Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, the Yugioh characters, and New York.
It was a great night. Atem smiled as he experienced the wonderful hazy feeling. The lights, cards, and booze. Ah, nothing like a good old card game brightens his mood in the morning.
The thrill of not knowing what's next makes his blood races with excitement. That what makes life more tolerable.
Despite that the odds were against him with his opponent had a straight flush in his hand, Atem remained calm. His dealer and the regulars nervously watched Atem for his next move.
"Is it possible that Atem will lose for the first time?" A man whispered to his female companion.
"Well, all of the Aces except one are already played. The only way Atem can win against Larry is if he has a royal flush. Even as a king of poker, there's no way he can pull off from this. It would take a miracle from the goddess of Luck for Atem to win," she replied as she took a sip of her red wine.
"Shush you guys, you're ruining the suspension."
Atem took no notice from the commentary and his opponent's grinning face. His facial expression remained unreadable as he grabbed the card from his dealer.
"Ready to give up shorty? Do you want to kiss your $50,000 goodbye before folding?" Larry sneered.
"I never give up in a game. I guess you didn't know about me since this is your first time in the Cat's Eyes. Well, since you are the guest of the night, let me show my manners to you. I'll give you a few seconds to say farewell to your car and your cat," Atem smirked.
"You must be either be arrogant or stupid enough to say it to my face. Do you know who I am?" Larry shouted. "You are talking to someone who won the national poker champion three years in a row."
Atem stared at him with an indifference look before coolly saying, "It's not about your achievements. The cards doesn't care if you are a rookie or a champion. It's all about whether lady luck is on your side and tracking which cards are still in play."
"So Larry, are you sure you want to turn your cards in?"
"I am confident in my cards, you little brat." Larry slammed his cards to the table to reveal his straight flush. "Beat that."
"And you call yourself a national poker champion? Hmph. How disappointing." Atem frowned with a disapproval expression and revealed his hands to the crowd with a royal flush.
"That's bullshit! There's no way that you can beat me!" Larry threw his cards to the table before sobbing. "How would I explain to my girlfriend that I lost the car and Cherie?"
Victory is sweet. Atem was proud of himself. He got himself a car which makes him easier to travel and a cat that would be useful to escape unwanted conversations with flirtatious women.
But that's not even the best part of the night for him.
What made the night even better was that lady in red… ah she was amazing. He smirked before himself in his bed. He examined himself on the mirror and saw the red lipstick marks in his neck. He remembered the pleasant touches by her. The way she traced his neck gently before diving her mouth and seduce him with her kisses. Her sweet moans rang to his ears as he thrusts her delicious body over and over again and expressing his own desires. Of all the women he spent the night with, this woman made him feel-
His alarm interrupted his thoughts and Atem cursed himself before turning his clock off. Damn that clock for bringing him back to the weariness of his daily life.
"It's too bad that the thrills only last a few hours. Well the mornings wouldn't be bad if it weren't for the hangovers." Atem grumbles himself. "Ugh, now where's my coffee? I got to kill time before going to Cat's Eyes again."
Atem scanned his room for his belongings and quickly dress up. He looked at his drawer for his phoenix pendant but his pendant was nowhere in sight. He touches his chest in case he forgot taking it off before heading to bed. No gold pendant in sight. Oddly enough, the brown cat is still in his room. Guess that the woman is not fond of cats.
His eyes widen before remembering that someone stole his pendant. Atem picked up his clothes from the floor and tries to find the pants he wore from last night. He pocketed his winnings there. After countless searches, he found his pants but couldn't find his check.
"Shit! There's no way that I would lose my winnings!" Atem yelled. "I always put it in a safe spot in the room. Wait, I just remember."
Atem paced his room with a pensive expression before stopping at his mirror. He reexamined the red marks in his neck. "The last time I remember having the winnings was when I was with that lady in red. His amethyst eyes widen in shock. "That woman stole my money and the pendant!"
He gritted his teeth and cursed. Atem is a tactful man. He was careful not to let his winnings out of his sight.
How can this woman stole the money and his pendant from him? Atem angrily thought. Well this woman must be a very charming and seductive if she is able to successfully steal his belongings from him. There has be something that she left in his room that gives any clue to her identity.
The only thing that he can remember about her is the red dress and her mischievous azure eyes.
A faint smell of perfume lingered in his shirt. Atem took off his shirt and sniffed it. It has a smell of roses with a hint of violet and blackberry musk.
His eyes widen. That smell… reminds him of the woman's name and her face!
"Congratulations on your winnings, Atem. I knew that you'll win." A brown haired woman greeted him with a coy smile.
As Atem collected his check, the car keys, and the cat, he looks up to the person who addressed him. She wore a one shoulder red dress that reaches to her knee along with a silver chain necklace. Her earrings matched with her eyes.
"Thank you for your kind words." Atem replied before making a pensive expression. "Pardon me, but I haven't see you around here. What is your name?"
The azure eyes twinkled back to his amethyst eyes and replied, "Shibata. Rose Shibata."
"A pleasure to meet you, Rose."
Atem took a closer look on this woman. Judging by her appearance, she is most likely to be a dancer. She's not bad looking and that dress is rather flattering on her. Still, he wondered why Rose is here. He knew nearly all the people in the casino and it's rare for him to find an intriguing woman here. Unless she changes her appearance frequently, it would be impossible to forget her.
"So Rose, where are you from?"
"Manhattan."
"Funny, I live around here. How come I never see you around?" Atem narrowed his eyes.
"Well I recently moved to Manhattan a few days ago and a friend of mine recommended this place. It got great atmosphere, the people are friendly, and I'm always up for a good game of blackjack or poker." Rose smiled sweetly at Atem. "So I hear you're the king of card games. You must be the legend in the streets in New York. What games are you good at?"
"Blackjack, poker, and hearts," Atem stated. He normally prefered keeping the conversations short if he's not fond of the person or wants to get away from the noisy crowd, but this woman fascinated him for a reason he can't put in his finger. So Atem decided to get to know this charming woman more.
"So, what about you? Favorite card games?"
"Spades, black lady, hearts, and of course, poker."
Rose noticed her friend is currently sitting at the loveseat chatting to his acquaintance. "Oh! Here's one of my friends who recommend this place. I'll introduce you with him briefly since he's busy and will be leaving soon.
"Hey Ryo! I want to introduce you to Atem. Atem, this is Ryo."
"Nice to meet you, Ryo." Atem nodded to Ryo.
"Same as well Atem. I heard about you and even saw you a couple of times, but never have the chance to meet you face to face until now." Ryo warmly smiled. "So the king of games in the flesh… Oh! You won a kitty from the loud man! Can I pet it?" Ryo excitedly asked. "I just love kittens!"
Atem stared at Ryo with mild annoyment and confusion. He didn't know whether to give the kitten to get rid of Ryo or if he should politely tell Rose that he needs to leave.
"Hey Ryo, I know that you want to pet Atem's kitten, but you have a meeting with Seto right over… at the sushi bar." Rose pointed at the opposite end of the casino.
"Oh thanks for reminding me Rose! Sorry to end the conversation all of the sudden. Atem, I will be looking forward to see you around town." Ryo bowed at them before walking away.
Rose turned her head and saw Ryo out of sight. She gives him an amused smile to Atem. "Ryo can get too excited when it comes to kittens. I figure that you're not interested talking to Ryo. Based on my observations, you aren't fond of overly flirtatious women since you made that similar facial expression with the woman at the bar before Larry challenged you."
Atem nodded.
"So, I was wondering what is your occupation Atem?"
"Let's just say that I have varies of jobs so it's difficult to describe my occupation in a few words." Atem didn't want to disclose about himself too much to people. There's no point to give his life story to someone that he might briefly spending the night with and most likely won't run into the person again.
"Well what about you, Rose?"
"I'm a dancer."
"What type of dance do you do?"
"Jazz, tap, ballet, and a little bit of hip hop."
"What school do you go to?"
"Hey Atem, I couldn't help but notice that pendant. My friend Serenity have a similar pendant like your. Where did you get it?"
Atem scrunched his eyebrows. Hmmm, strange. I can't recall when I get that pendant. Did someone give it to me as a token after the night? Or did I won it from a bet?" He wasn't so sure. His mind was pretty fuzzy last week and he was pretty sure it's not the alcohol. Atem does drink heavy occasionally when life became overbearing. But there's no way I would forget this...
Rose looked concerned at Atem. " Are you alright Atem?"
Atem gave her an apologetic look to her. "I'm fine Rose. Sorry to worry you. He shook his head. "To be honest, I don't remember Rose."
"Huh, interesting." Rose said. She gave Atem a perplexed look before quickly smiled at him. "Well enough chit chat. Want to play blackjack and slots with me?"
"Sure. It would be a nice pace of change to find someone who is a worthy opponent. Hopefully you will bring me some entertainment more than the people that I faced today." Atem smirked.
Both Atem and Rose are sweating in the blackjack table as they evenly match up. Atem got a 20 in his hand while Rose got 18. The other 3 players were already out of the game.
"Ready to give up Rose? The odds are against you."
"I'm not giving up, Atem." Her eyes which were once serene and warm are now hardened with fire. "Not when there's a chance that I get the card I wanted."
Atem was taken back from Rose's outburst. He was surprised on her boldness.
What a competitive woman. I never see how much she changed. A few hours ago, she was warm and friendly. You wouldn't believe that it would be the same person who is playing blackjack with me.
Rose's eyes focused as she stared at Atem with determination before turning to the dealer and utter two words to him with an assertive tone:
"Hit me."
The dealer gave one card to Rose and flip it.
It was the 3 of clubs.
Atem and Rose's eyes widen.
"Congratulation to the lovely woman in red." The dealer announced with a flourish. Rose collected the winnings from the table.
"Guess that you're a worthy opponent, Rose." Atem smiled. "You're one of the few people who kept me in toes. I'm impressed. However, Atem paused before giving Rose a warning tone. "Don't get used to this type of victory. Next time, I will refuse to lose. I would hate to lose to a good opponent like you again." Atem gives Rose a fierce stare as though he means it in every word.
"As a celebration for your victory, may I offer to buy a drink for you?"
"Well I can't say no to that and I wouldn't mind being with you for awhile." She turns to Atem and say, "So, shall we go?"
They headed to upstairs where the private lounges are located. A bar is positioned in the center and the walls have transparent windows to reveal the night sky. A bunch of seats scattered in the room with friends and couples are chatting away.
"So, why do you decide to take a huge risk and decide to hit? Atem asked. "Nearly all of the 3's are already in play."
Rose look at Atem with a powerful stare. "Because when there's an opportunity to get better, you don't hesitant especially when you already put so much in stake. When I want something, I get it. If you desire something, you have to put your heart into it. "
Atem said, "Even as a gambler as myself, there's a certain line between being bold and being reckless."
"Like your move at the poker game with Larry. Even though you have very little chance to win, you choose to continue for your pride." Rose pointed out.
Atem couldn't help but admit that Rose is right about it. "But to be fair, that was because of the adrenaline."
Rose's voice suddenly turns serious. "Even if the odds are against you, there are things at stake. In any card game, the odds are against you and the cards don't care. The cards don't care about your calculations, just like the people in the poker game don't care about your life or your hardships! They only care about whether your results will make their nights more memorable. Atem noticed that Rose's tone of voice became bitter on the last sentence.
"But," Rose emphasized before saying "That doesn't mean that you give up the moment you lose your winning momentum. The moment you give up when things don't go in your favor, you lose. So tell me, if someone tells you that you don't have a chance after you lose, would you let that person determine your fate?"
"Not at all." Atem said with a fierce voice. "I would tell that person that only I can control my fate. A true gambler never gives up."
Atem was impressed by Rose's speech. Hmmm. She's quite an interesting person. More than what is she seems. Rose is a friendly and outgoing person, but she has a fierce personality. Despite her stubbornness and fiery personality, she's considerate and observant. She knew his discomfort towards small chat which is why she shortly cuts off the conversation with Ryo and suggested Atem to play blackjack first just when the conversation start to get stale.
"You speak as though you went through a lot of risk both in games and in your life," Atem noted.
"In many ways that you couldn't imagine, Rose said in a matter of fact way. So tell me Atem, what drives you?"
"The same with you, Rose. The thrills. Keeps life interesting that way. Gambling runs in my blood and is my passion." Atem smirked at Rose.
"Hey, you're a nice person underneath the aloof appearance once you let your guard down." Rose smiled sweetly at Atem. "Your personality shines the best through games."
"Hmm thanks, Rose. You're not bad yourself." Strangely enough, I feel comfortable with you. Or maybe it's the alcohol speaking." Atem laughed before taking a sip of his red wine.
"I think it's a combination of both."
"Don't be so modest, Rose." Atem smiled at Rose.
"You know, Atem, you should smile more. You have a great smile. You're always frowning unless you're playing a game then you're smirking." said Rose.
"Are you trying to hit on me?"
"What if I am?" Rose smirked back.
"Well for you, it's working. Atem gives Rose a coy smile before saying, "So, shall we get back to the games then?"
That was the last thing Atem remembered last night before his memories blurred.
His head was pounding hard as all of the memories from last night came rushing back. His room spun around him as the smell of Rose's perfume suffocated him by reminding him the bitterness of reality.
The red dress.
The poker chips.
Her laughter.
Of course!
Rose! That woman. How dare did she stole his winnings from Atem. Not only that, Atem was angry over himself for letting his guard down. How can he be so foolish?
He scowled. No one messes with Atem and gets away with it. She will pay the price for being an dishonorable gambler and cons people's winnings.
Quickly gathering up his jacket on the floor, Atem snatches his wallet from his drawer. His wallet appears to be slightly thicker than usual. Atem opens up his wallet and his eyes naturally draws in the white card decorated with black and gold laces at the front. The card addresses: To Atem.
Is this from Rose?
Why would Rose would leave it in his wallet? Perhaps she left it to taunt him?
Atem's heart raced as he picked up the card and opens it, anticipating for the content of the card. It read:
"You think you got me as another woman in bed, but you're wrong. I refuse to be another fragment in your memory. I will not be another flower, picked for my beauty and left to die. I will be wild, difficult to find, and impossible to forget."
-The Rose Queen
This story is inspired by the following quote from a classmate. It was too good for me to not use it. "I will not be another flower, picked for my beauty and left to die. I will be wild, difficult to find, and impossible to forget."
Please review. Any review is appreciated, especially constructive criticism.
A silly and alternate ending to the first chapter: You have been owned by the Rose Queen. Bitch. ;P
As much against my better judgment, I will have to upload the next chapter next week to set the plot and the setting in motion. First chapter is the introduction and I want to move forward to the part where the action unravels which both of them will meet again with assumptions.