A/N Sorry this took so long - I just couldn't find a good place to end it. It may even have been longer, if I hadn't got sick of it sitting on my laptop - I'm sure the next chapter will be fine as the other half to this. The other reason for the wait is exams - which isn't a problem anymore, I am now free from exams forever. That's right. No. More. School. YES!
Thanks to DaughterofDeath for reviewing!
Hope you enjoy:
CHAPTER 5.
Things were not so bad after all.
The morning had brought Jou a new sense of purpose..sort of.
At least he felt better, as he prepared for the day ahead.
That was until he remembered that he had to go on a possibly revealing field trip with Kaiba as his bus buddy.
'I mean seriously, everybody on this trip (barring himself, of course) was sixteen!' They certainly didn't need to 'hold hands' with someone in case they get lost – because how stupid would you have to be to get lost in your own city? It's not like they'd never been to the museum before.
In fact most, if not all, of their class had been to the museum not too long go for the Egyptian exhibit just before the Battle City tournament.
They would certainly remember the very distinctive shape of Domino Museum, it was almost reminiscent of the temples in the old days; symmetrical, with columns on the façade of the building. Strangely, it looked like the face of the Parthenon...Jou believed his sister had had a hand in the building plans. It differed from the temple's, in the fact that the temple-like entrance was elevated by an archway, where the real entrance was. Not to mention the excessive use of concrete, the giant dome of Domino's astrology centre to the far left of the museum campus and Japanese flags. All in all, it was a mish-mash of new and old, and while it wasn't stunning, it wasn't too much of an eye-sire either. For one, the glass did reflect the light nicely and automatic doors were always a plus.
'So much easier than trying to push a ton of wood open.'
And it was these thoughts that accompanied Jou during the walk to school, and on the bus next to a silent Kaiba, who was discretely peering at Jou through the corner of hie eyes. Not that Jou noticed in his thoughts, but the rest Jou's friends did. They wondered what could have happened to cause Jou, of all people, to be silent and uncharacteristically pensive, and Kaiba to be so obviously disgruntled and suspicious. It was even worse for Yami, who knew that for such emotions to be actually seen on his reincarnated cousin's face, meant that Kaiba had faced something mentally troubling for him. Meaning; something miraculously unprecedented for any normal person had happened to him.
Yami had trouble fitting Jou into that equation, he was so confused. What had happened between them? Regardless, Yami was of the mindset that all shall be revealed in time, so he sat back and made himself ready for mayhem to begin.
Upon entering the building, the class was clumped into the corner under the 'supervision' of their Class Rep, as Chono-Sensei and Nobouro-Sensei (who had been dragged along) grabbed the tickets for admission to the new exhibit.
"I'm so excited!" Yugi smiled as he chattered to his friends, bobbing up and down like some small bird as he spoke, "Me and Yami, were researching our god last night, what I read was cool, but Yami kept on saying it wasn't suitable..." he trailed off while glancing over to the beet red Yami.
"Well... it wasn't! Aibou, it was either too violent or too sexual and you're too young for that." Yami said with a frown, which Yugi answered with a dark scowl.
"Too young! I'm sixteen! I may be short, but I'm not stupid or in need of protecting!"
"Yugi, please! Not in front of everyone else!" Yami whispered between his gritted teeth, which were etched into, what he probably thought was a reassuring/humouring smile, but looked more like a grimace.
Their bickering soon continued in a discrete corner, where none of the gang could hear them, but still see and chuckle at them from a distance.
'Yami is far too over-protective of Yugi – he needs to give him some space' Jou thought as the class finally made their way over to the exhibit.
It was fine, a bit boring actually, nothing Jou had not seen before. In fact in some areas it was lacking. Like statues, or weaponry – you know, the interesting stuff. It seems that Domino Museum could only afford basic exhibits; like Mycenaean pots, and not even the 'fancy-stuff', just plain house-ware like the octopus jars, 'I mean, I lived through that stuff – and it's still dull.'
The glass cases were lined against the walls and horizontally placed in some areas to create an almost maze-like effect. Row upon row of coins, broken pot shards showing Maenads or nymphs, and rusted metal brooches, with the occasional gold piece, filled the cabinets as the class walked pass. It really was low budget, and really didn't show or help people understand the once-splendour of Ancient Greece.
However, something was out of sorts with the rest of the museum. Jou couldn't see it just yet, but he knew it was there.
He especially knew it was there once he saw... him.
'Dammit! What the hell is he doing here? Especially in that get-up!' As Jou happened to be having just a 'slight' panic attack, the very object of his horror met his eyes and came strolling through the crowds with a large grin on his face – straight at Jou.
"Is that guy coming closer to us?" Anzu looked absolutely horrified by the prospect, "What the hell is he wearing?"
Indeed, the man, for it was most definitely a man regardless of his long, ivy-entwined blond hair and slightly effeminate features (being around Ryou for so long, they could easily tell the difference between effeminate appearances and actually being a woman), was wearing the most obscure dress most of the had ever see. Female garments they were, made of long, flowing fine linen – artfully folded and covered with bands of geometric patterns, it also had what appeared to be the pelt of a panther, casually tossed over one haughty shoulder.
His young face was bright with mirth as he approached the group with wide open arms and an open smile, his shining green eyes crinkled with humour.
"Welcome friends, and family," he winked in Jou's direction as Jou's hand met his face with a slap, "Welcome to Ancient Greece! I am a young actor, a hypokritēs, if you want the Ancient Greek, performing my very first play as the character of Dionysus in Euripide's Bacchae! Please allow me to answer any questions you may have about my wonderful culture and civilisation." he ended as he began, with a gigantic grin on his face.
The rest of the gang looked starstruck, they just didn't quite know what to say.
'Heck, I don't know what to say – idiot!'
Bakura seemed to be the first to recover as he sneered at the young actor.
"What do you mean family? Jou only has a sister, Shizuka." The rest of the gang nodded along with him.
"Besides, I would know if Jou had more family – I'm his best friend and we've grown up together!"
Honda, looked infuriated – as if anybody who claimed that he didn't know one aspect of his best friend's life, would be a dead man. It was actually quite scary.
However, the actor did not look perturbed as he glanced over at Jou, a wounded look on his face. In Jou's mind he looked like a constipated camel.
"I know we've not talked for a while, but to not tell your friends about your own brother?" The actor took in a deep breath to calm himself and let out a dramatic sob, "Oh, Jou,"
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