Seto Kaiba trudged through the mall, well weighed down with shopping bags. He all but scowled at his younger brother, Mokuba, who had an impressive lot of packages in one arm, and a list in his free hand. He peered at it, shaking dark bangs out of his stormy grey eyes.

"Well, that's everyone's except yours. Why don't you take these down to the wrapping station while I get it, and then I'll get it wrapped wrapped while you get mine?"

"Fanstastic," Seto grunted. He shifted a few bags around so that he could take the ones Mokuba was holding.

"And remember, if you see anybody we know, don't let them see what I got them!"

"That's not going to be easy, since it seems like you've gotten something for everyone we've ever met, including quite a few people I don't like." Mokuba, however, had already dashed off. Seot sighed and lugged his load to the little kiosk where some girls in pointy green hats were quite merrily - infuriatingly really- wrapping gifts.

"Hey, you. What does it cost to get things wrapped?"

"Oh, we're volunteers, sir. Tips are expected, of course." The voice was oddly familiar. He looked down at the speaker, who appeared to be a nose, a mouth, and straight brown hair sticking out from under an overly large elf hat.

"Fine. Just get these wrapped." He piled the bags onto the counter, and tried to see under the hat. "Can you even see?"

"Not very well," the girl admitted, pushing it up to reveal startlingly wide and shiny blue eyes, that grew even wider when she recognized him. "Kaiba!"

"Gardner." Marvelous. Suddenly his mouth went dry. Somewhere in one of the bags was a gift for her, and he hadn't the slightest idea which bag, or really which gift. "Could you wait a second?"

Looking confused, Tea nodded. "Sure, whatever." He began a mad search through the endless pile of stuff, until he discovered what undoubtedly had to be hers - a very new and, as he recalled now, very expensive dance game. A very new, very expensive, very large game. Yanking the entire bag off the counter and trying to discretely get the game under his trenchcoat, he asked, "Do you even have a Playstation II?"

"Huh?"

"Company research survey," he interjected smoothly, if a little too quickly. He leaned against the kiosk uncomfortably, trying to keep the game, now a suspicious bulge under his coat, from dropping.

"Of course. I've only got a couple games though."

"Anything made by Kaiba Corp?" he asked in a bored, survey-ish tone, while shoving the gifts at her. She took the hint and started wrapping them, making sure to label what each one was beforehand.

"Uh, no. I've had my eye on one of the dance games, but I doubt I'll be getting it on the tips people give." Kaiba made a mental note not to tip her too well - not that he was planning on it anyway. She gave him an odd look as she ripped off a piece of tape. "What have you got there?"

"Where?"

"Under your jacket. The large blocky shape."

He quite seriously considered telling her that it was a concealed, albeit badly, weapon, or that he was shoplifting, but decided against it. He wasn't known for his sense of humor, and he wasn't about to start being Mr. Chuckles now.

"It's, uh, my, well, it's my briefcase."

Tea raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason why it's under your jacket?"

He scowled, ice blue eyes narrowing. "That's none of your business."

"Whatever." She was already well through many of the bags. Kaiba had to hand it to her, she was efficient. "You certainly don't shop light, do you?"

Deciding it was a rhetorical question, he ignored it. Just then Mokuba ran up, holding a bag behind his back.

"Alright, leave! Hey, what's the lump under your jacket?"