourself die, because you have to continue on, and accept your losses."

Seto Kaiba ends his turn without taking the chance to win.

Mokuba

Those names are so familiar. How could Mokuba forget Lark? They had gone out of their way to make cookies for his birthday. By hand. And they were the best damn cookies that Mokuba had ever tasted.

He was eating one when their jet went down--

And Chi. Had she ever logged back in to their server? He didn't know her well, he'd mostly gotten frustrated with her unusual language barrier. But for some reason, it had always made him so sad to pass by her small base, overgrown with bamboo and reeds he always felt a little guilty for harvesting.

Did she ever get to see Turtle Cove…?

Mokuba shakes his head. No. No. He needs to focus. He needs to play.

[ He needs to win. ]

He looks at that face down card across the field, then at the Giant Germ that Seto had summoned. There's one reason that card in his deck. He has a feeling he knows exactly what that face down card is, now. He's confident that he could come back from the virus trap-- should Seto really prove that obvious. He already has a plan, but...

Wait.

But maybe that's what Seto wants him to think? He's the best Duelist in the world, after all--

Mokuba grits his teeth and draws a card. Lightning Storm. Seriously? SERIOUSLY ??? He should be smirking.

Whatever that face down card was that made him so nervous, Virus or not, it would be useless now. All he needs to do is play this one card. Giant Germ's effect won't matter either once Archfiend's own effect activates.

But Mokuba's eyes flicker from the card in his hand to his opponent across the rooftoop.

what he wrote…?

what the fuck [ heck ] is he talking about?

He would die for me--

His eyebrows turn up, from something vengeful to something helpless. A kind of panicked confusion the young Kaiba rarely showed. His cards shake in his hand.

Mokuba looks up at one tower, to Joey, and Duke Ootogi, to the monkey with Tristan's voice.

Joey, who Mokuba has poisoned once. Who Mokuba had hurt… and who had forgiven him. They were supposed to duel, Red Eyes against Red Eyes, weren't they…

But not like this--

Tristan, who Mokuba had saved from Death-T.

[ From Seto's Death Themepark. ]

So what.

He looks to the tower opposite. To Rook, who he barely recognizes in human form. How long has it been since he wore his own tiefling skin…?

Levant. He'd never gotten to meet her in person before she died. Disappeared? For a second, his face burns. He'd given up on her so easily, tried to just accept the unfortunate fact and move on. But she got sucked into this for him anyway.

Téa, who had helped him escape from Marik's Ghouls and avoid being controlled by the Millennium Rod--

To Noa.

Who's only tried to keep him from these people who love him. Who put their own lives in danger just because he dropped some coordinates with no explanation.

Mokuba's stomach twists.

Something just doesn't feel right

His attention snaps back to Seto, crashing back into the reality of the situation like a car into a brick wall. He stares blankly at the oldest Kaiba as he goes on, and on. Admitting to things that Seto Kaiba would never.

To things that Mokuba never knew. That Noa can't block him from hearing now.

When he takes a breath, he finally realizes that he's crying.

He didn't even cry when Pegasus locked him in a cold dungeon, bound in chains.

He didn't even cry when he saw his brother again--

No.

Not Noa.

"Niisama*…" Mokuba gasps.

It's quiet. Maybe no one else even hears it. But that's the moment that Noa's control snaps like piano wire.

Suddenly, Mokuba lets out a shrill, blood curdling scream. It's the same scream he's always loved to do from some random corner of the mansion, just to see if Isono or Fuguta would come running first.

But this time, it's real.

He drops his cards as he falls to his knees, grabbing his head as he screams again

Seto Kaiba

Seto watches silently as Mokuba's false reality is shattered, but when the boy speaks, and finally, screams, Seto surges forward to the opposite edge of his tower, reaching toward his little brother.

"Mokuba!!"

Mokuba

There's still so much confusion, so much chaos inside his mind as Mokuba fights against whatever is surpressing so many of his thoughts.

Against Noa--

But he looks up, through the pain and the chaos and the static and the memories he can't trust.

And in that very second, he realizes exactly where he wants to be.

Desperately, frantically he skitters to his feet, breaking into a clumsy sprint towards Seto's arms. Towards his brother's arms--

NOA

[ Such a shame they'd never meet.

Lightning cracks the sky of the infinite void once again and Noa's sapphire eyes flash with rage. How could Mokuba possibly override his reprogramming? How could his precious Baby Brother betray him? Didn't Mokuba know how lucky he was, to be chosen by such a powerful Big Brother?

As the two opponents race towards each other's embrace, Noa puts his foot down.

Literally.

The virtual god stomps a foot in frustration, and a ripple spreads out from his tower. Somewhere far away, the ground shakes.

But more importantly, as the shockwave passes through the two brothers, they freeze. Bound first in time alone, cyan crystals rapidly climb up their paused forms, from toe to fingertip.

So Mokuba managed to break his control. To choose the brother who hurt him over the one who could give him everything.

Fine.

Then Noa would hurt him too. ]

Rook

Madison Rook is fixated on the scene as Mokuba's friends and brother shout out, as the boy himself breaks free of that brat's manipulation, Rook is so, so proud of him and his strength. But that rush doesn't last long, the moment they take to relax is the moment Noa lashes out, and Rook's pulse pauses in time with the brothers as they instantly recognize the stillness, and just as quickly spot the crystal texture overtaking their forms.

An empathic fear rises in their chest, a knowledge and terror for what's about to happen that they swallow down with rage, anger and disgust at what's been done that they can channel outwards instead of let break them apart inside. Rook's already pale fingers grip white on their sword and they point it from the tower at the Kaiba brothers, pulse pounding faster in their ears, half growling to themselves, half shouting to Noa.

"How fucking *dare* you. Not on my watch, you little bastard!"

The crystal on Madison Rook's sword glows with more intent, a concentration of passionate soul, and fires a violet beam of light at the victims of Noa's selfish play. Seto Kaiba, positioned between Rook and Mokuba, takes the 'hit', the beam dispersing on contact into buzzing violet sparks that wrap around him to flow down the edges of the horrible change, undoing it in favor of real(ish) skin and fabric. They spiral up his arm towards Mokuba, but he's just barely too far away, and the sparks fizzle in midair before they reach him. In seconds, the soul magic has faded away, leaving Seto unbound and animate.

Rook takes a deep breath, allowing themselves the confidence from their plan having worked, and steps away from the others on the tower, shifting position, trying to get a good angle to hit Mokuba too, before it's too late. They succeeded once; they can save them both. They won't let their apprentice hurt like they did.

Noa

[ As diligent as he is, Noa doesn't expect Rook's swift reaction. A frustrated growl shakes the ground and the towers as Noa shoots a glare in Rook's direction.

But he doesn't hesitate for another breath (as if he needs such a primitive function) Noa waves a hand, and in that instant, two things happen.

Mokuba disappears, consumed in less than a second by a cascade of glowing hexagons and pixels.

And the towers begin to fall away, brick by brick, from the bottom up. In the moment that the final stones cascade from beneath their feet, every last member of the unwilling audience is caught within a different, ornate birdcage, catching on some unseen tether to hang, suspended in the void.

The look that Noa shoots at Seto is venomous as he appears on the rooftop before him.

"You really couldn't be satisfied until you took everything from me, could you Seto?"

Seto

Seto regains his momentum and stumbles, briefly disoriented by the petrification he suffered. As his eyes refocus, he sees what's happened.

"MOKUBA!!"

No... he just got his little brother back! Seto rushes to reach the statue made of Mokuba, and almost does, before it disappears in cyan hexagons and the towers begin to crumble around the arena. Seto comes to a stop in front of where the statue of his brother should have been... and the boy who nearly took everything from him appears before him. It takes all of his self-restraint not to resort to simply punching him in his smug face- but he does wish that he had a gun.

Seto's eyes narrow in a challenging glare at Noa, returning his venom.

"I could say the same to you. If you hadn't been so foolish as to capture us physically, you could easily have taken KaibaCorp from me by working quietly in my computers, Noa- but your pride was your undoing. You had to try to make me suffer before taking it all from me. You're pathetic."

Noa

[ Noa stands confidently before the taller Kaiba with his arms crossed defiantly, seemingly unafraid that the other might resort to violence.

"Oh believe me, Seto. If it were that easy, I would have reclaimed Kaiba Corp from you long ago. In fact, you never would have taken it in the first place," he hisses. "The truth is that I've only recently restored my access to the Internet. Besides that little roadblock, there's the matter of your biometric security measures. You really did think of everything, didn't you? I have to admit, I'm almost impressed that a nobody off the streets like you could be so impressive. Anyway, it would be awfully hard to be the face of the company from behind a screen. No, I had to obtain a body of my own somehow. So thought, say. Why not kill two birds with one stone?"

"But you want to talk about pride, Seto? Please. You had every opportunity to save your little brother, and maybe even his stupid friends too! If you'd only just lied down and given up. Now, because of your pride, you'll all die here. You're the one who's really killing Mokuba! But at least you'll be together in death, right? As losers?"

[millenniumdueled]

discord chatlogs w @blueeyesking, specifically picking up immediately after Kaiba's Nightmare.

Seto Kaiba

Yugi pulls Seto out of his living hell by the hand, and the man sits up with a jolt, coughing, expecting something to come up but finding nothing there. He's obviously paler than usual, trembling where he sits- despite doing his best to return to a façade of cold detachment, it's impossible to hide how shaken he is.

"Wh- why are there two of you." to The Yugis, of course.

Yugi.

Yugi, the one kneeling beside the shaken Kaiba, gives his rival a concerned look. He sort of tries reaching out to try and steady the other man, but stops halfway.

"That's a great question, Kaiba. One we were hoping you could answer." Yami says, standing over the both of them. He offers out a hand-- just in case. "After all, the last thing we remember was teleporting to one of your ships."

Seto Kaiba

Seto visibly flinches at the Other Yugi looming over the both of them, baring his teeth and knocking the doppelganger's hand away like a flying insect.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he snaps, pulling himself to his feet. The shock gives way to real, cold resentment, his normal feelings toward Yugi Mutou (and a comfortable crevice to hide himself from the fear still buzzing in his nerves). "Teleportation isn't something I've figured out yet, you couldn't possibly have done that."

He pauses, just for a breath, taking stock of their surroundings. "Though… you're here, regardless. And where is here…?"

yugi

Just as he'd expected. Kaiba's reaction makes the Other Yugi roll his eyes as he drops his hand.

Yugi gives his Other a nervous glance as he too rises, brushing off his black clothes."ummm, we have a friend. you um, you said you were watching mokuba's blog for a while, right…? so you have to know about….?"

"We don't know for sure," Yami cuts him off, getting down to business as he crosses his arms. "But we had to cross a set of puzzle doors earlier that reminded us of the last time we rescued you."

It's Yugi's turn to roll his eyes. "it reminds me of that virtual world that the big 5 tried to trap you in. we had to summon monsters of a certain star level to get to you."

Seto Kaiba

Seto nods to himself, mirroring Other Yugi by crossing his own arms. He's grateful for his showy overcoat and abundance of fashionable belts, in this moment; they're a comforting weight, a familiar feeling, after the ordeal of memories turned into nightmares.

"I see. From… what I can remember, the Blue Eyes Jet had its autopilot recalibrated right under my hands- it landed on an aircraft carrier at sea, somewhere, and armed robotic guards escorted Mokuba and I out onto the runway… And now I'm here."

Seto continues looking at their surroundings, examining something inscrutible. "If it is something like the Virtual Reality that the Big Five held me in, it isn't them running it, I'm certain. They never employed robots in their personal retinue."

He turns on his heel to look at the Yugis. "However, that doesn't mean someone else with a grudge against me wouldn't co-opt the old virtual military system KaibaCorp had. Especially if they were looking to remove me from the equation, and bring KaibaCorp back into the arms business. Having our old infrastructure would be a great asset, in that case."

"You mentioned your, and Mokuba's, friends. Are they here? Where is Mokuba?"

yugi!

Yami nods along in understanding as Kaiba explains his experience. "Something similar happened when we arrived, too. We were held at gunpoint and escorted into an all white room…"

Only to wake up in Hell. But he won't say it.

"if it isn't the big 5 though, is there anyone else who could access your umm, your carrier…?" yugi wonders, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"mm, a couple of mokuba's friends are here too, but… we don't know where he is.. he posted coordinates to that ship, but that's all we know…."

Seto Kaiba

Seto's eyebrows furrow in a microexpression of concern. They don't know where Mokuba is. His jaw sets.

"Then we'll have to explore the simulation and find him. Chances are, he's being held against his will in order to be used against me."

He doesn't mention the tone of his nightmare being Mokuba betraying him.

Seto steps into the barren street and looks directly at KC Tower.

"It's likely we'll find whoever it is, at the center of this place. Given who they caught first…"

yugi!

Yugi chews at his lip. Even if Seto hides his emotions, even if he has only a faint idea of what Seto has been through, he can only imagine the pain of losing Mokuba yet again.

"we'll find him, kaiba. i promise…"

The Other Yugi follows Kaiba's stoney stare towards the towering corporate headquarters and gives a confident nod of his spikey head.

"I have a feeling you're onto something, Kaiba. And I have a feeling we shouldn't waste much more time." He gives a little nod in the direction of the skyscraper.

NOA

[ far above them, from the top of that very tower, Noa frowns. He sits on an elegant, velvet couch with an arm draped lazily around Mokuba, who lounges aginst his supposed Big Brother while he occupies himself with a game on his laptop. Noa didn't give him access to his group server, but that's alright. He can't miss what he doesn't remember.

And like all other things in this world, Noa controls what Mokuba remembers.

Noa shifts suddenly, his hand on his Little Brother's shoulder twitching slightly.

"Huh? What's wrong, Big Brother?"

Mokuba asks, looking up at him.

For just a moment, the look in Noa's blue eyes is dangerous. Something cold and vengeful. But Mokuba's voice pulls him back, his sweet smile returning at the flip of a switch.

"Nothing, my Baby Brother. Everything is okay, I just need to check on something," Noa assures him, yet he slips his arm from around Mokuba as he stands quickly. "I'll be right back, so don't leave this room. Remember, Mokuba. You're safe here."

"Sure thing, Big Brother!" Mokuba promises, eyes falling back to the screen that keeps him distracted.

Huh. That's weird though.

Why does his tummy hurt? ]

Seto Kaiba

That stony glare fixes on the softer Yugi after the other one agrees with Seto's plan.

"You promise? Please. I will find him, with or without you and your friends. He's my little brother."

He's the only good thing I have left."

Seto then begins walking the familiar streets, long legs setting a pace that will likely make the Yugis have to jog a little to keep up. He speaks while they move.

"We should also try to find your friends. I know where my search begins, but your friends may still be trapped in simulated nightmares; Mokuba cares about them, too, so we can't leave them behind. If this person is predictable enough to set themselves up in KC Tower, then, in finding them, we can find the controls for the simulation and free everyone else."

yugi!

Yugi tenses up slightly when he catches Kaiba's glare, exhaling eith a quiet, nervous chuckle.

"of course, kaiba," he defaults to agreement, trying to preserve their fragile alliance as he moves his little legs quickly to keep pace.

The Other Yugi raises an eyebrow at Kaiba as he walks behind him briskly, too proud to jog. "I didn't know you had the capacity to care about others, Kaiba," he says with a smirk, remembering the last time they walked side by side through these city streets. The last time Mokuba went missing..

"I could feel Joey's turmoil inside my heart before, but I'm confident he's found his way by now." That smirk softens a little, for just a moment. "As for the others--"

The two Yugi's glance at each other.

"we'll find them. i have a feeling we might all need to work together to get out of this…"

Seto Kaiba

Seto turns on his heel at Other Yugi's quip, anger flaring over fear for just a moment. He looms, or tries to, and scowls at the man.

"I do care. You put me through enough to make anyone reconsider their priorities in life."

The vitriol in his emphasis is almost physical. He hopes it takes attention away from the way his fists shake.

Turning back, he returns to his brisk pace- though, Yugi notices it isn't as hard to keep up, now.

"No matter what I have to do, I will save Mokuba at all costs."

yugi!

Kaiba's sharp turn catches the Other Yugi off guard, causing him to stop abruptly in his tracks behind the taller man. He flinches at the genuine anger that Kaiba directs at him, becore his brows pull tight together.

Before he can get argumentive, the gentler Yugi gives him a warning glance. "we've all made our mistakes, it's just.. really nice to see you caring about them too. even if it is just because mokuba would be sad if--"

He's cut off by a distant humming sound, growing louder as they get closer to their target.

"--hey do you guys hear that?" he asks, as his other self picks up his pace to walk closer to his Partner, readying the Duel Disk on his arm just in case.

Seto Kaiba

Seto stops. With enough people released or freed from their waking nightmares, maybe their Puppetmaster has sent something to deter them. Better to wait than to run right into it, usually. He squints at the street ahead of them, watching the intersections and skyline for the source of the noise.

yugi!

As the hum grows louder, Yugi activates his own Disk as well. The seconds seem to tick by painfully slow as their apprehension builds.

Then, all at once, a swarm of massive locusts descends from the side streets, hungry insects almost ten times their natural size.

The Other Yugi doesn't hesitate for a second, drawing the first card from his deck and immediately summoning forth his Celtic Guardian to slash at the incoming bugs while Yugi's own Big Shield Gardna defends the three Duelists*

Seto Kaiba

Seto draws and plays his Wicked Worm Beast! It claws and gnashes at the bugs, destroying them with its massive ATK as the players hunker down.

yugi!

the locusts seem unending, but the two Yugis continue to somehow work in perfect tandem, summoning monsters that work together against the onslaught. Even as the monsters that come for them grow larger and more fearsome, neither wavers.

The ground shakes, the concrete splits open as a massive, rotting Pumpking swells from the crevice, its vines lashing wildly in all directions. The Yugi's give each other a glance, and then to their teammate. Though Yami sacrifices their only two monsters to summon his ever faithful companion, Yugi's Kuriboh guarantees two sacrifies for their ally's convenience.

"you know what to do, kaiba!!!" Yugi shouts with a bright, confident grin.

Seto Kaiba

A couple of draws later, after pulling various useful, but situationally worthless, cards, Seto lands on what they've all been waiting for. His smirk is unmistakable as a Kuriboh and Wicked Worm Beast are destroyed as tribute to his signature Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Blue-Eyes shimmers onto the field and roars at the Pumpking, superior ATK making them both completely certain of the group's victory.

"Blue-Eyes! Burst Stream of Destruction!"

The beam tears a ragged hole in the Pumpking and is brighter than the sun, briefly turning the world dark. The Yugis can see Seto's wolfish grin illuminated by his monster's attack.

NOA

[ from the top of the tower, Noa frowns. How can the three of them hold their own against so many monsters? Nonetheless, he won't give in.

As Noa decides what to throw against the trio next, back in the exquisite living room, the younger Kaiba grows restless. Mokuba sets his laptop aside at the sounds of the fight below and rises from that velvet sofa. Walks to the wall of windows to press a palm against the glass as he watches the fray unfold far below with a blank expression. It doesn't really matter. Big Brother has it under control.

But then that familiar beast with its piercing blue eyes takes the field, it's fearsome white hot attack darkening the daylight.

And Mokuba freezes.

His stomach hurts.

His heart pounds in his chest and he feels like he might be sick.

This is rage, right?

It's anger that makes his eyes burn, isn't it?

He remembers that great dragon turning on him. Remembers the voice of the man who commands it, echoing that Mokuba will never be good enough.

He can't stand it anymore.

Mokuba turns sharply, walking with purpose across the elegant living room. Noa is taking too long. Is he okay? What if Seto hurt him too somehow? He promised not to leave this room, he promised to stay put. But now Mokuba has made up his mind.

If Noa cant do it, then he'll kill Seto himself. He'll make his Big Brother proud.

There's no hallway, no elevator on the other side of that door. Mokuba finds himself stepping directly out onto the streets of Domino City. And as the Pumpking falls, deflating back into the hellish crevice from whence it came, stormy grey eyes meet sapphire. ]

[blueeyesking]

They escort you and Mokuba off of the jet, robotic men with firearms, leading you both onto an aircraft carrier and

knocking you out.

Not that Seto could truly be aware of being knocked out- one doesn't usually realize they've lost consciousness until they wake up, and Seto doesn't wake up in any situation that would give him the impression he was knocked out manually.

No, this time, Seto wakes up to a familiar alarm, in an uncomfortably stiff position, from a light and fitful sleep that didn't last nearly long enough and never has. Hobson knocks at his door, perfectly on schedule as always, after just long enough for Seto to have made his own bed and gotten dressed for the day's studies; he's brought the boy black tea and a simple breakfast, which Seto takes with a quiet expression of gratitude. He doesn't have time to sit and eat at a proper breakfast table, at a reasonable hour, with his brother and adopted father like a real family- no, today, like every day since Seto and Mokuba were adopted by Kaiba Gouzaburo, Seto will spend studying, taking notes, and being lectured by his guardian about the intricacies of international business and how to run a multi-billion dollar corporation.

This day in particular has Gouzaburo greeting him with a smack to the face and a variety of colorful insults. It's not unusual, but rare enough that Seto doesn't expect the abuse, and the boy loses his grip on the breakfast tray from the shock of the blow. "YOU COULD NEVER DESERVE TO BE CALLED A KAIBA! YOU WILL NEVER SUCCEED ME LIKE THIS- YOU MAY AS WELL STILL BE ■■■■■ SETO!"

Gouzaburo screaming at his downturned, stinging face, however, is not nearly as uncommon as being physically struck. The boy holds his cheek for a moment as the shock settles on his nerves, steeling himself anew for the day's tribulations, until he's certain he can kneel and clean up his mess without letting an ounce of feeling show on his features. He can't let Gouzaburo see that he's affecting him- if he sees it, then Seto loses today's battle of wills, and if one loses, they might as well be dead. 

Seto can't allow himself to lose.

The rest of the day passes before Seto really has time to process the encounter, lunch and dinner both eaten in haste around his studies or entirely skipped, until it is his inability to read and comprehend a sentence that finally drives Kaiba Seto to retire back to his bedroom for a few, fitful hours of rest.

The day replays itself in his dreams, Gouzaburo's abuses becoming louder and more scathing each time. "FAILURE! YOU WILL NEVER BE MY SON!"

"YOU CHILDREN WOULD STILL BE ROTTING IN THAT ORPHANAGE, IF NOT FOR ME, AND SO HELP ME I WILL RETURN YOU TO IT!"

"MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN SO USELESS, SO WEAK! YOU ARE NOTHING!"

Until one day, something changes. This time, Gouzaburo encourages Mokuba into the room and forces him to watch Seto clean up his mess. "You see this, boy? Your brother will never be anything greater than what you are now: a sniveling, worthless mistake. But you…" Gouzaburo's hand grips Mokuba's shoulder in a manner that should be painfully tight. Both appear to be giants to Seto, looming over him, making him feel as weak as Gouzaburo claims. "You could be so much more, Mokuba."

Seto seethes, shaking gently, and imagines instead throwing the mess he is cleaning into Gouzaburo's horrible face. Instead, he holds himself back, swallowing hard. Gouzaburo laughs at the young man.

"You see now? He trembles with fear; he knows his place will never be by my side, but that yours could be. Consider it, Mokuba."

When next Seto wakes, he is older- more experienced, unafraid, ruthless. He has been working on something that will ruin Kaiba Gouzaburo's life, forever: Seto and the Big Five, together, own 49% of Kaiba Corporation. A hostile takeover. Kaiba Seto will own KaibaCorp and finally save the world from Gouzaburo's lust for wealth and power. It doesn't matter that there was a leak; it doesn't matter that he hurt his brother yesterday, only that Gouzaburo will try and use him to turn the coup back on Seto… and Mokuba will betray him, giving the majority stake in the company to their side. 

Kaiba Gouzaburo will finally lose the game they've been playing since he adopted Seto and Mokuba.

Everything according to plan, Seto and the Big Five confront Gouzaburo in the board room with their ploy. Predictably, Gouzaburo believes that Mokuba's 2% stake in the company is still his, and their takeover is meaningless… Then declares bankruptcy on behalf of Kaiba Corporation. 

Of course he would. Seto calculated all of this into his plan.

Gouzaburo launches into an explanation of the stakes: "With your stock holdings worthless under this bankruptcy, you will have no choice but to mortgage your life to me, Seto! You will be in debt for eternity!! You LOSE!"

Seto and the Big Five stand in what appears to be shock, but Seto is simply

waiting. A beat passes. Something is wrong.

Mokuba hasn't shown up.

There are no young footsteps running down the hall, ready to burst into the room and side with Seto, completing the coup.

Gouzaburo raises a dangerous eyebrow and barks, "WORTHLESS! ALL OF YOUR SCHEMING, YOUR DISDAIN FOR OTHERS, IT MEANS NOTHING IN REAL LIFE! YOU ARE NOTHING, SETO!"

Seto falls to his knees, all bravado and confidence sapped from him, leaving a cold pit in his stomach. In trying to prove his adoptive father wrong, in trying to enact meaningful change for the world, Seto only proved Gouzaburo right. 

He's lost everything.

The boy stares blankly at the floor, in true shock, trembling in true fear.

This isn't how it was supposed to go.

This isn't right.

[manjoumethunda]

tbh noah is quite an interesting character and his backstory rlly intrigues me but he lowkey creepy..

[erros429]

stared at weiss for an abnormally long amount of time while making this. anyway not to be gay on main (lie. i’m always gay) rwby textpost memes pt 13!!!!

[deathandnonexistentialdread]

I'm going for option 3: Digital Consciousness

[violeteclipseboaty]

So I watched kingdom of the planet of the apes yesterday and I gotta say I really enjoyed it! It has its flaws but if there's a sequel I will definitely watch lmao I have to talk about Mae's character so SPOILERS:

There is still a lot of mystery surrounding her. I BOTH liked and disliked her character. I get that a lot of people hate what she did with the flood but at the same time there was A LOT going on in the scene, not excusing what she did, she needs some accountability for that. Prior to that scene she had told Noa that he would have to move fast; as in find his clan, so they can get out but proximus was already waiting for them (how tho? Unless I missed something) She was helping Noa, Soona, and Anaya, until proximus and his apes ruined it. Proximus somehow was already waiting out the doors, with Noa's mom, his apes, and got inside. He even threatened both Soona and Mae, putting poor Noa in the middle of it. Mae took action and shot the ape who held Soona hostage.

About the flood, she didn't want to do it because of the circumstances they're in at the moment, she even told noa she's sorry but she CAN'T let proximus have it. I agree with her on that part: those weapons do not need to be in the hands of someone like him. And hey now not even humans will be able to access them either lol Proximus is right about humans tho they're selfish and can't be trusted, Mae proved that. But I understand where she comes from or at least i think i do. She witnesses a hostile environment where humans are hunted or are referred as pests. Her group was killed and they were people she cared about. Then she meets proximus, who is not only killing humans but enslaving his own kind. I'm guessing she grew up in the bunker she goes at the end and was taught "bad apes" and whatnot. Her mission must've been the first opportunity she had to go outside i think? Living in a bunker secluded from the outside world does not seem fun lmao The observatory scene that happens with Noa? It mustve been the first time for her to witness the night sky up close. She's tough I'll give her that, she's the only one left in her group and is determined to finish her mission no matter what because she cares about humanity and it's understandable. I did not like that she tells Noa that where he lives was a place for humans not meant for apes. I mean sure it mustve been a place for humans at one point but she has yet to understand that the world won't go back to how it was and humanity can always rebuild somewhere else if they get the chance to leave the bunkers.

Another thing to point out; Mae cares about noa, raka, was friendly with Anaya and she even saved Soona. I really hope we get to see more of her backstory to understand her view on apes and human dominance. When she went to say goodbye to Noa, I don't think she thought of killing him but more of a precaution in case they end up fighting because of what she did and well why would she kill him in front of his clan? She wouldn't be able to finish her mission if the eagle clan jumps her for killing noa lmao Unless they were in a secluded area then it makes sense, but I could be wrong also. Raka and Noa were the first apes she encountered who were nice to her, that's why I think she'll have character development and be even more conflicted because "apes are bad" or so she thinks. What I think is that she'll change her mind, and maybe even guide humans and convince them that they can coexist with apes.

She's not evil, she had a soft spot for Raka and Noa but for now her mission comes first, she's conflicted at the end of the movie, but still determined at least for now. I can't wait to see more of her in the next movies!

[mooshofish]

Ok, he kind of needed this, but at the same time…Isagi you need to chill the fuck out. Let him wallow in hatred; let those two emotionally constipated kids talk it out (you never gave the other four a chance). Kaiser may explode or perchance have his Rin arc. He is not a functional adult so I doubt he’s going to be able to just bounce back on his own. Maybe Ness came away from this with character growth? And haha maybe, if Ness decides to spend less time around Kaiser, Kaiser will start realizing that he valued Ness’s presence and they become actual friends hahahahahahahaahhaahahahahh (copium is realllllllly bad today). I just want to see Kaiser life live a little less under the assumption that he is completely worthless and unlovable. And he has one of the most expertly crafted characters in the entire series. Every little piece of him is crafted perfectly to suit what happened to him, and it shows how certain people respond to trauma in a harmful manner. So maybe he can learn things? Character growth maybe? Maybe? Please? Also I’m sick of Ness getting shafted. Don’t find a new king, BE THE KING YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD! Just please don’t follow Isagi he has enough glazers on your team alone…

This is a little postscript statement here:

If I see ONE. FUCKING. PERSON. Trying to go after Ness after reading 294

I will personally see to it that you are placed under arrest, and THROWN IN THE DUNGEON.

[crownedinmarigolds]

Imperdonable, hijo.

Poor Joaquin, his father is a vampire with access to wraiths. There is no secret in the Hidalgo house he doesn't know.

[ambafaerie]

I finally watched Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

My thoughts:

the film is definitely lighter than the remake trilogy which helps it stand out on its own

I love the noa anaya soona trio they love and care for each other so much

when noa found his father’s body i wanted to hug him

all the references to the predecessor trilogy how they are twisted as time passes from the airports astronauts the electric rod caesar’s ideals and his childhood i love them

the parallels between noa and mae were PARALLELING

caesar proximus isn’t that impressive i liked raka and even trevathan much better

noa and mae rejecting their elders insistence they accept the current “reality” of their situation, but where one seeks to move forward the other wants to go back

mae’s situation is understandable, she was raised to bring humanity on top and has mostly seen apes taking primitive humans captive, her expressions for the first part of the film do most of the talking for her

noa is such a kind character like he is the real successor of caesar and there are moments where you can he looks just like him

there are some choppy transitions but the cast’s chemistry entertained me

[capucapo]

(( continued from here. consider this an epilogue lollll. no dueling here, just a summary of it and then the aftermath. not super long !!! I promise!!

Seto Kaiba @blueeyesking , me as Noa, Mokuba, and the Yugis. Wyatt @seashaper , Hika @nameless-brand , and Pyre as Joey @redeyesandchilifries ))

[ Noa explains the Deck Master system, allows Seto to choose his and then shuffle. The rooftop arena falls away as volcanos rise from the void instead, an ocean of lava surrounding them, confining each Duelist to a small, stone platform as the cages containing their friends hang overhead

Noa also explains that he was born, that he was Created, weak and sickly. That Gouzaburo deemed him too frail to ever hope to run Kaiba Corp, had hidden him from the public eye out of shame.

As they Duel, that scenery changes with the cards that Noa plays. When he activates Giant Flood, a massive wave overtakes the field, washing away the lava as Noa babbles on about the Seven Days of Creation. A great ship rises from the tides, and Noa announces the arrival of his deck master, Shinato's Ark.

And Noa had vowed to prove his father wrong, to make him proud. He worked hard and studied hard and pushed himself hard to refute his place as heir.

From oceans to dense jungles and fields where dinosaurs roam, his Seven Turn prediction seems to liken the biblical legends to the more scientific phases of the Earth's natural history. Meteors rain from the sky, and the jungles freeze, ushering in the ice age.

So hard that his body finally gave out, just as Gouzaburo had finally seen some spark of potential in him.

As the ice age melts away to reveal lush, open fields of grass, Noa's confidence never wavers.

He explains the virtual system that his consciousness was transferred into. The virtual world that had been designed by the newly adopted heir of their company, as a final project of sorts to prove his own worth. A training simulator developed for the US Military, but Gouzaburo had found a different way to utilize its advanced technology.

The fields decay, turning to concrete below the Duelists' feet as Domino City rises up around them once more, Kaiba Corporation growing and towering behind Noa.

Noa explains that with his mind digitized, he was able to rapidly gain knowledge and information from both Gouzaburo's systems and the expanse of the internet. That he had run a million and a half simulations within his little world that showed how Kaiba Corporation could become the most powerful company on the planet-- it would only take a World War significantly reducing the planet's population! From there, he would rebuild as he alone saw fit. Ruling the new world as its God, as its Creator.*

Or its destroyer.

Even with all the assets that Seto had sunk into the ocean, Noa bets he could destroy the earth in, mmm 31 days.

He gets cocky though. For all his planning, for all of his deckmaster's ability to raise his lifepoints, to render the graveyards useless, Noa makes one tiny miscalculation.

He had anticipated Seto's Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon. After all, he'd summoned it against his own little brother. What he hadn't anticipated was the Dragon's Rage trap card, allowing Seto to inflict piercing damage with those hits. With nothing left in the graveyard, Noa suddenly finds himself losing control of the situation. But he puts his hand on his hip, smirking still as he looks up smugly through his thick eyelashes.

Until the second the attack hits, and his lifepoints drop to zero.

And finally, Noa's eyes go wide with the bitter realization.

He had hoped to use Mokuba at this exact moment. To summon up the baby brother at his beck and call, to stop Seto's attack in its place and buy him the time he needed to perfect his Creation strategy. But enraged by the betrayal, he had locked Mokuba up so tightly, even he would need to run the necessary processes to summon the teenage shield again. And even then, would it work?

That card's already been played.

Noa shakes with rage as his LifePoints hit zero. But his legs give way, as do the cages that hold the Kaibas' friends. He collapses to his knees, all his confidence and boasting shattered like glass ]

Rook

Rook didn't see the duel, or the shifting landscape around them. All they saw were the bars, the shouts of declared attacks drowned out by echoed screaming and burning pain. Shortly, they slide down the bars behind them to huddle on the floor of the cage, eyes fixed blankly on nothing as they sink into their helpless memories.

Seto takes the victory; the cage vanishes and Rook tumbles to the semi-real ground, the impact knocking them out of their trauma-trapped trance and making them gasp, hand reaching for their clasp again. The sorcerer blinks back into the moment at the seemingly positive outcome and shakily pulls to their feet, too dazed to taunt the villain and his loss, unfortunately, but looking around to make sure everyone is okay, or..at least not actively in danger, in Tristan's case.

Seto

Seto turns to see Mokuba's friends and Yugi's troupe fall, not even giving Noa the respect of facing him in his defeat. Noa knows the Kaiba family attitude toward Loss. He searches the sky for his brother, who surely also should have been released...

NOA

[ From where he kneels, broken, eyes wide in shock still, Noa begins to laugh. Some quiet, hollow, detached chuckle that builds and builds, until the fallen Kaiba is laughing hysterically, sitting back on his knees and head turned up to the sky. ]

Seto

Seto quickly snaps his attention back to Noa.

"What are you laughing at?!"

NOA

[ Noa's eyes fall to the side, staring at Seto with a manic smile, his head still thrown back.

"You might have beaten me... but... you still lose, Seto. You know what happens to losers in our family... But... there's only one way that I can truly die..... The countdown is already set. Do you really think... You can find Mokuba and a way out before this facility sinks? In only 25 minutes, Seto...?" ]

Seto

Seto's eyes narrow at Noa, and he bares his teeth, barely suppressing the urge to heel-stomp the blue-haired, arrogant child. He would be a child for the last 25 minutes of his life, and know he had lost... Seto doesn't need to stoop so low as to add true injury to this loss. But he still strongly considers it.

"Yes, I believe we can. You'll die here, Kaiba Noa- known by few, having left no mark on the world or your family's legacy. But we will live on and make it better than you could ever have dreamed... unless you had been anyone but Kaiba Gouzaburo's son."

Seto crosses the street to approach the Yugis, and stands calmly as their friends gather, before speaking.

"This boy doesn't have a creative script in his code; I'm certain he's keeping Mokuba in KC Tower still. Likely at the top, where he could force him to watch our Duel. Once we rescue Mokuba, he and I should be able to work with this old system to free us all, somehow; we'll work out the details when he's safe. Agreed?"

Yugi

Immediately upon being freed, the two Yugis had frantically occupied themselves with checking in on their friends. Yugi had gone to Rook, who had seemed especially distressed by the cages, and Levant and Téa who had landed nearby. While his Other Self had rushed to the side of Joey, Tristan, and Duke, where their cages had fallen on the opposide end of the arena.

But they both step away from the rest of their friends as Seto approaches, Yugi's sympathetic expression softening. The Other One gives him a respectful nod.*

"Agreed. I don't trust that Noa's out of tricks yet, we should all stay together and move quickly. Lead the way, Kaiba. The rest of us will support you however we can."

.

.

Mokuba

High above the scene below, somewhere in the towering Kaiba Corporation Headquarters, Mokuba sits alone on a concrete floor, in a dark stone dungeon. Chains restrict his wrists and ankles as he stares at the floor with an unfocused gaze.

He knows this prison. It's the same dark cell that Pegasus had trapped him in. But this time the iron cuffs fit a little too tightly, biting into his skin. The chains are a little too short, preventing him from moving more than a few inches, rather than the couple feet that Pegasus had granted him.

He had seen the Duel. Most of it, at least. Projected against the wall opposite where he sat in chains, Mokuba had watched, listened as Noa explained his origin to Seto.

When the video had first gone dark, it had filled the teenager with hope. Last he saw, Seto had made what he thought must be the final attack against Noa. He had cheered! But the metal cuffs didn't relent. Mokuba hadn't yet been freed.

And so all he could do was sit, and stare at the ground of his cell. Wondering, hoping, distressing, panicking. Accepting the worst.

Maybe Noa had won after all.

Maybe this is how he would die. Alone and cold, abandoned by both brothers and friends alike.

It's my fault, he thinks. It must be. If he were stronger, smarter, better. Maybe he wouldn't get kidnapped again. Seto must be so disappointed... If he's even still alive.

Mokuba wants to hug his knees to his chest, but the chains won't even give him that.

[blueeyesking]

Do you believe in an afterlife, Seto?

I believe you will be lost forever in the corrupted archives of your own failure, you little bitch.

Seto growls at the screen of his computer, tired of seeing this remnant of history taunt him every time he goes to answer a question or prompt; with plenty of alcohol in his system, a brutally honest and cutting (if childish) answer is what he finally banishes Noa's memory with.

[superspecial-awesome]

Noa kaiba is a better allegory for DID than any actual system in the series

[lazysublimeengineer]

I'm really curious on how Igaguri would play in this match.

I've yet to see his contribution in this arc.

But if Igaguri can enter the match then why can't Yuki as well?

[kehaisntexist]

[prof-kenny]

My birthday 7.26 2024,I hope we will continue to like my posts, I sincerely thank ❤️ the people who appreciate my posts,pls i desire Lute halloween from Fire emblem Heroes and more merchandising for black butler like collection set chibi for book of circus all charathers. Or incredibile figure of wolfram and Sieglind Scale 1/7 or amazing.all this official stuff would be a dream.

Please new Game app for Black Butler Please more love for this Brand and Yana Toboso, comon XD,

thank you magic record for your wonderful game I hope that exedra is also a wonderful game.