The sun didn't seem as blinding to Jonouchi as it had over the last
week. That was the only thing he really noticed on the drive to an upscale
clothing boutique into the part of town Jonouchi hadn't even heard of.
"I've never been to this part of town."
"It's not worthy of your attention anyway. Mostly for women who feel the need to be trendy when meeting with the other politicians wives. There is one store you can remember, Roseninnis. It has every suit design and color imaginable."
"Is a suit really necessary?" He asked as he looked disinterestedly at the roof of the cars interior.
"I suppose you could meet our clients naked. That would certainly impress them into doing business with our company." Jonouchi blushed at the comment but didn't give any response. Still feeling a little guilty anyway, supposed Lyric.
"You mean I'll actually be working for the publishing company?"
"Of course. I was serious when I said we wanted you to succeed. But don't get me wrong; there will be other business too. Nothing to stressful though. I promise. That is your second lesson, a perfect intimidation or bluff will take the place of hours of work and stressful mental anguish."
"Did you bluff with me? What was a trick?"
"Lesson three, NEVER give away your true methods after the fact. That is how people learn your style and ultimately your weakness." Jonouchi nodded. He had often blabbed about how he had come up with a certain strategy in Duel Monsters only to find it useless the next time. He mentally jotted down the lessons as they were given. They seemed useful in general. He hadn't really wanted to know anyway, if he was here because of some kind of trick.
The two left the car behind them as they walked into the store. There were suits, coats, shoes, hats, glasses, strappy things (apparently a fashionable item in Domino), and assorted jewelry and watches all in ever conceivable style and some beyond conceivable. Jonouchi didn't have to look around to know that this is where Pegasus got his suits, or the coats Seto wore when he was on his own power trip. He touched the fabric of the doppelganger coat of Kaibas. He had always wanted to do that. Seto always seemed so untouchable. The outside texture of the coat was very stiff and rough, but the inside soft and soothing.
"Lesson four, people aren't what they eat, they are what they wear. Before your clothes said "I am a average and casual guy." You now need to say something else with your clothes.tell me what it is."
Jonouchi looked at Setos coat. Seto soft on the inside? He pushed the thought out of his head. First he thought about Setos pain and now about his clothes? What was wrong with him? What sparked this curiosity with Seto suddenly? Sure he had noticed the boy was good looking, but he always gave an icy presence and looked untouchable. It had scared Jonouchi a bit. Absently as he strolled through the clothes, he wondered why he wasn't scared of the blue-eyed boy now.
"I want to say, "I work for a power person. A powerful company. But don't you dare think that is all I am. I am mysterious and attractive and when this suit is on I am confident to get what I want as I please."
Jonouchi wasn't really sure where the words had come from. He was imagining one of his favorite comic-book anti-heroes. "Maybe I can be like him. He eventually makes amends for his past and fights on the side of good again." He almost snorted. His favorite part of that comic was when he wasn't good. He just seemed to be more interesting. "Well at least I'm interesting." He told himself with a smirk.
Lyric told the woman at the counter something and he ran off. He pulled Jonouchi to a dressing room.
"I think that message would be perfect for you. I had her go fetch up a line of clothes that might match that."
He turned around to face his boss.
"I thought you said I could do things my way?"
"You can. These are just suggestions, choose what you like."
It took several hours but at the end of it all it was exactly what he was going for. A suit, blacker than one could image made his fair skin stand out in mystery and power. The cut was perfect. Under it he choose a variety of shirts with large lapels, white, navy, and the entire gambit of red. His favorite was a silk wine shirt. Slightly unbuttoned like he didn't care. A pair of orange tinted shades in his pocket. A few strands of dark beads around his neck. A new watch. A silver band on his upper left ear. He looked good. Dark, Sexy, and even a little dangerous. He smiled. Lyric nodded in approval.
They had dinner at an Indian café while Lyric talked about how people with power and money eat. How a lot of power is just given willingly to whomever pretends they had it first. Jonouchi listened while he tried to eat in his new clothes. It definitely had an affect. Not only wanting to look cool in his clothes, not to spill anything, and with the knowledge that food would be available later if he chose, let the boy eat more slowly and refined than some who knew him would have imagined possible.
"You will be responsible to go and visit prospective writers and get them to sign with us. Not aggressively of course.just with your natural charm. Then follow up with them, making sure they stay on scheduled or have any regrets, ect."
"Sounds easy enough." Lyric nodded as he sipped a cup of tea.
"From now on you are my number two. Your personal life is your own. I will never threaten you or your family again. You will be fine as long as you don't betray us. I think it is a life you'll come to enjoy." Jonouchi nodded coolly feeling confident in his new threads.
"That reminds me." He dug in his pocket and pulled out a card, handing it to Jonouchi. A familiar address looked up at him. You have a meeting tomorrow at one O' clock with the CEO. He is thinking of publishing a line of strategy guides for a variety of different games. He is quite good. You just go meet him and be your new confident self. Make him realize we won't take no for an answer. That we are the best to handle the publishing."
Jonouchi looked at the address. Too familiar to be anything else. Still he had to confirm it.
"What is the name of the company?"
"Kaiba corp., Seto Kaiba will be the one meeting you. Don't forget to wear that suit."
"I've never been to this part of town."
"It's not worthy of your attention anyway. Mostly for women who feel the need to be trendy when meeting with the other politicians wives. There is one store you can remember, Roseninnis. It has every suit design and color imaginable."
"Is a suit really necessary?" He asked as he looked disinterestedly at the roof of the cars interior.
"I suppose you could meet our clients naked. That would certainly impress them into doing business with our company." Jonouchi blushed at the comment but didn't give any response. Still feeling a little guilty anyway, supposed Lyric.
"You mean I'll actually be working for the publishing company?"
"Of course. I was serious when I said we wanted you to succeed. But don't get me wrong; there will be other business too. Nothing to stressful though. I promise. That is your second lesson, a perfect intimidation or bluff will take the place of hours of work and stressful mental anguish."
"Did you bluff with me? What was a trick?"
"Lesson three, NEVER give away your true methods after the fact. That is how people learn your style and ultimately your weakness." Jonouchi nodded. He had often blabbed about how he had come up with a certain strategy in Duel Monsters only to find it useless the next time. He mentally jotted down the lessons as they were given. They seemed useful in general. He hadn't really wanted to know anyway, if he was here because of some kind of trick.
The two left the car behind them as they walked into the store. There were suits, coats, shoes, hats, glasses, strappy things (apparently a fashionable item in Domino), and assorted jewelry and watches all in ever conceivable style and some beyond conceivable. Jonouchi didn't have to look around to know that this is where Pegasus got his suits, or the coats Seto wore when he was on his own power trip. He touched the fabric of the doppelganger coat of Kaibas. He had always wanted to do that. Seto always seemed so untouchable. The outside texture of the coat was very stiff and rough, but the inside soft and soothing.
"Lesson four, people aren't what they eat, they are what they wear. Before your clothes said "I am a average and casual guy." You now need to say something else with your clothes.tell me what it is."
Jonouchi looked at Setos coat. Seto soft on the inside? He pushed the thought out of his head. First he thought about Setos pain and now about his clothes? What was wrong with him? What sparked this curiosity with Seto suddenly? Sure he had noticed the boy was good looking, but he always gave an icy presence and looked untouchable. It had scared Jonouchi a bit. Absently as he strolled through the clothes, he wondered why he wasn't scared of the blue-eyed boy now.
"I want to say, "I work for a power person. A powerful company. But don't you dare think that is all I am. I am mysterious and attractive and when this suit is on I am confident to get what I want as I please."
Jonouchi wasn't really sure where the words had come from. He was imagining one of his favorite comic-book anti-heroes. "Maybe I can be like him. He eventually makes amends for his past and fights on the side of good again." He almost snorted. His favorite part of that comic was when he wasn't good. He just seemed to be more interesting. "Well at least I'm interesting." He told himself with a smirk.
Lyric told the woman at the counter something and he ran off. He pulled Jonouchi to a dressing room.
"I think that message would be perfect for you. I had her go fetch up a line of clothes that might match that."
He turned around to face his boss.
"I thought you said I could do things my way?"
"You can. These are just suggestions, choose what you like."
It took several hours but at the end of it all it was exactly what he was going for. A suit, blacker than one could image made his fair skin stand out in mystery and power. The cut was perfect. Under it he choose a variety of shirts with large lapels, white, navy, and the entire gambit of red. His favorite was a silk wine shirt. Slightly unbuttoned like he didn't care. A pair of orange tinted shades in his pocket. A few strands of dark beads around his neck. A new watch. A silver band on his upper left ear. He looked good. Dark, Sexy, and even a little dangerous. He smiled. Lyric nodded in approval.
They had dinner at an Indian café while Lyric talked about how people with power and money eat. How a lot of power is just given willingly to whomever pretends they had it first. Jonouchi listened while he tried to eat in his new clothes. It definitely had an affect. Not only wanting to look cool in his clothes, not to spill anything, and with the knowledge that food would be available later if he chose, let the boy eat more slowly and refined than some who knew him would have imagined possible.
"You will be responsible to go and visit prospective writers and get them to sign with us. Not aggressively of course.just with your natural charm. Then follow up with them, making sure they stay on scheduled or have any regrets, ect."
"Sounds easy enough." Lyric nodded as he sipped a cup of tea.
"From now on you are my number two. Your personal life is your own. I will never threaten you or your family again. You will be fine as long as you don't betray us. I think it is a life you'll come to enjoy." Jonouchi nodded coolly feeling confident in his new threads.
"That reminds me." He dug in his pocket and pulled out a card, handing it to Jonouchi. A familiar address looked up at him. You have a meeting tomorrow at one O' clock with the CEO. He is thinking of publishing a line of strategy guides for a variety of different games. He is quite good. You just go meet him and be your new confident self. Make him realize we won't take no for an answer. That we are the best to handle the publishing."
Jonouchi looked at the address. Too familiar to be anything else. Still he had to confirm it.
"What is the name of the company?"
"Kaiba corp., Seto Kaiba will be the one meeting you. Don't forget to wear that suit."