Hey, reviews already! Whoo-hoo!
Answers for my lovely reviewers:
Arrathr: Thanks for the floorboard idea - I hadn't thought of that yet. And he's gonna paint more than the house.
Neonicole: Glad you liked it. Here's the next chapter for you!
Dragonlady: I have no idea how much this stuff costs in Japan…but he's gonna be spending more this chapter. I would hate to see the look on Jii-chan's face when he sees the bill…
The sink had a damaged washer in it, so that it leaked through the tap. Used to be an easy repair, but so many faucets are sealed units nowadays.
Daisaigai697832: Your wish is my command… ;)
BTW, I got my description of the living room from a shot in the first episode of the Virtual World anime storyline (the first one). It is REALLY plain.
Forgot it last chapter, so Yami SSF, would you do the honours?
Yami SSF: Fine. Silvershadowfire does not own Atem or YuGiOh, or any characters used in this story except the poor staff at the hardware store, okay?
Thanks. Now on with the chaos…I mean, the story!
Note: When Atem is talking to the Duelmonsters, he uses Ancient Egyptian.
Home Improvement
Chapter 2 - Never Do Anything Halfway
The next morning, Atem was at the hardware store bright and early. He'd spent his evening reading his new books and planning. Now he had three separate lists, all quite long.
He looked at his list of things to do.
1) Fix squeaky floorboards in hallway and stairs
2) Replace carpets. (He'd read somewhere that carpets could harbour toxic substances - he didn't want to expose his aibou to anything like that, so they had to go.)
3) Replace flooring in kitchen. (Marble might be nice…)
4) Redecorate living room. (The place was dull and boring. Surely Jii-chan would appreciate a little more colour in there.)
5) Renovate bathroom.
6) Renovate his bedroom. (Well, technically renovate his and Yugi's room, but his aibou should like the result. He'd spend a couple hours last night drawing up plans.)
Who knew architecture lessons would come in so handy?
As he stepped into the store, a clerk, still slightly sleepy, met him. "Can I help you, sir?"
"Yes." Atem handed the young man a second list, this one carefully written in Japanese - unlike the first one, which was in a dialect of Egyptian long vanished. "I need the items on here, please."
"What are you doing?" the clerk asked, eyes widening as he scanned it over. "Renovating the house?"
"Just a few improvements." Atem shrugged. "Send them to the address at the bottom of the list, would you? I'll pay for them before I go."
"Yes sir." The boy was off like a shot. Atem nodded, impressed. You didn't see that kind of service much anymore.
He wandered the store, looking for anything that might catch his interest, particularly in decorating. With no idea what was available, he hadn't been able to plan much. As he walked down an aisle filled with plants, a TV screen caught his eye. It was demonstrating something called a 'dremmal tool', which was being used to cut designs into the wall. The Pharaoh smiled slightly to himself. What a wonderful idea, and so much faster than a hammer and chisel.
"Is there anything else I can do to help?" It was his clerk again.
"Yes. I would like one of these, as well." He gestured to the TV.
"Would you like all the attachments?"
"Of course."
…………… Several Hours Later …………………...............................................
Atem frowned at the ripped up pieces of carpet from the living room floor, then at the clock. He was hot, sweating and sticky - skin-tight leather was not the best thing to wear while doing this sort of work - and it was taking far too long, even with all these lovely modern tools. He only had five days before Yugi was due back, and he wanted everything to be perfect for his hikari. He needed some help, but he also wanted it to be a surprise. Not to mention that all of his friends were on the school trip as well, except for Seto and Mokuba - and somehow he didn't think that they would be interested.
Sighing, he scratched the back of his head while he thought. Where would he get enough hands to help him finish all of this before Yugi got home?
As he brought his hand down, it brushed the belt that carried his Magic and Wizards deck.
The Pharaoh smiled.
……………………………….............................................................................
Atem looked sternly at the motley assortment of creatures around him. "Now listen closely.' he ordered.
He held up a small object. "This is a plug…"
………………………………..............................................................................
"You need to hold this carefully; use a smooth back and forth motion across the wall so the paint goes on evenly, okay?" Atem handed the tool over.
Neo the Magic Swordsman looked at the paint sprayer, then at his master, and nodded. Putting on the 'safety goggles' and apron that his master insisted he wear, the Duelmonster turned to his assigned task.
Seeing that he understood, Atem left him and walked briskly into the kitchen. Maahado and the Celtic Guardian were on their knees, carefully installing the hot-water thermal floor heating system. The Dark Sage floated cross-legged over them, supervising. Both were also wearing work belts and goggles.
"How is everything?"
"Going well, Master." the ancient mage answered. "This should be done by sunset."
"Alright." Atem casually banished the discarded pieces of flooring to the shadows and continued on. Outside, the new porch was beginning to take shape. Atem had cast a shadow-illusion spell over the game shop so that no one would see the Duelmonsters; no sense freaking out the neighbours.
Joey's Red-eyes and his own Curse of Dragon were carting lumber over to the location of the new porch, while Maha Vilo oversaw both them and the marble edging being cut by the Magician of Black Chaos, who was still having a little trouble with the water-saw.
"Master, it would be easier to use my magic." he commented as Atem walked over.
"Maybe, but I need a smooth edge on this - you can't just blast it away."
"Dang..."
Despite the time it had taken to train his workforce - most of yesterday - Atem was quite happy with the results. He should be able to get everything done in record time.
The Pharaoh stretched, pulling up a strap that threatened to fall down. He had raided Jii-chan's closet that morning, and now wore a loose pair of denim overalls with a tight black T-shirt and a carpenter's belt overall. His deck nestled snugly in one pocket while several tools hung from various loops. His hair was tied back in a ponytail and covered with a baseball cap, on backwards so the brim wouldn't catch.
Satisfied that everthing was on schedule, he walked back inside and upstairs to Yugi's room, picking up a sledgehammer along the way.
A moment of concentration, and all the furniture was in the Shadow Realm. He walked over to the wall between his and this room, contemplating it with a quiet smirk, sledgehammer over one shoulder, power saw in the other hand. Some things one had to do for oneself.
The smirk never left his features as he placed the saw on the ground, took the sledge in both hands, and slammed it into the wall.
….…………………………........................................................
Things didn't go quite so smoothly on the third day. Atem looked over his list of things to do - the adjustments to his and Yugi's rooms - now room - had begun nicely. Neo refused to be parted from the paint sprayer, so he and Mana the Dark Magician Girl in there now, redecorating. Celtic Guardian and Dark Magician had moved onto installing the marble in the kitchen, while everyone else was concentrating on the new porch.
CRASH!
Atem jerked at the sound from outside, almost falling off his perch on the banister. He ran outside, to find that the base for the deck had collapsed, ripping some of the siding right off the house.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"Well, you see, Curse of Dragon flew up some floor boards but tried to perch on the deck and, well, he was just a little too heavy…" Maha Vilo explained sheepishly.
Atem winced.
………………………………..............................................................
Once that little problem had been solved, he went back to his originally planned job. He pulled out a neat little toy he'd spotted in the hardware store - a laser level - and slapped it on the hallway wall, a little over head height. Then he dug out the dremmel tool and attached a small bit. That done, he climbed up on a small stepladder, turned on the power, and began to write.
It was exacting work, but so much faster than a hammer and chisel for carving hieroglyphics on the wall. And fun!
He was halfway through the story of Yugi's Jiichan finding the Puzzle in Atem's old tomb - and trying to remember the symbol for 'nincompoop' - when a second crash shook the house. This one had been higher up and closer.
He set the tool down and sprinted outside; his horrified gaze found Red-Eyes Black Dragon with one foot through the roof and an armful of timbers. As the Pharaoh watched, the wood slipped from the dragon's grasp and landed on the roof with a splintering detonation. Atem buried his head in his hands and swore creatively in several languages. Nothelping, not helping…
Must restrain urge to strangle…
Whipping out the card, he recalled the monster. As it vanished in a flash of light, he walked over to Maha Vilo. "Well?" he demanded in a cold voice that made all the monsters wince.
"He couldn't land on the deck, so he thought that maybe the roof would hold him. He managed the first load, but the second…"
Gods, the damned porch was going to take forever at this rate. Thank Ra he didn't need the cards to summon. With a moment's concentration and a flick of his wrist, he called Time Wizard into being.
"I need this place taken back about fifteen minutes." Atem commanded shortly. "Don't give me the time roulette routine. Just do it."
"Yes, Master." The wizard heard the lack of patience in the Pharaoh's voice and meekly did as he was bid. As they watched, the hole in the roof repaired itself and the Red Eyes appeared again, just about to take off.
"Hold it." Atem stopped the disaster before it could occur again. "Maha Vilo, get the Mystical Elf to levitate the stuff up there or something. And don't mess up again." The words were distinct, clearly pronounced.
He turned, the set of his shoulders still stiff, walking back into the house. The Duelmonsters all sighed collectively in relief.
Atem paused at the door, looking back at them..
They tensed.
"And this time keep the dragons off the roof!"
…………………….……….....................................................................
That's it for this chapter.
Next chapter: Yugi comes home a day early to surprise his other…