Ryou, embarrassingly enough, proceeds to forget the puzzle in the two weeks it takes for him to settle into his new apartment. He is, once again, extraordinarily suspicious when he picks the puzzle up a day before school is scheduled to start and two and a half weeks after he moves in. Ryou remembers making a mental note to finish the puzzle as soon as he finished unpacking the necessities and buying furniture, and he is not someone who forgets anything, but he set it down and hadn't touched it for the entire two weeks. But today for some reason, he wakes up at eight and feels drawn towards the puzzle, sitting innocently on his desk, in the open, where it should've been impossible to forget. Ryou cautiously flips the puzzle around a couple times, and when he doesn't loose consciousness or forget his own name he figures it's safe enough. So Ryou grabs the last piece of the puzzle, fits it snuggly in place, and wakes up in bed sore all over.
Obviously, he has made an enormous miscalculation here. Ryou glances about and is only mildly surprised when he finds that the puzzle is now handing around his neck from a chain he is relatively certain he doesn't own. It's just like his father to give him a cursed artifact for a birthday present, he thinks, amused in a way that is only just staving off complete terror. Ryou, as carefully as a man defusing a bomb, lifts the necklace from his neck and lays it down on his bedside table. He considers writing to his father, but it's unlikely his father would write back in a timely manner, or indeed at all, and besides Ryou would rather not broadcast whatever insanity is invading him. Instead, he places the puzzle back in the box it came in, places that box deep in a dresser drawer and hopes it's enough.
Ryou checks a nearby clock and groans, it's about ten am, which means whatever happened with the puzzle, it had made him black out for a little over twenty four hours. He berates himself, from the beginning Ryou had known something was off about that puzzle, he feels like an idiot- he thinks the drawer is glowing. Ryou carefully opens the dresser drawer back open and feels his eyes widen. That can't be normal. The puzzle box is glowing and shaking. Ryou guesses his idiot quota has not been fulfilled for the week because he reaches out to touch the box, despite his very understandable reasons why he should definitely not touch the puzzle.
He blinks like an idiot as he looks around his new location. He is in what looks like a library. It is eerily silent and most of the bookcases aren't filled with books, but knick-knacks he recognizes as items lost during his countless moves. In front of all the bookcases is one table made of reasonably sturdy wood and two chairs with comfortable pillowed seats, sprawled around the floor are piles of Ryou's favorite books, worn at the corners. For some reason Ryou is very uncomfortable in this room and turns around hurriedly, where he finds a small door. Ryou hesitates, but quickly comes to the conclusion that anything is better than the tomb-like silence of this room and opens the door. He is beginning to feel like Alice in Wonderland as he blinks at the second location change he's gone through in as many hours. Ryou is less surprised at the dark, endless hallway and the door directly across from the one Ryou just exited than he is by the man leaning against the wall, however.
"Excuse me, who are you and where am I?" Ryou asks politely. The man blinks a little, like he wasn't expecting to be spoken to. He shifts a little, coming into focus like a camera zooming in, and Ryou tries hard not to be shocked. The man has tri-colored hair and is dressed head to toe in black leather. Ryou sharply reminds himself that he has naturally white hair and willingly dresses like an over-eager college student, so he really doesn't have a leg to stand on.
"This is your mind room." The man says after a pause, motioning to the door behind Ryou, which is slightly open so Ryou can still see the rows of bookcases. "This is my mind room." The man says, motioning to the other door, which is shut fast and incredibly intimidation to look at. Ryou frowns as he considers this new information. He takes back what he thought earlier about not judging this odd man.
"You didn't answer my first question." Ryou points out, with his hands on hips. The man shrugs fluidly, as though this is no concern of his. Ryou does not like this man, he decides, and he narrows his eyes.
"Who are you?" Ryou repeats, firmer. The man just blinks lazily and crosses his arms. Well, Ryou thinks, two can play at that game. So he leans on his doorframe, crossing his arms back at the other man and tilting his head up just enough to imply condescension of the other. The man, unsurprisingly to Ryou, gives in first.
"I know not my name, nor from where I come. I only know you have released me and we now share a vessel." He says, unfolding his arms and straightening, so as to better look down his nose at Ryou. Ryou wrinkles his nose, not liking the implications.
"You mean you're stealing my body." Ryou states, also straightening but not uncrossing his arms from their defensive position. The other man considers this and concedes with a small nod, but does not otherwise reply.
Ryou lets out a sigh, he's obviously not going to get anywhere with his anger, as the other man does not appear to have emotions. It's a little frightening. Instead, Ryou considers the first part of the man's statement.
"Would you like a name?" Ryou settles on, finally. The man blinks, and his face shows the first, tiny hint of actual emotion: surprise, or maybe hope.
"I believe I have a name." The man says, but he cocks his head to the side and looks like he's thinking, so Ryou stays quiet. "I would not mind a different name until I can remember, however." The man decides, and Ryou feels a little smile make its way onto his face.
"Names have power though." Ryou warns, and the man nods seriously, causing Ryou's smile to grow a little. "I think you might be Egyptian." Ryou offers. "The symbol on your door is an eye of Ra-which is a common hieroglyph in Egypt. I think I might have a book of Egyptian names in the-uh… that is, in my 'mind room'." Ryou explains, a little dubiously, and the man blinks again. Ryou is beginning to think that is how he shows emotion.
"You would have me in your mind room?" The man questions, and again Ryou thinks he hears actual emotion, awe, or maybe shock. Ryou cocks his head.
"Well, you need a name and it's much too quiet in there for just me." Ryou shrugs and opens the door to his library-soul a little wider. The man hesitates but he enters the room quickly after he makes up his mind, and Ryou follows, pulling the door shut out of habit. Ryou and the man both study his room for a couple moments before Ryou nods.
"I lost this last week." He states, motioning to a tiny pyramid keychain on the top shelf of the nearest book case. "I lost the book in my… third, maybe fourth move." Ryou decides, and he heads deeper into the neatly organized bookcases, the man following a couple paces behind him. It doesn't take too long to find the book, it's where he expected it would be, so Ryou makes his way back nearer to the door where he feels more comfortable, and also where the table is.
"Sorry, this isn't really the best option; it's a book of the gods, so if you don't want any of these names I think I can find a better list when I get to a computer." Ryou explains and the man has again reverted to silence, already starting to flip through the book. It isn't long at all before the man stops flipping and frowns down severely at the book.
"Who is Set?" He asks. Ryou glances over to the book and flips the page so the man can follow along while Ryou explains.
"He's sort of the evil brother of Horus. He's the villain of Egyptian mythology, as he killed and dismembered his brother." Ryou hesitates and looks sharply at the man's face. "That's not the name you wanted, was it?" The man shakes his head, but his brow is furrowed slightly.
"No, it only sounded familiar for a moment." The man shakes his head again and turns the page. Then his eyes light up. "I think… this is my name. One of them." The man flips the book to face Ryou. Ryou picks it up and looks at the page
"Ra?" He asks, and the man nods firmly. Ryou shrugs; it's as good a name as any he supposes, not many terrifying connotations, though it's a bit arrogant. "I'm glad you found a name you like." Ryou says, and it's true. The newly named Ra is obviously emotionally stunted and may be able to take over Ryou's body, but he's starting to grow on Ryou.
"On a different note, how do I get out of here?" Ryou asks, and Ra blinks once more.
"I… I thought you knew." Ra's brow furrows. "I'm sorry." He says, and though Ra looks a little pained, Ryou thinks he's telling the truth. Regardless, Ra snaps his fingers and Ryou finds himself standing back in his bedroom blinking at the puzzle box, puzzle back around his neck. Beside him stands Ra, translucent, but still clearly the man Ryou had just been talking to. Ryou lets out a little scream and Ra stumbles back with a tiny frown.
"How are you here?" Ryou asks and he reaches out a hand that passes cleanly though Ra's shoulder. Ryou quickly takes the hand back, clutching it to his chest.
"Now we've met in your mind room, so you can see me outside, in real life. You can do this too, when I'm in control." Ra says, and that is a conversation Ryou is not looking forward to having. Today though, he just nods and dedicates the information to memory. He glances at the clock on the wall and is unsurprised to see it's now ten at night. Ryou sighs.
"Alright, I have school tomorrow. Thank you for the talk." Ryou says, with a true smile, before turning his back to get ready for bed. School. Yet another thing he is not looking forward to.
-switch-
Yugi wasn't really bothered by school. Anzu walked him there and would protect him if the bullies became too rough. Not to mention the other him, who distracted Yugi with a litany of threats and complaints. It's a nice, idyllic life, Yugi thinks. As such, any interruption Yugi cherishes, because idyllic and interesting aren't often the same idea.
"Class please welcome Bakure Ryō. He comes from Britain so treat him well." The teacher says, motioning to a boy barely taller than Yugi with shock white hair. The boy frowns. Yugi frowns too, and cocks his head to the side. This new transfer student looks surprisingly similar to his other self.
"I am Bakura Ryou, please take care of me." The boy says, gently correcting the teacher. He has a heavy accent, but at least he's still understandable. Looking around Yugi feels bad for Bakura, half the girls are staring at him hungrily and most of the boys look very angry because of that.
"Who is that?" Other Yugi asks suddenly, and Yugi starts a bit. His other self doesn't normally come out during the school day, he finds it boring, Yugi didn't even know his other self even paid attention. Other Yugi looks at Yugi expectantly, and a little angrily, so Yugi figures it's in his best interests to reply quickly.
"This is Bakura Ryou; he's a transfer student from Britain." Yugi explains, and the Other Yugi nods, eyes narrowed. Yugi guesses his other self is also picking up on the fact that he and Bakura look remarkably similar.
"That's my name." He says, and looks a little startled. Yugi forgets himself for a moment and sharply turns his head to stare directly at Other Yugi- Bakura? Ryou?-drawing some odd stares.
"I didn't know you had a name." Yugi says, and then pauses. "Do you mean Ryou or Bakura?" He asks just to clarify. The other frowns.
"Bakura." He says firmly. "My name is Bakura." Other Yugi- Bakura- looks a little wistful. Yugi nods hesitantly, but if the other male wants a name, Yugi isn't going to stop him, even if it really is someone else's. Yugi mentally apologizes to the other Bakura, he's going to have to start mentally calling him Ryou or Yugi will get very confused very quickly. It's unlikely to be a problem though, given that Yugi and Ryou probably won't even speak that often. Bakura has disappeared again, and Yugi shakes his head minutely, amused.
Reminded of the fact that the teacher is still introducing Ryou, Yugi returns his gaze back to the boy and gulps. Ryou is staring straight at Yugi with a frown. When he notices Yugi staring back at him, with slightly widened eyes, Ryou cocks his head to the side, considering. Yugi smiles weakly and prays he didn't somehow already offend the new boy. Ryou blinks before smiling gently back, so Yugi figures it's probably okay and Ryou just zoned out for a moment. The teacher, luckily, is too busy scowling at Ryou's earlier correction, however polite, to pay attention to this small interaction.
"You can sit next to Mutou." The teacher mutters, waving vaguely. Yugi raises his hand helpfully and Ryou blinks again, slowly making his way over to sit in the indicated seat.
"Sorry about the teacher." Yugi offers, smiling at Ryou. Ryou shrugs his shoulders, turning slightly to face Yugi more directly. Yugi has just enough time to fear he's done something to offend the other boy before Ryou finally smiles back. Maybe he just does everything slower, Yugi thinks.
"I'm sorry as well. You remind me of someone I know. May I have your name?" Ryou asks politely, and Yugi lets himself relax, grinning a real smile.
"Mutou Yugi, I'm glad to meet you." Yugi says, and then flinches back in place as the teacher finally snaps out a command for quiet. Ryou's eyes flash red for a second, Yugi thinks, though it seems impossible, but then Ryou frowns and Yugi supposes he must have imagined the color change, because Ryou's eyes are the same clear blue they were five minutes ago. Yugi makes a mental note to get more sleep, ignoring the derogatory snort from his other- Bakura.
The class passes more quickly than it normally seems to, Ryou is perfectly willing to sneak little moments of friendship when the teacher isn't paying attention. It's a luxury Yugi never experienced before this moment, and he finds he now understands why so many of his peers prefer this type of easy conversation to actual school work. Yugi knew today was going to be great! He worries a little about the afternoon, Jonouchi and Honda have been suspiciously distant today, but he's made a new friend, so he thinks it will be okay, whatever happens. However as class ends, Yugi winces, and Ryou looks curiously at him, Yugi isn't the one Jonouchi and Honda head towards.
"My name is Jonouchi Katsuya. Nice to meet you." Jonouchi grins at Ryou, planting his hands firmly on the left side of the desk. Ryou bows his head, but doesn't otherwise react. Yugi feels a different strain of worry creep into his head.
"My name is Honda Hiroto. I think we'll be good friends." Honda says, planting himself on the right side of the desk. Yugi feels sick and helpless, but he knows he has to try to protect his new friend from a life like his.
"Guys, please, come one." Yugi begs, standing from his desk and tugging at one of Honda's arms. Honda knocks him aside easily and once again Yugi is sure he sees Ryou's eyes flash red, even though they quickly return to normal, just like the last time.
"I'm afraid my tolerance for friends who simply want to extort favors from me is quite low. Thank you anyway." Ryou says coolly, than he pushes his chair back and walks over to help Yugi up, ignoring Honda and Jonouchi's stunned faces. Yugi feels a tiny crush developing and laughs nervously at his own stupidity.
"Now hold on-" Jonouchi starts, scowling fiercely, but he's interrupted by Anzu slamming the classroom door open. The other lingering school kids freeze in their conversations and Ryou blinks politely, a vaguely curious look forming on his face. Anzu's eyes lit on Yugi in record time, slowly taking in his position still halfway on the ground, flit over Ryou and come to rest on Jonouchi and Honda before narrowing. A suffocating silence builds as survival instincts refuse to let any member of the classroom move so much as an inch.
"Oh dear, Jonouchi-kun what's happening here?" Anzu asks sweetly, but the look on her face foretells horrors unimaginable if the answer is not to her liking.
"Just introducing ourselves to the new kid. Geez woman, overprotective much?" Jonouchi mumbles, but he backs up several steps as he does so. Anzu's eyes glint and Yugi winces on Jonouchi's behalf. He's seen that look countless times, a mom lecture is forming, and it will end with Jonouchi and Honda agreeing to do something stupid to get out of the lecture. The amount of power Anzu wields when she cares to is frankly terrifying. Honda seems to recognize this though, and he takes a cautionary step back as well.
"What Jonouchi means is, we were just leaving." He says laughing nervously. He grabs the back of Jonouchi's shirt as the blond opens his mouth to get them into even more trouble and starts bodily dragging him to the door. Anzu refuses to move one inch, watching the proceedings with eyes like flint, and Honda maneuvers very carefully around her. After they leave completely she swings around to Yugi and Ryou and smiles, performing a complete 180 personality switch.
"Are you ready to walk home Yugi?" Anzu asks sweetly, before blinking and seemingly noticing Ryou for the first time. "Oh, who's this?" She smiles slightly wider at Ryou and Yugi winces. He can practically see her thoughts in HD: potential friend for poor, friendless Yugi. This is, of course, his wish too, but after all these years it still stings a little to have it broadcasted in front of strangers.
"I'm Bakura Ryou; it's a pleasure to meet you." Ryou says, bowing politely. Anzu lets out a little squeal and Yugi shoots an apologetic look at Ryou, who cocks his head in confusion.
"So polite!" Anzu exclaims, grabbing Ryou's hand in hers with sparkling eyes. "My name is Anzu Mazaki, let's be friends." She says seriously, and it sounds completely different than Honda's statement not five minutes ago. Ryou blinks slowly, and Yugi is concerned for about two seconds, but it's just his luck that everyone he knows flips personalities on a dime.
"It would be my greatest honor, thank you." Ryou replies, gently removing his hand from her grasp and bowing once more. Yugi lets out a huffy breath; he's more amused than anything else but it gets confusing, figuring out which personality a person is using at any given time.
"Let's go, Yugi. Where's your home Ryou?" Anzu asks, calmer by now. Meaningless chatter passes between the three of them as they drop first Anzu and then Yugi off. It's not until Yugi has been home for ten minutes that he realizes Ryou never actually answered any personal question directed at him.
What? An update I meant to post literally a month ago? That's crazy talk.