BUSINESS ENGAGEMENTS
By Starflower Sakura

DISCLAIMER: Yuugiou doesn't belong to me! -scowls as the Yuugiou cast celebrates the fact-

To readers/reviewers: This was practically one of the first Yuugiou fics I've ever started, and it didn't reach a chapter two… until now! I found my inspiration for this story again! Yup… I lost the inspiration for this story and I gained it back! I suppose I should be glad since this story has a really interesting plot… or at least I think so… Oh well… you probably don't want me to ramble anymore, so here's the next chapter!

Started: Saturday, April 2, 2005
Completed: Thursday, June 23, 2005

Business Engagements
Chapter 2 – Daddy's Little Princess

Malik was silent. He couldn't stand it when Malik was silent. Well, that was because Malik was practically never silent, so the stillness worked on his nerves.

"Please don't be angry!" Ryou pleaded anxiously as Malik sat stone-still across from him.

He watched as Malik closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He watched still as Malik opened his eyes again and turned it towards him. Ryou cringed lightly, secretly awaiting for some sort of outburst. He did, in spite of the horrible feeling he had, told Malik about everything that happened just the other day. From the engagement between Bakura and Amane to the part where he was to be disguised as Amane and fulfill the engagement. The outburst that was expected and slightly prepared for, on Ryou's part, did not come.

"Malik?" Ryou asked tentatively in fear of the arrival of the anticipated anger.

Starting slowly, Malik tried to find the right words to say, "It would be wrong to blame you. I wouldn't want your mother to die and if that's the only way then so be it. I won't say that I'm not hurt by it… but… I do wish you the best of luck."

Ryou stared at Malik, eyes wide, and mouth agape. When it came down to serious issues such as this, Malik is quite understanding and that's why he loved him so much. Without much of a warning, Ryou threw himself at Malik and engulfed him in a hug.

"I'm sorry…" Ryou whispered.

"Don't worry… we'll stay friends, won't we?"

Ryou nodded, comforted by the warmth of Malik's embrace. From this point on, his life will not be his own. He'll be living a life designed for a decease sister whom he loved dearly. He knew that, during times of loneliness, when things just aren't going right, he'll wonder if he made the right decision or not. It was not too late to go back to his father and tell him that he changed his mind, but an image of his loving mother appeared in his mind. He was doing this for her… but his heart will always remain in one place and one place alone.

"No matter what happens," Ryou started out in a small breath, "you're the only one that I'll ever love, Ishtar Malik."

-------

"I think all I need to do is mess around with your hair a bit. Not a lot, just a little. Add some noticeable female aspects; change your clothes, teach you how ladies—and I do mean ladies—act, and viola! We have a female Bakura Ryou-kun, or, better known as, Bakura Amane-chan," Mazaki Anzu exclaimed with a flourish of her hand.

"Do you have to mess with my hair? I like it like this," Ryou whined, taking a few strands of his hair between his fingers.

"Well…" Anzu began, tilting her head slightly to the side to examine Ryou's hair some more. "I suppose we could let it stay like this. I just thought it was a bit too… messy to be a girl's style, but whatever rocks your boat. It won't make that much of a difference."

Ryou sighed in relief. He knew that Anzu was only trying to help, but he wanted to keep some things about him the same.

"Thanks, Anzu-chan."

She smiled brightly before turning around to search through a gigantic duffel bag that she brought along with her. He looked on as things began to fly past as Anzu dug deeper and deeper in her bag.

They were currently in Ryou's room with Anzu trying to prepare him for his task of pretending to be a female. He spun 180º in his chair and looked at his enormous room. It was rather plain, to put it candidly.

A large four-poster bed with the headboard propped against the wall stood in the middle of the room and his desk, where he's sitting at, was propped against the opposite wall with plenty of walk space in between. Bed stands stood on both sides of the bed, each holding a lamp. The bed stand on the right, though, also had a digital clock resting on it and the one on the left currently have a book with a bookmark sticking out of it. Even more to the right was the door, which was currently closed and locked. Left of the left bed stand stood a giant wardrobe made entirely out of cherry wood and even more left of that is an old-fashioned window seat that stared out onto the streets. Turning back around to face his desk, a large vanity mirror, taken from his mother, was propped up.

More things began to fly, and although some of these are most crucial, it still made Ryou squeak in discomfort all the same. A few more items like clothes and cosmetics came soaring through the air before Anzu rose and turned back to face Ryou.

"When I'm done with you," she began as she sorted out the makeup, "you'll be an incredibly beautiful 'woman.'"

"But I don't want to be a woman," Ryou muttered with a scowl.

Anzu smiled sympathetically, but didn't say anything else. Instead, she tied his hair into a ponytail so it won't get in the way when she's applying the cosmetics. Brushing back a strand of loose hair, Ryou looked up to see Anzu with a serious look on her face, and an artistic twinkle in her eye. He grimaced disdainfully as blush was applied to his cheeks, eye shadow to his eyes, and a light touch of gloss—he vehemently refused lipstick—on his lips. Anzu stood back and admired her work. A peach/pink blush to emphasize his skin's natural glow, a green hue to bring out his eyes, and, as stated earlier, gloss to assent his lips.

"Don't frown, Ryou-kun! It doesn't bode well with all my hard work! You need to smile for it to really shine through!"

Ryou sighed, and forced out a small smile.

"Better than nothing," he heard Anzu mumble to herself as she searched through the pile of female clothing she brought along.

A mutter of disparagement here, a hum of approval there as clothes were sorted out into two piles. More clothes fell into the pile where disdain was muttered before thrown, and Ryou can't help but wonder just what was wrong with those clothing.

"Alright!" Anzu exclaimed, picking up the small pile of clothes and dropping it onto Ryou's lap. "Go and change into them and we'll see whether or not they'll work."

Gathering the clothes up in his arm, and giving Anzu the darkest look he could muster (which wasn't very dark), he headed towards the door. A small clearing of the throat from Anzu caused him to turn and look at her. She wasn't looking at him, though. Not exactly. She gave him a glance before turning her gaze to some items on the bed. Ryou blushed heavily as he gave Anzu a pleading glance.

"Better now than later, right?" Anzu laughed nervously.

Ryou bit his lower lip as he hurriedly swooped up those items as well and rushed to the restroom. Ryou, unintentionally, slammed the door in his haste, and Anzu chuckled lightly after him. Flinging open the bathroom door and slamming it shut again, Ryou tries to get his flaming cheeks under control. Picking up an article of clothing, Ryou frowned at it in distaste.

"Anzu-chan," Ryou moaned to himself, "do I really have to wear women's," a gulp, "lingerie."

A heavy sigh followed as Ryou dropped everything and settled for staring at the items.

-------

Anzu, waiting patiently for Ryou to return, turned to look at herself in the mirror. Short chestnut-brown hair, azure-blue eyes, and a healthy complexion of a young woman in her early twenties. A strong, lithe body from the many practices at a dance studio in New York. Being a dancer, she now possessed a natural grace—not that she was ever clumsy to begin with. She was called back to Japan to help Ryou with his little quandary, but she was more or less, thankful for the break. To sum it up, she was a beautiful young woman with high dreams and a fiery spirit, and who was, unfortunately, still single. Love and romance just doesn't seem to be in her favor, but her prince—her real prince (she had a crush on one Motoyoshi Yami once before, but that relationship ended before it could even start)—would someday come. She's sure of it.

"But, for the moment, I shall enjoy the life of being a single woman in a world full of men."

-------

"I hate them," a seething Ryusaki Bakura growled as he flung open the door to his room with a bang.

His best friend, and partner-in-crime (more trouble than crime), Ishiyama Marik, looked up from the magazine he was reading to give a quizzical stare. "Them?"

Bakura shot him a death glare that he was pretty much used to. Being best friends has its advantages when it came to Bakura.

"Hey, you hate lots of people. Am I supposed to know which one you chose to verbally and sometimes physically attack this time?"

"My fucked-up parents said that if I want to inherit the company, I have to marry this girl. Bakura Amana, Amanu… or something!"

"Maybe they're tired of you bringing girls home and breaking up with them the next day."

"What do you know?"

"Lots more than you, obviously. Hence the reason I already own and run the family company," Marik smirked, scanning over his magazine and flipping the page.

"Then shouldn't you be at work? All I see you doing is fooling around."

Marik sighed, and shook his head in an almost pitying way, "Have you been listening to a word I said? I'm a genius, and as a genius, I have more solutions for things. Like work. For example, I run the company and get all the pretty money while all my little worker bees do all the work loyally, without hesitation, and best of all, without mistake."

"Without mistake? Tch, that's impossible. All those pathetic people can do is make mistakes!"

Marik said nothing, but only shook his head, grinned in his slightly creepy way, and continued skimming through his magazine.

-------

At the Ishiyama Corporation, Rashid is seen sitting in a room with two chairs on opposite sides of a table looking extremely, and exceedingly bored. There was a new batch of workers starting work at the Corp. and whenever new workers came, he had a job to do.

"Please sit down," Rashid muttered with a grim smile as a young man came in looking exceptionally nervous and terrified.

What is he? The 56th one today? Rashid groaned inwardly.

"Alright, this is a traditional ritual for anyone entering the company so you must do exactly as I say and I promise it wouldn't hurt you in any way."

The young man nodded, slightly suspicious. Picking up the gold pendulum from the table, Rashid began to swing it back and forth after a disgruntled sigh.

"Keep your eyes on the pendulum."

He waited until the man fell asleep while following the pendulum.

"You will serve Ishiyama Marik-sama dutifully. You will be loyal to the company. You will do your best for the company. You will make no mistakes when working in this company. You will always arrive on time. You will not socialize if it's not for company reasons or benefits. When you hear the original sound of the bell meant and played only at the Ishiyama Corporation, you will start, and when the clock strikes five you will stop and this will continue for as long as you're working for this company. On the count of three, you will wake up, and forget all that was said and or done here. One… Two… Three."

The man's eyes opened and he possessed a half-glazed, half-confused look.

"W-What happened?"

"We were having a little talk so the company can know you better. Don't you remember?"

"N-no… not really…"

"Well, it's probably the stress of actually getting a job at one of the biggest corporations in Japan. You're very lucky, you know. I'll look forward to seeing you around. Now, when you exit, will you please ask the next person to come in."

The man nodded, and walked out the door.

"Ah, hypnosis… Marik never ceases to surprise me." He took a look at the list. "Only 42 more to go…"

To be continued…

I just noticed that I haven't updated this in more than a year. –sweatdrops- I'll try to update more and more, but school is just taking up so much time. I have so many things to do, but I really will try! Especially since inspiration is practically spilling over! Well… not really… Hmm… I wonder if I can get Bakura-kun and Marik-kun to destroy my school…

- Starflower Sakura