A/N: Oh dear GOD, I've been out of the writing loop for so long X_x
Forgive me if these chapters are somewhat terrible.
A thought struck me the other day. Why do these Sues in fanfics never get antsy/emotional/angry on their periods? They're all supposed to be physically mature enough to have them, right? They already have DD-cups.
Oh yes, past me appears to be mocking present me. I had already planned out that Sophie's Grandmother died of breast-cancer and WHAT goes and happens? BLAH. Only one thing I can say about that.
I'M FUCKING MAGIC, MOFOS.
~Ava
~XxX~
I was standing over my sink, hands braced on either side as pain stabbed in my abdomen.
I fucking hated my period.
It was about two hours after I'd smugged off out of Kaiba's…'private' office and I had been feeling a tad queasy for a while. I, in my infinite wisdom, had pegged it on altitude sickness from being back on the blimp. Upon giving myself this answer, I'd promptly collapsed in the middle of my room with the worse cramps imaginable and scrabbled through my emergency meds that I kept on my person at all times. To say that I kept them on my person was different, however, than saying that I kept them refreshed. The empty aspirin packet did nothing to make me feel better.
So now I was standing over my sink and glaring at the person in the mirror for being an idiot. Part of my brain, at the very back, noted that I could actually pull off 'deathly angry' glaring very well. Though another part of me noted that that was probably due to my actual hate for the pain and nausea I was feeling right now.
Well.
At least I had an answer as to my violent mood-swing from wanting to punch Kaiba to wanting to sleep.
I had already rummaged through the underside cupboard of the sink and it had turned up some personal and female hygiene items, so I wasn't unduly worried, however, the pain was a bastard I did not wish to deal with for the next few hours, let alone the next week. It may have lessened since it's initial onslaught, but it was still there, I imagined it like a trapdoor spider, lying in wait for when I least expected it next. My mind wandered, who would be likely to have pain meds? Who could I actually go to for pain medication? I raised an eyebrow to the girl in the mirror.
"Seriously? I didn't even think of the doctors?" I sighed and shook my head, "I wonder about myself sometimes." I pushed myself away from the sink and walked a bit around my room before deciding that the pain wasn't that bad anymore, but that I still needed to replenish my supplies. "To the hospital wing then." I muttered to no-one in particular.
~XxX~
The doctor I had finally found had been very helpful and had indeed given me one of the plentiful boxes of aspirin that were stocked around. I had been vaguely worried by his lack-a-daisical attitude to giving me them, but he'd explained that they wouldn't put twenty-six tabs in a packet if you could overdose on them. I was about to leave the room when, for the first time, I noticed the other occupant. I chastised myself for not seeing Mai - still soulless - and looking as though she was sleeping. If I had accused the doctor of being lack-a-daisical then I had been too self-absorbed. I glanced over to the white-coated man who was leaving the room, what was his name again? I didn't even know…
"I hope you're okay." I started, hesitating before walking over and seating myself next to Mai's bed. I sat stiffly, mostly uncomfortable due to the fact that (A) I didn't really know her and (B) I was talking to a soulless shell that used to be a laughy, smiling human being.
I shifted in the seat and took Mai's hand. Relaxing a tad at the last thoughts, I may not have known her but I knew how to deal with vegetables in hospital beds. And sometimes, just sometimes, you could get through to them a little, like they could hear you. I gathered my thoughts and thought over what I already knew about her.
"You'll be happy to know Joey's pissed as hell." I said, smirking as I thought about it, "He's gone off and sworn revenge for you. It's sweet, really, to see. But Téa and I are fairly wary of the consequences for him." I winced, "He does care for you, you know. he's just…well, Téa's right. He's kind of a jerk. More an emotionally stunted fool, but, yeah." I sighed and looked absent-mindedly around the room. "Oh! And Marik hasn't gotten to anyone else yet, so…that's good? I don't know really, Ryou's missing and Yugi doesn't seem to want to answer that question, so maybe he's got him too…" I paused and inspected Mai's nails, the silence not seeming as claustrophobic as I'd thought it would. "You know, I've forgotten why I even decided to talk to you. No offence," I added hurriedly in case she could hear me, "but I mean, I don't really know you. You just…remind me of the young women that were in the cancer ward back home." Another pause, "I don't even know why I just told you that." I looked back at Mai, people in comas had a fascinating tendency to be like giant ears. In my life I had realised that it was easier to talk to a person who wasn't moving and couldn't answer back that to actual live people. Oh, wait-"It's my birthday tomorrow…" I said, frowning out of the window above her bed, "Somewhere out there on land, my mother is either - well she almost certainly is - spitting fire over my absence, and/or wondering if I've run away again." My eyes bugged out of my head as I looked quickly down to Mai before remembering that she was in a coma and I was just talking to myself basically. "God, I've got to be more careful about who I start spilling childhood angst at." I laughed a little, disentangling my hand from Mai's and smiling slightly, "We are going to get you back. Somehow. Don't tell Yugi I said this, but I'm beginning to believe his whole…'faith in your heart/friends' schmaltz." I hooked my fingers round the phrase before getting up to leave.
"And what do we have here then?"
~XxX~
(I swear I will never EVER do another Author's Note in the prose, but MY GOD I really wanted to end the chapter there and torture you guys XD)
My heart stopped before spluttering back to life along with my speech.
"Ohgod." I choked out.
Marik, the insane one, was standing in the doorway, blocking the only exit. He was smiling, and not in the nice way.
"It's nice to see I inspire a healthy amount of…respect." He said, smiling still. My mind raced. He was an Androphonomaniac and happy with being so. I had read about them in my Psychology textbooks, 'Androphonomaniac' roughly translated as 'bat-shit crazy.' As my mind was blathering on my eyes tracked Marik across the room as he went to stand next to Mai's soulless form. I felt torn, one half of me wanting to protect her, yet knowing it would be useless, the other half wanted to run for her fucking life.
"Wh-" My voice came out strangled and shaky, I ignored Marik's amused look and took a steadying breath. I levelled my gaze at him, playing music in my head to drown out any encroaching hysteria. Unfortunately, the only music that really came to mind was 'Echo & The Bunnymen: Killing Time'. Not for the first time, I realised that my brain had a sick sense of humour and no tact. "What do you want here?" I asked, keeping my voice steady with no small effort. I was subjected to an intense once-over before being privy to an answer.
"Odion. Have you seen him, girl?" The question could have been innocuous, would have been innocuous, had it not been asked by a man who could flick his wrist and kill me. I debated back-chatting before realising that my self-preservation was of greater concern to me than my sarcasm.
"No." I answered shortly before deciding to chance a question, given the distance between myself and him, it would take him one short step to get within arms reach of me, by that time I could have shot out of the room, the way my body had tensed. "Are you…going to kill me?" A short, barked, laugh from the other man until he rounded fully on me.
"That depends," Marik shifted the Millennium Rod in his hand so it glinted in the moonlight slightly, "Are you going to cause me trouble?"
"I can't make promises I cannot keep." I answered slowly, choosing my words carefully.
"Neither can I." He shot back, lightning fast. "But no. Not at the moment." Another dark laugh, "Where would be the fun in killing you where no-one can see? Least of all the precious Pharaoh." He spat the last two words before grinning manically, "No. I'd rather kill you where he can see you, and he can know it was his fault another friend fell."
I was shaken, I can't lie. But I was also vaguely relieved, in a weird, weird manner. At least I wasn't going to die right now. I hoped. He was still insane, he could still go back on his…word.
"Forgive me if I don't fall to my knees in relief." I bit back sharply, forgetting my 'Life Sarcasm' equation in the heat of the moment. "You aren't someone who's word I can exactly trust."
"I assure you. The feeling is entirely mutual." He snickered as I kept my back to the wall, shifting nearer the door, ready to make a break for it if he did decided to renege on his vow. I kept my gaze locked on him too, as he turned is back to me. I fled, heart pounding so wildly in my chest I could feel it in my throat, nausea rising also and with everything else forgotten, I heard a yell.
"Tell your dear Pharaoh that I'm so looking forward to our next duel!"
~XxX~
I had run in a random string of twists and turns, for some reason in my irrational state it felt like Marik could see me through the walls, so I still ran. It took another three minutes for me to finally slow to a stop and lean against a wall, panting heavily. I still felt my heart thundering in my ribcage but at least, this time, it was due to an intense work-out session than almost being murdered. A hysterical thought crossed my mind, 'you're learning how to run in high-heels! You didn't break your ankles! Good for you.' I was still attempting to regulate my breathing when the door I had leant against whooshed open and I stumbled backwards, lost my balance and landed on the floor in a heap in the room beyond it.
There was an awkward moment.
"I thought I told you to leave me be, Callaghan."
~XxX~
A/N: Later today/ later tomorrow THEY'RE THE SAME THING, I SWEAR.
My god, you're all so lovely about why I was away! XD And yes, I promise I'll start writing again! I've already got so many ideas! And yes Shadow, the Sophie/Seto dynamic that used to be very "I HATE YOU, YOU BASTARD. / YOU'RE A USELESS ANNOYANCE." Is now more, "Oh dear lord you annoy me./ Why are you still here, go away." XDDD
I've almost finished the next chapter~~~
~Ava