Wow, such thoughtful responses this time! Vyctori, it is never a chore to
read such careful critiques. I expect people to let me know the high and
low points of the story in question. Thanks for your praise - it makes me
feel all warm and happy inside. *g* I'm an English major with a bit of a
creative writing focus, so if I screw up do tell me. I try to be very
careful in the characterization and the exchange of ideas between the
characters, so thanks for taking notice of that. Sorry you didn't know I'd
begun a new story, SweetCandie, but I'm glad you've climbed aboard for the
ride! =) And now, on with the show -- don't forget to leave comments for
the starving writer!
* * * *
Part Four
"So why'd you cut the power, Pegasus? It's kind of dumb to do it when you're trapped in here with me."
Pegasus rolled his eye theatrically. "If that was the greatest extent of my wicked mind, I'm sure I would have leapt in front of a fast moving train by now."
The two duelists were seated on opposite sides of the elevator, as far away from each other as possible. The emergency lights were on, but they would only last an hour. Mai checked her watch, noting that it had already been forty-five minutes. The two hadn't spoken since the power had gone out, only glared at each other as the light grew weaker. Mai sighed and fingered her deck absently. She was gonna miss her duel. She'd have to forfeit the match, and all because of Pegasus and his stupid plans. She sighed, wondering why these strange things always seemed to happen to her. She knew she had bad luck with men, but this was just too much.
She was startled from her reverie when Pegasus stood, stretched his hands over his head to pop his shoulders, and yawned. She stared at him, watching the way he moved, and realized he really was kinda cute in a sickly bad boy kind of way. She shook her head. No way was she going to let herself fall for that old trick. She looked away, but he caught her interest again moments later when she heard a click. She turned to see Pegasus holding a small metal box as he sifted through the contents muttering to himself. "What exactly are you doing now?"
Pegasus ignored her, rummaging through the box for a moment longer before he plucked out a small flat circular patch of some kind. He snapped the box closed and slid it into his pocket. She couldn't believe he was still wearing a trench coat. The elevator was terribly hot and getting kind of stuffy. He turned, holding up the patch between two fingers as though it were a card. "Simple, really. I always come prepared."
Mai smiled devilishly. "If that's a condom, I can already tell it's too big for you."
"Sticks and stones, my crude companion." He turned and removed some sticky substance on the back of the patch before slapping it onto the metal wall of the elevator. Instantly, artificial light filled the room. It wasn't strong, but it was still light. Pegasus smiled at the look on her face. "As I said, I always come prepared. Besides, who knows what sort of danger I'd be in if I had to sit here alone with you in the dark?"
Mai rolled her eyes. "If you came so prepared, can't you get the power back on?"
"I told you once and I'll tell you again: I didn't shut off the electricity. This was not part of my plan." He sighed, shrugging out of his heavy coat and tossing the hat aside before plopping on the floor again. There was no need for the disguise anymore. Absently he began to comb his hair over the left side of his face. The sunglasses, his only means of disguising the empty eye socket, had been destroyed thanks to that upstart woman. The plan was a total failure. His face was too recognizable for him to stay in the building for very long, and already he'd stretched his timetable too far. "Maybe you're in league with that blasted Kaiba. Maybe you followed me here." He smiled at the look of shock on her face.
"Now how would I know to do that? That's ridiculous!"
Pegasus nodded. "Almost as ridiculous as the idea that I shut the power off, right?"
Mai rolled her eyes. "I never said that, and you can't prove you're innocent. Stop trying to weasel out of the situation."
"Ok, how about this -"
"I said stop weaseling!"
"Yes, but why would I have held the door for you if I'd known the power was going to go out?"
"Good point. Ok, then why did you hold the door for me?"
Pegasus stared for a moment. He honestly didn't know. He shrugged. "You were a woman who needed a ride. I didn't think about it."
Mai stared for a moment speechless, and then burst out laughing. It was just too ridiculous. The whole situation was insane. "Yeah right! Do you honestly expect me to fall for that?"
"It's the truth."
She was still giggling, but kept watching him anyway. He'd gone from mad to hurt to the familiar angry indifference. It was priceless. She shook her head, the blonde tresses mimicking her movements faithfully. "You're crazy."
Pegasus sighed and leaned back against the wall, pulling out his deck and shuffling it absently. "That's what they say."
Mai glanced at him, watching the cards shuffling back and forth in his hands. The slapping plastic sound as he shuffled and reshuffled was almost hypnotic. "Why'd you bring your deck?"
"Habit." He kept shuffling his deck, intent on ignoring her.
She wondered if he'd answer all of her questions with a catch phrase. "You wanna duel?" Pegasus cast a mischievous glance at her which earned a quick addendum from Mai, "Just for fun."
Pegasus stared for a moment then shrugged. "I suppose there's nothing else to do. Have you a dueling mat?"
Mai shrugged. "Nah, we'll just use our imaginations."
Pegasus smiled as the two moved closer to duel the old fashioned way. "I haven't played like this in a long time."
"Might be good for you, then." Mai grinned. "You know I'm gonna whip your ass."
"We'll see."
The two exchanged decks, shuffling each others cards before passing them back and drawing five a piece. Mai crooked an eyebrow at the fair-haired man across from her. "Your move."
* * * *
Part Four
"So why'd you cut the power, Pegasus? It's kind of dumb to do it when you're trapped in here with me."
Pegasus rolled his eye theatrically. "If that was the greatest extent of my wicked mind, I'm sure I would have leapt in front of a fast moving train by now."
The two duelists were seated on opposite sides of the elevator, as far away from each other as possible. The emergency lights were on, but they would only last an hour. Mai checked her watch, noting that it had already been forty-five minutes. The two hadn't spoken since the power had gone out, only glared at each other as the light grew weaker. Mai sighed and fingered her deck absently. She was gonna miss her duel. She'd have to forfeit the match, and all because of Pegasus and his stupid plans. She sighed, wondering why these strange things always seemed to happen to her. She knew she had bad luck with men, but this was just too much.
She was startled from her reverie when Pegasus stood, stretched his hands over his head to pop his shoulders, and yawned. She stared at him, watching the way he moved, and realized he really was kinda cute in a sickly bad boy kind of way. She shook her head. No way was she going to let herself fall for that old trick. She looked away, but he caught her interest again moments later when she heard a click. She turned to see Pegasus holding a small metal box as he sifted through the contents muttering to himself. "What exactly are you doing now?"
Pegasus ignored her, rummaging through the box for a moment longer before he plucked out a small flat circular patch of some kind. He snapped the box closed and slid it into his pocket. She couldn't believe he was still wearing a trench coat. The elevator was terribly hot and getting kind of stuffy. He turned, holding up the patch between two fingers as though it were a card. "Simple, really. I always come prepared."
Mai smiled devilishly. "If that's a condom, I can already tell it's too big for you."
"Sticks and stones, my crude companion." He turned and removed some sticky substance on the back of the patch before slapping it onto the metal wall of the elevator. Instantly, artificial light filled the room. It wasn't strong, but it was still light. Pegasus smiled at the look on her face. "As I said, I always come prepared. Besides, who knows what sort of danger I'd be in if I had to sit here alone with you in the dark?"
Mai rolled her eyes. "If you came so prepared, can't you get the power back on?"
"I told you once and I'll tell you again: I didn't shut off the electricity. This was not part of my plan." He sighed, shrugging out of his heavy coat and tossing the hat aside before plopping on the floor again. There was no need for the disguise anymore. Absently he began to comb his hair over the left side of his face. The sunglasses, his only means of disguising the empty eye socket, had been destroyed thanks to that upstart woman. The plan was a total failure. His face was too recognizable for him to stay in the building for very long, and already he'd stretched his timetable too far. "Maybe you're in league with that blasted Kaiba. Maybe you followed me here." He smiled at the look of shock on her face.
"Now how would I know to do that? That's ridiculous!"
Pegasus nodded. "Almost as ridiculous as the idea that I shut the power off, right?"
Mai rolled her eyes. "I never said that, and you can't prove you're innocent. Stop trying to weasel out of the situation."
"Ok, how about this -"
"I said stop weaseling!"
"Yes, but why would I have held the door for you if I'd known the power was going to go out?"
"Good point. Ok, then why did you hold the door for me?"
Pegasus stared for a moment. He honestly didn't know. He shrugged. "You were a woman who needed a ride. I didn't think about it."
Mai stared for a moment speechless, and then burst out laughing. It was just too ridiculous. The whole situation was insane. "Yeah right! Do you honestly expect me to fall for that?"
"It's the truth."
She was still giggling, but kept watching him anyway. He'd gone from mad to hurt to the familiar angry indifference. It was priceless. She shook her head, the blonde tresses mimicking her movements faithfully. "You're crazy."
Pegasus sighed and leaned back against the wall, pulling out his deck and shuffling it absently. "That's what they say."
Mai glanced at him, watching the cards shuffling back and forth in his hands. The slapping plastic sound as he shuffled and reshuffled was almost hypnotic. "Why'd you bring your deck?"
"Habit." He kept shuffling his deck, intent on ignoring her.
She wondered if he'd answer all of her questions with a catch phrase. "You wanna duel?" Pegasus cast a mischievous glance at her which earned a quick addendum from Mai, "Just for fun."
Pegasus stared for a moment then shrugged. "I suppose there's nothing else to do. Have you a dueling mat?"
Mai shrugged. "Nah, we'll just use our imaginations."
Pegasus smiled as the two moved closer to duel the old fashioned way. "I haven't played like this in a long time."
"Might be good for you, then." Mai grinned. "You know I'm gonna whip your ass."
"We'll see."
The two exchanged decks, shuffling each others cards before passing them back and drawing five a piece. Mai crooked an eyebrow at the fair-haired man across from her. "Your move."