I have another chapter worked out for Thursday, and it's a little…less than happy. I know, shocker. But I thought I'd put this one up first, as it's a bit happier.

Not much to say about it except: have fun.


He sat idly in the conference room with his hands in his lap. His eyes opened slowly, like he was blinking in slow motion, and he stole a glance at his brother. Seto's cobalt glare was just as intense and alert as it always was, but Mokuba—who had studied that angular face for so many years—could tell that the elder Kaiba was just as bored out of his mind as he was.

"So you see," the presenter was saying, trying to hide his obvious offense at the fact that the two people he most desperately needed to impress seemed entirely uninterested in what he was saying, "the current model just won't match up to current technology within a handful of years. We're in very real danger of falling behind. My proposal will bring us back onto the forefront of gaming technology."

"At nearly eight-hundred dollars per unit," Mokuba put in, any traces of boredom or fatigue suddenly gone from his voice. "Magic & Wizards is still a kids' game. That's the target, isn't it? How can we justify a price tag like that?"

The answer consisted primarily of business jargon that went straight over the black-haired boy's head, but Seto clearly understood because he cut in with quick, curt questions until it finally came down to the bare bones of the situation.

"Sir, the Duel Disk is becoming archaic."

"Yet it remains this company's flagship product."

"It won't stay that way for long if we don't—"

"Be that as it may, the vice-president is right. To sell at such an inflated price is the only way we could make a profit on this proposal, and our target demographic cannot be expected to afford it."

It was a testament to how much his brother had grown up in the past five years—as far as Mokuba was concerned—that Seto hadn't taken offense to the idea that his once-favored pastime was a "kids' game." Then again, he likely agreed with the sentiment now; he hadn't picked up his deck in months.

"It's a solid design," Seto admitted, leaning forward in his chair, "but we'll definitely have to do something about the cost. Send the proposal to Olivia in Development. Get fresh eyes to look into it."

George LaMont grinned like a boy of nine and bowed hurriedly. "Yes, sir! Absolutely, sir!"

Mokuba glanced down at the watch he was wearing on his left hand as LaMont all but skipped out of the room. Seto must have been in a good mood, he thought idly, because he seemed amused, rather than disgusted, by it. He was just about to smile when he finally took in the time that was blinking at him from the face of his watch.

11:56 AM.

"Niisama!" Mokuba blurted out, looking suddenly terrified. "My field trip!"

Seto raised an eyebrow, then his gaze slid over to the face of his cellular phone. Seto didn't bat an eyelash. He said, "Let's get moving," as he rose smoothly to his feet. Mokuba stared at him, not comprehending. "C'mon, kid, if you don't want to miss the bus, we have to move now."

"Niisama, we have four minutes!"

Seto simply smirked. "Then let's get to it."

And he strode from the room, leaving Mokuba to catch up.


The drive from the regional headquarters of the Kaiba Electronic Gaming Corporation to the parking lot of East Rivers Middle School was, for lack of a more sophisticated term, terrifying. Mokuba barely had enough time to buckle in his seatbelt before his brother turned his Veyron into a lightning bolt, flying down the streets of Domino City and breaking about sixteen traffic laws in the process.

Seto was a careful driver. He was careful in just about everything he did, in fact, because he was a perfectionist. Perfectionists only take risks when the potential benefits outweigh the potential consequences, he often told his brother. But the closest thing to which Mokuba could compare this particular ride on this particular morning was a roller coaster he'd ridden once on his eighth birthday.

By the time they'd gotten into the car, it was 11:57, and Mokuba had the absurd thought that it would be 11:55 by the time they made it to the bus. "Don't worry," Seto had assured him that morning, when Mokuba had expressed concern about missing his science class's trip to St. Augustine's Museum, which he'd been anticipating for almost a month now.

"Mister Allensworth used to work there when it first opened," Mokuba had said. "He's going to give us a tour."

"I'll get you there," Seto had replied, and he evidently was determined to do it. Mokuba had also been looking forward to the bus ride, during which he and Connor planned to hold a Magic & Wizards tournament with a group of fellow students.

Seto's Veyron swerved into the lot just as 11:59 shifted into 12:00. Mokuba grabbed his bag and threw open the door as soon as the vehicle stopped moving, forgetting in his haste to undo his seatbelt. Seto left to check with the bus driver, who told him that they were running ten to fifteen minutes late.

Mokuba threw his arms around Seto's waist as he came back. "I don't know how you did that, and I hope you never do it again, but you're the best brother ever!"

Seto smiled and tousled his sibling's hair. "I know."


This chapter was almost entirely inspired by the song from which I found the title, which is "Richman," from 3OH3!'s 2008 album "Want." The song itself really doesn't fit anything in this chapter, but that one part in the chorus, "I got 200 seconds and I'm ready to go," struck me as having potential.

This was also partially spurred by my desire to understand a bit more of what role Mokuba plays in his brother's company. I've never really given him a hand in the business, because…well, I don't know how it works. I work in a congressman's office, not a corporate juggernaut, so my knowledge is limited.

In any case, I think this one turned out rather nice, and offsets the rather more serious mood of the next section. Don't worry, it's not a complete downer. Still, it's a tad angsty.

You'll see on Thursday.

Take care 'til then.