Author's Notes:
Sorry that I haven't been writing. I guess I am just losing the desire for it. However, I do have a couple of chapters still on my laptop and for now I am just going through them and posting them. If I ever feel another desire to write, hopefully I will come back to this story and finish it.
In the United States, the leading cause of divorce is claimed to be a lack of communication. Others note that marriage falls apart because marriage is only based on infatuation and once the infatuation clears up, so does the marriage. But, what does this do to the rest of the family?
Communication serves as a basis for all relationships. Without communication, how much is there really to a relationship. There is nothing, and from there it crumbles. No one listens to the other and frustration ensues because words no longer have meaning. Perhaps people think that speaking louder, more forcefully, with anger and a thrown object or two might make the words more useful. They don't. And as the communication continues to break down...well...you get the point. Without a true base, there is little to a relationship.
~.~
Ryou's eyes made a ping pong match look slow as they darted between Marik and Ishizu. He had even taken a possessive step in front of the other Egyptian (as though that would do anything; Marik is both taller than him and not the type to cower) and glared at Ishizu. If looks could kill, Ishizu would have one hell of a bloody nose right now.
How could this woman be Marik's older sister? The two look nothing alike. Marik is...well, he's definitely a unique Egyptian, both he and Mariku at that. But this woman, Ishizu, she is a true Egyptian (aside from the unnatural eye color). That's probably the only thing they have in common, their race.
"Prove it." Ryou challenges, lime eyes narrowed into thin slits. Man, that nosebleed is getting worse!
"This might take a while, perhaps we can discuss this over dinner?" Ishizu asks civilly. The boy before her is not intimidating. In fact, he looks like a scared puppy trying to grow a pair.
"Sure, but you're paying." This time it's Marik who speaks, flicking Ryou out the way like a strand of hair. "And, we need to wait for everyone to return." With that, he grabs Ryou and pulls the whitenette into a the kitchen.
"You're not scary. Ra knows why you try." The Egyptian starts eyeing the boy seriously. He takes a moment before letting out a long breath, relaxing his tense muscles as he does so.
"We have a problem, I made a promise to a friend." Marik stops there, waiting for Ryou's inquiry to continue. Ryou concedes and asks.
"Which is?"
"His sister's in town and he doesn't exactly live in the best area, so he asked me if she could stay with us." Marik responds.
Ryou looks at his friend critically, his eyes narrowed deep in thought. "And why our house? I find his story hard to believe."
Marik glares at Ryou, preparing to give the boy a piece of his mind before he thinks over his "friend's" statement. "I know, but perhaps we can help."
"Why are you being so nice?" Ryou asks. He watches Marik closely; indeed he has become a little Bakura.
"Learned it from you." Ryou pauses, his face softening and his body relaxing. His posture slackens as he takes time to process all that Marik has said.
"Okay, we can—we can make this work." The white-haired boy mutters, pacing back and forth within the small confines. Marik can literally hear the gears cranking in his mind as the boy finds a way to process all the information that has been handed to him. "If we have this woman pay for dinner and buy extra food hopefully she'll have enough to eat. She can bunk in 'Kefia's old room. No, no, she can take mine, 'Kura's?"
A tanned hand placed on his shoulder stops the boy, and he turns to meet trained lilac eyes.
"Don't worry, we'll deal with it…" Marik comforts.
Ryou doesn't say anything, simply watching the other's expression, looking for the edge of the mask. A nick, a lift, somewhere to peel off so that he can see his "friend's" true emotions.
"So, once everyone's here, this woman's taking us out to dinner, right?" Ryou asks, green eyes glinting mischievously.
Marik wanted to be mad at the younger for using his sister and whatever sources of money that she may have, but that part of him had died years ago. He's a con artist now, trained in the ways of thievery and deceiving others, and Ryou is slowly being trained in those very same ways.
"Yeah…" Marik responds.
~.~
When Mariku and Bakura finally returned home, it was to find an extra woman claiming to be Marik's sister sitting on their couch and news of another woman to be arriving at any moment. Marik had disappeared somewhere, but the permeating stench of smoke drifted throughout the house, alerting the inhabitants to where the younger Egyptian had disappeared off to. It was the first time that Mariku hadn't glared at Ryou in hatred. The four boys now joined together to fight for a common cause.
Silence litters the room, everyone watching the newcomer. Mariku's eyes were set into a glare, silently piercing this woman. He knew exactly who she was the moment he had set eyes on her, and he hadn't trusted her for a moment since.
Bakura had come and gone numerous times, a couple times even with a snack or something to draw with. As of current, he was cautiously eyeing the woman while playing war with Ryou. What he didn't notice was that thanks to his ever vigilant state, Ryou was stealing cards from him. It goes without explanation that Ryou won, and even then, Bakura didn't notice that he had been cheated.
Eventually, the doorbell rings. Marik finally returns from his little smoking spree to see Ryou opening the door.
"Hey Bakura, is Marik home?" It's Jou, and behind him stands a redhead with large gray eyes. She looks into the house curiously, smiling gently at the boy before her.
Ryou, ignoring that the blond had gotten his name wrong smiles politely. "Give me a moment to fetch him." And with that the boy disappears from the door. Yells reverberate off the walls of the room and eventually someone returns to the door.
"Sorry," it's Ryou again. He tilts his head innocently a small smile on his face. In the background Jou is aware of his sister sighing softly. "Marik is just a tad busy right now. But don't worry, once he's done we'll all be going out to dinner. I hope you're hungry."
This time Shizuka pushes past her brother and actually walks over to the whitenette. "Yeah, I could go for dinner."
"Great!" Ryou exclaims, moving from the door to let the girl in. The moment she disappears from the door he is back, still smiling at Jou. "She's in good hands, don't worry, we'll make sure she gets enough to eat and is at school everyday."
"That's not what I care about." Jou quickly cuts in. "Two questions: is Marik high? And how safe is the neighborhood?" Ryou quietly closes the door and exits the house, quirking an eyebrow.
"We're safe enough here, and if anything should happen, we would be able to protect her." Ryou smiles.
"And is he high?" Jou prods.
"Why do you need to ask?" Ryou asks knowingly. Jou growls.
"Keep my sister safe or else." He threatens. A dry laugh scratches its way out of Ryou's mouth and he turns his eyes to look at Jou.
"I might not look scary, but I can hold my own. She's not going to get hurt. She's in safe hands, don't worry. What you need to worry about is making it home before the sun goes down." Ryou's voice softens midway through his threat-ish thing.
"Goodnight Bakura."
And just because he felt the need to do so, Ryou responds, "Goodnight, Kaiba."
Jou spins on his heel, turning to look at Ryou, but by then the boy is gone and the door is closed.
~.~
"Ah, so you're Jounouchi's sister." Mariku muses the moment the door shuts behind the girl.
"Jounouchi Shizuka," the girl introduces, holding out a pale hand to the man.
"Mariku." The blond takes her hand, giving it a brisk shake before turning to Bakura.
"She's alright." The Egyptian comments. The whitenette nods his head in agreement.
"It's impolite to judge someone. Especially openly." Ryou scolds lightly as he too enters the room, glad that some semblance of order has returned to the room.
"It's impolite to be a hypocrite too." Mariku retorts quickly. Ryou rolls his eyes before disappearing back into the house, probably in search of Marik.
"This is Bakura." Bakura raises his hand in greeting, his eyes never leaving the place where Ryou had disappeared too. "You met the Drama Queen, that's Ryou. And Marik should be down shortly." Mariku finishes off.
"Oh, okay, and who is she?" Shizuka asks, glancing over at the other woman in the room, who had been skipped over.
"Her? She is simply buying us dinner tonight." Mariku responds flippantly. Shizuka takes a tentative step back, her gray eyes growing in horror at possible thoughts. Why would she buy them dinner?
"We are discussing my brother, Marik." Ishizu informs. Any doubt Shizuka might have had about Ishizu's character is immediately wiped away by the warm smile she gives. Why were the guys acting so weird around her though?
"So, um, where should I set up my stuff?" Shizuka asks, fingering the handle of the suitcase behind her.
"Here, you will be residing in my room for the time being." Once again, Ryou is at the door, a calm smile on his face. "I will be bunking with Bakura." With that Ryou turns, leaving the room. Shizuka follows behind him expectantly as she is given a quick tour of the house.
The room is quiet as the group waits for their guest and Ryou to return. Bakura stares at the ceiling, drawing pictures in the air with his finger. Mariku and Ishizu watch the teen in critically, but say nothing of it.
The trio is disrupted as Shizuka runs down the stairs. Moments later, Marik and Ryou stumble down the stairs, the first being supported by the latter. The two head into the kitchen where the sounds of plastic being squeezed can be heard.
Marik and Ryou emerge into the living room, Marik finally stumbling along behind the whitenette.
"Okay," Ryou says, clapping his hands to gather everyone's attention, "where are we going for dinner?"
"I suggest somewhere cheap where we can take food home." Mariku suggests, looking at Ishizu. The woman rolls her eyes at the older Egyptian before turning to her brother.
"So, you've turned my brother into a drug addict?" She asks, looking at the still wobbling Marik. Marik doesn't say anything, raising a particular finger to the woman.
Ryou steps in front of Marik, smiling innocently at the woman.
"Psychology would say whatever happened before he met us did." The boy responds smoothly. "So, about dinner?"
This is the first time Ishizu actually glares at the boy. Good old Ryou, always ready to give the facts.
"Fine, let's go." Ishizu growls, as she heads to the door. The group follows, Mariku taking hold of Marik and Shizuka finding her way to Ryou as the group walks down the street. The sun is slowly sinking into the horizon and the group knows that they will be returning after sunset.
The group stops at a small, family-owned restaurant before heading in. It takes a while for them to be seated and the receptionist often sends worried glances at Marik. Finally, the group is taken to a seat and handed a menu.
"So, how are we gonna do this?" Ryou asks, glancing over the menu. Ishizu closes her menu for a moment and looks over at the small whitenette. The boy was educated, she could tell that by just listening to him, and although he was probably the youngest and the least experienced, he seemed to be the one speaking for the group.
"Let us order our food first." Ishizu says.
Ryou nods, lazily flipping a page in the book. He turns to Shizuka and gives her a gentle smile.
"I'd suggest that you eat as much as you can. We don't have the healthiest food at home." Ryou explains, the girl nods with a small smile.
The group continues on in silence until someone comes to take their order.
"Pepsi please." Ryou orders.
"Same." Bakura agrees.
"Same" Mariku and Marik also agree.
"I'll take a water." Ishizu orders and Shizuka finally orders a Pepsi at the end of it.
"Would you like an appetizer?" The bubbly brunette asks with a kind smile.
"Yes please," Ryou answers for the table. "We'll take one order of the vegetarian nori rolls, one order of the yakitori chicken, and one order of the crispy shrimp tempura."
The woman bows and leaves the group.
"We never said that's what we wanted." Mariku snaps. Glaring off into the distance. Ryou simply glances at the other teen and rolls his eyes. He doesn't bother to comment or mention how this is what they get whenever they come to this restaurant. Bakura opens his mouth to retort for Ryou, but a comforting hand on his thigh stops him.
"May I ask why you all are fighting?" Ishizu questions, her blue eyes narrowing as she looks from Ryou to Mariku and back to Ryou again.
"That is none of your business." Ryou responds, casually flipping a page on his menu.
"Since I am here to decide whether or not I shall allow Marik to continue to reside with you, I should get an idea of whether or not this is a suitable environment for him to grow up in. Thus far, I am convinced it isn't." Ishizu retorts smoothly, barely looking up from her own menu.
"You-you can't take me away from 'ere unless I wanna leave." Marik accuses, his finger pointed at Ishizu. Ishizu simply stares at the boy before her, wondering what is going through his head.
"I understand your concern. But our fight isn't affecting our current living conditions." Ryou is once again the one to speak for the group, never once allowing the others to add anything.
"How sure are you of that? I've have seen the little comments you give to each other. And of course there is the fact that my little brother is on drugs."
"Look," this time it is Mariku who interjects, "if you wish to know the reason we are fighting, it is because little Perfection Queen here is trying to change who we are and then was a hypocrite and then ditched school, something he has been nagging us to keep up with for ages."
"So you are mad he took you off the streets?" Ishizu questions.
"Yes. He is making us into people we do not wish to be." Mariku explains, as though the woman had not understood it the first time.
"Here are your appetizers." The waitress is back and she places the appetizers around the table. Mariku immediately goes for one of the rolls, munching on it as the waitress sets the plates around the table.
"Are you all ready to order?"
No one says a thing, each looking at the other waiting for them to respond. Eventually, Ryou takes lead and nods at the waitress.
"What would you like?" The woman asks, her eyes on Ryou.
"I'll take a garlic beef yaki, medium please." Ryou orders with a small smile. He closes the menu before him and hands it back to the waitress. She then looks to Bakura who is sitting next to his boyfriend.
"And you?"
"I'll take the sashimi, barbeque ribs, with shrimp and vegetable tempura." Bakura orders. The woman then turns to Shizuka.
"What would you like Miss?"
"I'll take the Omakase Special." Shizuka orders, smiling at the waitress as she hands her the menu.
The waitress then turns to Marik, who is sitting across from Shizuka.
Marik quickly scans the menu one last time before giving his order, "can I have the veggie ramen?"
"Of course," the woman responds, scrawling down his order on her notepad.
"And you sir?"
"I'll have the tofu steak." Mariku orders with a why confident? seems a little out of placeconfident smirk.
"And finally, you Miss?"
Ishizu smiles and orders, "I'll have a veggie ramen also."
"Okay," With that, the woman walks away, leaving the group to continue their conversation.
"Mariku?" Ishizu jumps back in as though the waitress had never been there. Mariku turns to face the woman upon hearing his name.
"Yes?"
"Where would you like to go in life?" Ishizu asks.
In that moment, Mariku is stunned. He had never truly given through to where he would go in life. For him, life had always been trying to make it another day, but the option to follow his dreams, to be anything he wanted. It surprised him.
"I just want to survive." And in that moment, all the gusto Mariku had been fighting with disappeared.
"And after that? It looks like you all are doing well enough as is." Ishizu presses the question, her eyes staring intently at the young man beside her. Ryou, who had been acting disinterested in their conversation is also now paying attention. "Do you wish to go any farther?"
"I...don't know."
"And what about you Ryou, you seem rather organized, where do you wish to go in life?" Ishizu asks, turning the tables on Ryou. Now Mariku is watching Ryou, watching as the boy fumbles with the napkin before him. The boy remains silent, his eyes downcast with his bangs hiding any emotion on his face.
"I just want to be okay." Ryou mutters after a while. Ishizu frowns, looking between Mariku and Ryou. The two had so much drive, so much determination. That is obvious, just from observing them. Yet, they had nothing to put this determination to.
"I see." Ishizu muses, allowing both teens to stay in their own little world. For now, she would pick Bakura's brain for a bit. "Where would you like to go?"
"Its Bakura, if you're wondering." Bakura introduces, then answers the question. "I want to be an artist."
"Oh," Ishizu whispers, her blue eyes widening. She takes another look at the white haired teen. His hair crazy and going off in all directions and his mocha eyes narrowed in hatred at the world. Not exactly what she would call an aspiring artist.
"I know, probably not what you expected." Bakura smirks, showing off sharp canines. Ishizu smiles fondly at the white-haired teen. Maybe he isn't as bad as he looks.
"And you Marik?" Ishizu finally turns to her brother, waiting for his answer.
"I want to be a pediatric psychiatrist."
Silence befalls the table. Marik never actually vocalized his dreams of going so far. Ishizu herself is particularly proud. To see the little boy who she watched grow up and eventually run away. He had come so far even from then. And now, he wants to take his struggles and help people. Ishizu can't help her wide smile.
"I know. The drugs aren't going to help me, but sometimes things are hard." Marik continues, his voice noticeably lower than before.
"And learning how to deal with those hardships will make you a better psychiatrist." Ishizu Now everyone is staring at Marik, small smiles on each of their faces. It seem almost unanimous, but they had all decided that Marik would go far, and they would do anything they could to help him get there.
Conversation continues on, calm and idle. It seems as though the battle between Mariku and Ryou has been forgotten. Ishizu and Shizuka both get to know the boys, and slowly, it seems as though the family comes back together. Stories of what Marik and Jou had done as children are also passed around the table, and slowly said table becomes the loudest table in the restaurant. The group seems almost disappointed when food comes and interrupts their conversation. Yet, the teens can't help but enjoy their extravagant meal. Gobbling it up and not leaving a piece of food behind. Watching the teens so eagerly devour their food, it occurs to Ishizu that perhaps the boys aren't as financially well off as they appear.
The check comes and Ishizu covers it with ease. The group leaves the restaurant and heads home, continuing their previous conversations. All their previous woes and battles forgotten in light of enjoying a full meal and the motherlike guidance of Ishizu.
Bakura's Journal
It seems like things are looking up for us. That's good. We need something light and happy after all that has happened. Mariku and Marik no longer seem to be ganging up on Ryou. That was kind of random if you ask me; for years we hadn't had a problem, but within one night, everything seems to go to hell. No, I think the two were having momentary temper tantrums and have finally returned to their senses.
Ishizu is...not as bad as I thought. She doesn't seem to want to drag Marik away, or at least she hasn't stated that that's her goal. Maybe she can be an addition to the family. Quite frankly, she has more money than the rest of us and she must be getting that money from somewhere (a job?), and if she is willing to use it on us then I guess we can trust her can use her for now.
It has truly been a long day, and I'm not even tired. The amount of food that I have gotten today is absurd. Is this what normal life is like, no wonder people get so fat so quickly (or at least they do in other parts of the world).
I'm actually not sure what else to say. Life is going good, our fight has lasted all day and we are once again on the same page. Oh...but there is Marik and his little drug problem, and Shizuka. Apparently Jou really doesn't want his sister by someone who's constantly high. Not that I blame him, it just means the rest of us are going to have to work our asses off to compensate for Marik's stupidity. Are we getting paid for this? Oh, we better be!
Night.
