When Ishizu opened the door that Friday, she was struck speechless. Mai wore black leather boots that ran up to her thighs and a matching skirt. Her top was a loud, furious pink that went well with Mai's hair and skin. Her eyeshadow matched the outfit, hot pink and soot black, but her lipstick was a shameless red that demanded attention from any gaze that caught it.
Ishizu smoothed the skirt of her white dress, once again feeling too plain to so much as stand next to Mai, but Mai grabbed Ishizu's bare shoulders and squealed in delight at the sight of her.
"That ice blue with the gold shimmer is perfect for you! Wow, you did a better job than I did."
Ishizu's cheeks ignited. "You're being polite."
"Ha! You know me better than that." Mai tugged at Ishizu's hand. "C'mon, there's a restaurant that I want to take you to that has the best desserts ever! Is there anywhere specific you want to shop or did you just want to walk around and stare at the window displays?"
"I-I'm not sure," Ishizu stuttered. In her mind she argued with an imaginary Bakura that it still wasn't a date, even if they were going to dinner. Female friends were simply more affectionate, and it's not like Bakura would understand a friendship anyway.
"Let's just walk around outside, then. The weather's great, and if we see something interesting we can always sneak inside."
"Sounds good." Ishizu nodded.
They walked for awhile, but eventually took a cab to the other side of Domino where there were more stores and less housing. The sidewalks were cluttered with pedestrians, so they had to walk close. Mai twined her fingers with Ishizu's, and Ishizu smiled as they walked down the street.
"Who would wear that?" Mai wrinkled her nose, stopping in front of a dress shop.
Ishizu laughed."That pattern does look like something I've seen on drapes."
"Ugly patterns seem to be all the rage this year. I could scream. Oh, look over there. Those are actually good."
They went to the next store to a smaller shop with only three dresses in the window.
"They're beautiful." Ishizu sighed. At least women could indulge in some makeup once they were wed. The gods themselves used it in ancient times. However, they were servants of the Pharaoh, and their clothes were meant to stay humble throughout their lives.
"Do you want to go inside? I bet that blue one would fit you."
The blue dress was a dark indigo with gold sequins sewn into it like a scattering of stars strewn out across an early summer night's sky. It was so beautiful, and Ishizu wanted to try it on so badly, but it would have sat well above her knees, and the colors were too bold. She'd feel naked in a dress like that, no matter how beautiful.
"I … perhaps next time. Didn't you say you wanted to go eat?"
"It is close by. Come on, let's go."
Ishizu exhaled in relief when Mai didn't go on about the dress. She felt bad enough that she couldn't have it, she didn't want to add to her misery by trying to explain why not.
They had to cross a street, and then pass by a long line of stores. They stopped at a few of the shops, staring at handbags, shoes, and more dresses. Then they passed by a perfume store.
"Could we?" Ishizu asked when Mai stopped to peek through the window.
"Sure." Still holding hands, Mai led Ishizu into the store before letting go. "Something specific?"
"No. I mostly wish to look." Ishizu picked up a black glass bottle with a gold cap. "The bottles are so beautiful."
"Yeah. This one's my favorite." Mai held up a pale purple bottle with darker purple cap and gold engraved label. Mai held the tester close to Ishizu's nose.
"It's quite lovely." But Ishizu didn't need to smell the fragrance from the bottle to know that it was lovely. Every time they read together on the sofa, the scent of orchid, jasmine, and amber haunted Ishizu.
"Which one do you wear? You always smell amazing."
Ishizu giggled, feeling foolish and trying to compose herself. "Thank you. I …" Ishizu looked around. "I don't think they'd sell it here. It's Cyprinum." Ishizu smiled, picking up a round bottle swirled with different hues of green. "I was never allowed to look at the treasure as a child, but I've seen pieces at the museum, and my favorite are the alabaster perfume vessels. They're so beautiful."
"I bet they are." Mai gave Ishizu a guilty shrug. "Honestly, I don't really go to the museum as much as I should."
Ishizu laughed. "And by that you mean you never go."
"Ow, Ishizu, why don't you just call me out?" Mai laughed.
"It's alright. Even Marik hates the museum, but I love being surrounded by the past. I suppose it's a point of nostalgia for me. In a way … it reminds me of home."
"Home," Mai echoed the word, and by her sad tone she used Ishizu knew that Mai never really had a single place she could consider home.
Ishizu wasn't sure what was worse, not having a home like Mai, or having a horrible one like Ishizu had.
"Smell this one." Ishizu handed Mai a pink bottle, attempting to recover the previous mood. "It's a little too airy, but nice."
Mai sniffed the bottle. "Yeah, but if you like that, then try this one."
The store had small containers of espresso beans scattered amongst the bottles. Ishizu used one to clear her nose of the last perfume before sniffing the bottle in Mai's hand.
"That one is much nicer."
Ishizu liked the fragrance enough to dab some on her wrists to smell how it reacted to her body chemistry.
Mai leaned over, snatching Ishizu's wrists and bringing it close to her nose and mouth. A thrill shot up Ishizu's spine as Mai's thumb brushed against Ishizu's sensitive wrist. She swallowed a gasp.
"Smells better on you."
"I think I might buy a bottle," Ishizu said, without thinking.
"Really?"
"To have something different to wear once in awhile."
"Yeah, I have a few back ups … like, five." Mai brushed a few curls out of her eyes. "Guess I'm excessive."
"Maybe I should buy two bottles, then, to catch up."
Mai blinked. "Was that a joke?"
Ishizu smiled.
Mai started to laugh. "Damn, I better stay on my toes around you. You'd be great at poker- no surprise considering how good you are at Duel Monsters."
"I've never played."
"I'll teach you."
"I'd like that."
After buying the perfume they went out into the streets again. The air outside felt warm against their arms after the store's air conditioning, and a thrush perched near them and began to sing- a welcomed sound compared to the traffic and their shoes striking the pavement.
"There's the restaurant." Mai pointed.
The restaurant was dimly lit and peaceful despite the servers hustling from table to table and the soft background clutter of multiple conversations. Ishizu tried to hide her frown as she perused the menu. There weren't many vegetarian options. Ishizu settled for a salmon dish. She sometimes had fish, and once had tried to hamburger at an enthusiastic Yugi's request, but the beef had sat heavy and greasy in her stomach. Food, as with everything in Ishizu's life, gave more comfort to Ishizu when it was traditional- fava beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
The meal was good, but it wasn't until afterward that Mai's eyes lit up. She leaned over the table with a grin, passing a smaller menu over to Ishizu. "Check out their dessert section."
Ishizu's eyes ran down the list. "It'll be impossible to choose."
"White chocolate raspberry cheesecake. At least, that's what I'm getting."
"How did you decide so quickly?"
"Cheesecake usually wins when dessert's involved."
"What should I try?"
"Whatever looks good."
"It all looks good."
"I know. That's the only bad side to this place."
"Should I get the same thing as you?"
Mai pursed her lips in thought. "Get something different. Then we can share and try two things at once."
Ishizu nodded. It sounded like a good idea. "Lemon meringue pie?"
"If that's what you want to try."
"But will you like it?"
"I'm sure you have good tastes." Mai winked.
Again, Ishizu felt like she was missing something subtle, and she could no longer deny that the heat against her face was from blushing, but why was she blushing?
"That's what I'll get then."
They ordered when their waiter came to check on them. When he returned, he brought with him two plates. Mai's was a long rectangle, and trail of raspberries, raspberry syrup, and white chocolate chips lead their way to the dessert itself. Ishizu's plate looked more simple, a neat white square with three florets of whipped cream garnishing the side and a dusting of lemon zest to add color.
Ishizu took a bite, pleased with the sweet, tart burst of flavor hidden below a thick layer of toasted meringue.
"Is it good?" Mai asked.
"Yes. Yours?"
"Of course." Mai speared another piece with her fork, leaning over the table and offering the fork to Ishizu.
She brought the fork right up against Ishizu's lips, forcing her to open her mouth and accept the bite without holding the fork on her own. She was blushing again. Did friends feed each other? She'd seen Anzu shove fries in Yugi's mouth and they were friends. Weren't they?
The rich, decadent taste of the cheesecake distracted Ishizu from her thoughts. She moaned a bit, offering Mai a bite of the lemon pie since she was still bent over the table. She had to admit to herself that it was a fun way of eating, so when Mai drug her chair next to Ishizu so they could do it again, Ishizu didn't protest. She was, however, still blushing.
Then the waiter asked how to split the check and Mai grinned and plucked a credit card from her bag and held it up to him to take with the same ease that she would have drawn a Duel Monster card from her deck.
"Mai, no," Ishizu whispered, resting the flat of her hand on Mai's leg as if the gesture could halt her actions. Then Ishizu realized that he hand rested on Mai's bare leg, and Ishizu pulled her hands into her lap.
"Relax, I got it."
"I can pay for my half," Ishizu whispered again without the physical gesture, but her statement was useless, the waiter already gone with Mai's debit card.
"Has anyone ever bought you dinner before? Ever? In your whole life?"
Ishizu thought about it. "Yes, my associates-"
Mai held a finger up to silence Ishizu. "Business dinners don't count, and neither do family dinners, so don't tell me about the one time Marik decided to take you out for your birthday-" she stopped when Ishizu started laughing. "What?"
"That's exactly what I was going to say next."
"I know!"Mai rolled her eyes. "You cook every time I'm over. Let me do something nice for a change."
"Thank you." Ishizu bowed her head.
"I mean … don't make a formal deal out of it," Mai muttered, toying with with the tablecloth.
After settling the bill, they went back onto the streets. They walked from store to store until dusk, and then Mai hailed a cab to take them back to her apartment.
"Poker or Duel Monsters?" Mai asked once the stepped inside.
"Let's try poker. Something new sounds adventurous." Ishizu smiled.
Mai gave her a wicked grin. "And I do love adventures, but first let me change into some pajamas. Make yourself at home."
Ishizu nodded, but as soon as Mai left she didn't know what to do. She looked around the living room. She didn't see any pictures of family, although there were a few pictures of her and Yugi's group and one of her and Jounouchi. On the coffee table was a potted ivy that looked like it hadn't been watered in a long time. Ishizu went to the kitchen, took a glass from the cupboard, and filled it with water. She walked back to the living room and poured the water into the pot, dusting the leaves with her fingertips. Near the plant were a pair of earrings, a bracelet, and the pin Ishizu recognized as the one Mai had worn at the club. Ishizu sat down, setting the empty glass near the ivy and picking up the little moon pin to get a better look at it.
Ishizu didn't think much about the naked female figure. Goddesses in art were often depicted as shapely and nude, and the first time she saw it she didn't think much about the way the woman sat straddled on the moon- again, it was goddess imagery that Ishizu was well familiar with.
But what Ishizu didn't realize the first time she saw the pin was that the crescent moon had a face, and the woman sat straddled right over the moon's mouth.
Ishizu dropped the pin. The silver clanked against the coffee table, and the sound made Ishizu's heart skip. She fumbled to put the pin back in its place so Mai didn't realized she'd moved it. Ishizu covered her mouth with her hands, staring at the way the woman braced herself by holding the tip of the crescent and held her head back.
It was foolish to feel nervous. By the gods, she worked at a museum and had seen much worse, but something seemed … different about the pin. The moon was represented by gods like Thoth and Khonsu, so it should be appropriate that a goddess-like figure would join with the moon, but for some reason, some strange reason that Ishizu couldn't figure out. The moon reminded Ishizu of Mai- at least the pin reminded her of Mai. Because she wore it. That was the logical answer. She wore it the first time Ishizu saw her, so of course Ishizu would associate the pin with Mai. That part made sense, what didn't make sense, what really didn't make sense to Ishizu, is why it all made her so nervous. Why were her palms sweating? Why was her stomach queasy? Why were her cheeks burning? None of it made sense and Ishizu wanted to bolt from the apartment and forget about poker.
"Is something wrong?" Mai's voice asked from behind.
"Wrong?" Ishizu echoed the question with a high-pitched voice. "N-no, of course not. I was watering your plant. I hope you don't mind. I wasn't trying to be rude or take care of your things for you. The poor thing looked thirsty so-"
Isuzu squeaked with surprise as Mai plopped on the sofa next to her, leaning over to inspect the plant. Ishizu closed her eyes, swallowing. Mai wore her black cami and shorts again, her skin soft and white like moonlight, although Ishizu wished she would have thought of any other comparison other than moonlight. Her perfume also reminded Ishizu of a clear, summer night with the strong presence of orchid mixed in with other floral scents.
"I always buy plants to liven up my apartment, but after a few weeks I forget to water them and they die." Mai leaned back a touch, but still stayed close to Ishizu's personal space. She smiled. "Thanks, the poor thing might live a little longer because of you."
"I ... thanks. I'll make sure to water it next time, too."
"Next time?" Mai asked with a feather soft voice. Just drew the slightest bit closer. "When's that? Probably soon if the plant's going to survive, right?"
"I …" she couldn't breathe. Mai often had that effect on her.
The real question was- Ishizu thought when she should have been answering Mai- was what Mai thought about the pin. Egyptians associated the moon with gods, but many cultures broke the sun and moon up into masculine and feminine aspects. Why had Bakura thought they were dating? Why had Bakura instigated their first duel? It wasn't fair, all Ishizu had wanted was to have someone to talk to. She didn't want to be shaking on a couch surrounded by the haunting fragrance of orchids and confused out of her mind.
Mai's face fell. She sat straight again. "Sorry, I'm sure you're busy. I shouldn't have-"
"No!" Ishizu shook her head, reaching out for Mai and then pulling her hand back. "I had to think about my schedule, but I'm free Friday again."
Maybe she should spend a weekend alone. Get her thoughts together, but she didn't want to. She'd had so much fun in the few weeks she'd been Mai's friend. Their we perfect rivals at Duel Monsters, truly respecting each other's strategy and intellect, and with a few brush strokes, Mai had lured Ishizu into a world where she could place color right up against her skin and feel more beautiful than she ever had before, and they cuddled, and read, and shared desserts.
But, but, but….
It went back to what Mai thought of the pin. Ishizu didn't want to hurt Mai's feelings by leading her on when she couldn't possibly ... not with a woman. That was forbidden. Yes, Marik ignored the laws, but he always had. He always hated tomb-keeper culture, but Ishizu didn't … the rules comforted her, gave her purpose when she wanted to despair. It was a strict life, but strict was good. It kept one focused. It kept one from slipping into the wickedness of the outside world. Besides, she'd always accepted the fact that she'd marry another tomb-keeper one day and bear his heirs, so she couldn't possibly … no, Marik was a fluke and Ishizu wasn't like him.
Did Mai think they were dating? Wasn't everything they did normal for platonic, female friends? How was she supposed to know the difference? She looked into Mai's dark violet eyes, like the orchids she smelled of, trying to scry the truth from Mai's gaze. Mai looked happy. She smiled when she noticed Ishizu looking at her, biting her bottom lip and toying with her blond curls. Ishizu felt herself smiling as well. How could she not smile back? Mai was precious- as a friend, Ishizu reminded herself, as a friend. Girls could think other girls were cute when they were friends. That was customary. She'd heard Anzu and Shizuka call each other cute a thousand times, and they were only friends. It was okay, to think the same of Mai, it didn't mean anything.
"So, um, poker?"
"Yes." Ishizu exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd held.
"Kay, we'll play five card draw."