Network Masks – Stage I
Written by: Agneta Steam
Beta Reader: BreakfastForLife 14/07/16
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! Belongs to me, and it is no longer owned by Kazuki Takahashi.
Clarifications: This is an Alternative Universe. Story partially inspired by real events and partly inspired by the movie "The Truman Show". It will consist of four stages (or five, I'm still deciding). The personalities of the characters are not going to be such as the anime / manga, and some family relationships and ages will be modified. Thank you for reading.
Session I:
Jonouchi's POV
Jonouchi tiptoes on his returned trip to his room, knowing that at this time everyone would be asleep. He put the glass of water over on the bedside table and got under the covers again. Quickly he took his cell phone from under the pillow and he was decided.
Of all his friends from that chat, this guy he was talking to was who he was most attracted to. He was one of the few who were not desperate to talk about sex, although they had treated it, and with whom he had been able to chat about more intimate matters. For that reason alone he had been thinking about meeting him in person.
Dominosxcboi: We should go out one of these days, do you think?
They had spent two months chatting about everything, but there were many things that should only be talked about face to face so it was best to take the initiative once and for all.
Magicmirror: Do you want us to meet?
Jonouchi smiled. He was used to his immediate responses but, considering the proposal, he had imagined he could take some time to respond and even disconnect to avoid the situation.
Dominosxcboi: Yes, why not? We have to kill boredom somehow haha
He really just wanted to answer "yes". The rest of the message was to not interpret it as an obligation. The intention was not to corner anyone.
Magicmirror: I thought you didn't have interest in those things. We can meet in my apartment. Pass me your number so I'll send you my address.
Jonouchi read the message several times wondering why he would interpret that he didn't have interest in meet personally. The phrase "those things" was too uncomfortable. Also, why ask for his number? Why not send the address directly by chat? And more importantly, why in his apartment?
Jonouchi rubbed his eyes, annoyed with all the questions that were flying in his mind. It was true that such invitations, a bit hasty, were disappointing. He had not pictured him as the kind of man who leads you to his home, no. That seemed to him so immature.
But it was not moment to question everything, assume always the worst scenario and ruin everything.
He read the message one last time, convincing himself that it was only a suggestion. He still might propose other meeting places.
Dominosxcboi: Actually, I was referring to 'go out' as in visiting an entertaining place...
That was a subtle way to avoid going to his apartment. Or at least that was Jonouchi's idea.
Magicmirror: But how do you know that being at my apartment is not going to be funny? Haha... So what do you have in mind?
If the first question was as a joke Jonouchi did not interpreted it like that. Could he have bothered?
Dominosxcboi: We could go to the cinema or to dance... Here are many nightclubs. A new one opened near the wharf. I haven't been there yet. Haha...
Jonouchi was not the kind of guy who went out every night. When he was attending a pub it was because hi friends or job mates invited him. Most days he was helping his mother to attend the last customers of the pizza they had at the ground floor of their house.
Magicmirror: What? No, I'm not crazy. If I meet someone who knows me I would die of embarrassment.
Jonouchi watched the screen of his cell bewildered by his response. After many nights of chatting, it was disappointing confirm how little he knew that guy. Although as far as he could read, he was not the only one.
Dominosxcboi: What you should be ashamed of? So they don't know you well...?
Jonouchi drinked some of the water that had almost forgotten. He refreshed the page three consecutive times, wondering to himself if he had just annihilated the "relationship" they had. At the fourth time he updated, the new message notification appeared.
New friendship request: underman would like to be your friend. You can visit his profile to accept or reject his request via the link below.
Jonouchi deleted the message. He got requests like this daily; ten... or sometimes he even received twice that many. From people who didn't even reside in Japan. From people who did not even understand his language. And from people who, after having been accepted, would not write him again.
Magicmirror: Don't be ridiculous. You know what I mean.
"Ridiculous...?" Jonouchi repeated aloud. Of course he knew what he meant: the guy was ashamed to acknowledge he was gay to his family and friends, which in modern times was absurd. But calling gim ridiculous for a message which had not been a grievance was inadmissible.
Dominosxcboi: So you are the kind of man who hides within four walls to do what he likes because he can't accept himself and he is afraid of others wouldn't accept him neither!
Irritated Jonouchi decided to stand at his level and tell him some truths. Above all because he was frustrated due to the way in which this conversation unfolded.
And to round his discomfort he received a new request.
New friendship request: ...
"Shit" he murmured while he deleted the message. Another day, with another spirit, he would have taken the time to visit the user's profile to see if at least he was from Japan.
Magicmirror: Again, don't be silly. I didn't enter this chat or write you because I wanted to find someone to walk hand in hand through a field with flowers, get married and live happily ever. I'm not into these fags' crap.
Jonouchi was astounded by that answer. Since when did "liveing happily ever after" was a "fags' crap"? Since when was wanting to meet someone personally a "fags' crap"? This guy had been a total waste of time.
Dominosxcboi: So then why the fuck did you write me?
Having sent the message, Jonouchi decided to remove him from his friends and not answer him anymore. Although on second thought, he could send him a message filled with insults to appease his anger. Or send it to someone else, incidentally. Perhaps, to an author of those annoying requests.
When he was opening his profile to delete him, he noticed a new notification of a new message appeared.
New friendship request: Setockr would like to be your friend. You can visit his profile to accept or reject his request via the link below.
Jonouchi opened the link. They say that the third time's the charm, so the third request to the button was to be the victim of his fury. So the notification of a new message interposed again.
Magic Mirror: What? Haha... Why rather than offend, you don't ask for your porn pics?
"Porn pics...?" he muttered. His photos weren't pornographic. The least demure pic he had published was a photo of his entire body with bare torso.
Dominosxcboi: There aren't porn pics, asshole. Fuck you.
When he sent, a warning appeared with the text "You do not have permission to send this message." That bastard had blocked him.
He went back and refreshed the page. There was nothing worse than arguing with someone and then he leaves you when you had an insult at the tip of your tongue. It was so unfair.
Focusing on the screen, he saw that had opened the profile of Setockr. Jonouchi remembered that he had planned to get even with him and he still intended to. He scrolled down looking for the option to send message, but stopped when he noticed some data. "Registered 13 minutes ago", "Friends List (0)" and "Location: Tokyo, Japan."
Jonouchi laughed at the situation. It was not fair taking insults out on someone who had just registered and who had the decency to add friends from your country.
Jonouchi scrolled down till "Accept request" and clicked it.
"Today is not your unlucky day, it is mine," he told himself as he returned to his profile to disconnect.
Setockr: Hello, thanks you for accepting me. My name is Seto. I added you because I am from Domino too, although a year and half ago I moved to Tokyo.
"I'm glad. Another day you can tell me" he mutter while he logged off his account and left the cell under his pillow, barely more relaxed.