Apologies for the very slow update for anyone who read the first chapter. Life just has been very busy and unfortunately I am a slow writer.
So enjoy Chapter 2 and Yugioh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi and anyone else who has the rights to use it.
Oh and any French I wrote is very clear and simple (excuse any grammar mistakes) if anyone can't understand just use freetranslator to find the English translation.
P.S. The kid with a huge glasses is my creation so don't steal him...or the Marseille youth, he's mine too.
Screw the Itinerary
The first official day in southern France greeted them with cool breezes and a sunny morning. The summer house was located right on one of the beaches of Marseille. "This is really a great spot, right guys?" Yugi commented on the view from their balcony and searched the area for his unresponsive friends who joined him. The two were busy looking at other villas to see if they spotted any girls living nearby. Yugi sighed loudly; this was what the entire trip was going to be about.
Suddenly there was a knock to their bedroom door; it was Bakura's mother telling them breakfast was ready. Joey and Tristan instantly bolted out and ran downstairs. Yugi released another sigh. The trip was going to be about that too.
"Morning everyone," Ryo was already eating a huge stack of pancakes and his father was reading the newspaper, but waved behind the pages. "Did you all sleep well?"
"Yes, very." Yugi answered.
"I slept like a baby!" Joey added as the three sat at the table and enjoyed breakfast Mrs. Bakura placed on their plates. "So what do ya guys want ta do today? Go to da beach? Or check out da town?"
"Actually," Ryo interrupted. The three stared as Mrs. Bakura passed out a piece of paper, "Mum wrote out an…itinerary for us." His mother spoke about all the different museums they would see: La Vieille Charité, le Musée d'Histoire, le Musée de la Mode, le Musée Cantini, Musée des Beaux-Arts, and the Museum of Old Marseille.
"Will dere be food?" She pointed out the time they will have lunch and where they will have it. Mrs. Bakura would call them as well to make sure they arrived to their next activity on time.
"Now, honey, they're teenage boys let them do what they want." That was all Mr. Bakura said to defend them. Mrs. Bakura nagged him that teenage boys don't know how to do things constructively and this 'care-free do whatever' attitude would get them into trouble.
"Jeez, man, your mom needs to lighten up." Tristan muttered after escaping the breakfast table and leaving to do their 'constructive activities'.
"That's why I participated in that foreign exchange program." Ryo replied, "I'm honestly surprised she's letting us take a cab instead of driving us herself." The four piled into the taxi while Ryo told the driver the address of their first museum.
"She's not so bad," Yugi observed after fully reading their itinerary. He pointed to the time later after lunch, "She's giving us two hours to do what we want."
"Yes, but the asterisk shows at the bottom things we should be doing with that free time." Yugi did look where Ryo's finger pointed and he was right. Some of the things were to buy sunscreen, cameras or souvenirs and just sitting to digest. "We should have such a smashing day today, right blokes?" His sarcasm was a new and alien thing the boys never thought the polite and soft spoken Bakura could make. But he sat there staring out the window with a look of displeasure.
"Are ya kidding me? A fashion museum? I thought dis was about ice cream!" Apparently the Musée de la Mode did not suit well with Joey.
"Why did you think the museum was about ice cream?" Tristan painfully asked.
"Well…ya know. Ya can have pie a la mode." The two argued after his friend replied that was a stupid thought. Yugi just sidled away when the quarrel began to gain attention. In fact, Yugi was trying to maintain little to no eye contact with anyone. He heard his name whispered in the native accent and was waiting for someone to scream 'DUEL'!
"Want to join me in the gift shop?" Ryo muttered after Yugi snapped a picture of one of the displays.
"Is that where you're hiding?" since they've been on the museum trek Ryo increasingly became more and more scarce. They learned, to their horror, the first week the Bakuras arrived they had already visited all these museums so this was Bakura's second visit.
"Didn't want to rush any of you if you were enjoying yourselves," The white haired teen elaborated. Yugi couldn't help but grin.
"Bakura, it is Joey and Tristan I think they would rather eat poison mushrooms than be at a museum."
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"My mum, I thought she would give me a little more freedom if I was around friends, but I figured wrong." He showed off a red beret the said person would like and bought the article. "Sometimes her measures can be a little…dramatic, but I understand why she is so overprotective."
"Because she loves you,"
The smile Ryo had faded and said casually, "Yes and after my sister and her were in the car accident, it made mum paranoid." Yugi stared blankly; he didn't know Ryo had a sister. "Oh, I never did tell you then," he said from his reaction, "I guess we never got around to it. Well…her name was Amane and she was my twin sister, she died when I was six or seven."
"I'm sorry." What was he sorry for? His loss or that Yugi never learned about this sooner?
"Do you want to see a picture of her?" Ryo eagerly asked. He kept the photo in a tan wallet he just removed from his back pocket. The picture showed the two of them, they were fraternal twins, but looked perfectly alike.
"She's very cute." Yugi noted the thing that perturbed him was they both had light blue hair. "So…what happened to your hair?"
"Oh, the stress I suppose turned it white, but it didn't become this white until I was eleven. Dad says it's hereditary, my uncle's hair did the same thing and he was thirteen or so." Ryo was rambling and Yugi didn't press him for any more answers. He saw he was prying into something that shouldn't be opened…not right now. "Here comes Joey and Tristan."
"How much longer do we have ta stay here?" Boredom was clearly present on the teens' faces.
"Ten more minutes." The group waited at the exit doors. When the time ended they took their cab with the same cab driver, were dropped off at a little restaurant with several outlet stores and Bakura got the phone call from his mother, all as planned.
"I'm gonna tear out my eyeballs." Joey declared tossing his tray of food on one of the tables the diner offered outside.
"You're going to have to wait in line, buddy." Tristan imitated and together they ate with sour expressions. "We gotta get away from Bakura's mom. I'm going to go crazy if I have to do this for a month."
"Yer tellin' me…. We probably have ta leave da city ta get away from that nut job."
"Maybe I could help you two out." The two teens looked at each other then their eyes traveled to the black metal fence behind them and on the sidewalk was one of the natives, a pale rugged youth with dark hair and a matching beret. "Excusez-moi, did not mean to…uh, eavesdrop, but I heard about you would like to leave Marseille."
"Yeah and how could you help us with dat buddy?" Joey and Tristan slowly turned in their seats. The young teen fished out tickets in his coat pocket.
"You see mes amis and I we were leaving on the TGV for Paris, but my buddies all have a, how you say, nasty stomach flu and we cannot go. So I was on my way to scrap them at the station, but I'd be willing to give them to you."
"Yeah and what's the price? We'll have you know we're not some Américains stupides." Tristan knew the type, talk all nice and make you feel like they're doing them a big favor.
"Oh no, I am not the sort to fool others I only wish to get back half of the money we spent. It is first class and everything." The mention of first class peak their interest.
"How much did they cost?"
"Hundred euros each."
"So you will sell them for fifty euros each?"
"Yes, that is right."
"And you bought them?!" Yugi demanded in disbelief, Ryo was shaking his head. The two insisted it was a good deal and even had Ryo check them out to see if they were legit. Bakura agreed they looked real, but they would really find out when they'd have to validate them at a machine.
"Which we're not because we're not going."
"Oh come on, Bakura, learn to be a little adventurous." Tristan elbowed their white haired companion.
"And at the same time have my parents call Interpol on us? I don't think so. Plus we would have to get to the train station in half an hour."
"Yeah," Yugi added, "And we don't have any of our stuff and trying to get hotel rooms will be nearly impossible. Also I don't know about the rest of you, but I only have a credit card with a max of one hundred dollars and we'll need a lot more to get around Paris."
"Well…" Joey tried to think of something to argue the logic. Instead he went for a more direct approach, "hell we just paid two hundred euros for these things and we're gonna use them!" Joey tucked Yugi under his arm while Tristan socked Ryo in the stomach and followed his partner in crime to the nearest taxi. "Screw the itinerary, we're going ta Paris!"
"That was really uncool you guys." Yugi glared at the two when they arrived at the train station. "I mean it, seriously uncool."
"You two will get over it." Tristan told them as the group entered through the main doors.
"You punched me." Ryo stated.
"What's your point?" Joey was at the machine that validated their tickets while Tristan and Ryo had a stare off.
Ryo backed down, "Bloody wanker." He muttered under his breath.
"What?" Tristan demanded. Ryo brushed by the tall teen as the other two headed for the train shuttle. "Fine, ignore me, but I have a slang book and I'll figure out what the heck 'wanker' means!" When they entered the first class car they were blown away. Red cushioned seats were situated before tables and the seats could recline as one rider kindly showed as he napped in his seat. The four quickly occupied a table covered in a fine red cloth.
"Dis is awesome!"
Yugi nodded, "I admit this is pretty nice. What do you think, Ryo?"
Ryo didn't say anything. He just stared out the window. "My parents are going to kill me."
"Will you just relax?" Joey told him as the train started to take off, "Well there's no turning back now, so lighten up."
It appeared Ryo was going to say something back, but chose not to and returned to his viewing outside. They rode in silence, but just as soon as it started the train began to slow down. "What the heck?! We can't be there by now!"
"They're combining the cars from another train, it's a common thing." Ryo explained without looking away. "We're in Aix en Provence." The others saw the sign that said 'Bienvenue à l'Aix en Provence'. It was then they noticed a new traveler to their car. The person was a boy a little younger than them; he was slightly shorter than Yugi with dirty blond hair and round eyeglasses occupying his face. He carried two things in each hand, a business suitcase and a violin case. The boy took a table just across from them, retrieved a laptop from the suitcase and started typing.
He was the only one to join first class before the train restarted and slid towards their destination. "What was that noise?" Yugi, Tristan and Joey looked at Bakura, very pale, staring at his phone that was vibrating.
"It's Mum…" looking at it another second Ryo answered and handed the phone to Joey, "Well, Joey, break the news to Mum."
Joey quickly hung up and threw the cell phone on the table, "I don't think so." Seconds later the phone started to ring again, Ryo answered threw it at Joey and he hung up. They glared at each other before the phone started once more.
"You better answer it this time or she's gonna get mad."
"I'm not having Mum yell at me she can yell at you and forbid me from ever seeing you again."
"Then don't tell her, just pretend we're still in Marseille." Tristan told him.
"The problem is…she knows when I'm lying."
"Whatdya mean she knows yer lyin', does yer voice squeak or somethin'?" Joey demanded.
"I believe it's that natural phenomenon when a mother knows their child is doing something wrong." Ryo sighed, "Well here goes…" He answered the phone and answered in a happy tone, "Hey Mum…no I didn't hear a ring from here…I was probably sitting in a place with no reception. Hm? Oh yes, we just left and should be there in ten minutes like you said…oh no the traffic's fine…." Ryo started to pale even more, "W-what? You want to speak to the cab driver…? Umm well…it's illegal to talk on the phone while driving…oh…not in France…" Ryo put his hand over the phone, "Can any of you speak French in a decent Marseille accent?"
…
"They have an accent?"
"Me le donnez." The new kid stood at their table motioning for the phone, they all stared at him in bewilderment. "Give it to me." Ryo slowly did and the youth said, "Allô?...Oui c'est moi…euhh…ne quittez pas…" He asked Bakura, "A card of your information?" Bakura had the card on hand and quickly gave it to him, "Ah voila, Nom: Ryo Florence Bakura." Everyone except Bakura started snickering, "Âge: Dix-sept ans, Type de sang : AB et…bien…quoi ?" Hand over the phone, "Where were you going?"
"Puget's Chapel."
"La Vielle Charité…il était construit par Pierre Puget de 1671 à 1749. Oui il est situé au centre du quartier de Panier. D'accord…" He gave the phone, "Your welcome." He replied to their silent gratitude, went back to his table and worked on his computer as if nothing had happened. As soon as Ryo got off his phone they all turned theirs off.
"So who's hungry?"
"Joey we just ate." Yugi said. Either way the four all got a luxurious second meal and the event that occurred was completely forgotten. While they ate they planned on what should be done as soon as they entered Paris. The boys bothered the French kid (who's name was Marcel) to use his cell phone and Ryo called to reserve rooms at a hotel his father used. The place was booked, but mentioning his name fixed that.
"Wow, Ryo, who knew your father, had such a reputation?" Yugi said in surprise.
"Well he is an influential archeologist writing many famous journals of his research, so some fame comes with the career." He finished his dish of Bouillabaisse and the server came to collect Ryo's and Yugi's empty dishes and bring more food for Joey and Tristan. "I admit I enjoy food as much as the next person, but you two are just being…gluttons."
"So says the guy who ate all da food on the boat in Egypt." Joey pointed out through a mouthful of food.
"In my defense I was possessed by an evil spirit and I happen to get the munchies right after."
Joey and Tristan looked at each other with big goofy grins, "…I hear smoking pot gets the same result."
Bakura glared sharply, "You two are a bunch of bloody sods." He went on to say what kind of ridiculous response that was anyway. What they said next Yugi didn't hear as his thoughts of his ancient friend came to mind. Hopefully the Pharaoh, no, Atem was enjoying the afterlife in bliss, but Yugi also wished his ancestor missed him and the others.
Because he just ran away from us. Yugi blanched from this negative thought. Where did that come from? Yugi was brought back to reality when Ryo jumped over him and down the train car with Tristan after him
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Tristan threatened. Joey chuckled to Yugi that Tristan figured out what 'wanker' meant.
"Hey buddy quit runnin' around, yer gonna get a cramp!" Indeed both boys were keeling over dramatically from their cramps while many of the train riders yelled in ineligible French to 'get back in your seats you fucking idiot children' as well as their waiter telling them if they kept up their antics they would have to be escorted off.
"Who wants to bet by the time we get to Paris we'll be arrested?" Yugi asked rhetorically.
"Yes they got on the train," The Marseille youth sitting outside the train station. He said this to his unknown employer through the phone and he smirked. "They should be in Paris by nightfall. Shall I proceed with the next part of the plan?"