#noa's arc

[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!!!!

[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!

[cemeterygrace]

if you dress as joan of arc for whatever reason you're my wife now

[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

[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?

[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.

[millenniumdueled]

Yugi stares out the window, watching the pouring rain as he listens to the buzz of his classmates around him. Talks of weekend plans, of parties and karaoke and dancing, of movie nights, of bowling and roller skating. Of invitations never extended to him, only ever overheard.

Yugi wonders what it might be like. To spend the weekend having fun with friends, making memories and trying new things together. Of playing games with someone other than his grandpa.

Of course, he'll be spending this weekend as he has every other since starting college, and for many weekends before: working the game shop and playing games alone in his room. With a sigh, he takes his backpack from the floor beside his desk and removes an intricate, ancient golden box. He may as well use this time before class starts to work on his biggest project. It's been 8 years, but--

"maybe today will be the day i finally solve the millennium puzzle," Yugi says under his breath.

No sooner has he removed the lid when the small sarcophagus is snatched from the desk before him, making Yugi jump.

"Are you talking to yourself?? What a creep," Tristan Taylor jeers, holding the golden box far above Yugi's head as the smaller man leaps from his seat.

"please--!! give that back, it's my treasure!!" Yugi pleads. As he tries unsuccessfully to jump for the relic, another bully takes it from Tristan's hands.

"What is this, a jewelry box?? Only a girl would care about something like that," the blond taunts. Yugi feels his face go red. "You want it back, man up, gimme all you got and take then."

Yugi sinks into himself, suddenly feeling smaller than ever. He hugs his arms across his chest. "i... i hate fighting. please, joey, just give it back!!!"

The bully only laughs at him as he takes a peek at the contents inside the box. "What is this shit anyway? Looks dumb." With that, he turns the box upside down, and the small, golden pieces rain down over Yugi's spikey head. Laughing as the smaller man drops to his knees to frantically collect the pieces, Joey tosses the box to the side. "Let's go, Tristan."

It's hard, it hurts, but Yugi manages to collect the pieces without crying. He'll wait until he walks home for that, when the rain will hide his tears.

That night, as he sits at his desk at home, the pieces of the Puzzle seem to click together more easily than ever. And for a moment, his heart begins to swell with nervous excitement. Is this it? He's never gotten this far before. If he twists this piece half a turn, then adds this other piece, then slides that piece over....

He tries not to let himself get his hopes up too much. But another piece fits, and the frame of the pyramid comes together.

His fingers tremble.

There's only one final piece.

He's done it! He's actually solved the--

Yugi's blood runs cold as he reaches into the golden box for the last piece, his fingers finding only the smooth bottom of the golden sarcophagus.

no...

He grabs the box, turns it upside down, but nothing falls out. Had he missed a piece when Joey had dumped them back at the school? No no no. Then that would mean the Puzzle could never be solved. No, he was sure that he had searched every inch of the floor, over and over, ensuring he hadn't forgotten any of the shimmering, golden pieces. He leaps up from his desk, tearing apart every inch of his room in search of the missing piece to no avail.

Finally, Yugi's hope gives out. He collapses to his knees in the middle of his room, surrounded by the mess he created in his frantic search, and cries.

----

Yugi must have floated through the weekend in a daze of sorrow, because the next thing he knows, it's Monday. He doesn't want to go to class today. Why does it matter? His major is undeclared. Uncertain. Unfinished. Just like the Puzzle sitting on his desk at home.

The rain is still pouring.

Usually, Yugi walks the short distance from the Kame game shop to the community college he attends, but today he doesn't have the energy. His feet feel heavy as lead as he climbs onto the public bus.

As Yugi seeks a spot to stand amongst the crowd of passengers, he finds his way toward the back of the bus where he spots a familiar face. Tomoya Hanasaki, one of the few people as quiet and unpopular as himself on campus. Maybe he should say hi? If there's anyone he has a chance of befriending at all, surely this other outcast is a safe bet...?

But before he finds his courage, he notices the discomfort on Hanasaki's bespectacled face. Then he recognizes the larger man sitting beside him, a notorious bully from their college by the name of Sozoji. Yugi tries to listen, but he can't hear their conversation over the other passengers, the hum of the bus, and the loud music blasting from the headphones hanging around Sozoji's thick neck.

Should he help...?

What could he possibly do...? He's no larger or more threatening than Hanasaki after all.

In the end, Yugi decides to turn his back, to mind his own business. The last thing he wants is to make anything worse for anyone. And if he just makes himself invisible, maybe he won't attract any of whatever cruelty Sozoji is planning.

He doesn't think he can take another beating, not with his heart so incomplete.

The next day, as Yugi sits alone in English class, he can't help but notice that Hanasaki's seat is empty. His stomach sinks, a feeling of guilt slowly filling his chest. As he stares out the window, he listens to the chatter of his classmates around him.

"--shattered ear drums--"

"--total hearing loss--"

"I heard he tried to kill himself--"

Yugi sinks down in his seat. It's not like he could have done anything, right...? If he had spoken up, it would just be him in the hospital now...

The rest of the day goes by in a blur.

----

The weeks that follow seem to be filled with nothing but more unfortunate events. Yugi stares at the empty seat once occupied by his biggest crush, a girl named Téa with dreams of being a dancer. Abducted from her waitress job by an escaped prisoner several days ago, her body had just been found that morning.

Yugi only feels numb.

---

The weekend comes around again, and once more, Yugi spends it alone in his room. He hasn't had the energy to work the shop these days. Letting his own grandpa down too, now.

Yugi lies on his bed, eyes unfocused towards the single window over his desk as he tries not to think of the misfortunes of the previous month. But as his eyes drift to the Millennium Puzzle, sitting on his desk, forever unfinished without its final piece, he can't help the thoughts that creep into his mind.

He's never believed in things like magic. But his grandpa's ominous warnings of curses and Shadow Games come to mind. Is that what this is? Did he anger the ancient Egyptian gods when he lost that final piece? Is this the Pharaoh's Curse, taking out everyone around him before finally coming for the man who handled the ancient relic so carelessly?

He wishes the curse would just take him. Or at least, hurt the people who deserve it. The bullies that hit him and taunted him.

What if he had spent those 8 years getting stronger?

Instead of wishing on some stupid Puzzle?

Yugi can't take it anymore. He jumps up from his bed, ready to smash the relic back into its many pieces. He snatches the incomplete Puzzle from his desk, only to hiss in pain and shake his burning fingers as the artifact falls to the carpeted floor below.

Why...?

Why would the Puzzle burn him...?

Why does he smell so much smoke....?

Why isn't Joey saving him, like--

Yugi's eyes go wide as they stare down at the Puzzle, haphazardly lying at his feet.

The Puzzle piece isn't the only thing that's missing, Yugi realizes. His friends, his allies, the voice inside his heart.

This isn't right.

This isn't how his story goes.

Heart pounding in his chest, Yugi reaches for the Puzzle, only to find himself falling. Through the floor, dragged by a chain around his ankle into the depths of the Domino City bay.

but it was my wrist, Yugi thinks as the world grows darker and darker. and it's okay. because joey will save me.

joey will save me.

and joey's sister will save him.

and then we'll save the kaibas.

and it will all be okay.

Yugi opens his mouth to take a deep breath, trusting the words he repeats in his mind. It will all be okay. It will all be okay.

And it is.

No water fills his lungs, only oxygen. His red-violet eyes flutter open to a blue sky overhead, lush grass all around him. He reaches for the Millennium Puzzle around his neck and frowns. So that's really missing. And so is the voice inside his soul.

But it's different. Though it's quiet, his heart doesn't feel empty. Not the way it did when Duke's father had shattered it to pieces. Even without the relic hanging from his neck, Yugi can tell that he isn't alone.

He sits up in the grass and crosses his legs, tries to clear his thoughts and get his bearings. Whatever nightmare he had just escaped, it was only that:

a nightmare.

Yugi knits his brows together. He can't come up with a logical explanation how he got here, to this clearing in these peaceful woods. Without the Puzzle to cling to, he presses a hand over his heart and closes his eyes, trying to focus on that feeling that tells him he isn't alone. When he tries to call out for his other self, he's met by something unexpected inside his chest.

How did he get here?

Last he remembers, he and his friends had been searching for the Kaiba Brothers. They had followed the coordinates that Mokuba had posted, appearing on a Kaiba Corporation branded aircraft carrier in the middle of the Pacific. They had been escorted deeper into the massive ship at gunpoint, ushered by mechanical guards into a bright, white room. And then...?

Feelings of rage, of anger, of resentment. Of sorrow. Of fear and insecurity.

Yugi's fingers curl into a fist, tight against his heart as he tries to calm the storm.

"hold on other me," he pleads aloud. "i'm going to find you. i promise i'm going to find you."

[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.

[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.

[intern-ko]

*In the dead of night, they meet up once more.*

So, uhm… I-I know you said not to, Noa, but I-I drank.

…

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was so hungry, and-and he was right there and bleeding-

*A deep breath* Calm down. I’m not mad. You know that this means the countdown will restart, right? We’ll start from tomorrow. I need more time, anyways.

You’re not mad? Promise?

Promise, Kio- Ko.

Okay… thank you, again. I really, really owe you one.

…Of course. And, truly, it’s no big deal. Now, run back along to the ESC, you have a job to do, don’t you?

*A nod* Yeah, I… should get back to that. Somethings probably caught on fire, or gone into the vents, or escaped, or… I don’t even know what else.

Hm. Sounds interesting. Maybe I should try out of janitorial work, hm?

Hah! Good luck, it’s… a lot. Anyways, bye, Noa! *Ko walks off*

Farewell, Ko. *their smile drops once Ko is out of sight* Ugh, I can’t wait for this to be over with.

[kaibasupremacy]

This is so painful // episode 121

[nenekobasu]

there's something to how noa seemed so irritated at loki's attempts to reach him by using charles but approves of kaiser's evolution. the real hidden fight of this match should be loki-charles vs. noa-kaiser, but the logistics of this aren't straightforward as kaiser (wants to rebel against god) should be the one who ends up fighting loki (god)... the truth however is i'm not smart enough to figure it out i'm literally just talking about what i want because i want it and no amount of noa-kaiser posting has given me noa-kaiser anyway. that doesn’t matter though noa-kaiser real and i'm gonna start handing out loki-kaiser agenda fliers the moment blue lock lets me