Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I only accept constructive criticism.
10-10-2-Do-Me
Chapter 23
Standby Time
The way Duke and Malik were looking at Isis made her want to crawl under a plane taxiing on the runway. "Please, do not look at me like that…"
"How can we not?" Malik began, snatching the envelope from Duke to look at the note written in English. "This is a handwritten note Isis." He narrowed his eyes inspecting the uniform letters in blue ink. "His handwriting is perfect…what a psycho…"
Duke snatched the envelope back, "What did I tell you Isis? Guardian angel. Maybe I need to get you tattooed on my body for future protection."
Isis covered her burning face with one hand, "Please do not get my face tattooed on you." She side-eyed Malik through her fingers.
"Oh my gosh Isis, I agreed it was a bad idea which is why I didn't get it." Malik was very emotional but also very drunk when the idea hit him.
"You were in the tattoo chair with the stencil on your calf Malik!"
Malik shrugged in defeat (she was right) but not in apology (he was rarely sorry).
"I wouldn't get your face, but maybe one of the forms of the goddess Isis?" Duke stared off into space, mapping out the design in his head. "I think that would look really cool."
"The goddess Isis is known for being a friend to the…downtrodden." Malik's tone was beyond rude.
"I thought you weren't talking to me?" Duke crossed his arms.
"Isis, do you hear something? I believe you and I were talking about the deity you're named after." Malik didn't even give Duke a single glance.
"Can we not do this right now?" Isis finally lowered her hand, getting her wits about her. "Let's go inside—"
"—and get on your sugar daddy's plane? I agree." Malik ignored the scathing glare from Isis and enjoyed the blush instead. He grabbed his bags and started heading inside the terminal, not waiting for Duke or Isis.
"Wait…how could he be your sugar daddy? Aren't you older than him? Does it still work if you're older?" Duke had the nerve to pay attention to such a minute detail.
Isis chose not to respond and instead headed inside.
Duke wheeled his items next to her. "So uh, I've been checked out on this trip, but you and Kaiba—"
"—I can assure you nothing happened between us. His graciousness is by no action of mine." Isis knew this was a half-truth, but she hoped Duke was just hungover enough to be more invested in sleeping on a bed in a private plane, than investigating her truths.
"Oh, OK…" Duke shrugged as he pulled out his phone checking his messages again. "Works for me." He nearly dropped his bag responding to a message.
"Are you texting Mako?" Isis casually asked as she spotted Malik making a beeline towards what appeared to be their person.
"Uh, yeah," Duke distractedly replied. "We have a lot to talk about."
Isis wondered what that meant but was more distracted by what was transpiring to scrutinize.
The trio walked into the airport to spot a man in a well pressed suit. He had a shiny gold nametag on. Underneath his name, it read: 'Millennium Gaming Co. Personnel.' Said man greeted them in English before guiding them to a golf-cart with a luggage wagon attached. He helped Isis load up her suitcase, while the guys placed their own items in. Once done, Duke rode shotgun to the assistant while Malik and Isis rode in the back.
The trio arrived at a much less trafficked area of the airport. They went through security and had their bags scanned. The gentleman loaded them back up in their cart and off they went through a service corridor. This led them directly out onto the tarmac where a private jet was waiting in the distance. It was white with a blue ombre starting from the middle of the craft. MGC in gold cursive was written on the tail. The company representative stopped at a long blue carpet rolled out from the stairs into the jet, and directed them out, telling them to get on. Immediately airport workers came over to take their luggage out of the wagon and load it up.
Isis cautiously walked the blue carpet, not sure if this was what they did for all who used the jet, or if this was specifically requested. When she reached the stairs, she slowly took each step, her legs feeling shaky. She walked into the plane and was surprised to be greeted by a captain as well as two women working as stewardess. The captain was handsome and middle aged, wearing a classic pilot's uniform except that it was baby blue, with white accents instead of the traditional navy and gold. The stewardess also wore uniforms in baby blue. They had on baby blue pencil skirts, blazers, and small pilot hats. This was paired with white blouses, heels, and ascots. Their painted lips were pulled into genuine smiles as they motioned Isis further inside.
"As your captain, I would like to personally welcome you onto the plane." He bowed to Isis; she returned the bend.
"Welcome to Mr. Kaiba's plane," one of the flight attendants greeted. "Make yourself comfortable."
The carpet was a deep royal blue, accented with clean white chairs and walls. The floor and ceiling were lined with blue guide lighting, giving a futuristic feel. The front housed six rows of two row seating with seatbelts. It looked like first class seating. In the middle area was a room with two curved white couches facing each other, with blue throw pillows, and a glass coffee table between them. A few steps from that area had booth style seating, some with tables for dining, others without. Past that were two bedrooms with king size beds done up in clean white linen, plush royal blue carpet, and small desk areas for business to be done. This was followed by two bathrooms with full showers.
"Whoooaaa," Duke gushed from somewhere behind Isis. "I thought he was going to give us some knock-around plane, not this."
Malik immediately placed himself in the 'circular couch' area.
Isis sat down beside Malik with a heavy sigh, looking around. She felt…strange.
"This one is better than Pegasus'," Malik looked up at the ceiling of the craft to the blue mood lighting. "His was so generic. This one has character."
"It really does…"
"Don't sound so excited about it." Malik placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you OK?"
Isis gave a dry laugh, "How would you feel if you were in my position?"
"Flattered?"
"But of course."
A flight attendant walked over with a bottle of champagne while the second had two flutes in her hand. "Mr. Kaiba always provides champagne for takeoff after a successful business deal."
Malik's smile was beyond condescending, "And what a success it was."
She popped the cork and started pouring while her coworker held the flutes. "He said none for Mr. Devlin."
Malik snorted as he took his glass. "That's probably for the best, thank you."
Isis took hers, "Thank you." As the women walked away, and Isis turned to Malik. "Champagne?"
Malik was already drinking his down. "He's pulling out all the stops for such a great business deal." He rolled his eyes, taking another large gulp. "We both know it's because you started doing squats. Single bun booties don't charter planes and charm CEOs."
Isis thwacked Malik on the back of his head.
Duke returned to the sitting area from exploring and grimaced at the champagne, before taking a seat beside Isis.
"This is your captain speaking," came in clear and crisp through the overhead speakers. "I have been given the OK to have our attendants close and lock the doors. We will be taking off shortly."
Isis stared out the window, watching as they taxied along the private airstrip, her flute of champagne in hand. All of this felt very surreal for many reasons. But before she could even get into those thoughts, the flight attendants returned.
"Please direct your attention to the TV." They stood on either side of the couch room as a large flat screen TV dropped down from the ceiling.
The TV seemed to be showing some type of commercial, at least, that's what the trio though. It showed a very corporate blue and white lobby, with a large statue of a Blue Eyes White Dragon in the center of a large fountain. Many were walking about as the camera slowly panned out. The scene then changed to a tarmac where a slow shot of the plane was shown, while infomercial music played in the background. A petite woman with copper skin, chocolate brown hair, and big green eyes, wearing one of the baby blue uniforms, came into view walking up the stairs to the personal jet. She had a big smile on her face.
'Hi, I'm Mana Morcos, wife to Yami Morcos and cousin-by-marriage to Seto Kaiba-Morcos. Welcome to your flight provided by Millennium Gaming.'
"Wait…" Duke blinked a few times. Did they really have their own welcome video?
'You are currently on Kaiba's plane – I'm sure you can tell by all the blue.' She then gave a charming giggle as the scene changed to her walking through the plane, 'I'm here to talk about safety, as that's always the top priority whenever my husband and cousin choose to transport such precious cargo as clients, affiliates, and friends. Please direct your attention to the flight attendants present, as they'll be directing you as I give instructions.'
Not only did they have a welcome video but Yami's wife starred in it? Isis couldn't believe what she was seeing as Mana talked about where the exits were located, the flight attendants pointing accordingly. She even heard Malik chuckle when Mana put on the life jacket and started fake swimming around. Was any of this real?
After all the safety information had been given, the next scene was Mana sitting on the very seat Isis was. 'I hope you enjoy your flight and if you need anything, do not hesitate to flag down one of the attendants. The captain will also be available as needed. Thank you for choosing Millennium Gaming for your business and gaming needs.' Mana then looked to her left.
The camera panned out to find Kaiba sitting on one of the chairs looking utterly done. Legs crossed, arms crossed, but looking handsome with his hair upswept in an all-white suit and blue button down. 'Enjoy your flight.' He promptly stood up and walked away, leaving Mana to wrap things up.
She smiled and waved, 'Safe travels and see you soon.' It cut to black showing a gold MGC spinning in front of a white screen.
The flight attendants led them to the front seating area for takeoff. The three took their seats and put their seatbelts on. Duke slid his shades on, the busy morning's activities catching up to him and his hangover. Malik had already downed his flute of champagne and had somehow commandeered Isis'.
Isis was staring out the window, watching the last bit of Japan she'd see for a while. She couldn't believe how the trip started versus how it was ending. She felt overwhelmed – much more overwhelmed than when they first landed. Too many things had changed, shifted, and swapped without her consent. She watched as they sped up, before that familiar push back into her seat physically told her they were taking off.
Once they were at their cruising altitude, Duke excused himself to one of the bedrooms. He had zero intentions of being awake the entire flight. Meanwhile, Malik was sitting in the curved couch area, fully spread out. He had a bowl of popcorn on his lap; he was using a game controller to scroll through every game Millennium Gaming owned, distributed, or had a deal with on the large TV.
Isis was still in her take off seat. One of the flight attendants stopped by to make sure she was OK, before moving on. But Isis wasn't OK. Why did Kaiba provide a plane like this? Was this his way of showing his interest or rushing her away from Domino? She unbuckled herself and moved through the cabin to where Malik was. Her brother was in the process of playing as a scantily clad woman, hacking away at her opponents in what looked like a dystopian Feudal Japan.
"Malik, I'm going to lie down."
"Isis." Malik paused the game and patted an area of the couch with his foot.
Isis begrudgingly sat down. "What?"
He poked his socked foot into her side. "When's the wedding?"
"Shut up Malik."
The blonde looked at his sister with a devious smile. "You told me nothing happened." Despite the teasing, Malik was kind enough to switch to Arabic for privacy purposes. The flight attendants were roaming about after all.
"And nothing did happen," Isis returned sternly in their native tongue.
"If nothing happened, why is he giving us a plane?"
"He is not giving us a plane; he is letting us use it temporarily."
"You knew what I meant."
"Did I?"
"Don't get petty with me Isis Ishtar…Kaiba Morcos—"
"You're a terrible child." Isis felt her face warm yet again.
Malik giggled happily to himself. "Will you be hyphenating your name? Kaiba seems to be into that."
Isis chose not to respond.
"You're blushing like a schoolgirl. Are you sure nothing happened between you two?"
"Are you insinuating sex?"
"No, I'm implying you said something."
Isis' poker face was on. "What do you mean?"
Malik easily saw through the neutral expression. "You may not know this, but you can be demanding."
"I am not demanding."
"You demand me not to leave wet towels on the floor; you demand me not to rev my motorcycle after midnight—"
"—wet towels mildew and how many times do the neighbors have to call the police on you before you wise up?"
"First of all, I can leave my towels in my house wherever I want. Secondly, me and Officer Chopman are on great terms. I'm tattooing him next month."
"Well, these demands as you call them, are not unreasonable."
"Which is exactly why I know you said something to Kaiba." Malik sat up, being mindful of his bowl of popcorn. "Don't ever think your demands are bad – I'm being shameless about the things I listed."
"Clearly."
"Okhti, you demand people to be better. While I'd rather shove Duke out of this plane and watch him fall helplessly to his doom than agree with anything he's said, I do have to admit he's right: you have been a malak this trip. You've intervened with purpose and compassion, which paid off."
"That's very kind of you to say."
"Kaiba must be a casualty of your 'thoughtful rationale' if he set this up, because as he said in the note, this wasn't for us."
"He said this wasn't for Duke…"
"Isis don't play dumb; you know that includes me. We both know he did this for you."
Isis looked down at her complimentary white slippers, listening to the hum of the plane. 'Thoughtful rationale' – is that what she was known for? Looking back on all her campaigning during her time in Japan, she had to accept Malik was right. But did she really reach Kaiba, or was his 'PS' just another smug jab to Duke? Or worse: he wanted her out of his country because of what she said. Her mind was leaning more towards the negative.
Malik watched his sister continue to watch her feet. "We'll have plenty to talk about when we get home." The last thing he was going to do right now, was push his sister on the matter. They all deserved to get home, decompress, then further discuss.
"Thank you for understanding."
"Thank you for mind-fucking a billionaire into a private plane ride home." Malik's wail of pain was barely contained when Isis gave him a firm pinch.
Isis abandoned her now whining brother, heading for the second bedroom of the plane. Before entering, she decided to check in on Duke. She tapped the sensor pad by the door and watched as the door slowly slid back. It was pitch black in the room. Not only were all the windows closed but Duke was also wearing a sleep mask. She closed the door back and went across the walkway to the other bedroom. She lied down on the bed and stared out the window. There was a thick blanket of clouds that reached as far as the eye could see. Before she could even start to overthink, she fell asleep, the events of the past few days finally catching up with her.
Millennium Gaming Corporation
"Mr. Kaiba sir, airport personnel on line 1."
Kaiba immediately answered and put the worker on speaker. "Update me now."
"Hello sir, everything went well. Your guests were expedited through security. I personally drove them out on the tarmac to the plane, just as you requested."
"How was the plane?"
"Professionally cleaned, inspected by the mechanics, and staffed with the English-speaking stewards as you wanted. The best pilot was also on board."
"And the…" He cleared his throat feeling his ears pink at the tips, "bag?"
"It will be presented to Ms. Ishtar an hour before they land."
"Good." Kaiba immediately hung up.
He swiveled his chair around and stared out the window, his heart racing. All his planning was coming together, and he wasn't sure how to feel. He was debating leaving the office for a few hours to take his mind off things. Maybe he'd text Joey and go to his gym – he needed to burn off his anxious energy. The telltale ding of the executive elevator and the doors opening put Kaiba on the defense. Immediately he stood up.
Yami strolled in with his face glued to a tablet. "Good morning."
"I'm leaving – what do you want?" Kaiba speedily activated his out of office and emailed his team of secretaries.
Yami was still rapidly working off his tablet, "Where to?"
"The gym."
He paused giving Kaiba a curious look, "Joey's?"
Kaiba nodded, locking his workstation.
"Perfect. I'll go with you."
"That wasn't an invite."
"I'll drive." Yami tucked his tablet under his arm.
Kaiba got up and accessed a keypad locked closet in his office. He grabbed his gym bag and closed the door back, the automated lock engaging. "Fine."
The ride down to the garage was occupied with Kaiba answering last minute emails via phone and Yami having a quick video-call conference via his tablet with a small table of lawyers. Kaiba made sure to also send Joey a text to make sure he was at the gym. They got off the elevator and Yami pressed his key faub, starting his crème white Bentley Continental GT and popping the trunk remotely.
Kaiba placed his gym bag inside the trunk spotting Yami's. He closed the trunk and got in the passenger side, placing his seatbelt on. He eyed the dark chocolate interior with the crème colored leather seats. He felt like he was sitting in a dessert, an awfully expensive dessert.
Yami, whose seatbelt was already on, was fiddling with the high-end dash. He finally completed whatever he was doing because he placed the car in reverse.
"I'm shocked you can reach the peddles."
"Rather than insult me," Yami pulled the car behind another executive that was leaving but engaging the gate guard. "Why not tell me about your day." He reached into the center console and produced a pair of expensive sunglasses, placing them on his face. He gave Kaiba a small tilt of his lips, "Well?"
Immediately Kaiba regretted riding with Yami. Was it too late to get out of the car?
"Don't even think about getting out of this car." Yami was finally able to roll through the gate, giving the security guard a head nod that was returned with a bow. "Now, how is your day Seth?"
"Don't start with that Seth bullshit."
"How can I not? You are Seth when you're at your boldest. Mischievous, plotting – would you not agree?"
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Don't waste time, Yami."
Yami gave Kaiba quite the excited look. He made a left turn and joined a line of traffic. "Accounting CC-ed me on an email…apparently we chartered one of our planes this morning."
Kaiba was fully aware Yami would be updated on what he did. "Yeah, and?"
"And since when do we escort someone like Duke Devlin back to the States? Apart of the email was his voucher from the airline he already had tickets for."
"First of all, there is no we in this. I used my plane for this, and I contacted my airport personnel."
"This is true, but we share the guest budget, so I am a part of this financially."
"I'm sure it really put a dent in your goodwill meetings coming up. Spare me Yami, you're just being nosey."
Yami lowered his chin smiling in an oh so charming way, "If you know this, why do you tease me Seth?"
"Because I'm mischievous," was the very condescending reply.
Yami chuckled, "You chartered your plane for Isis, yes?"
"I'm not going to state the obvious." Kaiba stared out the window watching Domino pass by in the mid-morning light.
Yami gripped the wheel in surprise, "Oh, so it's obvious you would charter a plane for her?"
Kaiba hated his tone. "What do you want to know? Ask a real question."
"During pillow talk, mratee Mana, alerted me of a social media post from one of her business friends. You remember Mako Tsunami."
Kaiba was instantly reminded of Mana being a sous chef in Tokyo before becoming a full-time mom; the restaurateur world felt too small right now. "What about the freak?"
"He posted a photo of he and Duke at his restaurant last night. I didn't know they were friends."
"Duke has friends?"
Yami ignored the jab and continued, "This morning Mokuba posted a picture of his breakfast. It was clearly a dinner dish, but he tagged 'Malihini' and Mako, thanking them for a, and I quote: 'bomb ass breakfast of champions.'"
Kaiba groaned. Why was his brother such a douche?
Yami tapped his chin in mock thought, "So imagine my surprise when I got an email from accounting of the receipt of chartering Devlin and company back to the States, after getting all of these clues."
"Clues? You're a detective now?"
"Maybe." Yami was still grinning. "So, did you see Isis last night?"
Kaiba just stared out the windshield.
Yami's smile grew as he watched the road. "She was at the restaurant with Duke?"
"Nope." Kaiba couldn't hold his tongue when it came to telling Yami he was wrong in any capacity.
"Then where did you see her?"
More silence.
"Seth…" Yami's tone conveyed a happy conclusion. "You went to her hotel?"
Once more, silence.
"Why are you being like this?"
"Like what?" Kaiba casually picked off nonexistent lint from his pants.
"Fine, you leave me no choice. I'll have to reach out to Duke for the information."
"Do it."
"You're not concerned?"
"Devlin's completely out of touch. He's either been drunk or drunk off Pegasus' self-importance. He won't remember a thing."
"There's something for him to remember?"
"You're grasping at nothing."
"So, what you're saying is I should go straight to the source and ask Isis herself?" Yami almost flinched when Kaiba slowly looked up from his pants, giving him an utterly murderous glare.
"I fucking dare you, you little troll."
Yami's smile was infuriating. "Then tell me about your romantic evening with Isis at her hotel."
"It wasn't a romantic evening."
"Were there not roses, room service, and champagne?"
Kaiba frowned, realizing Yami most likely wouldn't let up this time. He was irritated but not backed completely into a corner. "You know what Yami? Fine. Yes, I did see Isis at her hotel. No, nothing happened. Yes, I did charter the plane for her. Are you happy?"
"Happy? I'm jubilant." Yami's cerise eyes lit up in a way that told Kaiba his co-CEO was already spinning stories in his head. "What's next Seto?"
"Next?" Kaiba cocked his head. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"My dear cousin, you do not act so ostentatiously unless there is more to come."
Kaiba shrugged, "This is it."
Yami blinked a few times behind his shades, "What do you mean 'this is it'?"
"It means exactly how it sounds."
"But you chartered a jet for her."
"You and I both know that's not a big deal to me." Sure, he sounded snobby and spoiled, but it was the truth. Grand financial gestures were not something Kaiba thought twice about.
"Money, no, but your time and effort was applied. You do not waste your time or put in effort for something to just end…so abruptly."
"Spin this however you want but this is it." Kaiba glanced down at his phone as it buzzed in his lap.
"I refuse to accept this is it."
"It doesn't matter." Kaiba opened his messages to find a text from Joey:
'Hey, I am here. You guys comin' to work out?'
'Yeah. Where are you?'
'Come to my office when you get here.'
'Cool.'
"It can't end like this Seto." Yami wanted to press the matter but wasn't sure how to go about it.
Kaiba ignored him. "That was Joey. He said to come to his office when we get there."
The mention of Joey visibly changed Yami's disposition. He nodded, "Very well."
The remainder of the ride was in silence, which didn't last that long as Joey's large fitness center could easily be seen in the distance. Its modern architecture blended perfectly with the hip area of Domino. It was wrapped in glass; the first two floors showed the people who enjoyed being watched working out, while those on the upper levels could see out, but strangers could see in. A large circular dome stood off to the side showing a large room with tall climbing walls that currently had quite a few people in harnesses, traversing the different levels.
Yami pulled the car into the large parking garage across the street. He and Kaiba retrieved their gym bags from the trunk and quietly made their way over. Upon entering the chilly building, they were greeted by dulled red brick walls, a long black front desk housing at least five workers, and hard wood floors. Those behind the desk were all wearing designer colorful fitness wear and nametags. Behind them was a large sign done in neat graffiti font that read: Wheeler Factory.
"Welcome back Mr. Morcos, Mr. Kaiba." One of the women nodded her head in their direction. She motioned to the elevator. "Mr. Wheeler is waiting upstairs." She set a keycard on the counter. "Please take this to access the employee elevator."
Yami walked over to the counter, flipping up his shades. "Thank you." He grabbed the keycard and walked over to the employee elevator where Kaiba was already waiting. "Would it kill you to smile to Joey's employees?"
"Yes."
"You're impossible." He swiped the card and pressed the up arrow.
The doors opened the two climbed on. The elevator was surrounded in steel and glass, giving off a very industrial vibe. On their ride up, they could see into almost every level thanks to all the glass walls, or opaque dividers. This design was intentional for the employee elevator as a way for the workers to keep a better eye on things. On their ride, they passed a yoga glass and Yami's eyes lit up.
"Kaiba we—"
"—No."
"Why you're so against yoga is beyond me. You would probably benefit from limbering up and balancing your energies."
"You would benefit from shutting up."
Yami gave a very pouty glare but chose no to say another word.
The elevator dinged, opening to the worker area. It was a large space with glass offices lining the walls. They were all facing a large center area that had table seating, two small food kiosks; the floor was made of a soft material to where some people were sitting around picnic style. Off to the side of this was the large entrance to the employees only locker room. A few of the workers craned their necks to watch Yami and Kaiba walk across the indoor quad. The two were well known for coming in, but people still got excited when they did.
The largest glass office and only one you couldn't see inside of, is the one Yami paused at, knocking on the door.
"Come on in."
Yami opened the door to find Joey sitting behind his light wood modern desk, with a single laptop on it. Off to the side was a small bookshelf with fitness, health guides, anatomy, and organic cookbooks. Behind him were large shelves of awards gotten for his gym's contributions to the community and fitness. There were photos with famous athletes he's met or trained at his gym. There was also a large photo of Mai with a high ponytail, wearing a pretty pink colored sports bra, leggings, and tennis shoes; this was from a time she posed for a campaign she did for Wheeler Factory. Yami and Kaiba both knew Mai was the reason the photo was even in the office. Joey wasn't one for decorating and outside of those items, as well as two chairs before his desk, the place was pretty much empty.
A brunet was sitting across from him. Said person waved to the incoming visitors.
Yami's face lit up, "Tristan, I didn't know you were here."
Said brunet had a tan complexion, with almond brown eyes. He was wearing a red tracksuit and simple tennis shoes. But his hair… Kaiba didn't understand why anyone would keep their hair in that upswept fin like style. Why did this guy look familiar?
"Hey Yami," Tristan gave the man a large smile and clasped hands with him. "How have you been?"
"Good." Yami hopped up on Joey's desk taking a seat. "I thought you were out of town."
Tristan shrugged, "I was. I had a race out in Italy."
"That's what Miho told Mana." Yami motioned Kaiba in, "You remember Kaiba."
Kaiba, who was still standing in the doorway, at least entered the office enough to close the door. He glanced at Tristin before looking out the one-way glass walls of Joey's office, watching the fitness gurus enjoy their break time.
Tristan's eyes narrowed and a small smile came on his lips. "You don't remember me, huh? I suppose I look different when you're not speeding past the gate."
Gate? Kaiba looked back at the kid, his memory banks digging deep. Suddenly it hit him: the security booth kid at Yami's neighborhood. The annoying one. "…"
Tristan continued, "We were supposed to formally meet at the 'Buy In 500' but Joey told me you'd already left by the time he came down to the track. I'm surprised I've never seen you at one of Mana's brunches."
Kaiba briefly remembered 'security booth kid' making comments about Mana's cooking. But what would he be doing with track access to the 'Buy In 500'?
"Tristan was the kid on the blue and white BMW HP4. You remember." Joey gave Tristan an impressed look. "This guy got picked up by the Honda Racing Corporation."
"Notable." Even Kaiba had to admit that was no small feat. Their treasured Repson Honda Team, to date, had the most Grand Prix World Champion wins under their belt.
"Once he's shown them what he's got, they'll add him to the Respson team, I just know it."
Tristan seemed bashful by all the praise from Joey. "Thanks man, we'll see. I'm just proud that I got on with the company."
"Celebrations are in order," Yami announced.
Tristan fiddled with the seam of his pants. "Now that I'm signed, my schedule's kind of swamped guys." He looked up with an apologetic smile. "It might be a while before I can meet up…"
"Then we'll keep it simple when the time comes. Come to my house." Yami looked back and forth between Joey and Tristan, "Bring Miho and Mai. Mana will cook."
Joey nodded, "That sounds like a solid plan. Just let us know when you can. You know me and Yam', we can show up when given the word."
Tristan gave them both a pleased grin, "I will! Something like a dinner we could probably do soon." About that time there was a loud buzzing. Tristan dug his smart-phone out of his pants and frowned. "Oh shit, listen, I have to go. My trainer will be here soon." He was composing a text back to said trainer. "I lied and said I've been running on the treadmill."
"When really you've just been runnin' ya mouth."
"Shut up Joey." Tristan waved to the room, still all smiles, "I'll see you guys later." He left the office closing the door back.
Kaiba watched him cross the quad, a few workers giving him thumbs up and shouting congratulations. It was obvious he was a regular.
Yami sat in Tristan's empty chair across from Joey. "How exciting – has he told Miho?"
"He's tellin' her tonight. He got the call this mornin'."
What—who were they even talking about? Kaiba was beyond confused. While Yami loved taking in strays and no doubt did so when he met Tristan at that security booth, he wasn't sure how Joey played into this. Then again, Joey himself was a stray in Kaiba's opinion.
"Seems you two are friendly with fin-head."
Joey rolled his eyes. "Already with the insults, ey?"
"That hairstyle is unacceptable."
"Says the guy who dyed their hair green—"
"—shut the hell up Joey." Why wouldn't anyone let him forget about that dark, dark time in his life?
"Tristan has been to a few of Mana's brunches," Yami started, "you'd know this if you consistently attended – anyway, he started bringing his girlfriend Miho. Mana is very taken with her as was I to Tristan. He told me he was an aspiring professional racer and mentioned he was looking for a new trainer, his old one having retired."
"That's how I met him," Joey interjected. "Yam' reached out and I told him to send Tristan here. He's a cool guy – really dedicated to his job. He's been racing since he was 13."
"Didn't know you two knew so much about booth kid."
"Tristan," Yami corrected, "is becoming a close friend, yes. The girls have hung out a lot. His girlfriend Miho works at a maid café in Tokyo. Rebecca mentions stopping in to see her when she has time coming and going from work."
Kaiba felt like there was an inner-working social circle orbiting him. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, or why it was even pestering him in the way it was.
Joey stood up and stretched his arms high above his head. "You wimps' ready to work out?"
"Wimp?" Yami raised a brow, "I'll have you know I have my children sit on my back while I do pushups."
"Still too cheap to buy work out equipment?" Joey joked as he walked over to the bookshelf. He removed a rather large anatomy book reveling a keypad. He punched in a few numbers and the bookshelf swung out reveling his private locker room. There were five black lockers lining the wall, with a golden oak bench in the middle, and a large mirror on the opposite wall of the lockers. Around the corner was a large shower, bathroom stall, and sink.
The space had been Kaiba's idea, telling him 'every CEO needed a secret room.' Yami was a still trying to figure out where Kaiba's was in his office.
Yami continued once inside, "Who needs weights when you have kids?" He opened his bag and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Have you ever bench pressed a toddler? They're heavy and they wiggle for added excretion."
Joey chuckled as he unbuttoned his Tokyo Giants jersey. "I'll take your word for it, Yam'." He pulled his under shirt over his head, ruffling up his hair. He glanced past Yami to spy a shirtless Kaiba digging out a workout shirt from his bag. Joey gave a low whistle, "Damn Money-Bags, you've been following my workout routine, huh? You almost look as good as me."
Kaiba felt his ears burn at the compliment and shot Joey a glare.
Yami chuckled as he inspected his cousin, "You're right, Kaiba does look almost as good as you."
Kaiba rolled his eyes, not even addressing the comment.
Joey opened one of the lockers to neatly folded workout wear. He picked a few items before he went to look in the large mirror on the other side of the lockers. He flexed his hard-earned body. Out of all of them, Joey had always been athletic whether it was street fights or when he played baseball in high school. Unlike Yami and Kaiba, he's had abs for years.
"I can't slack," Joey turned around to check out his back muscles. "Not even with this wedding bullshit."
"How is that going?" Yami asked as he hopped on one foot, trying to get into his gray joggers.
"Shitty." Joey pulled his white compression shirt on and pulled on a matching white headband to smooth his blond hair back and away from his face. "We've ironed out a few things but she's still a bridezilla."
Everyone knew Mai was high maintenance, a wedding must have put her in overdrive. "I can only imagine," Kaiba muttered to himself as he pulled his workout shorts over his black compression pants.
Joey worked his white shorts up his gray compression pants, "You have no idea."
"Remember Joey: once you see her coming down the aisle, all the burdens will be swept away." Yami zipped his bag up and also put on a headband for any stray curls.
"Did ya feel that way during the first, second, or third ceremony?"
Kaiba snorted, looking over to find Yami playfully glaring at Joey.
"I felt that way at all three, thank you very much."
Kaiba tied up his tennis shoes and placed his bag in a locker, setting the code for it to lock.
"As far as I'm concerned, Mai better look damn good coming down that aisle with the shit's she's putting me through." Joey sighed and sat down, straddling the bench. "I'm glad ya guys came today. Haven't been able to talk about this stuff too much." He gave an annoyed smile, "A lot of my buddies can't get past the boobs and the legs to understand she does have a personality…a personality I can rumble with, ya know?"
Joey's headstrong NYC mindset easily clashed with Mai's fiery Miami attitude. Both could be beyond stubborn and often bickered instead of calmly talking things out. "Understatement," Kaiba muttered.
"Big understatement," Joey echoed.
Yami sat down on the bench as he pulled his shirt over his head. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"
Kaiba leaned against his locker, waiting for Joey's answer.
"Nah, never that." Joey looked around the room, as if searching for the answer. "I know wanna marry Mai but all this drama of the weddin' is stressin' me out. I knew there would be a lot shit she'd wanna do – she's really been lookin' forward to this. And I get that, but damn, can we plan this without all this extra shit?"
"What would the 'extra shit' be?" Yami politely asked.
Kaiba almost cracked a smile. Yami always sounded ridiculous quoting Joey.
"Do you know she wants to have two engagement parties? One here in Japan and another for the States."
Yami nodded, "This is why Mana and I had three ceremonies. We both come from big families and it was the only way to make sure everyone could attend the festivities and be happy. Mai's reasoning is just." Yami was no stranger to the family politics of weddings.
"I knew you'd agree with her." Joey rolled his eyes. "Mai does come from a huge family. Me? Not so much – most of those bastards got cut off decades ago."
"What about your military friends?" Yami asked. "Aren't most of them in the States?"
Joey sighed, "I swear ya been ease droppin' on Mai and I's conversations. She said the same thing."
"Two engagement parties will be good. The one here in Japan can be informal since it'll only be friends. You can handle the stuffy family affairs back in the US."
Joey nodded, "See, if Mai would put things like that instead of cussing me out in Spanish, I'd get it just like that." He snapped his fingers.
"Communication is hard during these times, but don't give up Joseph." Yami gave an encouraging smile. "Also, you're Spanish has improved if you know what Mai's saying when she gets upset."
Joey chuckled, "I know more curses and insults in Spanish than I do anything else."
"I'm always here if you need me, Joey."
"Thanks man, I can always count on you." Joey glanced over to find Kaiba still standing there, silent as always. Despite the silence, Joey knew Kaiba was agreeing with Yami. He knew he could count on either one of them if he really needed it. "I can count on ya both really."
"Where would the engagement party in the US be? I'm assuming Miami?" Yami asked.
"You would be right."
"Will the ceremony be here in Japan?"
Joey groaned, rubbing his temples, "She wants to have a destination wedding."
"On top of two engagement parties in two different countries?" Kaiba piped up.
Yami glared in his cousin's direction before looking back to Joey. "Don't get yourself worked up. Where does she want the wedding to be?"
"Cuba. She wants to get married where her grandparents did."
Kaiba blew air through his nose, as if to say 'this is ridiculous.'
"OK," Yami was going over the details, "You have the engagement party here…fly to Miami for the family one. You leave from Miami to Cuba for the wedding—"
"—then after the wedding fly to the south of France for the honeymoon." Joey dramatically fell back on the stool. "I'm exhausted just thinking about it. My poor, poor bank account."
"It will be exhausting regardless of multiple locations, believe that Joey." Yami sighed, "Do I regret all the things I did with my wedding? No. Was quite a bit foolishness and waste of time? Yes. Was it what was best for my bride? Yes. After the fact you won't have regrets, especially when you wake up next to Mai Wheeler."
Joey sighed, "That's what I'm trying to remember." Slowly he sat up to find Kaiba smirking in the corner. "Don't be so smug Money-Bags, you'll be in this position soon enough."
"I doubt that."
"Oh, you just wait. Any girl worth chartering a plane for will get her multiple parties."
Kaiba froze where he stood, looking between Joey's curious face and Yami's grinning mouth. "You fucking told him."
"Joey is our dear friend. Why wouldn't I tell him you found a woman?" Yami was smirking, pleased the topic boomeranged back to Isis.
"She's really pretty too MB." Joey stroked his chin, "Not sure what kind of lady I'd pin ya with, but she's a pleasant surprise."
"…You know what she looks like?" Kaiba begged himself not to freak the fuck out.
"Mana and Mai wanted to see what she looked like," Yami shrugged. "They did a little social media digging."
"They know too?!" Kaiba felt dread creep into his limbs. Isis' image had not only been shared behind his back but now he knew she had a personal page lurking on one of the many social media platforms. "Did Mana or Mai share Isis' profile with anyone else?"
"I believe Mana did with Rebecca," Yami calmly stated.
"Rebecca?!" Kaiba wanted to shake Yami silly.
Joey gave a nervous laugh, "No need for the theatrics MB. You know how Mana and Mai are. They did the same thing to Rebecca when she and Mokuba started dating."
Joey had a point; Kaiba remembers Yami sending him a link to Rebecca's social media. Little did they know Kaiba had already done his own background check on the girl. Had to make sure Mokuba was safe.
Joey gave Kaiba a peculiar stare, "Did ya not want us to see her?"
The question punched Kaiba in the gut. No, he didn't want them to see her and he knew exactly why. He just didn't want them to know why. He relaxed his shoulders. "Gawk all you want since you don't have lives."
Yami rolled his eyes, "Yes of course, the ye old 'we're obsessed with you' tantrum. Besides, it shouldn't matter if this is 'where things end' with you two."
"Things end?" Joey parroted. "You gotta be kiddin' me. Kaiba, say it ain't true."
Kaiba rolled his eyes instead of responding. Yami and Joey really were overreacting.
"You finally show interest in someone and ya just wanna throw it all away?" Joey shook his head.
"I'm not throwing anything away."
"So you say," Yami grunted.
"Did we come here to workout or talk about something that never started?" Kaiba was over this song and dance. The whole point of coming here was so he didn't have to think about Isis. These two were ruining that and in a big way. He was ready to watch his running thoughts go up in the ashes of his burning muscles.
Yami stood up, "Fine. I guess what's done is done."
"Oh, before I forget, fuck you Kaiba." Joey's tone was extremely casual as he stood up.
"What now?"
Yami rubbed his face knowing exactly why he was disgruntled. "Malik. Joey's apparently a big fan of Malik…a detail I failed to remember when we met him."
Joey began counting off on his fingers, "I follow the Black Crown Ink pages; I follow all of Malik Ishtar's social medias, and I've been callin' for weeks trying to get an appointment set up for the tattoo I want. Meanwhile you assholes are partyin' with this guy and seducin' his sister."
"I didn't seduce anyone!" Was Kaiba's knee jerk reaction.
"Real weak defense there, pal."
"Listen," Yami began very diplomatically, "As I told you before, I will rectify the situation. I'll reach out to Duke. I'm sure he will be even more in agreement after Kaiba's kind gesture. Consider it one of my many gifts to you, as the best-man."
Joey sighed, "I hope you can. There was a tattoo party while he was here; a lot of people online are sayin' they're willing to fly to Vegas for the guy. I hope you can make something happen."
"Do not doubt my abilities. I'm sure Malik would love to do a favor for a pending relative."
"You're an asshole." Kaiba was halfway tempted to shove Yami into a locker.
The three finished dressing, placing their respective items in the lockers. They exited through Joey's office. While crossing the quad, Joey occasionally had to pause to speak to one of his employees, or simply be high fived by those on a workout high. Though Kaiba wouldn't say it, he was impressed by what Joey was able to create. This place was his blood, sweat, and tears. It was a gamble when he initially opened but Joey was always about taking risks, win or lose. This was not only a big win but proved to all the naysayers Joey wasn't just a lucky idiot.
They took the elevator to a VIP gym room only elite members had access too. The floors were a dark wood, the walls that custom brick. Every machine and item needed to get the best work out was present. There was even a juice and smoothie bar. The place was almost empty, only housing a few other businesspersons and semi-famous personalities.
Joey stood behind a bench, spotting Yami as he pumped a barbell. Kaiba stood off to the side with the free weights, thinking about how his tiny circle now knew about Isis' existence down to her looks. He was pretty twisted up about it, but he'd get over it. Because in his mind, the worst part was how they'd all gotten a glimpse into her life he'd yet to se. What would her social media pages look like? Would she be like Rebecca where she rarely posted? Or maybe she was like Mai who posted daily and always in perfect lighting? Or she was like Mana and had two pages: one just for family, and one just for her? Regardless, he'd find out soon enough because he had every intention of looking. Usually doing a thoroughly online dive into someone was his first instinct, but somehow when it came to Isis, the idea didn't come as quickly as he felt it should've. Was it because he enjoyed learning about her organically? He grimaced at the idea.
"Yo, MB." Joey walked over, a light sheen of sweat across his forehead. "How ya feelin'?"
Kaiba continued his reps, glancing past Joey to find Yami shirtless, his shirt wrapped around his head, running on a treadmill. "Why does he always do that?"
Joey looked over to his best-friend shaking his head. "Ya know Yam', it's hard to keep him in clothes. That's why he's got all those damn kids."
Kaiba snorted setting his weights down to grab another set. He got to work on his triceps.
Joey picked up a few and positioned himself as he started his reps. "So uh…about Isis…"
"Joey—"
"—Let me say what I gotta say." Joey watched Kaiba through the mirror behind the free weight racks. "I'm not tryin' to be in your business, you know that's not my style."
Kaiba remained quiet since that was true.
"When the girls found her profile, I looked because you're my friend, so naturally I wanna know all the details. There was no ill-intent on my end."
"I believe you."
"Thanks." Joey let out a deep breath as he worked his lats. "Why don't you wanna, you know, keep in contact?"
"I never said that." Kaiba glanced over at Yami who was completely in the zone, no doubt getting that runner's high. He glanced back at Joey to find the golden retriever look: his head was cocked to the side, trying to decipher what Kaiba was saying. "Joey, all I said was 'this is it.' Yami took that however he wanted it."
"What's the real meaning behind the phrase?"
"Whatever you think it means."
Joey paused for a moment before he spoke, "You know," he smiled in a way that showed he was reminiscing, "When I first saw Mai dancing in that club in Miami…I felt like a total dumbass…"
"Because you are one."
"Fuck you." Joey continued, "I felt like a dumbass not because I am one, but because she was just…so unattainable, you know? Not because she's got those long shapely legs or a rack like honeydew—"
"—real romantic Joey."
"Sorry…" Joey looked at his blush in the mirror. "Mai's been givin' me the cold shoulder if ya know what I mean…anyway, she felt unattainable because of where I was in my life…and I didn't know where she was in hers."
Kaiba easily understood that. "But you still asked her for her number…"
"Naturally." He gave himself a confident smile, "Ya know how I like to take risks."
"Which is exactly why you got chlamydia—"
"—well fuck me Money-Bags!" Joey got in close to the brunet's face. "Don't out me in my own damn place of business," he angrily whispered. "Besides, I was a kid back then…"
Kaiba shook his head, recalling driving Joey to a 24hr clinic as he cried in the backseat and Yami comforted him, assuring him 'Satan was not in his urethra.'
"Anyway, if I never talked to Mai, I wouldn't be where I am now."
"Blue balled? In the financial red over a wedding?"
"Happy and in love you asshole." Joey plopped his weights down.
Kaiba also returned his to the rack. "Good to know." Before Kaiba could leave to a weight machine, Joey caught his attention.
"Hey." Joey watched as Kaiba turned around. "Whatever 'this is it' means, just know you got a schmuck like me to lean on."
Rather than respond, Kaiba gave him a small nod of the head and made his way over to his machine. He would never admit it, but he felt good that he had an additional ally on his side. Mokuba and Joey were just the right amount of nonjudgmental support he needed. He sat down on the bench, pulling out his phone. He ignored the missed calls, voicemails, and emails from work, and instead accessed an app he created that showed him where his plane was. The flight still had quite a bit of time left and he was still nervous about what would happen when she landed. But right now, he didn't need to think about that. He just needed to get through the day.
The Flight
Isis woke up to something or someone poking her leg. Groggily she sat up, finding the windows closed and the lights off. She didn't remember doing any of this. Looking next to her, she found Malik sprawled out asleep. She smiled fondly at him and got up, adjusting the blankets so they properly covered him. She stretched her arms high over her head and headed for the door, in need of water and food. Out in the dining area of the cabin, a flight attendant was immediately asking her what she would like.
Isis quietly ate her expensive artisan salad and wondered how they had such fresh ingredients on a plane. She sipped from a glass of sparkling water and stared at the darkened sky outside. By the status screen in the area, they would be arriving in Vegas shortly after midnight. She grabbed her phone and went through a few emails and checked on her class schedule for the upcoming week.
"Wait…are you fucking serious?!" Isis glanced behind her to find Duke stumbling out of his room, a shocked and excited look on his face. "Already?! Holy shit…I have to give this guy a big tip!" He belted out an excited laugh quickly covered his mouth. "How soon?" He whispered into the phone. There was a pause, "A few days Mako?!" He glanced to his right and spotted Isis watching him. Slowly he backed back into his room and closed the door.
Isis' intuition once more came to life. Duke was talking to Mako again? Did this have to do with winning Malik back? Or was this another possible deal to go sour? As much as she wanted to get up and ask questions, now was not the time. She could interrogate Duke once they were safely back at home. Instead she finished her salad and went back to the circular couch area.
One of the flight attendants presented her with a complimentary tablet that house thousands of books. Isis swiped through a few and settled on a cheesy romance novel about a woman who meets a man due to a mix up at the dry cleaners.
Duke's door opened again. He looked both ways, before heading to the bathroom in the back to shower, judging by the bag he was carrying.
Isis suspiciously watched him before returning to her book.
When Duke returned in a fluffy robe, Isis once more gave him a skeptical look. He spotted her and quickly went back into his room to dress.
The final time Duke came out of his room, she sheepishly approached Isis. He sat next to her on the couch. "…Hey…"
"Hello Duke." Isis glanced up from her book, "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I did." Duke leaned forward, ruffling a small towel in his damp black hair. "Hey, so, random question time."
Isis lowered the tablet, "OK."
"Do you and Malik plan to be anywhere in the following week?"
"Not that I know of." Isis gave a small smile, "Does this have to do with your phone call with Mako?"
Duke's face was an unbeatable poker face. "Not sure what you mean."
Isis rolled her eyes, "Of course you don't."
"If you could make sure Malik doesn't leave town for the next week, I would really appreciate it."
"After this trip, I'm sure it'll be hard to get him out of his room."
Duke gave an apologetic sigh, "You think?"
Isis nodded.
"Isis…do you think he's going to quit?"
It was Isis' turn to give an apologetic sigh, "I'm not sure Duke." That was true. Malik said a lot of things in the hotel, but only time would tell if he actually followed through.
"Fuck…" Duke leaned back with the towel still over his head. "I'm a piece of shit." He stood up, "Maybe this will change things…maybe it won't…"
"Would you care to tell me what it is?"
"I can't." Duke returned to his room.
Whatever Duke was planning, Isis could only hope it was enough to have Malik thinking differently.
By the time Isis was finishing the sequel to the cheesy romance novel, the pilot announced they would be landing in an hour. She got up and decided to take a shower and change her clothes. After doing so, Malik had returned to the circular couch room and was playing video games until they landed. Isis sat next to him and quietly watched. Duke was in the dining area on his laptop furiously typing.
"Excuse me." One of the flight attendants approached Isis with a big smile and a small blue bag. "This is a gift for you."
"Gift?" Isis was beyond confused. "Is this not for Duke?"
"Not at all." She kindly placed the bag on Isis' lap and returned to her pre-landing duties.
Isis stared at the bag not sure whether to open it now or later.
"What is it?" Malik leaned over trying to see into the bag. Luckily, the white tissue paper hid the contents.
"I'm not sure…"
"Open it."
"No."
"Isis."
"I'll open it when we get home."
Malik rolled his eyes and leaned back, returning to his game.
The group was soon back at the front, buckled in, looking out the window of the gorgeously lit Las Vegas. All three of them felt a level of relief and calm only home could bring. Once the plane landed and the stairs were pulled out, Malik was the first one off. Isis made sure they grabbed everything and came off with Duke. Malik was already waiting in the golf-cart pulling their luggage. They rode in silence across the somewhat active tarmac of the executive airport that was separate from the main one of city. Isis was grateful for this; in a city that never slept, she could only imagine feeling as exhausted as she did and having to deal with the tourists and slot machines inside the terminals. And since they all took a taxi to the airport, they didn't have to worry about picking up any waiting vehicles.
Malik was already on his phone getting he and Isis a rideshare. By the time they gathered all their luggage and made it to the curb, their ride was 5 minutes away.
Duke stood off the side, quickly watching the parking lot. About that time a loud engine revved in the distance and a familiar custom 1991 Ford Bronco equipped with the American flag billowing on the side whipped into the parking lot.
Keith sat in the driver wearing a black bandana and his signature sunglasses at night.
Duke gave a weak smile to Isis and Malik, "You guys want a ride?"
"We're fine," Isis assured him.
Duke nodded, looking between she and Malik, wishing he knew what to say. "I'll see you…later…" He placed his items in Keith's truck bed and climbed into the lifted vehicle.
Keith paused before driving away, clearly expecting Isis and Malik to get in. After an unheard comment from Duke, he revved the engine and sped out of the parking lot. Their rideshare arrived shortly after.
The ride home was quiet and rightly so. They were both exhausted in a way only international travel could bring. Malik quickly typed in the code for the garage, not having the strength to fumble with his keys. They walked in and immediately went their separate ways.
Isis felt out of sorts in her room. She wasn't gone that long but so much happened, coming home almost felt like a dream. She was sleepy despite napping on the flight. She changed into her pajamas and was about to turn off the lights when she eyed the giftbag she left sitting on top of the luggage she needed to eventually unpack. She went over to the bag and took a deep breath in. This was the last piece to this trip. It was time to wrap this whole experience up.
Gently she removed the tissue paper. She felt it crinkled too loudly in the silent home. After removing the paper she found a white piece of cardstock with a hand written note in blue ink:
'You came to Domino City and all you got was this lousy hoodie…'
Isis placed the note down and pulled out a black hoodie with the image of her favorite card, Mudora, on the front. It was a simple garment but why was her stomach fluttering out of control? She couldn't do this right now. Isis turned off the lights and quickly buried herself in the safety of her sheets. A few minutes later she got up, took off her pajamas, and put the hoodie on. She got back in bed feeling cozier and easily drifted off to sleep.
PLEASE READ:
Hello, hello! I am back. I tried to shorten this chapter but decided to keep it longer than my usuals. I'm super excited about where we are in this story, so with the risk of blabbing what's to come, I'll keep things short. Exciting things are around the corner!
Arabic words:
Okhti – Sister
Malak – Angel
Mratee – My wife
Posted especially for:
jtdarkman, sumiko808, BugMan2017, DarksiderForever, Lauradbz, SetoRJK-Kaiba, Lace Kyoko, .585, NocturnaMajora, botanbutton, Zoelle, alamoon, Angelic Reprobate, and xMaiTai. Thank you all so much! I'll return to responses next chapter.
As well as all the readers and lurkers!
Still stands: If I don't get one measly review, no new chapter, however if I do get one measly review, new chapter.
REVIEW!
Well I'm out.