Title: Kung Fu Panda
Author: Bardicsidhe
Rating: T for relationship themes
Summary: Tristan and Duke tease Joey about his taste in gaming - but Joey has a plan for revenge. Post Egyptian Arc.
Author's Note: It's been a while, but this is a warmup for the big hitting I plan to do. Let's see if I can still do this, eh? Also, I have extremely sore thumbs, but I am happy to report that I am the Dragon Master.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the Kung Fu Panda franchise in any way, and I'm not writing this story for any other reason but my own enjoyment.
****
When Joey picked up the videogame from the used XBox rack at Gamestop, Tristan and Duke teased him unmercifully. The latter long ago graduated to the upper levels of The Elder Scrolls; the former an ardent fan of Devil May Cry. Whether they spoke it aloud, subconsciously they considered themselves players on a more 'serious' level, thus above the seduction of movie-based publicity games and their ilk.
To be fair, they did agree to sit down with Joey and watch him play the tutorial rounds. The following day, Tristan developed a habit of adopting 'Crane Pose' whenever they stood idle for more than a few minutes - in line at the bank, while waiting for the train, and so on - until Joey slapped him hard enough in the chest to nearly knock him over. Duke took a more subtle approach. He cheerfully emailed Joey reviews and commentary about the poorly received game, a little at a time, over the next few weeks. He found a forum devoted to the movie it was based on, populated by thirteen-year-olds, and suggested Joey join. Joey withstood the amiable teasing with equally cheerful poise, occasionally giving as good as he got. He knew they did it because it made them all laugh - him included - and because the game really was transparent and silly.
But by cover of night, while Tristan mutilated mutated artillery; while Duke perfected the alchemist's art; while the other two lay sleeping on either side of him... Joey Wheeler plotted revenge.
Several months after the purchase of the game, Joey left the game on pause and excused himself from the house on pretense of buying forgotten detergent. Ever since the teasing died away, he'd played his game quietly, mentioned none of his achievements, and generally let the whole affair fall behind a curtain of mystery. Neither of the other men were in a position to hear his reason for leaving - which he knew - so he left them a note as well.
Tristan exited the bedroom shortly after, to find the television screen filled by roly-poly panda backside. He read Joey's note and chuckled, left in a sated and amiable mood by the past half hour, and sank down on the couch in front of the television.
Duke joined him, freshly showered, and Tristan leaned sideways to kiss his humid, naked shoulder. "Joey left his game on."
"Is Joey's game ever off?" Duke asked with a feline expression of satisfaction, and Tristan laughed.
"If he went to get soap, I hope so." he picked up the note on the coffee table beside the controller and offered it to Duke. "Except the Stargate Atlantis series finale is on in an hour. I hope he gets his ass back here to shut this off."
"If he runs into Yugi, he won't."
"It's almost nine?"
"It's Yugi."
"...Point."
"I didn't know he was still playing this," Duke mused, eyes lifting from the small yellow Post-It to the television screen. The red-embroidered and rotund rump still waited to be unpaused, ludicrous black tail poking from the elaborate pants like an obscene punctuation mark.
"Me neither," Tristan answered, quiet with preoccupation. They both stared at the digital panda booty as if transfixed. A minute or two ticked by without comment as they evaluated the unspoken rules of the gamer's code.
"...Maybe we should finish the level," Tristan suggested.
"...If we turn it off now, he'll lose everything he's done so far," Duke agreed.
"It would only be right."
"Exactly." Pause. "He left it on, anyway."
"Maybe after this he'll agree to buy another tv."
"We could have one in the bedroom."
"I like that idea."
Thirty minutes later, Joey returned. He realized with a twinge of self-recrimination that he hadn't started a new game when he paused it, but figured that the damage to his personal score was more than worth the result. He passed by the doorway to the living room to the sound of rhythmic panda grunts, smirking to himself, and with a laudable force of will, avoided teasing Tristan when he came to bed the next day proclaiming himself "The Dragon Master."
After all, he was going to be Tai-Lung in the multiplayer mashup.