When the morning came, Anzu wasn't greeted by the call of her alarm clock. Instead she was met by a rushing house guest who looked rather annoyed at her weary state. He was trying to do too many things at once, getting his shoes on while his jacket was falling off his shoulders. Maybe he was late; Anzu didn't know or really cared. Tired and slightly hung over, she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Unlike yesterday, she didn't have class on Tuesdays.

"What are you doing?" she asked innocently, her lips chapped from thirst.

"What do you think I'm doing, lazy? Getting my ass to work after watching you last night. For whatever reason, I had the insane idea of making sure you didn't puke in your sleep, so here I am, late to work."

"You can't be late to your own company, Kaiba, "giggled Anzu, "you work for yourself."

"Mazaki, your logic is flawed. And clearly, you haven't sobered up quite yet."

Rolling his eyes, he finished with his laces and got his coat on. Then not wanting to waste any more time talking, the man walked over to the kitchen, digging around for food. An American breakfast wasn't ideal, but since that was all Anzu had, he settled for quick oatmeal with the cut up strawberries in the refrigerator. There could have been worse things.

Bemused, Anzu watched curiously. She had never had so much to drink and the wine was so potent. Being so light and without much body fat, it just hit her harder than most, and apparently didn't have a problem staying in her system longer than it should have. Most people would have gone back to normal by morning, but not her. She was still enjoying her little buzz.

"You look good in the kitchen," she remarked while smiling.

"Thanks?"

Kaiba didn't know what to make of that, giving a confused expression before turning back to his bowl. Mixing boiling water into the oats, he used a spoon to mix it, dumping the fruit in after. He ate the whole thing quickly without thinking about taste or texture. Maybe he had an important meeting to get to. It certainly made Anzu wonder.

"I'd like to come to Kaiba Corp with you one day, I think."

"Really Mazaki? Now there's a thought," Kaiba said rather sarcastically before rolling his eyes.

"I used to work there, you know. A long time ago. Had to wear that stupid outfit. Worked in laser tag…"

"Hmm. Would had paid to have seen that…"

"-the front shirt was too tight and the skirt too short. I think it was all done on purpose."

The man wasn't even paying attention to her anymore. Instead of answering, he brought his dirty dishes to the sink and washed them off, leaving them to dry on the dish rack. Once Kaiba finished, he quickly made a dash at the door, stopping in his tracks once his hand grabbed the door knob.

"I won't be able to see you tonight just so you know. Don't go drinking for a while again either and you really shouldn't bother with the ballet until that bruise goes away. Later."

Then after shaking his head to himself, he left. Anzu followed behind slightly confused still, but she had enough sense to lock her door behind him. She didn't need any unexpected visitors coming in and feeling a little dizzy, the brown haired girl collapsed again onto her couch. Alcohol wasn't her friend. Feeling a headache coming on, she groaned as her head met the cushions.

"No ballet tonight?"

That couldn't be right. Sure, her leg didn't feel too good but it wasn't awful. Most people just dealt with their injuries, and she wasn't some weak china doll. Anzu Mazaki worked through pain, and not wanting to lose her place in the ballet that season, she stubbornly bumped around into her room grabbing her cell off her bed. There was one message blinking across the screen.

"This is Coach Namaba. Don't worry about practice; I have a replacement for your part. Get that leg checked soon, and see me again once it heals. No arguments."

"Replaced by whom?"

Instead of tears came a face full of fury, Anzu throwing the cell into her pillow as hard as she could. It didn't break anything, but the little fit of violence made her feel just a bit better. How could that asshole just replace her like that? In only one night too? If she was out for that long, there was no way the girl could get a slot.

"This isn't fair…"

Turning to her fish, blue eyes looked for some sympathy. However all they got was bubbles, the little betta begging for some food. Obliging, Anzu sprinkled his flakes into his tank before sighing, watching it eat, gorgeous little fish enjoyed his morning meal. A fish's life was so much simpler. All he had to do was eat, poop, and stay afloat. Why couldn't it be like that for people, too?

"Everyone makes everything so damn difficult."

Loneliness. It was creeping in on Anzu like a fever. Being cooped up inside an apartment alone without a roommate to keep her company was hard. Usually school and dance entertained her. Lately, Kaiba had been doing his part as well, but he didn't plan on visiting her… It was hard news to swallow.

It was hard news mostly because with an injured leg, Anzu couldn't go anywhere. She was an invalid, without anyone around to care for her. If things were like before, Yugi probably would have stayed with her. Hell, he would have skipped school to keep his best friend company, even if that meant getting in trouble with the principal. Now though the only old friend around from those days was Bakura.

"Would he come over? Probably not."

But sometimes surprises happened. Turning on her phone, Anzu laid across her bed sulking. She flipped open the pink cover going through contacts until she came to the name of Ryou. It had to be her old classmate's, who was at Domino University just like her. He just wasn't pursuing the same major, the boy's heart set on psychology. No one expected that, but when Anzu thought about it… the idea of Bakura studying such a potentially dark subject actually made sense.

A few times the phone rang, like a tease. But then thankfully a familiar voice came over the other side.

"Hello? This is Bakura Ryou."

"Bakura? This is Anzu. I injured myself during ballet and I can't really go anywhere until the bruise gets better. Do you think maybe you could come over with some takeout? We haven't really talked in a long time."

"Dinner? Sure, I guess. You'll have to wait until my class is over though. I won't be free until later this evening, sorry."

"It's okay. I can wait until then."

Hanging up, Anzu could only frown a little. Sure, the male would eventually come over, but until then… She'd have to find some form of self-entertainment. A middle child, she hadn't done much of that until she moved out of the house. For years she had playmates, never alone without someone to be around. It was in her nature to be amongst people, even to the fault of annoying others.

"Now what?"

If only the apartment would allow a cat or a dog. Something else besides a mute fish that didn't do much beyond floating around in his bowl making air bubbles. At least a larger animal would give her attention out of love and affection. The fish, although beautiful, wasn't capable of such a depth of emotions. All it understood was the simple basics of survival, nothing more.

Like most young women her age, Anzu had books. But when extreme boredom attacked her, nothing looked good enough to entertain her busy mind. Novels couldn't keep her interest; they went sour after a page or so. She tried so hard to read, looking at the print across the paper but not catching anything it said.

Then after putting the book down and hobbling over to the living room, Anzu tried the television. Unfortunately there was nothing of interest on. Boring talk shows, soap operas, and game shows that Japan was so famous for flashing across the screen for the poor people who had nothing better to do than watch. It was revolting for someone so educated, and she immediately turned it off after flipping through the channels. She couldn't stomach the stupidity.

"Why does he need to be gone for so long?"

Sighing, Anzu checked on her leg. It looked much the same, discolored and ugly. Furrowing her brows, she couldn't believe Kaiba even touched the thing. Looking at it just made her stomach turn and shaking her head, she wondered how long it would be before it looked normal again. How could she be so careless, falling to the ground like that? Maybe her instructor was right for replacing her. A good dancer doesn't fall. A great dancer lands with grace, like a floating feather to the ground. Everything she does is beautiful.

"I'm such an utter failure."

Waiting got so tiring, so fast. Sitting alone in the living room, Anzu eventually gave up on leisurely pursuits and just laid herself down. Closing her eyes, she allowed her brain to take her all over, thinking of all the possibilities life had in store for her. Intelligent and pretty, Anzu had so many things going her way. If only she had realized that.

Day turned into night, and soon the white haired man by the name of Ryou appeared on her doorstep. He was wearing the same clothes as years before, his style not changing much. His eyes were scanning all over nervously like he was afraid that someone was following him. Brown and expressive, many people had told him that they were similar to a dog's. Bakura never knew just how exactly to take that comment.

"Anzu?"

Ringing the door bell, he waited patiently. On the other side, Anzu scrambled off the couch with wide eyes, limping her way to the door, her hair a wild mess. Nothing about her looked quite put together and slightly embarrassed, she tried apologizing for her appearance...

"I'm so sorry Bakura; I fell asleep and forgot you were coming! Come in, come in…"

"Don't worry about it."

Smiling, the young man took a seat on the couch, crossing his ankles as he watched the girl close and lock the door. Taking out a bag of teriyaki on top of the coffee table, he prepared everything while Anzu went to get drinking glasses. He knew that she would probably like getting egg rolls, dumplings, and other tasty things that would comfort her. Being injured was something Bakura hated; he had been in her place many times before. If he could do anything to make her happy, he'd try.

"I got a little of everything Anzu, so you don't have to worry about going hungry. Actually, I might have gotten far more than we need…"

"That's fine, I can save the left overs."

She had two glasses in one hand and a pitcher of lemonade in the other. It was the kind that was sugar free, which she liked. Having to stay thin meant cutting out certain calories from her diet, like fat and sweet things. Although Anzu loved eating freely, she couldn't. Not if she wanted to do professional dance.

The assortment of food however was beckoning her. Taking a pair of chopsticks and picking up the chicken covered in teriyaki sauce, she enjoyed the sweet and tangy taste. Sticky rice lay underneath the tender poultry meat, making it easy to enjoy both things without making a mess. Then there was also the salad, with the dressing that stumbled Anzu as she tried figuring out the ingredients.

"This is wonderful Bakura. I didn't know you knew about this sort of thing."

"There are teriyaki chicken places all over town, and this one was close to your house, so I thought maybe you'd like it. The line in front was huge, so it couldn't be awful food."

"No, I've gone to that place before, actually. Sometimes when I'm too lazy to cook and I have some money saved up, I'll get takeout there. Most of the time I can't afford too… But you know how it goes. Poor broke college student, haha…"

Ryou merely smiled in response, taking a piece of chicken for himself and placing it into his mouth. He was so quiet, even in conversation. It always made his friends feel like they were talking too much and Anzu was the sort to get very self-conscious from that sort of thing. Not wanting to be a bother, she pointed her chop sticks at her companion before bringing a dumpling to her mouth asking, "Do you miss high school at all?"

"Miss high school? … Hmmm. Not really."

He didn't say much after that, but neither did Anzu. Silence took over, and after a sideways glance, Bakura tried again.

"I mean, it wasn't terrible. It was fun going on those trips with you all, and I enjoyed dueling. Sometimes I miss it, having friends who enjoyed games as much as I do, and I don't find many people like that here now. Especially someone as talent as Yugi. The only person in Domino who has a talent for it is Kaiba, and he'd never play against me without incentive…"

"He is a good duelist."

"One of the best. Before duel monsters he played chess, and not many people can call themselves actual masters of gaming without knowing how to play chess. He actually was able to beat a world champion, in his prime… It astounds me, when I think about it. I wonder what became of him."

"He's still around."

"Of course he is Anzu; I didn't think he disappeared off the planet. Ha, Seto Kaiba, disappearing… I mean sure, he did it once, but that man loves the lime light too much. He always comes back."

"You sound like a fan, Bakura," remarked Anzu with a laugh, "I didn't know this."

"Well, I appreciate games. So, by default, I admire one of its greatest players. By no means is he a Yugi Mutou. I don't think anyone will be like Yugi; he was just blessed by luck or something… But Kaiba, he's talented and skilled."

"What about the fact that he bullies his opponents until they give up?"

"It's a good strategy. Don't get me wrong, Anzu, it's a very cruel strategy. There are more ethical ways at winning, but it's effective. People get intimidated by him and the man knows how to use his presence against them. He's probably gotten so used to it that it just comes natural to him."

"Maybe… What about Jonouchi? Do you think he's talented?"

"Katsuya? Ha, no… He's well trained. But, I don't think he could really manage it alone. He's the sort who always needs support."

"And what's wrong with that?"

Ryou frowned a little, saying, "To really be strong, one must know how to fight alone."

"And that's why Yugi and Kaiba will always out best him?" replied Anzu.

"Yes, precisely. It isn't fair at all, Anzu, but when playing war games, you can't always rely on others. I know when I play games; I only have myself to depend on. The encouragement of friends is helpful but I need to truly believe in myself first."

"And you don't think Jonouchi believes in himself?"

"No, that's not quite what I'm saying…"

Bakura sighed, before using his chop sticks to pick up a stray dumpling. Carefully, he dunked it into sauce, letting it soak in the liquid before taking a bite. The perfect blend of pork and spices, he paused for a while, savoring it before smiling and continuing with the conversation. Anzu, slightly amused, merely scoffed.

"I don't think Katsuya believes in himself as much as the others do. His self-esteem is better than it used to be, but he doesn't have the ruthlessness of a born winner. He won't do whatever possible to win."

"… But Bakura, it's just card games."

Musing over it, the white haired male shrugged. What Anzu said was right, but still… Although the teen wasn't very aggressive, nor much of a fighter, he knew a thing or two about what it took to survive. For a long time, he watched in the sidelines as Yugi and his friends fumbled through Domino, winning card games and getting titles for themselves. He deserved far more credit than what people gave him.

"It's not just a card game, Anzu. For some people, like Yugi, it's a way of life. They can't afford to lose."

This was true. Feeling a bit humbled, Anzu slouched into the couch thinking over it. Her face had the expression of puzzlement as her blue eyes stared blankly in front of her. It explained everything really. Why her friends took such stupid games so seriously. When Yugi told her he was going to America to make something of it, she shouldn't have dismissed it so quickly in her mind. He was serious about it.

And Kaiba. There was no question there, the man was as serious as a toothache when it came to duel monsters. Very little mattered more to him.

"… I wish I could stay longer, Anzu, but it's getting late and I got to get going. Whenever you're feeling lonely just give me a call. School doesn't have me too strapped down yet that I can't visit an old friend."

Always the gentleman, Bakura helped his host place all the leftovers away. After putting them into the fridge, Anzu gave him a hug. It was so rare that she ever got to see a friend from high school. College afforded her new acquaintances, but not like the true friendships she formed at Domino High. It pulled at her heart a little.

"I'll see you around, Bakura. Be safe."

And with a wave and a nod, the teen was gone.