Miss Independent
Author: Chaos Valkyrie
First Conceptualized: March 25, 2006
Posted One Shot: May 12, 2006
Revisions Posted: August 1, 2006
Disclaimer: I am a woman, therefore I'm not Takahashi-sama, and therefore all the money I've spent on my cards is not coming back to me. Darn it.
Author's Note: Written for the 1sentence LJ Challenge, set Alpha. 50 sentence drabbles about Mai Valentine! I was inspired by each theme, but note that I rarely ever use the theme word in the sentence. If you don't understand how I've used the theme for the sentence, just comment and I'll explain. If you know Yu-Gi-Oh, this ranges mostly over Duelist Kingdom and Battle City, because I haven't gotten to watch anything beyond Battle City yet because of work.
Speak.
She sighs with longing, waiting for someone to see past the façade and listen to her words, not just watch her mouth and cleavage and fantasize.
Touch.
Her hands smooth themselves over the cards, and she wishes that life was filled with more of these simple pleasures.
Memory.
She screams in abstracted horror as she loses another monster to Marik and another person standing on the sidelines fades from her sight.
Vanilla.
Harpie Lady will always be vanilla in her mind – her favorite scent for her favorite card.
Chocolate.
On the other hand, Harpie's Pet Dragon was chocolate: dark and forbidden.
Ways and Means.
She'll be the best, she'll win her dreams for herself, no matter what it takes, and hopes she'll find happiness on the way.
Belief.
Admiring Yugi, she starts to wonder if one day too she can hold her faith in her hand like that.
Linger.
A face framed by shaggy blond hair lingers at the forefront of her mind, but she's not sure who he is or why he's important to her.
Illuminance.
When Joey told her what he was dueling for, she began to doubt the path she had chosen.
Ornament.
A pretty little statue to adorn his arm, another trophy for the case; that was all that actor wanted.
Coup de foudre.
It's what she liked best about the Yugi-tachi: being with them was always an adventure.
Archway.
One of four finalists standing outside Pegasus' arena, her heart pounded on the threshold of greatness.
Fate.
Their lives were all bound together, a story being repeated throughout history, while she was merely a member of the supporting cast, watching from the fringe and wishing for her time in the spotlight.
Pulse.
Her heart beat frantically in her chest as she watched her virtual body begin to vaporize after the Five God Dragon's attack.
Envelope.
Her heart soared with elation when she saw "Industrial Illusions" as the sender of the invitation.
Cold.
Her skin prickles as she stands on the upper deck of the blimp, but she ignores it as one more weakness to hide from the world.
Need.
"No, I don't need friends, I don't need anyone," she fools herself.
Drunk.
She looks at Keith and is happy that at least she is not that far gone.
Mask.
Foundation, concealer, powder, mascara, eye shadow, lip liner, gloss, perfume; a few hours and careful tweaks later, and she's ready to go out.
Rose.
They all act like a dozen measly flowers will get them into her bed, but none of them ever realize that irises are really her favorite.
Two.
One is the loneliest number… but she's never had the chance to know whether two was worse or not.
Fresh.
Perhaps that's why she didn't care for Téa at first – she was innocent, soft, all the things Mai was before time and circumstance forged her into something wiser and harder.
Bribe.
A little flash of cleavage and a sly wink never hurt anyone…
Error.
Perhaps they weren't friends, perhaps she was wrong, and Joey had really only seen themselves as friendly rivals all this time.
Appetite.
So she told him what she dueled for, and even if it's for money and the thrills it brings, her answer only proves that she's honest with herself.
Refrain.
This friendship rant grows older every time she hears it… older, and yet somehow more endearing too.
Family.
She was envious of the others and the bond they shared, for she had walked alone for too long to remember what 'family' felt like.
Grieve.
Mai watched through pain-slitted eyes as Joey signaled his dragon to attack her fantastically aged Harpies, mourning the loss of both beauty and herself.
Vapor.
Closing her eyes, the mixture of scents separates and a smirk appears as she names her next card.
Tea.
Sitting in a café, she takes a long sip and eyes her next prey through the window as he duels outside.
Medicine.
She lashes out at him, blaming him for his ninja's butterfingers, stabbing him justifiably with his Just Desserts.
Moth.
The independent part of her continues to rebel against joining the group that flutters about Yugi's flame and ignores the fire burning within themselves.
Perfect.
Hold your head high and keep believing you'll be the best, that was her motto.
Rope.
She's not sure how she got tied to this rag-tag group of duelists and cheerleaders, but for some reason she looks forward to the next time Fate pushes her into them.
Wind.
It was no more than a virtual illusion, yet Mai closed her eyes and savoured the feel of the breeze created by her Harpies' wings.
Crossroads.
Their paths had separated again, long before she met Valon, for she could not drive the terror from her heart.
Summer.
Perhaps she enjoys their friendship banter for the simple reason that its tacky-yet-sweet warmth seems to have banished the eternal winter that was once her heart.
Candy.
Aromatactics may be a dirty tactic, but it made dueling newbies a piece of cake.
Photograph.
Expensive artwork hangs in her apartment, but the only thing she ever notices is a four by six inch snapshot of her would-be friends.
Spoon.
Her spoon clashed against the plastic eyeball floating in her soup, and suddenly she lost any desire to finish her dinner.
Forest.
She was terrified of blending in, that no one will see her for the mass of other duelists.
Mirror.
In a fit of rage, she broke every mirror she owned, then wept for her loss amongst the shards and resolved to be stronger.
Smoke.
Mai gasped, utterly afraid, as the creatures hidden within the darkness sent one final attack at her Harpies and destroyed her chances in the tournament.
Shine.
Ra bursts out of the gloom above her side of the field, and she's momentarily stunned by his light.
Balloon.
Just because she's blond doesn't mean she's stupid, bubble-headed, or an amateur.
Vine.
She reminds herself that all vines, no matter how convoluted or tangled their branches become, join together from one sturdy, simple base… much like their friendship.
Butterfly.
She watched it flutter sadly – it too was loved when it was pretty, but hated as a caterpillar.
Gloves.
She knows it's her poker tell, but her fingers twitchily readjust her gloves as she ponders her next move.
Venom.
Poison laces her voice when she tells him, "I don't need your support, Joseph."
Remain.
Joey, Yugi, Seto, Marik; they may hand her endless defeats, but she is determined to regroup, to continue, and to still become the best.
End Notes: With this one, I posted another for Ritsu Sohma of Fruits Basket. I plan to go claim two more characters, as I'm using this to explore secondary characters who are kind of understudied and/or underappreciated.