**A/N: Couple of things--
First, allow me to extend my gratitude to everyone who's been kind enough to review so far. (Including you, SW =)) Thanks!! We really appreciate it, and we're glad that people have expressed an interest in the pairing within our fic. Believe me, good, bad, or ugly, reviews are a major prompt in getting my lazy butt into writing mode. More good news, school has just gotten out for me, so now I'll have mucho time to spend penning my little story! =D
Secondly, I said upfront that there would be no lemon in this story. Well, I'm sticking to that, after all, this is sort of a family friendly story, and I don't want to freak folks out too much. *HOWEVER* if you do have an interest in citrus goodness and would like to see the scenes left on the cutting-room floor from the honeymoon era, then drop SW a line (her email is moondark@mail.com) and if you ask nicely, she might fill you in. Come on, she needs *something* to write so she can be occupied with a task other than throwing various sharp objects in my direction! =) *ducks*
Well, that's about it I guess. Hope you enjoy the next chapter. Truth to tell, I wanted to get the wedding over with so we could get to the really good stuff (*NO*, not *THAT* kind of good stuff!!!!! =) ). I think I'll start posting updates every weekend or so, if possible. I would post sooner, daily or every other day, but I think since people tend to read on the weekends, weekly posting might attract the most audience, and give the story awhile to stew. Do you think I should post more often? If so, I'd be interested to hear. For now, adios, peeps! ^-^
~~~Amber
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~~Wedding (Would-be conclusion to this too-fricken-long part!)~~
Beneath a rolling sky laden with hoary clouds, Mai shivered, wrapping her mauve jacket as tightly to her flesh as was possible, and hugging her arms together for warmth. Good grief, what IQ-of-frickin-10 moron decided it was good to have a wedding today?
Ugh. She wished she had a Millenium Item, because in that case, some dumb freak would have their ass shipped to the Shadow Realm in five minutes flat.
Well...okay, maybe not quite, but it really did seem rather ridiculous that this event couldn't have simply been rescheduled for a time when slightly nicer conditions were forecast by the local weather, but then again, she reasoned that rich people were generally the most eccentric of the herd as far as customs went, and Pegasus could be counted on to be more than a bit eccentric at any given time. Hell, she was surprised that they weren't arriving in a carriage drawn six what horses..make that llamas, actually. Despite his name, Pegasus was the llama type, one look at him said as much.
*Wait..how the hell have I gotten from the weather to llamas?!*
And if one more snobby-looking old spinster gave her a dirty look, or if she heard the word "slut" being rasply muttered underneath someone's breath as she happened along, that pretentious little coot would be down on the ground in less time than it takes to say "Why didn't I just stay in bed and watch soap operas today! ARGHHH!!!", arthritis and 70+ years of age or not!
But then again...maybe she was worrying for nothing. Although Pegasus was a billionaire, he didn't necessarily keep company with the monoculed-mustached-"Grawhawhaw, quite jolly good, chum, quite jolly good"-rich-folks of the world.....but then again, what kind of company *did* Pegasus keep? Big real live demon monster creatures from the Shadow Realm?!? .....Hmm, well okay, that *was* preferable to the fat penguin monoculed guy that Mai's mind had conjured a moment before...
Again, she wondered what in Ra's name she was doing here today, and again, the answer was the same: the simple allure of the sheer oddness of this situation. After all, it wasn't like two sexy male billionaires loaded with psychotic issues got hitched every day, now was it? Hey, this was just like every daytime talk show she'd ever seen, except done up classy and loaded with fancy pretenses!
Mai smirked. At the very least, she was getting to lounge on someone's nice ocean lawn and eat a good snooty-person dinner for absolutely free. And who could say? It might be fun, might be interesting..might be just downright insane, and then at least it would be something to tell buddies about over a good Rolling Rock later. Inwardly, she doubted she herself would ever decide to get married. Like her beloved harpy cards, Mai was a free spirit with wings that she did not readily want to be clipped by settling down and accepting marital/filial responsibilities. For now, life was still about an exciting roller coaster of thrills, of seeking money and hoping to win big, of games and triumphs. For now, she was perfectly contented with this, and had no desire to readily change it.
As she walked along, Mai took in a quick assessment of the surrounding scenerary. Hmm...not bad, really. A bit overdone, perhaps, but that wasn't so horrible. Flowers, big foamy floatlike objects....bird poop? Huh? What the heck? Okay, it had it's flaws, still, there was something to be said for the aesthetics involved, or at least the attempt thereof. An assortment of guests had gathered, many who appeared to be servants of some capacity, maids as well, and others who looked to be business associates.
Suddenly, Mai halted in her tracks and listened. One little voice amidst the crowd caught her attention. Yugi!! Of course, she should've figured as much before! Yugi and his friends had come along too..though after what Pegasus had done, it did seem a peculiar choice to tag along..but far be it for her to try and figure out that kiddo!
Pushing past a gathering of sharply dressed men bearing musical instruments, Mai ran forward. Her sharp pointed heels struck the mud crudely, and she almost went flying forward..how embarrasing would *that* have been...but in seconds, the rows of people seemed to part and a spiky head of hair came plainly into view a few feet away.
Hmm, but what was this? It was Yugi alright, with Joey, and they were talking to someone. Waitaminute..she had seen that ponytail before...Otogi?! Good grief! Was everyone in Domino here?! Voices were slightly raised, tones seemed sarcastic...not a pleasant conversation, she guessed. Mai decided to sit back and watch..this could be semi-intriguing....
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"~Yugi Mutou~! The King of Games!" Otogi flashed a smile at Yugi and twisted his dice earing, as he had come to do so often from habit. "How has it been for you lately, crushing and humiliating every poor opponent, I take it?"
"Erm..well..." Yugi raised an eyebrow as if to inquire something... "...Not quite like that, but I have been playing Duel Monsters a bit..and.."
"Yeah, yeah, good for you.. hey! ~Joey~boy~! Surprised to see you here.." With a smirk, he added, "Didn't know they allowed mutts on the lawn."
"Oh yeah?!" Responded the blonde with a raised wagging fist, trying to look deeply menacing. "Well *I* didn't know dey allowed...eh...stupid girly guyz who wear dumb dices, ~Dookey~boy~!"
Otogi rolled his eyes. Hopeless.....
"As it would happen, I am here as an honorary DJ for Mister Maximillion Pegasus J Crawford. I have a very special role in making this wedding succeed, yep, there's no way it could work without me guiding a few things...."
"DJ?" Yugi's innocent amethyst eyes gazed up at the other.
"DJ, disk jockey, music dude? Yeah, that's right, I'm in charge of setting up the music. See those people over there?"--point in the direction the tuxedo-sporting men holding instruments--"That's the London Candlelight Symphony Orchestra, see, their really long name signifies the fact that "they ownz J00", basically. They're uber-good musicians who are very famous and never make mistakes, and *I* get to choose the music for them to play!"
"Jeez Otogi, I didn't know you had any experience with that sort of thing...?" Said Yugi, becoming more interested.
"Experience? Since when do I need ~experience~ to pick out music? I just select whatever songs I like that won't get my head bitten off for being played in a wedding. It's a brainless job, really."
"Glad ta see ya finally admit not having a brain, Dookey-boy." Joey began, "So howdcha get this little gig, anyhow? Begging? Sucking up like nobody's business? Hours o' Funny Bunny impersonations?"
Otogi grunted.
*Damn! How does he know?!*
"I'll have you know that Mister Maximillion Pegasus J Crawford trusts me implicitly and gladly offered me a small task like this. We are after all business partners. A certain closeness is entailed by that kind of relationship, you know."
This time, it was Joey's turn to give an eye roll. "I'll bet....say, can't believe ya even came...I figured it must be *so* sad seein yer man be married off to someone else...sorry, guy, dat's life."
In that moment, Otogi's eyes certainly looked a very brilliant shade of green against his new tomato-red complexion.
"Why...! The nerve of..! I...! Grrr......you...agh.." He stammered uselessly.
Yugi blinked.
"I'm above this." Otogi added, regaining his composure after ducking his pony-tailed head for a second. "You're just jealous, and not worth my effort, so I'll walk off coolly and let you pick your own choice of negative adjectives/nouns. Go ahead Joey, have fun, that is, if you can even muster the vocabulary for it..."
True to his last statement, Otogi turned with a final flip of the hair and walked off, heading in the direction of a bridesmaid cluster nearby. (New cheerleaders, most likely)
Yugi stretched, Joey grunted. A line of "Can you believe de *NERVE* o-that-guy?!" was almost about to pop out on Joey's behalf, when suddenly, he was distantly pleased to hear a muffled "OH RA!!! FRICKEN BIRDS!!!!!" ...Heh. Otogi was such a great buddy...
"You shouldn't let other people get under your skin, Joey. A calm collected attitude is the first rule to everything. Well, unless.....they're wearing stripes with plaid...then you should just kill them and do the world a favor."
Both boys were surprised to look up and see Mai, standing with one hand on her hip and the other holding a large black bag, grinning broadly at the perplexed pair.
"Mai...?" Sputtered Yugi.
"Well, sure! Who else can still have perfect-looking hair on a code-red-high-warning foggy day like this? Sorry to say, kiddo, but it's not you, although I would like to know what mousse you're using, because the hold is out-of-this-world!"
"What's in da bag?" Inquired Joey in his oh-so-subtle style.
"A wedding gift." Was the deliberately-ambiguous reply. "Are you telling me that you've come here *without* bringing one, Joey? That's not too customary..or polite either, for that matter."
"Aw, c'mon, what da heck d'ya get a guy with is own *ISLAND*?!"
"Simple." Responded Mai. "Something *he* wouldn't think to get."
The boys stared in confusion.
"Oh, nevermind! Why do I even *bother* with you two!"
"I got him a gift." Yugi offered, amiable as usual. "But it's something he probably already has. Still though..I thought maybe he would like it..I dunno..." Reaching into his oversized jacket, Yugi pulled out a stack of small paper-back magazines that had been neatly connected with a rubber band. He handed them over to Mai for a brief inspection.
Mai sighed. "Funny Bunny, new ten issues, huh? Why am I not surprised?"
"Eh, I thought they might be appreciated. One of the good points about your grandfather owning a gameshop, you get to read comics before anyone else does!" Yugi chuckled.
Mai had to give the pipsqueak credit...he did know what sort of present would be well-liked by the one receiving it...
As they took their seats in the nearest aisle (that bodyguard guy with a point on his head was yelling something about how it was time to sit down and the couple would be appearing shortly..), Tristan finally stirred, and Ryou looked playfully at his friends.
"You're here as well, Mai?" Asked Ryou rhetorically. "My, my, we're having quite a gathering today. I would never have suspected that you would be into this.."
"Are you *kidding*?!" Laughed Mai. "Pegasus and Seto, c'mon! The sheer shock value of this little fiasco is totally worth getting out of bed a little early!"
Ryou's own *gift*, the bag against his leg, began wiggling violently. Mai had been looking at Ryou, and she happened to notice the sudden unexpected movement. Was there ever an end to the strangeness of this situation? On second thought, maybe she *had* gotten up a bit too early!
Catching her confused glance, Ryou picked up the pallid pink-coloured bag, lifting it to his slender lap so as to remove the contents. "I knew there was nothing I could buy for those two that they couldn't buy a thousand more of with their own money....." Explained Ryou, "So I thought it best to get a gift which I hope will have high sentimentality value."
Reaching into the bag, he produced a small fluff of snow-white kitten with a slim pink bow around its dainty neck. Before Mai's bewildered stare, the animal gazed back up at her with enormous chocolate dark eyes and mewed softly, licking it's little pink kitty paw methodically. Mai blinked. Now that she looked...the animal really looked eerily striking in the resemblance it bore to the white-puffy-haired-teen who had brought it along. Actually...the similarity was extremely cute, albeit a tad creepy. They say animals look like their owners, though.....
"Some cat had a litter outside our house." As Ryou spoke, the small animal settled itself and purred contentedly, drifting into slumber. "We gave the rest away, but I was keeping this one just for a special occasion...looks like I have one, eh?" Gently he ran an ivory hand against the matching ivory fur.
Nearby, Tea sat down beside Yugi with a heavy plop, kicking her platform shoes off as she did so. After hearing Tea talk on for five straight minutes about how many new "friends" she just gave her phone number away to, Mai happened to ask about what Tea had purchased for the happy couple (if anything).
"Of course I got a gift." Tea stated somewhat defensively. "I put good use of my twenty dollar gift certificate to Bath&Body Works. Don't you think that's so romantic?" When she said the last, her eyes glimmered and it seemed that she may have been peering in Yugi's direction, though it was difficult to say for certain.
Mai shifted in her seat. Ugh. This was officially *worse* than a soap opera. She just hoped it would get exciting soon.
"What's in da bag?" Asked Joey of Mai, again. "C'mon, you can tell me..."
Mai grunted. This was becoming a bit annoying.
"Yugi!" She raised her index finger to do a little "Come here" motion.
"Hey!" Exclaimed Joey. "I wuz the one who asked! Why're ya showing 'im?"
"Easy. Because he didn't bug me about it." To Yugi: "Here, have a look."
Yugi didn't move for a long moment. He didn't like the idea of prying on something which was obviously intended to be a secret and a surprise. Only when Mai's expression fully assured him that it was okay to sneak a peek did he lean over and examine further. Since his head (all save for the hair, which poked out cutely) was almost entirely submerged within the bag, it was impossible to discern what expression he might be wearing.
When he at length raised up, the look on his face showed a clear lack of understanding over something.
Joey was at his side in an instant. "Psst!" (supposed to be a whisper, more of a yell) "What was it?! Tell me! Tell me! I gotta know now that I'm all interested!"
Yugi shrugged.
"Uh....I'm not really *sure*...... it looked like a bunch of stuff to go in Pegasus' dungeon, but why would Mai buy that? He doesn't keep prisoners there, does he? I don't get it...."
Joey just scratched his shaggy blonde head....
(Oh, and Tristan may also have bought or not bought some form of gift item....but, who really cares?)
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The next five minutes were the most boring five minutes that any human could possibly conceive of. Everyone sat in silence, staring around, hoping and expecting something interesting to happen..... and getting nothing in return for such hopes. To the far right end of the aisles, there sat the table covered with food that was intended for the reception. Slung over the table was a canopy of a tent, an effort to protect it from various critters. Unfortunately, there was nothing to protect the delicacies from voracious impatient guests whose eyes drifting hungrily towards the quintuple-layer-chocolate-fudge-white-icing-doom-for-all-teeth-heavenly-masterful-wonderous-ethereal-delight of a cake (complete with little Mokuba, Seto, Croquet, and Pegasus figurines =)). Joey had already been drooling in that general direction since the moment they arrived on the isle. There were servants standing over there now, but he knew their attention couldn't *always* be on it...yes, they'd have to turn and watch the ceremony eventually, and when that time came...that cake was goin down!
Suddenly, the massive doors at the front of the mansion swung open, and boom, no annoucement, no warning, there stood the famous Seto Kaiba.
Immediately, the orchestra started loudly blaring the 1812 overture, a rather appropriate tune considering the circumstances. Everyone jumped in their seats in surprise.
A second later, Mokuba appeared beside his older brother, his head raised proudly. No one quite knew what to think...if anything, but even if they did, there was a hardly a moment to gather some opinion of the situation. For some reason, they had all had the notion that this event, when it at last came, would be a long drawn-out process, with each member taking half an hour at the very least to make their way down the red velvet carpeting.
Not quite so.
Seto's gait was hasty, so much so in fact, that Mokuba very nearly had to run to keep up with him. As a businessman, appearances were of little consequence in his mind. And besides, he wanted, above all else, to get past all of this nonsense and move to the damn honeymoon already. [And Amber can't say she blames him right now....]
Yugi was feverishly trying to get a look. The poor boy had the misfortune of being mid-aisle when everyone arose, and was stuck looking at rows of black-clad legs. He bounced up and down, but it availed nothing. The most he could hope to see was the back of heads.
Tristan (who was just getting his bearings straight after a good lengthy helping of "Huh? Did I miss the show? Huh? What happened?"), seeing his midget friend's dilemma, was kind enough to hoist the boy on his shoulders for a better look. [Yay, Tristan did something in this fic!! Woo~hoo~!]
However, in almost the same instant, Tristan almost dropped Yugi, for when Kaiba approached, he and Joey underwent a heavy round of snickers and elbow jabs.
"*snicker* Check it out, Tris! Kaiba's wearin' a dress, haha, Kaiba's wearin a dress!"
*giggles**giggles*
"A...a ..*snicker*...blue silk dress!! With a white flower too!" Added Tristan. "SILK! Real manly right there! Is Kaiba going to kill anyone today, or will he just throw roses at them till they die laughing?!"
"Guys.." Muttered Yugi, his face starting to take on a newfound pink hue.
"I hope a breeze doesn't pick up." Said Tea unexpectedly, and whether she was intending to add to the slew of insulting jokes with this comment, or whether she was being matter-of-factly serious, we'll never know. However, innocent or not, the comment provoked a fresh round of chuckles from Tristan, Joey, and Ryou, who had caught wind of the conversation and was now laughing wildly as well.
"Yeah, yeah!" Began Joey anew. "I bet Kaiba don't want no one seein' his knobby knees! Oh man, oh man, what a disaster!"
"Silk! He better be glad that no one else from high school is here, or he'd never live this one down!"
"Yes, soon he will be saying "May I have some tea and crumpets with that, please?"
"...Shut up, Ryou. Making fun of yer own cultural situations don't make 'em any funnier."
"SILK!!" *insert multiple snickers here*
"Guys, knock it off..." Whispered Yugi, trying to his very best to sound authorative as he spoke this command. "He's going to come over here if you keep it up, and then we'll all be in big trouble!"
As Kaiba happened to be almost to their row by now, everyone thought it wise to obey Yugi....well, except for Ryou, who was still giggling uncontrollably. The kitten in his lap awoke and glared up at him bitterly.
When Seto walked by, everyone wasted no time in putting on their most convincing mask of reverence, if not for Kaiba himself, then for the situation of this day. A few stray giggles escaped, but the gang was sufficiently certain that they could fool the corporation owner if need be.
Of course, they were wrong.
He didn't deign to look over, didn't even offer one of those characteristic Seto Kaiba glares, he just paused in the middle of the carpet. "Go ahead." Said he in a voice composed of sheer ice, "Laugh all you like. Who am I to stop you? .....However.....if any of the three stooges or the runty troll doll decide to do something of any kind which in any way could disturb, upset, or otherwise cause problems with my wedding......then I promise you with all due assurance and honesty that I *will* fuck you up. Good day."
As Mokuba passed by, he looked beyond the four startled friends and over at Mai, who, uncharacteristic though it may be, smiled pleasantly. After all....little Mokuba looked *so* disgustingly cute in that little tuxedo! Awww...kids were so lovable...
*Man, that girl is *loaded** Thought the bewildered youth. *I can't *wait* for the girls in my school to sprout bodies like that! Yeah!!*
When Seto was safely out of ear-shot, Tristan commented gruffly, "Jeez!! *What* is Kaiba's problem?! Did someone sew his silk a little too tight, or what?!"
Everyone began squealing anew, save for Yugi, who just sighed and tried to hold on to Tristan's shoulders.
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**A/N: Good grief...it looks like it will take me *another* chapter before I get through this damned wedding! I am so sorry, I really am, I am not trying to drag this out and make it as long as possible. I was not feeling as inspired this week, and the part you see here is just 2 days of effort. However I *PROMISE* pinky-swear if need be, that chapter 4 shall be the *FINAL* installment of this hopelessly infinitely long wedding-arc, and then we can finally have some marital mayhem! Please bear with me...if I can ever get around to having Pegs and Kaiba jetting off to Barbados for the honeymoon, it should be a blast!
Till then, keep the faith, and I hope you're enjoying.
~~~*Hugz ~n~ Compy Kisses*
Amber