Friday came around without any further 'incidents.' True to his word, Bakura insisted on acting as a 'bodyguard' for his landlord; walking him to and from his school every weekday. Ryou seemed a bit embarrassed at first, but his protective escort insisted it was all just a part of his 'handyman duties.'
True, Bakura Touzokou didn't like seeing others being bullied. But he also felt a bit of personal pride whenever Ryou acknowledged his efforts with grateful words. The former street punk wasn't used to such niceties... the only times he'd even been addressed by his name in foster care was when he was being blamed for something (whether he was guilty or not). He'd almost taken to resenting his name by the time he'd run away. But just hearing the appreciative tones of his new landlord led him to slowly re-evaluate that bitterness.
Ryou's words also gave him a bit of a motivation. He'd even secretly scoured the 'Want Ads' in the local paper the other day. But nothing seemed suitable for his skills.
'Sh*t.' The white-haired deviant frowned as he dropped the current newspaper back on the kitchen table. 'It's the same as yesterday... they all want college degrees. And I don't even have a high-school diploma... damn.'
Perhaps sensing distress, Kiyoko hopped up onto one of the kitchen chairs and gave an inquiring mew.
"Prrr-ow?"
The calm and patient demeanor of the feline reminded Bakura of her owner. He sighed and gave her a soft pat. "'Snothing, Kiyoko. 'Mfine." The tired youth slumped down in the opposite chair. "Justh thinkin'..."
The despondent job-hunter continued to absentmindedly pet the pleased cat until he heard the front door opening. Bakura jumped slightly before quickly hiding the newspaper beneath the other mail on the table.
"Bakura? I'm home!"
"Kithen!" He called out his location, pleased to hear that his voice was finally getting some volume.
"Hey, Bakura! I stopped by the shops on Namura Street, and I bought you something!" Ryou smiled impishly as he held up a brown bag with a faint logo.
"Er, tanks." Bakura's voice still sounded like he was gargling gravel, but Ryou seemed to get the gist anyway.
"You're welcome!"
Bakura pulled out- well, something. He was confused- what the heck was this thing? It seemed to be made of thick black fabric; but it was far too small to be a shirt or pants.
Ryou grinned. "I thought you might like to wear this the next time we go outside!" He took the object from Bakura's hands and began positioning it on Bakura's head.
'Ok, gonna go with 'hat' then.'
Ryou nearly dragged him into the bathroom before gesturing to the mirror. "I thought black would look really cool on you- especially with your eyes and hair color. Oh, and if you want we can get stuff to put on it- like patches or safety pins."
Bakura turned to gaze apprehensively at his reflection. He was enjoyably surprised by what he saw.
The hat looked like a clipped beanie, only with a short brim attached to the front. It had a black color that looked rather bold when seated on top of his stark-silver hair. The material had a slightly 'roughened' look to it, as if it had already been worn many times before.
It certainly wasn't a look that he would ever have picked out for himself, but it wasn't bad. And with the brim lazily pulled down over his right eye, it covered most of his burns (the parts not touched by the distressed fabric fell under the brim's shadow).
Ryou was beaming up at his guest, clearly dying to know what he thought.
Bakura couldn't resist letting his guard down around his double. He managed a rough grin and tousled the other's hair.
"Perlfect."
Ryou gave a light laugh before re-shaping his hair. "Oh good, I'm glad you like it! By the way, I was wondering if you'd be up for a little outing tomorrow..."
The swathed teen gulped- he knew the weekend started the next day, and any place they went would likely be more crowded. But he gave a single nod as he waited for Ryou to explain.
"I thought of someplace rather quiet that I think you'll enjoy... it's right along the most popular bus route, so we wouldn't be stuck there if you don't like it..."
Bakura was still rather uneasy, but Ryou assured him they wouldn't be out any longer than he wanted to be. So the next afternoon, the two white-haired youths hopped on the #71 Domino bus line to their 'mystery' destination. Bakura kept nervously tugging on the brim of his new hat, hoping it covered enough of his face. Less than ten minutes later, they reached the stop that Ryou had in mind.
"Ta-da!" The smaller teen gestured proudly to the ornate old building lying in front of them. "Presenting, the Domino City Museum!"
The former street thug stared blankly at the institution. He didn't need to voice his disbelief; his lopsided look said it all.
"Oh, come on, Bakura; at least give it a try- I promise you won't die of boredom!"
Bakura was still a bit annoyed as Ryou paid for their tickets- seriously? A museum?! But the outpatient found himself oddly entertained by the comments Ryou made on everything as they passed through the exhibits. Sometimes his remarks were serious but weird; other times he was clearly joking. Occasionally some things fell in-between, but Bakura didn't mind- it was still amusing. He soon found himself chuckling along with his witty 'tour guide's' observations.
"It says here that Ancient Romans used coins as currency- and they had holes in the middle so that nobles could sew them to their clothes! Wow, that's kinda gangster!"
"It says here that some penguins mate for life- but surely they must do other things, don't they?"
"There's a lot of foreign opals- wow, there's a really big one from Brazil. Hmm, when they polish it, is that called a 'Brazilian Wax?"
"'Please touch this exhibit only with your eyes'- well, that sounds painful and unsanitary."
There were hardly any other visitors that day, so the pair were free to speak as loud as they wanted.
Bakura was startled when he realized how much fun he was actually having- in a museum, of all places! But Ryou had a knack for pointing out the more interesting exhibits, and he poked fun at the boring ones.
They ate a late lunch in the museum cafeteria, before moving on to the hall of ancient Grecian statues.
Bakura actually made most of the jokes in this hall, mainly about the statues being 'stoned' or 'hard.'
He loved the way Ryou blushed at the more off-color remarks. Despite the other's crudeness, he still laughed, and encouraged Bakura to keep making them up. Which the other boy gladly did- the flush on the pale angel's face was adorable.
'Eh?' There was a strange noise from the overhead speakers on the gilded ceiling. Both the pale teens looked upwards as a middle-aged female voice sounded over the PA system:
"Attention patrons: the time is now 4:35 and the museum will be closing in 25 minutes.
Thank you for visiting, and please come back soon."
Ryou gasped and glanced around quickly. "Oh, we really lost track of the time! I almost forgot to show you my favorite exhibit- we have to hurry!"
Bakura was a bit taken aback when Ryou grabbed his hand and guided him to a different hall.
He was even more surprised when they reached the displays and the boy didn't let go.
Not that he minded.
"I've always loved looking around the 'Hall of Gems'- they've got some breathtaking samples, including a priceless Canary diamond!" Ryou explained, his enthusiasm well-evident. "Have you ever seen a Hackmanite stone changing color? It's amazing!"
Bakura pulled out his old cell (they'd talked quite a lot during lunch) and quickly typed out: /You mean the stone actually changes colors?/
"Yes! It's incredible! Oh, I have to show you the exhibit- it cycles every few minutes, so you can see the changes from dark purple to pale blue and back again!" The over-eager teen managed to pull the other towards the farthest corner of the exhibit. Bakura pulled his new hat slightly lower as he was guided through the mostly-empty gem hall. But his self-conscious tendencies were forgotten as he stared in awe at the color-changing Hackmanite.
"It's got such a strange name, doesn't it? But it's beautiful..." Ryou gazed at the vibrant gem as the display's back-lighting slowly turned from 'day' to 'night' settings.
Indeed, the stone's color changed from a dazzling, rich purple to an almost eerie bluish-white in a matter of moments. "Quarried in Quebec, this Hackmanite stone is a rare form of Sodalite that changes from deep violet to almost pure white depending on the surrounding UV rays."
/Fascinating.../ Even the cynical outpatient was awed by the strange gemstone. /Although you're right about the names- 'Sodalite?'/
Ryou turned to face his partner with faux-seriousness. "Well, everyone says you should only drink 'Soda Light' when you're looking to get stoned."
Bakura let out a rough groan at the bad joke, but grinned at the giggling punster anyway. /Nerd./
"You say that like it's a bad thing! Oh, and here's the birthstone displays!"
The pale pair shifted their attention to the glass cabinets only a few feet behind them- Ryou began scanning the middle stones with interest.
"Hmm... let's see... my birthday is in September... that means my birthstone is Sapphire."
Bakura was disappointed when his landlord let go of his hand, but watched as Ryou knelt down in front of the display. His delicate index finger trailed over the etched descriptions to the appropriate engraving. "Here we are... 'Sapphire'." Directly above lay a very deep blue stone behind thick viewing glass. "The sapphire is said to represent wisdom, calmness, stability, and serenity."
/Sounds fitting/.
Ryou smiled and shrugged before adding: "By the way, when's your birthday, Bakura?"
Bakura wordlessly pointed to the first sign that read: 'January- Garnet Stone.' A dark red stone, almost blood-like in color, sat above the etching.
"Hmm, the Garnet stone- 'said to represent strength, energy, passion, and protection'." Ryou looked up and gave a light laugh of amusement. "They sound almost like opposites, don't you think?"
Bakura smirked. /Don't they say 'opposites attract' or something?/
The other boy gave a grin, his face mildly flushed. "Something like that." His smile dropped as he glanced back at the red stone's description. "Wait, there's more- 'the Garnet stone can also bring out hostility and intense emotions."
Puzzled, Bakura glanced back at the short etching. He couldn't see where those words were engraved. /Wait, where are you even reading.../
A faint smirk appeared as Ryou continued talking. "It also indicates that the bearer is impatient and brash, prone to impulse decisions, and secretly cuddling with stuffed animals every night..."
/THAT'S NOT ON THE PLATE!/
Snickering, the shorter youth shook his head. "Sorry, Bakura, I couldn't resist."
/Oh yeah?/ The amused outpatient couldn't hide his own grin. /Then wait 'till I read yours again- I think I missed a few-/
"The museum is closing in three minutes. Please make your way to the main exit using the staircase to the right of this exhibit hall." A bored, middle-aged security guard listlessly intoned toward the two laughing visitors.
"Oops! We lost track of the time again- sorry, sir!" Ryou grabbed ahold of Bakura's hand again as they headed towards the ornate staircase. He gave a somewhat mischievous smile at his cohort as they made it to the museum's main exit. "Sorry, Bakura- looks like we don't have time for you to re-read my birthstone properties after all!"
/Tch-/ The only mildly-annoyed punk typed as they stepped outside. /You planned that, didn't you?/
Declining a direct answer, Ryou looked sideways, his face slightly tinted. "Well, I guess that just means we'll have to come back some other time- seeing how you didn't 'die of boredom' today, right?"
Bakura gently squeezed the pale digits resting against his right palm. /Only if I have the same tour guide./