Review replies are located at the bottom of chapters, since I'm not yet used to the new way of replying to them.

Chapter 5

When Uryuu chose to play Duel Monsters, a sense of foreboding settled on his shoulders, and he didn't think it was because he was playing against the fifth best in the world.

"You can borrow one of my decks," Ryou said, digging in the abandoned box for a second deck.

"Go easy on me," Uryuu joked.

They shuffled decks, and drew cards. Uryuu found himself appalled by the myriad of grotesque monsters Ryou favored, and was glad his borrowed deck had the level of morbidity toned down. When Ryou played, he didn't flash a soft smile, instead fixing Uryuu and the cards with a calculating stare. Those dark eyes undermined his confidence and made him want to stop, but he refused to show his fear. This was a side of Ryou he hadn't seen before.

Before he knew it, the game was over, leaving Uryuu hardly able to restrain his shaking. A sneer began to form on Ryou's face, but it instead melted into an apologetic smile.

"That was a good duel. Do you want to play Monster World now?"

"I-I th-think-" Uryuu paused and swallowed thickly. "I think I should go home now."

"Really?" Uryuu could see a frown tugging at Ryou's lips. "Well, we can play some other time."

Uryuu nodded, not trusting his tongue. After a quick goodbye, he slipped out the door and made it as far as the window before he let his knees buckle. the duel had been intense.

As Uryuu calmed his racing heart, he heard Ryou's voice, probably talking on the phone. Then he heard the other side of the conversation.

"I'd like to see this 'Ryuken'," a voice said. Uryuu couldn't quite place where he had heard it. But didn't Ryou say no one else was home?

"Who's Ryuken?" This voice was soft; Ryou.

"Your uncle. Your cousin mentioned him."

This person must have eavesdropped on their conversation- Uryuu stopped that train of thought. He could have overheard them from another room.

"I want to find out why your father never shipped you off to join him." So he knew the voice wasn't Ryou's father. Something clicked in Uryuu's mind. He'd heard this voice only moments ago, announcing the effects of his attacks, explaining the damage of trap cards, and rather arrogantly proclaiming when it was his turn. Ryou was talking...with himself?

"You know why. Father didn't want to lose another family relation." What was he talking about? Did his father not want him far away? If that was the case, then why was he always in Egypt?

"True," Ryou's dueling voice said in a dismissive tone.

Uryuu dared not make a sound, certain he would lose Ryou's trust if he found him eavesdropping. Carefully and slowly, Uryuu turned around and craned his neck to see inside. He saw Ryou, and no one else, setting up more Egyptian decorations.

A sudden ringing, almost causing Uryuu to flinch and give away his position. He relaxed when he realized it was only the phone, which Ryou answered.

"Malik! Yes, it's me." Ryou chuckled, then cut off. "He's asleep. We just dueled against someone, who apparently is my cousin on Father's side."

Ryou continued talking, but switched languages every few seconds, making it impossible for Uryuu to piece together anything coherent. He didn't care about that at the moment. He was more concerned about his cousin, who had mental disorders that made him crazier than his disgusting monster cards.

Uryuu walked away from the apartment. He put a hand on his head and chuckled. His cousin was crazy. Joy.

While chatting with a plus soul, a young translucent girl, Ichigo noticed Ryou carrying grocery bags.

"Oi, Ryou!" Ichigo motioned for him to come over. Ryou came over and put the plastic bags down. When he did so, Ichigo caught a glance at the contents: one was filled with meat, the other filled with rice and vegetables. He glanced at the anorexic-thin albino. He passed it off as high metabolism.

"I never did show you a plus soul, did I?"

Ryou shook his head. Ichigo put a hand on top of the little girl's head.

"This is Jenny."

"Ichi-nii," said the girl from beneath the hand, replacing Ichigo's name with one of her own, "Who are you talking to?"

Ichigo kneeled down and smiled at Jenny. "This is my friend, Ryou."

"Who are you talking to?" Ryou repeated the soul's question.

"Jenny."

"Are you sure you're not seeing things? I don't see anyone." What was going on? If Ryou could see hollows, he would be able to see plus spirits.

"I thought you could see souls!"

"I can see hollows. I guess I can't see plus spirits." Ryou looked uncomfortable, and for a moment, stared straight at the girl. Something wasn't right.

"Ichi-nii?" Jenny asked, voice filled with naive innocence, "Why are you talking to air?"

"I'm talking to Ryou," Ichigo repeated.

"Oh, I get it! Ryou's your imaginary friend! Hello, Ryou!" Jenny waved, like greeting a friend, facing a little off to Ryou's right.

"You really don't see him?"

"'Course I do! He's got hair just like yours!"

Ryou perked up. "She can't see me either? Can they usually see living humans?"

Ichigo nodded, thinking hard on the two's odd behavior. "I don't know why she can't see you."

Ryou stared at Ichigo. When he didn't move for ten seconds, Ichigo took a few steps to the side. When Ryou's eyes didn't follow him, he waited. When it was over, Ryou picked up the bags.

"I should get this food home before it spoils. See you at school."

Ichigo sent glances at Jenny and Ryou. He bit his lip, and decided to ask, "Before you go, can you tell me why you move so much?"

Ryou froze. A shudder seemed to course through him. He continued on, repeating the same answer he had given Uryuu, but with no warmth.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not answer that."

"Rukia, can you teach me how to fight with weapons?"

Rukia did a double take, as though she hadn't heard him right. When Ryou tracked her to the soccer field, she'd expected something...different. Something that would actually require the mental pep talk he seemed to be giving himself.

Ryou rubbed the back of his head and found the goal posts to stare at. "I asked Uryuu, but he said you had more experience, so-"

"Why do you want to learn?" Rukia asked, no suspicion in her voice. Innocent until proven guilty, after all.

"W-well, I move a lot, I'm alone most of the time, and my father can't always afford for me to live in some of the...better...parts of town."

Rukia attacked Ryou with a sudden hug, ignoring his flinch and hiss of pain.

"You poor thing! Of course I'll teach you!"

"Th-thank-k y-you, Ruk-kia." Ryou struggled to free himself from the midget girl. She released, glowing with happiness.

"Do rien." (It's nothing.) Ryou lit up at the sound of the familiar language.

"Tu parles français?" (You speak French?)

"Oui oui, c'est un très beau langue!" (Yes yes, it is a very beautiful language!)

"Où est-ce que tu as appris français?" (Where did you learn French?)

"J'ai-" (I [past tense]) Rukia was interrupted by her cell phone. She flipped it open and glanced at the screen before snapping it closed and looking at Ryou.

"Excuse-moi, je dois y aller." (Sorry, I have to go.)

Switching back to Japanese, she said, "After school tomorrow I'll show you a place we can spar."

Without missing a beat, Rukia gave Ryou a customary French goodbye, and was off running.

"Au revoir!" (Goodbye!) she called behind her.

That second scene was bad. Very very bad. I apologize for it.

Not as long as I had hoped, but I'm also working on Dissociative Magics, which chapter three of is at least 3,500 words so far.

Yeah, the characters randomly started talking in French. I thought it would be funny. I made Ryou know that language so I could have something like this. I take French class. Blame that. I gave translations to how someone would say that in a casual English conversation.

LadyDragonIchi: Discipline. I've been forcing myself to write at least a few hundred words every day, and now I can write whatever I want, whenever I want; writer's block doesn't exist for me anymore. I force myself to brainstorm story ideas instead of daydreaming or drawing in my free time, and whatever I think of ends up as these chapters.

Nebelkind: Nebel is a cute name. Sounds like New bell. I'll call you Nebel. I was stuck on a blank for this chapter, so you didn't exactly predict anything. More like you decided what was going to happen. I got a lot of ideas from your review. You'll be my little idea-generator. I wrote the bit with Uryuu before you reviewed, so your prediction of him was correct. But, he just thinks his cousin is crazy. Someone else will catch on in the way you suggested.