Conversations With Unai
By the end of July, Mokuba was feeling guiltily torn about leaving Osaka. Boarding the train with their bags (Not to mention three goldfish), he froze slightly as Akie and Shizuka both insisted on giving the boy a hug before he left. The awkward embrace was released after a few seconds, the boy fleeing for the train as the women moved on to Katsuya.
"Mom..." The blond sighed, unable to really move with Mokuba's bags under his arm. "Mom I'm 16, I really don' think a hug 's nessec- Un!" He was cut off as the woman pulled him close, shaking slightly.
"You've grown so much..." Katsuya didn't know what to say, feeling a little awkward as his mother spoke. "And you've made good friends, and I'm so proud..." She stepped back, motioning over to Mokuba slightly. "I don't know who he is, or how you two met, but what you're doing is good... That boy... He looks much better than when you came Katsuya. So keep doing it, alright?"
He stared, trying to keep his confusion from his face. "Mom... I..." There was a shout from the train, where Mokuba was standing. "Shit! I gotta go.. Uh..." He looked at his mom a moment, giving a quick hug to Shizuka before running for the train. "Love yah mom! Shizuka-chan! I'll see you again!"
Boarding the train, and taking his seats, he found himself watching them until the vehicle pulled out and they disappeared from sight completely. His mom was... Proud of him. He didn't even know why though... He didn't even know what he was doing that was 'good', all he'd done was take Mokuba along for a summer trip... And that couldn't be it. Hell that had to be far from it, so then what was it?
Leaning back on the seat as the boy beside him stared out the window with wide eyes again, he had to smile nonetheless. Well... If there was anything he had learned...
Seto was lucky to have a little brother like this. And when she woke up, Katsuya thought, he'd probably miss filling in for her. But it'd be worth the smile all the same.
It came as a bit of a shock, to say the least, when Katsuya came back to Tokyo to find that Honda as well was gone for the summer. Though this would make things easier in terms of keeping the topic of Shizuka out of Honda's ears. Anzu had apparently stayed however, and had spent a good deal of her time with Yugi (Though the boy expressed his worries about Anzu's love for his 'other half' when sharing stories of their trip to an amusement park.). Though she was apparently going to spend the rest of it with a summer job. Personally, Katsuya wondered why she was so intent on getting a job when she wasn't even allowed to have one...
As of now, Katsuya spent most of his days asleep thanks to his 'night shift' duty; his sleep cycle would be completely screwed over by the time summer was over, but in the end he didn't seem to mind much. Heck, sleeping in until 1 in the afternoon was weird, and half the time he was still in the chair he used to keep watch over Kaiba, but it still gave him an afternoon of time with friends. Not to mention he would likely have the patience of a frigging tortoise by the time this was over. (Those things could wait for hours...)
For now though, it was time to enjoy one of his afternoons... In this case, by taking a trip to the school's pool, which was open to the public for the summer. Katsuya shook a few persistent droplets of water from his hair, stretching as he left the school with Yugi. The kid had disappeared into the building for sometime after they stopped swimming; it was weird, but he came back looking as happy as ever, so it was alright. Walking down the street to Burger World, he grinned as he looked down at his friend. "Pbbbttt... Man Yugi, I think you could go tah Okinawa and still avoid tanning!"
His friend pouted, crossing his arms. "It's not my fault," he said rather stubbornly as they entered the restaurant. "I just don't tan well!" That was an understatement.
He continued laughing, grabbing a booth near the window with a grin. "Whatever yah say Yug! I'm jus' saying, it's pretty hard teh stay outside tha' long without getting at least a lil' dark!"
"Psh! You were outside for an entire month though, your tan doesn't count!" As the boy grabbed a menu and flipped through, he turned to glance at Katsuya a few times. "Which reminds me... Where were you Jonouchi-kun?"
The teen blinked, grabbing a menu as well. He'd tanned 'slightly' since the trip to Osaka... It'd probably vanish in a few weeks though. "Nh, visitin' my mom an' sis... Nothin' big."
Apparently, it was very big. "You have a sister," Yugi asked with a look of curiosity. "That's right! You mentioned her before! How old is she?" Oh, so now that Honda wasn't here he was all ears? Eh...
Katsuya frowned. "Fourteen, an' I'm only tellin' yah cause I know you're goin' after Anzu." And that was because of their earlier conversation on Anzu specifically. His scowl deepened, and he quickly added, "Don' tell Honda, or I'll have teh take up kendo an' buy a sword." Or maybe he could just skip to beating the crap out of him...
The boy laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, I won't tell... Hey, Jonouchi-kun..." Katsuya blinked, turning as Yugi continued. "What's that around your neck?"
He looked down, before picking up the small pendant-box he'd bought in Osaka. He spotted it at the train station... Supposedly, whatever you put inside it would end up stuck on the sides, and create a pattern on the box itself. He didn't know how it worked, but it was still interesting to see the outline of the key that Mokuba had given him appear on the plastic just faintly. Even if it took a few hours in the sun. "Oh this? Jus' somethin' I found in Osaka... Nothin' big." Katsuya turned as a waitress arrived, before grinning. "I'll take th' double cheese burger wi' iced tea!"
Yugi raised an eyebrow, before turning to the waitress. "The same for me, but milk instead ok?" As the waitress left (Laughing as she muttered something about milk and height), he turned back to look at Katsuya. Or rather, Katsuya's 'key-box'. "Hn... It looks cool. Anyways... Hey, Jonouchi-kun?"
The teen blinked, having been staring at the pendant for a short bit. "Hn? Yea Yug'?"
He fidgeted slightly, before speaking. "Well... I... I'm not really sure but..." The boy fingered his puzzle for a moment, before making an odd expression. "I think the other me wants to talk to you..." At Katsuya's confused expression, he shrugged. "Don't ask me how it works! I've never even met him, I'm just going by what I feel!"
"I didn't say..." Though he had definitely been thinking it. He shrugged, shaking his head with a grin. "Eh, what th' heck. Go for it!" Apparently this was all the 'other Yugi' needed, as the moment Yugi closed his eyes, the boy visibly changed. For a brief moment, he blinked, before coughing. "Er... Hey Yug'! Other Yug... Uh..." Huh. Now that he thought about it, what did you call him if...
'Yugi' smirked, laughing. "It's our body isn't it? Just 'Yugi' is fine." As Katsuya nodded, his smirk dropped. "Actually, I had a question... I'm surprised the other me knew that."
The blond shrugged, watching as their food arrived before taking a sip of his iced tea. "Nhhh... Yug's like that. You're like... Ahh never mind. So what was it?" Honestly, he wasn't even going to try anymore.
He crossed his arms, leaning back in the seat. "You see... I was hoping to ask about Kaiba." As Katsuya tensed, he continued. "His condition... The other me didn't see him in the hospital, and is quite worried..." Ohhhh that's right... They never told Yugi and the others about that...
"Ah..." Katsuya nodded, understanding. "That..." Coughing, he took another sip of his drink before continuing. "Y' see, he kinda got outta th' coma... But technically, h's still sleepin', so we took 'm to th' house teh look after 'm there."
The teen nodded, eyes shut with thought before he smiled. "Thank you, Jonouchi. That's all I wanted to ask," he said as Katsuya sighed, before continuing. "On the topic of Kaiba at least." It figured... Then again, switching out for two seconds to ask a question would be kinda silly. "Can I ask you something, Jonouchi?"
Katsuya blinked, swallowing nervously. "Er..." Coughing again, he nodded and grinned. "Sure! Ask whatever yeh want!" No time like the present... Or something.
Yugi also smiled, before continuing. "The other, original Yugi has been noticing a few things about you... However, he didn't want to say anything." At Katsuya's raised eyebrow, he went on. "Specifically, he's wondering if there's someone you like... Because you haven't been yourself lately." Idly taking a small sip of Yugi's milk before deciding to leave it be, his expression became more serious. "Personally, I have to agree, though I'm not completely sure about the reasoning. Is something wrong, Jonouchi?"
At the mention of 'someone he liked', Katsuya found himself going slightly red. Someone he liked... Someone... Damn it, the only girls he knew 'closely' were either Anzu (no), related (NO), and... Kaiba. (NOOOOOOO.) Regardless, he almost chocked on his burger. "N- K! Y-You wanna know if I've got a crush on someone?" He drew back, shaking his head. "W-What th' heck kinda question is that..."
"Ahahaha! Apparently a relevant one, Jonouchi-kun. And no... I asked if something was 'wrong'." Yugi smirked, before shaking his head. "I think I'll let the 'real' Yugi take things from here though..." The boy opened his eyes, revealed as the 'original' once more. While Katsuya stared slightly as he chewed his food, the boy smiled. "So..." He grabbed his milk, taking a sip before continuing. "IS there someone?" Stop contradicting yourself... Your other self... Aw screw it.
Katsuya scowled, angrily taking a sip from his iced tea. "Nhhhh... How'm I supposed tah know, I don' even get what yah meant by 'actin' different'! An'... An' stop switchin'," he added lamely, before going back to his burger.
The boy tilted his head slightly, before smiling. "That's the first time I've tried that Jonouchi-kun... Anyways." He grinned, taking a sip of his milk before answering. "Well... You seem more 'alert'... More aware. Like..." Yugi paused, looking for the right words. "Well, less headstrong and more, I don't know... More like an adult."
He frowned. "What th' heck is that even s'pposed tah mean..." More 'aware' and less 'headstrong'? What was wrong with charging in and getting things done! ...Then again... When was the last time he'd legitimately done that? (He felt rusty now...)
"I don't know, it's hard to explain now that I'm actually putting it in words!" As Yugi panicked for a moment, he quickly regained his composure to frown. "And you aren't getting out of my question on a girlfriend that easy!" He smiled, leaning forwards slightly. "Go on, tell me! Whoever it is, I'll be happy for you!" Of course he would, but there wasn't anyone worth mentioning... ...Well... Mostly...
The blond continued scowling, finishing off his burger before speaking. "I'm tellin' yah, I don't have a crush on anyone!" At Yugi's unimpressed and disbelieving stare, he grumbled. "Hnnng... Man, I dunno... Probably isn't even interested in anything outside herself..." He still didn't have a crush on her though. That would be silly, and likely suicidal. ...She was, however, hot. He was never saying that to her face though, as that would also be suicidal...
As Katsuya muttered this under his breath, Yugi beamed. "Aha! So there is someone! What is she like? And what's her name?" What the- What kind of hearing did he have?
He tensed, scowling. Damn it, he'd fallen right into the little guy's trap! "Hn! A lot like someone else we know, that's for sure..." Shit... No escaping this now, but what to say... Now that he thought, he didn't know what Seto's original name was. So he couldn't use that as a cover... Unless... "An we never met personally, so I don' really know her name well... Yah won't believe what kanji it uses though," he added with a grin. Mind as well have fun with this.
Yugi also grinned, leaning in further. "What? What ones?"
"The very same ones as a certain ice cold CEO, tha's who!" Katsuya quickly regretted mentioning Kaiba again, as Yugi's face fell for a moment. Oh.. Right... Yugi did the mind crush thing on Kaiba and... Ahhhhhh he wasn't doing well was he.
However, the boy quickly regained a more cheery look as he drifted into thought. "'Se' and 'Hito'... There aren't many readings for that that could be considered feminine. I can only think of two myself..." As he pondered this, he looked back up at Katsuya. "Does she go to our school?" At the blond's 'no' ('Sorry Yug, can't tell yah the truth there' he thought), he frowned. "Well there goes that option... The only two choices really are 'Sen' and 'Seri'..." Honestly, it was amazing that the guy even knew that. Then again, Yugi always knew about weird things...
Sen and Seri huh... Oh well. He shrugged. "Well, not like it's a crush in any case... I honestly can't stand anythin' that reminds me of Kaiba myself..." He scowled, crossing his arms. "Can't believe he's related t' Mokuba, how can such an asshole have Mokuba for a brother..."
Yugi appeared to be fighting not to remind Katsuya that Mokuba had tried to kill him, and instead sighed. "Well, you're sure acting like it at least..." Since when was he the expert on this?
He rolled his eyes. "What are yah Yug', a girl? I don' know this lady, I don' know what she likes! ...And I don' like her," the blond added with a smirk, getting up to pull out his money for the meal. "I'll figure it out myself alrigh? Let yah know how it turns out, 'k?"
The boy nodded, pulling out his own money before turning to look at Katsuya as he left. "Hey, try asking her out ok?"
At those words, he did nothing but grin, nod, and hold back a laugh with all he could. Yea... Ask Seto Kaiba on a date. (What was this, he didn't even have a crush...)
Cause that would work well even without the damned coma in the way, right?
A few days had passed since that conversation at burger world. Katsuya idly hung up his things and took a seat in Kaiba's room, stretching slightly. Work time again, he thought with a yawn. And as usual... Nothing. Was happening. It really figured with night shift and all, and really, he wasn't going to wish for excitement... Not after what happened the last time he did that. Katsuya leaned back on the chair he had in the room, idly staring at the gun Mokuba had given him with a raised eyebrow. Seriously, he barely knew how to fire this thing, even with all the training he was being force-fed; if anything happened, he was definitely using his fists dammit...
Katsuya looked around the empty (Well, mostly empty) room, silently glad that there was no audio on the cameras. In fact, there was no audio surveillance in Kaiba's room at all... The only reason there was surveillance in the bedroom portion was for the fact that he was currently comatose (kinda). As it was, the washroom didn't have any surveillance for fairly good reasons. After all, as Mokuba had mentioned later in private, there would be a chance of the footage of Kaiba's body being used against the woman, given the situation with barely any of the staff being trustworthy. As it was, her breasts were barely concealed by either a large plush blanket, or the general openness of her pajama shirt.
"Things have gotten real complex, huh Seto-chan..." The blond kept his face turned away from the camera, focusing on Seto herself. Oddly enough, by doing this he would probably keep more information private... But honestly, he just felt awkward saying anything without looking at the target. Idly, he played with something he'd worked on earlier with clay. After leaving burger world, he'd gotten an idea... And seeing how Seto wasn't likely going to be the type to take presents (Let alone from him), it was better now than never. Even if her birthday wasn't until October. "Never thought I'd find myself caught up in a company conspiracy..."
He snorted, looking over the clay sculpture he'd somehow managed to make. It still shocked him really... But somehow, he'd managed to not make the clay 'Blue Eyes' look like mush. In fact, he thought as he looked it over again, he didn't do half bad!
Katsuya looked the dragon over, thinking over what Yugi had said earlier. A crush... He didn't seriously have a crush did he? "Nah," he found himself muttering out loud. "Though yeh are pretty hot..." He looked up from the dragon, leaning back in his chair as he looked at Seto's slumbering form. "Course now that that's been said, this is kinda awkward..." He laughed, before quickly quieting down as he remembered that the guards would come in if they heard even that. "You do know tha' though, right," he continued, quietly speaking to the non-responsive body. "It might've only been for a moment, but th' you that I saw..." Ok, stop thinking of that...
The blond sighed, before smiling wryly. "It ain't fair," he muttered, placing the dragon on the side table lest his fiddling break a wing off. "Because of some kinda issue in th' past, no one can see that side 'f you... I don' even know if you'd wanna show that side now." Certainly didn't seem like that. Idly, he shook himself mentally. He was good as talking to a corpse right now, damn it. Good as falling in love with a-
Ok, there was no way it was going that far... He wasn't 'in love' with anyone here, and definitely not Kaiba. ...Right? "Yah know, Yug' questioned me about crushes t'day," the teen said idly, eyes shifting to the ceiling. "Come t' think, my sister said the same thing while we were in Osaka..." He fiddled with his 'key' pendant, before looking over at Seto again. "'S where your brother got that pendant you know. You're lucky t' have someone like that." Was he more adult? Would he say this kind of stuff if he never met Mokuba, never got this job? "Like, REALLY lucky," he added with a quiet laugh. "Seriously, I don' think anyone else would've held out this long with the facade you're pullin'."
Why was he still talking? "Can you ev'n hear me, Seto-chan?" There was no sarcasm in the CEO's name this time, no sign of Katsuya even forcing himself to say 'chan' just to annoy the woman should she hear him. "'M I talkin to a corpse here..?" Katsuya sighed, adjusting his seat in the chair. "...I don' know if yah knew we were gone... If yah knew where we were... But if yer in there, shoutin' at me right now, go ahead." He gave a wry smirk, before continuing in the seemingly one sided conversation. "Prolly deserve it righ' now... But yah know, if yah aren't awake by th' time we go next year, we're draggin' yah in the wheel chair, got it?" Katsuya laughed slightly, before sighing.
He tried to laugh, only for it die as fast as he brought it up. "Hey, Seto-chan," he said quietly, looking out the window from the corner of his eyes. "Did yah know? Talkin' teh Yug' earlier, and he thinks I'm different... Like... 'More adult' different. Hah!" Again, the laughter died quickly, and he continued playing around with the key-box in his hand. "I can't be tha' different right? Still stupid enough teh talk to someone who can't hear me after all..." Katsuya looked at Seto's face, an odd look seemingly mixed with guilt and worry on his face.
"You're really beautiful, you know that," he finally whispered, flushing red as he realized what he said. Ohhhh god what was he doing... It was supposed to be girls that did this, not guys on a security shift. Then again, with all the weird shit going on in his life this year, it was likely inevitable. Coughing, he nonetheless continued, fairly confident that no one could hear him right now as it was. After all... He mind as well finish what he started right? Or something like that... "Really... Heck," he said with a harsh and half-hearted laugh, "I bet if you didn' end up with Gozaburo you'd 'ave had yer pick! ...Not that yeh probably don' already..." Still red, he turned away slightly, coughing again. "I... I mean... Yah obviously don' want someone like me, given yer usual comments..." Course, Kaiba was a bitch to everyone, so really...
Katsuya sighed, shaking his head. 'Ask her out', Yugi had said. Yea. Yea that would go well. 'Hey Kaiba, wanna go out? Regardless of the fact that the public will definitly think you're gay and the press would swarm and ruin everything and your company would probably drain because of just about everything else?' Yeaaaa... Nonetheless. "Yah know," he said, somewhat distantly, "We should go out sometime... Like... Not 'out' out obviously, but more like..." He waved his hand trying to find the words. "Like... Watch a movie here 'r somethin'. I dunno..."
Rubbing his head, he finally just snorted. "Yah know what, ferget it. It's prolly better that yah can't hear me," he muttered, still a rather brilliant shade of crimson. "Means yah can't call me an' idiot and kick me outta th' room..." The blond looked over at the clock, sighing. Time for shifts to switch. "Probably an' idiot for fallin' for yah," he continued under his breath, grabbing the gun he'd placed on the ground to put it back in the holster. "Given tha' yah hate me enough as it is. Don' have a clue why I DON'T, tha's for sure..." Idly, he attempted to find something else to talk about, eyes falling on the dragon he'd sculpted.
"...Yah know," he said, dropping his pendant for the moment. "I don' actually know anything about yah... Prolly not surprisin, but it makes it hard teh get yah an early birthday present." Katsuya smirked, giving another laugh. "Pretty sure yah ain't inta yo-yos... Not like I am at least. They got pretty popular lately, so I've been trying my hand at some tricks myself..." There was another laugh, and he rolled his eyes as he imagined Seto's sarcastic laugh at the next comment. "Course... Th' only one I know is th' dog walk righ' now..." He scowled, answering to an unheard retort from the woman. "But don' think that means anythin' to yer 'mutt' comments! I ain't a dog, got it!"
Another sigh. "Anyways," he said, leaning forward in his chair. "I guess what with all I don' know, it figures I'd end up making one of your stupid dragons..." Katsuya snorted, shaking his head. "Least no one died f'r this one."
There was a knock on the door, signaling the shift change. Katsuya looked over at the clock- Six AM... Talking sure did pass the time rather fast. Given that he felt as though he'd only been here for about an hour.
He turned to the door, giving one last look to Seto. "...G'night, Seto-chan..." And with that he walked over, switching places with the next guard to get some sleep. "See yah later."
As he left the room, he could have sworn he heard someone say thank-you...
But that voice was... Kaiba's normal one... Wasn't it?
The warmth was back. And so were the voices. 'Nee-sama,' Mokuba was saying. 'I'm so sorry nee-sama, that we were gone for so long...'
He was back... That was all that mattered wasn't it? He and the other one, the Mutt. Katsuya. Seto tensed slightly, as her 'window' opened again. It was still blurred... Fogged over for a seemingly indefinite amount of time. However, even through the fog, she could see the source of 'Mokuba's voice. "You..." She frowned, sighing. All it was was a blur of black and peach. "I can't see you..." Nothing... She couldn't see anything...
'Nee-sama... I'm going to give you this. A piece of the puzzle for your heart, and something to always remember me by if I leave again.' A small light appeared as the boy said this, and the woman tensed. What was... She frowned. How did he even know that she was in here, putting a puzzle together? That she was missing pieces..? In the distance, something appeared to be 'falling', and she walked over to see what it was.
"A necklace..." There was a clattering sound as a small pendant fell, clasped shut. It bore the same image of the back of a Duel Monster's card, though the pendant itself was a little smaller. Seto reached forwards, clicking it open before gasping. "This is..." A small boy with... Black hair and blue eyes. This was..
'It's from the orphanage,' Mokuba continued. 'I have the side with you in it on mine. Wake up soon, nee-sama... I miss you.'
This was Mokuba... She held it close, smiling. This was what he looked like. And she would never forget that, not like when she had seen him in the puzzle. "..Ah..." The pendant glowed, and a piece of the puzzle appeared. "This is..." The form the girl held at the moment was still small. The form she had in the memory of the festival to be specific. Yet as she held the piece in one hand however, and put it into place in the puzzle, she thought something changed...
She had no time to ponder this though, as she was distracted by the memories she had that were now becoming linked together. "Mokuba..." Her eyes widened, as fogged faces became clear, names became more than jumbled kanji, and sights and places gained a time and date. Situations were cleared, and the small shadow she saw in those memories became a visible person. Seto dropped the puzzle piece, ignoring the clattering noise it gave off as it hit the ground. "Otouto..."
The message from the first memory... The cold one, with the truck...
She could hear it now... 'Se...Ri... Protect... Mokuba...
Protect... Your brother...'
Tears streamed down her face as she gripped her puzzle, sincerely glad that no one could hear her cries. Mokuba... Mokuba Mokuba Mokuba Mokuba..! How could she have done those things? How could she have led her brother to do those things? How could she have done those things to HIM?
"I'm sorry..." She shook, holding the puzzle close as her 'window' finally closed up. "I'm so sorry... So sorry..."
She muttered this over and over... Each time fading into silence. She felt the warmth of the sun disappear, soft hands bringing her beneath the warmth of a blanket. It was a distant touch- more of a side effect of the temperatures. But she felt it.
Seto stood up to look herself over, regaining her composure. The woman quickly frowned however, as she continued to examine the form her 'heart' had chosen. "I've never looked like this," she muttered to herself, now restored to the 'age' she was before. Unlike then however, where her outfit matched the age, she was still wearing the same yukata her younger self had. "Hmp..." She glared at the puzzle, eyes narrowed. "What are you up to..." The cluster of gold gave off an odd sheen, as though laughing at her in response.
'Hey,' a voice said, Seto turning as she recognized it. Hn... So it was 'that time' again; the 'Mutt' had a set schedule it seemed really. 'Evenin' Seto-chan~'
The woman growled, answering regardless of the knowledge that she would remain unheard. "Stop calling me that mutt..." The voice ignored her of course, continuing. She ignored most of what he said of course. It was fairly easy, given that he was keeping himself occupied with something most of the times he was there. Seto imagined that a lot of time must have been passing... But for some reason, it appeared to pass much quicker for her, when she was in 'this place'.
Abruptly however, she jumped as she caught the tail end of what the Mutt was saying. '...Though yeh are pretty hot...' She blushed, before scowling. "That Mutt..." 'Hot'? Was that supposed to be a compliment? From what she could tell from the memories, she wasn't supposed to look 'hot', she was supposed to look male! Moron...
Looking down over herself, she had to sneer. "Though I certainly can't fault the comment right now..." The fact was, the yukata from younger years didn't help her image at all. Ignoring the comment on a memory she had yet to reclaim (A memory she was not looking forward to regaining), she frowned. Katsuya was still speaking- it could almost be called rambling even. Now what was he talking about... A 'side' she had hidden?
What side? This side? The one that seemed to be refusing to leave from her past in this place, which she buried safe away for the sake of her brother? Seto froze, eyes wide. How did she know that..? How did she know that she 'hid' because of Mokuba? Before she could delve further into those thoughts, Katsuya's voice continued to sound around her.
'Yah know, Yug' questioned me about crushes t'day...' She rolled her eyes. Oh please, the Mutt couldn't possibly have... 'Come t' think,' the voice continued, 'My sister said th' same thing while we were in Osaka...' Lovely. "Tch," she muttered, crossing her arms as she turned 'away' from the voice. "You 'would' fall in love with someone who wasn't speaking to you I bet." Even if she didn't remember who he specifically was, it seemed to fit... The Mutt was enough of an idiot from what she could tell.
'S where your brother got that pendant you know.' Was it now? Well... That was new... The voice continued on, oblivious to her listening as usual. 'You're lucky t' have someone like that,' Katsuya was saying, voice kept quiet as it usually was in recent times. He didn't sound as earbleedingly annoying when it wasn't loud actually... She liked it. Far more tolerable this way. 'Like REALLY lucky.' Hmp!
"...I know that." She did now at least. She wished she'd known sooner quite frankly... Still, Seto thought as she turned back around to look at the remaining pieces of her puzzle, she knew that something was missing. 'Seri'... The man in her memory had called her that, but she heard nothing but 'Seto' all day. What was her name... What was it? Her memories were fragmented, and all she had to grasp were straws... Even when they were literally presented before her she couldn't find the answer, and it was just so... The woman scowled, biting her lip.
If they could just give her her NAME! 'Can you ev'n hear me, Seto-chan?' "Of course I can you moron," she muttered, glaring at nothing in particular. 'M I talkin to a corpse here..?' Seto snapped, turning 'towards' the voice with a snarl. "Don't even begin to think of me as something so pathetic, Mutt!"
To her surprise, the next response seemed oddly like an answer... Or at least an honest attempt to change the subject. 'I don' know if yah knew we were gone...' Of course she did... 'If yah knew where we were...' Of course she didn't, they never told her... 'But if yer in there, shoutin' at me right now, go ahead.' "I'm not shouting," she muttered under her breath, looking down at her puzzle again. 'Prolly deserve it righ' now...' "I'm not..." 'But yah know,' "...Shouting..." 'If yah aren't awake by th' time we go next year, we're draggin yah in th' wheelchair, got it!'
"I'M AWAKE!" Seto's cries echoed around the room, her face livid as she shouted at the voice, the mutt. All these hours, days, weeks in this place, this terrible place where time didn't even pass... Listening as people spoke around her, begging for her to do something that she couldn't do, no matter how hard she wanted to..! "I'M HERE! AND I'M LISTENING!" No response. Nothing... "SAY SOMETHING! ANYTHING!" Just talk to her as though she was there and listening instead of as a bucket to spill someones soul in... There was room for only one soul in here after all damn it... The woman shook, falling to her knees. Degrading degrading, so degrading and she didn't even care anymore... No one was listening, no one could hear her scream... It wasn't like in the memories where she could simply say something and it was done, or say something and bottle up her rage...
Chuckling echoed around the room; but Katsuya's laughter was forced, and she knew it. 'Hey, Seto-chan,' he was saying, still quiet. 'Did yah know? Talkin' teh Yug' earlier, and he thinks I'm different. ...Like... 'More adult' different. Hah!' As another bout of forced laughter echoed around her, she scoffed, turning her head down. "You are 'different', moron... But not 'adult' different, that's for sure..." Or was he? It was hard to picture the Mutt as even more immature than her memories of him.
'I can't be tha' different right?' Had... Had he heard her? She looked up again, eyes wide. Was it possible that... Somehow... Seto's expression of shock quickly died to be replaced with disappointment, followed by annoyance as the voice continued. 'Still stupid enough teh talk to someone who can't hear me after all...' No no no no NO! God damn it! She was not a wall! "WILL YOU LISTEN," she finally roared, fists clenched as the pent up frustrations of her current prison finally caved in around her. "LISTEN! STOP CALLING ME A CORPSE! STOP CALLING ME DEAD! I'M STILL HERE," she shouted, face red as she raged to nothing but darkness. "I'M STILL ALIVE!"
Always alive... Always.. Alive... Nothing would change that... She wouldn't let anything change that, she wouldn't die in here...
'You're really beautiful, you know that?' What..? Seto's anger filled expression softened, her eyes wide with confusion at the statement. Beautiful... No one ever called her that, no one ever even approached her, disguise or not, to say that. Then again, a small voice in the back of her mind, the same one that had constantly told her she could easily just hop through the 'window' to escape, told her. Then again, you never let them near, did you? Beautiful... She didn't know what to make of that... It was one of those words that she could easily ignore, toss aside... And yet... It was one of those words she never, never heard, she knew that much. Not when her facade was that of a male, certainly not... Particularly not when..
Seto turned her gaze downwards again, staring at the puzzle with a faded stare. She'd done terrible things... Unforgivable things... "No I'm not..." Regardless of physical being, she deserved no compliments. 'Really... Heck, I bet if you didn' end up with Gozaburo you'd 'ave had yer pick!' A sad frown, and she continued shaking her head. "No I'm not... I wouldn't..." 'Not that ye probably don' already... I... I mean... Yah obviously don' want someone like me, given your usual comments...'
The woman growled. "And you're right Mutt... So why don't you just leave me ALONE!" She wanted him gone, she wanted him to stop talking to just stop stop stop reminding her of the unfinished puzzle and the memories she didn't have! To stop reminding her of this pit she was locked in, and just let her get on with things! Silence... For a split second at least.
'Yah know,' the Mutt continued, ignoring her unheard voice yet again, 'We should go out sometime... Like... Not out out obviously, but more like...' She raised an eyebrow, looking up at where the 'window' would normally be with a confused frown. Was he seriously... Was he...
"What the hell are you saying, Mutt..." She listened as he continued, eyes narrowing. 'Like... Watch a movie here 'r somethin'. I dunno...' "Gh... Hnhn..." She smirked, eyes narrowing in slightly sadistic mirth. "Ahahaha! Oddly courageous tonight Mutt... First you call me 'beautiful' and now you're asking me out..! If I didn't know better, I'd say you really did fall for someone ignoring you! AHAHAHA!" She continued laughing, only for the sounds to fade and eventually cut off with a sad frown. Why... Why did she feel worse for laughing at that fact than she did before..? That wasn't like her at all, was it?
As she pondered these thoughts, something 'white' appeared in front of her. She frowned, only slightly listening to Katsuya now as she reached for it. 'Yah know,' he was saying. 'I don' actually know anything about yah...' It felt hard, the object in the light. Cold, like rock. "Of course you don't know..." No one is supposed to know. Not even her own brother... But...
Know what? She didn't even know what she was talking about, memory after memory affecting her mind... The voice continued. 'Prolly not surprisin, but it makes it hard teh get yah an early birthday present.' Her birthday? When was that... She knew, from her mind, that it was somewhere in the fall... But the voices and the faces and the words all blurred together in those memories... The only clear form in them now was her brother, and aside from that... "Of course..." Of course he didn't know...
'Pretty sure yah ain't inta yo-yos...' She snorted, pulling the object in her hands close as the blinding light refused to die down. "Got that right Mutt," she muttered as he continued, going on about the only trick he knew. 'Walk the Dog' huh... "Hmp! It figures you'd only know that one, when you seem to refuse to let anyone else walk you!" 'I ain't a dog, got it!' "Whatever you say, Mutt," she said softly, having effectively given up on making her voice heard by now. Pointless... Completely pointless...
And still, he was talking. Pathetic, moronic dog... 'Anyways... I guess what with all I don' know, it figures,' he said, Seto staring at the object in her hands as the light finally dimmed. Her eyes widened as a few details came through, a slight shocked frown coming over her face. "This is.." 'I'd end up makin' one of your stupid dragons...' She bit her lip, holding the clay dragon close. It was perfect... In everyway... "Moron! The Blue Eyes White Dragon is the Ultimate monster," she forced out, voice low. "Nothing defeats it! It's not stupid, like you are!" White and majestic and flawless in every way...
'Least no one died f'r this one.' She stared at the dragon, falling silent as she returned to her puzzle. That's right... Her three dragons... Someone died didn't they? In her memory... She'd hounded one of the owners until...
The warmth was disappearing. So then, it was time for him to leave again. She snorted, turning away from the 'voice' again. Good riddance! Maybe next time he'd have the sense to keep his mouth shut! And then...
'G'night, Seto-chan... See yah later.'
"Gh... Gn..." Why... Why was she crying! The dragon in her lap glowed, shifting into another puzzle piece as she cried. What was this? She never cried, never! Not for anything, or anyone! "Ka...Katsuya..." She didn't know any other name for him... It was the only thing she heard from Mokuba, and Mokuba was the only one she could believe besides the Mutt, and given the latter's stupidity and annoyance... "Katsuya," she said, holding her puzzle as she put the piece in with an honest smile. At first glance, it seemed nothing had changed. But the tears vanished, and an aura of calm filled the darkness as she took in a calm and steady breath. "..."
"...Thank-you."
For some reason...
She had no doubts that she was heard that time...
AN: And then world exploded, because Kaiba was being nice. Is she being nice? Man, it's hard to tell, but compared to her completely horrific attitude earlier... OOCSeto is like a... A butterfly. Or something. I feel like I either tried too hard to make Kaiba a girl (Which insults myself at the same time since... I'm a girl...), or that I just flew off on a completely bizarre tangent and didn't bother to fix it. And then... I end up wondering 'But did I?' and things kinda sorta fix themselves. Almost.
You'll tell me if I've pulled a 'stupid' right?
Usagi's Manga & Japan Corner/Guide
The title, if you haven't guessed, is a reference to the main female role of the play 'The Sought For Grave', which showed up in the last chapter. Even though it's a really, really long stretch to compare anyone to her, the reference is still there; mostly because Unai is obviously a ghost, and Jonouchi is essentially speaking to a corpse right now. (Regardless of what Kaiba insists right now.)
Honda not being around is a reference to the fact that... Well, he really wasn't around at this time. At all. Doesn't show up in both the 'Clock Solitaire' chapter (Which is Yugi and Anzu's 'date' at the amusement park...) or the next one. Speaking of those games... When Yugi is talking to Jonouchi about being worried about Anzu's crush, he references that Clock Solitaire chapter; essentially, Anzu spent a fair amount of it trying to get the 'Other Yugi' to appear... And managed to get herself stuck on a rigged ferris wheel with a recent terrorist. (The terrorist was caught after Yami Yugi successfully won the game by gathering four Kings within the time limit... While the corresponding gondola on the wheel failed to explode.)
The second 'game' occurs when another kid actually steals Yugi's puzzle, in order to force him to play a game that... Quite literally costs lives. It's a dragon card game; the looser gets his soul sucked into the jar. Yugi actually looses the first time, and barely gets his hand on the puzzle in time for Yami Yugi to take host of the body and win Yugi's soul back... As the jar only has room for one soul. Ohhhh and might I just say that Yugi actually leaves the soulless body behind? Wowwww... Wonder how that went down... ('Hey, did you play a game with anyone yesterday? Cause apparently they found a body and...' '... -whistles-' )
The birthdates are, much like the favorite and least favorite foods, completely accurate. To be specific, Mokuba's birthday as mentioned last chapter is July Seventh, his brother/sister's birthday is October 25... On another note, Jonouchi's birthday is January 25. Had he and the others been American, this would mean that, if he and Kaiba were in the same grade, he would be older than Kaiba by a good few months. However, since the Japanese school year begins in April , it might actually the reverse case; if enrollment in Japan goes by the 'If your birthday is after the School Year begins, it counts' rule (In that people who were born after school begins would be the oldest, people before the youngest), then Kaiba is actually older than Katsuya by a few months. If the rules go with the standard year however (January would be oldest, December youngest), then this isn't the case.
Speaking of schools; in the last chapter, Akie and Shizuka mention (In passing), that they're glad Jonouchi is still in school. This may come off as a shock, but High School isn't actually mandatory... Oddly enough, while students have to pay to attend highschool though, 90% of teens in Japan still go. It helps that education is so important there though. (At least you know why Kaiba can get away with simply not going to school later on though.)
Yugi's conversation with Jonouchi at burger world is another reference to a conversation that hasn't happened yet; specifically, during the very beginnings of the Duelist Kingdom, he mentions knowing what his 'other self' is feeling, even though neither he nor 'Yami' can actually speak to each other until much later.
See how I bolded 'ultimate' up there? AHAHAHHAA (Ok, that foreshadowing wasn't funny, I apologize. ... AHAHAHAH...)
Well, that's this chapter... Expect some real progress next chapter everyone! See you!