Note: I'll admit I've only been paying the Mists and rebooting and whatnot the vaguest of attentions, but I think I know what's going on. And even if I don't, this IS Subreality, and as Yugi is my Muse, I figure I can get away with it...


Get In Where You (Maybe-Kinda-Sorta) Fit In
By Nate


"Is that them?" Yugi asked, peering warily over D's shoulder.

D continued to stare into her binoculars. "Yup. Sure are a lot of the little boogers."

"That's hardly any way to talk about the future shapers of Subreality," Nate protested mildly from his chair. He'd long since put his own binoculars away, figuring all the newbies would probably look the same from that distance. The Mists certainly weren't helping visibility...but then, they weren't supposed to. Their entire purpose, as far as Nate and his Muses were concerned, was to erase.

Some were more worried about that than others, though.

"I don't like it," Yugi said again, crossing her arms over her chest and looking generally miffed.

"Yeah, well, you're not supposed to," D reminded her. "We're part of the 'Old Guard' and all."

"I am NOT old," Yugi protested at once.

"You're older than all of us combined...and quadrupled...and then some."

"D, you know Yugi's sensitive about that," Nate chided.

"Why ELSE do you think I tease her?" D asked with a smirk.

Yugi pouted. "As if I weren't depressed enough."

"Get over it, Yugi. The newbies are coming, and there's nothing you can do to stop them."

"I could flay the flesh from their bones!"

"Um...no," Nate said.

"Why not?!" Yugi cried.

"Because I was once a newbie, and it's hard enough without bloodthirsty Muses hunting you down."

"That NEVER happened! You had ME, remember?!"

"Oh, I know. And it's because I had you that I know EXACTLY what that would feel like. So no hurting the newbies."

Yugi growled. "But...they'll wreck everything!"

"You don't know that. Maybe they'll revive this place. It's been quiet lately."

"And you would know that how?" D asked. "You haven't been here much lately, Nate."

"Right. And if me, of all people, isn't hanging around, then new occupants are definitely needed. Hence the newbie flood."

"They better stay away from the Sake Bar!" Yugi fumed.

D lowered her binoculars. "The way I see it, we've got two options. We can sink or swim."

"Huh?"

"We can either do what the other oldies do and step aside, or we can try to show the new crowd that we're experienced enough to hang with them."

"But we're not oldies," Yugi said quickly. "Right, Nate?"

The Writer shrugged. "I dunno, Yugi. Sinking would be easier..."

"NO! WE CAN'T!" Yugi shrieked, leaping onto his chest. "We can't be...can't be..."

"Be what, Yugi?" Nate asked.

She wrestled with the word for a long moment. "...old..."

"You act like it's a bad thing," D said. "We had fun. We've even got reps around here. There's no point in having a nervous breakdown, Yugi."

"But...I don't wanna be old!" Yugi sniffled, burying her head in Nate's chest.

"Don't be a baby. Even Deemon stopped crying ages ago."

"I guess we could try to swim," Nate murmured after a moment, stroking Yugi's hair. "It couldn't be THAT hard. We know the turf. Well, we did, anyway. And they'll need at least a few people who remember the way things used to be before the Mists came."

"Y'mean like historians?" D asked.

"Well, nothing THAT boring. Just...reference people."

"You make that sound about as exciting as being a librarian."

Nate grinned sheepishly. "Well, we COULD do...oh, everything we still do now on the side..."

"NOW you're talking." D poked Yugi's back. "See, Yugs? We're still in business, babe!"

"You promise?" Yugi asked in a tiny voice.

"Yeah, sure," Nate sighed. "Not like you two ever gave me a break from writing, anyway."

"Good. Cuz there's this fic you've been ignoring, and I-"

"Weren't you supposed to be crying?"

"Who, ME?" Yugi asked incredulously, lifting her head. "Perish the thought!"

"Uh huh. Nice to have you back, Yugi."

"Naturally. Now, about that fic..."

"Later," Nate interrupted, pointing up. "Look."

A falling star streaked majestically across the sky.

"Wow," D breathed.

The star continued its diagonal path, soaring into the night...

...just before clipping a phone pole and slamming headlong into a newly -Written apartment building. The resulting explosion took out most of the block, and scorched everything in the surrounding area.

Yugi smiled. "It's good to be back."

"Shouldn't we do something?" D asked, looking up at her Writer.

"Nah. Let the newbies take care of it. It'll be good practice. Anyway, DBZ's coming on."

Wordlessly, the Muses began to follow Nate back inside.

Yugi paused at the edge of the roof, noticing most of the smoke was already gone, and a few Writers were already gathering around the crash site, which didn't look so much like a crater anymore. "Maybe it won't be so bad after all..."

And then she sighed as someone got bored and blew the whole thing up again. A muted cheer went up in the distance.

Yugi pouted wistfully. "Somehow, it's only fun when I'm doing the property damage." With a shrug, she left the roof, considerably less worried about the fate of Subreality. She was confident that as long as some Writers (mostly male ones) still enjoyed fast cars, hot girls, and huge explosions, her world was safe. Bless the Scribe for teen Writers, but she was still glad that HER Writer wasn't like that.

"You're crazy!" D shouted from downstairs. "Videl is NOT a sex symbol!"

Suppressing something of a giggle, Yugi skipped down the stairs, confident in the knowledge that some things would never, ever change.

-------------

This was not meant to offend anyone, be they newbies (welcome!), experienced Writers (you KNOW what I'm like), Muses (who know that all Writers are essentially nuts), or simply readers (who should really become Writers and stop lurking! Help Wanted!...which, coincidentally, is the name of my next ficlet).
And feel free to ignore the property damage, everyone! ^_^