Oh crap
Thought Atemu as he looked at Yugis' eyes from a distance, oh those purple eyes.
Yugi had obviously seen him, it was clear from his body movements and eye contact to Atemu.
He stiffened up more than a normal human when he saw the new Atemu, like he knew who he was even though he didn't look anything like his old self, nor did he speak, so why was he looking at him?
b-but he couldn't, I look totally different
Atemus' thought as he directed eyes into more of a general view, to make it look like he wasn't looking at him (something that Shecka had taught him, a good thing too, Atemu was extremely prone to concentrating on one thing, but he was better now.) and tried to keep calm with deep breaths and averting gazes, but he was already a salmon in hot water at that moment.
Yugi had already seen him, which was very, very bad, worse thing that could have happened.
He wanted to see Yugi again, yes of course, but not when it could go like he was a complete jerk or forgot about Yugi.
Which he hadn't, he was just confused on how to talk to him again, plus he was nervous on his past destroying his sprit.
Then there was also the fact that he was thrown into the world alone with no one else, but who would understand his plead when he was with a 12 year girl in a huge city?
Yugi was starting to ignore him again, whew, a lucky break for Atemu, this time.
Soon Yugis' hair blended into the crowds, which was hard with his mount Everest hair style (something that had bother Atemu from the very start of being fused with Yugi, he still wondered how Yugi kept his hair up like that).
His heart stopped pounding vigorously by his rib cage like it had when Yugi and Atemu exchanged deep eye gazes, his body was loosening up now from the shock of Yugi.
Atemu wiped the sweat from his forehead, his secret was safe, for now at least.
After the near exposed experience, Atemu felt a slight lunge in his stomach, something about that fright made him feel different to himself.
Perhaps he needed adventure, he didn't want it, he needed it like blood in a animal, like water in a lake, like the sun on the earth.
Perhaps adventure had moulded him into the man he was today.
Mysteries, adventure, living life to its fullest, maybe that was the empty place inside of him, maybe he was melancholic from no adventure, these were all many good cases going to his adventure bone.
Well, it was either that or he was hungry.
Hungry for food, or adventure?
The little voice inside his head asked him quietly, though Atemus' head strongly objected to the voice.
That voice had haunted him for years, ever since he was a child, though that was when the voice was telling him to spy on his fathers council, not nagging him for adventure and questioning his own life style.
But his logical side of his head spoke back firmly, as it always did, well most of the time.
Its my stomach, that's final
But that little voice, oh that little annoying voice still nagged at him like a pointless jab in the back, digging into his sole with the perfect words.
Ok, I'll back off, but maybe you should think
And with that, the topic was closed with his head and the voice, though the voice still nagged at him through those words, something was triggered in him at that moment, though he ignored it.
Atemu decided to go against the idea of him needed something he despised and asked his almost adoptive little sister, who was quite confused and to be frank, scared.
"Hey Angel, do you want to get something to eat, im sure Shecka will go and get some to eat soon too"
Which was true, he wasn't lying a bit in his mind, Shecka hadn't eaten since the breakfast the previous day that he knew of, but Angel and Atemu had eaten last night, though it was starting to become afternoon, and they had all done a fair bit of walking.
But Atemu didn't know the exact time since he lacked a watch, probably he should have bought a watch rather then a laptop.
Cal, well, Atemu had no idea when she ate last, she tended to eat from her boxing tournament money, usually she ate like a queen and starved herself for days after because of her extreme lack of money, that was something to note about Cal, she was wary about everything but money.
Not that Shecka cared in the least about when they ate, as long as there food lasted for awhile and that they were able to pay for rent.
Atemus' eyes looked amused for a moment as he remembered when Cal brought home the hugest sundae anyone had ever seen, and he remembered when everyone then started a ice cream fight after, then he reverted back to his normal, calm face as he remembered when Shecka (who was out at the time of the great ice cream fight) made them clean up the mess.
Angels' eyes brightened and she nodded, that meant yes for her, Atemu felt his pants pockets to ensure his thoughts were a reality.
Good, there was about fifty dollars in there from his savings from competitions with some of his other street friends. (who I will tell you more in detail about later, though now is not the right time)
Though Atemu did do some part jobs when people were out at places, he still needed a good flowing source of income.
Atemu decided that he had enough money to go to the spaghetti factory, (a popular restaurant and a favourite of the gangs, not to mention the city of Victoria) plus he was interested in getting some of there chicken, which was acclaimed the best of the best, and for a good reason too, it was a very high class breed of chicken (one of Atemus' quirks for all you know it alls: Atemu always looked for what everything was made out of for food products).
It may hurt his wallet slightly, but the food would be enough for Atemu to eat for a whole week, so it did save food in a sense, well that is…if he made sure not to buy anything else for the next few days so he could last for rent (something that Shecka handled personally as none of them were really good with money.
Well, except Atemu, but that was with ancient tribe exchanges on the Nile river, not with rent payments for a small shack by a ocean side).
Atemu took Angel by the hand to the old spaghetti factory, Angel liked eating there as well so it was a win/win situation to put it bluntly and not logically, but with hunger you can never think logically, can you?
Then Shecka and Cal would probably be there soon anyways, since god knows how long it had been since they actually eaten a good meal and not just fried packages of unnamed food, which was probably a few days at the least for Cal, so they would probably be entering a few moments after Atemu and Angel.
Atemu looked at the line leading out of the café, this was definitely going to take a little while, since it was lunch time, a peak hour for the factory, it wasn't a good time for anyone to go there if they were in a hurry, though a lot of tourists who came for the sites didn't know that.
Though Atemu could still smell the sweet scent of garlic bread coming from the outside of the restaurant from a distance, it was like a siren calling him to feast on the Italian food and fancy pizzas with the perfect amount of sauce distributed to each piece as almost flawlessly.
It was turning into a hot day, so the factory opened the outside of the restaurant. (where many men and women were eating Italian food and chatting up a storm, something Angel was used to in the busy city life, but Atemu had to get used to. To be honest though, Atemu never had gotten fully used to it)
Which made more people prone to its sweet aromas that was in the inside of the place that dragged people in like a magnet, a sweet smelling magnet.
Even though this seems strange, it is true because Angel and Atemu were attracted to the smell of the spaghetti being cooked fresh by a cook in the back who obviously knew what he was doing.
There were about four people ahead of Atemu and Angel in line, though that may seem bad, it was actually a good thing since there were usually ten people ahead of them at this time and date, which was usually at the peak of eating, such as lunch and dinner where many people ate the spaghetti no matter what weather.
Atemu looked at the factory, it had two floors (one for richer class and one for normal classed people in the city) and was made out of bricks on the outside, but was very Italian styled inside.
Quite fancy might I say as well.
Red and brown were the main colour scheme, as if to depict the wonderful and mysterious city of Venice in perhaps what you would call a American dominated world with football and hockey. (something that Atemu didn't like in any way, he thought that sports were a waste a time.)
It was nice to see the laid back styles of a different culture just outside of Atemus' front door, it gave him a different depiction of life in itself, possibly because life in other countries wasn't as fast paced as life in prosperous cities like Vancouver and Victoria, either way though, Atemu liked the culture of little Italy more than his Egyptian styled old way of life.
Perhaps it was because of the horrible past he had there that made him more open to other cultures, or perhaps it was Italy's great food that made him like the country more than his homeland.
Two more people were ahead of him now, oh why does time seem to go so slowly when your in a line waiting for food?
Atemu actually had time to think about that question because it would take awhile for the line to move, the restaurant was probably hosting parties or a class of children in there as Atemu could see by the crowds coming in and out of the place, many people liked going across the street to the Imax theatre and museum, (the only one on the island, and a popular one at that.)
But at that instant when he started to ponder on the question a certain someone had tapped him on the back slightly and politely.
Atemu tensed and turned around with terror, though tried to keep it concealed (with barely any success).
That certain someone had purple eyes and blonde hair, well blonde and a few other colours to say the least.
That someone was Yugi motto, and that someone was looking him right into Atemus' shocked eyes.
Oh no.
Atemu thought as he turned around to see his old host staring at him with a look that Atemu could not see a certain emotion in, perhaps many fused in a such a confusing way that even Atemu could not understand.
Or perhaps it was one that Atemu overlooked in his minds usual sharp and skilfully adept eyes.
Atemu gulped while thinking, he was in trouble, though Angel had already opened her mouth, which saved Atemu from talking…for a few moments.
Though it ruined his idea of the slight chance he had of pretending to be a mute or insane and to get out of there as quick as he could, in other words, in and out was his idea of a good plan.
"Hello, Ki!"
Angel smiled broadly and boldly, she obviously had no idea who Yugi was and didn't really care.
Natural though, Angel had really no idea what Celebes were in or even what new stuff in general was in.
I guess the phrase "sister to sister" worked in this situation as both of them were oblivious to the new American and Canadian world.
Well, come on, the girl wears cosplay outside, who would where cosplay outside, though I bet more people than your thoughts, which are probably aren't really that many, but then he hadn't been to a cosplay convention before.
Atemu obviously thought that it wasn't too strange, but it was very, very strange in the real world.
But what could you say to a guy who was fused with a guy that had a Mohawk gone extremely wrong as a hairstyle.
Yugi smiled back with his ten times to nice smile, he was wearing a black T shirt and blue jeans with a black cap on, much like Atemus' only without the logo.
He must have not had any schooling today, thought Atemu, who was used to seeing his prior host in school uniforms.
Yugi replied to the girl nicely and almost sickly sweet way, it was a typical trademark Yugi expression on his face to her.
"Hello, nice to meet you"
Same old voice, Atemu thought with a mix of ease and nervousness as Yugi smiled at Sheckas' little sister like there was no tomorrow.
Yugi didn't look angry to be honest (though Atemu was to busy being nervous to look at Yugis' facial expressions to him) , more just he wanted answers, perhaps he was confused.
Perhaps Yugi knew more than he was letting them go on with his oblivious (yet somewhat cute) face.
Or perhaps he was just enjoying a nice lunch, though that would be the least likely one of these ideas as Yugi was a celebrity and could eat at other places besides downtown Victoria.
He spoke very calmly and almost in a monotone to Atemu, as if he wanted to make sure Atemu didn't get the better of him, though Atemu was already on the losing side of this battle, but he hadn't lost the war.
"I'll pay if we share a table."
Atemu in fact mentally paralyzed by Yugi and his maturity, his function to speak was gone for a slight moment, he could move his head, but only slightly for a quick, and short nod.
This was a more mature Yugi, a adult version of Yugi Motto.
Not a school boy looking for adventure, a full grown man seeking answers in this big world.
Perhaps it was from his host leaving him, or perhaps it was because of mystery that Atemu did not know to be brutally honest, and I wouldn't put that idea to sleep as Atemu no longer had any mind connections with Yugi as they were not bonded with the Millennium puzzle.
But whatever it was, Atemu didn't know what to pin on that made Yugi seem mature to him.
Atemu gulped slightly inside, as not to blow his façade (though that was long gone, Atemu still wanted to show that he was, and always would be, the older one), still in more than subtle shock that Yugi was acting mature.
His voice was still the same as always, yes, but the way he presented himself was different, it was a adults way of presenting himself to a client, something Yugi never had done when they were bonded.
He wasn't like Kaiba, somehow Atemu could tell he just matured but not in a serious way, or like a rapid growth plant that sprouts and then gets destroyed from too much of a child soul, Atemu could notice this when Yugi greeted Angel in such a kind manner, something that Seto Kaiba would have never done. (he would have just grunted and ignored her)
In other words, Yugi was mature, but not too mature.
_________
Angel was still very confused at what was going on as they sat all in a private room at the top of the restaurant (something she had never experienced in her life as her sister was for lack of a better word: cheap), giving the trio a wonderful view of the shining city, well that was until you got a view at the homeless people in the city, but all three of them tried to ignore that as they sat down.
I suppose it would have looked a little odd a huge celebrity like Yugi Motto eating with a cosplay girl and a man in a hockey jersey, a idea that given to the eyes of Seto Kaiba , would be outlawed.
Not to mention a group of card game fanatics would have died to go upstairs to eat with Yugi Motto (not to mention some high class businessmen who would want a cut in his earnings.)
Atemu couldn't help but find it entertaining to see people act weird around them about simple food, though it wasn't really the food they wanted, it was they attention of Yugi Motto (and not to mention Yugi would probably pay for anything, as he was for this particular meal.)
I mean, if they wanted it that bad, why not go home and cook?
That was something that Atemu could not do, if you didn't realise, the house of the four friends didn't have what you call, actual electricity.
Everything they used ran off batteries, ('a little goes a long way' said Shecka after they went to the dollar giant to buy about 12 packs of batteries for six dollars, though the commute had cost them 15.) sure it wasn't perfect, but it was there style.
That was all that mattered to the four friends, they were all different from normal humans, but they always asked themselves (but not to each other) what was a normal human? Though none of them ever openly expressed these thoughts to anyone (not even little Angel, who was entering her slightly more secretive phase, but was still pretty much the same).
After they had ordered there food and the waiter (who expressed disgust quite clearly with a snort at Atemus' outfit as he was wearing a tux himself, but Atemu had ignored the stares with ease) had left yugi started to talk, Atemu was squirming in his seat like a child who was being scolded for breaking their mothers' priceless vase or some other sort of valuable.
"Well its nice to see you again."
Yugi said calmly, it looked like he was nervous as well for some reason as well, obviously he wasn't all cool at the moment.
His body movements were slightly jerky as he put his hand on the table, though it was as if his 'trying to be calm' voice was somewhat soothing to him and made him slightly more cool, as if trying to deny his real emotions.
Though this was a guess since as Atemu was not the best mind reader in the world and without the millennium puzzle, he realised Yugi was a lot more complicated if you didn't know what was he thinking at every moment of the day (and that included in dreams, though Atemu tried to block those thoughts best he could.)
It was somewhat odd to Atemu, but he understood that they were no longer one person.
They were two men, with two different minds and two different lives.
Angel was watching the two old friends look shamelessly at each other like deer caught in headlights, for they did not dare to blink, nor to move much a muscle.
Though like I said before, she didn't understand why Atemu knew Yugi at all, and she didn't know Atemus' past.
Though she had her own theories of course, she could go off on a million ideas with just merely looking at a picture of a situation.
Angel started to hum a odd tune and try to well, not pay attention to the intense staring contest that was going on.
Atemu gulped inside, this was going to most likely be intense.
Though he wasn't some wimp, I mean he could control being around Yugi for just one meal.
It was just eat and go, I mean, how hard could that be? Right?
Atemu tussled his hair back effortlessly and calmly replied in a fashionable tone that seemed like merely saying 'please pass the salt', even though the topic was more intense that merely salt passing.
Both Atemu and Yugi knew at least that.
"As for you as well, how could fit the puzzle together when you missed a piece. Did you cut a piece to make it fit, or did you find it once again?"
Atemu was speaking in riddles, he was trying to keep his cool and to basically get Yugi to start thinking.
He was simply asking;
Nice to meet you as well. How did you know it was me when you didn't hear my voice? Or did someone tell you, or perhaps you did hear my voice somewhere.
He just spoke it in the most complex forum he knew how, he was trying to challenge Yugi in the best way he knew how.
If he was ready to let go, he would have learned the way he spoke in the old ways, which was what most people talked in to confuse others.
He would have known how Atemu spoke, and he would have taught himself how to follow in the same ways.
It was the ultimate test to see if Yugi had learnt anything without his Yami.
But more importantly, Atemu was just speaking in intense riddles to try to keep his cool.
Like tones of calmness where soothing for Yugi, speaking in riddles seemed to relax Atemu.
Yugi was definitely confused at the placement of words for a few moments, he clicked his tongue like the words were a flavour he had long forgotten, but they were still there, very deep down.
Finally after a moment of silence Yugi had stopped clicking his tongue in the strange fashion and understood what his past Yami had asked him.
Which Atemu didn't blame him to take a moment of thought, bright and taking time was better than dull and being quick like a fox, but without the answered in the same method as Atemu did, he obviously was feeling slight pressure of being tested by his Yami because he was still jolty as he answered.
"The piece was uncovered from a poet from the seas."
Which meant only one thing, Tristan knew who he was as well.
But what could have made them know?
The gig was up, Atemu didn't know how though.
He had played the game well, though there must have been a rule he had missed which made his plan fall apart, a missing piece gone, perhaps another trick behind the box that he never realised.
What could it have been though?
Atemu had always been a master at games, but how was he outplayed.
When he did lose against Yugi, it was merely on purpose because he had plans to come back to the time he so passionately loved, though the deal of coming back was not fully certain, so when he did lose, he was still half trying.
Atemu cleared his throat and shifted his weight to his side as he spoke, trying to keep his cool.
"I understand, any other reasons for this meeting?"
Yugi nodded and thought of what he was going to say.
Yugis' purple eyes stared at Angel in curiosity, almost imminently Atemu had placed his arm around Angels' shoulder as a safety concern.
Well, they were close enough to be siblings and Atemu was slightly overprotective of Angel.
Angel merely shrugged and smiled at Yugi, typical Angel.
She would trust anyone who walked in front of her saying hi, it was pretty stupid.
But who could blame her when they once were all in a condition to trust anyone who gave them money.
Before Atemu was joined with them, a few years before even anyone met together but Angel and Shecka. (the two sisters obviously stuck together)
All Shecka had told Atemu that they were doing pretty bad three years ago, Atemu had assumed that the duo was most likely on the streets, starved for food.
But oh he was wrong, very wrong.
But I shall not dwell on the long lost past of the sisters when we are in direct Host V.S. Yami action (what other kind of action is there?).
At last Yugi questioned Atemu and pointed to Angel, his eyes gazed into Atemus' chocolate ones.
"Who is this, your heir?"
Atemu contemplated the phrase and rephrased from snorting quite loudly as Angel retorted back, by some miracle of god she understood what Yugi asked to Atemu.
But somehow, someway, Angel understood and there was no way to stop the retort from coming from Angels' loose lips.
Her tone was quite a loose serious one, it was hard to get attention when you are only a child like Angel herself.
"Me and Ate' aren't related Ki! And furthermore, who are you pointy haired man Ki!"
Atemu almost laughed as Angel joked about his previous hosts' hair as Yugi turned a deep red.
Yugi felt the top of his hair, surely it wasn't THAT pointy, though he did get a cut on it once after getting it cut by his grandpa.
Angel couldn't help but snicker as Yugi felt the top of his hair, obviously trying to see if Angels' words were true.
I suppose it would have looked quite foolish to reach over the top of your head, and definitely it wasn't casual to do so in a restaurant, no matter what queer fashion you did so in.
But I wouldn't put it past Yugi to see if this theory was right, he had been tormented all through middle school about his 'do' and it was shocking that a kid mentioned it for a insult.
Anyways, it wasn't like a Tokyo mew mew cosplayer was that normal either.
I mean, she was wearing a cosplay item in a restaurant, what was she, some anime geek? Though Yugi didn't say that, for some reason he knew that Atemu would defend Angel at all costs.
Yugi replied to Angels' question after the inspection on his hair.
"I am Yugi Motto, king of games."
Angel broke out into a laughing streak that seemed to go on for minutes, Yugis' words seemed to humour her in a odd way.
Atemu rolled his eyes at his little cosplaying friend, obviously trying to find out the humour in Yugis' words.
He looked over and over them, nope, he could find no humour around them, probably just a Angel thing anyways.
Yugi looked very confused, but still looked very kind as Angel replied to the duos confused faces.
She struggled to speak as she was laughing so hard.
"Well, you were just a lot taller on a TV I saw in a store, and you had a voice like Ates' Ki!"
Atemu and Yugi gave looks at each other, now they both were in hot water, possibly soon to be boiling water.
What if Angel discovered there past? Atemu hadn't told anyone, even Shecka, his confidant, about his past.
Plus Angel was a little blabber mouth when it came to gossip, Atemu knew this from the many times she blabbed to him about her other friends.
Though for some reason, she didn't care about saying this stuff to other people.
They both knew that Atemus' voice was one of a kind and well, how long was it going to take for a child to figure out there secret?
Atemu wiped his forehead, there was no sweat there, but he felt necessary to have a involuntary motion then.
Angel was smiling at the two of them brightly, oh she looked like she didn't understand what was going on.
But she understood all, at least she thought she did, but she wasn't going to spill the beans yet on what she thought was the truth.
Though with Angel, her thoughts could be right on the money, or way off the check.
No sire, like I have said before, Angel is not a little Angel as her name states, quite the opposite.
She would wait for the perfect time to tell them that she knew everything and that she was going to blab it unless some conditions were placed, then possibly she could get something out of it, like one of those fancy games from though pawn shops that she had seen so many times while Cal took her along when she bought herself some nice boxing gloves, or some more weapons of mass destruction. (in other words, usually anything that Atemu would despise in every fashion.)
Even though Sheckas' acting paid for the rent, Angel never got anything fun from anyone.
Mainly because work for acting was hard on the island and breaks were rare, so the 'save every penny' idea was planted into Angels' head, though she hated the rule.
She longed to play games like normal children played and enjoyed, she always ask strange questions to Atemu, such as:
'What is a duel disk Ate' Ki?'
And
'Do you know what duel monsters are Ate'?"
Atemu didn't know her lack of toys and games, he just thought that Angel merely was being Angel and no more.
Though Atemu never really looked into Angels' room.
It was quite depressing, it had some cosplay and props in it, which was the best Shecka could do for giving her toys, but other than that it just had clothes and her bed.
Quite sad actually, her room was anything but a normal children's room.
Though Angel was going to do anything, I mean anything, do know what it felt to be normal, to fit in, just like everyone else in the big old wide world…
In many ways, her and Atemu were similar, they just wanted to be normal.
Which Shecka was trying to do, though they lived a life anything but normal.
A snake girl, a pharaoh, a child with no toys or childhood memories and a actress living in a shack in Victoria.
Tell me if that was normal, I think not and I believe you would agree with my words here.
Angel and Atemu were very similar, though radically different.
Angel was a sweet innocent girl.
While Atemu used to be quite a cruel pharaoh, a very cruel pharaoh.
But Atemu was what you call, half reformed.
He always had that memory of cruelty, of evil, lurking in his mind and always searching in his heart to turn it evil again.
There was always one more door, one more shadow of bad memories left in his head to think about in the end.
Those memories had haunted Atemu, and still did to this very day.
But, I will not let you dwell on this nor deepen your curiosity ever more, since we must continue our tale
Atemu made a nod to Yugi as a sign to change the topic, and fast.
Yugi obviously knew what Atemu said through body motions, which was pretty clear if you were Yugi motto.
Finally the food came, good food could break up any conversation, which was probably why Yugi always got stuck with the bills, because by some wonder the conversation always stopped on who was going to pay the bill, and by some wonder they said that Yugi said himself that he would pay.
Funny how life works out huh?
Which was comical all the same, no matter how much Yugi complained about it.
Though this time Yugi offered to pay, so Atemu didn't expect a complaint from Yugi when the bill came, though it would be entertaining to heart Atemu talk himself out of a check, but that is not the tale of our story.
Angel picked the specialty of the restaurant, the perfectly tasting spaghetti with deep red sauce that looked like millions of men slaved over it, though the look wasn't all, it was the taste and smell as well that made it perfect.
The aroma coming from her plate was lovely, it smelt like little Italy, or what Angel assumed little Italy smelt like.
Angel was not what you would call a worldly person, though she wanted to be.
On the side of her plate was fresh garlic bread with a smell that would drive vampires away quickly.
As fast as a raccoon feasting into garbage, Angel was eating the great tasting food, savouring every bite, but still eating quite fast.
Her drink was iced tea, the ice cubes were still quite solid as they bounced around in the cup.
Atemu decided to go with the baked chicken, garlic and lemon juice garnished the chicken lovely with the garlic smell overtaking the plate of food as well.
For his side dish he had the desirable garden salad, the tomatoes were as fresh as Yugis' hair was crazy.
Atemu poured ranch dressing on his salad, carefully of course, there was nothing worse then a overdose of ranch dressing on your perfect salad, that could ruin any meal in a snap.
His drink was the Italian strawberry cream soda, it was like a normal soda only more decorative.
The colour was pink and there was cream on the top, surrounding the lovely drink.
And, of course, what would be a Italian strawberry cream soda without a ripe, juice cherry on top that was picked at perfection.
Yugi had chosen the gourmet jumbo crab ravioli, it was like regular ravioli, only instead of meat stuck in it, it was crab meat.
Tender crab meat to be correct, the slight seafood smell may put some people off, actually many people off, it was a what you call 'born taste' to like it.
But for Yugi, it was a delectable treat to savour.
On the top of the ravioli, there was cheese mixed with pesto alfredo sauce.
It was truly a kings meal, which was perfect for the king of games I suppose.
Yugi decided to drink the Italian cherry cream soda, which was the same as Atemus, only slightly darker to provoke the cherry flavour which was also a wonderful flavour for the drink.
They started to eat, then there conversation started to loosen from the tight straps it had before.
Yugi decided to talk after swallowing a rather big piece of crab that had been in the ravioli, though oddly, none of the contents went on his face, just in his mouth.
"So where have you been lately? I haven't see you in any tournaments."
Atemu resisted to scoff at that, he had no intention of playing any more card games that risked his life again.
Atemu carefully ate a piece of his chicken with his knife and fork, placing the food in his mouth flawlessly as usual.
Well, he had been drilled to eat perfectly when he was but a mere child of ten, why not use those skills in real life?
Angel, on the other hand, was constantly using her cloth to wipe the edges of her mouth after almost every bite, needless to say Angel was not a clean eater.
After Atemu swallowed his food and put his utensils down he responded in a proper manner, even though the topic was nothing but proper.
"I have no intention of playing card games at the moment."
Yugi almost choked on his cream soda (which he was taking a sip of when Atemu confessed) in shock.
Atemu used to be so into card games, he loved playing them with a passion.
What was so different?
Luckily Yugi didn't choke, which was good I suppose.
He was only shocked, like someone had punched him extremely had in the shoulder flexes, like being winded.
Atemu continued to eat, the tension had come back like a spider coming for another attack.
Yugi stopped his calm look and said in a rather confused and gasped tone.
"What do you mean!? I thought you loved card games!"
Atemu took a sip of his drink, his calmness was back while Yugis' was missing.
Angel retorted quite angrily back to Yugi, like Angel was speaking Atemus' true feelings on the matter.
Which was probably true, Atemu did not like to say such things so blunt, but Angel always did say what was on her mind.
A free speaker you could call her
"How do you know what my friend likes and doesn't like, he's his own person! Ki"
Yep, exactly what Atemu wanted to say, as usual.
He may not have known it, but he had changed a lot since being in his own body, besides looks.
He was not as blunt, not as angered as easily, and he wasn't into risking his life for no reason anymore.
Though he never realised that, he knew that he was slightly different, but not that much.
Angel was back to eating, even though she had just said something to change the conversation, she thought eating was more important.
Though she was keeping a open ear just to make sure she didn't miss anything big.
Though unfortunately, that ear was also listening to the beat, Vancouver's hottest radio station.
That, unfortunately, had her favourite song on, Hannah Montana's 'see you again'.
So long story short, Angel wasn't really paying attention to the duos' conversation as some would think at first sight.
So the conversation was really only between Yugi and Atemu, Angel was off in la la land, listening to the hottest songs of this era.
Atemu dabbed his napkin to each side of his mouth, just to ensure that he didn't get any juices of the chicken on his lips, which probably wasn't even there since Atemu was always neat with his food.
Yugis' face was clearly saying;
Is it true?
Atemu obviously understood what his Ex host was saying through his expressions and face movements.
He answered in a calm tone, as if to keep Yugi calm himself.
Though inside, he was slightly still jittery about telling Yugi about it all.
Sure Yugi acted mature, but was he really ok with all of this?
Atemu was still in the dark to that question, and it was a mystery that he would find out.
"Aye, it is true, I am not interested in card games of life and death anymore."
Yugi sighed and took a sip of his drink calmly, he looked let down in some way, like there was something he was dying to ask him, but Atemu unknowingly let him down.
Angel was humming to see you again while the two were talking, Atemu found this slightly irritating, but thought better than telling her to stop, because she probably wouldn't.
Besides, he would probably get used to it, right?
I mean he did get used to Shecka and her weird friends (who were now his weird friends, though he was weird also in a fact).
So it would be easy enough to get used to Angels' singing, at least it should be.
Atemu ate more of his chicken, there was still a good quarter of it left and Atemu was quite hungry, so he obviously ate more.
Angel had finished her meal, she tended to be a fast eater, but a slow drinker.
This was obvious since she had over half of her drink left, but she was slowly starting to lower her drink level to empty, but she most likely did this out of boredom and a rule from Shecka to finish every thing on your plate if someone buys it for you.
Yugi had about half of his food left, but he was almost done his drink. (mainly from drinking in spots of silence between everyone.)
Atemu finished off his meal, as did Yugi, after about fifteen minutes of awkward silence.
Yugi got up, obviously going to pay the bill and to leave, but he also threw a card to Atemu before he left.
He walked away, almost madly, though it was clear that he was disappointed by the way he through the card to his Ex Yami.
After he had left, Atemu looked at Angel, she was curiously looking at the card, trying to figure out the peculiar picturing on it.
Atemu gazed at the card to see what was Angels' curiosity and almost gasped in fear as Yugi walked away.
That card was a sole card like Pegasus's.
That card was of Joey, Tea, and Tristan.