Title: Stranger things have happened
Author: Sakura Takanouchi
Summary: "It's not acting- I really do hate you," she spat. "We have to follow the script," Seto reminded her. "Eventually, your character falls in love with me." He smirked at her shocked expression. "I wonder, will you be acting then?" Setoxwho?
A/N: Movie allusions and pop culture references abound in this new chapter! Gotta find them all! …Okay, there's one…
Disclaimer: If you buy our order of space bags in the next ten minutes, then we'll throw in the rights to Yu-gi-oh! Just pay separate shipping and handling.
…But I didn't, so hence this disclaimer.
Chapter Ten: It's not always all drama, no movie
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"Since I'm in control of transportation, you have to divulge the ridiculous secret of where we're actually going. Now," Seto was enjoying this much more than he should. Mokuba's voice had almost broken on that last phrase. "Tell me everything."
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"Fine," Mokuba grudged. "I probably should have told you to begin with… you don't talk to anyone. In fact, you're probably the best secret-keeper in the world." His joke fell on deaf ears; his brother didn't even crack a smile. "We're flying to America… Southern California to be exact. It's the perfect vacation destination for our characters, and we got a huge discount for filming in the hotel that we're staying at."
"Is it always about the bottom line with you?" the elder Kaiba brother grumbled.
"Hypocrite," Mokuba shot back. It took only a matter of moments for Mokuba to realize. "I'm… I'm turning into you!" He gaped at Seto, who now looked highly amused. "Thank goodness we leave tomorrow for paradise. Mokuba's back!"
Beep… …beep…beep…beepbeepbeep…
"Alright, I'm up!" Serenity shouted to the offending alarm. Light poured in through the window, illuminating the space that she realized she was going to miss. It was the day. They were leaving today.
Twenty minutes later and she was showered, dressed, and nearly ready to go. Her suitcase was packed and ready beside the door, a large navy blue tote bag resting on top. She was just starting to bite into a toaster pastry when her phone rang.
"Hey, Serenity! It's Mokuba. Look outside your window."
She parted the blinds with two fingers and was astonished to see a black limousine parked on the street, with a frantically waving Mokuba poking out of the moon roof opening. "Since we were so close, we're giving you a lift to the airstrip! Come on down whenever you're ready! Just make it fast, I'm not sure we're allowed to park here…"
Serenity giggled as she hung up the phone, and quickly finished her breakfast. It was very nice of him to pick her up—it would save her a small fortune in taxi fares. She emerged from the building moments later, the hem of her navy dress fluttering in the gentle breeze. The chauffer immediately went to help her bags into the trunk, and she joined Mokuba in the limousine. Seto had his face buried in his cell phone, alternatively pressing buttons and tapping on the lighted screen. He didn't even acknowledge her arrival.
"I can't wait until we get there, and can continue our filming," Mokuba announced as the limo started to move away from the building, away from the city center. He nudged Serenity lightly with his elbow. "Are you excited?"
"Of course! I'm a little apprehensive, though…"
Mokuba interrupted her with a "you'll be fine!" and began chattering about the location, and how great it would be to relax someplace sunny.
Serenity smiled at him. "I'm starting to think you chose this place just so you could relax on the beach. " She looked up to see the azure eyes of Seto Kaiba upon her, as if judging her intently. Unconsciously, she shivered.
It wasn't long until they pulled up to a small airstrip secluded in a grove of trees. Serenity assumed they were either near the regional airport or this was a private strip, perhaps existing solely for the needs of KaibaCorp. They exited the limo; a fair-sized plane stood on the runway; white in color with a trademark blue eyes white dragon running along one side. It made Serenity giggle as they approached the plane.
Seto noticed her laughter. "What's so funny?" He grumbled.
"You," She replied, her eyes sparkling with mirth at the way he responded to her answer; it was as if she had slapped him. "I'm starting to wonder if you have a blue eyes white dragon tattoo somewhere on you."
"The question is not if I have one, but where…" He let the answer hang, and with a smirk, effortlessly climbed up the stairs into the jet. Their chauffer would see that their luggage was safely stowed onboard.
"Wow it's so pretty…" Serenity was awed by the cream colored leather seats and the dark wooden accents which permeated the luxurious jet. Yami, Isis, and Duke were sitting along one row of seats; Serenity gave each of them a small smile before heading in to sit beside Mokuba, who had vocally claimed the window seat a moment before. Seto took the last seat, closest to the door, in the same row as the other two. The plane quickly moved away from the limousine and towards the end of the runway, ready for departure.
"Aren't you glad we're on our way… Serenity?" Mokuba's grin faltered as he looked across the row at his friend. "What's wrong?"
At the plane's first movements, Serenity had not only turned even paler than usual. Seto observed her coolly; idiot girl probably had her seat belt fastened too tight.
"Does the plane… travel like this?" She asked; her voice barely above a whisper. "Can you always feel it moving?" The plane turned on the runway and her head darted towards the window.
"Well, it's going to be travelling a lot faster than this…" Mokuba started chattering about the top speeds of the jet, Serenity shaking like a leaf.
"You've never flown before." She stopped moving. Seto's words were more of a statement than a question.
"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," Serenity quipped, her mind thankful for the momentary distraction. "There's no way I could ever afford to go anywhere, so I've never been anywhere…although I can hazard a guess that no other plane is as nice as this one." Her hands, gripping both of the armrests, bumped against the sleeves of both Kaiba brothers. Mokuba placed his hand over hers, rubbing it gently. "You'd be surprised at some first-class cabins," he said as the plane started its race down the runway.
Serenity's eyes closed as the plane kept moving, increasing its speed. "Are you sure that there's enough room? We're not going to crash?"
"Don't be stupid," Seto looked out of the opposing window. The wheels had just left the ground and already the plane took to the air, soaring like the dragons painted along its sides. "Statistically speaking, it's the safest way to travel." His thumb jerked as it came into contact with Serenity's hand; was it warm in the cabin? She seized his hand, her eyes still tightly closed, and held on to it as the plane climbed through the atmosphere. It circled slowly, one wing banking to the right. "Open your eyes."
Timidly, first one eye opened, then the other. What began as fright led to curiosity and then awe at the image of the city below them. Domino lay beneath them like a postcard; the KaibaCorp tower being the tallest among the buildings. Her heart leapt in her chest; she could see trees, clouds, and the shimmering sea…
"It looks better at night, all lit up," Seto murmured, gazing out of the window.
"It's beautiful," Serenity whispered, entranced by the view which slowly disappeared under a cover of clouds.
"You can give me my hand back now," Seto replied, signaling a flight attendant over and asking for coffee.
"Oh…" Serenity's cheeks tinged pink as she folded her hands in her lap. She couldn't see the ground any more (just that thought alone was enough to make her queasy) but; hand it to Seto Kaiba to shatter the moment.
Mokuba was leafing through a copy of Skymall, the pages flying in a wash of bright colors until he came to the KaibaCorp section. "Look, Serenity! KaibaCorp brand gaming merchandise for your home!"
"Um… that's great, Mokuba."
"See, you could get a cherry wood, green velvet topped gaming table!" He poked at the glossy image, forming a crease in the thin magazine page. "Nobody ever buys these things, but it does get us good exposure and it's funny to read the captions."
"Hmm… so you still consider yourself part of KaibaCorp, then?" She had the full attention of both Kaiba brothers now. "You said 'us' after all…"
"Well, I didn't mean to," Mokuba griped. "It's awful hard to escape it… everywhere there's not a blue eyes white dragon, there's a KC logo." He grinned, pressing the button to recline his chair back, and prop up his feet on the recliner which emerged from under the chair.
It was during the course of their flight that Serenity really learned to love flying. They all had 5-star dinners of steak and potatoes; they each had their own TV monitors, and when it was time to sleep, not only did their chairs lie flat, but they were brought a selection of pillows and blankets to accommodate them. Mokuba mumbled a sleepy "goodnight" and pressed another button which allowed a dividing screen to slide up from between the chairs, so that he wouldn't be disturbed by the lights or ambient noise from the plane. Serenity did the same, accidentally hitting several other buttons and summoning the flight attendant, who helped her get situated into her cocoon-like sleeping structure. She smiled, drifting off to sleep. I should fly more often.
She was used to waking up with the sun, so she wasn't surprised to find, upon emerging from her cocoon, everyone else fast asleep. She was even less surprised to find the spot next to her completely empty. Seto Kaiba probably never sleeps… he just waits. She giggled at the thought, her humor faltering at seeing the man himself walk swiftly up the aisle of the plane and into his seat. "Couldn't sleep?"
"I manage on four hours a day," he replied, his voice soft so as not to disturb the others. "You obviously got more than enough sleep. Go wash up, you look like hell."
He didn't outright laugh at her, but his words were all the action required to show Serenity how right he was. She ran a hand through her hair, knowing that it was all piled up on one side from sleeping on it. Her vision was bleary, and she probably had morning breath. She scowled; some butterfly I turned out to be… In an instant she found herself in the washroom, opening a toothbrush from its plastic packaging and getting to work to make herself presentable.
When she emerged, Yami was also awake. She gave him a friendly smile and returned to her seat, where a breakfast tray was promptly placed in front of her. A girl could get used to this… She dug in to her breakfast, almost sad to hear the announcement that they would be landing outside of John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.
She was still nervous as the plane descended, but much more excited. Her first glimpse outside the window showed row upon row of squat little houses with bright clay tile roofs, all set amidst a verdant green backdrop. And so many of them had sparkling pools in the yards! What was the point, really, with the ocean so close…? The real thing was much better than a chlorinated imitation, any day. She gathered her things so she could be one of the first off of the plane.
The sun welcomed their arrival first; its rays soaking them with sunshine and causing them all to don sunglasses so they could make their way away from the plane. Mokuba had changed and was now all-director, herding everyone into two more black limousines that would take them to their hotel and set for the next ten days. Serenity was nearly dizzy from all the excitement—and apprehension. It really was Showtime, for all of them. She looked across at her companions. Isis was reapplying her makeup, and Duke was… well, he was probably looking at her from underneath his polarized sunglasses. How could they be so calm?
The limos exited the highway, following signs which bore the exotic sounding name of 'Crown Valley Parkway.' She could see greenery everywhere, from the quaint shopping centers to the adobe benches lining the street. The street kept winding, around and over hills, until suddenly the view opened up and—
"The ocean!" Serenity squealed, almost clapping at the sight. The other two regarded her amusedly.
"You didn't know we'd be staying at the ocean?" Isis asked; a hint of a smile on her face.
"Well, sort of… I guess I've just always loved the ocean."
"Well, then you'll faint when you realize where we're staying."
"Hmm?" The limo pulled in through two bronze gates, pulled open. Each had a signature lion in the design of the gates. Palm trees lined the drive, and a fountain was at the end, words affixed to it blazing in the sun. "The Profligacy Resort…?"
"Duke, turn on the air conditioning! And she hasn't even seen the building yet!"
The moment the limos pulled around to the stone circle, the doors were opened by smartly dressed doormen. Several more ushered them inside to the lobby, where their bags were taken away to their rooms. They obviously had prepared for their arrival, and wanted to make a good impression. Mokuba handled it like a pro, giving each a firm handshake and giving a friendly smile to the receptionist at the desk. Atem was gazing around the expansive lobby with a smile, while Seto Kaiba just looked uncomfortable in the humidity.
"Okay, we're all in the west end of the hotel. They gave us 'garden view'… whatever that is," Mokuba grumbled, handing each of them a separate key. They all marched down a corridor, led by another steward, who pointed out amenities along the way.
It wasn't until they had arrived at the hotel that Serenity had begun to feel the effects of her globetrotting. Now, gazing upon perhaps the most beautiful room in existence, she nearly forgot how tired she was. Everything was in soft shades of blue, white and grey, and so very, very clean. Her suitcase laid flat on a low wooden shelf; she felt herself slide onto a powder blue chaise as she looked around, breathless, taking everything in. This was her home for the next week. Serenity looked to her right, a wide smile spreading across her face. She was so jumping on that bed later. But for now, she wanted to nap. There was going to be an entire afternoon to explore the hotel.
Through her exploration of the hotel Serenity had found Isis lounging on the beach, Duke exercising in the gym, Yami browsing in the store, and Mokuba talking on his cell phone in one of the hotel's huge conference rooms. Feeling a little like she was eavesdropping, she crept back upstairs and into another room she wanted to visit—the library. Hopefully they had a good selection, and she would be allowed to take a book or two poolside. It beat staying in the stuffy, dusty wood-paneled library anyways. To its defense, though, she liked old or obscure books—it was the best way to learn something new, in her opinion. She swiped a finger along one shelf and frowned; then felt the all-too-familiar itch along her nose. "Achoo! Achoo! Achoooo!"
"In a library one is usually silent," Seto Kaiba observed, appearing between the shelves, a book in hand.
"Then stop talking," Serenity shot back, feeling her eyes watering from all the sneezes. She scanned the shelves, ignoring the CEO. "Hmm… someone else must be reading it…"
"If you wanted a book about California, take this one," Seto thrust the book towards her; "It has lots of pictures, so it'd be perfect for you."
"Thank you." Serenity's civil words surprised both of them. They shuffled along the corridor brimming with books, Serenity looking for a way to keep the conversation going, albeit awkwardly. "Why did you need a book about California?"
"A new Kaiba Land theme park is slated to open in five years, outside of San Diego," he mentioned, "I'm doing research and working on getting that plan in motion while I'm stuck over here anyways," he replied dully.
"You're stuck here?" She queried, distaste already seeping into her tone. "Kaiba, you signed up for this little field trip, and everyone expects you to give it your all! Don't you dare disappoint Mokuba!" The book was waved in his face for an instant as Serenity departed, on a mad dash for the pool. She needed to get away from that pessimistic man. In the library, the dust from that book began to settle around his motionless frame. He cursed the girl as he fought the urge to close his eyes.
"Achoo!"
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Profligacy: 'extravagance,' among other things ^ ^ basically me making fun of superfluously fancy resorts.
A/N: Heey! 3 months… not too shabby? Considering I have the best readers ever! Thanks to each and every one of you for making this my Most Lurked ™ Story!! I really couldn't have done it without you… keep on story alerting, building my story traffic, and reading away!! Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to Blueshadows2010, Death101- Fox Version, - Silent I c e Vampire -, MaterialGirl69, midnight blue08, Tie4, blacksheep21, Kako, Storm 38, Sakurelle, iCraft, and DIS (The last chapter was basically gratuitous Silentshipping, I'm interested to hear your take on this chapter) for their amazing, uplifting, and all-star reviews. Doesn't that make you; too, want to review on my Most Lurked ™ Story? Yeah for exposure! Don't forget, it also helps me make this the best story it can be!
Now that I mentioned exposure…
If anyone out there is reading this and cares, I am seeking concrit/commentary of my new one-shot Subtly, Almost Imperceptibly. Its romance with a twist, basically the opposite of this story, and Revolutionshipping to boot! Besides, wouldn't it be comforting to know you've read at least one YGO fanfiction about a gargoyle? …no? Well, that's too bad!
Sorry for the long author's note; I hoped everyone enjoyed reading this chapter and I am continuing to write Chapter Eleven as you read this! Thank you for reading!
Sakura Takanouchi