Enjoy.
GUIDE
: Ryou to Bakura :
: : Bakura to Ryou : :
Blah is thoughts
-----
It was early afternoon and I was growing more anxious by the moment. I was sitting on
Yuugi's window seat, looking out. It was a bright, sunny day, which contridicted
everything I was feeling at the moment.
I don't regret my decision. Perhaps I could have gone about it better, but the fact
remains that I don't regret making it. How can I, though, expect them to understand?
They still see me as who I was, not who I am. They think only my appearance has
changed, when, in reality, that's the least changed of all. I sighed-- too much heavy
thinking. I stood and went downstairs to the kitchen.
Jou and Yuugi were having a little mini-duel, which seemed to be more of a teaching game
for Jou than a real battle. I watched, distracted. Anzu cheered on Yuugi, Honda was
mocking Jou with Otogi, and Yami seemed to be amused by it all. I miss this, I thought,
but I feel so removed from it. This isn't me any more. I hope I can break it to them
gently...
Not sooner had I thought that then I heard three things that signaled the arrival of my
companions: the roaring of two motorcycles, yelling, and a string of cursing that would
make every sailor in history blush. They had arrived.
"What in Ra's name...?" Yami asked, opening the back door. Everybody went outside,
with myself last. I couldn't help but smile at the familiar sight.
"I DID NOT GET US LOST YOU DRUNKEN JACKASS!" Bakura was yelling, jumping
out of the Rubicon. (Literally-- it had no doors any more.)
"YES YOU DID YOU WHITE-HAIRED BITCH!" Marik replied-yelled.
"Hey!" I protested, walking forward, but I was ignored.
"How in the seven blue hells could I have gotten us lost when I was following you!"
Bakura growled. They continued to argue as Malik nearly pounced on me.
"Ryou! Where's your kohl? It's an emergency!" he asked, his face scrunched up with
worry. I pulled the small tin out of my pants and handed it to him. "Oh, you are a
lifesaver!" He winked as he went over to his motorcycle's side mirror. "Cherry flavored!"
"Nope, lemon," I answered, returning the wink.
"Did somebody mention citrus?" Marik asked. Bakura rolled his eyes.
"Oh, THAT got your attention," he muttered. I snorted. Marik glared.
"Here's your kohl back," Malik said, handing me the tin. Suddenly, it was dark. I sighed.
"Thanks," I told Bakura, pulling the pants off my head. I picked up the shirt off the
ground and looked at it. "Tourists?"
"Americans," he said, as if it was the worst thing in the world. I laughed. Bakura hated
Americans, but I found them amusing.
"Um, Ryou?" I turned around to see everybody giving me looks ranging from confused to
"you-got-some-'splainin'-to-do".
"Right," I said. "Well, meet my companions! Malik and Marik I believe you know," I said,
motioning to them. "And this is my yami, Bakura."
"The Sennen Puzzle," he said, his eyes wide and hands reaching. I smacked his hands and
he glared at me. "What was that for?!"
"No taking," I said. : For now, : I added mentally. I swear, he pouted. He didn't go after it
any way. I turned to the others. "Now, I'm sure you have several thousand questions, so
how about we take this inside? I think the living room will be better. I'll go change first
then meet you there," I said, starting in. "Oh, and Marik? NO KILLING!" I called back.
"BUT RYOU!" he nearly whined. I ignored him and went to the bathroom to change.
-----
We were all more or less settled in Yuugi's living room. Malik was stretched out on
Yuugi's window seat, sunbathing. Marik and Bakura were practicing, throwing knives at
each other, catching them, then throwing them again. I was sprawled sideways in a chair,
noting how the others still had the same expressions on their faces as before. I sighed.
Here goes nothing.
"So... where do I begin?" I said, thinking aloud.
"How about your being an itja?" Malik called from the window seat.
"ITJA?!" Yami nearly screamed. Everybody jumped, including Malik, who fell off the
seat.
"Ow," he said, rubbing his tailbone as he stood up and returned to the window seat.
"What was that for?"
"Ryou, tell me this isn't true," Yami said. The look on his face nearly killed me.
"Tell me what an ee-jah is!" Jou said.
"An itja is... a thief," Yami said, refusing to make eye contact with me. I looked at Bakura
for support, but he merely shrugged and continued practicing.
: : Your on your own on this one, : : he said.
: Thanks, : I said dryly, but I knew he was right.
"Ryou... you're a... a thief?" Honda asked, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Yes, Honda, I am thief. That is why I have been all over the world. We are all thieves. In
fact, not to brag--"
: : Yeah, right. : :
"--but we have been called the greatest thief team in the world today," I finished, ignoring
Bakura's comment.
"You're proud of that?" Anzu asked. I didn't know what to say, but I knew I couldn't lie.
"Yes, Anzu... I am proud of that."
"But... a thief?"
"Yes, a thief," I restated. I took a deep breath. "I understand why you do not like this, but
this is me, now. I'm not pretending; I didn't just do this to get away. No, that's not true...
I did, in the beginning." My companions looked at me sharply. I sighed. "It changed. I'm
not sure when, and there's been times that I have honestly doubted it, but... it's me. It's
not the title of being a thief, but the practice of it, the freedom.... I enjoy what I do and I
like who I am. I didn't come here for your approval."
"Why did you come here?" Otogi had been almost completely silent until now.
"That remains to be seen," I said. I couldn't look at any of them. I knew that I would
break down if I did. Maybe... maybe I wasn't ready... for this....
: Bakura? :
: : Go ahead. I'll keep them in line. : :
: Thank you, : I said, before taking myself into the Ring.
I needed some time to think in my Soul Room. I had known that this was going to be
hard, but I hadn't thought.... No, that's a lie. I had thought of this; I just had hoped it
wouldn't be this way. Deep down, I think a part of me knew all along. I just didn't want
to face it then.
Instead, I was facing it now.
A/N: Ah, gotta love the interaction of those four. ::grin:: Ornrey, aren't they?
Ah, a note about kohl, in case you don't know what it is. No, it's not eyeliner. Think
football players-- you know those black marks underneath their eyes? Same principle. It
does, in fact, help to reduce glare. Also, I think it was used to help keep sweat out of the
eyes, but I'm not sure. That's what Capt. Jack Sparrow had on in Pirates of the
Caribbean. Apparently Malik has heard it is quite the fashion statement, ne? ::rolls eyes::
Feel free to make fun of that at my expense. I do it to myself.
Well, ya'll know the drill. Review, ¿por favor? ¿Con crema del azote y cerezas en cima?
(With whip cream and cherries on top?)