Kaleidoscopic Lens
By: ACE329
Summary: A FANFICTION MEME! A bunch of survey questions, answered in the form of drabbles. A sprinkle of humor, a dash of tragedy, and of course a heaping helping of our favorite YGO characters ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh! If I did, admittedly, there would probably be far less Duel Monsters. So I guess I'm just a fanatic of the characters :)
A/N: Thanks to Bakura's Guardian Angel for challenging me to a duel! Er, that is, fanfiction drabbles (which is used VERY liberally in this sense). Some questions I wrote a story on, others I simply answered. If there's one thing I've learned while writing these, it's that I cannot do "short." I simply can't. I'm not skilled enough! So I broke this up into 2 parts- the 2nd part is coming soon, I promise! (as in, a day or two) Looking over these "survey" questions that I'll be answering, I knew some were going to be quite a challenge! So, let the games begin!
Prompt 1: Who is your favorite character?
Oh yes, Ryou Bakura, hands down. I'm ever a fan of the "underdog."
Prompt 2: What would happen if you met this character?
(Warning: Some Facebook terminology here, my apologies if you are somehow unfamiliar with it!)
"Dude, check it out. I got a friend request from this hot chick! I swear, going to college was the best decision I've ever made." A young male with jet black hair, paired with electric green eyes, grinned with satisfaction as he leaned in closer to his laptop.
"I really don't like this whole Facebook thing…" Ryou tentatively remarked as he glanced over his computer screen. His face was scrunched in mild distress. Occasionally the sound of a clicking mouse was heard.
The other male, Otogi, wheeled around in his spinning chair as he looked at his roommate indignantly.
"Whaddya mean you don't 'like' it? Who says that? Everyone loves Facebook. It's like a blessing from God, as if he wants us to make hundreds of friends!"
"Or a curse," Ryou sighed, rubbing his eyes from fatigue. "And just because you're Facebook friends with someone doesn't mean you're friends in real life."
Otogi blew his friend off, waving his hand away in annoyance. "So you just hit the 'reject' button when people you don't know friend request you?"
"…."
Otogi paused, giving his friend a hard stare. "Oh, come on now. Are you serious? You're going to get the reputation of the snobbiest guy on campus!"
"But it's ridiculous!" Ryou finally burst out, nearly rising from his chair, "I can't just accept every stranger who claims to know me one way or the other! That's like asking for people to creep on me! I get around twenty random friend requests a day, and I haven't the slightest idea-"
"Whoa, whoa, hold on. What did you just say?"
"I said I don't want people creeping on me."
"No, after that."
"You mean the twenty-"
"Yeah."
"Yes. And?" Ryou frowned as he noticed Otogi's appalled expression.
Otogi shook his head in utter disbelief. "You mean to tell me that you get at least twenty friend requests a day?" His lip began to arch into his characteristic outraged pout.
"That is what I said."
"Let me see this." Suddenly Otogi was striding across the room, ducking in close to the glow of Ryou's computer screen. His emerald eyes scanned the page in melodramatic shock, his mouth now hung slightly agape.
"Dude." It was all Otogi could say after a minute of investigating the long list of names who friend requested his roommate.
"I know. Isn't it awful?" Ryou clicked his tongue with impatience. "And you see that Amanda girl? She friend requests me every day. It's like the second I hit "reject," her name pops up again for the same thing. What does she do, live with her laptop glued to her cheek?"
"Most college kids do," Otogi pointed out, brushing Ryou's hand out of the way to scroll over to the girl's request. A picture of an exceedingly pale female with mahogany hair and bug-like eyes popped up, along with a comment: "Hey, you keep deleting me! Don't you remember me? I picked up your pencil that one time it rolled off your table in the library!"
Otogi snorted as he read this statement. "Wow, what a weird girl. Kind of creepy…."
"Exactly. Now you know why I do what I do." As Ryou said this, he resolutely hit the reject button for the persistently strange girl.
"Man, I'm sorry. I had no clue," Otogi alleged as he patted his roommate on the shoulder. "Good luck with that."
A new notification on Ryou's screen abruptly popped up. Both males knew what- or who- it was.
"And who was the one to call it a 'blessing' again?" Ryou hissed through gritted teeth as Otogi shrugged his shoulders apologetically.
The sound of a determined click of a mouse was heard.
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Prompt 3: Throw your character into one of your favorite fandoms! How would they react?
"I am completely, indeterminately pissed at you right now. Foolish boy." Bakura fumed at his lighter half for the umpteenth time that hour.
Ryou merely shook his head at this, ignoring the angry glow of his Sennen ring. "I would apologize, but I'm not sorry for going to the school of my dreams."
"Hogwarts?" Bakura seethed, his loud voice booming in Ryou's already throbbing head. "How does one even justify that? Even the location of this place is absurd. 9 ¾, my ass."
"Spirit, please be patient with me. I upheld my end of the bargain, and now you must keep yours."
"Yes, and now I see that I am getting the raw end of the deal. If you believe for one second that squeezing information out of Yuugi is worth an entire year of this nonsense, you need to seriously get your miserable little head checked."
"You're right," Ryou replied somewhat hotly, "What does it mean to me that I only destroyed my friend's trust? After all, I am only officially labeled as a traitor for as long as I live."
"Don't get smart with me," Bakura reminded his host, "I always have the option of assuming control of your body and returning to Japan to complete my mission."
"You benefit from this too, you know," Ryou murmured aloud, forgetting his previously flare of anger as he stared up at the impossibly enormous castle that sparkled in the blackness of the night. All his turbulent thoughts were swept away in the mystery and grandeur of the gothic architecture that served as an entire campus. Various students and faculty members whizzed on by, chattering loudly in excitement for the start of the new school year.
"What, you mean finding out more about this magic business? I don't need a school to teach me about that. I came from a 'magical' item, as you know."
Ryou clutched harder onto his only suitcase as he passively observed the bustle of the aspiring witches and wizards. "There's more to it than that. There's potions, and alchemy, and spells, and…"
Ryou paused in thought at this, as his cheeks tinted in satisfaction. "…And they invited me." The way the teen had said it, almost inaudibly, indicated even his own disbelief of the situation. Truthfully, he was elated, no, more than that, when he received a mysterious envelope from an unknown school called Hogwarts. He could scarcely believe it, and yet some sort of determination Ryou had never experienced before awakened inside of him, urging him to go. Even Bakura, who complained and cast out threats the entire time, was intrigued.
After all, who would have thought that a school of witchcraft and wizardry even existed…?
Not to mention, the letter said that Ryou was "special," and possessed a "hidden gift" that needed harnessing.
Ryou bit back a small smile as the words replayed in his hyperactive mind. He was special.
"Well, what are you waiting for, another magical train to whisk you away to your room? Stop drawing attention to yourself." Bakura's harsh words snapped his host back into reality, who blinked in realization.
Yes, he really had to break out of that awful habit of standing perfectly still with a glazed facial expression. It made people wonder if there was 'anybody home.'
"Your hair is really quite lovely. Where did you acquire such a wonderful shade of white?" A girl with dreamy ocean eyes, and hair almost as white as Ryou's, was suddenly peering into his face, scrutinizing him with a careful attentiveness.
"What other shade of white is there?" Bakura scoffed inside of Ryou's mind. The teen chose to ignore it.
"Oh, thank you. I was just born with it, I guess." Ryou paused momentarily before hastily offering his hand. "My name's Ryou."
The girl's face lit up in delight as she eagerly grasped the boy's hand. "Mine's Luna. It's an extreme pleasure to make your acquaintance." She then did a brief bow of the head before adjusting the strap of her bag.
"Well, I would love to talk to you a little longer, but I'm afraid it's time for me to feed my pet frog," Luna said apologetically, still smiling her curious smile. "But I hope to see you at the banquet later! May the rest of your evening be merry and bright."
At this, Luna abruptly turned on her heel before Ryou could get another word in.
"Oh, all right…" Ryou said, mostly to himself, for Luna had already fled towards the depths of the castle.
"What an odd child," Bakura remarked as he materialized next to his host. "Do all mortals here carry around frogs?"
"I don't know," Ryou answered truthfully, "But I'd imagine it's not all that uncommon…"
"It doesn't matter," Bakura resolved, pointing at the large doors ahead of them. "Just go."
Ryou nodded his head as he began to step forward. Right when he did, however, an urgent shout was heard.
"Watch out! Get out of the way!" Various people were ducking their heads or parting ways in alarm, as one teenager with dark messy hair rushed forward to get a hold on whatever he was warning the bystanders about.
He was on a broom.
"Oh, wow-" Ryou began in awe, but was immediately snatched out of his musings when he felt an object the size of a golf ball pummel him painfully in the face. He barely was able to keep himself standing, cringing as he felt one side of his face start to throb. Instinctively, he held a hand to his cheek, groaning.
Bakura became quickly alert, eyeing the peculiar object that had attacked his host with intense interest. But before he could voice his thoughts, he was cut off by the frantic apologies of the boy who had cried out the previous warning.
"Oh God, I am terribly sorry," the teenager said, wincing as he glanced at Ryou's face. "Will you be all right? I can take you to Madame Pomfrey-"
"No, no, I'm okay, see? It's probably just a bruise." Ryou sighed inwardly, noting the irony of already attracting attention to himself within the short span of an hour. He was really hoping to just make an invisible entrance and have a perfectly calm, composed first day at his new home.
As he went down to retrieve the item that had lunged into him, he drew in a quick breath as he observed its appearance.
"Ah, you see it too, don't you? It looks just like the Sennen eye," Bakura finally piped up, eyeing the unusual gold ball that fluttered on the ground. "Perhaps there is a connection."
"I doubt it," Ryou said, accidentally aloud, as he handed the ball back to its owner.
"I'm sorry?" the teenager said, looking at Ryou perplexed.
Ryou flushed immediately, as he rapidly shook his still aching head. "Never mind me. I was just—I was just getting ready to go in." He tilted his head over to the castle, appearing flustered. "So I'll just, um…It was nice to meet you." Turning his back, Ryou started walking towards the castle before his new acquaintance could say anything more.
"Oh, all right- I'm sorry about your head!" The teenager hurriedly called after the retreating form.
Ryou felt his shoulders slump as he trudged closer and closer to his destination. He was beginning to feel slightly less than optimistic.
Bakura, on the other hand, was another story.
"So, Hogwarts, huh? I think I am beginning to like this unexpected turn of events…" the spirit murmured primarily to himself as he and his host braced themselves for an entirely new world.
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Prompt 4: Who are your dream YGO lovebirds?
Oh gosh, I have many, many ideal couples! But what to choose…? I'll spare you from the complex "x"-shipping names that are out there, so I'll just list the characters:
1.) Atem x Yuugi
2.) Anzu x Yuugi
3.) Jounouchi x Mai
4.) Malik x Anzu - Surprise, surprise! This is primarily because my sister was an avid fanficcer and wrote many stories off of these two beautifully. Unfortunately, when her account became erased, she gave up :(
*Although Ryou is my favorite character, I never saw him ideal for anybody. Why? Well, when you have a crazy spirit living inside of you, wouldn't romance be the last thing on your mind? In any case, I don't see a male or female who is patient enough, compassionate enough, to pair up with Ryou and deal with his internal demons. Although, I personally think Ryou and Yuugi would be a very interesting pair! I guess when well written and meticulously thought out, I think any pairing would be acceptable!
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Prompt 5: How would these characters proclaim their undying love for each other? (I'm choosing Atem and Yuugi)
"Please don't do this to me."
"I'm sorry, would you rather I sit here with my mouth glued shut? You haven't said anything since we've been in this room."
"You were arranging your deck for tomorrow, aibou. I was merely allowing you space."
"No, it's more than that. I've been done for a while now. Why won't you talk to me?"
"Am I not doing so right now?"
"Mou hitori no boku-" Yuugi cut himself off, sighing in frustration instead. There was no point in arguing with his other half when he chose to be stubborn.
But still, tonight was not the night for Yuugi to simply let it go and wait for another time to talk to him.
Because there wasn't going to be a next time.
Yuugi tried again.
"I don't think you understand, mou hitori no boku, it's not like we have all the time in the world to-"
"I understand the situation perfectly. I'm simply choosing to remain out of your way." The transparent figure in the room, Atem, was leaning against the cabin door with his arms securely folded.
He looks like a king, Yuugi thought to himself with a fleeting stab of sorrow.
"I don't…I don't want you to be out of my way." Yuugi finally said, almost beseeching. "I feel like, when you leave- if you leave- you will simply disappear, without a backwards glance. As if you won't be missing anyone you have met here, or me…"
Atem let his partner trail off without a response in his defense. He merely stood there, passively, eyeing the cabin window with unreadable scarlet eyes. He made no indication he would provide an answer.
"So it is true," Yuugi whispered in disbelief, unexpectedly feeling resentment, "You really do feel this way. You just can't wait to leave this world, to move on to something better. My friends and I were all just tools"-Yuugi spat out this word in utter detest- "to help you progress in your power trip. We mean nothing more to you than the ground you walk on. Well? Is that it?" Yuugi's previous mood of despair was quickly transformed into a sort of rage, one he couldn't quite explain. He was never this way. Why was he giving Atem a hard time now?
Still, Atem said nothing.
The continuous silence came through Yuugi's ears louder than a gunshot.
"Look at me!" Yuugi suddenly burst out, rising from his chair. "What is wrong with you, mou hitori no boku? No, Atem. Excuse me, your royal highness. Is that what you want? More worship? Everyone in this entire damn boat already adores you. Hell, I used to-"
"Stop," Atem murmured softly. His voice was very faint, and yet Yuugi silenced immediately. His eyes finally trailed over to his partner, and Yuugi couldn't help but notice how tired they looked.
"I'm sorry," Yuugi hastily offered. In mild shame for his outburst, he was the one to break the eye contact, looking down at his shoes instead. Why was he acting this way? He never criticized Atem, let alone throw around curses…
"Your anger is understandable," Atem reassured Yuugi in an exhausted sigh. "This isn't how you had hoped our final day would be together. You feel like I'm simply wasting the time on purpose."
"Well you are," Yuugi insisted. He then paused, reconsidering. "Right…?"
"No, of course not," the spirit answered forcefully, shaking his head. "I'm simply making this easier for the both of us."
"What is, 'this'? Making what easier, exactly?" Yuugi really wanted to know.
"Ryou and his darker half never really got along," Atem said suddenly, making Yuugi's eyebrows raise at the random turn of the conversation. He decided to go along with it anyway, without saying anything.
"As you know, Bakura has finally been defeated for good- he will at last be resting in the afterlife for eternity, just like me."
Yuugi cringed at this, but said nothing.
"Ryou, I am sure, must feel relieved to have Bakura disappear from his life forever. Maybe he'll finally be happy for the first time, or feel like he can trust himself." Atem paused at this, before continuing. "But do you know why that is? Because Bakura never had a relationship with Ryou. He didn't care to.
'But I, foolish Atem, think I am the one who will be hurting his host far more than anyone. We've built such a strong connection," –both Atem's and Yuugi's eyes raised to meet each others' at this point- "That I fear I will be causing you pain when I leave."
"I would rather have you than any other spirit in this world," Yuugi responded, almost vehemently. "How can you ever question that? Yes, it'll break my heart when the time comes for you to leave. So why waste what limited seconds we have together on distancing yourself? I want to be with you now."
Atem blinked back his surprise before letting a subtle trace of a smile curve his lips. "You are far wiser than I ever was, aibou. I will miss being with you…more than you know."
Yuugi took a few steps closer to Atem so he stood in front of him. "So let's just stop thinking about tomorrow, and focus on right now. I don't want to sleep tonight, I want to spend it talking to you."
"But you need your rest for the duel-"
"Right now, there are more important things to me than shutting my eyes and waiting for the sun to rise. It's not as if you sleep, anyway."
A pleased laugh escaped from Atem. "You are right. I guess I cannot help myself but to deprive you of rest. But when tomorrow comes-"
Yuugi took another step forward, closing the gap between himself and Atem. "When tomorrow comes, it comes," Yuugi said simply, "So in the meantime…tell me more about your life in Egypt."
Atem's eyes suddenly did not look so tired, as he began to tell his best friend about everything he remembered.
Somewhere along the way, the duo had sunk down to the floor, engaged in a deep conversation that lasted until the Egyptian sun began to raise itself into the sky, filtering itself through the ship's windows.
Atem and Yuugi allowed their hands to intertwine, locking into one another, for the entire time as the ship sailed closer and closer to their destination.
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Prompt 6: What would their first date be like?- May I switch over to Malik and Anzu…? :)
"You're sick, Malik! Twisted! You will never get away with this!"
"Isn't the ocean the most beautiful right when the sun begins to set…?" Malik's feline eyes casually trailed down to his female counterpart, ignoring her various protests and occasional curses.
"Bastard!" Anzu spat, her azure eyes blazing hotter than the sun before them, "Just let me go! Now."
"Things are the most appealing when you know they are about to end," Malik continued, completely unfazed. "Every day, you know the sun will-"
"Oh, save it for someone who cares!" Anzu hissed through gritted teeth. She struggled again against the confines of the rope that tied her to the mast.
"This is an ugly side to your personality that you don't show often," Malik slyly commented. "Are you getting sea sick? Is your nausea making you cranky?"
"No, but you're close," Anzu answered fiercely, "I'd say it's you who is making me nauseous!"
A delighted laugh cackled out of Malik. He looked genuinely amused.
"Pharaoh and his puppet don't push you around hard enough," Malik jeered, "You are a lot more fun when you're angry."
Anzu let out another cry of frustration, desperately wishing her legs were free so she could kick her captor in a male-unfriendly spot.
Flicking her bangs away with a jolt of her head, Anzu tilted her chin up to appear more convincing. "Believe me when I say that mou hitori no Yuugi will come and-"
"And what, exactly?" Malik cut in, relishing in the opportunity, "Challenge me to a duel, see who wins, then let you go if I happen to be the loser? Which by the way, is highly unlikely. For you see, he will have far more important things to address, such as the fact he will be dueling his 'best friend,' so to speak."
Anzu paused, letting this sink in. "You…you are going to mind control Jounouchi to fight him?"
"Such a smart cheerleader," Malik sneered appraisingly. "But yes, not only will he have to worry about saving you, but the foolish boy with the loud mouth as well."
"It doesn't matter if he has to rescue a thousand people, mou hitori no Yuugi could do it easily," Anzu asserted, continuing to gaze at the oddly cat-eyed villain. "Especially against you." The way she said "you," in the most detestable, loathing way, made Malik's eyebrows lift into arches.
"It's interesting, how you can be so rude to someone who quite literally has your life in his hands. Is this a show of bravery, or mere stupidity…?" Malik casually trailed off, wordlessly indicating which one he was leaning towards.
Anzu's brow furrowed, about to concoct a biting retort, but ultimately decided to remain silent. Evidently, no matter what she said, Malik would just become more amused.
And that pissed her off.
How old was he, anyway? He certainly couldn't have been more than a year older than her. He was a teenager, for God's sake, someone who should be going to school!
Certainly not someone who sits around in a ship all day and invents sinister ways to ruin people's lives.
It just wasn't right.
And so Anzu chose to remain silent, not because she preferred to, or was petrified of being held captive, but for realizing that Malik Ishtar, unfortunately, was simply not normal and could not be fazed by mere words.
Somewhat defiantly, Anzu turned her head away.
"What is this? A change in tactics?" Malik waited for a response, but received none. A very faint twitch changed the teen's smile into a less pleased expression.
Anzu remained unresponsive.
Malik made a huffing sound, briefly rolling his eyes in annoyance.
"…Fine. Be that way. But eventually, as the hours roll on by, you're going to be so bored with yourself that you will have to say something. And believe me, this is going to be a long trip." The way Malik drawled out "long" made Anzu feel slightly more than queasy. True to her plan though, she kept her thoughts to herself.
Malik stared at the girl in unreadable silence. Then, decidedly, he stalked off. His long dark robe flared out after him, dramatically rippling in the powerful ocean wind.
He eventually entered a dark room in the lower floor of the ship. Safe from being seen by human eyes, Malik allowed a relatively giddy grin to plaster on his face. Unlike his other smiles, this one lacked a drop of malice.
A sardonic chuckle erupted from the teen.
"Not bad…for a first date."
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Prompt 7: Dress your favorite couple as each other!
"Fantastic. Simply fantastic. You look like a true ruler of Egypt," Atem stated approvingly while he gave a brief nod of the head. He beamed at his lighter half, a rare sort of smile scarcely displayed for anyone to see, and it made Yuugi's heart spasm out of control.
"Well, that would be the point," Yuugi confirmed hesitantly as he stood in front of a full-length mirror. He adjusted the diadem that banded across his forehead. It sparkled faintly under the dim lights of his bedroom.
"Yes, but, it's like this outfit was made for you," Atem continued, tilting his head to catch a better glimpse of his partner. "I am thrilled that I was able to convince you to dress as a pharaoh for this 'All Hallows Eve' holiday of yours."
"It's called Halloween now, Atem," Yuugi laughed as he turned to face his best friend. "And you better get ready soon. We need to leave in ten minutes."
"But I am ready," Atem said indignantly, flourishing his hands over his body. "Can you not tell?"
Yuugi stared at Atem in mild confusion. "Well, who are you supposed to be?"
A grin slowly spread across the real pharaoh's face. "You."
Yuugi's jaw dropped before he was able to react. "What? Oh, come on! You look exactly the same!"
"You're right," Atem agreed before heading over to Yuugi's dresser. He grabbed a large handful of cuffs, chains and bracelets, accessorizing himself haphazardly. "Now it's more accurate."
"Shut up!" Yuugi yelled good-naturedly, fighting back a smile. He reached out to grab Atem's wrist, but snatched air instead when his partner withdrew.
Atem tsked as he placed his hands on his hips. "Now Yuugi, let's be fair here. If you can mock my way of dress, than I can mock yours." He paused slightly before adding, "Although I must say, you really do look fantastic with that outfit on. Have I mentioned this yet?"
Yuugi sighed before sinking down onto his bed. "Yes, Atem, many times. So are you ready, then? Can we go?"
"Well, I'm ready, but there's just one more thing that you need…" Atem said thoughtfully, evaluating his partner.
"What's that?"
Slipping off his puzzle, Atem adorned it around Yuugi's neck instead.
"With so much power, one must have restrictions as well…" Atem let a pleased smirk spread across his lips, "And I'd say that wearing this makes you mine."
Yuugi felt his face immediately flush, forgetting about his need to hurry. Time always seemed to escape him whenever in the presence of his all-too-alluring partner.
"I-" Yuugi was cut off, however, by the jarring sound of a ringing phone. His cell, placed carelessly on top of his math book, began vibrating and bleeping to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
Stumbling around Atem- ignoring his irritated facial expression- he rushed over to his desk to snatch his phone off the desk.
"Hello…?" He asked quickly. He paused, listening to the person on the other end. He quirked an eyebrow after registering what was said, before a smile crept across his face. "Okay, okay, will you give us like two minutes? Yup! Stall them for me! All right-y. Bye." Unceremoniously slamming his cell shut, he stalked over to grab his keys.
"Come on, let's go."
"But it was my understanding that we had at least ten more minutes."
Yuugi headed for the door. He glanced back. "Yeah, well, that was before Jounouchi had just informed me that a news casting crew is going around offering 5000 yen to anyone with the best costume."
Atem blinked, uncomprehending. "Yes. And?"
"And he said our hair would guarantee us an automatic win. So yeah, again, let's go!" Yuugi turned on his heel and began to rush down the nearby stairs.
Atem looked outraged. "Excuse me? But my hair isn't fake-! Why are we…Yuugi, are you even listening?" Exasperated, Atem heaved a sigh before following his enthusiastic partner.
The two walked out into the moonlit night, dodging trick-or-treating kids and, observing the eccentric costumes that Halloween brings, strangely feeling as if they relatively blended in with the crowd for the first time.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!