The Magicians' Realm Chapter 29: Alarming Conversations, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Chapter 29, everybody! In which the writer wishes they lived in the Magicians' Realm because they don't have computers—why, why, why is technology evil!? Every last one of my Mom's computers crashed on the same day! I just spent the entirety of today dealing with tech support and trying to fix them! Why!? Er…*ahem* moving on….

For those who don't know, to dutch something up is early 20th century slang meaning to screw something up. Don't ask me why—it's just a thing that people did, apparently (and it makes one of Mom's stories extra-hilarious, too).

Angiembabe, thanks for the review! To be honest, the second Spy Kids movie was the best one, but I can understand how it doesn't appeal to everyone (my Mom kinda groaned when I put it on a few years ago). Harry Potter-esque offices would actually be a pretty good comparison, except that most of the higher-ups' offices are much better lit (somewhere along the lines of Dumbledore's office in the first handful of films)—the pages' offices are more like Snape's broom closet. Yes, this Bakura is much more helpful than the one in The Frost King! :D And yes they do—there are ways to fix that, but first Yami's got to get Teana talking to him again….Good questions….We shall see. :)

Fromtheashtrees, thanks for the review! Yes, it would—now if only Teana would return his phone calls/letters/missives/random people he paid to talk to her….That'll do it. And yes, spider-deflecting powers—one of the lesser-appreciate superpowers out there. :D Yes….And then we get those people who'll fall asleep anywhere (at least get out of the road first!). Yes, looking at the map, that is to be expected…and that is true….

References:

Original characters + setting + Scrubbing Dragons © Kineil D. Wicks (myself, not the girl in the story)

Idgy watched Teana round a corner before turning to Yami.

"Boy, did you dutch that up," she declared.

"That never even occurred to me!" Yami declared, apologetic. "I mean, people don't think like that, do they?"

"They do when they're envisioning the rest of their lives with someone."

Yami looked thunderstruck again.

"You ought to find her and apologize," Idgy declared.

"Apologizing won't fix things," he said, obviously thinking.

"It's a start."

He tilted his head—Idgy knew that would lead up to him going off with a half-baked plan.

Sure enough: "I have an idea," he declared, heading after Teana.

"It'd probably be a good idea to give her some time to cool off!" Idgy called after him. "Or not," she added, when it was obvious he hadn't paid her comment any attention. "You just go and dig yourself a deeper hole."

She turned at the sound of a car pulling up to see Skulduggery stepping out of the Bentley, already moving to get the door for her. "I see hat-hunting was successful," he observed, giving her a quick kiss as she slid into the car.

"At least the hat-hunting was," she said as he shut the door.

He ran around and got in the driver's seat, looking at her with concern. "Uh-oh—what happened? Did someone say something? Do you want me to say something back to them? I'm very good with having words with people—I just learned a new one too; I've been looking for an excuse to use it."

"What is it?" she asked, interested.

"Haberdasher. It's a tailor, technically, but I bet I could spin it into an insult."

"Ghastly might not make you any more clothes if you do."

"True….So what is the problem?"

"Yami's put his foot in his mouth again."

"Oh dear, and here I thought it was something new," Skulduggery said, driving off.

"It was with Teana."

"Again, not exactly new."

"Consider the lifespan difference between Magicians and so-called Commoners."

Skulduggery had the same deer-in-the-headlights moment that Yami did. "Oh," he said finally.

"Now you see the problem."

"I do….Well, it's nothing teaching her a little magic won't fix—regular use of magic keeps a person young, after all."

"I don't think that occurred to her."

"And why not?"

"You really need to get to the southern half of Delvaire sometime—people think that only Magicians are allowed to use magic."

"Nonsense!" Skulduggery said, checking a crossroads before continuing. "Whoever gave them that idea?"

"The Administrators."

"Ah, the fit Yami will have."

"It will be noteworthy," she admitted. "But he has his little problem with Teana to square away first."

"I find it quite charming that you refer to our friends' romantic tribulations as little problems."

"What would you call it then?"

"Absolute disasters of the heart."

"Why don't we call it an explosion and be done with it?"

"Do you know what they called the aftereffect of the world-breaker weapons of the Age of the Ancients?" Skulduggery asked. Idgy, startled by the sudden change in topic, shook her head. "They called it the fallout. I find it oddly suitable that the end of a romantic relationship is also called a falling out."

"They made such a cute couple," Idgy sighed.

"Maybe they won't break up," Skulduggery suggested.

"Skul," Idgy said, unable to hold back a smirk. "Their success as a couple is entirely dependent upon Yami successfully wrangling forgiveness from Teana."

"Oh."

They drove in silence for a while.

"Should we start a pool?" he asked.

"We should post it at the Revue first," she agreed.

*/*\*

Someone stopped him again shortly after arriving in the Administration Building.

"Dad couldn't find this earlier," Yami explained, holding up the watch and pointing at it. "I found it, so I thought I'd bring it to him."

The Administration Building employed over a hundred people, so Yami didn't feel bad about not recognizing whoever this was. A senior page, by the looks of it.

Said senior page was being aggravating. "The Administration Building isn't a playground—you can't keep breezing in and out of here like—"

Percy—that's who this was. He thought. Maybe. "Listen bucko," Yami interrupted, deciding for a more blanket term that said just what he thought of the guy. "How, exactly, am I breezing in and out of here? With the exception of walking the tour the other day, the only times I've been in here are when I need to be. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and give this to my Dad. You mind?"

Percy looked like he was about to argue the point, glanced over Yami's shoulder—

Then stiffened and paled, skin stark against his red hair.

"A-as you were then," Percy said quickly, then dashed off.

Yami couldn't help but glance over his shoulder. Standard hustle and bustle.

And leaning against a column directly behind him and smoking a cigar was Administrator Carter.

Yami scowled slightly before hustling towards the familiar halls that led to his father's office. What, did they have Administrator Carter tailing him now?

To be honest, Yami would have picked someone a little less conspicuous—Administrator Carter had to be at least a head taller than most other people. Granted, it was a nifty side effect of using powerful magic over the years (although the why and how had long been lost), and one Yami was looking forward to taking effect, but still.

"Yami? Where are you going?"

Yami skidded to a halt, foot swinging out as he looked behind him. He in his musings had walked past his father's office without realizing it, and now Greg Montgau had his head poking out the door and looking at him oddly.

Oh, right—why was he here?

He pulled the watch out of his pocket. "I found your pocket watch."

"Great!" Greg said, accepting the item and fastening the chain to its pin. "Where was it?"

"In someone else's pocket."

Greg's expression made the smooth transition to longsuffering disapproval. "I told you not to hang out with that kid."

Yami shrugged. "Can I help it if he keeps dropping in?"

"Maybe I should invest in those Soot Sprites I keep hearing about. Or those little Scrubbing Dragons."

"But then you wouldn't be supporting the community."

"There are a lot of retorts I want to say, but I can't think of a way to spin them in a way that doesn't sound bad." Here Greg looked more closely at his son. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"It's just—ah, we haven't had a chance to talk about—"

"I'm fine."

He tried very hard not to notice the look his father was giving him—it was a not-quite-glare accompanied with crossed arms, and was a longstanding Montgau trick. No one to date could stand it for long without cracking. Yami hated when it was used against him.

Yami finally relented, spreading his hands. "Would it change anything if I said it was not fine?"

Greg conceded that point. "No, but it might make you feel better."

"I doubt that."

"You might be surprised. Listen, stick around the office, I'll take an early lunch, and we can—"

An alarm suddenly sounded.

"That's the alarm for the rare spellbooks," Greg said, rubbing his ears. "Why is that going off?"

Yami quickly relocated a hand from his ears to his forehead. "Bakura," he growled.

He wasn't sure what that said about him or Bakura when that was all Greg needed to know.

"You," Greg said, pointing at Yami; he could feel magic behind the words. "Go in my office, sit down, and stay there. I'll take care of this."

"Right," Yami said, heading into the office as Greg rushed off.

He collapsed in one of the chairs in front of the desk as the alarm cut off. The silence somehow made the room seem emptier.

"Reeeallly great chat," Yami sighed, relegating himself to a long wait.