AN: A totally pointless chapter really. Nothing Seto/Tea-ish, no angst,
nothing. Just an odd dream and some fluff to connect some chapters. Sigh,
read it anyway. It's sort of good. *Is still disappointed with the way it
turned out *
Hurts XIV
I walked down the hall and threw open the door to my room. After meeting with my doctor again, he had decided that I was well enough to go home. I'd told Mokuba to pack up his stuff and I'd take him to the beach house until the renovations at the mansion were complete, but the doctors still wanted him to stay for observation. I sigh, throwing my new trench coat over my arm. I reviewed the talk Mokuba and I had had yesterday. Mokuba's words had really gotten to me. I sat down on the bed and killed some time hunting through my jacket pockets for my keys-which I already knew were on the table.
'I can't love Tea.' I told myself, going through the pockets a second time. 'It wouldn't work. Besides it's too late now. I've already pissed her off, not to mention I threatened her friends. Well, it's for the best.'
I got up, grabbed my keys and went to my car, via Mokuba's room. It was a quick visit; I only stuck my head in the room and said good-bye. He waved and I left, happy that he wouldn't think I'd left him. After driving a few minutes, I pulled into the garage and locked the car. Of my four cars, I only drove two-the other two were limousines- my favorite was my silver Porsche. My black Mercedes wasn't nearly as fast. I really did miss driving. The wind. The freedom. The escape! I shrugged of those thought and went to my computer.
"Hello." The computer greeted me, after I'd gained access. "You've been away a while. I thought you'd forgotten me."
"That would, frankly, be impossible." I told it. "Run a search of all renovators in the country and give me a list of the five closest and a list of the five best."
"Any particular field you wish them to excel at?" The computer asked, already coming up with the first list.
"Yes. Modification for easier wheelchair access."
"I'll see." The computer told me. A few seconds later, two lists appeared and I printed them.
"That's all." I nodded, and the computer shut down.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I'd called all the companies and finally got a representative from each of the top companies to come and see me. I glanced at my watch. It was almost ten. I booted up my lab top and sifted through the work I had to catch up on. I'd made a phone call to the company, after Mokuba's accident, telling them I'd be out for a bit. The work wasn't overwhelming, but I was glad to see that no one had tried to kick me out. Then again, after duelist kingdom and the example I'd made of those executives, who'd want to try? I smirked to myself and started work. It was almost three in the morning before I was done and I had a meeting at eight. I kicked off my shoes and debated whether I should just get some coffee or get some actually sleep. While I was deciding, I took a warm shower and changed out of the hospital shirt into some causal clothes. I didn't have many of jeans and t-shirts, but then, I rarely had a chance to wear them. I decided that coffee wouldn't help now and the doctors had said I needed more sleep. So I set my alarm for seven, pulled off the jeans and got into the bed, noticing that one of the maids must have changed the sheets. Probably because I'd bleed on the last set, I mused, before falling asleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I sat up in bed, stretched and looked around. Pushing away the covers, I stood up and wandered over to the desk and pulled open the top drawer and sifted through a couple of computer disks.
"Hello." A voice called out, from behind me. I spun around and saw that it was my 'savior'.
"Oh." I mumbled, trying to hide my embarrassment. "It's you."
"Yes, it's me." Tea nodded. "Here, while you're free, take a look at this."
I looked down at the spot on my desk she had nodded to and found that a disk had appeared.
"What's this?" I asked, turning it over in my hands.
"If I could tell you, I wouldn't be giving you that dream. Just take a look at it okay?"
"This is a dream?" I asked, poking the disk.
"And they called you bright." Tea muttered. "Of course it's a dream, you idiot! This is your soul room; anything I give you is going to be a dream. All your memories and thought are already at your desk."
"Look, I'm a little new at this whole 'dream and soul room' issue, so cut me some slack." I shot back.
"Just open the disk." Tea sighed. I decided not to argue with her because her entire face was half my height, so I sat down and inserted the disk into the drive and opened the file.
~~~~ I was standing in my room-my real room. I tried to walk to the door and down the hall, but I couldn't walk, so I looked down and saw that I was wearing a suit of armor. Confused, I looked up and saw Joey enter my room. About to tell him to get the hell out of my room, I realized I couldn't speak either. He walked over to me and placed a hand on my armor and jerked back as a bolt of electricity zapped his hand. Angry, he tried to hit me, but my armor continued to repel him with jolts of electricity. He finally gave up and Yami came in with Tristan, Yugi and Bakura. Yugi came forward and smiled at me, but I smacked him in the face, the armor emitting bolts of electricity. Tristan and Bakura helped their friend up, weary of me now. Yami came forward, angry that I had hurt Yugi, and, without being hurt, stripped me of my protection. He followed the others out the door and I began to pull the armor on again. I was just putting the helmet on when Mokuba came in and hugged me fiercely around the middle, seemingly unaffected by the voltage my outfit seemed to discharge. I hugged him back and he left, hugging Tea as she entered. She approached me slowly and I took a step back, not wanting her to get hurt. I hadn't wanted the others to get hurt either, I was just protection myself. I took off my helmet and Tea moved forward to help with my chest plate. I tried to tell her that it wasn't safe, but I still couldn't talk. She smiled at me and placed her hand on the armor, causing a bolt energy to run up her arm and into her collarbone. The shock sent her tumbling backwards, crying out in pain, and her friends came in. I backed away, not wanting the others to get hurt and Tea took it as a sigh that I didn't care. Screaming insults at me, her friends helped her out of the room. I watched them go, slid my helmet back on and locked my door behind them. ~~~~
"What the hell was that?!" I asked, spinning to face Tea.
"What do you think it was?" Tea smiled, almost mocking me. "Give you a hint. That dream is representative."
"All I saw was me in body armor with the same defense mechanism of an electric eel!"
"Why must you be so dumb?" Tea asked me. "The armor represents your words and actions. They hurt other people, but you think it keeps you safe from them. Mokuba's the only on who can get past the 'armor' and everyone else gets blasted. Yami taking the armor away is like when he took away the dark influences. Naturally though, you built up the armor again to protect yourself."
"So, why did I take off my helmet when Tea came in?" I asked.
"That's when you briefly opened up to Tea. She wanted to help you by being your friend, but you just repelled her. You hurt her."
"Is this actually supposed to make sense?" I asked, my tone cutting.
"Did your I.Q. recently drop?" Tea countered. I snorted in annoyance and was about to answer when an ear piercing sound rang out around us. "You're alarm clock, Seto. You'd best wake up."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I rolled over, picked up my alarm clock, and threw it out the window. There was a satisfying crash and crunch, which was followed by a brief silence, as the clock hit the front walk and exploded. I slid out from under the covers and pulled on a set of work clothes and a dark trench coat, still thinking about the odd dream I had had. I glanced at my wristwatch and realized I was already late for the meeting with the builders. I ran out to the car and realized I didn't have my keys. After spending a few minutes hunting for them-I found them in my front pocket-I hurried to the car and pulled out my cell phone. A few minutes later, my secretary was ordering breakfast for the builders, to make up for the fact that I was horrible late, and I was hurtling down the highway at a speed that was definitely illegal.
Hurts XIV
I walked down the hall and threw open the door to my room. After meeting with my doctor again, he had decided that I was well enough to go home. I'd told Mokuba to pack up his stuff and I'd take him to the beach house until the renovations at the mansion were complete, but the doctors still wanted him to stay for observation. I sigh, throwing my new trench coat over my arm. I reviewed the talk Mokuba and I had had yesterday. Mokuba's words had really gotten to me. I sat down on the bed and killed some time hunting through my jacket pockets for my keys-which I already knew were on the table.
'I can't love Tea.' I told myself, going through the pockets a second time. 'It wouldn't work. Besides it's too late now. I've already pissed her off, not to mention I threatened her friends. Well, it's for the best.'
I got up, grabbed my keys and went to my car, via Mokuba's room. It was a quick visit; I only stuck my head in the room and said good-bye. He waved and I left, happy that he wouldn't think I'd left him. After driving a few minutes, I pulled into the garage and locked the car. Of my four cars, I only drove two-the other two were limousines- my favorite was my silver Porsche. My black Mercedes wasn't nearly as fast. I really did miss driving. The wind. The freedom. The escape! I shrugged of those thought and went to my computer.
"Hello." The computer greeted me, after I'd gained access. "You've been away a while. I thought you'd forgotten me."
"That would, frankly, be impossible." I told it. "Run a search of all renovators in the country and give me a list of the five closest and a list of the five best."
"Any particular field you wish them to excel at?" The computer asked, already coming up with the first list.
"Yes. Modification for easier wheelchair access."
"I'll see." The computer told me. A few seconds later, two lists appeared and I printed them.
"That's all." I nodded, and the computer shut down.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I'd called all the companies and finally got a representative from each of the top companies to come and see me. I glanced at my watch. It was almost ten. I booted up my lab top and sifted through the work I had to catch up on. I'd made a phone call to the company, after Mokuba's accident, telling them I'd be out for a bit. The work wasn't overwhelming, but I was glad to see that no one had tried to kick me out. Then again, after duelist kingdom and the example I'd made of those executives, who'd want to try? I smirked to myself and started work. It was almost three in the morning before I was done and I had a meeting at eight. I kicked off my shoes and debated whether I should just get some coffee or get some actually sleep. While I was deciding, I took a warm shower and changed out of the hospital shirt into some causal clothes. I didn't have many of jeans and t-shirts, but then, I rarely had a chance to wear them. I decided that coffee wouldn't help now and the doctors had said I needed more sleep. So I set my alarm for seven, pulled off the jeans and got into the bed, noticing that one of the maids must have changed the sheets. Probably because I'd bleed on the last set, I mused, before falling asleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I sat up in bed, stretched and looked around. Pushing away the covers, I stood up and wandered over to the desk and pulled open the top drawer and sifted through a couple of computer disks.
"Hello." A voice called out, from behind me. I spun around and saw that it was my 'savior'.
"Oh." I mumbled, trying to hide my embarrassment. "It's you."
"Yes, it's me." Tea nodded. "Here, while you're free, take a look at this."
I looked down at the spot on my desk she had nodded to and found that a disk had appeared.
"What's this?" I asked, turning it over in my hands.
"If I could tell you, I wouldn't be giving you that dream. Just take a look at it okay?"
"This is a dream?" I asked, poking the disk.
"And they called you bright." Tea muttered. "Of course it's a dream, you idiot! This is your soul room; anything I give you is going to be a dream. All your memories and thought are already at your desk."
"Look, I'm a little new at this whole 'dream and soul room' issue, so cut me some slack." I shot back.
"Just open the disk." Tea sighed. I decided not to argue with her because her entire face was half my height, so I sat down and inserted the disk into the drive and opened the file.
~~~~ I was standing in my room-my real room. I tried to walk to the door and down the hall, but I couldn't walk, so I looked down and saw that I was wearing a suit of armor. Confused, I looked up and saw Joey enter my room. About to tell him to get the hell out of my room, I realized I couldn't speak either. He walked over to me and placed a hand on my armor and jerked back as a bolt of electricity zapped his hand. Angry, he tried to hit me, but my armor continued to repel him with jolts of electricity. He finally gave up and Yami came in with Tristan, Yugi and Bakura. Yugi came forward and smiled at me, but I smacked him in the face, the armor emitting bolts of electricity. Tristan and Bakura helped their friend up, weary of me now. Yami came forward, angry that I had hurt Yugi, and, without being hurt, stripped me of my protection. He followed the others out the door and I began to pull the armor on again. I was just putting the helmet on when Mokuba came in and hugged me fiercely around the middle, seemingly unaffected by the voltage my outfit seemed to discharge. I hugged him back and he left, hugging Tea as she entered. She approached me slowly and I took a step back, not wanting her to get hurt. I hadn't wanted the others to get hurt either, I was just protection myself. I took off my helmet and Tea moved forward to help with my chest plate. I tried to tell her that it wasn't safe, but I still couldn't talk. She smiled at me and placed her hand on the armor, causing a bolt energy to run up her arm and into her collarbone. The shock sent her tumbling backwards, crying out in pain, and her friends came in. I backed away, not wanting the others to get hurt and Tea took it as a sigh that I didn't care. Screaming insults at me, her friends helped her out of the room. I watched them go, slid my helmet back on and locked my door behind them. ~~~~
"What the hell was that?!" I asked, spinning to face Tea.
"What do you think it was?" Tea smiled, almost mocking me. "Give you a hint. That dream is representative."
"All I saw was me in body armor with the same defense mechanism of an electric eel!"
"Why must you be so dumb?" Tea asked me. "The armor represents your words and actions. They hurt other people, but you think it keeps you safe from them. Mokuba's the only on who can get past the 'armor' and everyone else gets blasted. Yami taking the armor away is like when he took away the dark influences. Naturally though, you built up the armor again to protect yourself."
"So, why did I take off my helmet when Tea came in?" I asked.
"That's when you briefly opened up to Tea. She wanted to help you by being your friend, but you just repelled her. You hurt her."
"Is this actually supposed to make sense?" I asked, my tone cutting.
"Did your I.Q. recently drop?" Tea countered. I snorted in annoyance and was about to answer when an ear piercing sound rang out around us. "You're alarm clock, Seto. You'd best wake up."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I rolled over, picked up my alarm clock, and threw it out the window. There was a satisfying crash and crunch, which was followed by a brief silence, as the clock hit the front walk and exploded. I slid out from under the covers and pulled on a set of work clothes and a dark trench coat, still thinking about the odd dream I had had. I glanced at my wristwatch and realized I was already late for the meeting with the builders. I ran out to the car and realized I didn't have my keys. After spending a few minutes hunting for them-I found them in my front pocket-I hurried to the car and pulled out my cell phone. A few minutes later, my secretary was ordering breakfast for the builders, to make up for the fact that I was horrible late, and I was hurtling down the highway at a speed that was definitely illegal.