Summary: "...do I have to kiss guys?"

Otogi was back in town for a visit and he offered up his hotel room for everyone to stay in on one condition - they had to play either spin the bottle or truth-or-dare. Apparently, he'd had fun playing both of these at a friend's house in California.

None of the group had ever played it before, but the rules seemed simple enough. While Yami was slightly apprehensive of the prospect of being obligated to answer a possibly invasive question, he was excited about participating. Fact was he'd probably said more embarrassing things while drinking in the past. At the very least, he was agreeing to this in advance. Surprises were to be expected.

He and Yuugi were picking Marik up, since he was allowed to attend. Yuugi seemed abnormally excited to see their old friend again, outside of the intense encounter with Kaiba in the Game Shop. Yami wasn't sure if it was unsettling or not, but if Yuugi was in a good mood, he would roll with it.

The Ishtars themselves were staying in a hotel of their own, one much ritzier than Otogi's. The Hotel's name was "La Rue D'Argent",and when they pulled up Yuugi seemed very impressed. Firstly, the hotel was set on a hill just outside of the city, not too far from general traffic but enough to make it clear that it had been specially built. The nearest structure was a shopping mall, but even it felt separate from the luxurious aura the hotel gave off. Seeing it at the top of the hill, growing closer as they approached, it felt as though they had been invited to some event for the rich and famous.

Despite his sister's more humble demeanor, Marik always insisted on being catered to whenever he visited Domino. He always picked flashy locations to board in for his trips. But even this place was much more extravagant than Marik's usual choices, and Yami wondered if some special occasion had come about.

Yami could clearly see the valet and the bellboys running around with luggage and other things, dressed impeccably uniforms of navy blue and gold. The patrons they were servicing were caught enough for a second look, as well. Furs, designer bags, and generally wealthy auras all around. There was not a single person there who wasn't dressed formally.

Even the sidewalk was made to glitter in the light, and Yami wondered what had been mixed with the cement to get that effect. The building itself was massive, the windows and awnings lined with lace-like boundaries. Even the flowers planted around the perimeter were exotic - they weren't any kinds that Yami had seen around the city before. Briefly, he wondered if this place was a haven for minor celebrities and the like.

Has Kaiba ever been here?

Honestly, Yami had to urge to go inside and see what the place's interior looked like. He wouldn't have the chance, however. Marik was waiting for them outside, cleanly navigating the throng of incoming patrons.

Marik certainly stood out. He drew the eyes of everyone in the immediate vicinity, especially after he approached their obviously older car. As per usual, though, the looks and whispers didn't affect them. For all intents and purposes, it seemed that there was no one present but the three of them. Marik certainly didn't indicate that anyone else was around. The purpose of his beeline was clear, and nothing else mattered.

"Hey guys," Marik said, opening the door on the passenger side to kiss Yami on the cheek.

Yuugi shot him an inquisitive glance and Yami shrugged, pretending that he didn't feel the pink spreading onto his cheeks. Marik's motivations were his own, and Yami preferred to simple not talk about them.

With everyone in the car, they retreated, heading towards Otogi's much more reasonable location. Not too fancy, not run down at all, just comfortable and inviting. Yami didn't feel like a pauper stepping into it. There were children and families moving in and out of the location, and it reminded him of some of the places he had stayed with Yuugi before. This was much more his element.

Otogi was the first person they saw in the lobby.

"You guys are the earliest?" he laughed. "Wow. Just on time. I don't think that anyone else will be."

He checked his wrist, adorned with a silver watch, for the time.

"It's just nine. How's work been lately?" he asked. "Hey, Marik," he added.

"We closed early," Yami answered, "since it's Sunday."

"You guys are open on Sundays?" Marik looked surprised.

"It's an odd day," Yuugi explained, "but it works. A lot of regulars are in on Sundays because they're busy the rest of the week, and some of the students, too. We're thinking about doing trades every other Sunday, or special sales. We need the extra money and we seem to have the fan base."

Otogi nodded. "My store's thinking about it as well. Haven't made up my mind if I want to or not. I don't have very many people I trust to take over while I'm gone, but I wouldn't want to be there personally. Do you guys want to go up to the room early and wait? You don't have to stand down here with me."

"I'm good," Yami said. Yuugi nodded agreement and Marik shrugged.

And so they waited.

A concierge asked once or twice if they needed help but they declined. Otogi asked Yuugi about classes; they were hectic but good, and Yuugi revealed that he felt a bit apprehensive about getting a "real job" in a year or so to get experience in his field. What was his major? Classics, with a minor in Anthropology. Yami had heard that before, but Otogi's made it sound like a big deal on this occasion. The two talked for several minutes about the whats and whys and hows.

Marik was pretty quiet, occasionally walking off to explore the lobby of the hotel.

Mokuba showed up next, ten minutes later. He was dressed in a simple T-shirt and lighter jeans than usual; his hair was pressed out but smoothed back into a ponytail that reached down his back. He was without the concealing leather jacket, toying with the ever-present loose strand of hair hanging on the left side of his face.

Otogi explained that people were running late, as per usual, and a few calls were made. Jou was on his way and so was Honda.

"What kind of snacks you got?" Mokuba asked. "I'm hungry."

"Didn't eat after work?" Yami asked, trying to seem casual.

"No, I took a nap instead. I was exhausted. You know how work is - it's KaibaCorp, after all."

In all honesty, any sense of work ethic seen from Kaiba was on the surface only or from descriptions from Mokuba himself. Other than the description of "developing technology", Yami wasn't entirely sure what all of the different departments of the corporation actually did. Though pulling all-nighters was annoying, even he'd done that before. There had been several nights in the past where he and Yuugi would have to stay up to do inventory. Usually, that was because they delayed the task until the very last minute, but...

"Hello Mokuba," Marik said, trying to sound a bit more easygoing than usual.

Yami had to remind himself that Marik had been the only one missing upon Mokuba's return. The two hadn't been reintroduced. Mokuba made it very clear that because of the events of Battle City, he was not particularly fond of Marik and was reluctant to trust him in any capacity. Just seeing him talking to Yami the other night seemed to have thrown Mokuba off.

It appeared to do something similar in this instance, too. Yami watched Mokuba closely, saw the posture stiffen when the voice directed the greeting at him.

"Hello," Mokuba managed to reply. For what it was worth, the response didn't sound nearly as awkward as he looked. There was no grating edge and his expression was still fairly slack.

"How are you?"

Fingers wound in long, black hair a bit more quickly, pulling a bit more tightly. "Fine."

Yuugi's cellphone rung, and when he answered, Jounouchi burst through the doors of the hotel, a familiar face in tow. "Sorry I'm late Yuug'. Ended up pickin' up an extra package to make this game thing more interestin'." He gestured behind him, and the woman with him stepped forward.

"Long time no see," the sultry voice greeted.

"Mai? Valentine?" Mokuba asked.

His eyes flashed to her chest for a nanosecond and Yami suppressed a scowl. So stereotypical.

"And who are you, stranger?" she said coyly but politely.

Yuugi laughed next to him when it was apparent that she didn't recognize him. Jounouchi laughed, too.

"You don't remember me? Have I changed that much?" Mokuba put a little work into looking disappointed, padding himself down as though to find some magically altered feature.

Otogi joined in the laughter, and even Yami couldn't resist a chuckle. When the two of them first ran into each other, about a month ago, he hadn't recognized Mokuba either. At least, not from the back.

Mai seemed to be thinking very hard, a hand on her chin, and she replied, "I'm really sorry, but I don't..."

"Hey guys!" Honda burst in behind them, jumping onto Otogi's back from behind and ruffling his hair. Several of them started at his announcement, and the woman at the front desk stared disapprovingly at them. Otogi seemed to swat at Honda for a few seconds, twisting and turning, and then gave up.

"That's Mokuba, babe," Jou chimed in.

Her eyes brightened with the revelation, and everyone laughed before taking a moment to greet each other. Yami himself received several hugs, including one from Yuugi simply 'just because'. For the most part, everyone gathered around Otogi, since he'd been absent for the longest amount of time.

"Marik, is that you?" Jounouchi asked cheekily. "...what is hedoing here?" It was subtle, but brown eyes glanced at Yami for just a second.

It was pretty easy to read Jounouchi, but they would have to talk about it later. The last time that Marik took time to spend with everyone regularly was because the two of them were together. That was not the case this time, and Yami resisted the urge to roll his at the assumption.

"He's in town at the moment," Yuugi said, although that much was obvious. "We invited him."

"I'm not after your souls, I promise," he said smiling. "Really. That's it. I'm just here to have fun with the rest of you."

The joke earned him a few chuckles.

Yami patted him on the back. "See? This kitten's harmless. Now where's Anzu?"

Otogi shook his head, talking over the rabble of small conversations that were rising between their groups. "That's everyone! Anzu's upstairs already - she's setting up food and stuff."

The room was nice and spacious and had quite a view - they were up on the 40th floor. It was more expensive looking than the simple lobby let on, and there were several roll-away beds scattered throughout. Otogi had done his planning well. "I tried to get enough beds for you all, but some of you might have to share. I managed to get six, and only really because I tipped housekeeping a little extra..."

"That's fine with me," Marik said. "I wonder who I'll get."

Yami didn't have a large enough bucket for all of the sweatdrops in the room.

There was a work desk in the corner, appropriated for holding food and drinks. Stacked in the middle were several boxes of pizza. Anzu had the alcohol organized neatly on one side and non-alcoholic drinks on the other.

"On the house?" Mokuba asked. He reached towards his pocket. "I don't mind, though..."

While Yami was sure that he meant well, having two corporation-owners squabbling about who should pay for what seemed rather petty to him. Normally when people didn't mention money, it meant that no one else should, either.

"On the house," Otogi confirmed with a smirk. Mokuba made his way to the pizza, hugging Anzu and taking a few slices. "I got plates and cups and ice, too. I'm pretty sure we're good."

"Sweet," Jou replied.

Everyone else was settling down in the room, Jou taking a chair, and everyone else settling on spaces on the floor or the vacant beds. Anzu was the most excited, greeting Yami as he took his place on the floor.

She hugged him, and they exchanged hellos before she asked, "So, did you guys decide what you wanted to play?"

"Both," Mokuba said while chewing. "Back in New York– " he swallowed. "– in New York, we combined the two. It's pretty easy. You spun a bottle and had to ask the person that it landed on truth or dare. If they choose date, the person who spun the bottle can kiss the person themselves or redirect it to someone else. If they chose truth and can't answer within ten seconds, then the person who spun has to dare them to do something. There are some others rules I can suggest, too."

"What are the choices?" Marik seemed rather confused. "Why are we spinning bottles, or...?"

" It's 'Truth or Dare'," Yami said, "and 'Spin the Bottle'."

That didn't seem to make it simpler. The look on Marik's face made it clear that he hadn't heard of either of them. "Oh..."

Until Otogi had explained the rules to Yami earlier in the week, he hadn't heard of them either. It was nice to not be the only one. Technically, it wasn't particularly a game at all. There was no winner and no way to lose. But Yami had a feeling that the distinction was being ignored on purpose, so he didn't mention it.

"I like Mokuba's idea," Yuugi said. "It's a nice combo."

"Yeah," Jounouchi said. "I don't want to kiss Honda, though. Bleh."

"I'll have you know the ladies love these lips!" Honda shouted back.

"Children," Mai huffed, addressing the both of them. "I'm in, though."

"Can't wait," Anzu said. "Alright, grab your food before we start."

"Rules," Yuugi chimed in. "No good without rules."

Mokuba stood in the corner next to the food, and Yami felt like he was avoiding Marik by standing there. It was a little irritating having to watch him at such a distance. "No exceptions. You haveto do the dare or answer the question. We're all friends here, so we shouldn't be dicks to each other."

"No illegal dares," Jou suggested pointedly, with a grin.

Honda bristled a bit. "Seriously, though ...do I haveto kiss the guys?"

Here we go.

Yami rolled his eyes. Everyone looked to Otogi, the unspoken proctor, who hadn't said a word since the beginning.

"Um," he said. "I mean, it doesn't have to be anything weird. Like on the cheek or something if you feel weird about it? ...I want to say yes, but... Honda, man, if you're really that uncomfortable– "

"I just don't do it. I don't want to."

"Then don't," Mokuba snapped. "We do outnumber the girls here. Chances are pretty high. I guess we could re-direct undesirable kisses? Or you can choose a truth. That's why I like smooshing them together. You get options."

"We don't have to play if you don't want to, Honda," Yuugi said.

To Yami that was a ludicrous suggestion if not also a bit offensive. Things could get complicated. He couldn't recall a time when any of this had ever come up in conversation, really. When everyone found out that he and Marik were an item no one had said so much as a peep. But no one asked about it, either. Sex and relationships were just not something that they all felt comfortable discussing with one another. With Honda's reaction being so extreme, it was a little difficult to refrain from imagining what he would have thought of him and Yuugi. Or him and anyone for that matter.

He glanced at Mokuba and sighed.

"Or... we could get more girls, you know," Otogi said, smirking. "Jou, what's your sister doing?"

Jounouchi laughed and shook his head. "...you're shitting me, right?"

"Not really. Is she busy?"

The idea of bringing someone else over just to make the odds of kissing a girl higher for Honda just was a little much. But Yami sat quietly and watched.

"...I guess I could call her." Jou's eyes were on Honda, thinking.

Yuugi seemed to be thinking about it as well. "...maybe... I could..." That was a little surprising. Who else could he call that Yami didn't know?

It was hard to resist asking, so Yami didn't. "Got someone to call, Yuugi?"

"...maybe."

Yami wondered if it was a classmate of his. Yuugi did sometimes go to social gatherings for classes; the two of them didn't spend as much time together as they used to. Even Yami knew a few people outside of their little circle - not that he would call any of them close friends. People that he only saw when going out to drink were not quite eligible for that title.

"Oh, I know! I'll call Miho," Anzu said. "She might be free."

"You still talk to her?" Jou asked. Anzu nodded.

"I'm afraid most of my friends are guys," Mai added. "I don't think I can help you there."

Jounouchi shot her a glare, but she ignored it.

"Even with Miho," Mokuba added, seating himself next to Yami, "you're still outnumbered 2 to 1. Are you alright with that?"

"More for me," Mai replied with a smile. Anzu nodded, already on her phone. The only problem was Honda, who appeared a little more than happy at the addition.

Good enough, Yami supposed.

"I'll throw on a movie while we wait," Otogi said.

Everyone sort of broke from their group orientations, plates full of slices and glasses filled, into smaller groups. Yami was rather torn, with Marik on one side and Mokuba on the other. It would have been much easier if they liked each other. But he wanted to be consistent: Yami subtly brushed his hand against Mokuba's.

The smile on his face was enough for Yami to know he appreciated it.

Jounouchi and Honda were drinking with Yuugi, and even Anzu shared a wine cooler with Otogi; Mai stuck with soda. Marik and Mokuba together probably finished half of the pizza by the time Miho arrived.

She was dressed in a cute lavender sweater, and she received a very warm welcome. There was the issue of Yuugi and Yami to explain. Otogi told a short version of their story that introduced Yami as well as Mai, Marik and Mokuba. In the end she was still confused, and they ended up letting her believe that the two of them were twins. It was just simpler that way.

Although she seemed shy at first, due to being quiet, Miho did like the idea of modified rules. Furthermore, she had heard of (and supposedly played) both games.

It wasn't long after she got settled in that they began; Otogi produced a die that they used to roll for who went first: The result: Marik and Jounouchi were tied for first - they both rolled sixes. The two of them rolled, and Marik came out the winner with a five to Jou's own three.

"Wait– " Mokuba asked. "– how many rounds of this are we going to do? When are we going to stop?"

"Three," Yami said. It was a well-rounded number. "We've got ten people. That's a long round unless everyone asks questions." He smiled wickedly.

There was more allure in being able to pry for information than he first thought. The idea of being able to learn more about his friends was nice, but so was the ability to put them in an awkward position.

"I want to know all your secrets..." he added, and received several nervous glances in response.

And so it began.

Edited 5/18/15 - I mostly just cleaned this up a little. The content is pretty much the same. Original commentary below.

So, yeah, about this...It's technically part one of two, because I didn't want it to be so long. It's connected to the last one, as well, but this and the next one together are going to be a whole story. I'm actually using a random number generator to decide who lands on who in this game. I think I'm a little too invested in this...

This is prompt #5.