Daily
by Lethe Seraph
Entry Six: Imperturbable
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5.3.04
Not on purpose, I swear…
Ah, well. Here comes another Seto/Jou for y'all, I guess. ^_^;; Long and pointless!
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imperturbable (adj.) : marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness
-
Was he a man or a robot?
That was the question at hand today, in Yugi's small but somehow spacious room. Every weekend, Yugi, Jou, Honda, and Anzu would gather there, to just hang out – to be themselves, ordinary teenagers who didn't have the fate of the world on their shoulders.
Jou and Honda would usually stay and sleep over, much to the chagrin of Sugoroku. Nevertheless, the kindly man never complained. (Jou thought that it was prize enough for Anzu to visit, Sugoroku being the lecher that he was, but Jou wasn't about to comment.)
Honda grinned, placing another small tile into its proper position with a click. "Definitely a robot. There's no way he could be human."
"I wouldn't say he's a man yet," said the ever-quixotic Anzu carefully, "but he must have a human side, at the very least. You've seen how he acts around Mokuba."
"So, he's programmed to look after his kin," said Jonouchi. He tossed a chip into the air and caught it with his mouth. "The next in line to the Kaiba throne, you know? It's logic."
"And what would you know about logic, Jou?" said Honda, echoed by Yugi. The two laughed as Jou fumed.
"More than you, Sir Fails-A-Lot," grumbled Jou.
"Oh, a stab in the heart!" Honda mimed himself being run through by a sword, complete with gagging and choking. Anzu giggled when Honda fell to the ground with a loud thump, scattering the puzzle's pieces across the floor. "However shall I live?"
"Hondaaaaa…" chastised Yugi. He attempted to retrieve the pieces.
"He is human," maintained Anzu. "Just a very quiet one."
"Hell, quiet? Are you kidding? 'Mutt' this and 'mutt' that, I always feel like I'm going to be sick. Kaiba isn't a quiet person."
"Fine, then." Anzu reiterated. "He's just … not social, is all. He doesn't express himself like you do."
"Sure, whatever."
"Don't you remember Duelist Kingdom?" said Honda, laughing. "'Yugi's more than twice the man you'll ever be!'" he quoted in a breathy falsetto. "What do you come home to when the day is done, Seto Kaiba? What do you-"
"Enough, enough!" cried Anzu. She hit him with a Dark Magician pillow, ignoring Yugi's protests. "Don't remind me of that! It just came to me on the spot!"
"Well, I think it pretty much said your opinion of him."
"It's changed!"
"Right," said Honda. "Of course, I believe you."
"As well you should."
"Well? Man or 'bot?" said Yugi from his position on the floor. He groped around under the bed, sighing when he came up with nothing but a handful of dust.
"Robot," chorused Jonouchi and Honda.
"Human!"
"You're the minority, Anzu," pointed out Yugi.
"You don't agree with me?" Anzu's expression was pained.
"Well … I'm not sure," said Yugi. "I'm going to spend more time with Jou and Honda tonight, after all, and I don't want to wake up with some horrendous thing on my hair."
"Damn straight!"
"Right on, Yuug!"
"You guys," said Anzu. She tutted. "So the only reason you're going with them is because they'll get revenge otherwise."
Yugi nodded and smiled brightly. "Right!"
Anzu thought for a moment.
Her eyes glinted.
"I have an idea."
-
"I can't believe I have to do this," grumbled Jonouchi as he made his way down the path to Kaiba's expansive home. "Why me?"
The scene in Yugi's bedroom replayed itself in Jou's mind, the voice of Anzu echoing in a particularly clear tone.
"Okay, shoot."
"How about this? Get proof. Just try getting to know him, and then tell us how it goes."
"What? You mean at school?"
"It would ruin my reputation as a Kaiba-hater!" cried Jonouchi in indignation.
"No, no…" Anzu grinned. "See, people act differently in different situations and places. I'm saying that, right now, we're going to trek down to Kaiba's house and see whether or not he'll let you in."
"You as in…?"
"Jou," stated Anzu.
"Why me?! He hates my guts!"
"Exactly."
"Can't we at least draw straws or something…?!"
"I think it's a good idea, Jou!" said Yugi. "You should try it."
"Hell, no."
Anzu glanced at Yugi. "Fine, then. Shall we all draw straws to make it fair?"
Yugi's eyes glazed over, as though he were conferring with himself – the spirit, perhaps? No, there was no reason for that.
"Sure. I'll go get some straws," said the boy cheerfully.
"I swear they rigged that," Jou said to himself. "They must have rigged that."
He was at Kaiba's door.
He could chicken out now-
No!
He was not afraid of the idiot CEO.
…Not to mention, the others were lurking in a nearby bush, watching.
He would have to go through with this.
Jou extended a finger to the doorbell, and …
…was that music he heard?
His finger wavered as he strained to listen.
"What's keeping him?"
"No clue," said Honda. "Maybe he's afraid…?"
"That's not like Jou," murmured Yugi.
It was kind of pretty.
A flurry of notes here, suddenly shifting up a few octaves, and then flowing chords that made Jonouchi smile.
It was really pretty.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
He rang the doorbell.
"All right, there he goes."
"I hope Kaiba doesn't hurt him…"
"He wouldn't do that," reassured Honda. "It would affect his reputation. We're witnesses, after all."
The music stopped. Had Kaiba been playing, then? Jou heard footsteps now, drawing closer and closer.
He suppressed the urge to dash away.
What would he say?
What could he say?
"Well, yeah, my friends and I are trying to figure out whether you're a complete prick or not."
That would work, definitely.
The intercom crackled.
"Jonouchi? What are you doing here?" rasped Kaiba's distinct tenor, mangled by the device. Jou would have thought that Kaiba's system would be a bit more high-tech; Kaiba's voice through the 'com reminded him of a cartoon character, though he couldn't remember its name.
Jou attempted to draw a mood of cheer about him, reminding himself that Kaiba most likely could see him right now. "I'm here to talk. May I come in?"
A pause.
"What do you wish to talk about? I am rather busy." The words were tentative, untrusting. And for good reason, Jou supposed. Why would Jou do this of his own free will?
As it was, he wasn't.
"Just … stuff," said Jou awkwardly. "It shouldn't take too long. I'm not gonna hurt you or anything…"
For some reason, the explanation was accepted. The door swung open – hitting Jou in the head.
"Damn!" said Jonouchi. He rubbed his head, and looked up.
There Kaiba stood.
"All right! He's in!"
"Now what?"
An ominous pause. Leaves rustled.
"…We wait."
Click.
The door was closed.
It was now or never. His last chance to turn back, to escape.
No.
Kaiba swept through the hallway, and, indicating that Jonouchi should follow, turned into a certain room.
Jou followed.
"Awesome…!" he whispered, in spite of himself. A large, ornate living room faced him, in hues of blue, gold, and pearly white. Hanging in a quiet grace from the ceiling was an elaborately crafted chandelier, its crystals gleaming in the soft light.
Beautiful.
Kaiba nodded slightly to Jonouchi. "Sit," he said formally.
An image of a dog-suit flashed unbidden through Jou's mind, but he pushed it away and accepted the invitation.
Kaiba sat opposite him.
Jou guessed that the room was the way it was so as to intimidate particularly pompous guests; he had to say that it was doing a good job of humbling him so far.
"What do you wish to talk about?" repeated Kaiba, resting his hands in his lap. "Could it not have waited until Monday?"
"Er, um…" Great. What was he supposed to say, anyway? Jou still had no idea. He went with the first one that came to his mind. "Well, I just wanted to … talk."
A raised eyebrow.
"I mean, about whatever. I was, uh…" Come on, Jou! Think quickly! "I was feeling kind of sorry about how I've been treating you, and…" He shrugged.
"Why?" said Kaiba impassively. "I treat you exactly the same."
"But it doesn't have to be that way," said Jou, warming to the subject. "Who said we had to be brats towards each other?"
"Brats?"
"We act like ten-year-olds. Don't tell me you enjoy thinking of yourself as a ten-year-old."
"I suppose I never thought of it."
Jou laughed, and then fell silent. He had to remember that he was with Kaiba. The boy was different from his friends.
"Why…?"
He had to explain himself now. "You, the great Seto Kaiba, didn't think of something? It sounded kinda weird to me." He grinned hesitantly.
"I am human, believe it or not." Kaiba, just as serious as ever.
…But wait!
"You're human?"
A flicker of something in those bright blue eyes. "As far as I know, yes."
Hell, he could go home now!
Jou's grin became certain. "That's good to know. So…"
"Yes?"
"What was that music before I rang the doorbell?"
Was that a small tinge of pink coloring Kaiba's cheeks, as he stiffened in surprise?
No. Jou had to be imagining it.
Kaiba recomposed himself quickly, almost before Jou could blink. "Yes, it was."
"What was it?" prodded Jou.
"If you must know," said Kaiba, as calmly as ever, "it was the Clair de Lune."
"Éclair the…?"
He sighed. "It is not my place to educate you, mutt…"
There it was. The 'mutt'.
Jou forced himself to ignore it.
Seeming slightly astonished at Jou's lack of reaction, Kaiba continued. "It's by Claude Debussy. I wouldn't expect you to have heard of him."
"Haven't," acknowledged Jonouchi.
They were almost getting along.
"So were you playing it?" said Jou curiously.
"…Yes."
"That's cool! I didn't know you could play."
"Upon occasion, I am called upon to entertain my guests," said Kaiba, a small amount of disdain in his tone. "I can't say it's a particular love of mine."
Love.
The word brought Jou's train of thought swerving right back around, narrowly avoiding a derailment. As long as he was there, he might as well have a bit of fun. "Kaiba?"
"Yes?"
"Have you ever had a crush?"
"Yes," said Kaiba frankly. "I still do."
Eh?
He hadn't expected the other to be so… forthcoming.
"On who? …If I'm not prying, of course."
"Hn? Weren't you talking about the Crush Card?" said Kaiba.
Damn, but he could be oblivious when he wanted to be. "Not that," said Jou dismissively. "I mean, have you liked anyone?"
"Mokuba."
Oh. Of course. Jou mentally slapped his forehead. The boy hadn't grown up with friends or soap operas. It figured he would only know the dictionary definition of the word. He would have to elaborate. "Have you ever had a physical attraction to a girl…?"
Kaiba blinked. Now he understood. A slight frown. "Aren't you prying just a bit?"
Jou grinned sheepishly. "Curious."
"No."
"Huh?"
"No, I have not ever had a physical attraction to a girl," said Kaiba.
"Ah."
He hadn't known any, Jou guessed.
"Haven't you ever been … curious…?" said Jou. "What it's like?"
A strange expression flickered, before the mask settled back down. "No," said Kaiba quickly.
They were quiet for a moment.
"Um, sorry. What do you want to talk about?" said Jou.
Three hours later, Honda, Anzu, and Yugi abandoned the bushes for Yugi's PlayStation 2.
And Jou was enjoying one of the best conversations he had had in his life.