Wow, I never expected to get such a positive response from everyone on my
first chapter! Thanks for all the reviews! In the best tradition of just
about the best fanfic author out there, Kabuki (see my favourite author
list), I am now going to respond to what everyone said:
Blue Mediva: Thanks for the advice. Immediately after reading your review, I went and turned on the anonymous review thing.
Ori: Well, I'm listening to you now, because here's your update. I'm glad you like my fic so much! ^_^
Charly and Utah: Voila! One update!
Yuji-i16: I am La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp! Your wish has been granted! (I'm in a silly mood.)
It's hard to write a story starting in the middle, working backwards, and then going forwards again. But everything seems to be working out fine so far. So without further ado, here's the next chapter in Trust. . .
~ * * * ~
I had failed. There was no other word for it. My weeks of preparation-down the toilet.
"Take me home," I growled at the chauffeur once I had folded myself into the limousine.
"Yes, Mr. Kaiba," he answered respectfully and drove off.
On the smooth ride home, I didn't budge an inch. I sat with my arms crossed, scowling at the back of the seat in front of me. What had gone wrong? I had calculated every variable. Nothing unforeseen should have happened. . .and yet it did. I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would respond to Ishizu's return of my kiss. I thought I was too in control of my emotions for that ridiculous nonsense.
My mind travelled back to when I had begun to carry out my plan, when I had started to prepare for the real thing. . .
['His kisses devoured her, searing her lips and her soul. She moaned and clutched him, swept away by rivers of passion. . .'
"Mr. Kaiba, there's somebody to see you."
I whipped the romantic novel beneath my papers and shuffled my work officiously. "Show them in."
After the client had been dealt with, I reached into my desk and slid a video into my VCR. Although I had been sorely tempted to try to get an illicit copy of a porn movie-it cut out the sentimental bits and moved straight to what I needed to know-I figured it would look bad on my record had I been caught, and there was Mokuba to think about as well.
I spent most of the time fast-forwarding through the anguish of the couple in question and observed only the kissing, taking careful note of how they performed.
"Honestly. They've got to be exaggerating," I grumbled as the pair onscreen writhed in passion. They're just sticking their lips against each other. What could be so great about that? However, if it was going to let me keep my Obelisk card. . .
"Hey big brother, what're you watching?" Mokuba inquired as he entered the room.
I snapped off the television in an instant and started tapping hurriedly on my laptop. "Nothing important. It was exceedingly tiresome."
"Oh, okay, Seto." Mokuba seemed satisfied with my response. "Do you think you'll have any time to do anything tonight?"
"Well. . ." Because I had been spending so much time trying to perfect my plan, I had been falling behind in KaibaCorp work. "Maybe just one game of chess. But only one!" I warned my brother as he began jumping up and down and cheering.
"Thanks! You're the best, Seto! I'll go get the pieces!" With those words, Mokuba ran flat out of the room.]
I sighed, frustrated, as the limousine pulled up next to my mansion. The chauffeur let me out and I strode up to the door, scowling fiercely.
Mokuba met me at the door. "Hey, Seto! Did you get that thing you said you were going to grab?"
Annoyance just poured from my voice. "No. My plan was a complete and utter failure."
"Oh." Mokuba shrugged. "Whatever it was, I'm sure you can think of something else. Now, do you want to duel? I've really been practicing with some kids during lunch break at school and this time I think I can beat you!"
I smiled for Mokuba's sake and tousled his hair affectionately. "Well, let's see what you've learned, little brother. But I only have time for one game, mind you. So let's get started!"
And, feeling much happier, I hurried up to my special duelling room in preparation, Mokuba tagging along at my heels.
* * *
That blasted Kaiba! I thought angrily. That stupid, rotten, nasty, lowdown. . . .
My slipper-shoed foot stomped angrily on the gas pedal of my car as I drove home. The needle on the speedometer crawled its way up, faster and faster. I forced myself to slow down. I wasn't about to get a speeding ticket because of that creep Seto Kaiba.
When I reached my house, I stormed inside and up to my bathroom. There, I roughly stripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower. I wanted to rinse away every remaining hint of where Kaiba's hands had drifted.
My scrubbing slowed. Even now, my skin tingled with the memory of the kiss. It had been. . .well, words couldn't describe it, really. It was unlike any other experience I had ever lived in my entire life. For a moment, my eyes grew dreamy as I remembered. . . . Then a tear tumbled down my cheek and merged with the droplets of the shower spray.
Why Kaiba? Why, why, why? Why such a horrid jerk, a cold computer of a human being? I queried myself. But no. Not cold. . .not cold at all. . .
"Oooh!" I growled, furious at myself. I knew when the rot had set in, when that pair of gorgeous blue eyes had begun to besiege my heart. It had started when I first telephoned him, but even more so when I met him face to face. . .
[As I led Kaiba towards the stone carving that would reveal his destiny to him, I was conscious of his every step-much to my disgust. Almost every word out of his mouth was a barb aimed at my beliefs and my work in Egyptology. However, I attempted to remain aloof. If he was going to be an ignorant fool, then that was fine by me. He'd look all the more stupid when I showed him that slab.
Finally, when we arrived, I commanded him to gaze upon the truth. Kaiba kept his eyes riveted on me, which made it rather hard to speak in a steady tone. Finally, he transferred his look to the tablet. After that, I had no time to consider the odd flutterings inside myself, since events began to occur rather rapidly. It was only at the end, when I presented him with that dratted card, Obelisk the Tormentor, that I had a chance to pay attention to my feelings once more.
We stood barely a foot from each other and as I handed over the card and explained its significance. We hesitated, staring into each other's eyes. For one insane instant, I thought he was going to kiss me. Maybe it was that thoughtful, reflective look he had at the moment.
Whatever it was, the spell was broken as he abruptly turned away. With one more parting jab about keeping the card for himself, he was gone.
And I was left to wonder. . .]
I stepped out of the shower and dried myself. Kaiba treats me like everyone else-as though I barely had two clues to rub together. This peculiar infatuation I have for him, it must just be since he's so good-looking, I mused. Well, that won't last. I'll just put him out of my mind and forget all about Seto Kaiba. A relationship-even if that idiot knew what the word meant-wouldn't work at all.
I should be happy, I thought as I pulled on a nightdress and climbed into bed. So why do I feel the ache of loss. . .?
~ * * * ~
So that's all for today, everyone! Don't forget to review, while I figure out whether or not to adopt a muse. Until the next update!
Blue Mediva: Thanks for the advice. Immediately after reading your review, I went and turned on the anonymous review thing.
Ori: Well, I'm listening to you now, because here's your update. I'm glad you like my fic so much! ^_^
Charly and Utah: Voila! One update!
Yuji-i16: I am La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp! Your wish has been granted! (I'm in a silly mood.)
It's hard to write a story starting in the middle, working backwards, and then going forwards again. But everything seems to be working out fine so far. So without further ado, here's the next chapter in Trust. . .
~ * * * ~
I had failed. There was no other word for it. My weeks of preparation-down the toilet.
"Take me home," I growled at the chauffeur once I had folded myself into the limousine.
"Yes, Mr. Kaiba," he answered respectfully and drove off.
On the smooth ride home, I didn't budge an inch. I sat with my arms crossed, scowling at the back of the seat in front of me. What had gone wrong? I had calculated every variable. Nothing unforeseen should have happened. . .and yet it did. I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would respond to Ishizu's return of my kiss. I thought I was too in control of my emotions for that ridiculous nonsense.
My mind travelled back to when I had begun to carry out my plan, when I had started to prepare for the real thing. . .
['His kisses devoured her, searing her lips and her soul. She moaned and clutched him, swept away by rivers of passion. . .'
"Mr. Kaiba, there's somebody to see you."
I whipped the romantic novel beneath my papers and shuffled my work officiously. "Show them in."
After the client had been dealt with, I reached into my desk and slid a video into my VCR. Although I had been sorely tempted to try to get an illicit copy of a porn movie-it cut out the sentimental bits and moved straight to what I needed to know-I figured it would look bad on my record had I been caught, and there was Mokuba to think about as well.
I spent most of the time fast-forwarding through the anguish of the couple in question and observed only the kissing, taking careful note of how they performed.
"Honestly. They've got to be exaggerating," I grumbled as the pair onscreen writhed in passion. They're just sticking their lips against each other. What could be so great about that? However, if it was going to let me keep my Obelisk card. . .
"Hey big brother, what're you watching?" Mokuba inquired as he entered the room.
I snapped off the television in an instant and started tapping hurriedly on my laptop. "Nothing important. It was exceedingly tiresome."
"Oh, okay, Seto." Mokuba seemed satisfied with my response. "Do you think you'll have any time to do anything tonight?"
"Well. . ." Because I had been spending so much time trying to perfect my plan, I had been falling behind in KaibaCorp work. "Maybe just one game of chess. But only one!" I warned my brother as he began jumping up and down and cheering.
"Thanks! You're the best, Seto! I'll go get the pieces!" With those words, Mokuba ran flat out of the room.]
I sighed, frustrated, as the limousine pulled up next to my mansion. The chauffeur let me out and I strode up to the door, scowling fiercely.
Mokuba met me at the door. "Hey, Seto! Did you get that thing you said you were going to grab?"
Annoyance just poured from my voice. "No. My plan was a complete and utter failure."
"Oh." Mokuba shrugged. "Whatever it was, I'm sure you can think of something else. Now, do you want to duel? I've really been practicing with some kids during lunch break at school and this time I think I can beat you!"
I smiled for Mokuba's sake and tousled his hair affectionately. "Well, let's see what you've learned, little brother. But I only have time for one game, mind you. So let's get started!"
And, feeling much happier, I hurried up to my special duelling room in preparation, Mokuba tagging along at my heels.
* * *
That blasted Kaiba! I thought angrily. That stupid, rotten, nasty, lowdown. . . .
My slipper-shoed foot stomped angrily on the gas pedal of my car as I drove home. The needle on the speedometer crawled its way up, faster and faster. I forced myself to slow down. I wasn't about to get a speeding ticket because of that creep Seto Kaiba.
When I reached my house, I stormed inside and up to my bathroom. There, I roughly stripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower. I wanted to rinse away every remaining hint of where Kaiba's hands had drifted.
My scrubbing slowed. Even now, my skin tingled with the memory of the kiss. It had been. . .well, words couldn't describe it, really. It was unlike any other experience I had ever lived in my entire life. For a moment, my eyes grew dreamy as I remembered. . . . Then a tear tumbled down my cheek and merged with the droplets of the shower spray.
Why Kaiba? Why, why, why? Why such a horrid jerk, a cold computer of a human being? I queried myself. But no. Not cold. . .not cold at all. . .
"Oooh!" I growled, furious at myself. I knew when the rot had set in, when that pair of gorgeous blue eyes had begun to besiege my heart. It had started when I first telephoned him, but even more so when I met him face to face. . .
[As I led Kaiba towards the stone carving that would reveal his destiny to him, I was conscious of his every step-much to my disgust. Almost every word out of his mouth was a barb aimed at my beliefs and my work in Egyptology. However, I attempted to remain aloof. If he was going to be an ignorant fool, then that was fine by me. He'd look all the more stupid when I showed him that slab.
Finally, when we arrived, I commanded him to gaze upon the truth. Kaiba kept his eyes riveted on me, which made it rather hard to speak in a steady tone. Finally, he transferred his look to the tablet. After that, I had no time to consider the odd flutterings inside myself, since events began to occur rather rapidly. It was only at the end, when I presented him with that dratted card, Obelisk the Tormentor, that I had a chance to pay attention to my feelings once more.
We stood barely a foot from each other and as I handed over the card and explained its significance. We hesitated, staring into each other's eyes. For one insane instant, I thought he was going to kiss me. Maybe it was that thoughtful, reflective look he had at the moment.
Whatever it was, the spell was broken as he abruptly turned away. With one more parting jab about keeping the card for himself, he was gone.
And I was left to wonder. . .]
I stepped out of the shower and dried myself. Kaiba treats me like everyone else-as though I barely had two clues to rub together. This peculiar infatuation I have for him, it must just be since he's so good-looking, I mused. Well, that won't last. I'll just put him out of my mind and forget all about Seto Kaiba. A relationship-even if that idiot knew what the word meant-wouldn't work at all.
I should be happy, I thought as I pulled on a nightdress and climbed into bed. So why do I feel the ache of loss. . .?
~ * * * ~
So that's all for today, everyone! Don't forget to review, while I figure out whether or not to adopt a muse. Until the next update!
