Necropolis demon
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh so please…stop bugging me you stupid lawyers!
Necro: I couldn't think of any interesting stuff so…everything seems kind of random here. I'm terribly sorry if this chapter sucks…I've been under a lot of stress lately. I just really thought it best if Ryou had a cell phone so…here you go Ryou! Chibirose, sorry but Ryou's not going to live in the mansion…yet (The whole Ryou living at Kaiba's thing has been repeated over and over again in so many fics that sometimes it gets too familiar and it happens too soon in some fics…I want to take things a bit slow since this fic is concentrating on realism and if you've read my other fic you'll know that I don't go with anything too predictable coz I always try to look for some twist in common things that make them brand new and interesting again) I've been planning to get Ryou to move in with Kaiba but I still don't know when that's gonna happen but I will make it happen…no matter how many times this sort of 'moving thing' happens in Seto/Ryou fics it never gets tiring for me…so I am totally going to do it. (It'll probably happen around the 15th or 16th chapter if this fic is as long my other one)
Note for Shiroi no Kitsune, in the beginning parts of this fic I think I've mentioned this fic being an AU fic or 'alternate universe' fic if that's what people call it…anyway, in this fic there are no such things as shadow magic or yamis or millennium items…life is just normal so there aren't any magical stuff or yamis for that matter…but please go on with reading this fic. I know that the lack of Yamis may be a downside but this fic was meant to be a realistic sort of funny and romantic teenage thing with a dash of business stuff fic with a few twists like one of those slightly comedy soaps on TV. This fic's been doing quite well for a Seto/Ryou fic since it's got a decent amount of reviews…though it pains me to say this, I'll say it; not a lot of Seto/Ryou fics get noticed or get the appropriate amount of reviews they deserve. There are a lot of great and wonderful Seto/Ryou fics out there but some people just wont read them because of the pairing, at first they read the summary then see what pairing it is then go "oh it's a Seto/Ryou fic…nah I'll pass this one"…believe me I KNOW, sadly I used to be one of those 'people'…anyway, I sincerely hope that you'll continue reading this fic though the lack of yamis may be a downer for you.
The GameChapter 9 Dilemma
A stylish limo parked at the front entrance of the mall, dropping off its passengers and quickly taking off. Kaiba had instructed the driver to fetch them later when he'd call, Ryou didn't know why he was brought to the mall since Mokuba refused to tell him. The three of them entered the building, no doubt gaining a few stares from people primarily because of the fancy limo that dropped them off.
Kaiba, Mokuba and Ryou made their way to the third floor where all sorts of gadgets and stuff were at, just as they were passing through a section with cool Ipods Mokuba tugged on Kaiba's sleeve, "Big brother, can I go look at some Ipods over there?" the black haired boy asked, cutely asking permission from his older sibling.
"Very well, just make sure you're still visible from my view." The older of the two siblings replied as his little brother bounced off to the MP3 players and Ipod section.
Once Mokuba was away Ryou spoke up, "Um, what are we doing here at the mall Kaiba? Don't you have any work to deal with?" the pale teen asked politely, receiving no reply from his classmate.
Abruptly, the brunette walked over to another gadget shop with Ryou trying his best to keep up with his classmate's long strides. Kaiba looked like…he was avoiding someone with the way he was hurrying to wherever he was headed for, the CEO didn't even look back to make sure that his classmate was still trailing behind him. Finally, the teen entered a shop with all sorts of digital cameras, MP3 players, Ipods, Video cameras and other cool gadgets; the brunette seemed quite at home with all that technology and it seemed that the saleslady who was looking after the shop was very familiar with him.
No one else was inside the shop except for the two teens simply dressed in their blue school uniforms and the saleslady, it took a few moments for the saleslady to notice her two customers so Kaiba drew her attention, "Excuse me." He spoke up in his usual mature and professional way.
The lady turned and immediately straightened up her posture, "Mr. Kaiba!" she suddenly exclaimed, slightly hesitant under the presence of someone like the CEO, "W-welcome to-"
"Let me see your different cell phone models." The brunette quickly interrupted, brushing off the lady's friendly greeting.
"Y-yes of course." With that she gestured for her high-positioned customer to follow, "These are our new releases Mr. Kaiba." She said rather softly, stiffly pointing out the different cell phone models.
While Kaiba was busy looking over all sorts of different cell phone models Ryou was too engaged with gazing at all the different digital cameras on display, the pale teen didn't even notice that he was straying away from Kaiba's side not until Kaiba called for him, "Ryou." The CEO called.
"Coming." With that, Ryou sauntered towards his classmate's side obediently. The pale teen found his classmate signing a few papers and fiddling with a brand new cell phone, without another word Kaiba handed the papers to the saleslady in an offhanded manner then abruptly handed Ryou the cell phone he was fiddling with.
"W-what's this?" the whiter blond teen asked softly, looking down at the brand new cell phone Kaiba handed to him; the cell phone was colored white and was the newest model of its kind, it was one of those latest and hottest not to mention expensive cell phones with video and voice recording, a camera, infrared and all sorts of new features. The white blond looked up at his classmate with a rather baffled expression, "What-"
Kaiba immediately cut off his classmate, "You don't have a cell phone correct?" he asked bluntly, the shy teen nodded in agreement, "You need a cell phone now that the media's out to get you, am I right?" again, Ryou nodded obediently, "So I'm buying you one, understood?" this time his pale classmate slowly shook his head no.
"Kaiba, I-I can't accept this." The white blond blushed and looked at the fancy cell phone in his hands, "b-besides, it's so expensive, you don't really have to give this to me…I-I can manage." Ryou humbly declined his classmate's gift and tried to return it to Kaiba.
"Just keep it." Kaiba said with a voice of finality.
"But-"
"You'll need it and besides I have to keep in contact with you at all times because of the situation we're in."
"Do I have to stay connected to you at ALL times?" the white blond whined a bit.
"It's crucial so I can make sure the press wont bother you much or start making false rumors incase you give a certain comment that they could twist." Kaiba retorted smartly, blocking off any more reasons for Ryou to use against him.
The CEO was right though; what if Ryou made a certain comment and the media would somehow alter it to use against Kaiba? But still…the pale teen couldn't accept such a pricey gift no matter what the reason was so he continued to argue, "You didn't have to get the newest model you know."
A short pause as if in thought…"Well I wanted to." The CEO replied flatly, just when Ryou was about to argue again he spoke, "I'll pay the bills and you can use that as much as you want to call your friends or whatever for all I care." He added.
"But-"
"No 'buts' Ryou." The CEO said sternly, "You're keeping that with you at all times, no loopholes, no excuses, no nothing, end of discussion."
With an exasperated sigh being the sign his defeat, Ryou agreed and nodded reluctantly, "Ok…" he spoke, "Um…thank you very much Kaiba." He thanked, bowing his head and politely smiling in appreciation at the CEO with a slight blush tainting his usually pale cheeks.
"My cell phone is on speed dial one, my office phone is on two and the mansion is on three." The brunette started, "I'll be the one to warn you about the media since you don't have any connections so there's no need for you to call anyone for media-related info, I'll do it for you."
"Um…thank you Kaiba…for all this help." Ryou blushed with his eyes on the floor. "You've already done so much…I-I don't know how I could ever repay you." he smiled sweetly at his taller classmate before blushing then looking back down at the floor.
The brunette eyed his flustering classmate who was now fidgeting uncomfortably, waiting for Kaiba to respond, "…I'm only doing this for my own benefit…not for you." The CEO replied with an icy tone, letting the pale teen know that everything he had done for Ryou was merely because he was helping himself.
Ryou looked a bit surprised at his classmate's cold reaction but smiled anyway, "well…even so, I thank you." he responded innocently, still smiling sweetly at the brunette.
Kaiba looked a bit taken back at the pale teen's reaction for he had expected his classmate's expression to sadden at his cruel self-benefiting words…without another word the taller teen took the cell phone's box and shoved it at Ryou who awkwardly received it with both hands. The two teens exited the gadget shop with Kaiba leading and Ryou trailing behind his classmate, immediately heading for the Ipod section to fetch Mokuba.
"Big brother, can we go play at the arcade for a while?" Mokuba asked, cutely begging for permission from his older sibling.
"Not now Mokuba, maybe next time." The brunette replied, receiving a disappointed whine from Mokuba, "It's a school day so why don't you and Ryou just play at the mansion." He added.
"Very well." The black haired boy agreed reluctantly. It didn't take long for the chauffeur to pick them up, the limo dropped Mokuba and Ryou off at the Kaiba mansion while Kaiba was changing into his usual white trench coat. Shortly after Kaiba had changed, the brunette immediately headed to the KaibaCorp building in a rush since he had a meeting with a Korean representative.
The meeting was…to put it simply, dull. It was boring and dull…Kaiba often found himself staring blankly at some papers on the table while the others who took up the remainder of the free space on the long and spacious table continued to talk enthusiastically to the Korean representative…he didn't even bother to listen to what they were discussing about…he just…sat there blankly.
Why was he getting so close to the pale teen? Why did he buy the teen a newly released cell phone? For some reason Kaiba had this urge to give the pale teen the best gadgets money could buy, was he showing off to the pale teen? …He could've just bought Ryou a cheaper cell phone so why did he have to buy one that was really expensive? Why did he punch that guy at the yacht? He could've simply ordered security to haul the guy away…maybe throw the guy overboard for punching him at the face…yet, the brunette still chose to hit the man…Why are there so many emotions in him battling against his common sense making him break down and sink into a sea of depression for every single second he tries to ignore those feelings…
For one there was hate…hate for the man who hit him and skeptically hate for himself for hitting the man…but not because of the man's assault on him but…because of what the man did to Ryou. Then there was that fluttering feeling in his heart that felt like it was enveloping everything else…he felt this when he saw that pale classmate of his smiling appreciatively at him…and then there was confusion, unmistakable confusion!
Why was he so confused? Hell why was he feeling so much emotion? All of this has been floating around in Kaiba's mind…scaring him…driving him insane! He had carelessly chosen to do certain things that led to consequences…such as the growing rumors about him and Ryou, it really did seem odd for the great Seto Kaiba to act so…NOT Seto Kaiba.
That photo of him hugging Ryou…what possessed Kaiba to do that?
…And that accidental kiss they shared…Ryou was sleeping soundly as the brunette accidentally kissed his classmate…it was weird, the feeling that started surfacing even more after that single kiss. It wasn't much, just a brush of the lips…his classmate wasn't even conscious so you can't really say that the kiss was out of love for one another.
Love…how'd that word get mixed into that recent thought? All this was supposed to be a little bit of teenage crushing not…love, not that four letter word that makes Kaiba wince at the very sound of it being used to describe his feelings towards Ryou…
Oh Ra…since when did he really start turning gay huh? Since when did this obsession with a fellow boy lead Kaiba; Mr. Rich, Pretty-boy and Famous CEO into being a gay person…was he really that lost already? Had his emotions already taken over his sense of logic? What happened to the heartless bastard known as Kaiba? Why this? Why that? Why everything!
Why? Why? Why? "Why?" the brunette spoke unconsciously.
"Excuse me Mr. Kaiba?" a man who was discussing something a while ago questioned, wondering as to why Kaiba suddenly spoke up, "are you against this idea?" he asked.
The CEO quickly pulled himself together and stopped his deep thinking, "Where were we again?" he asked in monotone, straightening up his position on the comfortable chair he was sitting on.
"Is there something wrong Mr. Kaiba? You seem a little…unfocused today." One of the other board members asked the CEO, noticing how Kaiba seemed to space out during their meeting.
"I'm fine." The CEO growled back.
"A-are you sure Mr. Kaiba?" Kaiba's female secretary inquired hesitantly.
Sighing exasperatedly the teenage CEO sat up straight and eyed the inhabitants of the room, "No, I am not all right." He said in a frustrated tone, "I've been dealing with gossip issues and reporters since the yacht incident reported on the news, do you think I'm quite all right?" he asked sarcastically. The other inhabitants of the room frantically shook their heads no in fear of getting Kaiba into one of his firing moods.
"Mr. Kaiba…today doesn't seem to be a good time for us to have this discussion for you seem distracted." The Korean representative in his forty's with short black hair and clad in a gray business suit spoke warmly, "I think it would be best if we continue this next week when you're feeling much better." He added nicely with a warm smile.
"Yes, I suppose so." The brunette replied a bit reluctantly, standing up to shake hands with the Korean, "I apologize for…wasting your time Mr. Jung, I assure you that next week I will be in a better condition for a meeting." He promised.
And so they rescheduled their meeting for the second time, lucky for Kaiba Mr. Jung was a very nice fellow like one of those kind-hearted father figures who was nice enough to excuse the troubled brunette. The Korean understood how stressed Kaiba was with the responsibilities for the KaibaCorp contest, schoolwork and the rumors.
A paper…papers…so many papers! All that work was driving Kaiba insane! He was quite thankful that his meeting with Mr. Jung was rescheduled since he had a lot of catching up to do which landed him back into his vast and lonely office…and then there was that thing about Ryou…
What was he going to do with all those reporters? Rumors have indeed been flying and that really wouldn't look too good for KaibaCorp…imagine a report saying something about a contestant of a prestigious contest getting some inside help from none other than the host of the contest itself! People always assumed that Kaiba was one who wouldn't tolerate incompetence…someone who always maintained a straight face and one who doesn't let anyone get to him but…
Everyone one was quite surprised to find the brunette so…supportive towards a newbie contestant…it was strange that a teen who has only been seen competing at Battle City suddenly popped into the scene, bearing the honor of having an A-ranking game entry…as if a total blunderer suddenly became an expert. False rumors about Kaiba helping Ryou were spreading quickly…and then there was that fistfight Kaiba had. Seto Kaiba would never have acted that way…he'd be pissed and would have probably called security or something but for some reason the brunette didn't, instead he punched the guy! Reporters were thinking that Kaiba must've had a deep connection with Ryou since the Kaiba everyone knew would never stand up for anyone other than his brother or take things so drastically…perhaps the two teens had a secret relationship…perhaps that of close friends or…lovers?
He really couldn't believe the rumors and gossip that surrounded him and his pale classmate, from bribery between participant and host to…a certain 'relationship' between the two…then a small issue that hasn't spread so much about Kaiba being gay and hitting on the pale contestant…Agh! If the media got hold of that small bit of information about Kaiba accidentally kissing his pale classmate…oh how was Kaiba going to correct all this madness?
Scowling in frustration the brunette sat back on his comfy office chair, resting his legs on the office table while trying to formulate a possible solution for his dilemma. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, listening to the tranquil atmosphere that filled the spacious room.
Once in a while he'd turn back to his work and start checking out different files and then later on he'd take a few minutes to rest and think about his problems.
After a few minutes of thinking Kaiba found a possible solution for his problems…all he'd need to do was spread a few of his own rumors here and there plus make a few arrangements and a press conference for the media then everything would work out for him…though there was one more thing he needed for his plan which was…Ryou's approval.
Necro: Ok…done! Stupid writer's block!
I just want to take this moment to tell all those reviewers of Destined Duel and The Game that I'm really happy and thankful for the fact that I was welcomed warmly by everyone here when I first started posting Destined Duel…I've always had certain…issues when it comes to people and how they treat me and my work. At first I thought that you guys wouldn't like my writing style which is as you've noticed a mix of indirect author's thoughts that focus on different characters at a time…I'm truly happy for having such nice people as my reviewers and…friends. /bows like a Japanese/
Note: I decided to put a bit of Kaiba's self musings in the end part of this chapter so I could get in depth with his character more…I seem to be slipping up on his character a bit whenever I'm dreaming up a scene in my head… /remembers one scene imagined from the other day wherein I made Kaiba smile too much/ Oh…scary, scary smile… /shivers/
We're friends right/everyone nods enthusiastically like kindergarteners/ and what do friends do for other friends/cricket sounds/ they review the fics of their other friends people/everyone goes 'oh I see' and 'Ah now I get it' and they start nodding and clicking the review button/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT DESTINED DUEL OK? PALS/Everyone nods and grins like five year olds/
NOT MUCH OF AN EMERGENCY QUESTION: Ok people, this isn't such an emergency but I just wanted to ask you guys if any of you knows what Ryou's father's name was and what he looks like. What was his hair color, length of hair, eye color, skin tone, voice, characteristics…just the basics coz I'm thinking of making a small scene with Ryou's dad in it…but I'm not sure if that'll happen and if it does I don't know which chap it'll be in…please answer, I might be able to use that info as a source of inspiration or something.