Those of you who have read "Cemetery Dance" should recognize the character I'm going to be introducing in this chapter. Now, this section of the story is still in the past. That is to say, it's an extension of the flashback that took place in the "Shot in the Dark" storyline. Thus, it would be perfectly logical for you to wonder where this person was during the early chapters of the story.
I don't have an answer for that, except to say that I hadn't invented her yet. She was originally created for Dance, and this story had been around for quite a while when I started that project.
So, until/unless I go back and revise the entire "Good Intentions" series, I humbly request that you allow me to keep the earlier chapters the way they are. We'll just ignore the inconsistency, shall we?
With this chapter, my manuscript (that is, the core story, minus notes) has now reached 100,000 words, and is my second-longest story to date. I had no idea that this project would become so huge, or that it would become so important to me. But that's how these things usually go.
I hope that you enjoy this installment.
1.
It was Seto's general policy to look at what was needed, and get it; he thought about how to integrate the solution to a problem once he had the resources. Once he realized that Mokuba was having serious trouble acclimating to his new environment at East Rivers Middle—a private school, but still entirely too public for the boy's tastes at this point—Seto knew that he had to do something; for a while, he simply wasn't sure what.
Realizing that he, personally, could no longer do what was required to keep his brother grounded and able to function at his best was a difficult pill to swallow, but Seto had grown since his teenage years; he was now able to accept unfortunate truths. Instead of dwelling on what he considered a grievous failure—which he could have done, quite easily—Seto decided to accept the idea as a basis and move forward with it.
Mokuba needs help, he told himself, and if I can't provide it myself, then I need to find someone who can. That's my job.
Roland seemed stuck on the idea that therapy was the best option.
Plenty of others, those few whose opinion he had sought, took a more psychiatric approach to the question, but the collective suggestion was much like Roland's: he needed professional help.
But Seto knew that wasn't an option. He knew that Mokuba was probably expecting that, and would resist it. It sometimes pained Seto to think that Mokuba thought so much of his big brother that he would lie—straight-faced to a professional whose only job was to help him heal—just to keep Seto out of potentially hot water; and he would do it without thinking. He would do it without any sense of guilt or doubt.
That was unacceptable.
Eventually, Seto arrived at the place he least expected, but once he was there…it made sense.
To be true, Kristine was surprised to see Seto again so soon. He didn't make a habit of visiting the orphanage he'd renovated; even though it had a new face and a fresh coat of paint, even though it was an entirely rebuilt complex, there were too many bitter memories here. Nonetheless, Seto arrived at the Domino Children's Home on his lunch break, and found himself asking a question of Kristine Hathaway that felt so thoroughly awkward that it was…thick. She gave him an odd look, somehow knowing something important was going on, and waited patiently for him to speak.
"…I have a question to ask you," Seto said, "and I want you to think very hard before you answer. When you have…problem children. Ones who refuse to adhere to authority, who bristle at the slightest perceived threat…who are traumatized."
Kristine didn't say, Like you, but the words were stamped onto her eyes.
"And when you are at your wit's end with them, and they refuse to listen…to whom do you turn? Who is the last resort? In short…out of every social worker you have in your employ…which would you trust with your own child?"
Kristine's expression had changed partway through, and Seto knew that she understood what he was asking. She said, "This is about your brother." A nod that was almost a spasm was his answer. Then, Kristine's entire face brightened, and she grinned. "I don't have to think. I know exactly who you're looking for. Come with me."
She led him into the building, down the halls, around a corner and into a private study chamber. While Seto stood off to the side, bending all his willpower on not fidgeting, Kristine tucked her head into the room. "Pardon," she said softly, "but as soon as you hit a breaking point, could I speak with you?"
A while later, far too long for Seto's tastes—though he held his tongue and berated himself for being so damned jumpy lately—the door opened and a young woman stepped out.
For a moment, Seto thought stupidly that he was looking at…
But no.
No, that was idiotic.
She was slim, of average height, dressed in pale blue jeans and a button-down shirt; her straight, waist-length hair was a brown so dark that it was almost black; her green eyes were sharp and inquisitive. "Yes?" she asked, turning to regard Kristine, and her voice was light, and casual, yet with a certain…edge.
"Yoshi," Kristine said, and thanks to his profession and his brother's influence, some part of Seto's mind cried out that she didn't look anything like a green dinosaur, "I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Mister Kaiba."
The woman called Yoshi turned to look at Seto, and her eyes went wide as dinner-plates. "Oh!" And, absurdly, she bowed. "I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't recognize you. Good afternoon. How may I help you?"
She knew his reputation, but not his face.
Seto found he liked that.
"You may or may not have been made aware of a recent conflict," he did not hesitate on using this word, but couldn't keep the twitch of irritation from his face, "between myself, my brother, and one Siegfried von Schroeder."
Yoshi licked her bottom lip nervously, but kept her eyes trained on Seto's. "I believe so, yes. It was…five, six months ago, wasn't it?"
"Give or take," Seto said dismissively. "Since then, my brother has been studying from home. However, recently we've agreed that it would be better for him to go back to school."
"We?" Yoshi repeated.
"My brother and I. He's been having difficulty adapting to his return to the public eye, however, and his grades have suffered because of it." He could already sense the skepticism from Yoshi and added, "By his estimation, not mine. He says that the work is frustrating, and he doesn't know how to do it half the time, and that…ah…'the after-school tutors they're parading around are too stupid to light a fire with a match powered by thought.'"
Yoshi chuckled. "Charming."
"If the only issue were finding a private tutor for him," Seto said, "I wouldn't be bothering you. I believe that the problem…runs deeper than that. I have asked Kristine who she would recommend for a case similar to this one, and she has brought me here to you. So, I've a proposition for you: a position on my in-house staff. I would ask that you simply do what you believe to be necessary to…help him. Understand that he does not trust 'professionals,' and will fight tooth and nail were I to subject him to therapy." Thankfully, this was true; though it felt like a lie. "I do not believe this to be conducive to recovery. I would like to opt for a subtler approach."
Yoshi seemed intrigued. Her stance turned easy, and she frowned curiously at him. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were fishing for a babysitter, sir. Are there not members of your in-house staff already who would be…better suited to helping him?"
The nervousness had left her. She was cool and confident.
"None with an understanding in childhood development or psychology. They treat him the same way they treat me. Normally, this is not an issue. Recently, it seems to offend him."
"So that we're clear, you're asking me to commit to this full-time. To quit my job here."
"Not at all," Seto said, reading the apprehension on her face and finding it a good thing. "He comes home at two-thirty in the afternoon. I would need you to be on hand at that time."
"How long would you need me to…help him each day?"
"Until I come home, likely as not. Which tends to be five-thirty or six in the evening, depending on the season."
Yoshi mulled this over. "So, you're looking for someone trained enough to know the signs, and work with him, without the threat of an office and a long couch. You want someone to look after him who knows what to look for. A babysitter with credentials, effectively."
"I would not say no to someone versed enough in helping him with his homework, if the need were to arise. Understand that he is fully capable of looking after himself in a general sense, and does not require constant supervision. I would only ask that you do what you deem to be necessary to keep him on the right path to recovery."
Yoshi was grinning. Seto smirked.
"Now, Seto-sama," Kristine cut in, and both looked at her, "I do hope you're not asking her to work for free."
Seto blinked, then laughed. "Absolutely not. I'd like to know whether you would be interested in assisting me, before we begin the discussion of pay."
Yoshi seemed to be sizing him up. She glanced at Kristine.
"I have a series of questions for you, sir, and I hope that you will not take offense to them."
"Ask."
"Are you trained in childhood development and psychology?"
"I am."
"How often do you take vacations?"
"I don't, unless the need is particularly pressing."
"Would it be possible for you to work from home?"
"Yes."
"So, what keeps you from staying at hand for your brother, and working while he is at school?"
Kristine frowned.
Seto's smirk widened. "The knowledge that doing so would do more harm than good. The only reason he has made the effort to return to school is because I have returned to work. He knows full well that my place is with Kaiba-Corp, and that I prefer working with my employees directly at hand. Were I to make this alteration to my schedule permanently, there is no reason I could give him that would prevent him from blaming himself. He would consider himself a burden upon me, which I cannot condone."
Yoshi considered this for a long, long moment.
Then she smiled. "I'll help you."
"Am I correct in assuming that Yoshi is a nickname?" Seto asked, as he shook the woman's hand.
"It is. My name is Akiko. Akiko Yoshimi. A pleasure to meet you, sir."
"Seto Kaiba. Likewise."
2.
"Are you going to tell him about Mister Crawford?"
Daniel Elliot was not what you would call a timid person; nonetheless, as he watched the man responsible for the sudden upswing in his career striding across the parking lot, he looked ready to bolt. He clearly did not want to see what would happen, if indeed it was Kristine's intention to tell Seto about the recent reappearance of his former enemy.
"Not unless it becomes absolutely necessary," Kristine replied. "He has enough on his mind right now. I don't intend to muck up the works if it won't directly influence something important. Right now, it seems harmless. Crawford didn't seem interested in his usual games. He seemed…legitimately happy to be here."
Daniel crossed his arms. "The man is a master manipulator. You've seen the news, same as I have. The interviews, the articles. I feel like if we don't tell Seto now, he'll find out. And he'll wonder why we didn't."
"And I will answer him." Kristine turned away as Seto's Veyron pulled out onto the street, and walked back toward the courtyard. Daniel fell into step beside her. "If I tell him Pegasus Crawford has resurfaced, he'll get antsy. He'll get worse than usual. Mokuba will notice, and he'll ask what's wrong. Seto will tell him, and all those bad memories will surface for both of them. They don't need that."
"So, what should we do in the meantime?"
Kristine thought for a moment. Then she said, "Call Mister Ackerman. He's the head of Seto's security team. He'll know how to handle things."
Daniel rubbed his chin. "Okay. That seems reasonable."
They both watched as Yoshi stepped up to them. She said, "I'd like to speak with you, if I could. About my new…arrangement."
"Yes?" Kristine gestured for her to walk with them.
"I know you speak highly of him, of both the Kaibas," Yoshi began, eyes flitting from Kristine to Daniel and back to Kristine; she seemed nervous again. "And I've lived in Domino long enough to know…well, there's only one answer when Seto Kaiba offers you a job. But…what, exactly, am I getting into?"
Kristine chuckled, but there was little humor in it. "That's a…broad question."
"I'll say it is," Daniel agreed. "You have to be careful with that man. Even when he was little, it was way too easy to get lost trying to figure out what went on in that machine that serves him for a brain. When he first arrived here, back in '99, he was the oldest twelve-year-old I'd ever met."
"You hear a lot of horror stories," Kristine added, "but the important thing to remember is that a lot of them are…exaggerated. He's become an icon, and icons attract urban legends."
"And that…incident he talked about. Story is, he killed the man involved. Is that an urban legend?"
"No."
"What about the one about gambling on top of a glass building rigged with plastic explosives set to explode if he lost?"
"No. That happened."
"Threatening suicide to force an opponent to forfeit a game, in a tournament he wasn't invited to?"
"No."
Yoshi's face was dark. "Uh-huh."
"You're missing a certain aspect of each of those stories," Daniel said, "and the reason for that is…well, Seto's better at handling the press than people might think. The tournament he wasn't invited to attend was held by Pegasus Crawford. Who, at the time, was holding Mokuba hostage, and refused to let him go unless Seto beat him at Magic & Wizards. In order to do that, he had to win the privilege."
Yoshi's expression darkened. "So…he threatened suicide to…ensure he would be able to face this man? Because otherwise…"
"I shudder to think what that man might have done to Mokuba if Seto-sama hadn't done what he did," Kristine said.
"And as for the plastic explosives incident…again, Seto's hand was forced."
"By someone threatening Mokuba-kun."
"You guessed it. And as to the man he killed…third time's the charm. This time, Seto'd had enough, I think. He was done playing softball."
Yoshi frowned and looked off to the side, clearly troubled. "Small wonder the poor boy's in bad shape. How old is he?"
"Ten, going on eleven," Kristine said. "When he was taken in by Crawford, he was seven."
"Seto doesn't just rampantly murder, or risk his life frivolously," Daniel added. They seemed to be tag-teaming their colleague. "The word 'frivolous' has never been in that man's vocabulary. Everything he does has a very…calculated reason. Even if it seems insane to the rest of us."
Yoshi raised an eyebrow. "This sounds like a dangerous assignment."
"It probably will be," Daniel said, "but then…that's probably one reason he's so tight with security. And why he pays so well." He grinned, conspiratorially. "He's asked you to help him look after his brother. I don't think you understand just what that means yet, but you will."
"…What are you getting at?"
Kristine's grin matched Daniel's. "The richest man in the hemisphere is asking you to help him with something he hasn't ever trusted anyone else but himself to do. Not his father, not me, not Daniel, not even his best friend. We're not talking about some part-time summer job that will pay for a new stereo. You're about to launch your career."
3.
Both Seto Kaiba and Roland Ackerman were standing by for the first meeting between Akiko and her new charge. She tried not to act as nervous as she felt, once again wondering how she'd gotten into this situation so quickly, and what is it she really intended to do. Sure, she was good with kids; at least, that's what she thought. But now she was faced with helping a kid with what bordered dangerously on PTSD.
She drew in a deep breath and knocked on the younger Kaiba's door.
A few seconds later, a soft voice called out, "Yes?"
"Hi," she said, putting on her best conversational tone. "I'm Kiko. Seto-sama just hired me onto the house staff. He said that I should introduce myself."
She heard a chair squeak, miscellaneous rustling, and then the door opened. Having lived in Domino City for a period longer than a week, Akiko had of course seen the young vice-president of the Kaiba Corporation. He'd become a media sensation not unlike his brother. On television, he always had a wide grin on his face; he was one of the most photogenic children she had ever seen, and obviously Seto had taught him how to make use of each and every second of public exposure he'd ever had. He never failed to make an impression.
Seeing him here, in his own home, on the threshold of his private sanctuary, Akiko finally understood why she had been called in. Oh, sure, he was smiling. He looked gracious enough. As he looked up at her with a neutrally pleasant expression, she thought that it should have been normal. There was nothing out of place here.
But just the same, she knew she didn't believe that. She saw the worry, the apprehension, the anger hidden behind that slight little smile.
"Hi," he offered.
She glanced cursorily into the room, which was as organized as any young boy's ought to be…which was to say, it wasn't. A multitude of windows were open on his computer screen, and there was a wireless headset sitting next to his keyboard.
"Oh," Akiko said, "I'm sorry. Were you working on something? I didn't mean to interrupt you."
Mokuba glanced over his shoulder. "No, it's…okay. So, you just started?"
Akiko nodded. "That's right. My first day."
"What will you be doing?"
She didn't look; but all the same, she knew that Seto and Roland were both watching her. They were waiting to see how she would handle this question. Would she be honest? Would she be diplomatic? Would she mix the two? Would she outright lie?
"…You know how political offices will hire interns during the summer? And they'll do pretty much anything staff tells them to do, because it's 'part of the learning experience?' Kind of like that. I suppose you could say I'm a bit of a jack of all trades. Jane of all trades? Anyway. I've been looking for a way to, ah…expand my skill sets, and Seto-sama was kind enough to give me that opportunity. He said there's no shortage of work that needs doing here."
Mokuba didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary with this answer, which Akiko figured was a good thing. He raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a…you know, specialty? Niisama likes people to focus on what they're good at. Doing. Good at doing. You know what I mean."
"Well, I was an education major, so…you know, if you ever need help with homework. I should be able to remember enough to wrangle together an answer." She winked.
Mokuba's smile turned a bit more honest.
"So, um…can I ask? What are you working on?" She gestured.
"Um…well, you can come in if you want. Sorry, it's…kind of…messy."
Akiko grinned. "Thank you. I'd be delighted."
4.
Seto and Roland glanced at each other, words flitting soundlessly between them as Akiko Yoshimi entered Mokuba's sanctuary. Roland fell into step beside his employer as they began to walk slowly, almost aimlessly, in the general direction of Seto's office. Roland said, "I had my doubts at first. Seemed kind of…jumpy. But she's quick. This scheme of yours just might work."
"Shocking as it might seem, I do tend to know what I'm doing," Seto said, a ghost of his usual smirk on his lips. "We'll have to…expand her position, to match up with her new cover story."
"I'll come up with something."
Seto stopped moving, glanced idly up at the ceiling, and seemed to wait. Roland stopped as well, frowning curiously. Back behind them, they heard Akiko's voice: "Wait a second. You're Wonderboy996?"
Seto's smirk came full force.
"This should work out just fine."
END.
Don't know what I'm talking about when I mention Wonderboy996? Check out the 36th chapter of "Blue Eyes, Violet Eyes," my spin-off one-shot collection. It's Mokuba's YouTube handle; I go into more detail about it in that chapter. Thought it would make a good throwback here.
Akiko/Kiko is a maid in "Cemetery Dance." In this story, she takes up a sort of…governess role. Like Jane Eyre, without the romance. If you understand that reference, then you might notice that the title of this chapter is a reference to that novel. For the uninitiated, "Jane Eyre" is an 18th-century novel by Charlotte Bronte; Jane Eyre, the titular character, becomes the governess (nanny/tutor) for Adele, the orphaned ward of Edward Rochester.
Mister Rochester, aside from being my favorite character in the novel, also bears a more-than-passing resemblance to a certain Mister Kaiba. Rich, bitter, blunt, angry, and lonely. If you think of Kiko as a modern-day Jane Eyre, you wouldn't be far off the mark.
I see her as an instrumental part of the Kaiba family dynamic, and beginning with this chapter, I will be exploring how that came to pass.
She will play a role in a later project that I have in the works, and I didn't want to spring her on you. So, stay tuned. We'll head back to the present day soon. This whole thing with Connor hasn't resolved itself, and I haven't forgotten.
See you next time.
