started: 9/30/2020
completed: 10/2/2020
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is the creation of Kazuki Takahashi. No ownership of the canon characters, settings, or events is claimed and none should be implied.
Prompts:
17. Masquerade (31 Days of Halloween)
17. Vanity (100 YGO Themes)
Series: Epilogue: Crackfic Division
Title is a nod to "Chilly Down" by David Bowie, from the Labyrinth soundtrack.
Just Chilly Down
This was a bad idea. Yami was quite aware of this, but since it was Yugi's idea he was resigned to just going along with it and dealing with the inevitable fallout whenever it happened.
"Come on, Yami, cheer up." Yugi's eyes were huge and hopeful, and far too innocent looking for the instruments of doom Yami knew them to be. "It'll be fun!"
Famous last words if Yami had ever heard them. He cocked an eyebrow and tried a last-ditch objection. "Begging for candy is not a proper activity for a king, Yugi."
"Well..." Yugi considered this, digging the toe of shoe into the carpet and somehow managing to look both innocent and far too knowing. "You're not really a king here, are you?"
That stung a bit, though not much. He knew what Yugi meant and could feel through their link that his partner intended nothing hurtful by it. Yugi was just very determined to have his way. (Since Yami quite enjoyed Yugi's well-hidden sneaky side, he couldn't help but encourage it.)
"Once a pharaoh, always a pharaoh," Yami said. He was almost certain they'd been over this before and had a suspicion he was being set up for something. "Even in death we are expected to fulfill our royal duties."
"Mm-hmm. And your duties include looking after the denizens of the Shadow Realm. Right?"
Uh-oh. That was a loophole Yami hadn't counted on Yugi exploiting. From the look on his partner's face, Yugi knew it, too. With a triumphant grin, Yugi bounced over to Yami and handed him the costume he'd selected for the Kaiba Corp Halloween masquerade. Yami had only agreed to attend after making Seto swear in writing that there would be no duels - sanctioned or otherwise - as a part of the festivities. Though it wasn't the party Yami objected to so much as the "trick-or-treating" ritual that preceded it. Yugi, on the other hand, had been practically bouncing with excitement in the weeks leading up to it. Somehow, he'd even convinced Yami that some of their loyal Duel Monsters should also be allowed to attend. ("Everyone will think they're wearing costumes, Yami! It's perfect!")
Now, Yugi fixed him with big violet-blue eyes and the hopeful expression Yami found impossible to refuse.
"Hurry up and get dressed, Yami. Kuriboh and the others are looking forward to their first time trick-or-treating. And they're proud of their costumes so... Just chill out and go with it. Okay? For me?"
As if he could refuse now. Yami accepted the folded pile of fabric - and his fate - with a sigh. Honestly, the things he did for love...
It had taken Yami longer than anticipated to get into costume. Tight pants and make-up were not entirely unfamiliar, but he was unaccustomed to dealing with a modern wig. The ones of the past had been far more cooperative. He had briefly considered refusing to wear the thing (the uneven style wasn't that different from his natural hair, despite the blond color). But then he imagined the disappointment on Yugi's face and kept fighting with the recalcitrant wig until he had the thing on properly.
He'd applied the eye make-up with a deft hand, muscle memory from his past lifetime coming to his aide. The bright cosmetics swept along his brows and temples were nothing like what he had used as Pharaoh, but the eyeliner was comfortably familiar, something he wore even in these modern days.
Snug black fabric hugging his legs, polished black boots on his feet - Though the cut and fabric were different, he could almost imagine that part of his costume as the outfit he had, in the early days of their partnership, often changed Yugi's school uniform into when he took control to mete out justice through a Dark Game. Perhaps the costume Yugi had chosen wasn't so bad, after all, ruffled shirt and lacy cuffs not withstanding.
Yugi had spared his ego in one thing, at least, Yami thought as he adjusted the drape of his glittering blue frock coat. He was still attired as a king... even if the king in question was the Goblin King.
They have a group themed costume, but I like where this ends and so couldn't fit the rest in. Here's the round-up:
Yami = Jareth, The Goblin King
Yugi = a male version of Sarah*
Kuriboh = a goblin (specifically, the round furball goblin included with the 2019 Dance Magic Jareth figure from McFarlane Toys - which my little brother got me for my birthday that year!; you can Google a pic of the figure since URLs don't work here.)
No idea right now who else is going with them, but whoever they are, they're all dressed as characters from Labyrinth.
*Okay, so my first thought was "how do you get Sarah's iconic Peach Dream masquerade look for a guy?" Tuxedo? But that really doesn't do it. Then I found gorgeous pics of Billy Porter on the red carpet in a tuxedo ballgown. Wow! He looks great. (Google it. That gown is gorgeous.) But do I really want to put Yugi in a skirt that full? It would swallow him whole. Reading the articles, Porter says he changed into palazzo pants to go with the tuxedo top for the interviews he was conducting at the event. That works!
So, imagine Yugi in a white/iridescent tuxedo jacket-style top and shirt over flowing, very wide-legged palazzo pants, with everything in the colors/fabrics similar to those of Sarah's ballgown. And, jeez, I put a lot of thought into a costume THAT DOESN'T EVEN APPEAR IN THE FIC. *headdesk*