A/n: Hey, hope you're having a good morning, day, afternoon or night. Uh, sorry for the wait (has it really been a month?) 30. Wow. Anyway, some of you said how Kaiba was acting vain about his haircut. Well, it's really horrible-looking Think of your worst haircut and times it by 1000. ...Yeah.Kaiba having the neatest hair out of all of the characters, I couldn't resistI drew him and it's funny, he still looks so fine... Leave your e-mail and I'll get it to you so you can see if you want.
Disclaimer: AllDay Doesn't Own YuGiOh…end disclaimer.
Day Fifteen: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire
Morning….
She crouched by the big rock, eyes fixed straight ahead. Eyes wide and unblinking, she took in the sight before her. Hidden by the flora and fauna, she made sure she wasn't seen. For, if she was…
A boy walked into the clearing. It was Seto. Duh, like there's no one else, here… Serenity crouched lower still, watching. He moved with purpose, and with grace. Even in a plain white T-shirt and shorts that came up to his knee. She couldn't help admiring the strong set of his powerful shoulders; the line that went from it to the ground was perfectly obtuse. Even in plainclothes.
Silently and slowly, Serenity crept along in the thick, murky swamp, feeling like an explorer about to discover an unknown species. Or go into unknown territory, whichever. The water was cold and she was waist-deep, and she could feel slimy things all over her legs and arms, but she had no choice. She sank lower until she was shoulder deep now, glad she'd pulled back her long hair in a messy bun with some scrap string she'd found lying around. The "uncharted region" was Seto, walking slowly, a few feet away, on an uncharted island, the leaves and brush bowing down as he moved past them. She knew their feeling; she was in hiding. Even with variant eyes, dark green now, didn't blink as she held her breath and ducking her head out of sight. His laser-like gaze swept over her whereabouts, and moved on. Whew. Serenity gulped a silent breath, her watchfulness still alert. It feels like I'm on safari, and he's an elephant. A rampaging elephant. Or a wildebeest. Her thoughts started wandering. Rampaging because of you, Serenity. He's looking for YOU. And not to have a cup of tea. He's probably wants to -- no, I won't even think it.
Then his head came into view.
Oh, my God...dess…
It was all because of yesterday. The OH MY GOD, MY HAIR thing. Safely behind a tall brush, Serenity bit her lip hard. It was true… and this day didn't help it much. Yesterday… She hadn't realized just how bad it was! It looked perfect…perfectly mutilated. Chunks of it were hanging off, looking like the work of a lawnmower. And it didn't help -- it REALLY didn't -- that today was a very, extremely humid day today. The still-long parts were all frizzled, like someone had teased it blindly. Corkscrews popped out everywhere, with no rhyme or reason, like the springs from a smashed telephone. All in all, he looked like he'd jammed his fingertips into a socket and went zzzt! Zap! Zap!
And that was why she still dogged his step. H-ha...With that angry-at-the-world expression, he looks like a supermodel showing off the Afro-puff. And to her absolute horror, a snickering snort escaped her nose and throat. OMG, Serenity, you do this to him, and you laugh?! You're just horrible! In the event of trying to keep quiet, she ducked her chin ear-deep into the pond. Glubbing, bubbles floated up before her tightly shut eyes. She tried to stop laughing, but it was like stopping a freight train. Surely, he'd heard. Later, she would wonder where it came from -- usually she wasn't this mean. He didn't turn. Phew, he didn't hear. I thought --
As he was starting to leave, he said, loftily, "You know, there are leeches in that pond..."
Letting out a muffled scream, she jumped out -- in complete instinct. And sputtering and jumping up and dancing and waving her arms didn't exactly scream cool. But the only thought in her head was, Were those the slimy things, I felt down there?! Besides he'd already left, when she looked up to see.
Her legs and arms were leech-free, the liar. It had only been a piece of algae.
Grumping, she stomped off like a wet, angry cat and spent the rest of the afternoon picking juicy berries and sulking in the bushes. She wasn't sure why she was mad. All she knew was that she was tired of being scared to death out here.
From her perch on the ledge, which she nicknamed The Really High Cliff, she could she a tiny ant-sized version of him working on something, by the beach. For the first time she she'd come to the island, she felt really miserable and lonely. She missed her family terribly. They probably think I'm dead, and are sobbing at my funeral right now. I wish I were.
Suddenly, she heard a sound of movement from behind. But if Seto is working on the beach, then who is…? She turned quickly, her heart jarring somewhere up in her throat.
There was nobody there.
Heart still hammering, she turned slowly back, still not fully convinced. "You're seeing things, Seren," she mumbled, and left it at that. The sun dipped down in red and gold beneath the horizon. Her mood turned even darker subtly. Starting to grasp at optimism and ignoring the rumbling of her stomach, she thought, I might wish I'm dead, but I'm not. And as long as I'm not, I'll still strive to survive. That's it! Leaving me all alone up here, with even checking once! To see if I'm okay! What kind of man is he! He's no man! And if he's no man, he's -- logically, a girl…and girls wouldn't play mean...
Fired up, she got up and started making her way down to the beach. It isn't enough I have to battle dehydration and starvation, right?! I'm not going to have to battle with HIM, either. Her steps slowed almost to a halt when in the vicinity of the quarry. The monkey's screaming kept flashing in her mind, as if coming back from the grave to warn her.Eeee! Eeeee!
Maybe I should have fixed myself up first. Wisps of hair were escaping the bun, and her whole body shook with cold and fear. Maybe I should go take a bath. Maybe since its night, I'll get lucky and catch pneumonia! Maybe he's fixing a pot for me-stew.
No, it was now or never. Gulping a breath, she opened her mouth to say hey. "H -- "
And then stopped when she saw it. 'It.' The pot before him. It looked just like the one he cooked the monkey in. Eep!!
Breaking the silence, he turned. "Oh, there you are. I was just about to call on you. Won't you join me for dinner?" His tone was casual and pleasant, like he didn't notice her eyes nearly as big as basketballs. "Oh, that?" He still used the nonchalant manner. "It's a surprise I've been working on all day."
"…" Squeak.
"Aren't you going to ask what it is?" he said pleasantly.
Squeak, came out her mouth.
"I guess that means yes. Keep in mind, it's just for you."
All he needed was the thunder-boom right about now and he was set.
"I found this vat in the wreckage," he went on, inhaling sharp and deep, "And I thought, what can I do for my good little friend Serenity, after all she's done to me -- um, for me."
She heard none of it. Her terrified expression went from the man-sized vat to him, clutching her fingers at her face.
He was smiling, but it wasn't quite reaching his eyes. It wasn't reaching his eyes! "So," he sighed, "I decided that since, there is no hot water on the island, to heat some up and let you have a hot bath." He crossed her fingers and rocked slightly back on his heels. "Aren't I nice?"
"Um…that, um…." That 'um' sounded relatively calm, considering the velocity her knees were shaking. She forced herself to stop and repeated slowly. "A bath."
"That's what I said, isn't it?" His smile dropped. "And you need one. Trust me. You smell. And -- " He pointed to his hair. She froze, then touched her own hair. There was a piece of algae still in it. He saw her fingers shake as she plucked it off and smirked… inwardly. Her shirt was all stained with red berries, not to mention her cheeks. He thought she still looked not bad. Better than me, he thought viciously. Wetting down his hair had helped flatten it, but when it was dried--Opening his mouth, he looked away and took a deep breath. "So, go on and get in. I'll leave you your privacy. I'll be back in a second." He brushed past.
"Um…" she said to the darkness. She was alone, and suddenly everything was eerily silent. "Well…. he really doesn't take no for an answer!" she said to an adjacent tree, who didn't answer. And yeah right, does he really expect me to believe that he's all right and forgiven me? Like, Nooo, buster! Clutching her arms helped lift the tension from her shoulders. Then again…he did sort of…warn me…about leeches earlier…maybe he really thought they were?
Glancing around, she started to walk curiously toward the vat. It was big, big enough for two, and filled almost to the brim with glittering depths. It must have been lethal to lug in all that water from the freshwater pond, since the pond was in way deep in the 'forest.' Judging the distance, she help her breath, pinched her nose and jumped inside.
SPLASH!
Most of the hard labored water accidentally splashed out, wetting the sand. A sizzle and a pop greeted her as she broke the surface, gasping, and her face slick and wet. It was the fire from beneath, but she didn't know that. Looking around, she stared into the moonless night, darker than pitch-black ink. There was light coming from underneath the pot -- er, the vat.I guess since this is supposed to be a bath I ought to take off my clothes…but… She sighed and rested the back of her neck on the brim. It felt wonderful, simply divine…the stinging of the cuts from lashing vines on her arms and legs faded away, the stiffness from crouching all day in the lagoon and sleeping in a tree last night on her back was eased away. Serenity gulped in some water -- yep, definitely freshwater all right -- and blew it out like a fountain. She sighed and gazed up at the starless sky. No, there were two or three pinpoints, albeit weak ones…A cool breeze whispered through, ruffling her messy hair. Serenity leaned back. This was a perfect idea. She must thank him later…really must.
"Not too hot?" There was a ting. His voice startled her for a good minute. She had forgotten about him.
"Oh…yes…I mean, no…" Turning her head to where she thought his voice was coming from -- it really was pitch dark -- she stared at him warily, hugging her knees, nearly slipping. "I-it's okay. So, you're not mad about, uh…you know?" She jerked her hand up, to her own head.
"Oh, the bereavement of my hair, you mean?" He said casually, his fingers clenched on the dish he held. The weak fire below lit his face and made him look even more dangerously unbalanced. He bared his teeth in a travesty of a smile. "No, no, no, no," he turned, his voice muffled. "No, no, no, no…"
Oh yeah, I sound really convincing! He continued to say "No, no, no" constantly and continually as he walked over. But he didn't really care whether he sounded reasonable. His eyes, still cobalt even in the weak light, met hers. Briefly, because such casualness made her duck her head down. Ergo, her response came out as nothing but a bunch of bubbles. "What?"
"I said," she said, quickly but not before looking away, " 'what to do you have there?' "
"After that."
Now he was smiling! For real, this time. "Uh…. You have a really nice smile?"
He doubted it, both that that was really 'it' and the genuineness of that statement. Her face was steaming just as hot as the pot, er vat, as he turned around again. "Where is it… Ah, here." He threw some more logs into the fire, making it flare up, like Hades.
Mumbling again…. Boy, it's hot. Serenity started to squirm in the heat. "Y-you know…if I never known you before, I would think I was being cooked…! Ha! Ha! Ha. Ha..."
His head jerked upwards. Biting his lip, he was just barely able to keep it in. Actually, she had given him the idea, yesterday, when she had screamed in his face, 'Eep! Don't EAT me!' He hadn't known what the blazes she'd been talking about then, but soon figured it out. After he saw his reflection, and come up with a plan.
Of course, he wasn't really going to eat her. But only make her think she was. Ah. Revenge was sweet. Like a big red juicy berry. "Ha-ha! But that's funny, right? Right?" Why isn't he laughing? He's starting to scare me… And turn down the heat! She could barely breathe as the steam rose up, choking, trying both to laugh and make him laugh along with her.
Finally he did laugh, shortly. "Cooking! You. That's silly."
And then he brushed in something that looked like chopped vegetables in the pot.
Her mouth opened her eyes grew enormously in her suddenly-pale face. "T-t-then, What-what --"
She should have run far away right then, and maybe swam to the next island, but her faith in humanity and, that cannibalism was extinct, made her stay. That, and she was paralyzed with fear.
Ever the calm one, he said: "That? Oh, that's for fragrance." He took up a long stick and stirred it. "Smells nice, doesn't it?"
Only a high-pitched squeak came out as the stick poked her…. lightly…. Like--like--like -- as if he were testing to see how plump her leg was!
Obviously, he wasn't noticing she was about to bolt. Seto was too busy trying not to laugh, broad shoulder shaking futilely. He continued stirring the "brew", this time carefully avoiding her bare arms and legs. A little stab of conscience got to him, though. I guess I should stop the charade…but this is so MUCH fun.
Okay, one more, and I'll stop. I swear…he bargained with it. NOT! Said a little evil voice, fighting his conscience. He began to laugh, throwing back his head that made the little hairs on the back of her neck rise.
"W-w-w-what's so funny?" she whimpered and whined pitifully, close to sobbing. "W-w-why are you laughing like that?!?!?! Tell meee!" The pot was frothing and bubbling madly, and she began to feel slightly dizzy.
He couldn't go on. "At your face, silly. It looks like you're about to break down and blubber. Crying about being cooked! Ha Ha!"
She gasped. "W-what do you mean!" She didn't like to be laughed at as much as the next person. She stood up, in anger.
"You idiot! …I'm not going to cook you! Now sit!"
"What?" She sat down slowly, taking in his words for absorption and analysis. Then, she let out a sigh of relief. Last, she shot up again. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
Seto was taken aback by the murderous tone, and by the way she rushed at him so fast in pure rage. "I told you -- sit down! You're going to fall!"
"Whoa." His prediction nearly came through. Water splashed out the edge, dousing the fire beneath. There was a loud sizzling roar and steam rose in a thick fog. She gave a cough and sputtered, trying to climb out. Catching her breath again, she continued to shriek, "That was a mean joke -- and I hate you -- and I wish -- you were dead!"
He could feel her little fists pummeling him in the darkness. She certainly packed a wallop. "Hey, do you think I like walking around, looking like this? How am I supposed to go home now? Huh?!"
"You said…you were okay with it!"
"I LIED!"
"…" She stood back, stunned by the way he'd just yelled point blank in her face. "Obviously." There was a silence in which the waves on the beach didn't even roll. "Are you," she said, her voice shaking with anger instead of fear now, "sooo obsessed with revenge that you'd waste our last -- matchstick on me? Do you hate me that much?"
He didn't answer, for a minute. "Yes. Yes." He turned towards the dying fire. Briefly he wondered, How did she know it was the last one--? She must've counted. "Are you happy now? You got me to admit it." He lifted his head post-silence. "Now put on some clothes, already!"
"Don't blame me for this," she said, to salvage her pride because she forgotten she was…. well, you know. Wondering if he could see in the dark, she covered herself with her arms (just in case) and walked behind the pot, er vat. "Ack!"
What now? "What now?"
She really started to cry then. "M-my clothes!" Awfully, she lifted the charred remains of her top and shorts. After carefully washing them and laundering them, they had been reduced to rubble.
Maybe it was silly to be so emotional over some scraps of cloth, but it was the only thing she had. And now, nothing. Boo hoo hoo….
"Let me see." He said with a reluctant sigh. Thwap! A second later, it hit him on the side of his face. "Would you quit that," he hollered, temper rising, as he held the scraps up close for inspection. He started to suspect she suspected he could see well in the dark by then. It was true -- partly. Serenity kept herself hid behind the pot -- er, vat. Outrage flared up again when she heard chuckling. "Hmm," he grunted, "You've must put them too close to the fire."
"What are you laughing at! It's not funny! What am I supposed to wear!" she shrieked.
"Don't get a knot in your shorts, get it...?"he held up the tattered remains, "Anyway, I'll crack a coconut in halves so you can wear a coconut bra."
"WHY YOU--!" Now, Serenity, true to her name, wasn't, exactly, a violent person. Except when she was REALLY angry. Then even Joey stayed out of her way. Fortunately, she wasn't angry often. But to see him standing vulgarly, smirking, was really, more than anyone could take.
She threw an absolute fit.
"First, you scare me witless -- " she rushed at him and started pummeling him -- kicking this time, since her arms were used for hiding her chest -- "then you laugh at m-my m-misfortunes--!" Tears ran down her cheeks. "Take that and that-and some of that, too-- in your-you-know-whats!"
He dodged just in time before she could get him again. "I'll do what I want, little girl! Do you get it?! What are you going to do, tell me you hate me? You've already done that." He sneered, "and if you kick me one more time -- I'm going to strangle you and then really have you for supper!" he screamed, hoarse.
She was too far-gone. Even her hands released herself to slap him silly in the gut. It hurt. "I…. AM…. NOT LITTLE! " she roared though itcame out a whisper, playing upon one of her pet peeves to give more reason to hit him. She really did want to kill him. "Jerk! You jerk..." Suddenly, she was exhausted and spent and it was over. Arms went around her at the same time, tight....
To be continued…
A/n: (smirks) I'll leave you all there in this two-part series. Just when things are… heating up, Lol. You may throw a piece of cloth at me. You may also call me mean. Just so you review.
