As the two small students walk down the nearly empty street, Yugi rubs one of his eyes with the back of his hand and yawns. Tiredness presses down on him and causes Yugi to drag his feet while he walks. Neither the winter chill of the snowless day nor the slow pace that Klamath and he travel at register within Yugi's mind as the sidewalk blurs.
"You must be really tired if this cold isn't waking you up." Klamath's amused voice tears through Yugi's semi-conscious state. The tricolored-haired one shakes his head to drive away the weariness.
"Sorry, Klamath, I didn't mean to be rude. What did you say?"
With raised eyebrows and a tilted back chin, the new student stares at Yugi.
"I said, you look tired."
Yugi stops to smack the side of his own head.
"Sorry for fazing out. I didn't sleep much last night." Yugi's face scrunches up in embarrassment. Klamath just smiles back.
"Yeah, I totally understand. I stay up late all the time playing games, restructuring my deck if new cards come out..." As Klamath continues and glances at the sidewalk, Yugi frowns.
I wish I had stayed up doing something like that.
In truth, Yugi had done those things. Last night, Joey, Ryo, and he had divvied up a few packs of cards and had talked about the tournaments that they had watched recently. On the surface, it looked like a normal night between three friends except that it was two-thirty in the morning and Ryo's hand had trembled each time he picked up a card.
"Anyway, enough about my own late night adventures." The transfer student eyes Yugi. "I suppose you're wondering why I wanted to talk."
The words almost do not reach Yugi, who currently wonders if maybe he should go back to Ryo's place soon. However, a dark nudge at the back of Yugi's mind causes him to look up at the right moment and hear Klamath's words.
"Oh, yeah, what did you want to talk about?" The interest in Yugi's voice is sincere, albeit a little distant.
"Stop worrying." For the first time in two days, Yugi's Other Self speaks from the back of Yugi's mind. "Ryo's nightmare may have kept us up last night, but he was fine when we left."
His Other Self's voice is nearly nonexistent; nevertheless, Yugi still mentally winces. The Other Yugi does have a better sense of Ryo's breaking points, so he would have told Yugi sooner if there had been a problem.
"Sorry, I shouldn't over worry." Sincerity permeates Yugi's thoughts.
"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to duel." Klamath's orange eyes spark in the sunset's light. "It's not every day that you happen to transfer to the same school as the guy who beat Seto Kaiba."
The tricolor-haired boy stops. No signs of the droopy lids are evident in his wide eyes of surprise.
"You know about my duel with Kaiba?" Yugi's stunned tone causes Klamath to stop and look back.
"Know about… Of course I know about that! It was on TV and everything." Klamath straightens and drones in a deeper voice. "And here we have footage of the first realistic holograms ever invented being used in the popular children's card game, Duel Monsters." The foreigner's stance loosens and his tone rises to its normal pitch. "It was even on that Discovery show."
"Really?" Yugi's eyes grow even wider.
"Well, that is fascinating." Somehow, the Other Yugi's voice manages to slide in Yugi's head. More than a touch of smugness curls around his thoughts.
"Even though I'm an amateur duelist, it would be embarrassing if I didn't know. Heck, it would be embarrassing for the computer geeks not to know your name when it's attached to Solid Vision."
Yugi swallows and his hand finds the back of his head.
"Well, that's pretty big." The nervous chuckle that follows trails off.
"Yeah," Klamath stares at him. "It is. So, do you want to duel, or do you need a bit?" The foreigner's head twitches with each few words and the spikes in his hair wiggle slightly.
"Oh, a duel is fine. I recover quickly." It's Yugi's voice, but his eyes widen because those are not his words. His surprise dissipates when he senses his Other Self relinquish control.
"He seems rather excited about the prospect of dueling us." A touch of boredom drifts from the Other Yugi's thoughts. It has been weeks since his Other has been in control, so perhaps he wants a chance to stretch his legs, so to speak.
"Since I'm still tired, do you want to duel him?" Even with the surprise that lingers in Yugi's system, he still feels the ache of sleep around his eyes.
His Other Self watches him in silence. The sign of a "yes" is a trace of eagerness that slips past the quiet.
"Cool," Klamath says with a smile that seems sharp in the orange light of the setting sun.
The jingling bell of the Shop's door does not even draw Yugi's attention as he steps past the boundary. Instead, amethyst eyes are drawn to the empty spot behind the counter.
"Hey, Grandpa," Yugi calls out as he steps past Klamath. The sound of their breathing is the only answer. A glance around the shop reveals nothing except… There is a slip of paper on the counter. Yugi walks forward to grab the off-white slip. One quick reading of the paper causes the grandson to sigh and smile.
"What does it say?" Klamath asks while he walks up to Yugi's side.
Yugi looks towards Klamath. "Not much, just that the Shop's closed and he won't be coming back for awhile." The smile still lingers.
"Oh, okay." The boy shifts from foot to foot. "So, where we gonna duel then?"
And Yugi feels himself smile, but it is not his smile. Even though the reaction was partially expected, the disconnection between Yugi and control of his body still causes shivers along his shoulders. Except, his shoulders stay perfectly still; it is just the feeling of shoulders that Yugi feels.
His Other Self's smile fades and crimson eyes narrow. Beside them, Klamath stands unaware as he peers into the glass cabinets by the counter.
"Sorry. I'm still used to switching without asking." An undercurrent of wariness ripples through the Other Yugi's thoughts.
"It's okay. I wasn't going to ask you to switch back or anything. Just please remember to warn me next time." Exhaustion still pulls at Yugi's thoughts, so he welcomes the chance to rest. His Other Self nods and turns to Klamath.
"There's a table right in back that we can use." Crimson eyes glint as the Other Yugi allows Klamath to go through the door first. He even pulls out a chair for the new student. Klamath glances at the Other Yugi before sitting down.
"Thanks?"
The Other Yugi smiles as he sits across the table. "It's no problem. How else should I treat a guest such as yourself?" Mockery does not lurk in his tone, but his smile sharpens for a moment.
"Okay." Klamath nods. His eyes do not quite dare to leave the Other Yugi's face. Meanwhile, Yugi, a little too sleepy to comment, watches his Other's thoughts through a translucent veil.
Eventually, Klamath looks down to set his cards on the mat, but it is not long before he looks up with an expression that sparks as though he has just thought of something.
"How about we make this game a little more interesting?" The boy then smirks. "From time to time, a lot of duelists like to make little wagers, so maybe we could make one now."
The ceiling light reflects off the Other Yugi's eyes. In the back of their mind, Yugi shifts. He would rather not have his darker half making wagers.
"Oh, don't worry. It would just be a little harmless fun. Besides, it isn't like the boy is reeking with Shadow Magic."
Before Yugi can object, the Other Yugi continues out loud. "That sounds like it would be fun. Would you like to state what the rules of this wager would be?"
Klamath appears to think for a moment. "How about the winner can ask a favor of the loser? The favor doesn't have to be collected right after the duel, either."
Something clicks from somewhere in the Game Shop, and the Other Yugi's smirk grows. The Puzzle glints under the light.
"Very well." The Other Yugi blinks as his lighter half brushes his thoughts with questions. "That sounds fair."
"Heh," Klamath draws a hand of six. "I guess we'll see who's lucky enough to win, but…" Orange eyes roam over the hand and a smirk spreads. "Since I'm the luckiest guy I know, I doubt I have much to worry about." The duelist pulls a monster card from his hand and plays it face up, but before the Other Yugi can look it over, Yugi's thoughts grow heavier.
"Wait, I thought this was supposed to be a normal duel."
The Other Yugi almost chuckles as he reads the upside down text.
"But, Yugi, this is a normal duel. I see no Shadow magic or games of life and death. Besides," The Other Yugi watches as Klamath opens his mouth to say his monster's name. "It's been a few weeks since we've had anything exciting happen."
"I summon Antlion in attack position!" Klamath leans forward in his chair. "I then end my turn."
The Other Yugi draws his sixth card. "I'll play Beaver Warrior in defense position, and I'll set this card"
"Ha!" Klamath looks down on the red-eyed warrior with his little sword and shield. "What chance does that little rodent have against my Antlion?" The mentioned card's white eyes seem to glow sinisterly from the shadows they hide in.
Puzzlement overtakes the Other Yugi's expression. "Well, none if he were to attack. Your monster would reduce his already low attack points by five hundred."
Klamath looks up with a start. "Wait, you read my card?"
"Well, it is sitting right there."
"No one reads people's cards."
"Well, people used to, but now with your opponent's cards all the way across the big arena…" Yugi contributes.
"I end my turn," the Other Yugi breathes. As he sighs, his agreement travels through the link.
Klamath shakes off the previous conversation with the draw of a card. He smirks once he sees its identity.
"Well, look at that. Luck of the draw. You should have picked a better monster your last turn, because now you're little vermin is about to be squashed." Klamath plays a card in the Spell/Trap Zone. " I equip Antlion with Laser Cannon. He now has seven hundred more attack points." The duelist plays another card, a grotesque worm with an eyeball popping out of its mouth. "Then, I summon Worm Drake."
Klamath points to the Other Yugi. "Antlion incinerates your fur ball and leaves you wide open for a direct attack by my Worm Drake."
The Other Yugi does not even blink as he flips over Mirror Force. "Antlion's attack rebounds and destroys both of your monsters." His even gaze meets Klamath's shock. "You lose eight hundred points."
It takes a little too long for Klamath to take his monsters off the board. In response, the Other Yugi raises his eyebrows, and the two cards are soon deposited in the Graveyard.
"I assume that you end your turn." The Other Yugi waits a breath for Klamath to move. He does not; the Other Yugi draws.
"I'll switch Beaver Warrior into attack mode," The monster card turns from sideways to pointing directly at Klamath. "and attack you directly. You now have zero life points."
"Aww, man."
The two of them stand on the steps of the Game Shop now. The sun has vanished behind buildings. Klamath's shoulders slouch as he stares down at the grey sidewalk. From beside him, crimson eyes watch.
"I kind of feel bad for him," Yugi thinks softly.
The Other Yugi does not respond.
"I can't believe that I lost so fast. I mean, only amateurs lose that fast." The whine makes Yugi to want to pat Klamath's shoulder, but his hand, which rests at his side, stays out of his control.
"You should say something encouraging," Yugi nudges. "You did curbstomp him a bit."
The Other Yugi blinks.
"I'm not going to ask for the favor now," The Other Yugi offers.
From within the mind comes a sigh.
"I wouldn't say that you're are an amateur." There should be other words added on to that, but the Other Yugi truly cannot think of anything else to say.
Klamath glances up. "But you only used two cards."
"Luck of the draw, I suppose." When Klamath winces, the Other Yugi wonders if he misstepped.
"Maybe I should take over."
Before the Other Yugi can recede, a phone jingles. The noise only lasts a second, but Klamath has his phone out before the residue of sound fully leaves the air. The blue screen reflects oddly off of Klamath's orange eyes.
"Well, gotta go." He throws the strap of his bag over his shoulder. "Pops wants me home before seven." The boy steps down to the sidewalk.
Amethyst eyes blink into awareness by the Game Shop door. It does not take long for them to slant in concern.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Yugi doubts that someone his size would find the nightlife of Domino safe.
Klamath looks back with a smirk. "Nah, I got a ride I can call. See ya later." With that, the boy sets off down the street. His brisk steps are followed by a perplexed stare.
"See you later." Tea waves to Hanasaki as he walks down the path behind her. She really would prefer to continue talking to him as they walked, but, unfortunately, they live in different directions.
Well, I guess I have to go ahead on my own.
It is not dark yet. The orange rays of sunlight brush against her face as she walks. Even in the presence of sunlight, shivers still travel down Tea's spine. The chill breezes of winter have moved into the city of Domino. One of them runs by her bare legs. There are times where Tea truly despises her unchanging school outfit. The tap of shoes grows more frequent as she picks up her pace.
That was a nice conversation with Hanasaki.
The boy's trivial topics had been refreshing, but now the lightness on her shoulders diminishes once Tea realizes that the sun has disappeared behind taller buildings. A quick check of her phone reveals that she is probably going to miss her bus. At that, she takes off running.
Domino is not the city to be out at night in. Not for a girl like her at least; although, if the Other Yugi was walking her home, Tea would be perfectly safe. She can imagine it now. His red eyes would glow with vibrancy even in the shadows of the streets. Maybe, that amused spark would enter his eyes at something Tea said instead of at a well-played game.
The expected flush of exercise disguises the blush that spreads across her cheeks. Tea has not even thought about the Other Yugi like that in weeks, but the more she distances herself from the events of a few weeks ago, the more daring she becomes. It's okay to think about the spiky-haired individual whose voices slide like velvet chocolate in the air. You can be a normal girl without feeling guilty.
Through the unhindered thoughts and the pounding heart of her run, Tea does not see the stranger who steps around the corner in front of her. With a thud, the stranger's grocery bags go flying, and Tea finds herself on the ground with skinned palms. Dented cans greet her wide eyes and a man's leg shifts underneath her belly.
"Ack! Sorry!" She is on her knees in the time it takes a pained "ahh," to escape the stranger.
The man opens his eyes as he sits up. His cheekbones are long, like his jaw was yanked down at some point, and his eyes are an odd shade of green that reminds Tea of looking through fogged glass.
"Man, you pack a wallop." The man, who looks to be in his twenties, grimaces as he bends his leg.
"I'm sorry! I should have been paying attention." Tea's blush no longer has any romantic origins behind it.
The man looks at her with fogged eyes and shrugs. "I wasn't paying attention either, so it's on both of us."
"I'll help you pick up," mutters Tea as she looks down in embarrassment. A can of squid sits by her knee.
I'm such an idiot. How can I call myself a dancer when I'm such a klutz?
The young man grins at her bowed head.
"Sure, thanks." He hands her a plastic bag.
For next few minutes, Tea stuffs cans back into the bag. A can of squid, two of shrimp, one of…jellyfish? Tea stares at the last label for a moment before reaching for it.
When she reaches for the last can, the boy's hand almost bumps against hers. First a sharp intake of breath, and then, Tea looks up. The expression on the man's face shows no gratitude, only amusement that curls into a smirk.
"Thanks, Tea, I would have been here for a while if you hadn't helped me out."
Tea's heart skips a beat at her name. Her mouth dries.
When did I tell him my name?
She did not. She knows she did not. Something is wrong.
The sun has completely set, and Tea's thoughts are pulled round and round in a whirlwind. The man keeps smirking.
"By the way, can you do one more favor?"
The last thing Tea notices as the shadows darken is the man's eyes. Even though the street has vanished in the darkness, those eyes have not dimmed in the slightest. They glow like sunlit fog in the night shadows.
