Eliteshipping (Bandit Keith Howard/Kaiba Seto)

. . .

Seto had never been good at the businessman smile, and when he did manage to force it out, he felt like he was puking in his mouth. He wasn't even sure he wanted to trywhen it came to this man. Who let someone like him into an event like this?

It was the first big business party for people in the Duel Monsters industry. The game had become so rapidly popular, partially due to Kaiba Corporation's own contributions, that it was already making its own corner of the market. Big business was dying to get its hand on a piece of the pie, so Pegasus, in his eccentric wisdom or something like that, had decided to host an event to show off his pride and joy and see what other investors he could get in. Kaiba was here because he was already officially partnered with Industrial Illusions, and he mostly wanted to make sure that no other companies overstepped the boundaries that he had already set. This was histerritory now, and it irked him to watch everyone flock to the bandwagon after he had been told a thousand times by his own investors and staff that his switching of the company product was going to destroy the economy. Now that he had succeeded, of course, there was nothing but praise and adulation as people tried to get something out of his pockets. Ridiculous. He hated every bit of it.

Seto wondered if his smile looked as vacant as he thought he did because the only way he was going to put up with Keith Howard's drunk ass without suplexing him was by pretending that he was somewhere else entirely.

"But what I'm saying," the American man slurred at him in English over the top of his glass—which he had already refilled more times than Seto could count. "Is that—hic—your game is fucking great, but you're thinking—hic—too small."

He had already said the same thing more than once, and Seto wondered when it would be possible for him to extract himself from the American champion's company. How hadthis sloppy bastard managed to become the champion of America, the home of Duel Monsters? Seto legitimately suspected cheating. Who had even let this unshaven mess near a legitimate tournament?

"So you've already said more than once," Seto said with his blank, vacant smile. He really wanted to just rip into this guy. He kept trying to subtly suggest that Seto should be using his holographic technology for military purposes—subtly meaning that he kept saying it, out loud, over his cup, thinking that he was whispering.

Seto had already decided that his technology would never go anywhere near war.

But this was his first public appearance since he had become the success that he had, and to completely brush off Keith in the middle of a large party full of potential business partners wasn't going to help him. God, if only he could learn not to give a shit. He felt like he was reaching that point very, very swiftly. No more stupid, choking tuxedos or pretending to play nice with people he hated—that would be a breath of fresh air.

Keith stumbled a bit on his feet, his beer almost sloshing against Seto's shirt front. He was quick enough to avoid it, though—and he was done, here. Forget it, he was going to learn not to give a shit right here.

"Are you even listenin' to me?" the man slurred. "Do you speak English? Can't remember."

"Actually, I'm really busy tonight," he said in perfect English, letting his smile fade and his voice go cold. "So if you could take your sloshed ass out of my sight for the rest of forever, that would be appreciated."

He shoved his own untouched drink into Keith's other hand, making the man stumble and actually spill on himself. Ahh. Sweet justice.

It was a freeing feeling as he turned and walked away, loosening his horrible tie. He was never going to wear one of these ever again, he thought.

. . .

A/N: I? Don't? Know? Next is Eldritchshipping (Zorc x Horahkty).