DD: Hey guys. Sorry that this took over a month; I was trying to finish off TBITA so I could actually get into this. But I had very little trouble writing this once I started it, so I'm hoping it'll be finished like TBITA. Anyway, I entered this into the Yugioh Watty Awards Yaoi Shipping! Once voting starts, please do consider heading over there to give it a vote. Thanks, and enjoy the chapter!
Reviews:
KisaraTheDragonCharm: Aw, thanks! I'm glad that you like it and that you see it as original. Yeah, he's probably going to be evil. He's basically a human version of Zorc from the show; the one that took control of Bakura and corrupted him. And yeah, that's pretty much what it is.
BreakfastForLife: Glad you're enjoying it!
"Happy birthday, Yugi."
Yugi's eyes lit up as he blew out the candles on his cake. His grandpa had brought it up to his bedroom and woken him with a chorus of 'Happy Birthday'.
Solomon smiled at him. "So? What did you wish for?"
Yugi giggled and looked at the candles again. They were arranged so that they looked like an eight. "I can't tell you! It won't come true if I do!"
Solomon chuckled and kissed his grandson's forehead. "That's alright. Will you tell me when it comes true?"
Yugi eagerly nodded, his eyes still fixed on the candles. I wish I could go on an adventure.
"Calico? Calico. Calico, wake up!"
Yugi groaned, slowly opening his eyes. His gaze instantly met a pair of lavender eyes and he jumped. "Giraffe!"
Marik smirked at him and leaned back. "Finally. That took forever."
Yugi frowned at him. "Why are you in my cube? Actually, never mind that. Why are you on my bed?"
Marik rolled his eyes, folding his arms. He was sitting on Yugi's chest, so Yugi had no choice but to look up at him. "You wouldn't wake up so Zorc let me in. He wants to talk to everyone."
Yugi frowned. "What time is it?"
"Half seven."
"But… you and Phoenix are the only ones that ever wake up this early."
Marik's smirk returned. "Exactly."
Yugi groaned. "He sent you two to wake everyone?"
Marik snickered and nodded. "Gods, Calico, you should have heard Flamingo shriek when Phoenix woke her. I think she saved me the trouble of waking Bunny and Grizzly."
Yugi frowned. "Why would you let Phoenix wake her? You know she watched that horror film last night."
Marik nodded, still smirking. "That's why I let him do it." He climbed off Yugi's chest. "Come on, Yugi; we should-" He suddenly gritted his teeth, gripping his wrist.
Yugi's heart dropped and he scrambled out of bed. "Giraffe? Giraffe, are you okay?"
Marik swallowed and let go of his wrist. Yugi could see that it took him a lot to do so. "Yeah. I'm fine."
Yugi reached out, placing a hand on his arm. Marik flinched, so Yugi quickly withdrew his hand. "Was it Zorc again?"
They had soon learnt that they had to use the names given to them if they didn't want to be in pain.
They all had something that hurt them if they didn't.
Marik had his golden wristbands. Yugi had his choker. Ryou had a pendant.
And they couldn't take them off.
If they did-
Well, Tsekani in Sector One had tried. They weren't allowed to even mention his name anymore; even on the anniversary of his death.
"Giraffe?"
"I said I'm fine, Calico." Marik rubbed his wrist. "Let's just go."
Yugi hesitated before nodding and following Marik out of his cube and to the main area.
They weren't allowed out there much anymore.
Not since- speak of the devil.
The graffiti artist.
Pegasus is lying to us. There is still a world outside of this prison.
When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right.
The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.
Yugi didn't blame whoever was writing these messages. Well, no. Actually he did.
He blamed them for causing any freedom they had to be restricted even more.
What he didn't blame them for was wanting change. That was something they all wanted. And he didn't hate them.
But seeing Zorc standing in front of the violated wall with his arms folded, glaring at him was enough to make Yugi wish that they had no freedom or change; just so long as he didn't need to look at Zorc anymore.
"Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Calico," Zorc sneered as Yugi and Marik approached the group. "Although we would have appreciated it ten minutes ago."
Yugi ducked his head. "Sorry, sir," he mumbled.
It was barely audible, but Zorc nodded. His glare widened its focus from Yugi to the rest of the group. "As you can see," he began, "our little artist has struck again." His gaze raked over each person. "I'm not going to say much this time. You're all sick of it by now. Just know that if the artist doesn't give themselves in by curfew tonight, more restrictions will be placed on everyone." A smirk crossed his lips. "Restrictions that will make the last ones look like a walk in a schoolyard playground." He turned his back on them. "You have twenty minutes until you are meant to be in your classrooms. Be there a minute late and you know the consequences."
When Zorc was gone, Yugi let his gaze retrace to the graffiti of the week.
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
Revolution, revolution, revolution.
The artist's motives were no secret; and they obviously had no desire for them to be.
Yugi turned when he felt someone tap his shoulder and smiled when he saw Ryou. "Hey, Dove."
Ryou smiled, though it didn't quite meet his eyes. Hi, Calico, he wrote.
Yugi watched him for a moment. "You still want to confront Necro, don't you?" Ryou looked away. "Dove, you have no proof that it's him. You can't just tell Zorc that you may or may not know the Artist."
But in English he does nothing but laugh about the stupidity of this whole thing! Ryou wrote. He wants to get out, Calico. You know he does. His writing was large and loopy today. Frantic.
Yugi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We all want to get out, Dove," he murmured. "That doesn't mean that everyone's the artist."
Ryou looked down again.
Yugi smiled softly at him. "Maybe you can talk to him about it in English, or even outside it? Get him to confess?"
Ryou's eyes widened and he shook his head. Are you kidding? He'd eat me alive!
Yugi laughed. "If you say so. But with no proof, you can't go to Zorc."
As Ryou nodded, Yugi's gaze flickered to the graffiti again.
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
Revolution, revolution, revolution.
The Artist wanted out. Now.
Yugi turned back around when he felt another tap on his shoulder. Ryou didn't write anything; he merely pointed at his wrist.
Yugi nodded. "Right. School. I know. I just need to change out of my pyjamas." He gave Ryou a final smile and began walking to his cube. "See you there."
"This is bullshit," Malik grumbled, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "We're already barely getting any freedom because of that asshole."
Bakura shrugged, scratching a snake into the strap on his bag. "Whatever."
Malik glared at him. "I'm talking about you."
Bakura raised his gaze, though he didn't stop scratching. "What?"
Yami sighed. "Guys, don't-"
"Shut up, Griffin." Malik's glare deepened. "We all know Necro's the one making the messages."
Bakura snorted and went back to his bag. "You're deluded, Phoenix."
He dropped the knife as Malik grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shoved him against the wall. "Oh am I?" He growled. "I seem to recall you itching for a fight recently."
Bakura growled and kicked at him, causing him to release his hold. "Fuck off."
Malik scoffed and turned away from him. "Asshole. We're all getting a shit-tonne of restrictions because of you."
"I'm not doing anything." Bakura scowled at him.
"We know you're lying, Necro." Malik glanced at Yami. "Right?"
Yami sighed. "Look, there's no point in this. You know Zorc wants everyone to argue. If we do, it's giving him exactly what he's looking for."
Malik scowled at him. "I thought you were on my side!"
Bakura smirked and threw an arm around Yami's neck. "See, Phoenix? Griffin knows who the smart bet in this is."
Yami rolled his eyes and ducked out from underneath Bakura's arm. "I'm not siding with anyone," he insisted.
Malik and Bakura both shot him a disbelieving look. "You have to side with someone," Malik said.
"He's right," Bakura agreed, "for once."
Yami groaned. "Why?" He snapped. "Why do I have to side with either of you? Why can't we all just work together – for once in our lives – and see that the person trapped across from us isn't the bad guy?"
Malik and Bakura exchanged a look, and Yami could see the argument dissolving.
Shit.
"Yami, is everything okay?" Malik asked. His voice was soft and he glanced around to make sure there was no ICU employees near them.
Yami couldn't see him flinch and he didn't grab the arm his bracelet was on, so he decided it was safe to assume that no one had heard him.
But he didn't want to take chances.
"My name's Griffin," he said. "And I'm fine, Phoenix. I just…" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I didn't sleep well last night, and you two are making my headache worse."
He saw Bakura hesitate before placing a hand on his shoulder. "You know you can tell us if something's up, right?" He said. "I mean, we'll talk a lot of shit, but if something's wrong, we'll help."
A small smile crossed Yami's face. The two were like brothers to him. Very, very annoying, psychotic brothers.
"I know," he said. "But I'm fine." He grabbed his bag. "C'mon. Unless you want to get another restriction for the next three weeks, we should get to class. The bell's going to ring in a moment."
Malik and Bakura cursed, grabbing their bags and dashing past Yami.
Yami only chuckled as he followed them at a slower pace.
Oh, if only they knew.
"Alright, class; silence, please," Professor Banner called.
Instantly, everyone fell silent.
There hadn't been much conversation anyway; just Marik and Bakura snickering and Ushio cursing and glaring at Yugi for getting him a restriction. Again.
But that was how it worked in the ICU. If a teacher told you to jump, you asked how high.
With Professor Banner, it was easier. He told them to jump and they jumped.
He didn't care how high; just as long as they attempted it. But if they didn't attempt it, the class would be in for some entertainment.
Professor Banner smiled at the students and turned to the interactive glass board. "As you know, we've been looking at the gaming industries of the modern world recently. You have Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation at most popular and then one or two others thriving in their shadows. Ones that try to break off from that area don't tend to last very long."
He pressed a button and the image changed from a picture of the three companies to a picture of someone playing each of the consoles.
"The gaming companies aim at broad age ranges, but the typical age ranges would be nine to thirteen for Nintendo, eight to twenty one with Xbox, and ten to eighteen with PlayStation," he explained. "And thus, their games portray that."
He turned back to the class and pressed another button. An image of pure code appeared.
"I'm going to be splitting the class in three, and subcategorising you into groups of two," he announced. "You will create a game for whatever console you decide based on the company given to you. You must stay within the age range."
Yugi raised a hand. "Professor?"
Professor Banner looked at him with his usual smile. "Yes, Calico?"
"Do we have to work with the rest of the group once we're split into twos?" Yugi asked. "Or is it a bit of a competition?"
Professor Banner laughed. "That's exactly what it is, Calico. Competition. All companies, and even branches within companies, are in direct competition with one another. And that's how you'll be working. You can choose to team up with another group in your company, or work with your partner. But for the most part, I expect to be seeing you working only in groups of two."
Yugi nodded and lowered his hand again.
Professor Banner pressed another button and a tree diagram appeared. "I've already taken the liberty of splitting you into your companies and teams," he said. "If you object to any of them, let me know and I will consider swapping you into another group."
Yugi glanced over the diagram.
Calico; Nintendo. Partner; Griffin.
Yami.
Yugi's eyes lit up and he turned to look at Yami over his shoulder. Yami met his gaze and grinned at him.
"We won't be spending any more time on this today," Professor Banner said. "Unfortunately, today's main agenda is languages. But I expect you and your partners to meet up tonight and work out a plan for your games. I don't want to see anyone daydreaming tomorrow when you split up to plan things further."
He pressed another button and the French flag appeared. "Now, Giraffe. Bonjour, comment tu t'appelle?"
Anzu frowned at Yugi through the mirror as she used the Pilates bar to warm up. "You're kidding?"
Yugi shook his head. "Nope. I actually got paired with him."
Anzu's frown morphed into a smile. "Lucky duck," she muttered, lowering her leg from the bar. "I'd give anything for Professor Crowler to pair me up with Griffin in something." She paused. "Actually, no. I'd just rather he wouldn't pair me up with Polar in everything."
Yugi laughed, shaking his head. "She really annoys you, doesn't she?"
Anzu groaned. "She's like a parasite! A D-cup parasite!"
Yugi rolled his eyes. "She can't be that bad."
"All she does is fix her make-up and go over duelling strategies," Anzu huffed as she practiced her positions. First, second, third, fourth, fifth. "And if I try to tell her to do work, she'll just say-" Anzu cleared her throat and did her best to imitate Mai's voice. "-'Hun, sometimes there's time for work. Now isn't one of them'." She huffed and reached down, touching her toes. "It's ridiculous. I mean, what does that even mean?"
Yugi chuckled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you like her."
Anzu shot him a withering look. "Me? Like the Polar Express? No thanks," she snorted. She turned back to the mirror. "Besides, I don't like anyone."
Yugi sighed. "Just because you're asexual and don't like anyone here doesn't mean you don't like anyone," he said. "There could be someone in another sector."
"Nope." Anzu shook her head and tied her hair back. "Seth was the only possibility and he turned out to be a dickhead. There's no one in the Ice Cubes that I like."
Yugi's face heated up. "When are you guys going to stop calling it that?" He whined. "I was eight…"
Anzu looked back at him and smiled. "But you were so cute. You actually thought it was Ice instead of ICU." She walked over to the CD player. "Besides, it fits. We're all trapped here. And glass doesn't sound any friendlier than ice."
Yugi sighed. He decided to wait until Anzu finished her routine to respond. She had been waiting to show him for a while now; she was hoping to enter it into one of the ICU contests.
He knew it wouldn't be the whole song; she had warned him that she hadn't perfected it yet.
And that it was quite different from her usual dances.
Most of Anzu's routines were either classical or hip-hop. The kind of things you'd expect to see.
But as the lyrics to Titanium started, her body flowed with a more free style.
Yugi wasn't quite sure how to describe it; it had twists and turns that seemed like they belonged in a ballet, but they also had the fluidity of hip hop.
She twisted and fell, and twirled and jumped, and moved and swayed with the lyrics.
In the end of it, she was write back where she started. Standing in the middle of the floor, staring up at the ceiling with her hands held out by her sides and her feet spread apart.
When the music faded out, she relaxed and looked at Yugi, a hopeful smile on her face. She had put a lot into it; Yugi could tell both from the dance and her expression. "So?"
Yugi kept his face blank for a minute; just to tease her. Then he grinned. "I think you're going to win that contest."
Anzu's eyes lit up. "Really?" When Yugi nodded, she squealed and threw her arms around him. "Thank you!"
Yugi laughed. "Why are you thanking me? You're the one who did all the work."
"Yes, but still!" Anzu grinned at him. "I'll be sure to get you something nice for your birthday this year. Any tips on what to get?"
"Doesn't that kind of take the surprise out of the present?" Yugi asked, tilting his head.
"Well, yeah," Anzu admitted. "But I suck at presents. Please?"
Yugi sighed, but smiled as he did so. "I don't know. A game, I guess." He cracked a feeble grin. "Or my Grandpa. If you managed that, I'd be delighted."
Some of the amusement faded from Anzu's eyes. "Yugi?"
"I'm fine," Yugi insisted. "It was a joke. And you shouldn't use my real name, Flamingo."
Anzu shook her head and sat next to him on the table pushed against the wall. "I know when you're upset, Yugi," she said, ignoring his advice. She usually did.
Yugi could see her wince from the anklet that she wore, but she had grown so adept to dealing with it that it didn't affect her much anymore.
Yugi shook his head. "I'm fine," he mumbled. "I just miss him." He laughed humourlessly. "Silly, isn't it? You'd think I'd have given up on missing him after eight years."
Anzu sighed and wrapped an arm around Yugi. "No," she murmured. "It's not silly."
He sighed, resting his head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Don't be. There's nothing to be sorry for."
Yugi didn't look at her. There was always something to be sorry for. "Okay," he mumbled.
Anzu rubbed his arm. "I know it's a long-shot," she began after a few minutes, "but you could ask Zorc if you could see him for your sixteenth birthday."
Yugi hesitated.
Yes, Zorc said that on their birthdays, each person would be granted one request. And yes, all of them had been granted so far. Even Marik's motorbike – which was completely useless in the ICU except to get to class.
But this?
"It's worth a shot anyway," Anzu continued. "Even if you only ask to call him for five minutes."
Again, Yugi hesitated. "Maybe," he said. "I'll think about it."
Akefia grinned as he slipped the silver necklace with the purple stone into his pocket. The old vendor didn't even look up from his crossword.
"Nothing you can afford?" The vendor asked as Akefia walked towards the door.
"Not this time," Akefia called back to him. "Sorry."
The vendor grunted as though he had expected it. The sector seventeen kids never had enough money.
Akefia slipped out of the shop. The fake alarm didn't go off.
Apparently the vendor trusted his eyes more than modern ICU technology. Big mistake.
Akefia's smirk grew as he slipped out of the ICU mall. Once he was outside, he pulled the necklace out of his pocket. Perfect.
"Back again?"
He glanced up and his smirk became a sneer when he saw Atem leaning against the wall. "Hello, Strix." He pocketed the necklace. "How are you on this fine day?"
"Cut the crap, Diabound." Atem narrowed his eyes. "Where'd you get the necklace?"
"What necklace?" Akefia lifted it out of his pocket. "You mean this one? I found it."
"Where?"
"Around." Akefia smirked. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the sector before curfew. You should too."
Atem caught Akefia's arm. "You're not going anywhere until you hand that necklace back," he snarled. His scowl then morphed into a smirk. "Or would you like me to tell Shrew where you're getting them?"
Akefia tensed. "Don't you fucking dare," he snapped.
"Oh, I will unless you give it back." Atem's smirk grew.
Akefia scowled and threw the necklace at Atem. It hit his chest and he had to release Akefia so that it didn't fall. "Fucking bastard," Akefia snapped. "How else am I meant to get it?"
"Work for it."
"Just because you actually make a fair pay doesn't mean that anyone else in our sector does," Akefia growled. "You made it big in the damn Ice Cubes. But you're the only one who did."
"That doesn't mean that you get to steal." Atem placed the necklace into his pocket.
Akefia scoffed. "Whatever." He turned away from Atem. "Get back before curfew or we'll get even more restrictions. Unless you're dumb enough to try and catch the Artist. And if you are, good luck."
Atem grabbed Akefia by the back of his shirt and shoved him against the wall.
Akefia stumbled but caught himself, turning to face Atem. "The fuck was that for?" He snapped.
"You're going to get us all completely restricted," Atem snarled. "You know that, right?"
Akefia shook his head. "What are you talking about?" He asked, a frown marring his face.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Thief," Atem snapped, folding his arms.
The confused frown stayed stationary for a minute. Then Akefia started laughing. "Ra, Strix. You really think that I'm the Artist?" His laughing increased. "Best thing I've heard all week."
Atem's eyes narrowed and slowly, Akefia's laughter petered out.
"You're serious?" Akefia's lip curled. "Why would I be that stupid?"
Atem raised an eyebrow and lifted the necklace out of his pocket. "You really need to ask that question?"
Akefia shook his head. "I don't have to listen to this."
He tried to push past Atem, but the smaller male caught his shoulder and pushed him back. "Actually, you do."
Akefia glared at him. "I knew the Ice Cube's police were stupid, but not this bad." He spread his arms out. "I have a brother, Atem-"
"It's Strix."
"I don't give a damn!" Akefia ignored the burning pain from his pendant that was a result of calling Atem by his real name. "I have a younger brother! We all know how this is going to end; the Artist is going to die. I'm not about to leave my brother alone!"
Atem's eyes narrowed further. "Unless you're hoping that the messages will spur on a rebellion and you'll both get out of the Ice Cubes without dying."
Akefia shook his head. "Why would I put both of our lives on the line when it's all uncertain?" He pushed past Atem, this time not giving him the chance to grab him again. "Fuck this. Go back to your door-to-door questioning, detective."
"I've got my eye on you!" Atem called to him, as though it would make Akefia stop and confess.
"Fuck you!" Akefia snapped, not even slowing down. He wouldn't endanger Bakura like that.
Yugi could see Zorc scowl through the glass as he knocked on the door. The man stood up and opened the door, still scowling. "What?" Then he saw Yugi and his scowl melted into a smirk. "What can I do for you, Calico?"
Yugi shivered. Zorc never scowled at him. Or glared. Or grinned.
He did with others. He scowled at Ryou. He glared at Marik. He grinned at Atem (if he brought in news of rule-breaking).
But with Yugi, he only ever smirked and narrowed his cold, red eyes.
"Um… It-It's about…" Yugi swallowed. Be brave. Be brave. Zorc hated tangible fear. "It's about my sixteenth birthday."
Zorc nodded. "That's coming up, is it? When?"
"Next week," Yugi replied. "I was… wondering if I could make a request now and get it on my birthday?"
Zorc folded his arms, leaning against the door frame. "I may consider accepting it," he said. "Depending on the request, of course."
Yugi nodded. "Of course," he agreed. "It's just… I've been here for eight years-"
"Everyone has."
"Yes, sir. I know that, sir." Yugi gripped the sleeves of his jacket. "But, sir, I… I miss my Grandpa." Zorc's eyes narrowed. "And-and I was wondering if… If I could call him on my birthday…" Yugi gulped and hurriedly added, "sir."
Zorc's eyes narrowed even further. "You want me to grant you a request to call your grandfather – who may or may not even be alive at this point-" Yugi flinched. "-when you could easily tell him where you are and completely collapse the entirety of the paradise that ICU is trying to create?"
"Um…" Yugi shifted from foot to foot, ensure if there was even a good way to answer that question. "Yes?"
Zorc was silent for a few moments. Then his smirk grew. A snicker escaped his lips.
Then he burst into laughter.
Yugi stared up at him, unsure what to do.
"Oh, you crack me up, Calico," Zorc snickered, once he calmed down. He turned to walk back into his cube.
"Wait!"
He paused and turned back around. "Yes?"
Yugi hesitated. "I… Is that a… a yes or a no?"
Zorc raised an eyebrow. "To your birthday request?" Yugi hesitantly nodded, and Zorc snickered again. "Hell no." He turned to his cube again. "Get back to your cube before curfew," he said over his shoulder, "and think of a better request. One that might actually happen." He pushed open the door and walked inside, still snickering and shaking his head.
Yugi flinched as Zorc slammed the door in his face, leaving him alone on the Ice Cube patio.
See? He knew it.
He knew it was pointless.
He knew he was never going to see his Grandpa again.
"What do you think we should do with the main character's outfit? Set it stationary for the entire game, or make it changeable?"
"I don't know. You can pick."
"Okay… what about sexuality? Should we make everyone pansexual and fine with polygamorous relationships, or should we actually put effort into it and give each one individual sexualities?"
"I don't know. You can pick."
"What about a banana peel? I think we should put a banana peel right next to the main character's bed so they always slip on it."
"I don't know. You can pick."
Yami sighed and closed the notebook. "Calico, what's wrong?"
Yugi looked up at him and smiled. "Nothing. Why do you ask?"
Yami raised an eyebrow. "You just told me I could decide on putting a random banana peel next to the bed."
Yugi looked away again. "I'm fine, Griffin. Just a bit preoccupied."
Yami pushed the notebook away when Yugi tried to open it again. "What about?"
Yugi sighed. "Look, it's not important. You were saying about modelling the fire starter Pokémon off a phoenix?"
"That was twenty minutes ago, Calico."
Yugi looked down at the table again. He tensed when Yami put a hand on his shoulder.
"Talk to me," Yami said, his voice soft. "I might be able to help."
Yugi shook his head. "You can't. No one can. Zorc already said no."
Yami frowned. "No to what?"
"My birthday request," Yugi sighed, crossing his arms on the table and letting his chin rest on them. "It's no big deal."
Yami's hand travelled from Yugi's shoulder to his arm so he could wrap an arm around him. "What was the request, Yugi?" He murmured. His choker burned for a moment, but he couldn't care less.
Yugi shook his head. "It's not important," he insisted. "It's fine. I'm over it." He reached out and pulled the notebook back, but Yami placed his hand on it to prevent Yugi from opening it.
"Humour me," he said.
Yugi sighed. "I wanted to see my Grandpa," he mumbled. "Or talk to him. Or something." He looked up at Yami. "I just… miss him. Y'know?"
Yami sighed softly and nodded. "Yeah. I know." He gently wrapped both arms around Yugi, pulling him closer.
Yugi tensed for a moment before letting himself rest his head on Yami's shoulder. "It's stupid," he muttered. "I'm stupid. I should be over this. Over him."
"But you're not." Yami's arms tightened around him. "I don't blame you for that. Losing a loved one is always hard."
Yugi's gaze softened and he looked up at Yami. "Strix still won't talk to you, huh?"
Yami pursed his lips and rested his head on Yugi's. "Family is complicated. But what matters now is that you want to see your Grandpa."
"It doesn't matter," Yugi said, shaking his head. "I can't see him. I don't know why I even got my hopes up; I knew Zorc was going to say no." He sighed. "I'm so stupid."
"No you're not," Yami repeated.
Silence reigned over them for a few minutes, neither wanting to speak. They just sat curled into one another, their thoughts darkening with each passing moment.
Just as Yugi was about to break the silence, Yami spoke. "You know, I might know a way you could see your Grandpa."
Yugi looked up at him. "You won't be able to convince him to let me see him. Or even talk to him."
Yami shook his head. "I wasn't going to suggest that," he said. "I was going to suggest that you escape."
Yugi stared at him. "Escape?" He whispered.
"Yes." Yami nodded. "Escape. Maybe the Artist is right. We need to act and stop waiting for the chance to."
Yugi continued to stare at Yami. "Are you… serious?" He mumbled. "We could die, or-or get captured again!"
"Or we could escape," Yami argued. "And you could see your Grandpa again."
Yugi couldn't bring himself to tear his gaze away from the older boy. Was he really thinking about this?
Yami then cracked a grin. A forced one, but still a grin. "Relax, Calico. I was joking."
A breath of relief hit him, and he tried to ignore the niggling feeling that Yami had been far too serious to be joking. "Really?"
Yami nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't suggest something like that and mean it." His grin fell. "I really am sorry that Zorc said no, though."
Yugi shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Grandpa mightn't even be alive anymore, so it'd probably be a waste of time."
Yami hesitated before nodding. "Alright," he said.
Yugi opened the notebook. "So what were we on again?"
"Clothes," Yami replied. "And sexuality."
Yugi paused. "Different sexualities should be given to each character," he decided. "All Pokémon games have humorous lines. Imagine what would happen if a polygamorous pansexual asked out a really religious asexual."
Yami snickered. "Okay, that does sound fun. And clothes? Should they be changeable?"
Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Maybe if Giraffe was with us. But he mightn't agree to help out."
"We could manage it," Yami argued.
"You really want to design an entire wardrobe for a character?" Yugi asked. "Remember, we need to give the option of both boys' and girls' clothes for everyone, and we agreed to base clothes off ten different personalities."
Yami hesitated. "Yeah, let's ask Giraffe tomorrow."
Yugi nodded in agreement. "Thought so." He looked up at the clock. "You should go. You need to be back in your cube in a few minutes."
Yami sighed and stretched. "I hate these restrictions."
"Same," Yugi agreed. "Do they… make you angry with the Artist?"
He knew how angry a lot of people were.
Only an hour of being allowed to go to the mall.
Only two hours in total of free time.
Only an hour after curfew of time that could be spent in other people's Ice Cubes.
It was growing. And Zorc would probably add another one if the Artists hadn't come forward by curfew that night.
Yami paused and shook his head. "No. No, I'm not angry with them," he decided. "As they said; people who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable. The Artist was born out of necessity from ICU's rules and conditions. And these restrictions only seem to be spurring them on." He stood up. "No, I'm angry with ICU. Not the Artist."
Yugi nodded. "I see," he mumbled, watching as Yami walked to the door.
"See you tomorrow, Calico," Yami called. "Who knows? Maybe a message from our friend will change Zorc's mind for you."
"Yeah…" Yugi mumbled as Yami let himself out. "Maybe…"
But all he could focus on was Yami's views.
He knew he was right; he wasn't angry with the Artist either. But was he really born out of necessity?
Some people were very happy in ICU. Some people had better lives in the Ice Cubes than they ever had outside.
Was the Artist really prepared to try and force a revolution and take that away from them?
Yugi wasn't quite sure if he wanted to know. But he did know that Zorc did seem to be pushing the Artist to push a revolution.
Maybe they were right.
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
Revolution, revolution, revolution.
The Artist's motives were no secret, and they obviously had no desire for them to be.
And with each passing day, Yugi had a sneaking suspicion that they grew less and less prone to peaceful revolution, and more in favour of one that was likely to end with a river of blood.
DD: Alright, so I know that the names are a bit confusing. If you want me to explain them, I will, and if you want, I'll post a list of them on my profile so you can reference it if you get confused. Anyway, please vote and review. See you next time, Killer Queens!