Chapter 6. Notice I'm Gone
Kaiba needed to see it. He needed to see it with his own eyes. He stepped sharply down the hall, his heels clicking so loudly many guards where scared off by his presence. He stopped in front of a door guarded by one man in a black suit and shades.
Let me in. I need proof of this.
Master Pegasus strictly said he was not to be disturbed.
And I strictly say that if you do not let me pass you will regret it.
If you pass you will regret it.
Watch me regret. He hissed, shoving by. He thrust open the door, ready to see Pegasus swirling his wine and purring diminutives. What he found was the next phase in this cycle. Pegasus' head was down on the table, his white hair covering his face. His glass of wine and the bottle it came in lay empty by his head. He didn't move, and his broad shoulders fit into the frame of the painting behind him. Kaiba grit his teeth. He expected to find one of his favorite enemies looking evil, and charming,and perfect to hate, not pitiable. He did not expect to find Maximilian Pegasus, drunk and unconscious off of that damn wine he always drunk. He did not, could not imagine, someone so hatable, suddenly so pathetic. He turned to leave and passed the guard with no argument. A lesser man might stop to take away the bottle or pity his enemy. Seto Kaiba just left. Kaiba needed to see it. He needed to see it with his own eyes. He stepped sharply down the hall, his heels clicking so loudly many guards where scared off by his presence.
Having won enough rings, and the finals not for many hours, Joey Wheeler shortly became bored as hell and started wandering the shops.
Wassa ell' missa narrator?
=^-,-^= It's where you're going until further need for you. Goodbye.
And the floor of the Giza opened up and Censor Kid went to hell until further notice. And there was much swear-filled rejoicing. Meanwhile, Joey briefly browsed the occult book store, picked up a few cards, and dubiously went into Hot Topic. Amid the fishnets and the overpriced shirts with angry-white-boy-kill-your-daddy sayings on them (And that was one of the shirts) he found something he actually wanted to spend money on.
Oh, dis is the funniest thing I've ever seen. Yug's gotta have dis. He's so gonna kill me, but it'll be worth it. He purchased it and hid it in a lower pocket of his oversized pants.
Hey Yug!
'Sup, Joey, where've you been? Asked his friend.
Eh, checking out the other parts of dis place. What's DAT?
It's a smoking hole in the ground. Censor kid disappeared down it a few minutes ago. Joey looked down the hole and shrugged.
Anyway, Yug, gotcha something.
Should I be worried?
Only if you have any sense in your head. Said Tristan. Joey reached into his pocket, right by his foot, and pulled it out.
Said Angelie slowly. Neko suddenly clapped her hands to her mouth, threw a glance at Téa and fell to her knees laughing.
What on earth? Asked Yugi as it was crammed onto his head, pushing his strange hair down. It was a fedora made out of blood red and black leopard print velvet with a matching zebra striped band and a accordingly dyed pheasant feather roughly two and a half feet long. On the cord holding it on was a little gold skull bead, and a skull pin held on the feather.
That's the funniest thing I've seen in years. Gasped Tristan. Angelie could barely stop laughing long enough to gasp, Pimp it out, Yugi!
Laughed Bakura, At least this way Téa won't stick out so much! Immediately they all laughed, then tried to stop.
What do you mean, I won't stick out so much? I dressed this way so I wouldn't stick out!
It's okay Téa. Most the goths you've seen are guys. You had no idea how a girl goth should dress. The look of trying hard not laugh came back. You had no idea you where going to turn out looking like a lady of the evening! They all broke into laughter.
You mean she's trying to look like a goth? Gasped Neko, nearly tearing with mirth, I wondered why she dressed like that! Again the laughter, the biting, gnawing laughter. Téa's stomach gripped. Suddenly Joey felt inclined to sing, much to Angelie's horror.
Midnight cruising is continental, diamond rings stick to his spats, checking out da chicks on every corner, they're da feathers in his hat...
Well, that feather IS about as tall as Neko! Laughed Angelie.
Said Neko, bringing her collar from her neck to her shoulders, I'm Mau! I'm slutty! I can't win a duel without flashing my boobies!
Stopping at da curb at every streetlight, taking his cut from da ladies pay, he keeps talkin', dey keep walkin', as he leaves, ya'll hear dem say: Suddenly everyone else realized what he was singing and as they began to saunter off, Yugi put a arm around Téa and Neko and suddenly everyone but Téa, who was not amused, broke out:
C'mon, girls, let's work for Yugi! Let's make pay while the streetlights shine! C'mon, girls, let's work for Yugi, Yugi gonna be your valentine! Neko and Angelie wound up getting into a contest as to who could go aaah, ahhh, aaah, ahhh.. the longest. Bakura won. Téa removed Yugi's hand from her waist and broke away from the group, mostly to see if they'd notice. When they didn't, she walked away, trying to find if there was some way to get some air around here. As she walked away, during a downswing of the song, Neko turned to Yugi.
It's okay, Neko. She just wants to be alone for a while. The group has gotten bigger, she still feels a bit awkward. Neko nodded, because it sounded right.
With a little application, Téa found a small, gothy courtyard. It was raining, but she didn't care. It felt right. There were wet stone benches and dripping willows, overgrown rosebushes, slippery gray cobblestones, and a river down the center with a small stone foot bridge across it. The sides of the bridge came up to her hip when she stood on it, and if she did a split, she could put a toe on each end, but she was a cheerleader. The bridge was a good place to stand in the rain. She looked rather pathetic, her shawl dripping, her ratted hair becoming plastered to her head, her eyeliner running down her face, though her forehead was fairly dry, considering. Have they noticed I'm gone yet? Will they notice? Do they care what happens to me at all? We where all so close, the best of friends, a tight circle no one could break. Well, now it's broken, it's broken by a little pathetic girl named Neko Mikiko, who everyone loves. She so pretty, and she's a goth and a duelist and has a millennium item, she has so much more in common with them then I ever could. And they run off to sit alone at a table halfway across the club, breathing on each others faces. She's just like everyone else, and I'm just the little whore... She thought to herself. Reading a book of Poe's works, someone under a tree in the rain looked up. He seemed to be going for the Ichabod Crane look, and did it very well. He wore a tight black shirt buttoned past the collar and a long coat. Hearing someone crying on the bridge, he looked up, and seeing a hardly unattractive girl, closed his book and got up. Téa, deep in a bout of self-pity did not hear footsteps behind her in the rain, nor did she take any interest in him at all until his jacket was over her shoulders. She looked up at him.
What are you doing out here? He asked softly. He was pretty darn hot.
=^-,-^= Bishie bishie! Bishie bishie! Do the bishie dance!
I'm... being overdramatic, I suppose.
He answered, smiling slightly, Let no one tell you it's a bad thing to know what you want.
I never-
He said softly, touching her lips, That's the only reason a human ever cries in it's whole life. When it's little and it wants a candy, when it's bleeding and wants the pain to stop, when it's friends die and it wants them to still be with them, when it loves and want the object of it's love to love them back, want. That's all humans are capable of.
That's not true! There's friendship, and love, and caring for what happens to one another, and-
He touched her lips again, What is friendship if it isn't wanting someone you respect to respect you too, and laugh with you, what is love if it isn't just wanting another, what is care but wanting others not to be harmed, because you want them to stay with you? He seemed to think that this wise-in-the-ways-of-the-world' act was a good way to pick up chicks, but it was far too obvious.
It's nice that you care, but I don't need-
Of course I care, I'm the only one who could. I understand you. Oh, you don't need anyone, but, He looked deeply at her, You still want. Parts of this makes sense, parts of this I can see right through. Are the parts that make sense just part of the facade to get into my pants? What if there is no facade? What if he's being sincere? She thought, beginning to second-guess all she stood for. No, never, that's wrong, this can't be true! He is so full of it! Listen to him! Want? There is more than want in the world! The world is not and was never nothing but a breeding ground for greed! Who is this guy?
Who are you? She asked, considering returning his coat.
I am William. Why are you out here? Were you abandoned?
No, I just went out for a breath of air, I wasn't, they'd never-
Not even nominally? I see betrayal in your eyes.
No, they didn't- he didn't-it's not like we ever-
Start at the beginning. When did she come in?
Who is she? What are you talking about?
If he never, than who did he never with?
I-I, uh, well, I guess, she came in just a few days ago... three, I think... and, well, Yugi just walked off with Neko, I mean, I was hanging with him and he blew me off! I mean, I said he could, but that didn't mean that he could, y'know?
No, actually. But do go on.
So we decide to go to the tournament, and first thing I know, they're off dueling alone and I can't even see him, and she's just been following us around and mainly him! And then everyone else said that I looked like a whore!
Shh... you'd make a lovely whore, but you'd need a bodice. Come inside, let us find your Yugi, and your friends, and this Neko. He put a arm around her shoulders and led her in.
Hey, I think I see her! Said Tristan, leaning around Joey.
Said Joey, pushing him back, When she wants to come back, she'll come back. If she wanted to be alone, it's best to welcome her warmly when she comes back, but not force her back.
Oh, alright. But who's that with her?
Yugi, don't look.
Yeah, let her have her hissy fit.
Angelie, you're not helping.
Well of course, Bakura! When I help, I make an event of it!
Yeah, we noticed.
Joey, down!
Shh! Here she comes! The group stopped talking as William and Téa walked up.
Hi, Téa! Where did you go off to?
Man, you're wet.
I know that hair... Yugi? Not Yugi Muto from Duelist Kingdom and Battle City?
Uh, yeah, last time I checked that was me... Yugi blushed. He didn't like having his prestige waved in his face.
Never matter! I shall duel you nonetheless! And I shall play you for the honor of this young lady whose heart you broke! Téa jerked her thumb at William and mouthed, I don't know where he gets this stuff! He's making it all up!
And this would be Neko... He examined her far to closely for her liking. A common wench, clearly. So beautiful, she clearly has no heart.
Now just one minute! Cried Bakura, standing up.
How can you say that about to someone you've never even spoken to? Spat Tristan.
Téa, you didn't- She waved her hands and shook her head.
And with so many suitors...
Hang on, just because we defend her doesn't mean we're suitors!~ Gasped Yugi.
Who is dis guy?'
I am William Cuthworth! Cried the romantia-goth, flipping his hair.
Do you stand for love and justice? Asked Angelie snidely.
This is the first time I've been compared to Téa and she's been labeled an innocent but sad little girl and I'm the whore.
Neko, down. Giggled Angelie. I'm a bad influence on you.
Silence your menagerie. Hissed William, pulling gloves out of his coat.
Said Yugi with innocent interest, That's the second time they've been called that this tournament. What makes you think of that phrase in particular?
I challenge you, Yugi Muto- He slapped his black leather gloves across Yugi's face, and both Neko and Téa cried out, To a duel! Yugi kept his head turned in the direction the blow had turned it for a moment and then faced him back.
He said calmly enough to make the Johnny Dep look alike very nervous, though he didn't notice the insulted undertones, Slapped me. The puzzle shot into brilliance and a light show later, Yami stood before William. Calmly, in a lower voice than when he started, he asked, What's with the hat? But did not remove it.
One ring. Hissed William, putting it down.
...to rule them all... Finished Angelie, trying to keep her face strait.
The duel commenced, and it took little time to show why William had only one ring. But maybe he wasn't so bad. Maybe the hat distracted him. The highlight of the duel was when William's Beast of Taewar was destroyed and after swearing vengeance on Yugi, hissed, And stop waving your head around so much! That feather's driving me nuts! And while Neko stayed fairly quiet, the others supported Yugi as usual. Angelie's usual was mocking the heck out of William.
Oh, tis angst. William was not a very good duelist, but he could be just as dramatic as Yami. William's only one-up on Yugi was when he played Driving Snow and snowed out Dark Magician and the Magical Hats.
Ooh.. you destroyed his Dark Magician... Sighed Joey.
...you shouldn't have done that... Added Tristan.
...you didn't want to destroy his Dark Magician...
...now he's mad... And he was. And he used Monster Reborn and kicked William's ass back to the 1890's.
It has been made clear to me that you duel as badly as you wench, and also that wenching was the only reason you came to this tournament. Now you can see how far that can get you. I came here to duel, William, and I don't have to waste my time in spats with those who did not. You lose! The wind whipped around William and he fell dramatically to his knees.
Stuttered Téa, There shall be no bodice!
Yay! Yugi won! Cried his usual spectators as he claimed his ring and then offered a hand to his knelling opponent.
Asked William.
You are just beginning, William. You can't expect to beat people with much more experience than you on your first try. He helped him up and turned away, turning back into Yugi.
I was a fool to challenge you as such, but I shall return, and I shall duel you in another form! Be readied for me! What do take to these words! Turn to me! Yugi turned around slowly and with mild disgust in his eyes, he repeated with no small wonder, You slapped me.
You'll be slapped again if you hold grudges like that. I'm out of here. He left, and all was back to normal, except for the hat and Neko's sitting alone in a corner.
Huh? What's wrong, Neko?
Do I look like a whore to you? Stuttered an apoplectic Neko finally.
Not as much as Téa does... Yugi stained fairly.
Hey! Need I find another delusional romanta-goth?! She spat.
Well, I do need one more ring... Laughed Yugi.