Author's Notes:
So I wrote up a plan that outlines the last 5 or so chapters of this story. Um…that's about it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Trigger: Minor description of scars. I should put these in more often.
Taking Sides
"How've you been feeling?" The King eventually asks.
"It's hard to hide the fact I'm growing fangs." Ryou retorts.
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"Perhaps," Bakura muses, leaning forward with a sly smile. "Smile for me." He purrs.
"Why am I growing fangs?" Ryou asks evenly.
"Please, I wanna see those pearly whites." Bakura continues, his sly smile morphing into a wicked smirk.
Ryou opens his mouth, ready to snap back at him, but stops. The boy closes his eyes, taking a deep breath to clear his mind before speaking once again. "Bakura. Why am I growing fangs?"
"Well, Ryou, we've had sex, and it hurt. So, to stop the pain and allow us to be together, I started turning you into a demon." Bakura answers, moving from his seat to pull his angel from the chair. "We could be together, forever."
"You know we can't. Look Bakura, I'm...flattered, but this is crazy. How'd you even do it, that's a forbidden spell."
"You're not the only one who uses illegal magic." Bakura croons. "Now let's see those pearly whites."
This time, the demon forces the angel's jaw open by pressing on the hinges of the angel's jaw. Ryou's knees buckle slightly under the crushing force, causing the boy to lean into the demon.
"Beautiful, just beautiful." Bakura releases the boy, and the angel staggers back a few steps, clasping his hands over his mouth.
"Careful, there's a chair behind you." The demon snorts, turning away from the angel. He heads to the drink table, picking up a bottle from an ice bucket in the middle of the table and heading to where Ryou had been seated only moments before. The demon downs the alcohol still in the cup, pouring the new drink into the empty chalice.
"Is that?" Ryou asks.
"Yes. Remember last time?"
"So, a demon. Not a vampire." Ryou confirms, returning to the table to pick up his own glass.
"I would never let you become so pathetic."
Ryou stares at the drink, breathing in its fumes deeply. The boy's cheeks flush and for a moment, he looks like he'll be sick. But, he brings the cup to his lips anyway and takes a sip, enjoying the rich and iron tang of blood.
Bakura looks on in appreciation as the angel slowly drinks the liquid. He watches as the boy's Adam's apple bobs with each gulp and licks his lips as the glossy fluid disappears from the glass.
Once he is done, Ryou puts the glass back on the table and gingerly cleans his mouth with his napkin before daintily sitting down in his seat.
"So, about this war." Ryou starts, looking from Bakura to his empty chair.
The demon slides into his seat, watching Ryou the whole time.
"Yes?"
"First and foremost, we need to draw up a treaty." Ryou starts. Bakura smirks.
"Of course, just understand that since you lost, we will be rewarded."
"I will let you do what you wish with me one last time." Ryou answers smoothly.
"As tempting as that seems, I do need to look out for my kind. So I will have to decline."
Ryou cocks an eyebrow but finds himself smiling at the King. "Back to the war at hand. We've spent enough time fighting. now what?"
"What information have you recovered?" Bakura asks, his joshing attitude gone.
"Not much, we are working on a hunch more than anything else. Perhaps we should take some time to look further into it."
"Fine. Now, for the terms of this treaty." The demon looks at the angel, waiting for him to continue.
"Ah, yes. This is my first treaty, so hopefully you can walk me through it."
Bakura smirks at the angel's incompetence on one of the most basic skills in politics. "I thought you had to forgo most of your magic training in order to learn how to rule a country?"
"I know the basics and most of the intricacies, but I am by no means a master." The Prince responds. The boy takes a deep breath before blowing out a small blue wisp. Bakura watches as the boy delicately grabs said wisp and starts twirling it in his fingers. The tightly wound wisp slowly unfurls, forming a long sheet of energy.
Ryou stares at the sheet, inspecting it to make sure he has made the proper document before turning back to Bakura. "What do you wish? Be reasonable."
"I would like a shipment of slaves." Bakura starts, but stops when he sees the sharp look that Ryou gives him.
"No."
"You assume you have more power here than you do." Bakura threatens. "We need slaves and I cannot sit here and watch my demons slave away when I know your kind can do the same work, probably even better."
"There are no slaves in my kingdom." Ryou responds coolly.
"You pay all your servants?"
"Of course!"
"With what money?"
"The money from what we sell. Remember, angels are the one who produce the human novelties that we call food. Demons only find blood, something that they can only share with a few." Lectures the angel.
"We don't need food."
"Not as much as the humans require, but we are not higher plane beings. We still have some humanity left in us."
"Fine, I demand five years worth of free produce to feed every demon. One year's worth of meat, and you are to give up your throne and join me." The Demon King leans back, kicking his feet onto the table, right into his dirty dishes.
"A bit cheesy, no?" Ryou asks as he inscribes the demon's first two demands onto the parchment.
"It is, isn't it? Don't worry, you won't be queen or anything. I just need someone there to f*ck around with."
"No."
The sound of feet slamming the ground and hands smashing against the table causes the angel to jump. Brown eyes widen as the angel turns to stare at the angry Demon King.
"I don't know why you think you have any power here. If I demand something, you better follow through." The words come out in an almost incomprehensible growl
"I'm sorry for my disrespect." Ryou apologizes quickly, head-bowed. "Unfortunately, I cannot in good conscience offer my people as a form of recompense for this war. I as a Prince too have my obligations."
"Then why did you offer?" Bakura snarls, moving from his seat and stalking to where the Prince is seated.
"It was a joke."
"A dumb one."
"We are wasting time." Ryou switched the topic, hopping from his seat. He grabs the treaty that the two have made and hands it to the Demon King. "I should be going now. we will meet again in a week to discuss what we have learned."
"Three days."
"Three days it is." Ryou amends.
"And Ryou," the angel turns around when he hears his name being called, giving a questioning glance at the demon.
"When you come back, you will be mine."
"That's what you think." Ryou succumbs under Bakura's stare, turning his head to face the fabric-ladened walls instead.
Bakura walks over to the waiting boy, looping his arm through the boy's before guiding him out of the tent.
"Bakura?" Ryou whispers, as he is led to his pick up area. Upon seeing the two arrive, the servants scurry off to retrieve the carriage.
"Yes?" Bakura responds, watching the commotion and looking over the shorter boy's head to find a suitable carriage for the Prince.
"Beware of Iona." The familiar creaking of the carriage's wheels stop Bakura from saying anything more.
Ryou is handed off to one of the servants, who helps him into the carriage. With a final farewell, the angel sets off.
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Saliva drips from Marik's mouth as he inhales in the sweet, alluring aroma of the medium steak. The boy rips at the meat, juice violently splattering across the table.
Anzu watches in horror as the vegetarian devours the meat before him. But that can't account for all the horror she feels; directly to the left, Yugi blissfully eats his burger. Nothing wrong, right? Until you notice how red the meat is and how red theliquid trickling down the boy's chin is. A quick swipe of the tongue licks up the blood before it falls back onto Yugi's clothes, and the boy makes an effort to lick his fingers clean of blood every time he puts the burger down.
Joey eats with the most decorum, although Joey's table manners have never been good to start with. The boy chows down on his lamb chops, the tender meat harshly ripped from its bones.
"You guys are eating like demons!" Anzu exclaims in terror. No one pays attention to the girl, the food before them too good and too scrumptious to pass up.
Anzu rises from her seat, prepared to head out and warn Ishizu of the their concerning shift in appetite, but before the girl can make it to the flap of the tent, someone else enters.
In walks a man that many had suspected mightn't return.
"Is Ryou here?" King Bakura questions.
The room falls silent at the sight of the old man who's relying heavily on a cane to merely stay upright. His face is slowly recovering from the multitude of burns. The once blue hair that covered his head is gone, replaced with discolored scar tissue.
"He's not here." Malik mutters, hurriedly wiping any juices from his face.
"And where is he?" The King asks, glaring at the teenagers.
"Discussing who tried to murder you." Malik answers. A flash of something crosses the King's face, and Malik quickly adds, "My liege."
"Discussing with who?"
"King Bakura."
"What have they found?" Now the King looks interested.
"They believe it was done by the Half'n'Halfs."
The King nods thoughtfully. "I see, and when shall he be returning?"
"Soon."
"Good." And with that, the King turns and hobbles out of the tent, leaving the group in an awkward silence.
Author's Notes:
Well, we are coming to a close.
Review?
Do you think there is too much dialogue in this story as a whole? I do.