Network Masks – Stage I

Written by: Agneta Steam

Beta Reader: BreakfastForLife 20/02/17

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! Belongs to me, and it is no longer owned by Kazuki Takahashi.

Clarifications: This is an Alternative Universe. Story partially inspired by real events and partly inspired by the movie "The Truman Show". It will consist of four stages (or five, I'm still deciding). The personalities of the characters are not going to be such as the anime / manga, and some family relationships and ages will be modified. Thank you for reading.

Session III:

Amane POV

Amane observed the message, she was extremely annoyed. Not for what it contained, but because she still was not able to demonstrate that this was not true.

Setockr: Yes, it's me. Why haven't you accepted me?

Since she read that message she has been reviewing sites, seeking identical or similar images on the web, like her brother had suggested in other occasions. Nothing had worked; the results obtained were not even similar. A friend of her brother who was visiting the apartment, told her that there were some programs which had that function, and with his help Amane was able to convince Ryou to allow her to install one of these. In two hours in front of computer she had already tried three different softwares -each one worse than the other-, while she was enduring her brother's comments regarding the high chances that she ended up infecting the machine for installing crap.

"What picture is, Amane?" Ryou's friend asked suddenly.

Amane, a bit surprised by the sudden interest, weighed the pros and cons of showing Seto's photography.

The most negative aspect of all was the presence of her brother. She did not want him intruding in her business, though sometimes there weren't alternative left. Like, For example, when her brother walked undisguised again and again from one side to another of the room, passing too close to the desk. Or when he stood over her back just to mess with her and get back the computer.

Ryou knew she was a user of that chat, and he didn't lose an opportunity to criticize it and reproach her that she was not old enough to visit those depraved sites. Amane understood that he did not like the chat at all, but she remembered that his brother never told anything to her parents about it, so she knew that tell him something about the photo did not mean a problem in that sense. Maybe a couple of annoying jokes.

"Someone sent me a picture saying that it was his, but I don't think it is."

The other two looked at each other, exchanging a message with their look that Amane obviously did not understand.

Without lend them more attention, she proceeded to run the fourth program. It was a trial version, with some locked functions. One of them, which Amane deeply regretted, allowed searching between images from social networks shared publicly. As expected, without these functions the results that the program showed were useless, they had nothing to do with the photography "of" Seto.

In a reflex action triggered by her anger, Amane banged his fist on the desk which caught everyone's attention.

"If you do not calm yourself, you'll end up breaking my computer and my furniture!" Her brother protested.

His friend rose from his chair and he walked over to where the albino girl was. He watched the monitor carefully while Amane was looking at him. When his gaze fixed on hers, he said:

"No wonder you not believe him, that is a professional photograph, isn't it?" he asked this last thing as the photographer was approaching.

Ryou nodded while he was observing the picture.

"It seems taken for a book… What did he say he did? Model?"

"He said nothing, but it was not necessary because the photo obviously isn't his. He is a valuable idiot…"

"And how do you know it is not him? There are valuable idiots in every profession…"

It was in circumstances such as these that Amane wanted to be an only child. Ryou should not believe that a moderately recognized person would deign himself to enter such a site. If Seto was a model, he was known and there was always the risk that his participation in such sites would harm his reputation and his career.

Amane recalled the kind of friends that Seto did not mind having… And she remembered the mention of the atomic bombs in her first conversation with Seto and she got to her worse humor.

"You're right, if there are idiot photographers why aren't going to be idiot models."

When Ryou was going to answer, his friend interrupted him with a suggestion.

"Why don't you try the Premium version?"

"You have it?" Amane asked hopefully.

"No… But Ryou can buy it… haha"

The eldest of the brothers Bakura was not amused by the proposal.

"I'm too much of an idiot to buy it."

Amane bit her lower lip, realizing she had made a major mistake by insulting his brother.

"Come on, it's only forty dollars" insisted his friend. "Then you can use it to know if someone is stealing some of your pictures. Besides, I want to know if it is really him." He finished the sentence laughing.

"Yes, I could imagine" the albino replied reluctantly pulling out his wallet from the jacket pocket.

Amane, very happy, wondered how this guy was able to convince his brother so easily. Also the response of his brother echoed in her mind. What would he mean?

Ryou held out his credit card, pulling her out of her reasoning. Amane proceeded to make the purchase before Ryou changed his mind. The other two were watching the monitor, curious.

To her misfortune, the joy didn't last long and the program showed no results. After a fifteen-minute search, it had not found any identical picture within the large base of analyzed images.

"What a waste" Ryou remarked, annoyed. "It must be him…"

"No," insisted Amane, irritated by the naivety of her brother. "If it were him, why would he upload a labor image to this chat?"

"To boast" said Ryou as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You should also consider other possibilities… I do not know… why do you upload your photos?"

"Of course it wasn't to brag. He had been giving me fifteen hundred excuses before uploading the photo he did not want to."

"What if he did not want to because it's just him and can be recognized?" Ryou continued analyzing possibilities.

"He would have uploaded a casual photo… It is the simplest thing in the world. It is clearly that this isn't him… Maybe he's photographer and he uses a photo of a customer… You should consider all possibilities, Ryou" she quipped.

"And if you have so many doubts why not ask him to upload a photo taken at the moment?" intervened the friend of her brother after having fun with intensedebate.

"He will not want to," she explains patiently. "I mentioned that he barely agreed to upload one"

"Try anyway. He can't do worse than denying…"

Seto was online at that moment. Amane preferred to ask him something before doing some unproductive request. Ryou and his friend never left her side.

Amane17: But why do you upload a professional photograph?

"Let's see what absurd excuse you claim now" she said heedless of the conversation that the other two had. And it bothered her they did not turn away, but she chose to ignore them as much as possible.

As characterizes him, Seto responded immediately.

Setockr: I uploaded the most recent picture I have.

"Yes, of course" she murmured.

That answer struck her as absurd. Today people pulled photos with their phones daily. And Seto could not be the exception.

"He is avoiding the issue" concluded the friend of Ryou and realizing that the brothers were watching him curious, he proceeded to clarify. "I mean, that does not explain why he opts for a professional photo, which I think is what causes all your doubts. Ask him!"

"I already asked him" the albino pointed out, turning back her attention to the screen, with a clear idea of what she had to ask Seto next.

Amane17: Are you model or something like that?

Amane was convinced that Seto would deny being a model and like their first chat he was not going to respond clearly and concretely. At least not according to the criteria she was driving. But what could he be?

"A liar" she told herself.

She was surprised to see that her brother's friend was pressing F5 on the keyboard. He seemed more anxious than her to resolve this issue.

"He already answered" he pointed

"You should ask him to upload a photo now instead of making so many questions" Ryou suggested. "He answers very quickly."

"It's what I am going to do, hysterics" she uttered the last word reluctantly as she opened the message.

Setockr: I'm not a model. I do not know what you mean by 'something like that'. You told me you'd know if that picture was not mine but it seems to me that you can't.

"Ha. He figured you out" the eldest Bakura said wickedly. "You should not presume things you cannot do."

"The only one who presumes lies is him… And what do you care about what I do?!"

"Dad is going to care…" Ryou started, but his friend stopped another round of verbal fight between brothers.

"Could you ask him the picture, please?"

Amane refocused on the chat, leaving questions like if her brother really would comment to their father or why his friend showed so much interest in Seto to meditate later. One thing at a time.

Amane17: Cannot you take a picture with your phone and upload it?

Amane incredulously noticed how Ryou's friend head was practically over her shoulder. What a nosy!

"This asking for pictures… Is it something you do with all of that virtual bawdy house or only with this guy?" her brother asked out of nowhere.

He kept staring at her until she decided to speak.

"What is 'bawdy house'?"

"Adults Stuff" the albino friend rushed while updating the page systematically.

"No shit!" Bakura exclaimed "You go daily in a porn chat and do not know what a bawdyhouse is?"

"It's not a porn chat" Amane defended what for many was indefensible.

"He answered!"

Amane snatched the mouse from his hand, wishing they both exploded, disintegrated, or at least, teleported far away.

Setockr: Of course I can.

This kind of reply did not surprise her in the least. Seto seemed an expert in making her lose time and patience.

"Look at his profile!"

"He's not flash" Ryou said.

"No, he's not going to upload it" Amane said certainly. "He always does the same thing. Until you don't insist five hundred times he doesn't upload photos, does not answer things…"

"And why do you give him so much importance?" her brother asked, inquisitive.

"I don't. I just love unmasking liars."

Amane17: Well?

"Why don't you ask for something to eat?" Ryou's friend said while he straightened.

Ryou nodded and went to the kitchenette, on the opposite side to where they were. He took a pamphlet from a delicatessen that he had attached to the refrigerator with a magnet and he carefully observed the menu.

Amane watched him for a while, ready to object to any request that may contain olives. Suddenly she felt two taps on her shoulder that reminded her of the chat. She huffed annoyed while she entered the inbox.

Setockr: Is it necessary?

"Amane17: What do you think?"

"You were right; he gives five hundred ro…"

"Enough!" Amane demurred, tired of having a commentator for each message received. "Go to choose the food and make sure it doesn't have olives in it."

The boy looked puzzled for a moment, after which he left the desk notoriously annoyed. As if he had the right!

Setockr: You're very special, you know? You should have described the special requirements of the photography from the beginning. First I'll delete the other…

Amane made a mental note of requiring to her new contacts a photo taken at the moment. She had never done that before because none of her friends in the chat had published a photo evidently alien.

Amane17: I am glad be special for you, Seto.

Amane turned her attention to her brother. He had the phone in his hand, but he was discussing something with his friend. And they spoke in a low volume, leaving very clear they did not want to involve her.

It was better they were distracted with their affairs.

Setockr: Haha… Do I have to take off something?

"Idiot" she said.

Amane17: Yes, you can choose between your mask and your makeup.

After that message Seto didn't answer for few minutes. Amane feared he had been switched off, but that was not confirmed by visiting his profile. It was connected and he had already eliminated the previous photo.

Amane17: What are you doing?

Two theories arisen in her mind: first, and most likely in her discretion, was that Seto was looking for another picture of this famous.

Setockr: Deleting the photography exif info… If I don't you could know what cell model I have.

Amane17: And is that a bad thing?

That craved her as a pseudo scientific excuse to win time and find a new fake photo.

Setockr: I think I'll have many friends here, and if one turns out to be a maniac… who knows what could be done with that information?

"Exif info" she repeated mentally with no idea what he was referring to. She thought about asking her brother but that meant they would escort her while she was chatting. No thanks.

She opted for a Google search about what it could be. The titles that were among the first results aroused an alarm while she read.

"Exif data: the Photo's ID ", "Exif information: the DNA of your photos", "Exif: the hidden information in photos", "Exif: hidden personal data in your picture"…

Amane could no longer endure her ignorance and entered one of the articles about this data. She realized then that the pictures taken by digital cameras can contain the date, time and camera model with which they were taken. The report also revealed that the latest models of cameras and mobiles could add the GPS coordinates of where they were captured.

The latter could explain why Seto intended to erase this information, if he really owned the photo. But Amane was convinced that it was not.

The good thing about this was that now she had a tool to learn more about the photos that her friends and others published in the chat.

Amane17: Are you implying I'm a maniac?

After their first conversation, Seto had given her the impression that he was an eccentric. Now, with more information about why he had some unorthodox behavior, Amane concluded that maniac was just the best way to define him. Lies will always oblige you to take care of your back every moment, and Seto was lying appropriating of the physical identity of someone else. It was logical that Seto was paranoid.

Setockr: It's great you read between the lines. Done.

Amane wondered if with "done" he referred to he had finished delete metadata or had already uploaded photography. That was easy to clarify, so she did not waste more time and she entered his profile.

When viewing the thumbnail, Amane quickly realized that the person photographed was the same as in the screenshot before. She clicked on the image to enlarge view, while biting her lower lip, very irritated because Seto insisted on using photos of others.

In the photograph, 'Seto' was sitting at a desk, with the torso semi-turned and looking into the camera that evidently was opposite the furniture, partially standing back to the computer.

When Amane watched the monitor more closely, a chill ran down her spine. The browser windows displayed open the chat page. More precisely, one of the messages she had sent him. Still unconvinced, Amane scanned the date and time on the taskbar of Seto's computer and she compared it with the current. Just about eight minutes ago. The same date.

It could not be…

Ryou was already talking to the carvery. Who knows what expression would carry the albino's face when her eyes met the friend of his brother's, and motivated that him, surprised approached the desk.

"Seems that it's him, right?" he asked as he watched the screen. Amane pointed to the corner of the date and time of photography representing the big question.

"Anyway, it does not convince me…"

Amane closed the picture and she went to the friend's menu to accept the friend request, at least for now.

Amane17: Well Seto, I already accepted you. The photo you uploaded meets my conditions.

"He is very clever, at least concerning computing," she continued explaining Ryou's friend, taking into account her recent discovery about the exif data. "I would not be surprised that he digitally manipulated the photo or…"

"Well, well," he interrupted her suddenly. "If it's so important, ask him his mobile number, his Facebook, his MSN… or an appointment. If you don't do it I will. Hah!"

Amane would wonder later why her brother cleared his throat apparently annoyed, just at that moment. And why his friend laughed with more intensity and he moved away to the kitchenette, where both spoke again discreetly.

Setockr: I'm glad I pleased you.

For some reason, she found intolerable the use of the word "pleased". She already imagined him thinking he had gotten away with it for his deception.

Amane17: Should I read between the lines again?

Amane discarded the suggestion of asking for his number, because it was very personal and she did not want Seto to interpret that she was interested in him, because she was not. Instead, it was more common to be exchanged the profile of social networks.

Setockr: Of course not…

Amane17: Do you have Facebook?

A few minutes later Seto disconnected without ever having responded and Amane could not help but associate it with her question.