Seto's chocolately brown eyes filled with tears as he played the recording sent to him by Deadlox. "Guys, he's not even funny! An he's still got the least subscribers out of all of us!" He had played the message so many times that he knew the words by heart. "He hasn't even got a milllion subscribers yet! And there's a reason!" Seto knew there was a reason, and he knew what it was. Always had, actually, in the back of his mind. It was this that always slightly tempered his happiness, gave him that slightly more serious demeanor. It was this, that finally lit the spark that flared into a self-hating fire. It slowly consumed Seto, infecting his mind, seeping into his every thought and action.
In the time between when Deadlox sent him the recorded conversation, and the time when Seto was actually discharged from the Team, Seto slowly became more and more reclusive. He drew away from everyone else, steeling his mind for the inevitable pain to come. The sorcerer retreated to the safety of his house, his spellweaving, his magic.
Seto stared into the flickering purple flames in his fireplace, courtesy of Agnus, and thought about magic. About how his had become slightly darker in color. About how it was becoming easier not to think about them, to focus on his studies. My skill is improving, Agnus. The warped, Runic syllables came easily. The ender dragon whined, worried about her father. I know, Agnus. You want me to go outside, and do something. I have to get better with magic first, Agnus. And they don't like me out there, either.
A sudden knocking at the door startled the sorcerer and dragon, and both slightly winced. The sharp sound was much more acute after months of nothing but murmerings of Rune and the pages of a spellbook turning. "Seto! Open the damn door! I know you can hear me!" Deadlox. "I've been knocking forever!" Agnus glanced silently at Seto, who looked stricken. You should answer it, Father. The sorcerer scowled. He knew he should. But he didn't want to risk it. Go.
Seto slowly creaked open the door, having quickly found a pair of long sleeved robes, and pulled down the hood. His voice trembled slightly. "What do you want, Ty?" Ty's heart sunk at the sound of his broken sounding voice. "Oh, Seto.. We just want you back! Please.. We need you. I need you." His green headset glowed slightly in the twilight, illuminating his pleading face.
The distraught sorcerer slammed the door, and sighed. They don't actually want you, Seto. You're just setting yourself up for more disappointment. He angrily shook his head, and sprinted off to the bathroom. He frantically searched the cabinets for something, anything, to hide the scars decorating his arms, because he knew that eventually Ty would get into the house. And Seto would eventually end up showing his arms, somehow. Either Ty would talk him into it, or force him to.
"Seto?" Ty timidly knocked again, only to have the door opened by Agnus, who growled at him. "Agnus? It's just me. I want to help Seto, not hurt him! Just let me in, please. Trust me.." Agnus reached out a claw to snag the door and quickly let Ty in.
"Where did Seto go, Agnus?" Damn. He's already in.. Damn it, Agnus.. Seto panicked at the sound of Ty's voice. He's gonna see the scars, Seto.. There's nothing you can do. He's going to see them, and know, and think you're pathetic. Because you are. "Seto? Come on, Seto, you don't have to hide from me! We're friends, man! Come on, you know that eventually I'll find you, so why don't you just come out?"
Eventually, Ty worked his way around the twisted halls of Seto's house to the locked bathroom door. "Seto? Are you in there?" Seto sobbed harder. "Y-yes, Ty?"
Ty sighed. "Seto, open the door for me. Please. What are you hiding in a bathroom for anyways? It's just me." The broken sorcerer slowly creaked open the door. "It's because it's you, Ty.. You're not supposed to see!" Ty's eyes widened as a horrid suspicion crept into his mind. "Seto, your sleeves. Roll them up for me, please." Seto flinched. "N-no! I don't want to! You can't make me! P-please, don't make me.." Ty started slightly crying. "Why not, Seto? What am I not supposed to see on your arms?" He hoped he was wrong, for it to be something, anything, else but what he was thinking of. Scars. "Please, Seto. Either your going to roll up your sleeves yourself, or I am. Choose." Internally panicking, Seto desperately tried to think of a way to get out of it. You could cast a concealing spell of some sort, Seto. It wouldn't help if he touvhed your arms though, charms don't hide texture.
Suddenly, while Seto was thinking, Ty leapt forward, snatched the sleeve of Seto's robe, and swiftly pulled it up. All in about the span of three seconds. "S-Seto? What happened to your arms? Please tell me it wasn't what I think it was." Seto snatched his arm back to his side. "I'm sorry, Ty. But I'm not going to lie to you anymore.."
Author's Note: Okay, so I wasn't feeling well when I wrote this, so it's angsty. I you enjoyed this one-shot.