Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh GX
Title: Dangers of Silence: Chapter 2: Dinner And A Walk
Characters: Ryou, Juudai
Word Count: chapter: 1,000||story: 2,000
Genre: Drama, Angst||Rated: PG-13
Challenge: Advent Calendar Challenge, Day #14 & Diversity Challenge, section H, #10, a multichap with at least six chapters.
Notes: This takes place in an AU. Details will come apparent in the story. Because other than a few basics, I don't know myself. Among those basics are that none of the other characters have ever met Juudai or even heard of him.
Summary: [2/8 chapters, Ryou & Juudai, Advent Calendar Challenge Day #14 & Diversity Challenge, au: other] Lost in a strange world and held captive by the mysterious Haou, Ryou must find out what's going on before he is broken.

Juudai pulled the lids off of the plates and produced chopsticks from somewhere. He picked up a few pieces of food and brought them over to Ryou. "Ready?"

If it were any other situation, Ryou would not have appreciated being fed by hand like this. But given that his chains kept him from doing much of anything, he didn't have a choice.

He responded with action instead of words, opening his mouth. He tried not to think of when he'd been a child and had seen his mother feeding Shou. This was an entirely different situation and one that he wanted to change as soon as possible.

The food wasn't too bad; not quite familiar to him, but not foul. The blend of flavors could be quite appealing, if he weren't tasting it while in chains.

"So where do you come from? There aren't many humans around here," Juudai asked as he brought over a small cup of some tasty liquid. Ryou thought it might be some kind of a tea, but he wasn't the tea connoisseur that Edo was.

"Another world." Ryou saw no reason to keep that information a secret. Freed had told them that other worlds were known, and Taniya certainly hadn't pretended not to know of them when they'd crossed paths with her again. "There are no spirits there, that I know of." He'd heard of those who could see them, but he never had had the gift.

Juudai brought more food to him, nodding a little. "Sounds like kind of a boring place, if you ask me. There's always something going on around here." He made a face. "Even if it's usually some kind of a fight."

"I've heard that Haou conquers every place that he can reach," Ryou said, testing the waters a little. Juudai might well be nothing more than a simple servant, or he could be a cleverly placed spy. If the former, then perhaps Ryou could learn about this world from him. If the latter, then he would try to limit what he told him. His friends' lives could depend on that, he realized.

"That's true enough," Juudai agreed, dropping his gaze a little before going back to the food. "He's a mighty warrior and duelist. Though here, they're often the same thing."

He'd noticed that himself during the weeks they'd spent traveling here already. "Are you from here?"

"As far as I know," Juudai replied. "I don't remember where I lived before I was here, if I lived anywhere at all. My guardian just told me that my parents died when I was very little." His voice hesitated over the word 'guardian' and Ryou wondered what the story behind that was. "Wherever I came from, this is my world now." And there was no hesitance there at all.

Juudai brought enough food and drink to satisfy Ryou's appetite, then gave him a careful look. "Haou's ordered that you're to be well taken care of. That means you'll get to go out for walks and bathing when he allows it. I'll bring your food but I think he has someone else in mind for other trips." He ducked his head for a moment. "I really wouldn't advise trying to run away, either." As he stacked the plates, the patched sleeve of his tunic rode up to reveal an ugly scar on his arm. "It's not a good idea."

Ryou held back a small smile. He'd faced worse pain in the underground, and he didn't fear what Haou might try on him. If the chance arose, then he would take it, and consequences be damned.

Juudai sorted everything out neatly, then turned to the door. He glanced back over his shoulder, a somewhat worried look in his eyes. "You should watch yourself. Haou always gets what he wants and he's decided that he wants you as one of his warriors. Perhaps even his champion, if you're good enough."

"I'm not interested in the position," Ryou replied, lifting his head up. A sad smile tugged at Juudai's lips.

"He's not the type to take no for an answer."

He didn't wait for Ryou to say anything else, but headed out the door, pausing to close and lock it behind him. Ryou could hear the rolling of the table for a minute or so before it faded out completely.

His champion? Ryou wasn't given to much laughter, but that made him want to chuckle, at least. Haou knew almost nothing of him, but wanted him to work for him? No. No, either he was a complete fool or Juudai had somehow gotten his information wrong.

He didn't know how long he waited before the door swung open again and once again Haou stood there. He held something in his hands that Ryou didn't recognize right away. But when he did, fury rocked him.

"What do you think you're doing with that?"

Haou said nothing, but stepped closer to Ryou and fastened the slender steel collar around his neck. An attached length of chain rested in Haou's hand, ready to serve as a leash. Ryou pulled harder at the manacles that bound him to the wall, but even his fresh fury at this indignity didn't accomplish anything.

He remembered the underground and the feel of the shock collars. The pain and humiliation there had been intense enough, and they'd wanted his performance then as well, to see him hurt and hurt others. This was worse, and it had only been a few moments.

Haou simply stared at him, a waiting air about him. When Ryou looked, the armored monarch turned his head to the door, then back to his prisoner. Ryou grasped the meaning at once, and relaxed his arms as best that he could.

The manacles unlocked themselves and his arms dropped, then were pulled in front of him by a coil of shadows, wrists bound together firmly, but not cruelly. Haou nodded and walked out of the cell, Ryou stepping along behind him.

To Be Continued

Notes: Among my favorite plot devices and such is the use of a collar, as I'm sure any long-time readers have noticed. So, this was kind of inevitable.