all general disclaimers apply
Author's Note; At least one person asked about how spikey large hair like Yami's could fit in a helmet. If you've seen Dragonball Z and its large amount of spikey, big haired characters you'd likely know the answer already. Goku wears a space helmet and we get a good shower scene of Vegeta's hair when wet. Seeing how hair reacts from these two characters, it's easy to guess how Yami or Yugi's hair behaves. It's likely soft and bendable, not stiff.
As Yami's card was drawn and flipped on the table, he watched Mai intensely, noting the shuffle, placement, everything.
"I'll have you know that I'm not supposed to deal to friends."
"Who on this Earth will believe you when you say you know a guy who is actually two, one being a spirit, or ghost of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who cannot doesn't exist in written history?"
"Good point. I'd lose my job and they'd send me to a room with lovely white walls to stare at. I don't know you at all. Well stranger, prepare to lose."
Yami's first card was the ten of clubs. Yami naturally suggested a 'hit' and was given another card, this time a nine of hearts. "Nineteen. I'll stay."
Mai smirked. She then flipped the house's card. A queen of diamonds. She dealt the house another card. The queen of hearts. "Twenty. House wins. One step closer to that kiss with Joey and that admission to Seto, Pharaoh. The next hand could tilt the odds dramatically." Mai taunted as she pulled the cards and reshuffled the deck once again.
Yami said nothing. He was focused on her style of shuffle. His sharp eyes and knowledge of cards allowed him to notice why the house is always in favor. He tapped the table in request for a card. It was the King of spades.
"How appropriate." Mai commented upon seeing Yami's card.
"Indeed. Hit me, but cut the deck first then give me the top card. It's not against the rules of the game."
Mai scowled, but did as Yami requested.
Meanwhile, Tea was watching the action closely as Joey and Tristan began to cause commotion at the casino's entrance.
"Whaddya mean we can't go in there! Our friends are in there. We aren't gonna drink. We're jus' gonna meet our friends."
The bouncer wasn't phased by Joey's ranting. But his ruckus caught Tea's attention.
"Yami, excuse me a moment. I think our lagging friends have finally arrived."
Yami nodded without a glance to her. His eyes were locked on the cards and Mai's hands. He wasn't about to give her an advantage now. On occasion, his intense stare would lock onto her eyes. They'd send the strange sensation of cold shivers down her spine. It was almost as if he were using her eyes as a gateway to her very soul.
Mai laid the newly selected card beside Yami's King of Spades. It was the Queen of Spades. Yami smirked devillishly. "How appropriate again, eh Yami?" Mai snorted. First in Duel Monsters and now in Blackjack, Yami never ceased to amaze with his luck in card drawing. Then Yami did something equally amazing.
"Cut the deck again then hit me."
Mai stared at him in open-eyed wonder. He had twenty, only an ace could give him Blackjack without going over and forefeiting to the House. Her facial expressions said what her mouth wasn't allowed to. Yami answered the question it asked.
"This is a gambling center. So, I'm gambling. I trust in my abilities as a gamer."
Deep in Mai's mind she thought him just a tad stupid, but perhaps he was insanely smart. She cut the deck once again and decided to see who was right.
Back at the casino entrance, Tea was going to enjoy the little game she was now about to start.
"Hi boys. Can't get in?"
"Tea, tell him we're with you." Joey pleaded.
"Now why would I do that. I don't know you. You two are just trying to find someone already in to slide you by." Tea replied with a wink.
"Why you-I'll uh, uh, hey, wait, who needs ya, I have another PLAN." Joey said as the ol' lightbulb clicked on over his head.
"YOU have another PLAN!? Great. We were already kicked out of two places because of your wonderous plans." Tristan commented.
"Why don't I treat you two to a couple of sodas at the kiddie bar over there." Tea suggested as she grabbed the two by the arms and dragged them away before Joey got all three removed from the area.
"I can't believe you two. Geesh, no wonder that bouncer guy wouldn't let you in. You're so immature."
"Immature. Tea, who's the one who's acting well beyond HER age eh?" Joey teased with a nudge to Tea's arm.
"Nevermind me. Besides, somebody has to help Yami out if he finds something strange or unfamiliar. I happened to read up on this city and modern gambling."
"What else have you read up on Tea? Perhaps how to seduce an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh?"
"Very funny Joey. I should shove this root beer float somewhere where you wouldn't enjoy it."
"Wait Tea, he might enjoy that. Best not threaten him there." Tristan joked.
"TRISTAN! I wouldn't talk about yourself like that." Joey shot back.
"Will you two stop! Look at those two little boys over there. They're behaving better than you two and you're both supposed to be young men."
"Agoogoogaga to you to Tea." Joey taunted as he popped a thumb in his mouth in mimic of a baby.
"You two are unbelievable! Be that way. Geesh, one would think you two HAVE been drinking. I'm returning to Yami." Tea said with a huff, flipped her head in mature arrogance, and left the two jokers behind.She shook her head in disbelief and continued onward, but not without hearing the two responding back to her. "We love you too Tea!" As she walked away, she could hear Joey and Tristan discovering yet another new distraction.
"Ooooh, dancin' girls! Let's go Tris! We're off to see the goddess, the wonderful goddess of love!" Joey sang as the two once again darted off to somewhere.
As she arrived, she saw Mai, frozen in shock with her hand on a third card which was facing upwards, ready to be placed beside Yami's royal couple in spades. It was the royal couple's offspring--the Ace of Spades. Using the ace as a "one" rather than "ten", Yami had blackjack. The second game was amazingly his. Yami had won back what he had lost in the first game.
"Well Mai, I looks like the final game is the determining one." Yami commented as Mai flipped the House's cards just to see if she could tie his blackjack. It was in vain. The House went over as it quested for twenty-one.Yami looked over his money chips. It was time to make the final game a much more interesting one.Casually, he stacked ten $100 chips. "$1000 on this game plus what you have previously suggested." In the two games before, they were merely using $50 chips.
"The House will match your bet." Mai said as she placed some chips to the side. Mai then shuffled the cards and gave Yami his first. It was the nine of diamonds.
"Cut the deck and hit me." Yami asked softly as Mai cut the deck and flipped him another card. It was the three of clubs. Now Yami had to hope the royal cards stayed within the deck rather than onto the table. "Don't cut the deck this time. Just hit me."
Mai did so, and faced another card on his side. It was the five of spades. Yami was now at seventeen. He couldn't stay. He knew Mai wouldn't. Yet he could get no higher than a four. With a look of intense determination, Yami demanded another card.
Mai's eyes flashed with curiousity. To see a master gamer such as this young man, work his magic with a game was something of a rare event. But then again, he was a gamer of the past. She was one of the present. Whom would the modern cards choose in this game?
Elsewhere...
"SSsssshh Tristan. They'll hear us." Joey whispered as he and Tristan snaked along some access corridors.
"But Joey, if they find us, we'll be thrown in jail. This is an employee's only area."
Joey thought about it for a moment. He then spotted two ushers. "Okay, so we'll be employees."
"Joey, I don't think we--" Tristan started, but couldn't finish as Joey had already lept upon one of the two ushers. Tristan had no choice but to do the same to the second. If one were allowed to get away, they'd be in trouble for sure.
Dressed in usher uniforms, Joey and Tristan were admitted to the showroom without any question.
"Tristan, this show is topless!" Joey whispered excitedly as he pointed to the ad banner at the entranceway.
"So it is. Well, if you don't stay calm, we won't be seeing showgirls even with their tops on." Tristan commented as he tried to calm his ambitious friend.
Shortly after the crowd filled the room and took their seats, the lights dimmed and the show began.
Back in the casino, Tea bit on her nails as she saw the risk Yami was about to take. This was the one thing she disliked about him. He always accepted a challenge without a thought, unlike Yugi who would think of the consequences first. Yami had so much confidence in his abilities and good fortune that it was possible he could take them for granted and get burned without even knowing so beforehand.
Mai flipped the card. It was the five of hearts. Yami's hand went over by just one. With a snarl, Yami could only hope the House would also falter, but he knew that all Mai had to do was flip two cards and hold, regardless of the amount.
Mai's first card was the jack of clubs. Her second, the seven of diamonds. Yami snorted quietly. If he had held, the House would have tied his seventeen and be forced to draw. Mai looked him in the eyes and met his intense stare with her own. She could have victory right now, but something urged her forward. Like Yami, she was no conservative gamer. She liked the rush risk gave as much as he did. With a slight smirk of her own, she drew another card for the House. She glanced at it before she laid it face up beside the others. She couldn't help but laugh at her fortune. Not wanting to keep an ancient king in suspense for too long, she laid it with the others. It was the five of clubs. The House's hand went over by the same exact amount and three of the four fives in the card deck had revealed themselves this game. It was rather strange.
Yami's eyes lit in his luck. Mai had the game won at seventeen, yet, like himself, could not resist the urge to challenge the odds. Mai was indeed a true gamer and a force to be reckoned with. "Mai, since we both won a single game and the deciding game did nothing, a compromise in the ante should be made." Yami said as he split his money chips in half. "You will treat us to a dinner only. I will make that call to Kaiba." Yami stated and then smiled in amusement before continuing. "You may kiss Joey if you feel it necessary."
"I'll accept that, but I want to be there when you call Kaiba. I wouldn't miss this for the world! I'm off tomorrow. We'll deal with these issue then?"
Yami nodded, gave Tea the hotel name and room they were staying in, then thanked Mai for the game before he and Tea departed. As they strolled through the casino, looking at the other various games, Yami caught glimpse of some darkened rooms at the side of the casino. Curious, he led Tea in the direction of those rooms. Once there he peered inside the first. A huge movie screen playing multiple different football games could be seen. Tea described to Yami how bets were made based on the winner and the score of a game. Too unfamiliar with modern sports and Yugi not much better, Yami decided it was not a worthwhile effort. The next room, however, yielded a sport he was somewhat familiar with...horse racing.
"Tea, we must return here tomorrow night. I know horses well. Do they have camel racing?"
"I don't think so. There's dog racing besides horses, but I don't believe camels are high on the popularity list here in the United States."
After walking a while longer, they found themselves back outdoors in the refreshing desert air. Yami noticed an ad poster for one of the shows in the hotel they had just exited. It reminded him of something.
"Tea, did you meet up with Joey and Tristan earlier?"
"Yes, but they were acting like little boys, so I returned to you."
Yami glanced at the poster again. Then a word caught his eye. Sure enough, that particular show was topless.
"I'm sure we'll see them again, after the show."
"You think they got in somehow?"
"I know they got in. I have a feeling I know Joey all too well." Yami joked. Not wanting to return to the hotel just yet, he nonchalantly scanned the area for something else to do...something a bit more quiet, serene, and well, romantic. He wasn't exactly sure why he wanted to, but with Tea, it just felt right. Above the roar of the commotion of the Strip, Yami could faintly make out the sounds of classic piano. He gently asked for Tea's hand with his own and led her towards the sound, slightly away from the strip.
Tea couldn't believe this was Yami! Sure she'd been on a date or two with the ancient pharaoh prior to this, but every time, it was she leading and planning things for them. She often thought Yami would do things for the sake of Yugi, but this time, Yami seemed to be thinking of himself AND her. She had dreamt of a time where she and Yami were together, of a chance where she could look into his true eyes and think solely of him without Yugi drifting into the mix. But truth be told, she knew that Yugi played as vital a role in her heart just as Yami did. Yugi was a physical, living being and Yami, a spirit of a being no longer in existence. Eventually her heart would have to listen to her brain, but for now, she would relish the time she could spend with the ancient spirit of the Millenium Puzzle.
Yami led her to the Bellagio, a large, hotel casino that spelled ritzy class all over it. It was set far back off the main yardage of the Strip thanks to its large mini lake. The classical music grew louder as they approached the lake. As the music played, large fountains stretching across the entire lake danced to the music like a duo of skaters on ice.
"Oh Yami, it's beautiful!"
Yami stopped and looked Tea in the eyes. "Not as beautiful as you in this desert moonlight."
Tea was stunned by Yami's romantic line. Before she could reply, her body shivered. The cooling desert air mixed with the mist from the fountain chilled her.
"We'd better return to the Luxor now. It's getting late anyway." Yami replied softly. Tea didn't want the moment she was having to end, but her body was telling her otherwise. She nodded reluctantly as they made their way back towards the main streets.
As they entered the Luxor, Grandpa was within the lobby. He had just returned from a day at the convention. He nodded at the pharaoh with a special wink. Yami was unsure what it meant. He was unaware that he and Tea were still walking hand-in-hand.
Yami escorted Tea to her room. "Thank you for today Yami."
"No Tea, thank you. I enjoyed this day with you." Yami replied as he lifted the hand he still held and kissed it gently.
Tea blushed as heat filled her cheeks. It was hard to believe that this was a pharaoh, an ancient king kissing HER hand! "Pleasant dreams Yami, and say hello to Yugi for me too. I'll see you at breakfast in the morning."
Yami nodded and turned to go to the room he, Yugi, and Grandpa shared. As Tea's door shut, he heard the snickering from the corner hallway. Joey and Tristan had seen and heard it all.
Yami approached the two giggling teens without any sign of embarrassment or emotion. His intense eyes locked upon them and both shut up. Yami's regal presence just seemed to demand respect.
"To each his own." Yami said softly with a slight smirk. Joey and Tristan cringed. They did not like how Yami said that. All went to their respective rooms after and prepared for yet another day in the Sin City.
Once in the room, Yami was exhausted and asked Yugi to switch back once again. Yami wanted Yugi to have some time to enjoy being with his grandfather. Yami didn't want to answer any questions from one curious grandpa anyway.
All fell asleep quickly as a day in Vegas tends to do that to one's self. A whole new day of adventures would begin the next day. And on the next day Seto Kaiba was due to get an interesting phone call.
to be continued...
