Hey, it's my second French English translation! This one's a heck of a lot longer, so don't be expecting those once-every-two-day updates I did for Target. The original story is Apparences, by Melzart, and as usual, if you can read French, read that one, simply because the tone and author's intent haven't been butchered. Heheh. This one is SK x OC of Melzart's creation.
I own neither Yu-Gi-Oh nor the story itself.
Merry belated Xmas, Happy Boxing Day to the Canadians, and happy belated birthday to Marik Ishtar.
~ Mardigny
Appearances
by Melzart
. . .
Chapter 1
First Evening
. . .
1.
The evening promised to be painful, long, and boring. The type of soiree where you risk running into more idiots than into anybody half-intelligent. And unfortunately for Seto Kaiba, a soiree he couldn't refuse, being the CEO of a multinational company as important as KaibaCorp. You have to know how to have presence.
First, he had attended a gathering between other company leaders in a private hall in this five-star hotel, away from curious eyes. Then, because they all had new contracts to celebrate, the festivities began in the immense reception hall, each man raising a glass – or several – and attempting to corrupt or woo both women and the service of others.
Kaiba didn't regret being this knowledgeable about women and money. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about it all the time. Then again, if it were to come to him to desire a little bit of feminine company, however rarely – and unlike most normal men – he would steer clear, believing it to be nothing but a waste of time and a purely, totally worthless investment.
He already had everything he wanted: glory, fortune, fame, charm, and his little brother he adored so much. A little brother that was becoming as tall as he was, to his great regret.
So, what more could he have wanted?
Kaiba was a young twenty-three year old man, entirely satisfied.
He was only there due to obligation. He hated anything that barely even resembled a 'party'. He had even promised to come back as soon as he could.
All these fakers horrified him – each one leaving their little market-stall to sweet-talk and engender the trust of his victim so that a second later he could have his hand around their throat. They were truly serpents, always coiling around someone.
Kaiba knew that, being the richest and most powerful man in Japan, they were all trying to beat him. So, he constantly stayed on his guard, so that he could avoid any very disagreeable surprises.
They had been in the room for barely twenty minutes and already Mr. Kinomoto was creeping under the tables – under dresses, more like – at least drunk by the beverages he had consumed at such a frightening pace.
How pathetic…
Even though he was the largest distributor of his virtual technology, Kaiba wouldn't have had the slightest remorse in kicking him out of the room himself if he hadn't first thought of the pestilent odor that dumbass must be giving off. Of course, that wasn't his job anyway.
"It's an honor and a pleasure to work with you, Mr. Kaiba," said Shikuru, one of the most influential men in the field of microchips.
Yeah… an honor and a pleasure… Kaiba thought, irritated by the words that were devoid of sincerity. Normal blabber… poor idiot.
Kaiba was ready to start spouting him advice when a singing voice – suave, and very pleasant – rose throughout the room. Though he felt a slight curiosity, perfectly naturally, to find where it came from, he stopped himself, not wanting to give it any real attention.
He understood that a small, improvised concert had just begun to distract the invitees.
First, the voices in the hall had quieted; then, there were several murmurs. Then nothing; then a noise, as if time itself had stopped. They all seemed to be dumbstruck by the artist who was gently singing, all seemed to be hypnotized.
Before the stunning silence – that Kaiba only really noticed a few moments later – he had, despite himself, let his eyes roam towards the object of their fascination. Even Shikuru had turned his back so quickly that Kaiba didn't have any other choice but to look at the stage, stupefied by the sudden lack of respect. But at the very last second, even though he had already opened his mouth, he stopped himself from yelling his discontent.
Ants. Hundreds of ants seem to run across his body in a fraction of a second and made him give himself a discreet once-over. There weren't any. His common sense quickly brought him back to reason; it was static inside his clothes. He just simply hadn't noticed it before, because he was too busy watching his back during the evening.
Or maybe somebody opened a door, or maybe several, if he believed the tingling sensation wrapping over his skin. This quick glance around him, however, brought him to realize the presence of a woman that, lurking in a shadowy corner a little ways already, had been watching him for quite some time.
She had used his lack of vigilance to move ever closer to him.
She was tall, blonde, and extremely coquettish, in a bright red dress which left the top quarter of her quite curvaceous chest exposed. Fake, certainly.
And of all the men at the party, Kaiba had to doubtless be the most interesting amongst them, if not the most seductive. He knew how to please women even though he never saw any real interest in doing it.
"Good evening, Mr. Kaiba…"
She left her words trail behind her languorously, suggesting the possibility of an interesting time.
Taken with disdain, he didn't even take the liberty to respond to her, but didn't miss the chance to shoot her a haughty glance.
Shikuru's pet strumpet.
Of course, he already knew what she wanted. He was certain: this woman must have already had the majority of men in Japan in her bed. It was an open secret, and seeing her allure confirmed the rumor for him.
"The soiree has been a blast, don't you think?" she asked.
Kaiba ignored her and paid more attention to the mysterious silence still reining throughout the room.
Strange. Quite strange.
Nobody was watching him. As if he didn't exist anymore. Like he disappeared.
It had been quite a long time since he had gotten such an impression – the strange sensation of not stressing over a public devoted to his smallest caprices, his slightest reactions. Not that he wanted to complain about it. On the contrary. But it was certainly out of the ordinary.
Once more, his gaze moved to the crowd, and again towards the stage.
What's-
Mrs. Shikuru was straining from the indifferent attitude.
"Ah, that… little… minx," she breathed through her teeth, quiet enough so that Kaiba couldn't hear her.
The singer didn't have beauty that was aesthetically conventional, no pronounced makeup – he would even swear that she wasn't wearing any at all because it was so light. Pretty dark brown hair tumbled around her shoulders and to the middle of her back, and her eyes, ebony-black, fell over her audience. She was clothed in a somber yet very simple dress that hugged her body very slightly. Nothing exaggerated, overall. Nor anything provocative. But she in her entirety – and Kaiba was intimately persuaded that this was a part of her charm – showed both simplicity as well as beauty.
Her face, the traits of her body, left no significant impression. But despite the commonality of her pretty face, and even though she would pass by completely unseen in a crowd, everyone could remember her ten years later, including himself.
Then there was the voice – so soft, so… sensual.. that he normally would have loathed to listen to under the pretext that it was too 'fluffy'*, fascinated his ears, used to only hearing tears, shouting, and long speeches.
It would only have taken a short time before he, the great Seto Kaiba, would have felt his own heart melt if his extraordinary self-control and cold logic hadn't hurried to reel him back in at the last second to bring him back to reality.
Yet there was something in this creature he had never had the occasion to feel elsewhere, something special enough that the great Seto Kaiba allowed himself to pay attention to her for a long moment.
He had, of course, heard the hint of aggression in Mrs. Shikuru's voice but he had deliberately ignored it, even though a small part of him hated hearing her insult the young woman. Maybe because she couldn't defend herself? He therefore stayed silent, and closed his eyes.
However, she wasn't content, determined to chase the image of the miserable singing creature from Kaiba's beautiful attention. Cleverly enough, she wanted to discourage him from continuing his visual investigation.
"…It seems…" she began in a lightly contemptuous tone.
It seems? Kaiba mocked her silently, waiting.
"Well," she said, "you could say she's a… man-eater."
Kaiba was seized by a burst of anger, but he swiftly disposed of it.
It was stronger than he was, though: he had to and would put it in its place. It wasn't because she had the audacity to insult a woman so exquisite that she couldn't dream of becoming her in a thousand years; but it was because she dared to paint her own weaknesses on others without ever assuming his own. And that irritated Kaiba most horribly. Especially since this rookie would never have the class of this simple artist, despite however many millions her husband made.
With all his authority, he stared her directly in the eye, voiced edged derisively.
"Excuse me?"
His left eyebrow rose, denoting his major annoyance, the feeling that was preying on him.
Apparently, she didn't make the connection. At least, she didn't pay attention to it.
Pssht. Completely stupid, thought Kaiba.
"There's really too many people here," she said again. "We could maybe…"
He was stricken with fear. This was too much.
This time, he recoiled from the sole thought of finding himself in the same room as her.
"Don't even think about it," he said dryly as he turned on his heels, leaving her standing stupidly in the middle of the room as he went to sit an empty corner a nice distance away.
What a bitch!
Again, his eyes moved towards the stage.
But she… but… she…
Kaiba couldn't stop a tiny smile from gliding over his lips, overwhelmed by a sudden and very violent desire, even though such desire never took control of him, his head never leaving control of the rest of his body.
Of course he had already squelched his primitive instincts. He was ready for several relapses, enough to experience and try to understand what the most common of mortal men could do about feeling a most superficial of pleasures. But never had any interest been able to break through the wall to his heart.
Love was nothing but a word long banned from his dictionary. Totally non-existent in his career plans. A stupid word. Completely absurd.
He surprised himself, crippled by the inability to control his emotions in front of this simple woman, as ravishing as she was. But his mind first lost itself in the curiosity of its wrongdoing, its highly abnormal behavior on his part.
He couldn't grasp whatever the source was for such a strong and collective infatuation for her.
Of course, she sung sublimely.
Of course, she was magnificently beautiful; nobody, not even he, could irreverently deny that.
Yet, almost disdainfully, he was forced to stop his reminiscing.
There was, after all, absolutely no reason to do so.
Again, his attention was called by Mr. Kinomoto, several seconds later.
He continued his advances on the same artist who was just leaving the stage.
"I would love to know you better, my dear… you're so seductive," he told her, without restraint.
She didn't even blush at his words. She was visibly indifferent, entirely occupied with trying to find a way to an exit. But she kept a courtly politeness despite her impatience which seemed to be slowly winning her over.
"Mr. Kinomoto, thank you again, but my response is and always will be no," she told him.
For a man-eater, she certainly isn't good at it, Kaiba thought, lightly amused by the scene. Daring to shoot down the second richest man in Japan was no small matter. And she… allowed herself to do so. Was she forgetting all the advantages that she would come to know?
Once more, an odd feeling seized Kaiba, and he stood from the table rather mechanically, still keeping his blue eyes trained in their direction. He was having fun in the beginning, but now Kinomot's insistence was beginning to irritate him.
Almost frenetic, Kinomoto had seized the singer's wrist and her expression had gone blank. Only Kaiba noticed a particular nuance on the woman's face. A shade of somber red colored her cheeks.
He would swear that it wasn't annoyance, but rather hidden anger.
"Mr. Kinomoto. Please release me. That's enough," she warned him.
Curiously, Kaiba fought to not intervene, becoming almost furious. He didn't understand very well what pushed him to want to intervene and protect her. Maybe he understood that he would be the only being in attendance who could allow himself to replace that frisky man?
No.
He stayed locked in place, still not understanding exactly what was running through his head. But Kinomoto's gestures angered him to the highest degree.
"What if I don't?" laughed Kinomoto, daring her to rid of him.
What?
Around her she had built a wall so sturdy that even Kaiba noticed a strange feeling of force and power near her.
"If you don't… I am going to make you swallow your wine glass," she breathed as a last warning, with more than just a trace of menace.
Thunder seemed to spark up from behind her magnificent black eyes, and it promised to fly out of her without warning.
Kinomoto started suddenly, releasing his grip and wondering whether she was playing with him or not.
A long, icy shiver even made its way through Kaiba's vertical column.
Nerves of steel… interesting.
More than ever, he asked himself if he should intervene. But again his feet stayed nailed to the floor.
Finally, peace returned to haunt him when he saw her leave the room, alone, leaving Kinomoto stupefied behind.
A long moment played out before Kaiba also decided to make his departure.
"Yes, sir?" asked a man who leaned in upon Kaiba's gesture.
"Call up the limousine out back."
2.
Kaiba preferred, as it were, to avoid all the potential paparazzi at the main entrance to the hotel. He allowed himself to move outside, where the chauffeur opened the door for him.
He was about to clamber inside when six men, surging out of nowhere, fell upon his two bodyguards, under his very eyes, and didn't have time to defend themselves due to the rapidity of the attack.
One of them forced Kaiba to freeze, under threat of his revolver, while the others managed to stun his guards as well as the chauffeur, leaving him completely alone.
A growl of anger went all the way up past his lips.
3.
Just like every evening, she took the back door, the one that directly into the alleyway, but stopped once she saw the scene that was taking place.
A tall man in a night-blue coat was encircled by thugs. He seemed to be looking for an outlet, but ready to get into combat. Despite the excitement visible on the faces of the assailants that surrounded him, he stayed absolutely calm.
When the door opened, one of them noticed her presence.
"Hey, sweet-cheeks! Turn the other way!" one of the men said, his voice threatening.
But she didn't move right away; she was watching the spectacle.
Caught in a trap, Kaiba leaped on one of them, knocking him out with a punch, followed by a second man, who rose up in rage. Kaiba swiftly dodged the blows even though they seemed to be pouring in from everywhere. He was doing well, sporting the agility of a cat.
"Hey, you deaf?" cried another man, addressing the young woman. "I told you to get lost! So scram!"
She stayed unresponsive; worse yet, she didn't even look at him as if she had either not heard him or he hadn't been speaking to her. All of her focus seemed diverted exclusively on the combat at hand. Or moreover on the combatant in the middle.
Fascinated, she seemed to be waiting. Like she wanted to see how it would turn out, persuaded that he could even get out without any help. He was so seductive. Irresistible, in fact. And even thought it wasn't the right time to think about it, she couldn't get rid of that almost supernatural aura. There was something about him so strong and powerful that she couldn't detach her gaze without some difficulty.
Lionheart
A charmed smile flew over her lips.
"Remember, guys, we need him alive… but don't avoid prettying him up a bit," said again another man whose laugh was like a skunk's.
The fight raged onward. Another thug arrived and blended into the portion in front of Kaiba, who despite apparent disadvantage, kept on battling. Not one of them managed to knock him to the ground.
Grr… what's she waiting for before she goes and gets help? he asked himself as he saw, just barely, the shadow of the silhouette of the young woman, who still hadn't moved a muscle.
But he continued to duke it out, sending them sprawling on the asphalt, even if they obstinately got right back up almost immediately afterwards.
It was then that one of the assailants, strongly vexed by the undesirable presence of the woman, this time decided to leave Kaiba to go and take care of her.
She foresaw the brute's motion and started slightly at the thought, but he wasn't in a position to run and 'defend' her, already finding himself too occupied with his own survival.
Decidedly the truant burst out, raising his arms as if readying to carry her.
"I told you- " he screamed.
But his voice died the moment his body met the pavement.
Two of his coworkers, bothered by his fall, turned around.
She gave the impression, quite wisely, to have not even raised her pinky finger, her glance still fixed on Kaiba's combat. But they were convinced she had done something. And anger rose inside them, already frustrated from having so much trouble taking Kaiba alone.
Only this time, she didn't give them time to ask any questions, voluntarily engaging herself to meet them with both a disconcerting calm and the grace of a ballerina who put each foot on the floor as if walking through a field of flowers while never crushing a single one.
Kaiba didn't quite understand what was going on behind his back, but he was relieved to have been deprived of several of his adversaries.
"So, you wanna play with the big boys, my dear? Well, let's play. And if I have time… I'll have a party with you…" **
Kaiba clearly heard the allusion, and it was far from pleasing to him.
What? Grr… I don't have time to worry about her as well…
Both of them were now stuck.
To make sure she wasn't hurt, he would first have to shake off his own foes, and that was no small task.
At any moment he was expecting a cry of terror. It didn't come.
The young woman stared at the guy, totally insensible to his remark, stopping herself close to Kaiba. He still didn't see her, as he was still knocking away anything in front of him or anything that tried to touch him.
The man went to grab her but she dodged him speedily, whipping around to strike first in the stomach, next in the temple. He then collapsed.
The third man, furious by this affront, stormed forward.
Kaiba finally noticed, with a rapid glance, the intruder's silhouette end her second knockout.
That explained why no sound escaped her, and also why she had never gone to find help as he had wished earlier. He was more relieved than surprised.
The shadow moved with great agility and speed, both blocking and dishing out blows with a force he never could have suspected could come from a body that small. And her power was matched only by her precision.
He then shoved away an adversary who came to land in a heap at the feet of the young woman. He grew worried, for a fraction of a second; he was quickly reassured when he saw her gracefully leap into the air, avoiding the impact and conserving her equilibrium as if she had merely stepped over a hole in the floor.
Formidable.
But as if she had known by instinct that he would try to take hold of her ankle, she swung around, brutally slamming her foot into his face, and knocking his head onto the ground.
There were now only two remaining thugs trying to latch on to Kaiba; two thugs that slowed down when they saw that they were the last of the troop to still be in action.
The young woman, still looking peaceful, was now watching them with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.
Then, she decided to move slowly towards them.
The only thing about her that allowed them to understand she wasn't inoffensive were her eyes.
In a final attempt, one of them let go of Kaiba to thrust his fist at her several times, all of which she avoided with the slightest effort, saving her energy and not fighting back indiscriminately. She knew the strategic points on the human body, and the effectiveness she demonstrated while not hitting the man once proved it once more.
Already done, she turned to leave without a second glance when Kaiba stopped fighting the last thug.
Quickly, he took a quick look around to make sure there was nobody else, when he saw one of them moving closer towards her.
He was worried she wouldn't have a chance to see him and even opened his mouth to warn her-
Behind you-!
But as if she had known, or guessed, her arm quickly rose into the air. She slammed her elbow into the man's stomach as he ran into her, then, her fist came up against his face, twice.
He didn't get up.
Still, as if nothing had happened, she continued to make her leave from the scene.
Kaiba's face was contorted into a smile both awed and admiring. He assured himself she wouldn't see it.
"Wait!" He ordered at her.
She seemed to hesitate at turning around, but she immediately stopped at his demand.
Finally, she turned. And that was the shock.
Pretty little braids covered her head. You could say she was a Chinese porcelain doll – just as pretty, and appearing just as fragile. He didn't underestimate her now, though. But that wasn't what made Kaiba jump or what delighted him the most. She barely looked at him before leaving for good. What surprised him took residence in the similarity of the features of her face.
He stayed there, astounded, while she grew more and more distant, unable to say a word. But on his face was a small line, a charmed smile.
Hm… very…. interesting.
4.
Strange, I think I've already seen him somewhere before… he was probably at the soiree, I'll bet. That has to be it. Truly so… seductive.
In a snap she flung the thoughts that had made her blush for that short instant far away; but the smile that had lingered on his lips took time to disappear.
5.
No. It can't be. That woman…
Kaiba's limousine was moving towards his mansion.
The journey left him sufficient time to see the events again in his memory.
But how could he forget that face?
A smile filled with malice covered his own, accompanied with a look of defiance.
With a brusque gesture, he took out his cell phone.
"Seto Kaiba."
"Yes, sir. What can I do for you?" hastened to offer an employee of the hotel he had just left.
"Tell me," said Kaiba, "tonight, at the reception, there was a woman, a singer to distract the- "
"Oh! Yes, sir, I dare to hope you appreciated her…"
But Kaiba wasn't interested in a long discussion.
"Her name?"
"Oh!" cried the employee, tickled by his interest. "Her name is Naomi, sir, it's her stage name. She- "
"When does she work again?"
"Uh…. tomorrow night, sir, at nine P.M. We're delighted- "
"Good."
He hung up before the poor man even had time to finish his sentence.
He was going to put a small obstacle in his private life. A little "detour" from his busy schedule.
"Naomi," he breathed, enchanted, as if he was being introduced to her.
Really… very… very interesting.
6.
He didn't waste any time poring over his records to affix his signature here and there and give several passing orders. This foreigner piqued his curiosity most distractedly. Moreover: it seemed to him, suddenly, that it would be nice to tame such a wild beast. To master this infuriating shadow.
A true challenge for a being as ambitious as he was. For what express purpose he wasn't entirely sure. But he was going to collect some hunting trophies if need be.
And the hunt had begun.
Knocks on the door drew him from his thoughts.
"Come in!"
A man wearing a tie walked in, file in hand.
"What you asked for, sir."
Kaiba roughly opened it.
"It's not complete," he reprimanded him.
"No. I know, sir. But we're trying to get in touch with the authorities of her country of origin. It shouldn't take long, sir."
Kaiba gave him a very dark look, quite unsatisfied.
"Make it quick."
But what was he expecting?
That he could open a folder and find a person's entire private life? Without any respect for their intimacy?
It wouldn't be the first time.
Besides, wasn't he the great Seto Kaiba? The one who could get away with… anything?
* Original French: qu'elle tombait trop dans le guimauve, 'that she fell too often into the marshmallow'. Probably either a French or Canadian slang term; as an American I don't really know. (Help?)
** Original French: on te ferai la fete, which is hard to anglicize but is literally 'we'll do you a party' (as if party were a verb.) Pretty sure this is a way of saying he'll rape her.