A Random Act of Kindness
By:
Setalina Muro
Summary: Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright for Duel Monsters from Pegasus so he can launch one final project. Finding this all too entertaining, Pegasus makes a deal. "Find someone in desperate need. But you have to find them, approach them, and sincerely offer them your help. And I want to watch this. If I approve their need, and they accept the help, I will give them three million dollars, and you will have your plans." But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind… SxP
Short Summary: Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright from Pegasus. Pegasus makes a deal. Seto can have his papers if he helps someone. But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind... PxS Opticshipping
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any places, people and/or other things you are familiar with from the show or anything else. The initial idea of OpticShipping came to me through Yamiko Yakou (now Imperfect Paradise) I don't have a problem writing PegasusxShizuka and if you have a problem, don't read it! This plot, however, is mine.
A/N: SO I finally started working on this when I finished my yaoi one-shot (a test fiction that has prospered. I am much pleased with it. It makes me feel like an incredibly well-rounded author now. ANYWAY). I started to focus on this and two others (they're ALL Opticshipping, which is particularly funny to me because around this time two years ago, this paring terrified and startled me, and now its basically my favorite and I'm basically the only one that writes it with a few exceptions XD) and SCORE. I finally got a hold of a Japanese dictionary for this (make certain you look at the note below). Anyway, I'm borrowing it from a friend of mine (I might buy my own when my choir goes to San Francisco, but I'm not sure what good it'll do me outside fanfiction. Lol) and I worked studiously on this for several weeks to get it finished. I'm scribbling down notes for later chapters etc. anyway.
Notes on the Story:
There's quite a bit of Japanese in this (Thank God for Japanese to English dictionaries. XD) But don't worry about what it says (unless you're completely OCD, then worry very much) because I don't feel like putting a translation in and anything important will be translated by Kaiba, spoken in English, or vaguely understood by Pegasus himself.
EDIT (2/24/07): A translation guide was added because I was asked to insert one.
Still 1st person POV. Pegasus J. Crawford.
Chapter Two
Jounouchi Katsuya…
Never had my mind welled with greater terror and a greater flood of conscience then it did in that moment. Seeing him now, I hardly know what to do. I feel guilty, sad, but more than any of that, angry suddenly that I had been tricked in this manner.
"Kaiba, you are the most twisted son of a bit-"
"You'll do well to leave your American insults in the States, Pegasus," he says in reply, smirking as he coolly brushes back a collection of chestnut locks. "And now if you'll collect yourself, we have a deal to cut." He begins to stride off.
Silently, I will my heart to keep pace and my anger to recede. I watch Kaiba's retreating form and feel my fingers curl slowly against my palm into a fist, which I promptly smack forcefully against the table, the sound reverberating dully.
Damn him…
The pair in question has settled around the bend of the court and their voices, cutting back and forth in fluent Japanese, carry back to me.
"Pegasus," Kaiba hissed from some distance away, attempting to force me back on task. But I know it is no use. I feel very ill suddenly.
Jounouchi…when was the last time I had come across him…it would have been Duelist Kingdom. Was it a lifetime ago? No, only eight years if memory served. My tournament had been a tormenting time for many people (many others than myself). The Kaiba brothers (young Mokuba almost certainly) and Yugi Mouto and his aged grandfather. What Jounouchi gained from my tournament, what they all did in the end, Mazaki, Hiroto, Bakura, was more of a real-life nightmare, one of the first I was certain they would have to endure as they grew older. Watching their friend interact in a cursed game. What kind of monster did they see me as?
I shudder as Kaiba calls my name again. Had Jounouchi-boy been given anything for his troubles? I couldn't quite remember, and it bothered me greatly.
"Pegasus! Get your ass over here now!"
Rising from the round plastic seat, I begin to follow him, somewhat hesitantly, in what I assume will be an agonizingly slow pace to him as I attempt to collect my startled self. We round the tables and there they are.
She instantly raises to her feet, bowing her head, her voice issuing forth a greeting in her native tongue.
"Konichiwa, Kaiba-san, Crawford-san. Arigato no tameni kuru." (Au1)
All I can do is nod back as Kaiba thanks her for accepting our invitation.
"Mochiron," she says before gesturing at the vacant seats beside her. "Suwattekudasai."
Beside her, Jounouchi sits forward, angrily barking at her. "Shizuka-chan, naze karera koku de?"
Kaiba snickers beside me, leaning over to whisper a translation into my ear. "He's asking why we're here." He turns to Jounouchi, smirking. "Damare, Make-Inu."
Jounouchi tenses, darting up from his seat to scream at Kaiba. Shizuka raises her hand and touches Jounouchi's shoulder while giving Kaiba a cold look. "Watshi shotai suru karera o, Onii-chan. Onegai shimasu desu heion."
The thought suddenly strikes me of how poor my Japanese has become. I cannot say I was skilled fore in the language, but now, I don't believe I could hold a conversation in it any longer.
"Onore," Jounouchi hisses and, fuming, settles back into his seat.
A small smile crosses my face. Now that word I know.
"Mr. Crawford?"
I glance up, slightly surprised as I meet her gaze. It is strange to hear my name on her lips; stranger still to receive the sweet smile that graces her face, directed specifically at me. I feel a strange heat rise in my chest as my breath hitches.
"Please sit," she says. "Would you prefer us to speak in English?"
"It would be most appreciated," I reply, a gentle smile spreading across my face. I bow deeply to her. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear."
I take a calming breath as we settle into our seats, finding it difficult to clear my mind as I normally would before a business transaction such as his. I turn to Jounouchi to get a chance to alter my gaze away from her.
"Greetings, Jounouchi-boy," I say, smiling. "You look well."
He fails to respond, merely glaring angrily at me instead, chocolate orbs narrowed in disgust.
A minute later, Kaiba clears his throat. To my vague amusement, Shizuka starts, turning to him and collecting herself. Only moments ago she seemed to have been studying me intently. I smile softly toward her and then focus on Kaiba.
He had fallen into the guise of a businessman, short, demanding, and to the point. "Our proposition has been made known to you, Ms. Kawai," he is saying, lacing his fingers and sitting forward slightly to rest on his elbows. "Pegasus has offered to pay for you to have a secondary operation, seeing as how your first one failed."
She nods. "I remember your offer, Kaiba-san. But I would like to ask a question."
He arches an eyebrow at her. "Yes?"
It is not to Kaiba she plans to direct her query. Her gaze shifts to me and I force down a shudder as I meet her steady, yet clouded eyes.
"Why are you doing this?"
I feel Kaiba's sudden aggravation as he finds himself shut out of the conversation. It is not a question he can answer. I don't even know if I can answer it. He glares at me dangerously and I feel the threatening gaze on my neck.
Questions such as these are deal breakers depending on how they are answered. A girl like Shizuka…an elegant creature dependant upon the sound of a person's voice…she would know if I were to lie.
And it wouldn't be right.
"Well…it comes about like this, Shizuka," I say, picking up the lost threads of the conversation. "Kaiba-boy here wants copyrights from Industrial Illusions; copyrights I only agreed to give him if, and only if, he offered help to a person in need. It could have been anyone, honestly. But out of malice toward me, he chose to help a little blind girl whose brother could never hate me more then he does. Young Kaiba chose you."
She starts back, her brow constricting in confusion as she stares at me.
"Pegasus!" Kaiba hisses, his fists clenching.
"There's really not any reason to worry. If you want my reasoning for such a challenge, I can give you none. I don't entirely know myself." I smile. "But I assure you everything will be in order and you will have the best care."
I have never seen Kaiba as incensed as he is now, or as in control of his abominable temper. "What Pegasus means," he starts, as if attempting to correct a grievous error. "Is-"
"Exactly what I said," I interrupt smoothly. I take up Shizuka's puzzled gaze again. "I will tell you no lies, my dear."
Honey-colored eyes look between us, calmly, contemplatively. She bites softly at her lower lip before looking at Jounouchi. His gaze remains coldly focused on her.
"Do omou?" he barks rudely.
Her reply is soft, a mere whisper in his direction. Barely, just barely, I am able to hear her, and even more surprising, I understand what she murmurs.
"Jounouchi-chan…Watashi shinraisuru kare ni…"
I can't help the smile that slides over my face.
'Jounouchi…I trust him…'
"What the hell were you thinking?"
Had I but predicted the situation that would follow my words. It's hilarious, in one of those cosmic senses that don't seem funny at the time but in retrospect can make you unequivocally giddy.
Kaiba is livid. Behind cobalt eyes, a fire is smoldering.
"You might have ruined the entire deal talking that way!"
He grabs the lapels of my jacket when I refuse to stop my typical brisk pace to look at him. His fingers flex angrily and I feel him force me back into the cool metal of a car. My, what we must look like.
It seems so easy to meet blazing eyes without hesitation, allowing a small, knowing smirk to slide over my face. I grab his wrists to force his hands off me and, straightening my jacket, I push him back a bit further. As far as people go, young Kaiba has no bubble and does not hesitate to invade another's when he's in a temper.
"You are fretting over a trivial thing, Kaiba-boy," I say, waving him off and moving away from the car. Honestly, I get a bit uncomfortable when cornered, and as I walk away I tug on my collar and clear my throat.
"Trivial?" he explodes, briskly coming up beside me. "You could have-"
"But I didn't," I stress gently. We are fast approaching Kaiba's limo. The engine starts up as his driver recognizes us and Crocketts steps out to open the door, bowing slightly.
I stop as Kaiba crawls in and I look to my assistant. "Crocketts," I begin, my mouth open to inform him of something when I pause, casting a perplexed glance at him. "Crocketts…are you wearing a brassiere?" (Au2)
The older man looks away, a faint blush rising over his face as he clears his throat and attempts to stand a little straighter. "I, eh, lost a bet, sir," he murmurs.
Shaking my head, I sigh. "Ah, Crocketts, you just don't learn. Remember what happened the last time you had a bet with Kaiba's driver?"
It was quite humorous, actually. Crocketts, as a true man of honor, spent the next week in purple ponytails. Personally, I didn't think the staff would ever stop laughing.
I follow Kaiba into the back of the limo and Crocketts closes the door behind me.
"Your driver has a cruel sense of humor," I murmur.
"Yes," he shrugs. "But it wouldn't be so bad if your assistant wasn't so unlucky."
As a man of true obsession, Kaiba immediately whisks me away to Kaiba Corporation to sign his contracts in private. There would be a photo opportunity later, he says, throwing down the contract for my observation. I could have taken longer, hours even, to comb over every detail of the deal, looking for unexpected twists. As it is, the entire contract is straightforward. Kaiba would create serial numbers for the cards. These could be purchased from Industrial Illusions while Kaiba manufactured the chips, card inventory units, a more adaptable duel disk, and his newest pet project, holographic cards. It is very clear-cut with a small tidbit about split profits both ways, but that part is somewhat insignificant.
The half-hour I spend in Kaiba Corporations passes quite slowly, far slower then I would like. It isn't that the contract bored me (in fact, the prospect of taking my game to another level was quite thrilling, almost as much as it was when Kaiba first presented me with the hologram technology that formed my beasts all those years ago) it was just that…I have another engagement for today.
With a flourish I attach my signature to the final dotted line, sighing with contentment.
Kaiba's sly fingers grab the completed contract up quickly, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"Finally!" he laughs gleefully, which is rather creepy when you get down to the point that it is Kaiba laughing. He sets it down on his desk as he sits, collected in the familiar Kaiba manner once more, linking his fingers to observe me. "So, what will you do now, Pegasus?" he asks.
I lean back in my chair, my hands overlapping my stomach and shrug. "Return to America, I suppose."
"And the girl?"
I look to the ceiling contemplatively, feeling a small smile creep onto my face. "We'll see what the future holds. Now," I stand up, clapping my hands together. "If you will kindly return me to the airport, Kaiba-boy, I have a guest to fly across the sea."
In the blustering winds of a fanning engine, I watch her approach. She raises a slim hand to brush away long strands of stray auburn hair that blow across her angelic face. A soft smile is alighting there and her pace increases as she nears the plane. Moving up the steps, she pauses directly before me, beaming as I move aside so she can board.
"Excited, I see."
She smiles over her shoulder at me and then a soft, beguiling laughter escapes her soft mouth.
"Pegasus-sama, I'm just so ready to see again..." she gushes.
"Well then," I say, taking her hand and escorting her to a seat. "We'll just have to give you a grand adventure after your operation, won't we?"
"Adventure…" she repeats slowly, her eyes alighting, and her soft mouth spreading into yet another sparkling smile. "I'd like that. Very much."
TO BE CONTINUED…
Translation Section ( for the sake of avoiding controversy)
"Konichiwa, Kaiba-san, Crawford-san. Arigato no tameni kuru." -- Good Afternoon, Mr. Kaiba, Mr. Crawford. Thank you for coming.
"Mochiron. Suwattekudasai.." -- Of course. Please sit
"Shizuka-chan, naze karera koku de?" -- Shizuka, why are they here?
"Damare, Make-Inu." -- Be quiet, dog loser mutt
"Watshi shotai suru karera o, Onii-chan. Onegai shimasu desu heion." -- I invited them, big brother, please be calm.
"Onore,". -- Bastard.
"Do omou?" -- What do you think?
"Jounouchi-chan…Watashi shinraisuru kare ni…" -- Jounouchi…I trust him…
Au 1: If any of the following script is wrong, please forgive me! I don't know how to speak Japanese myself, and the dictionary I am using says nothing about sentence structure, so I'm just stringing words together. I'll run them by someone who had taken a Japanese class and I hope she can correct anything that is wrong. (Thank you Yamiko!) Also new translation section as of 2/24.
Au 2: Trust me, its better if you don't ask what the hell I was smoking when I wrote that part. Maybe I needed to humor myself for a moment considering the bleak setting I was in. or it was the crack. But I suppose the easiest thing to do would be to blame PegasusxCroquet. Yup. All her fault. Croquet in a brassiere…Setalina on crack….maybe….
A/N: And there you (finally) have it. I apologize for the extended delay (Good Lord, it's almost been a year) I don't like the ending. It's just kinda…blah. Anyway. I thought I'd get this up to entertain Yamiko while I write the tainted Opticshipping she requested as part of her winning entry into an Outcastshipping contest (she scared everyone else away. XD). You can look for it in a couple of weeks to a month or so. It'll super-special awesomely long and hopefully as 'tainted' as I want it be. The title is 'Blood Canvas'.
Oh, and also, if you're bored, pop over to my profile and follow the link there to the marvelous Opticshipping pic Yamiko drew. It makes me happy. She also, just very recently, put up a dark Opticshipping one. Ah. The couple combined with her original and fabulous drawing skills mesmerizes me. XD
And until next time.
Lina