Title: An Engraved Invitation
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Slash, m/m romance. Suggestive language and plenty of profanity.
Pairings: Of course. I'm not going to tell you yet.
Summary: The strangest of invitations appear at the most unlikely of destinations. What on earth could Seto Kaiba have in mind?
Chapter One
13:30
Thursday Afternoon
Duke's amethyst ring flashed in the slice of late afternoon sun that fell across his desk as he lifted a cool blue vellum envelope from the stack in his 'in' basket. He knew the stationery by the color, even before he slit the top of the envelope and drew out the expensive watermarked paper inside of the same hue.
The design of varying blue ink on the stationery was rich in a quiet way – minimalist and professional but obviously tailored to one man's taste. Interlocking initials in a faded medallion stamped the very center of the paper. The letterhead bore a similar medallion as well as a collection of thin lines crosshairing the upper lefthand corner, mimicking a drafted sketch.
K.C. The Kaiba Corporation.
Duke always noticed these things first. One could tell a great deal by the care put into correspondence, and the brusque, businesslike brunet in charge of Kaiba Corp spared no expense.
The message was handwritten and carried Seto Kaiba's personal contact information. Duke's eyebrows hiked as he absorbed this. Finally, he let himself read the content of the letter itself.
What he read made his eyebrows nearly bury themselves in his hairline. He leaned back, smoothed the paper on his blotter, and had a hearty laugh. Following that, he moved to his computer and opened his e-mail. The lush, cool office was quiet but for rapid clicking as he typed up a brief response.
To: Seto Kaiba
President/Owner, Kaiba Corporation
RE: Your Invitation
For you? Strictly off the record, I'd do it for free.
Be that as it may, you always did know which of my buttons to push. A tie-in with Black Crown products in your virtual reality system (esp. Dungeon Dice Monsters) would prove lucrative for both of us, as you obviously are already aware of my superior designs. And all I have to do to receive this little contract is…what you've outlined?
My dear boy. You ask far too little of me. However, I find your terms to be quite acceptable.
I'll see you Saturday evening.
Duke Devlin
President/Owner/Lead Designer, Black Crown Gaming, Ltd.
