A/N: Shizu is an OC who factors heavily in my Digimon fanfic "Mi Amor." She
plays a completely different role in this story, though, because I like
her. Don't hurt me. If I made any little, glaring errors, you only have to
tell me.but /kindly/. I'm very sensitive. *Sniffle*
Chapter Two: Nobody's Fool
~~Bakura's POV~~
I slipped back into the house near midnight, having spent almost two hours in the park, watching Mai. I like her - I mean, for a mortal. She's got a rebellious streak and an attitude, which is more than I can say for /some/ people.
Besides that, she reminds me of someone I used to know.
Shizu was odd for an Egyptian. She dyed her hair blonde when she discovered that it made people sit up and take notice. She had those same brilliant purple eyes. The only difference is that her favorite color was blue, not purple - and, of course, she was Egyptian. She was a noble something-or- other, and it was her fault that I met the Pharaoh.
She was also my partner, in crime and in love - and the only person who didn't try to change who I was.
**Fall back, take a look at me and you'll see
I'm for real, I feel what only I can feel
And if that don't appeal to you
Let me know, and I'll go 'cause I flow
Better when my colors show**
The first time I saw Mai was at the Duelist Kingdom when she dueled with Yugi. She's almost as good as Shizu was at that game. And there's another thing they have in common - the Pharaoh defeated both of them. I'll never forgive him for that. They both deserved to win.
Back in the present, Ryou looked up from where he was watching a movie - "The Mummy," in fact. "You're home late," he noted, almost sounding cheerful. I made a mental note to correct that later and sat down on the couch next to him, staring dully at the movie.
"It's getting to the good part," Ryou told me. "See, Imhotep kidnaps Evie - that's the girl, there - but first he's going to kill the American..."
"So?"
Somewhat taken aback, Ryou stared at me. "Don't you care? It's about Egypt."
"There's probably a million glaring little errors, since the movie is American - and more so since it's dubbed."
Ryou shook his head. "Why can't you at least try to be nice to me, Yami?"
I rolled my eyes. There he went, trying to change me again. When will these mortals get it into their heads that I don't /want/ to change? Shizu didn't try to make me be nice - and I bet Mai wouldn't, either.
**And that's the way it has to be
Honestly
'Cause creativity could never bloom in my room
I'd throw it all away before I'd lie
So don't call me with a compromise
Hang up the phone, I got a backbone
Stronger than yours**
And what makes them think they'll succeed, anyway? I've been a dark little tomb robber for thousands of years, so what could possibly force me to change into someone I don't want to be?
Ryou turned the movie off and we sat there in silence for a few minutes. Finally, he asked, "Where were you?"
"Talking to...a girl." At the last moment, I omitted Mai's name. Let him wonder.
"A girl? What girl?"
"Just...a girl."
Ryou sighed. The couch springs creaked as he stood up, yawning. "I'm gonna go to bed, then. See you in the morning, Yami."
"Whatever." I remained silent until he left the room, then scrambled for the remote. I wanted to see Imhotep kill an American and kidnap what's-her- name - the girl.
**If you're trying to turn me into someone else
It's easy to see I'm not down with that
I'm not nobody's fool
If you're trying to turn me into something else
I've seen it enough and I'm over that
I'm not nobody's fool**
The next morning was Saturday. Ryou made pancakes while I pretended not to watch Pokemon. There's just something about that Pikachu that makes me want to strangle something, but I like Team Rocket. Just don't tell anyone about it.
Suddenly, the phone rang. I grabbed it without thinking and mumbled, "Hello?"
"Oh, it's you. Is Ryou there?"
I instantly recognized the Pharaoh's condescending tone. "Maybe he is, maybe not. It all depends on how civil you can be."
"Look, tomb robber, I don't really have the time to talk to you. Just get Ryou."
"Say the magic word."
"Do I have to come over there and beat you over the head with a stick?"
I laughed to myself. The Pharaoh is incredibly funny in the morning. "Please do. But as long as you're here, you can talk to Ryou in person."
There was a long pause. "Shut up."
"Oh, I'm so hurt. I think I'm going to cry. Watch me, I'm absolutely sobbing because the Almighty Pharaoh told me to shut up." Who does he think he's talking to? Insults never bothered me - unless it was Shizu doing the insulting. She had this way of making you feel completely inferior and horrible. I never liked that. Some American somewhere said that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent, but that's not true. If anyone can, Shizu could. She even brought the Pharaoh to his knees in tears once, although he doesn't remember it.
**If you wanna bring me down
Go ahead and try
Go ahead and try**
I set the phone down. "Ryou, Yugi's Yami wants to talk to you!"
He dashed out of the kitchen. "Can you keep the pancakes from burning, Yami?"
"Whatever." I wandered aimlessly toward the kitchen, making him very nervous, I'm sure. I smirked as I picked up the whatchamacallit - the flipper thing. Spatula? All these new-fangled words drive me crazy.
"Hey, Yami?"
"What?" I asked as I awkwardly flipped over a pancake, almost knocking it out of the pan.
"Do you want to go have lunch with Yugi and the others?"
"We haven't had breakfast yet..."
"I know, but then we're going to see 'The Mummy Returns.' I know you didn't like the first movie, but - "
"Okay, we'll go."
I quietly picked up the extension as I continued to labor over the pancakes. " - will go," Ryou was saying.
"Okay. Are you sure you can't get the tomb robber to stay home? You know he'll just drive us all mad."
"I know, but that's okay. It's how he is."
"Couldn't you try a little harder to make him change, Ryou?"
I gently hung up the phone, shaking my head. What is /with/ these people? Don't they understand that it's not that easy to change - especially when you don't want to? I tried for five years to get a legitimate job, but I'm a thief. It's who I am. Nothing will ever change that, especially not a Pharaoh I never liked in the first place.
**Don't know
You think you know me like yourself
But I fear that you're only telling me
What I wanna hear
But do you give a damn?
Understand
That I can't not be who I am**
Ryou suddenly reappeared in the kitchen and snatched the flipper thing from me to finish up, obviously not trusting me with a stove anymore. Quite casually, he said, "Are you sure you want to come with us?"
"Duh," I said, hovering over his shoulder and waiting eagerly for the pancakes. "It's a chance to argue with the Pharaoh, isn't it?"
"Is that the only reason you hang out with us?"
"Maybe." That and the fact that Mai is almost always there. She really does remind me of Shizu, and we would have been married if we hadn't been so busy running from the law. Love may seem out of character for me, but I'm not as evil as some people might like to think. I may commit crimes without remorse, but I very rarely kill anyone. It's mostly threats. Shizu was the cold-blooded one, really. Mai's not like that at all, and I respect that.
"Can you get the syrup out?" Ryou asked. I obeyed almost without thinking, then paused, contemplating hiding it under my shirt and pouring it into the Pharaoh's hair. As if he had read my mind, Ryou added, "And be nice today, or I'll have Yami Yugi banish your soul again."
"...that didn't work the last time you tried it, remember?"
**I'm not the milk and Cheerios in your spoon
It's not a simple "Here we go"
Not so soon
I mighta fallen for that when I was fourteen
And a little more green
But it's amazing what a couple of years can mean**
Trying to sound normal, I asked, "Will Mai and Joey be there?"
"Yeah, why?"
"No reason."
Ryou spontaneously decided to try to have a bonding moment. "I never got why she would go out with him. I always thought she didn't like him. What do you think?"
"What would I know about love? I'm /evil/, remember?"
Ryou slammed the plate of pancakes down on the table, his eyes suddenly hard. "Look, Yami, you don't have to be so mean to me. I'm your other half. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me, so - "
"So be nice?" I asked coldly, grabbing a plate and resisting an urge to break it. "I'm not a fool, Ryou. I'm hardly going to change just because you want me to!"
"Why not? Does something draw you to the evil, like a moth to a flame? What makes you like this?"
I tried to ignore him, I really did, but it's just too hard to resist him. He can be absolutely adorable when he wants something from me, and he was giving me this /look/. I /hate/ when people do that to me...
**If you're trying to turn me into someone else
It's easy to see I'm not down with that
I'm not nobody's fool
If you're trying to turn me into something else
I've seen it enough and I'm over that
I'm not nobody's fool**
"Do you want to know the truth?" I asked.
"Obviously."
"The truth is...I'm evil because it's more fun than being a pathetic weakling!" I laughed and started to wolf down my pancakes.
Well, duh, that's not the real reason! What do you think I am, a heartless tomb robber? I /used/ to be a real person, too. No one is truly evil.
**If you wanna bring me down
Go ahead and try
Go ahead and try
Go ahead and try
Try to look me in the eye
But you'll never see inside
Until you realize**
I sighed tragically. "No one understands me."
"That might be because you don't want anyone to understand you," Ryou suggested.
"Meh," I muttered. "What time are we meeting your friends?" I very carefully emphasized the "your."
"We're meeting /our/ friends at noon," Ryou answered. I slipped my hand into my pocket, where I could feel the cold metal of the Millennium Eye.
~~What a perfect way to beat the tomb robber,~~ Mai was thinking at that moment. ~~It's a scary movie. That makes it so easy to hug in fear...~~
I smirked. She would never win this bet. How could she doubt my Eye?
Maybe she had sensed my doubt last night. I hadn't really wanted to talk to her, but she had looked and sounded so much like Shizu that I couldn't resist. It had probably been a mistake. I could never love anyone else. I /am/ mostly evil now, after all...
**Things are trying to settle down
Just trying to figure out
Exactly what I'm about
If it's with or without you
I don't need you doubting me**
I finished my pancakes and swiped the syrup while Ryou wasn't looking, then began to make my plans. Yami Yugi would pay for what he had done to Shizu, and for how mean he was being to me. I mean, seriously, the guy keeps banishing me when I'm not really doing anything wrong. I tried to steal his/Yugi's friends' souls, sure, but Pegasus stole his/Yugi's grandfather's soul and all Yami did was beat the guy in a duel. And it was a mostly fair duel, too. Stupid Change of Heart card.
Ryou looked around suddenly. "What happened to the syrup?"
"I put it away," I said innocently, hiding the syrup under my chair.
"Since when do you do nice things for me?"
I chuckled darkly. "Maybe I put it away in the wrong place."
I delighted in the fact that Ryou spent the next two hours opening cupboards and slamming doors, trying to find the syrup. The truth was, all he had to do was look in his shoes. That's where I hid it - some of it anyway.
**If you're trying to turn me into someone else
It's easy to see I'm not down with that
I'm not nobody's fool
If you're trying to turn me into something else
I've seen it enough and I'm over that
I'm not nobody's fool**
We left at eleven. Unfortunately, Ryou decided to wear his /other/ pair of sneakers. No matter; it would be much, much harder to get out of his socks when it was partially dry. All the way to the diner, he kept shooting me suspicious glances, although I'm sure he didn't see the bottle in my pocket. I was being very careful to let my coat cover it.
Yami and Yugi arrived first, and I amused myself by hoarding mustard and ketchup packets for further revenge upon the two of them. I have thousands of years worth of hatred for Yami, and his little hikari.well, Yugi was just too nice. Like the pathetic weakling - Tea. You won't get anywhere if you're so damn nice to people, I mean, really.
Yami immediately made some snide remark, and I replied rudely. Things sort of deteriorated from there. My heart wasn't really in the insults; I kept thinking about Shizu.and about Mai. If there was anyone who could really tear me down, it would be one of those two.
And, since Shizu has been dead for a few thousand years, it would have to be Mai.
For the first time - but not the last - I found myself wondering if the bet had really been a good idea.
**If you wanna bring me down
Go ahead and try
Try
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah**
Chapter Two: Nobody's Fool
~~Bakura's POV~~
I slipped back into the house near midnight, having spent almost two hours in the park, watching Mai. I like her - I mean, for a mortal. She's got a rebellious streak and an attitude, which is more than I can say for /some/ people.
Besides that, she reminds me of someone I used to know.
Shizu was odd for an Egyptian. She dyed her hair blonde when she discovered that it made people sit up and take notice. She had those same brilliant purple eyes. The only difference is that her favorite color was blue, not purple - and, of course, she was Egyptian. She was a noble something-or- other, and it was her fault that I met the Pharaoh.
She was also my partner, in crime and in love - and the only person who didn't try to change who I was.
**Fall back, take a look at me and you'll see
I'm for real, I feel what only I can feel
And if that don't appeal to you
Let me know, and I'll go 'cause I flow
Better when my colors show**
The first time I saw Mai was at the Duelist Kingdom when she dueled with Yugi. She's almost as good as Shizu was at that game. And there's another thing they have in common - the Pharaoh defeated both of them. I'll never forgive him for that. They both deserved to win.
Back in the present, Ryou looked up from where he was watching a movie - "The Mummy," in fact. "You're home late," he noted, almost sounding cheerful. I made a mental note to correct that later and sat down on the couch next to him, staring dully at the movie.
"It's getting to the good part," Ryou told me. "See, Imhotep kidnaps Evie - that's the girl, there - but first he's going to kill the American..."
"So?"
Somewhat taken aback, Ryou stared at me. "Don't you care? It's about Egypt."
"There's probably a million glaring little errors, since the movie is American - and more so since it's dubbed."
Ryou shook his head. "Why can't you at least try to be nice to me, Yami?"
I rolled my eyes. There he went, trying to change me again. When will these mortals get it into their heads that I don't /want/ to change? Shizu didn't try to make me be nice - and I bet Mai wouldn't, either.
**And that's the way it has to be
Honestly
'Cause creativity could never bloom in my room
I'd throw it all away before I'd lie
So don't call me with a compromise
Hang up the phone, I got a backbone
Stronger than yours**
And what makes them think they'll succeed, anyway? I've been a dark little tomb robber for thousands of years, so what could possibly force me to change into someone I don't want to be?
Ryou turned the movie off and we sat there in silence for a few minutes. Finally, he asked, "Where were you?"
"Talking to...a girl." At the last moment, I omitted Mai's name. Let him wonder.
"A girl? What girl?"
"Just...a girl."
Ryou sighed. The couch springs creaked as he stood up, yawning. "I'm gonna go to bed, then. See you in the morning, Yami."
"Whatever." I remained silent until he left the room, then scrambled for the remote. I wanted to see Imhotep kill an American and kidnap what's-her- name - the girl.
**If you're trying to turn me into someone else
It's easy to see I'm not down with that
I'm not nobody's fool
If you're trying to turn me into something else
I've seen it enough and I'm over that
I'm not nobody's fool**
The next morning was Saturday. Ryou made pancakes while I pretended not to watch Pokemon. There's just something about that Pikachu that makes me want to strangle something, but I like Team Rocket. Just don't tell anyone about it.
Suddenly, the phone rang. I grabbed it without thinking and mumbled, "Hello?"
"Oh, it's you. Is Ryou there?"
I instantly recognized the Pharaoh's condescending tone. "Maybe he is, maybe not. It all depends on how civil you can be."
"Look, tomb robber, I don't really have the time to talk to you. Just get Ryou."
"Say the magic word."
"Do I have to come over there and beat you over the head with a stick?"
I laughed to myself. The Pharaoh is incredibly funny in the morning. "Please do. But as long as you're here, you can talk to Ryou in person."
There was a long pause. "Shut up."
"Oh, I'm so hurt. I think I'm going to cry. Watch me, I'm absolutely sobbing because the Almighty Pharaoh told me to shut up." Who does he think he's talking to? Insults never bothered me - unless it was Shizu doing the insulting. She had this way of making you feel completely inferior and horrible. I never liked that. Some American somewhere said that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent, but that's not true. If anyone can, Shizu could. She even brought the Pharaoh to his knees in tears once, although he doesn't remember it.
**If you wanna bring me down
Go ahead and try
Go ahead and try**
I set the phone down. "Ryou, Yugi's Yami wants to talk to you!"
He dashed out of the kitchen. "Can you keep the pancakes from burning, Yami?"
"Whatever." I wandered aimlessly toward the kitchen, making him very nervous, I'm sure. I smirked as I picked up the whatchamacallit - the flipper thing. Spatula? All these new-fangled words drive me crazy.
"Hey, Yami?"
"What?" I asked as I awkwardly flipped over a pancake, almost knocking it out of the pan.
"Do you want to go have lunch with Yugi and the others?"
"We haven't had breakfast yet..."
"I know, but then we're going to see 'The Mummy Returns.' I know you didn't like the first movie, but - "
"Okay, we'll go."
I quietly picked up the extension as I continued to labor over the pancakes. " - will go," Ryou was saying.
"Okay. Are you sure you can't get the tomb robber to stay home? You know he'll just drive us all mad."
"I know, but that's okay. It's how he is."
"Couldn't you try a little harder to make him change, Ryou?"
I gently hung up the phone, shaking my head. What is /with/ these people? Don't they understand that it's not that easy to change - especially when you don't want to? I tried for five years to get a legitimate job, but I'm a thief. It's who I am. Nothing will ever change that, especially not a Pharaoh I never liked in the first place.
**Don't know
You think you know me like yourself
But I fear that you're only telling me
What I wanna hear
But do you give a damn?
Understand
That I can't not be who I am**
Ryou suddenly reappeared in the kitchen and snatched the flipper thing from me to finish up, obviously not trusting me with a stove anymore. Quite casually, he said, "Are you sure you want to come with us?"
"Duh," I said, hovering over his shoulder and waiting eagerly for the pancakes. "It's a chance to argue with the Pharaoh, isn't it?"
"Is that the only reason you hang out with us?"
"Maybe." That and the fact that Mai is almost always there. She really does remind me of Shizu, and we would have been married if we hadn't been so busy running from the law. Love may seem out of character for me, but I'm not as evil as some people might like to think. I may commit crimes without remorse, but I very rarely kill anyone. It's mostly threats. Shizu was the cold-blooded one, really. Mai's not like that at all, and I respect that.
"Can you get the syrup out?" Ryou asked. I obeyed almost without thinking, then paused, contemplating hiding it under my shirt and pouring it into the Pharaoh's hair. As if he had read my mind, Ryou added, "And be nice today, or I'll have Yami Yugi banish your soul again."
"...that didn't work the last time you tried it, remember?"
**I'm not the milk and Cheerios in your spoon
It's not a simple "Here we go"
Not so soon
I mighta fallen for that when I was fourteen
And a little more green
But it's amazing what a couple of years can mean**
Trying to sound normal, I asked, "Will Mai and Joey be there?"
"Yeah, why?"
"No reason."
Ryou spontaneously decided to try to have a bonding moment. "I never got why she would go out with him. I always thought she didn't like him. What do you think?"
"What would I know about love? I'm /evil/, remember?"
Ryou slammed the plate of pancakes down on the table, his eyes suddenly hard. "Look, Yami, you don't have to be so mean to me. I'm your other half. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me, so - "
"So be nice?" I asked coldly, grabbing a plate and resisting an urge to break it. "I'm not a fool, Ryou. I'm hardly going to change just because you want me to!"
"Why not? Does something draw you to the evil, like a moth to a flame? What makes you like this?"
I tried to ignore him, I really did, but it's just too hard to resist him. He can be absolutely adorable when he wants something from me, and he was giving me this /look/. I /hate/ when people do that to me...
**If you're trying to turn me into someone else
It's easy to see I'm not down with that
I'm not nobody's fool
If you're trying to turn me into something else
I've seen it enough and I'm over that
I'm not nobody's fool**
"Do you want to know the truth?" I asked.
"Obviously."
"The truth is...I'm evil because it's more fun than being a pathetic weakling!" I laughed and started to wolf down my pancakes.
Well, duh, that's not the real reason! What do you think I am, a heartless tomb robber? I /used/ to be a real person, too. No one is truly evil.
**If you wanna bring me down
Go ahead and try
Go ahead and try
Go ahead and try
Try to look me in the eye
But you'll never see inside
Until you realize**
I sighed tragically. "No one understands me."
"That might be because you don't want anyone to understand you," Ryou suggested.
"Meh," I muttered. "What time are we meeting your friends?" I very carefully emphasized the "your."
"We're meeting /our/ friends at noon," Ryou answered. I slipped my hand into my pocket, where I could feel the cold metal of the Millennium Eye.
~~What a perfect way to beat the tomb robber,~~ Mai was thinking at that moment. ~~It's a scary movie. That makes it so easy to hug in fear...~~
I smirked. She would never win this bet. How could she doubt my Eye?
Maybe she had sensed my doubt last night. I hadn't really wanted to talk to her, but she had looked and sounded so much like Shizu that I couldn't resist. It had probably been a mistake. I could never love anyone else. I /am/ mostly evil now, after all...
**Things are trying to settle down
Just trying to figure out
Exactly what I'm about
If it's with or without you
I don't need you doubting me**
I finished my pancakes and swiped the syrup while Ryou wasn't looking, then began to make my plans. Yami Yugi would pay for what he had done to Shizu, and for how mean he was being to me. I mean, seriously, the guy keeps banishing me when I'm not really doing anything wrong. I tried to steal his/Yugi's friends' souls, sure, but Pegasus stole his/Yugi's grandfather's soul and all Yami did was beat the guy in a duel. And it was a mostly fair duel, too. Stupid Change of Heart card.
Ryou looked around suddenly. "What happened to the syrup?"
"I put it away," I said innocently, hiding the syrup under my chair.
"Since when do you do nice things for me?"
I chuckled darkly. "Maybe I put it away in the wrong place."
I delighted in the fact that Ryou spent the next two hours opening cupboards and slamming doors, trying to find the syrup. The truth was, all he had to do was look in his shoes. That's where I hid it - some of it anyway.
**If you're trying to turn me into someone else
It's easy to see I'm not down with that
I'm not nobody's fool
If you're trying to turn me into something else
I've seen it enough and I'm over that
I'm not nobody's fool**
We left at eleven. Unfortunately, Ryou decided to wear his /other/ pair of sneakers. No matter; it would be much, much harder to get out of his socks when it was partially dry. All the way to the diner, he kept shooting me suspicious glances, although I'm sure he didn't see the bottle in my pocket. I was being very careful to let my coat cover it.
Yami and Yugi arrived first, and I amused myself by hoarding mustard and ketchup packets for further revenge upon the two of them. I have thousands of years worth of hatred for Yami, and his little hikari.well, Yugi was just too nice. Like the pathetic weakling - Tea. You won't get anywhere if you're so damn nice to people, I mean, really.
Yami immediately made some snide remark, and I replied rudely. Things sort of deteriorated from there. My heart wasn't really in the insults; I kept thinking about Shizu.and about Mai. If there was anyone who could really tear me down, it would be one of those two.
And, since Shizu has been dead for a few thousand years, it would have to be Mai.
For the first time - but not the last - I found myself wondering if the bet had really been a good idea.
**If you wanna bring me down
Go ahead and try
Try
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah**