Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh *peers at Yami* ...yet...
Well, finally back after 2 weeks of isolation from the world. Well, anyways, Since I can't put Malik, Ryou and their Yamis in the fic, I might as well post a little something I've been cooking up with Ryou & Yami B-chan. The only prob is, I don't have a title for the thing! ;_; Maybe I can think of somethin' while typing this. It'll take over an hour anyways. "C'est encroyable..."
Fav. quote: "Death is only the beginning..." [Hehe, you might want to remember that.]
Jap. words that I may (or may not ^o^;;;) have used:
Yami=Dark/Darkness
Hikari=Light
Aibou=Partner
Jii-chan=Grandpa (intimate text)
Ojii-san/Ojii-sama=Grandfather (polite text)
Gomen (ne)=Sorry
Gomen nasai=Sorry (in a polite context)
Kitsune=Fox (foxes are sly pranksters in Jap. mythology)
Did I miss any?
Angel's Blood
By: Bishiehuggler (who else?)
Chapter 4: Casualties of War
Yuugi blushed. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. It was an involuntary reaction to being around Yami. The said spirit was lying on his stomach, well toned arms wrapped around a pillow. His ebony feathers accented the tanned skin of his muscular (and conveniently bare) back. It made Yuugi want to go over and bury his face in the fallen angel's wings.
The said angel snorted, as if he had something else in mind. His eyes cracked open and immediately directed to Yuugi. The smile that broke out over his graceful features gave the small boy butterflies in his stomach.
"Ohayo, Hikari-chan," Yugioh gave his lookalike a hug, smirking and pretending he didn't see the cute boy blush. He had battled back and forth with Yuugi for two weeks, trying to get that name. 'If I am to be called Yami-chan, or whatever, I get to call you Hikari-chan!' He won out in the end. He was the King of Games, after all.
"How did the speeches go?" Yuugi had a kitsune-esque smile on his face, "Did you capture Japan with you're words...or your looks?" He gently elbowed Yami.
Yami chucked quietly and ruffled Yuugi's hair. "The ratings for my broadcast were quite high, so I'm expecting both."
Yuugi's eyes went starry. "Maybe it'll go international! Then the whole world would be fighting with us!" This got a sweatdrop in response.
"Come on, time for school, Hikari."
Yugioh watched as the little teen dashed down the street. He smirked and leaned against the doorway. 'I'm getting soft.' he berated, but he really didn't care. He felt that the kid needed protection and he'd do everything to keep his aibou safe.
**********
Yuugi sighed happily. All day, people had been smiling and waving at him, confirming that the recruiting broadcast over the airwaves had been a big success. 'Some girls even asked for my number to call Yami-chan.' His smile turned into a frown as he thought of Yami being attracted only to women.
Suddenly, a twinge of foreboding ran down his spine as Yuugi rounded the corner of his street. A bright flash of light stunned him while a shockwave knocked him to the ground. The roaring sound of an explosion that followed temporarily deafened him.
He got to his feet shakily and ran as best he could to the Turtle Game Shop with legs that felt like jelly. It looked like something straight out of a horror movie. [AN: Typical.] Smoldering debris was all that was left of his home. Tears ran down his face as he rifled through the wreckage for some sign, anything, that could ensure him that Jii-chan and Yami were alright. Glass tore at his hands and smoke dulled his already jarred wits. Like some sort of miracle, a hand appeared under a wooden board that he had moved.
'Too bad that there are no Gods to perform them.' the small, skeptic part of his mind told him. But Yuugi never listened to that little voice and probably never would. His innocence was just too overpowering at the time, so he smiled, overjoyed and cried "Jii-chan!"
His muscles ached from overexertion and his lungs burned from the smoke that polluted the air but Yuugi willed himself to go on. Finally he exhumed enough rubble to pull Sugoroku Mutou out. Ambulance sirens rang louder and louder in his ears, so he breathed a sigh of relief. 'They'll help Jii-chan.' He knew he could do nothing more for the elder. Yuugi then filtered in the sounds of small explosions and steel clashing that had been going on for most of the aftermath. 'Wh-where is it?' the tri-colour haired boy scanned the scene. A couple of white and black feathers floated around him. Some were splattered with blood. He looked up. 'Yami!'
**********
Indeed, Yugioh was fifty feet in the air, fighting Atlas, a Greek Titan sent by Osiris himself to bring the King of Games' head back on a silver platter. From first glance, one could easily tell that Yugioh was not in the same mindset as the one that had watched Yuugi run off to school just hours before. His ebony wings were flared and rigid, like a bird's, intimidating others wandering on its territory. His face was hard, his jaw set and his features put into a permanent tone of determination. In his eyes, cold fury danced and flickered like a candle burning at its best.
Even his clothing was different. Instead of the leather shirt and jeans he had borrowed from Yuugi; strange, scaly, black armour covered his chest. He wore leather pants for leg protection. Two red jewels fastened a long black cape-lined with deep violet and seamed with gold-to his shoulders. Hanging at his hips was a silvery belt looped with the sheath of a sword. The long, thin blade-the unmistakeable trademark of a rapier-was held in his right hand. The Sennen Puzzle was hanging from its chain around his neck. [AN: Big description, I know, but if you picture him the way I do, it's definately worth it. *drools*]
The fallen angel smirked and took a vertical swipe at the Titan, who locked swords with him. "If you're here, fighting me, then who's holding up the Earth?"
The middleaged redhead broke off and said, "Simple. Nut. She holds up the sky, why not the Earth as well?" He thrusted and Yugioh blocked.
"I'd assumed that since Geb is God of the Earth, he would have taken the job." Yami jabbed.
"Nah, too lazy." He danced back out of the way, "Why the hell am I talking to you, anyways?"
The smirk grew wider. "You always have been the stupid one, Atlas." He easilly dodged the shard of ice thrown at him. "So," he continued casually, like he wasn't fighting a life-or-death battle, "How'd you find me?"
Atlas' face clouded over in a fit of rage. "You attracted international attention with all that shit you were spouting about 'the Gods dropping the Earth onto the Unknown!' Honestly! You could started a rebellion more descreetly!"
Yugioh started and only just missed another ice shard. 'The Council has notified no one of their intentions! Those bastards!' he thought back to all the spirits-both from Heaven and Hell-jeering at him. 'They were just puppets, manipulated by their belief in the Council!' A new rage poured through him as he feinted a thrust to the left and swiped under and up, cutting deeply into Atlas' chest, exposing ribs.
The Titan gasped and fell back. Yugioh let him. 'Atlas doesn't deserve to die, but I must kill him, for he will not stand for logic.'
Atlas shot Yugioh a look of pain and vengance. Then he just...vanished. He appeared again rewarding the King of Games a backhand that sent him crashing to the ground.
**********
He was drifting in and out of conciousness when Yuugi got there. "Yami!" he cried, gently slapping the spirit's face. "C'mon, get up, please be okay." 'I couldn't bare to lose you.' Was the silent reason. He heaved a sigh, not knowing he was even holding a breath. Yami had lolled his head over to Yuugi's voice, but he still had a distant look in his eyes.
"Focus, Yami-chan!" the small teen yelled with a high-pitched tone, boadering on desperation. "That Monster-Guy is coming! He'll kill us both if you don't get up!"
That got the spirit's attention. He sat up and pushed Yuugi away. "Shit, Yuugi!" he yelled "Get the fuck out of here, now!" With one last shove he got the boy and himself just barely out of the way from Alas' downward thrust that he decided to use at that particular (and very ironic) moment. Barely. He readied his rapier and began swinging fiercly at the redhead.
**********
Atlas, strength waning considerably from the slash, was fighting a slowly losing battle. 'At least I _have_ a chance of winning.' he thought grimly, 'If I would have challenged him to a "Game of Darkness," I'd've been dead by now.' Unknown to the angel-until it was too late-the Titan sent a blast of icy-black energy at him, shattering his delicate wings as he was sent hurtling into a wall.
The King of Games wasn't finished yet, though. He played dead and Atlas-being as stupid as he was-pronounced himself the victor. He grabbed Yugioh by his buckle neckpiece and hoisted him up so his feet dangled in midair. Yugioh gripped the rapier hard and stabbed, hoping to hit a vital organ in his midsection. Atlas turned hastily to the left to miss the blow, but it caught him in the side, blade sinking into his flesh. He threw the fallen angel away and blasted him back before he could hit the ground.
Another blast, this time of white-hot light sent him even further backwards. The perpitrator was a silver, ankh-shaped pendant that hung around Atlas' neck. Yugioh smirked. 'A last ditch defence from Osiris, ne? That just won't do.' He looked towards Atlas, but the redheaded Titan was nowhere to be found. He saw the second beam of light out of the corner of his eye, but he was unable to move in time. He growled in frustration as the age-old trap, the Spell Binding Circle, ensnared him.
*********
Yuugi ran towards his comrade as fast as his little legs could carry him. When he saw the holy circle around his fallen angel, Duel Monsters immediately clicked in his mind, which meant trouble. 'Shimatta!' his concience screamed, 'I won't be able to pull him ou of the way!' So, he did the next best thing. He threw his whole body into it and tackled Yami as the ball of black lightning hurtled towards him.
Instantly, Yuugi thought of all those romance flicks where the lover of the main character pushes him/her out of the way, and dies in the process. But being as false, redundant and cliche«d as those movies were, it didn't work out that way. In fact, the Spell Binding Circle even shattered on impact when they hit the ground. Yami made a noise of approval and gathered Yuugi in a grateful hug. [AN: Awww!]
"You little bitch!" Atlas screamed and grabbed Yuugi buy the scruff of his neck and threw him into the street and ultimately into the crowd of spectators that had gathered. Yugioh violently kicked the legs out from under him and proceeded to hack away flesh with each bloody, disgusting blow. Atlas promptly kicked the fallen angel off him and formed a chain with a gold hue to it in his hands. He whipped it into the bystanders and it wrapped around Yuugi. With a quick flick of his wrist, he brought the small boy back to him and dangled him about five feet above the ground.
Atlas sneered, "so you care for the boy, ne, Yugioh-chaaaan?" The said spirits ran at him, but he easily jumped onto a nearby building. He chuckled darkly. Yuugi's face turned pale, expecting the worst. "Breaking a man's soul is much more damaging than breaking his bones-" he paused to let it sink in. "-but you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" With that he reversed the handling on the hilt of his sword and plunged the claymore under Yuugi's ribcage and dragged it across his midsection, effectively cutting out the teen's stomach. The boy screamed and writhed in agony while blood and stomach acid poured down the front of his shirt, burning it away. Atlas leisurely tossed the dying boy's body to one side, where the concerned and the brave spectators gathered in a protective barrier.
The King of Games was up in the air and at Atlas before he could even think. 'He hurt Hikari-chan. He hurt Hikari-chan!' was all his mind would register. He powered up his rapier with all the dark enery he could muster, the insignia of the third eye burning in his forehead.
The Greek redhead was ready and put his claymore into a defensive position. But Yugioh's power proved to be too much for it. He chopped the Scottish broadsword in half. He then swung his sword in a wide arc. Atlas was bisected easily, Yami's weapon cut him up like a hot knife through butter. The dark energy he used ensured that his soul would be sealed in the Shadow Realm.
That action being done, Yami shifted his wings and dropped to his Hikari. The group cleared a path for him. Yuugi was lying on his side, in a recovery position, Jounouchi beside him. Tears streaming down his face, Katsuya took one look at his newfound friend and shook his head. "H-he's dead!" he cried and ran off, down the street.
Yugioh's mind clicked and a wave of dread washed through him. Normally, Yuugi would come back an angel, since he was so beautiful and pure. But, since Osiris was the one to judge...
He had failed. Tears stung behind his eyes for the first time in 3,000 years.
"Yuugi..."
!@#%^(*))(*&^%#!@##$%^&*()_+))*^%^$#@
Yami: *still crying* He's dead!
Yuugi: No I'm not!
Yami: Yes you are.
BH: Nah, I couldn't afford to kill off the cutest character in the whole show, so I used a stunt double instead.
Stunt Double (whose name is Gord): x_x
Yami: Oooooh, the Union is gonna have your head for this. *smirks*
BH: *looks out window* Looks like they've already caught on. They're picketing and getting people to support them and I see lawyers. Oh, my. *to herself* Looks like Malik & his yami get a role after all... Ah! Yeah, R&R please! And flamers get flamed! C'ya! Right now I have to make a long distance phone call to Egypt! ^_^
Atlas: One of the twelve Titans, sealed by Zeus, in Greek mythology. His punishment is to hold up the world for the rest of his days.
Well, finally back after 2 weeks of isolation from the world. Well, anyways, Since I can't put Malik, Ryou and their Yamis in the fic, I might as well post a little something I've been cooking up with Ryou & Yami B-chan. The only prob is, I don't have a title for the thing! ;_; Maybe I can think of somethin' while typing this. It'll take over an hour anyways. "C'est encroyable..."
Fav. quote: "Death is only the beginning..." [Hehe, you might want to remember that.]
Jap. words that I may (or may not ^o^;;;) have used:
Yami=Dark/Darkness
Hikari=Light
Aibou=Partner
Jii-chan=Grandpa (intimate text)
Ojii-san/Ojii-sama=Grandfather (polite text)
Gomen (ne)=Sorry
Gomen nasai=Sorry (in a polite context)
Kitsune=Fox (foxes are sly pranksters in Jap. mythology)
Did I miss any?
Angel's Blood
By: Bishiehuggler (who else?)
Chapter 4: Casualties of War
Yuugi blushed. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. It was an involuntary reaction to being around Yami. The said spirit was lying on his stomach, well toned arms wrapped around a pillow. His ebony feathers accented the tanned skin of his muscular (and conveniently bare) back. It made Yuugi want to go over and bury his face in the fallen angel's wings.
The said angel snorted, as if he had something else in mind. His eyes cracked open and immediately directed to Yuugi. The smile that broke out over his graceful features gave the small boy butterflies in his stomach.
"Ohayo, Hikari-chan," Yugioh gave his lookalike a hug, smirking and pretending he didn't see the cute boy blush. He had battled back and forth with Yuugi for two weeks, trying to get that name. 'If I am to be called Yami-chan, or whatever, I get to call you Hikari-chan!' He won out in the end. He was the King of Games, after all.
"How did the speeches go?" Yuugi had a kitsune-esque smile on his face, "Did you capture Japan with you're words...or your looks?" He gently elbowed Yami.
Yami chucked quietly and ruffled Yuugi's hair. "The ratings for my broadcast were quite high, so I'm expecting both."
Yuugi's eyes went starry. "Maybe it'll go international! Then the whole world would be fighting with us!" This got a sweatdrop in response.
"Come on, time for school, Hikari."
Yugioh watched as the little teen dashed down the street. He smirked and leaned against the doorway. 'I'm getting soft.' he berated, but he really didn't care. He felt that the kid needed protection and he'd do everything to keep his aibou safe.
**********
Yuugi sighed happily. All day, people had been smiling and waving at him, confirming that the recruiting broadcast over the airwaves had been a big success. 'Some girls even asked for my number to call Yami-chan.' His smile turned into a frown as he thought of Yami being attracted only to women.
Suddenly, a twinge of foreboding ran down his spine as Yuugi rounded the corner of his street. A bright flash of light stunned him while a shockwave knocked him to the ground. The roaring sound of an explosion that followed temporarily deafened him.
He got to his feet shakily and ran as best he could to the Turtle Game Shop with legs that felt like jelly. It looked like something straight out of a horror movie. [AN: Typical.] Smoldering debris was all that was left of his home. Tears ran down his face as he rifled through the wreckage for some sign, anything, that could ensure him that Jii-chan and Yami were alright. Glass tore at his hands and smoke dulled his already jarred wits. Like some sort of miracle, a hand appeared under a wooden board that he had moved.
'Too bad that there are no Gods to perform them.' the small, skeptic part of his mind told him. But Yuugi never listened to that little voice and probably never would. His innocence was just too overpowering at the time, so he smiled, overjoyed and cried "Jii-chan!"
His muscles ached from overexertion and his lungs burned from the smoke that polluted the air but Yuugi willed himself to go on. Finally he exhumed enough rubble to pull Sugoroku Mutou out. Ambulance sirens rang louder and louder in his ears, so he breathed a sigh of relief. 'They'll help Jii-chan.' He knew he could do nothing more for the elder. Yuugi then filtered in the sounds of small explosions and steel clashing that had been going on for most of the aftermath. 'Wh-where is it?' the tri-colour haired boy scanned the scene. A couple of white and black feathers floated around him. Some were splattered with blood. He looked up. 'Yami!'
**********
Indeed, Yugioh was fifty feet in the air, fighting Atlas, a Greek Titan sent by Osiris himself to bring the King of Games' head back on a silver platter. From first glance, one could easily tell that Yugioh was not in the same mindset as the one that had watched Yuugi run off to school just hours before. His ebony wings were flared and rigid, like a bird's, intimidating others wandering on its territory. His face was hard, his jaw set and his features put into a permanent tone of determination. In his eyes, cold fury danced and flickered like a candle burning at its best.
Even his clothing was different. Instead of the leather shirt and jeans he had borrowed from Yuugi; strange, scaly, black armour covered his chest. He wore leather pants for leg protection. Two red jewels fastened a long black cape-lined with deep violet and seamed with gold-to his shoulders. Hanging at his hips was a silvery belt looped with the sheath of a sword. The long, thin blade-the unmistakeable trademark of a rapier-was held in his right hand. The Sennen Puzzle was hanging from its chain around his neck. [AN: Big description, I know, but if you picture him the way I do, it's definately worth it. *drools*]
The fallen angel smirked and took a vertical swipe at the Titan, who locked swords with him. "If you're here, fighting me, then who's holding up the Earth?"
The middleaged redhead broke off and said, "Simple. Nut. She holds up the sky, why not the Earth as well?" He thrusted and Yugioh blocked.
"I'd assumed that since Geb is God of the Earth, he would have taken the job." Yami jabbed.
"Nah, too lazy." He danced back out of the way, "Why the hell am I talking to you, anyways?"
The smirk grew wider. "You always have been the stupid one, Atlas." He easilly dodged the shard of ice thrown at him. "So," he continued casually, like he wasn't fighting a life-or-death battle, "How'd you find me?"
Atlas' face clouded over in a fit of rage. "You attracted international attention with all that shit you were spouting about 'the Gods dropping the Earth onto the Unknown!' Honestly! You could started a rebellion more descreetly!"
Yugioh started and only just missed another ice shard. 'The Council has notified no one of their intentions! Those bastards!' he thought back to all the spirits-both from Heaven and Hell-jeering at him. 'They were just puppets, manipulated by their belief in the Council!' A new rage poured through him as he feinted a thrust to the left and swiped under and up, cutting deeply into Atlas' chest, exposing ribs.
The Titan gasped and fell back. Yugioh let him. 'Atlas doesn't deserve to die, but I must kill him, for he will not stand for logic.'
Atlas shot Yugioh a look of pain and vengance. Then he just...vanished. He appeared again rewarding the King of Games a backhand that sent him crashing to the ground.
**********
He was drifting in and out of conciousness when Yuugi got there. "Yami!" he cried, gently slapping the spirit's face. "C'mon, get up, please be okay." 'I couldn't bare to lose you.' Was the silent reason. He heaved a sigh, not knowing he was even holding a breath. Yami had lolled his head over to Yuugi's voice, but he still had a distant look in his eyes.
"Focus, Yami-chan!" the small teen yelled with a high-pitched tone, boadering on desperation. "That Monster-Guy is coming! He'll kill us both if you don't get up!"
That got the spirit's attention. He sat up and pushed Yuugi away. "Shit, Yuugi!" he yelled "Get the fuck out of here, now!" With one last shove he got the boy and himself just barely out of the way from Alas' downward thrust that he decided to use at that particular (and very ironic) moment. Barely. He readied his rapier and began swinging fiercly at the redhead.
**********
Atlas, strength waning considerably from the slash, was fighting a slowly losing battle. 'At least I _have_ a chance of winning.' he thought grimly, 'If I would have challenged him to a "Game of Darkness," I'd've been dead by now.' Unknown to the angel-until it was too late-the Titan sent a blast of icy-black energy at him, shattering his delicate wings as he was sent hurtling into a wall.
The King of Games wasn't finished yet, though. He played dead and Atlas-being as stupid as he was-pronounced himself the victor. He grabbed Yugioh by his buckle neckpiece and hoisted him up so his feet dangled in midair. Yugioh gripped the rapier hard and stabbed, hoping to hit a vital organ in his midsection. Atlas turned hastily to the left to miss the blow, but it caught him in the side, blade sinking into his flesh. He threw the fallen angel away and blasted him back before he could hit the ground.
Another blast, this time of white-hot light sent him even further backwards. The perpitrator was a silver, ankh-shaped pendant that hung around Atlas' neck. Yugioh smirked. 'A last ditch defence from Osiris, ne? That just won't do.' He looked towards Atlas, but the redheaded Titan was nowhere to be found. He saw the second beam of light out of the corner of his eye, but he was unable to move in time. He growled in frustration as the age-old trap, the Spell Binding Circle, ensnared him.
*********
Yuugi ran towards his comrade as fast as his little legs could carry him. When he saw the holy circle around his fallen angel, Duel Monsters immediately clicked in his mind, which meant trouble. 'Shimatta!' his concience screamed, 'I won't be able to pull him ou of the way!' So, he did the next best thing. He threw his whole body into it and tackled Yami as the ball of black lightning hurtled towards him.
Instantly, Yuugi thought of all those romance flicks where the lover of the main character pushes him/her out of the way, and dies in the process. But being as false, redundant and cliche«d as those movies were, it didn't work out that way. In fact, the Spell Binding Circle even shattered on impact when they hit the ground. Yami made a noise of approval and gathered Yuugi in a grateful hug. [AN: Awww!]
"You little bitch!" Atlas screamed and grabbed Yuugi buy the scruff of his neck and threw him into the street and ultimately into the crowd of spectators that had gathered. Yugioh violently kicked the legs out from under him and proceeded to hack away flesh with each bloody, disgusting blow. Atlas promptly kicked the fallen angel off him and formed a chain with a gold hue to it in his hands. He whipped it into the bystanders and it wrapped around Yuugi. With a quick flick of his wrist, he brought the small boy back to him and dangled him about five feet above the ground.
Atlas sneered, "so you care for the boy, ne, Yugioh-chaaaan?" The said spirits ran at him, but he easily jumped onto a nearby building. He chuckled darkly. Yuugi's face turned pale, expecting the worst. "Breaking a man's soul is much more damaging than breaking his bones-" he paused to let it sink in. "-but you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" With that he reversed the handling on the hilt of his sword and plunged the claymore under Yuugi's ribcage and dragged it across his midsection, effectively cutting out the teen's stomach. The boy screamed and writhed in agony while blood and stomach acid poured down the front of his shirt, burning it away. Atlas leisurely tossed the dying boy's body to one side, where the concerned and the brave spectators gathered in a protective barrier.
The King of Games was up in the air and at Atlas before he could even think. 'He hurt Hikari-chan. He hurt Hikari-chan!' was all his mind would register. He powered up his rapier with all the dark enery he could muster, the insignia of the third eye burning in his forehead.
The Greek redhead was ready and put his claymore into a defensive position. But Yugioh's power proved to be too much for it. He chopped the Scottish broadsword in half. He then swung his sword in a wide arc. Atlas was bisected easily, Yami's weapon cut him up like a hot knife through butter. The dark energy he used ensured that his soul would be sealed in the Shadow Realm.
That action being done, Yami shifted his wings and dropped to his Hikari. The group cleared a path for him. Yuugi was lying on his side, in a recovery position, Jounouchi beside him. Tears streaming down his face, Katsuya took one look at his newfound friend and shook his head. "H-he's dead!" he cried and ran off, down the street.
Yugioh's mind clicked and a wave of dread washed through him. Normally, Yuugi would come back an angel, since he was so beautiful and pure. But, since Osiris was the one to judge...
He had failed. Tears stung behind his eyes for the first time in 3,000 years.
"Yuugi..."
!@#%^(*))(*&^%#!@##$%^&*()_+))*^%^$#@
Yami: *still crying* He's dead!
Yuugi: No I'm not!
Yami: Yes you are.
BH: Nah, I couldn't afford to kill off the cutest character in the whole show, so I used a stunt double instead.
Stunt Double (whose name is Gord): x_x
Yami: Oooooh, the Union is gonna have your head for this. *smirks*
BH: *looks out window* Looks like they've already caught on. They're picketing and getting people to support them and I see lawyers. Oh, my. *to herself* Looks like Malik & his yami get a role after all... Ah! Yeah, R&R please! And flamers get flamed! C'ya! Right now I have to make a long distance phone call to Egypt! ^_^
Atlas: One of the twelve Titans, sealed by Zeus, in Greek mythology. His punishment is to hold up the world for the rest of his days.