Chapter 10: Card games and bar counters
Atem did not expect to have such a good time.
After everything that had been said that day he did not think he would get to relax, let alone have fun. And yet, the walk back to Yuugi's apartment proved to be a lot more enjoyable than the walk from it had been. He and Yuugi strolled leisurely across the city, taking their time despite the cold, talking and laughing.
Yuugi was determined to fill Atem in on everything he had missed during his 'absence'. He talked excitedly about everything and everyone - except Anzu, Atem noted, but did not comment on it. Yuugi's narration was so lively and interesting he couldn't stop staring at him and listen. Slowly, those last eleven years took shape in Atem's mind; blanks were filled in, questions were answered. He heard about Yuugi's time in college and his travels. He swelled with pride as he listened about the games he designed, their world-wide acclaim, and his well-deserved fame as King of Games. He learned about Malik's first days after he decided to come back to Domino and start a new life; how they helped him land his first job, and what a disaster it had been when Jounouchi tried to teach him how to cook. He even heard everything about Honda and Shizuka's wedding, down to the dress she wore.
But the biggest surprise were the news about Jounouchi. When Atem met him in the morning, it had been obvious that he was happy and content with his life, but Atem could have never guessed the extent of his success.
Jounouchi was the one who took the most risks right after graduating. He had decided to follow his dream and make a living as a professional duelist. He practiced and travelled, fought duelists from all over the world and slowly, step by step, tournament by tournament, he actually managed to climb to the top of the world's ranks. There had been many hard days and he lost his smile more than once, but he never let anything hold him down. He persevered with fiery determination, drawing power from everything he'd learned and everything he'd lived, until he achieved his goal. He managed to become the Duel Monsters World Champion - a title he'd been holding for the last three years.
As astonishing as this had been, what Atem heard next made his jaw drop. Jounouchi's world champion status was something that not even Seto Kaiba could ignore. However begrudgingly, the millionaire was forced to admit that Jounouchi was good - according to Yuugi, Kaiba's actual words were 'I've heard that Jounouchi has finally improved a bit, so I guess even old dogs learn new tricks every now and then'. His cold facade might have tricked a lot at first, but he let his true opinion of Jounouchi show when he offered him a job. And of course, since matters where Kaiba was involved were hardly ever simple, it was not just any job.
Seto Kaiba had been planning to open a dueling school where he would train a select few in pro-level dueling. He wanted to create the next generation of champions - and who was better to teach his students than the World Champion himself? Jounouchi of course agreed, so now they were preoccupied with the final arrangements. The school would open in a few months, and both Kaiba and Jounouchi were busy with long meetings over syllabus, exam systems, books and the like.
Naturally, when Atem got over his initial shock, he had a hundred more questions than before, and Yuugi was patient enough to recount the chronicles of Jounouchi and Kaiba's explosive collaboration. Apparently, tension was the one thing their relationship did not miss: Kaiba had not stopped making sarcastic remarks and Jounouchi now had the confidence to throw them right back at his face. This made their meetings more than a little eventful and their lives pretty loud, but they both seemed to be enjoying themselves. No matter what Jounouchi said about Kaiba, he could never hold back his smile whenever talking about it. As for Kaiba, offering him a post in his school was proof enough that he harbored more respect for Jounouchi than he let show.
Atem was so engrossed in the conversation he did not realize how time flew, or what streets they crossed and what turns they took. The city blocks rolled by unnoticed by him. What did catch his attention though, was the way Yuugi's breath left small clouds of fog as he talked, and the way his eyes sparkled when he smiled. The way the cold made his own throat scratchy when he laughed, or that his shoulders did not feel as stiff and tight as before. By the time they reached their destination, Atem's throat was sore from laughing and talking so much.
It was the view of Yuugi's house that brought him back to the present. When he looked up to the building that towered overhead, he realized that some part of him was furtively wary of returning to the apartment. In his mind, the place had a vast, cold and unfriendly feeling to it. The miserable hours he had spent there in the afternoon, confused and with nothing but his thoughts for company, flitted through his mind as they rode the elevator up to the top floor.
However, when Yuugi turned on the lights and they walked inside, everything seemed changed - and when Yuugi put on the kettle to make some tea, the place really felt like home. Perhaps it was Yuugi's smile that made all the difference. Perhaps it was Atem's own heart, which was lighter and less troubled after letting some of the weight that pressed down on it go. He did not know for sure but, whatever it was, he cherished it.
They both sat cross-legged on Yuugi's thick carpet, each one clutching at a steaming mug of tea to warm their numb fingers. Yuugi could not stop talking. He dragged Atem to a trip to the past, all the way back to Duelist Kingdom. He was talking and talking with his eyes gleaming in excitement, every so often exclaiming as he remembered another detail. Atem laughed at the vivacity of it all, feeling warmth that had nothing to do with Yuugi's well-heated apartment wrap him like a blanket. Listening about his friends current exploits had been fun, but this was different. There was something comforting in remembering events in which he'd took part, even played a major role. It fortified his sense of existing. It assured him that he belonged there; it made him feel that he fit.
All in all, their night was quite calm and pleasant - at least until the moment they decided to play Duel Monsters.
It all started with a simple light-hearted banter over which one of them was the actual King of Games. Once they realized that they would reach no definite conclusion by talking about it, they agreed it would be best to leave the heart of the cards decide for them. Yuugi unearthed every Duel Monsters card he possessed and gave Atem a few minutes to assemble a deck, while he ran to the kitchen to make some more tea.
KaibaCorp had created a home version of a Duel Monsters Virtual Arena, but they both decided against holograms and over-the-top effects. They simply moved the coffee table aside and sat across from each other on the carpet, with a pot of fresh tea right next to their Graveyards.
And what started as a slow and calculated duel soon turned into a full-blown showdown.
Looking back, Atem could say with certainty that the turning point had been the moment when Yuugi smiled innocently and said, "What's wrong, other me? Having trouble without your God Cards?"
Atem smirked by reflex before responding. "I think I've proved that I don't need the God Cards to win. I practically invented that game."
"No, you didn't. Your father did. And I have eleven more years of experience than you do, so..." Yuugi shrugged smugly.
"Your arrogance will be your downfall, aibou. I activate Pot Of Greed: it allows me to-"
"No, you don't: Magic Jammer!"
Atem bristled. "Alright, then. I place this card face down and end my turn."
"Then I draw... And I can finally summon the Dark Magici-!"
"Not so fast, aibou!" Atem flipped his face-down card with one fluid motion. "Trap Hole!"
"Oh, you-!" Yuugi huffed and placed his Dark Magician in the Graveyard, giving the card a pained look. "Then I place two cards face down and end my turn."
Atem drew a card and grinned triumphantly. He took a deep breath and used his best voice to announce, "I play MONSTER REB-"
"That's banned."
Atem froze in the middle of his extravagant flourish. "What?"
"This card is banned. You can't use it."
"Since when?"
"Uuh... Since always."
Atem frowned and crossed his arms across his chest. "Well, it certainly wasn't banned when I was around."
"Anyway, we use Monster Reincarnation now."
"This is ridiculous! Why would one ban Monster Reborn?"
"Because it's OP."
"OP?!" Atem all but screeched. "This card has literally saved our souls on many occasions!"
"Yup," Yuugi nodded. "That's my point. It's OP."
Atem let out a dignified scoff. "Who decides what cards to ban, anyway? They are corrupting the rules of a game more than three-thousand years old-"
"Pegasus wrote the rules of the modern Duel Monsters, other me, not your ancestors. You didn't even have magic and trap cards."
"That's right. We had real magic instead."
"Say what you will; Monster Reborn is banned and that won't change."
Atem feigned a scowl. "When did you become so cocky, aibou?"
"I had a good teacher," Yuugi smirked.
Atem felt personally challenged to respond to Yuugi's attitude with an even cockier one. He narrowed his eyes and let his lips curve upwards. "Is that so? Learn from this, then: I bring Gandora, the Dragon Of Destruction! I pay half my Life Points and power him up by destroying all cards on the field, earning him 300 Attack Points for each. Which gives him 2700 Attack Points and leaves you open to a direct attack, and-"
Yuugi's brows scrunched up in an expression of pity. "Oh, other me... You are not gonna like this." Before sending it to the Graveyard, he flipped one of his face-down Monster Cards: Neko Mane King.
Atem's smirk died on his lips. "Oh no."
Yuugi nodded solemnly. "Oh yes. The destruction of my Neko Mane King forces your turn to end. Gandora disappears before he has the chance to attack." An amused laugh escaped him. "Sorry, other me. You cut your Life Points in half for nothing."
For a minute or so, Atem just stared. Then he gave Yuugi an approving nod. "Nice move. Your teacher must have been exceptionally good."
"Eh, he was okay."
Without thinking, Atem grabbed a pillow and flung it straight at Yuugi's face.
"Hey! My cards!" Yuugi whined. "Look, you scattered them!"
Atem gave a haughty shrug. "I guess I win, then."
"You'd wish!"
Yuugi retaliated by grabbing one of the couch's leather cushions and throwing it at Atem, effectively ruining the game. Duel Monsters cards flew all around as Atem was knocked to his back.
He pushed the cushion off of him and brushed his golden bangs away from his eyes. He tried to sound scolding, but could not keep the amusement out of his voice as he said, "Oh, real mature, aibou. Aren't you a little to old to be acting like this?"
"Aren't you a little too pharaoh to be acting like this?" Yuugi shot back with a wide smile.
Atem gave an indignant huff. He did not like losing, be it Duel Monsters or pillow fights. Across the carpet, Yuugi was singing, "I'm the King of Games, I'm the King of Games! I'm the King of Games, and Monster Reborn is banned, and- ow!"
Atem launched the cushion with such force that Yuugi toppled and knocked his mug over. The remainder of his tea spilled on the carpet.
"Whoops!" Yuugi exclaimed in between giggles.
"Oh Ra- I'm sorry, aibou," Atem breathed, struggling to talk after laughing so hard.
The tea did not stain a lot, but they both declared ceasefire and set to clean the carpet, still chuckling. It was close to midnight and Yuugi would have to go back to work in the morning, so they called it a day and decided to go to sleep.
Atem would stay at the guestroom: a nice and airy room with a beautiful view. Yuugi's bedroom was right next to it, so the whole thing had a cozy feeling to it. Atem supposed that this would be how he'd feel if he were an actual teenager at a sleepover in his best friend's house.
Yuugi kept babbling, albeit sleepily, as he helped him make the bed and carried warm blankets around.
"Other me, do you want to take a shower? There are clean towels in this set of drawers, and-"
"Yes. Thank you." He accepted a clean towel with a smile.
Things were okay. Not the same as he remembered, but okay. He was back. He was in Domino; he was with Yuugi. And there was a chance - a small, fleeting one, but wonderful in its probability - that he would get to stay. There would be plenty of time to work on whatever was not ideal. Tomorrow.
Tomorrow came, but it was not remotely as grand as Atem thought it'd be.
If asked what he expected his first week back to the world of the living to be, he would definitely not say boring; and yet a few days later he was forced to accept that this was exactly the characterization that fit his situation. He was experiencing his first days in his own, material body after thousands of years, he was with his friends and his partner, and instead of this being the most thrilling event of his life, he simply ended up bored out of his mind. Not that getting re-acquainted with living with an actual body did not have its challenges - because it did. But he'd expected his first days back to be a tad more exciting than that.
The heart of the problem resided in Yuugi not being able to take more days off work. His company was two weeks away from launching their new game, and they were all working overtime with no chance for a break. So, naturally, Yuugi spent many long hours away, and Atem spent many long hours alone in the apartment.
The second worst thing was that none of his friends could keep him company, either. Jounouchi was away for a few days because of a tournament, Honda had to deal with Miko and Shizuka both being sick with the flu, and Ryou... Well, he never got as close to Atem as the rest of the group. Sure, his yami was to blame for that, but Atem felt that this was some sort of gap that couldn't be bridged so easily. And, if he wanted to be frank, he was unnerved by him when he met him a few days ago, so Ryou Bakura was definitely not on the top of his list of people he'd like to spend more time with.
Anzu, however, was an entirely different matter. He wanted to talk to her. After all, she had been one of his best friends. Yuugi had told him next to nothing about how she was doing these days: he did not know whether she was back in America or in Domino, he did not know whether she had managed to make her dream of becoming a dancer come true... He knew nothing. And he did not try to ask Yuugi again: what few hours they spent together, he preferred to spend it with pleasant conversations and games, not awkward silences - or, even worse, arguments.
Still, he felt the need to talk to her. He even felt it was his responsibility to do so. No matter what Yuugi had said, the whole affair with Anzu could have been a misunderstanding. Now that Atem was back, he could attempt to set a few things right. But talking to her would mean talking to Yuugi first, and this did not feel the right time to do so. Perhaps he could do it later; after the initial shock of his return would wear off.
So it was that Atem found himself alone in Yuugi's apartment for hours on end, with nothing to do and no one to talk to. He tried reading to pass the time, but after a few hours he would grow sick of it too. He caught up with what had happened in the world during those last years and he even learned how to use the internet - to some extent, at least - but these past-times were less than fulfilling.
The best hours of his day were when Yuugi came back from work, and they talked and ate take-out while playing video games. Atem could see that his parnter was feeling guilty for leaving him alone for so many hours, but there was nothing that could be done. He understood that, and told Yuugi not to worry about it, trying to seem content for his sake.
However, after three days of confinement, Atem decided that sitting around in the apartment was not doing any good to anyone. He hadn't forgotten about Yami Bakura; he was adamant that they should at least try to locate him. Since no one else seemed inclined to do so, Atem decided to look for the Thief himself. He borrowed one of Yuugi's coats, got out of the apartment and simply roamed the streets of Domino. He had no plan nor any clues, but he guessed it was better than doing nothing.
After a few hours of fruitless wandering he was forced to accept the city was way too big to just stumble on the Thief like that. He returned to Yuugi's apartment disappointed, cold and a little annoyed, and went back into doing absolutely nothing for the rest of the day.
A dozen miles away, Ryou Bakura wished that his life would go back to being boring and uneventful.
Boring was not good by a long shot, but it would still be better than what his life had been the last few days. As the week drew to a close, Ryou had to admit that it qualified for a place in the Top 10 Worst Weeks Ever. There was not much that could compete with the return of his yami and having to work overtime to meet the demands of the holiday season. To top this all nicely, he had an important college exam coming up and he hadn't managed to study one bit.
So yeah, his week rightfully earned a spot in his sad Top 10. To celebrate it, he did something he hadn't done in four years: he lit a cigarette. At first it was just one, but by the end of the week he'd gone through a whole pack and was halfway through a second one. He guessed he should feel regret, especially after all the trouble he went into to quit, but he didn't. Oh well. There was only so much one could worry about simultaneously; the rest just took a back seat.
The silver lining was that on Saturday he would get to see Malik again. Ryou would be at the store, working until closing time, and then he would head to the Crow, the rock bar where Malik worked. Ryou was not one to go out much but, as the days rattled by, he caught himself looking forward to it.
So it was that on Saturday he managed to get through his shift with less gritting of his teeth than he used to. He kept glancing at the clock in-between folding sweaters, t-shirts and pants, inwardly counting the hours down to give himself some courage.
Six hours to go... Four and half more... Just three...
His feet hurt and his head was throbbing, but the promise of a chair, a drink and his friend's company kept him going. He knew that he should probably go straight home and study for his upcoming exam. It would be the responsible thing to do, but it could not be helped. If he went back to his apartment after the week he'd just had, he'd go crazy; he was certain of it. Plus, there was no way he would concentrate enough to study.
He huffed and folded a frighteningly fuzzy sweater that had been laying discarded on the floor. One more hour of this, just one...
The store was full of customers to the point where moving around was a feat. Ryou was assigned the back of the shop again, so he had to crane his neck to inspect the crowd all the way to the wide entrance door. He'd been doing this every so often for the past days no matter where he was: at work, at the street, at the grocery store, or even in his own apartment.
He thought it weird that he had not caught another glimpse of his yami ever since the night of his return. No, scratch 'weird' - it was downright suspicious. Ryou did not want to see him again, not by a long shot, but he had to admit that he'd be a lot less anxious if he knew exactly where his yami was. At least make sure that he wasn't stalking him, or plotting something nasty.
An artificial bell sounded over the store's PA system.
"Attention, customers. Out store will be closing in five minutes. Please, bring your final selections to the registers. Thank you."
Ryou sighed. That meant that there was less than an hour to go. After the last customer left, there would be the usual half hour of tidying up and then he'd be free.
He wanted a cigarette so badly his fingers practically twitched. A cigarette and a drink.
The wide glass entrance doors finally closed. The music was turned off, leaving the store eerily quiet after the maddening buzz of the afternoon. Ryou glanced one more time out the glass door, just in case a certain someone happened to be standing outside, and set to tidying.
The place looked as if it had gone through a storm. All of the employees did their best to make it presentable again, but the allotted half hour was over before much progress could be made. Ryou didn't particularly care; the morning shift would take care of the rest. He threw a rumpled shirt onto a pile and ran to the staff room. He took off his work shirt as fast as he could and put on a dark blue one. For the first time that week, he looked in the mirror and tried to smooth out the rough edges of his image: he straightened his shirt, brushed his hair a bit. He even tied a scarf around his neck - although that served more as a protection against the cold and less as a fashion statement. He wrapped himself in his jacket and hurried outside.
The Crow was just a short trek from Ryou's workplace, so he walked instead of waiting for a bus. He crossed the narrow streets of downtown Domino with brisk steps, his scarf wrapped around his mouth and nose to ward off the freezing night air. Colors blinked ceaselessly in the night, spilling from myriads of signs. Now that all stores were closed for the day, there weren't many people walking the streets. Ryou took this as a good sign: it probably meant that the Crow wouldn't be too crowded, either.
He glanced at shop windows and signs as he walked, mostly watching at whatever was reflected in the glass than the products on display. Every now and then he turned sharply to look behind him, as if to catch a stalker by surprise. There was no stalker, of course, but that did not put him at ease.
When the Crow came into view, the first real smile in days found its way to his lips. For a few seconds, he stood and took in the familiar sight.
It stood out from its neighboring buildings not because of extravagant signs or a colorful front, but because it lacked precisely that. Compared to the bars and shops around it, it looked out of place. One might even characterize it humble, if it weren't for its sheer size. Before being turned into a rock bar, the Crow was an old industrial warehouse: a long, rectangular building at least as high as a two-story house. It stood withered and old, with no flashing letters to draw attention to it; there was only one simple, wooden sign above the door, creaking slightly as it swayed. Two vintage lanterns provided just enough illumination for one to make out a the name of the bar and a crow carved on the wood.
Ryou pushed the door open and walked in. Warmth hit his face, along with the rich sound of electric guitars. He loosened his scarf and inhaled the smell of cigarette smoke, beer, and old wood. He hummed contentedly as his eyes swept the place.
Lanterns hung from the wooden beams that crossed the high ceiling, spilling their soft golden glow over benches, pool tables, stools and a few rickety sofas. Ryou had been right in his assumption that the place wouldn't be crowded at this hour. It was so spacious that it was hardly ever full, anyway, but Saturdays were always their busiest nights. As it were, he spotted several of the Crow's regulars - people he knew only by sight - drinking beer and talking loudly enough to antagonize the music.
Ryou's gaze found its way to the bar. Its long wooden counter was illuminated a tad more brightly than the rest of the place, thanks to a row of lights that hung low overhead. Just like every Saturday, two barmen stood behind the bar. The first one seemed like the proud embodiment of a metalhead/biker cliche: tall and burly, with long black hair in a ponytail, bushy beard and tattoos on every visible inch of his skin - except perhaps for his forehead.
The Crow's second barman was significantly more exotic-looking: long sandy hair messed with just the right amount of carelessness, caramel skin, gold earrings glinting in the half-light. He no longer lined his eyes with kohl, but he did not need to: his lavender irises stood out as they were. He was wearing a simple black shirt, just tight enough to hint at the well-toned body underneath, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A simple golden bracelet jingled as he mixed a cocktail.
Ryou smiled the moment he spotted his friend, but Malik was too busy to notice him: he was putting the finishing touches on a cocktail, arranging and rearranging spearmint leaves. Ryou made his way towards him, leaned against the counter and smirked. "Hey, good looking."
Malik looked up with sharp reply ready at his lips, but once he saw Ryou his whole face lit up.
"Hey, sugar puff!" he grinned. He nodded towards the two fancy cocktails in front of him. "Wait a sec, let me finish with these and I'll be right back!" He grabbed one in each hand and took them to the group that was huddled at the far end of the bar.
Ryou took off his jacket and took his usual seat: a tall stool right in front of Malik's station. The moment he sat down, his back and feet went numb in relief. He let out a tired groan, leaned with his elbows on the counter and basked in the satisfaction of actually sitting down instead of standing.
"Hard day?"
Malik was back and looking at him with a mixture of amusement and concern. Instead of a response, Ryou just sighed. He collapsed face-first on the counter and his forehead hit the slightly sticky surface.
"That bad, huh?" Malik giggled somewhere above his head.
Ryou lifted his head just enough to give his friend a bleary, one-eyed look. "That, and then some."
"Then I guess a drink is due. What will it be tonight, kind sir?"
Ryou let out a half-hearted chuckle and straightened his back. He glanced at the bottle of vodka that gleamed innocently behind Malik's shoulder, but changed his mind fairly quickly. He let his gaze drop to his hands. "Umm... A beer, I guess."
Malik filled a glass with swift movements and placed it before him. He wiped his hands and looked at Ryou, still beaming. "So... What's up? What happened while I was away?"
Ryou simply shrugged. "You know everything, more or less."
"Yeah, but hearing the live version is different. Come on!" He gave Ryou's shoulder a playful pinch. "Tell me. How have you been?"
Ryou sighed and stared at the glass between his hands. "Okay, then. The past few days have been some of the worst I've had the bad luck to experience. So, cheers to that."
"They've been giving you hell at work, huh?" Malik said with a sympathetic wince.
"Yeah. Holiday season is the best!" Ryou sneered with a double thumbs up and a fake smile that collapsed a second later. He shook his head in exasperation. "I swear, people go crazy this time of the year. I don't think I served one sane customer today."
"Ouch. That sucks."
"I know." Ryou wrapped his fingers around his cold glass and the moisture dampened his palms. "Anyway, how was your week? Are you done with the shooting for the movie?"
"Yeah, for now. They might need me again next month," Malik said lightly as he cleaned the beer taps with a wet cloth.
"So you'll be around for a while?"
"That's right. You happy, sugar?" Malik winked and gave him a cheeky smile.
"Thrilled," Ryou said with a roll of his eyes. Malik laughed and mock-slapped him with the wet cloth he was holding. "Seriously, though," Ryou added after he'd warded off his friend's attack, "I'm glad you'll be around. Things are bat-shit crazy these days. Having some company will be a relief."
"You mean 'having one sane person around, one who can actually keep their calm and not freak out over every little thing'? Yeah, I bet it will be a relief," Malik said with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Hey, I may be kinda freaked out, but you are... insanely chill."
"Kinda freaked out?" Malik echoed in disbelief.
"Insanely chill," Ryou repeated with a nod, pointing at him.
Malik chuckled. "Come on, drink your beer. It might help you relax a bit."
Ryou looked at the rapidly dissolving foam in his glass. He didn't really feel like it, but he brought the glass to his lips anyway.
"Yo, Ishtar." The other barman approached them with a basket full of glasses fresh out of the dishwasher. "Can you take care of these?"
"Sure."
"Thanks man. Hey Ryou," he greeted with a curt nod.
"Hey, Reiji," Ryou greeted back with a polite smile.
Malik placed the basket next to him, grabbed a clean cloth and started polishing a glass. He made sure they were alone before he leaned closer to Ryou. "So... No sight of Bakura yet?"
Ryou, who was drinking, swallowed so hard that he beer scraped his throat. "Do not call him that! And no, I haven't seen him."
Malik kept his eyes on the glass he was wiping, thus missing Ryou's glower. "That's good."
"No, it's not."
Malik's eyebrows shot up. He gave Ryou an incredulous look. "Don't tell me you actually want to see him?"
"Of course I don't," Ryou snapped. "I don't want to lay eyes on him ever again. But the fact that he hasn't shown himself is... suspicious, to say the least."
"Well... You did tell him to stay away," Malik pointed out. He lifted a glass against the light to inspect it and moved to the next.
"When was he one to actually listen to whatever I said? No." Ryou shook his head fervently. "His absence is suspicious. And it drives me nuts. I keep feeling he's around, watching me or something."
Malik looked at him sternly. "You do realize you are driving yourself crazy, right? You don't even need him to be close to affect you."
"He could be close, for all I know."
"I don't think he is." Malik leaned against the counter and grabbed another glass. "If he was indeed watching you, I don't think he'd have managed to remain hidden this long. He's not as subtle as he wants to believe."
"He's pretty capable," Ryou admitted sourly.
"He's also a drama queen. He wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to show up."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Oh, come on, Ryou. I've worked with the man. And, let me tell you..." He pointed a perfectly-polished glass at him and fixed him with a serious look. "Plotting death and world dominance with someone tends to be pretty revealing about the way their mind works. For once, you should listen to the bottomless well of wisdom that is Malik Ishtar."
"And you should totally put the 'bottomless well' part in your personal ad," Ryou smirked.
Malik snorted in laughter, but sobered up so quickly it was disconcerting. "Seriously, Ryou. Stop driving yourself crazy over him. It's not good to let such feelings consume you. Take it from me."
Ryou pushed his bangs off his eyes and sighed deeply. "I know. But I can't just ignore the fact that he's back. I can't."
"Focus on something else. What about college?"
He scowled. "Is college supposed to make me feel better?"
"It could be an efficient distraction. Don't you have an important exam coming up?"
"I... do."
Ryou glowered at his now lukewarm beer. Thinking about college was almost as bad as thinking about his yami. Not quite the same, but almost.
He was a student of English language and literature, but in between work and his life's many ups and downs, he still hadn't managed to graduate. College was a painful topic because, to Ryou, it was proof of how much of a loser he was. He hadn't managed to get in college right after high school like everybody else had, because his grades had been way too low. After their adventures were over and his yami was gone, it had been hard for Ryou to pick up the pieces of his life and put together something viable. He'd cracked. He'd tumbled low and, naturally, his grades had taken the plunge with him. So he watched everyone else go off to college and follow their dreams while he was stuck.
The worst of the blows had come after that. His father, thoroughly disgraced by his failure of a son, had disowned him. He kicked him out of the house he'd been providing for him and stopped sending him money. He cut off all ties; the only thing he told him when Ryou tried to contact him, was to call him once he learned how be a functional member of society instead of being a parasite.
Ryou. A parasite. Wasn't that ironic.
So he'd found himself with no choice but to bust his ass to work to survive. While the others studied and created and evolved, he was wiping tables and serving tea and scrubbing floors. He realized soon enough that without a degree of some sort he'd never move past that. So, once he managed to somewhat stand on his own feet, he decided to pursue a career. Any career. Whatever would be easier, since he wouldn't be able to devote much time and energy to it.
When he was younger, he'd dreamed of becoming an archaeologist, just like his father. Ancient civilizations had fascinated him. Especially ancient Egypt.
After his yami, he wanted nothing to do with it. He threw away all relevant books, all the gifts his father had sent him, the diorama his yami had made him create... Anything that reminded him of that place, that age, and him. He didn't want to remember. He tried not to.
After his father abandoned him too, he didn't want to even consider following in his footsteps. It did not matter that Ryou had always had a knack for archaeology. It did not matter that he was good at it, nor that he had already had a vast knowledge on the subject for someone his age; archaeology was out of the question.
English seemed like a solid choice. He was already fluent, thanks to lessons he'd taken as a child and the trips he'd accompanied his father to. Ryou did not think it over twice; he couldn't really see any other options anyway.
So there he was, 29 years old, struggling for a degree. Being still in college at his age was pretty disgraceful, too, but he did not trouble himself with this detail. He had no family around to embarrass, so he didn't have to worry about 'disgracing anyone' anymore. It was something.
He felt his mouth twist in an unhappy smirk. Way to look at the bright side of things, he told himself.
He looked at his half-drunk beer and scrunched up his nose in mild disgust. He pushed the glass away. Beer wasn't really cutting it, but he didn't want to ask Malik for something stronger.
His fingers were itching. He wanted a smoke.
"Ryou? You okay?"
He looked up. His friend was eyeing him with concern.
"Never been better. Why?"
"You, like... totally zoned out. I've asked you twice about studying, but-"
"Oh. Sorry. I guess I didn't hear you over the music." He tried to smile. Malik did not smile back.
"Seriously, though. Are you alright?"
This time he managed a bitter smirk. "Is that a rhetorical question?" He sighed and moved restlessly in his seat. "Let's not talk about college, please. Or my yami."
"Okay. Although, with two of the more fun subjects out of the way, I don't know how we'll ever find something to talk about," Malik snickered as he set the cloth down. Apparently he'd finished polishing the glasses during Ryou's glum reflection. He grabbed a couple and turned around to place them on their allotted shelves.
"What about your yami?" Ryou asked, loudly enough for Malik to hear him over the music. "Any sight of him?"
Malik turned his head to look at him over his shoulder. "Mariku? No. Which really leads me to believe he's not back."
"Do not let your guard down," Ryou warned sharply.
Malik placed the last glass on the shelf and turned around to face him. "I won't. I mean, who knows? Perhaps my yami has met your yami and the only reason we haven't seen them yet is that they're both holed up somewhere, plotting the end of the world." He shrugged theatrically, barely containing his laughter.
"Not funny," Ryou grumbled, thoroughly unamused.
Malik giggled and waved an airy hand. "Oh, relax, sugar."
A customer approached the counter and gave Malik his order, so he left Ryou on his own for a while and set to make a couple of cocktails. Ryou looked around as he waited, absently tapping his foot in the beat of the music. The Ace Of Spades blasted through the speakers and he started humming the lyrics, feeling the bass thrumming deep in his bones.
Once Malik was done with the drinks, he wiped his hands and returned to his spot across from Ryou. He glanced around to make sure nobody was close, then leaned towards him for good measure. "So. I talked to Ishizu today."
Ryou perked up. He glanced around once, too, and whispered, "Any news?"
Malik's wince was an answer in and of itself. "Yeah, but they're not good. Things don't look too hot at her front."
"No progress in getting the Book, then?"
"No. And it doesn't seem likely that she'll manage to."
Ryou frowned. "But you said she knows people that could help. That she has connections-"
"She's tried everything. So far, her connections have been of no use."
"How can that be?"
Malik's expression turned grim. "Dunno. But I don't like it one bit."
"Nobody did, ever since day one. I mean..." Ryou lowered his voice even more. "It's the Millennium Spellbook. I don't think any of us wanted to be dragged back into another Millennium-related mess-"
"That's not it." Malik sighed and brushed a tuft behind his ear, revealing a glinting earring. "At first, I'd allowed myself the benefit of doubt. I thought there might be a possibility that Ishizu was overreacting. But now..." He shook his head. "I gotta admit, this whole affair sounds fishy."
Ryou pondered on it for a moment, distractedly watching Malik's earring as it swayed. "But... Is it really that unheard of to deny Ishizu involvement in a project?"
"It is," Malik said firmly. "I've told you: they've never kept her in the dark before."
"But why keep her purposefully away from the Book? They don't know about her involvement with the Millennium Items, or the whole... tomb-keeping thing, do they?"
"Perhaps it's not about keeping Ishizu away in particular. Perhaps it's about keeping away any person they don't trust."
"...Who's they, though?" Ryou asked with a frown.
Malik shrugged. "Whoever's head of the project."
"Wait, isn't the Council of Antiquities-?"
"No, no. Representatives of the Council are present in all excavations, but that's that."
Ryou's brow scrunched up even more. "Then who's-?"
"That's what Ishizu's looking into now," Malik said, tapping a finger to the counter for emphasis. "She's trying to find out who's funding this - because someone is. Someone is sending greats sums of money to pay for all those translators and restorers."
Ryou remained silent at that. The music and noise seemed to swell around them.
He did not like what Malik's words implied. He did not like to think that they probably had a new enemy to deal with. On the other hand, he couldn't ignore the possibility, either.
He scoffed at himself. Enemy. This was a word that did not really have a place in his life now. Enemies were a thing of the past, when they were a bunch of teenagers with heroic delusions; back when they wanted to save the world with their cards and gambled their souls for their friends' sake. There were no real enemies now. There were co-workers you might not like, or annoying bosses and demanding customers. Even thinking that word made him feel childish.
However, he couldn't just stick his head in the sand and pretend everything was fine. Because if a person was funding the translation of the Spellbook, he probably wasn't their friend - and they definitely weren't going to use its magic to achieve world peace or something equivalent. Which consequently made them an enemy, and made Ryou and his friends... What? What could Ryou, Malik and the others do against such a threat? They were just a bunch of normal nobodies: a store-employee, a barman, a game-designer... God, they sounded like a joke. Problems could no longer be solved with games and magic. They had meddled once because they had magic items in their hands, and yamis, and-
He fidgeted when the startling realization hit him.
They had yamis once more. They had come back. Via magic means, no doubt. They had no Items, but everything else was alarmingly familiar. Perhaps that was a sign that history was repeating itself. Perhaps 'saving the world from its mortal enemies' was not as much a fairy-tale as Ryou had come to believe. And perhaps this bunch of nobodies would have to take matters to their hands once more. They'd just have to figure out how.
Malik's voice cut into his thoughts. "You know, I've been thinking... If this whole affair is, indeed, way above Ishizu's power..."
Ryou met his gaze steadily. He was under the impression that they were both thinking the same thing: if their enemy had money and power, then they would have to fight them back using the same weapons.
"Kaiba," Ryou said simply.
Malik nodded. Then he let out a breathy laugh. "Boy, he'll be thrilled."
"He'll probably kick us out the moment we mention a magic spellbook. Or... He'll have Mokuba escort us out, or something."
Malik smirked slyly. "Oh, I think he'll be more willing to help than you think."
"If you're talking about Jounouchi, I don't think-"
"No, silly. I'm talking about the Pharaoh."
"...What about the Pharaoh?"
Malik rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Oh, come on, Ryou! What was the one thing Kaiba always wanted?"
Ryou kept staring uncomprehendingly. "Uuh... To sculpt the moon into a Blue Eyes White Dragon?"
"No; he wanted to beat the Pharaoh in a duel. Come on, he was literally obsessed with it!"
"Yeah... So?"
Malik sighed tiredly. "So, he was bummed when the Pharaoh left before he'd had the opportunity for a rematch. So, now that he's back..."
Ryou finally caught on. "You think he'll help us if the Pharaoh promises to duel him in return?" He lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. "It won't work."
"It will," Malik stated with confidence.
"How much do you wanna bet?"
"Oh, don't make me take your money, sugar puff."
Ryou chuckled. "Fine. But we'll have to tell the others first."
"I know. But I think it's best to wait. At least, until Ishizu has some solid information."
Ryou nodded in agreement.
Malik had to leave again to prepare another order, so Ryou took this chance to recover. His brain was burning from fatigue and all the new information. He stretched and groaned when he felt his spine pop.
He felt around his jacket for his pack of cigarettes, then hesitated. He hadn't told Malik that he'd took up smoking again. He stole a glance at him; he was preparing some drinks while making small talk with a customer. Ryou's fingers slipped away from his jacket pocket. He could wait until the walk home to light one. Yes, but that's not gonna happen any time soon, a voice in his mind whispered.
He almost groaned audibly. He hated that little knowing voice. He also hated deliberately hiding things from Malik.
He took out the pack, picked a cigarette and caught it with his lips. He caught Malik's eye; saw him freeze for a moment. Malik gave him a frown that conveyed both question and surprise, then turned back to the drinks he'd been mixing.
Oh well. The hard part was over. Ryou lit the tip and inhaled, and felt his brain relax just a little. He sighed in satisfaction. This was what he'd been dreaming for the past eight hours.
Malik came back. Wiped his hands. Looked at Ryou in apparent displeasure.
"I didn't know this was a thing again," he said, nodding towards the cigarette.
"Come on. After the week I had, it was inevitable," Ryou replied quietly.
Malik grimaced and shook his head. "Okay. I won't scold you, cause I'm not your mother. But," he added sharply, pointing a finger at him. His lavender irises pierced Ryou. "I disapprove."
Ryou chuckled. "Yeah, I know."
Malik grabbed a towel, tossed it over his shoulder with a flourish and flashed him a smile. "So. Will you stay 'till closing time? It's a slow night. I could use the company."
Ryou smiled and settled more comfortably on his stool. "Sure."
.
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Author's note
Heeey looks like that HUGE first day is finally over! It was a long long day in this universe, but time marches on again! *whispers 'now the fun stuff will start happening'*
To those of you who asked me about Kaiba: we already learned a few things about him in this chapter, and yes, we will get to see him. Soon. I hope. D:
In this fic I'm strictly following the manga canon. No anime, no movies, not even Dark Side of Dimensions (yeah, I know that Takahashi wrote the plot to that one, so technically it's canon, but still).
Now here's the fun thing: I haven't watched GX. I don't know what's going on in GX. I didn't know there was a Dueling Academy in GX, and I definitely didn't know it was Kaiba's. Last year, when I started planning this fic, I was like "I really like the idea of Kaiba founding a school" and my boyfriend/beta reader was like, "Soooo just like GX?"
I WAS TOTALLY CLUELESS xD (great minds and stuff, eh? no? okay)
I guess the reason I'm saying this is so that people won't misinterpret this as my considering GX canon. That's not the case. This fic treats as canon only the events of the manga - the rest are just my additions.
Thanks for reading and, as always, let me know what you think! Your feedback really helps me grow and improve (and it makes me all happy and squealing and that's great too)
Until next time, take care everybody! :D
