A/N Warnings: Eyesore first paragraph - but serves some kind of visual/metaphorical purpose. Hopefully. And references to the manga.
Everything flows and nothing abides, everything gives way and nothing stays fixed. ~ Heraclitus
Ryou had never been one from confrontation. He had always dreaded it as a child, made a conscious effort to avoid problems ("No, no mother, really Amane can have it…I-ii was done playing with it anyway."). Naturally, because his father believed that having a child who would do as he's told no matter what was a good thing, Ryou never outgrew it. He lived life like sea foam on the ocean, drifting with each wave, never breaking from the current. That was all he knew. And when he receives the ring, it is still all he knows. He can never take it off, never wants to take it over and sometimes he'll wake up not knowing where he is but he accepts this. Ryou accepts, Ryou reacts but never does he disturb the established flow. He'll hear a voice, harsh but strangely soothing, like waves crashing against the shore. (Give into me, yadonushi, give me control…) And he listens, and he transfers from school to school, like the sea foam goes from wave to wave. Just to keep afloat, just to keep moving and then there is – Yuugi ("Monster World huh? That sounds like fun Bakura-kun!) – who is a disruption, who sends ripples through Ryou's world, shakes it up so much that he can't fall back in sync with the waves and that voice is there again and that voice is hurting his friends – his friends! – (You will not ruin this for me. I will have the puzzle!)
No!
He breaks away from the flow. Starts a new current.
And he holds his head up high, his eyes burn with a sort of resigned fury; defiance in the face of certain failure.
I won't let you hurt them.
A/N Just want to say thanks for the amazing response last chapter! Each review warmed my heart.
Review again, please!
(So. Fireproof readers should go to my profile ASAP, after they are done reviewing of course.)
