Rakka: Heh. I told her she would post late. Did she listen? Noooo…
Crys: Shut. Up. Now. Gloating meanie. And the mentioned archeological dig was
really all I remembered from a recent Discovery Channel program. I was half
asleep, so I don't remember much. Sorry minna.
Choice
By: Crystalin Elf
Chapter 6: She Remains
When the phone rang I was tempted to answer it, seeing as how we have a phone in our
room, and the annoying monstrosity would have woken Ryou up after a few rings.
When the phone suddenly stopped making noise after only two seconds, I didn't
think anything of it. Less noise was better, right?
Usually I would be right in that assumption, at least with Minako-baka and Ooshige
around. Less noise usually meant that they had gone on to bed, and Ryou and I
would be left alone if we decided to leave this room for awhile.
My excellent hearing picked up Saionji's voice from downstairs. He'd picked up the
phone closest to the stairs, so listening in to his part of the conversation was child's
play, so to speak.
And I don't feel like repeating the nuances of the conversation, so I won't, but the gist of
things was that a flight out to Egypt had been arranged, and Saionji was expected
to be on it in three hours.
Joy.
I mean, he was supposed to spend several months this time at home, and now he was
being called away again on yet another archeological dig, something about golden
mummies in an unexpected area, of a previously unexciting part of late Egyptian
history. Yeah, sounds real interesting and vague, I know.
He would be leaving without saying goodbye to Ryou, which pissed me off again. I mean,
I heard him order Ooshige to pack what he needed, and I'm sure he gave her a list,
and then he spent some 'quality time' with Minako. I refuse to think about that, even
though I know what they were doing.
What an asshole my poor Hikari has as a father. Saionji didn't even say goodbye this
time, and I'm sure he left all the money with Minako. The bitch wasn't going with
him, no, she was staying here to 'get to know the boys better,' she said.
Get to know us better? After looking at pamphlets of boarding schools, and having her
spy look through our things? Like hell she wants to get to know us better! I'm
certain she just wants to see what info she can get out of us, to manipulate us into
doing whatever she wants!
Well, she can certainly try, but that onna-baka is no match for me! Muhahaha! What
chance does a twenty-eight year old human woman stand against a three thousand
year old Spirit in a battle of wills? Still, I'll have to be careful in dealing with her.
Can't have her going insane or anything from the pranks I plan to pull on her and
Ooshige, and I can't have Ryou getting caught in any of them…
I think I need some new Duel Monsters cards. Wonder what the Pharaoh can 'loan' me…
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By sheer effort of will he kept his strained and polite smile plastered on his face, a smile
that was terribly fake to anyone who bothered to look at him.
Except Minako.
She either believed his smile was sincere, or simply chose to accept things at face value,
not caring to look beneath the surface of any situation. At the moment he couldn't
venture a guess at which option was the correct one, but he dearly wanted this
ordeal to be over.
Where is Yami? He wondered morosely, feeling a bit resentful that his dark side
had left him alone to be dragged shopping to a designer clothes store with Minako,
who was choosing clothes for him that happened to a pink bright enough to make
even Anzu blanche.
"Oh Ryou-kun, isn't this scarf just darling?" She held up a feathery pink boa to
him, wrapping it slightly around his neck.
"Pink really isn't my color Minako-san…" Ryou replied weakly, carefully taking the boa
from her and replacing it on the rack.
She sighed in disappointment and pouted at him, her voice a plaintive whine to
his ears. "Oh come on Ryou, you haven't like a single thing I've tried to
pick out for you! What's wrong with a rose scarf or shirt or dress? And why won't
you call me Mina-chan like I asked you too?"
He stared at her incredulously, wondering just how dense she was. "Minako-san,
please. I don't call you Mina-chan because you are older than me, and still a virtual
stranger to me! I've known you less than a month, how can you honestly expect me
to act like we're best friends? And just why in the world do assume that I
like pink clothing, much less bright pink dresses?"
She smiled her most charming smile and answered as sweetly as she could. "I'm not
really that much older than you Ryou, and I do expect that I will stop being a
stranger very soon… don't you think so? Saionji and I are getting along
exceptionally well. And as for the dress and the pink clothes… they'd be so
adorable on you! I'm sure Bakura would appreciate that."
He was certain he should have been blushing a deep crimson color at what she was
implying, but after a few calming breathes he found himself free of blush. What a
preposterous idea she had in her head!
Ryou gave her his best impression of Bakura's murderous glare. "I'd thank you to keep
such ideas and notions to yourself Minako-san. I'm quite certain the only reason
Bakura would even think of putting me in a bright pink dress would be to embarrass
me, and give him yet another to tease me about."
She looked startled for a moment before smiling slyly and shaking her head slightly. "Oh,
poor Ryou… incapable of seeing something so clearly in front of your face… he
simply adores you, you know."
// Of course I do, the nitwit. You're my Hikari, why do I need to find someone else to
adore when you'll do just fine? It's an inefficient waste of time. //
Ryou had to choke down the laughter at his yami's acerbic mental voice, shaking his
head and turning his back on Minako. "I've had quite enough of shopping Minako-san.
I need to head home and finish my English paper."
He left the store, ignoring her yells of protest and sharing in his yami's amusement at the
strange stares she was receiving from the other customers at the store. As he turned
the corner and headed to the food court he was certain he saw the manager of the
store making his way to Minako.
// I hope she gets banned from the store. Evil woman… //
/ Where have you been all day Yami? I think leaving me with her for so long was crueler
than any of the beatings you could have given me. /
There was a pause before Bakura answered, his mental tone contrite.
// I'm sorry Aibou; I was out getting new Duel Monsters cards. //
/ Whatever for? /
He grinned at the sudden laughter that flooded his mind from Bakura while he waited in
line for a hamburger from Nc'Donalds.
// Oh, nothing too bad Aibou… just a better variety of cards, for certain… mischief, with
Minako-baka, if she gets too annoying. //
/ She has already gotten 'too annoying' Yami-kun… those embarrassing things she
implied… as though she had a right to poke into my personal life! /
// … //
/ Yami? /
// …………. //
--------------------------------------------------------------
/ Yami, are you mad at me? /
Ryou's voice sounded worried again and he sighed, frustrated and slightly annoyed at his
Aibou for being so, so… He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, smiling
wistfully.
// You're right Aibou, she had no right to poke into your personal life. //
And she hadn't. Maybe Ryou would let him steal her soul now, just until Saionji returned.
/ You are upset with me. /
He should have told Ryou that he wasn't to begin with, only that he was annoyed with
Minako, and a bit upset with himself for taking so long to sort through the cards he
wanted to buy. He knew he should have been with Ryou to help fend of the moronic
woman's poor fashion sense.
// I'm not upset with you Ryou. //
/ Yes you are. /
Why was Ryou being so persistent about this? His emotions weren't leaking at all. Was
that the problem? He relaxed his shields a bit and tried to project reassurance at his
Aibou.
// No, I'm not angry with you Ryou. //
/ Demo… /
Tried and failed, apparently.
// Damn it Ryou, I'm not upset! Now drop it! //
Bakura flinched at how sharp his voice was and silently berated himself for speaking
harshly to Ryou. He could picture the way his little Hikari would cringe ever so
slightly at his harsh tone, and imagined how much worse his reaction would have
been if Bakura had been standing beside him.
Some wounds still weren't fully healed.
/ ….Ok Yami. /
Bakura sighed again and closed his eyes, retreating back into the Ring. He almost smiled
at Ryou's surprise.
// Aibou, I can return to the Ring whenever I choose, even if I'm far away from you. I just
generally choose not to do so. And I'm not angry with you, just… frustrated in
general. I'm sorry I took it out on you and snapped at you. //
A lengthier reply and explanation than he had planned on making, but Ryou deserved as
honest an answer as he could give. He knew his Aibou wouldn't appreciate some of
the real reasons behind his frustration…
/ Oh. /
// But you know, she'll find you here eventually. Since the line here is so long, why don't
you head to the bathroom so I can come back out without freaking out any of the
weaklings here? //
He smiled as he felt the upward shift of Ryou's emotions, and a few minutes later he was
following his Aibou out of the men's bathroom. He'd garnished a few stares from
some of the men there, since they'd come out of the same stall, but who cared?
Ryou didn't seem to mind, and was more focused on the fact that he no longer had
to face Minako alone when she found him and tried to drag him to yet another store.
"I'll go get us a seat aibou, why don't you order us something to eat before we head back
to work on your English paper?" Bakura suggested.
As Ryou nodded his consent and headed off towards the Nc'Donalds again Bakura
scanned the area, and picked the most secluded spot he could find for them to eat.
The task wasn't too difficult, since most people seemed to avoid sitting underneath
the trees, where the benches and tables seemed to be a part of the closest tree.
Bakura found it relaxing though, and picked the one with the darkest corner for him
to sit in, and waited for Ryou to return.
The wait wasn't as long as he expected, and in five minutes Ryou was back with
cheeseburgers, French fries, and chocolate shakes. Bakura grinned at the
exasperated look on Ryou's face as he took a seat beside his yami.
"Yami, did we have to sit back here? It's so dark." Ryou complained.
"All the better to avoid the evil one my Aibou." He answered calmly, knowing that Ryou
wouldn't protest to his choice of seating after being reminded of Minako.
"Well, alright…"
He smiled again and patted Ryou's shoulder comfortingly. "If it'll make you feel better
Aibou, we can get your work and go over to Yugi's. I'm sure he hasn't finished his
paper yet either, and would probably love your help. Then we can sneak into the
house through your bedroom window."
"Why the window Yami?" Ryou asked, confused and slightly nervous. Bakura was
grinning far to much for his comfort.
"Well, after I bought the new cards I set them on your desk, and then moved the dresser
in front of the door again. The only way in is through the window now."
Ryou sighed and turned his attention to his food, a slight smile tugging at his lips.
Bakura was incorrigible.
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Crys: Well, some slight Ryou angst… I'm not really good at writing angst.
Rakka: Crys, you cruel girl… you're gonna have Bakura *mmph!!*
Crys: *smiles innocently as she places a hand on Rakka's mouth.* Now now Rakka,
don't give it away! Be nice and I may even add you into the story.
Rakka: Heaven help me….
Crys: Thank you for reading, and please review. Oh, and Nc'Donalds was a fast food
place in Hikaru No Go. Guess they didn't like stepping on copyright toes either, ne?
Mini-Dictionary:
Onna - woman
Baka- stupid/idiot/etc
Hikaru No Go - an anime/manga series Crys adores.
San - an honorific usually given to people older than you or strangers.
Kun - honorific usually given to boys of equal or younger years
Chan - honorific usually given to girls or equal or younger years, and occasionally with
boys you have a crush on (I think).