Bit of a continuation from last chapter.
Bakura jerked his arm free from Kat's grip and rounded on her. "Why did you fucking hold me back?!"
"Too keep you from doing something stupid, obviously," Kat replied, annoyed with Bakura's sudden attitude towards her.
"I didn't ask for you to run interference on my stupidity!"
"Don't yell at me just because someone called you out on your bullshit!"
"Fuck you!"
"You wish!"
They stared bitterly at one another, each internally daring the other to take the first swing.
Kat was the first to break the silence between them.
"So tell me, which part bothers you the most? The fact that he sees right through you now, or the fact that he's starting to act just like you?"
Bakura looked away, grinding his jaw as he tried to avoid the answer.
"Kura," Kat began. "You can bullshit everyone else, but you know you can't bullshit me. Both points bother you, don't they?"
"It's not how-...he wasn't-..." Bakura rapped his fingers repeatedly against his thigh, frustrated with how he currently felt.
"It's not how you wanted him to be, right?" Kat said calmly.
Bakura lowered his head, nodding it slowly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small gold band he had been carrying around since he left earlier, and stared at it. "I let her down. I let everyone down. You weren't asking me to leave my family behind, you just needed someone to help teach your boy how to control his magae. All I had to do was agree. Instead…I argued about it. We both became distracted…and I was being so stubborn and pigheaded…that I failed to notice when you were no longer in control of your words and actions."
"Kura, please don't put all the blame on yourself. We were all being stupid. Do you want to know the funny part? We were all being stupid for the exact same reason. We all just wanted what we felt was best for them." Kat stated as she attempted to free her friend's mind of all the guilt she knew he currently felt. "There wasn't some ancient text, or spell that we could invoke, that could've prepared us for what we were all suddenly faced with. For millennia we watched others have what we, ourselves, never thought was possible for us. We heard repeatedly that there weren't words to describe what it was like, and that only by having experienced it ourselves, would we ever understand. Well, now we know."
"It still doesn't make anything I did 'right'."
"No, but your Ryou is like my Yugi. He's trying to reach out…and you're doing like I was by trying to push him away. The only difference between you and I, is that you have a habit of pushing almost everyone away."
"Yeah, well, I have my reasons for that," Bakura said irritably.
"And that's fine. Just don't push away the one that you were afraid to leave behind in the first place."
Bakura growled in irritation. "So what am I supposed to do? Say 'I'm sorry'? Last time I did that I got dropped out of the freaking sky!"
"Yeeaaahhh….you kinda had that one coming. But I know for a fact that he made sure I was aware of your presence before dropping you. He knew I would catch you before you hit the ground."
"Yeah, and then you dropped me on my ass…"
"I could have just stepped back and poked your shattered remains with a stick," Kat said boredly.
"Wouldn't be the first time," Bakura grumbled. "What were you even doing outside anyway?"
"Smoke break, obviously."
"Which you only do when you need to calm your nerves, or you're utterly bored. So which was it?" Bakura questioned.
"I may have had a paranoia freak-out," Kat said sheepishly.
"About…?"
"Atem living on his own…"
"What?! I'm surprised that idiot manages to chew and swallow his own food without choking. How the fuck does he expect to live in the modern era on his own?"
Kat's face fell. "Greaaat…now I'm gonna constantly worry every time he eats. Thanks a lot," she said sarcastically.
"You're welcome," Bakura commented with a smirk.
"Marik wasn't any help in that area either…" Kat grumbled.
"Really? Mr 'Perfect' made a suggestion that only added to your paranoia? Oh, this I gotta hear."
"...he said Atem might try making toast while taking a bath…"
Bakura shoved the ring he still held onto back in his pocket while raising his other hand to badly hide the laughter that spewed forth.
"Wow! I love it! Oh, please let me visit fuckface once he gets his own place! I'll help make sure the toaster is plugged in and ready for bathtime!"
"Why are you so gung-ho on trying to kill him?" Kat asked in annoyance.
"Oh, you misunderstand. You see, it's not about trying to kill him…it's about making sure that I'm the last thing he sees before crossing over," Bakura said nonchalantly while grinning.
Kat stared blankly at her friend. "Why? So he can spend all his days in Aaru just daydreaming about you?"
Bakura's jaw dropped as he began to sheepishly stammer. "That's-...It's-...I-..."
"By all means, be my guest," Kat said casually. "At least I know he won't be fixated on me."
"I didn't mean it like that!"
"Are you sure?" Kat taunted. "It's obvious you have some lingering feelings about your drunken one-nighter."
"GO. TO. HELL." Bakura growled bitterly.
"Been there. Done that. Got the tee-shirt." Kat replied with a playful grin.
Bakura simply rolled his eyes then sat over on a nearby patio swing and relaxed into it. Kat joined him as she lit another cigarette, seeing as her other had been destroyed when she caught the falling elemental. She leaned back like he did, both staring off into the sky.
"So…jokes aside, any suggestions? I know he wants to be on his own, but I just worry about him being alone and something bad happening. He doesn't really know how to do anything other than play games and rule a kingdom."
Bakura lit a cigarette of his own. "You want my honest opinion?"
"Probably not, but go for it."
"Stick him with a roommate. Preferably someone that can explain things to him on the level of 'stupid' if needed. Obviously, it will have to be someone you can trust and who is familiar with our world."
"That…would…ease my mind. I won't have to worry that he's alone if something bad happens, and they can help him adjust. Why didn't I think of that?"
"Because paranoia took hold before you could?"
Kat shrugged and nodded in agreement.
The back door from the kitchen opened, Marik stepping just outside of it as he scanned the yard for his girlfriend.
"Habibty, are you okay back here? You've been gone fo-…oh…hi, Bakura. I didn't realize you were back."
"I just 'dropped in' a few minutes ago. Just relaxing for a bit before I have to go back in and deal with his royal highness," Bakura growled.
"Oh, okay." Marik turned his gaze over to his girlfriend. "That's actually why I'm out here. Atem said he wanted you to look over his work and see if there's anything else he might have missed. I would have offered to do it, but I figured I'd leave magical translations to the experts."
Kat rolled her head over towards Bakura. "I don't know what you two fought about earlier, and I don't care. Would you be so kind, however, to look over it? You're the resident perfectionist when it comes to this kind of stuff."
Bakura wrinkled his nose to show his dislike of the idea but relented to her request. "Fine, but only because it will drive me nuts wondering what else he might have screwed up on."
"Thank you," Kat sang pleasantly.
"Yeah, yeah. You're gonna owe me big time for this, you know that right?"
Atem turned to face towards the kitchen as he heard the door swing open. He watched as Marik walked through, closely followed by Kat.
"I think what I have here should suffice as a starting point," he began while holding up the notebooks he'd spent hours writing translations in. "But if there's something else you can think of that might be important to include, let me know."
Another figure appeared out of the kitchen.
"Oh, I'm sure you missed something," Bakura stated, his voice sounding as though he were trying to taunt the Pharaoh.
Atem felt a range of emotions roiling within. Unable to settle on just one, he resorted to just throwing the notebook on the table and storming out the front door.
He sat down on the front steps and placed his head in his hands. After Bakura had left earlier, Atem had tried not to think about the words that were exchanged leading up to the elemental's sudden departure. He knew his jab about Bakura's feelings towards Kat had crossed the line, but what was he supposed to do about it? The words had already been spoken, and he'd be damned if he was going to apologize to Bakura.
He thought back to the prior night. Bakura had obviously ignored his own discomfort while attempting to help Atem fall asleep. Sure, the arrangement benefitted the both of them, but like Bakura had mentioned, there were other (more violent) alternatives.
Atem raked his hands deep into his hair as he closed his eyes in thought.
What had happened in the past that brought them to how they were towards one another now? He thought back, trying to sort through the myriad of memories that now crowded his mind.
He groaned as a migraine began to form, causing him to bring his hands down and cover his eyes in an attempt to lessen the discomfort it brought. Just as quickly as the migraine had begun to form, it vanished.
Atem lowered his hands and opened his eyes, confusion quickly flooding through him as the yard that he had expected to see was replaced by the circle from within the wall of black flames. A layer of fog drifted across the ground this time, and the Pharaonic version of himself was sitting across from him, seated on his throne.
Atem studied this other version of himself closely, noting his lazed posture with one leg crossed over the other, chin resting on an elbow propped fist, and eyes closed as if bored.
"You again?" Atem stated in confusion.
The other him slowly opened his eyes, staring over at Atem as if disinterested. He simply stared, not saying a single word.
"Have you nothing to say? No words of advice, or the reason I am here?" Atem asked in annoyance.
"What is there to say? You are here."
"Yes, but why am I here? Or better yet, where is 'here'?"
"Where do you think 'here' is?"
Atem thought for a moment. "Is this a part of my mind? Is this a lingering effect from being trapped in the Puzzle?"
The other him simply shrugged. "Perhaps. Is discovering where 'here' is important at the moment?"
"I suppose not," Atem replied.
"Very well, then. So what is important?"
Atem sighed, feeling annoyed again. "To figure out 'why' I am here, I suppose."
The other him closed his eyes and nodded.
Atem groaned in irritation. "I have a feeling I know the answer, but I find the answer…stupid."
The other him opened his eyes again, still appearing disinterested.
"Why does everything about Bakura bother me so much?!" Atem shouted in frustration. "It's like he's made it his personal goal to vex me in every way possible! And I can't make sense of anything he does! He wants to kill me! No, wait, now he wants to help me?! Make up your mind, Thief!"
Atem had taken to standing in his frustration, and had begun to pace back and forth while venting.
"If I may interject, what caused the two of you to fall out of favor with one another?"
Atem stopped his pacing to look at his other self. "I'm…not entirely certain? That's what I was trying to discern before…" He gestured to the space around them. He then lowered his head in thought. "I recall a time when I once welcomed him with open arms."
"Do you think he remembers?"
"I'm sure he does, but there's no way I'll stoop to asking. I can already see that ridiculous smirk forming as he realizes that I've forgotten…or that it was something else that I was oblivious to."
"You make it sound as if asking will be an inconvenience to you."
"I'd sooner throw myself into Ammit's mouth," Atem stated in annoyance.
The other him smirked in amusement. "Spend eternity suffering in the maw of a God, or ask an uncomfortable question and deal with some harmless taunts…yes, the former sounds much more appealing."
Atem looked away while clenching his jaw. "Release me from…whatever this is," he demanded.
"I am not the one keeping you here. If you wish to leave, then leave."
Atem covered his face with both hands, groaning irritably. He had just lowered his hands to say something to his other self, when he realized he was no longer surrounded by dark flames and that he was still sitting on the steps. He stared out across the yard as the last light of the day faded beyond the horizon and a light breeze rustled through a patch of white spider lilies that had blossomed beneath the front window.
The door behind him opened and closed, a pale figure sitting quietly beside him. Bakura stared out across the yard while holding out the notebooks Atem had thrown on the table.
Atem looked at the notebooks in confusion for a moment before taking it. He flipped through, expecting to see all of his work mangled and destroyed, with Bakura's handwriting replacing his own. He was surprised to find no alterations to his work.
"I don't understand?" he said in extreme confusion.
"What's there to understand? You kept my earlier suggestions in mind, and you followed through. There's a few things in there that I feel might be a bit too advanced right off the bat, but who am I to determine what he is and isn't capable of understanding? He was your host, not mine," Bakura said in a fairly calm tone of voice.
Atem continued to stare in a puzzled manner. "Why are you being so n-"
"Say 'nice' and I'll cut out your tongue," Bakura growled.
"Ah, there it is," Atem said in exasperated relief. He was beginning to wonder what Bakura might be scheming.
Bakura groaned. "Bite me."
"I would rather not. You appear to enjoy it."
If Bakura's head could have spun any faster towards him, it would have snapped, and the look of utter shock on his face was one Atem would not soon forget.
"Holy shit…did you just…?"
"Did I just…what?" Atem questioned, feigning ignorance.
Bakura was still attempting to recover from his shock.
"...o-odaxelagnia…" he stuttered.
Atem furled his brow in confusion. "What?"
"A-arousal from biting…or being bitten. It-…. it's called odaxelagnia," Bakura replied sheepishly, obviously still trying to process how to properly react to Atem's comment
Atem stared for the longest time, not certain how to respond.
"I could have gone the rest of my natural life without knowing that there was a word for that…"
This brought Bakura out of his shock and provoked one of his smirks. "You're welcome."
"Gods, I can't wait for Mkhai to find me my own place," Atem stated as he rolled his eyes.
"Why? So you can die in comical fashion?" Bakura questioned, his smirk widening into a grin.
Atem dropped his head into a palm. "I swear, if you mention something else for her to become paranoid over, I will make your life a living hell."
"One problem with that…it already is. I doubt you can make it any worse."
"I'll figure out something."
"Do me a favor. Give me a call before you decide to take your first bath. I'll make sure to bring over one of those vintage toasters as a housewarming gift."
"Why? So instead of spending all of eternity at peace in Aaru, I'll have repeated nightmares of you standing over me with that stupid grin of yours?"
"Finally! Someone who gets it!" Bakura shouted in exasperated relief.
Atem's brow furled in a mixture of annoyance and confusion. "You want to be the one to kill me so that you'll have 'stolen' my eternal peace?"
Bakura excitedly grabbed hold of Atem's face, his eyes wide to show his level of excitement. "Five-fucking-thousand years…and no one has fucking understood! But you…you fucking get it!"
"Let go of me," Atem said irritably, extremely uncomfortable with how close Bakura's face was to his.
Bakura did as asked, still smiling excitedly. "Think about it: Stealing something as intangible as 'Eternal Peace'! I'll forever be known as 'Bakura, Stealer of Eternal Peace'! Or some shit like that…meh, details."
Atem stared boredly at the excited elemental. "You've wanted to kill me for five millennia just so you can prove yourself capable of doing something that the gods cannot fathom is possible?"
Bakura's smile faded as his eyes shifted back and forth in thought. "Well…you have to at least give me points for dedication…"
Atem shook his head slowly in exasperation, then gave Bakura a side-eye glance. "So all this time, you haven't wanted to kill me because you hated me?" he asked, trying to make sense of things.
"Well…" Bakura said while looking back out over the yard. "You did hurt my best friend in a way I can never forgive you for. Not to mention the trail of broken promises, being an absolute ass, badly-kept secrets…" he continued on, keeping track of the number with his fingers. "...then there was that time-"
"Okay!" Atem interrupted sharply. "I get it. Katrina has already pointed out all of those things. I just thought that perhaps your hatred of me was on a more personal level."
Bakura hesitated for a moment before replying. "Yes…and no."
Atem sighed irritably. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
Bakura clenched and unclenched his jaw a few times, obviously trying to decide on whatever it was that he was contemplating on saying.
"...I do feel hatred towards you at times…deep, personal hatred…" His brow had become intensely furled in both irritation and anger. "...I can't-…it's like there's something-…" He growled loudly as he grabbed his head.
Bakura suddenly stood quickly, removing his hands from his head while picking Atem up by the collar of his shirt and slamming him against the house. His eyes flashed in anger that bordered on rage.
"Why?" he asked harshly, his jaw clenched tightly.
Atem was still registering the shock of being forcefully lifted and shoved against the house.
Bakura's bitter glare continued to bore into Atem until, to Atem's relief, the door opened.
It took less than a second for the scene to fully process in Kat's mind before she quickly separated the two.
"Kura, what the fuck!?"
Bakura refused to answer. Instead he tried to shove his way past Kat in an attempt to re-enter the house, but Kat shoved him back and stood in the way.
"Let me through!" Bakura demanded.
"No." Kat said sharply, wearing a bitter scowl. "This has to stop."
Bakura growled in frustration as he attempted to push past her again.
Kat grabbed hold of the leather cord around his neck and jerked hard as she pushed the other elemental backwards again. The cord made a 'snap' like sound as it broke, the elemental whose neck it was around falling roughly to the ground as it did.
Kat stood there, Millennium Ring in hand, and ignoring the look of pure rage that came from her friend.
"Give. It. Back." Bakura demanded through a clenched jaw.
"No." Kat stated. The look she was giving the other elemental was nearly identical to the one she was receiving.
Atem's mind had finally registered everything, and without thinking, he jerked the item in his former wife's hand and tossed it to its owner.
"I don't need you coming to my rescue!" Atem shouted.
Kat's face was one of shock. "Do you have any idea as to what Kura is capable of?!"
"Yes, I am aware," Atem said sharply. "I know that he can, and more than likely will, kill me."
"So why do you keep fucking provoking him!?"
"...he didn't."
Both Atem and Kat turned their focus towards the pale elemental that was still sitting on the ground. Bakura was staring somberly at the Ring in his hand.
"It…it was my fault. I took my issues from earlier out on him," Bakura lied.
Kat placed her hands on her hips in annoyance. "Well, can you stop? I'm sick of every time I turn around or walk away, two of my friends are at each other's throats. I don't even know what the fuck you two even have against each other, because neither of you will ever tell me!"
Bakura said nothing as he slightly nodded his head as if he were agreeing to her request.
"Good," Kat said sharply. "Now if you're done taking shit out on people, would you like to come in and play a few rounds of Halo? I thought maybe we could play some Capture the Flag, or maybe just some PvP free-for-all to pass the time before everyone heads to bed."
Bakura nodded again. "Sure. Just give me a few minutes."
Kat rolled her eyes while muttering 'whatever' as she headed back inside to set things up.
Atem turned and reached out a hand towards Bakura to help him off the ground. The elemental continued to stare at the object in his hands for a moment longer before looking up at the hand offered.
Bakura clenched his jaw and scowled before swatting Atem's hand out of the way and lifting himself off the ground. He quickly placed a knot in the cord attached to the Millennium Ring and placed it back around his neck before tucking the object safely away beneath his shirt. He took a few steps towards the door, stopping just before he entered and glancing back towards the former Pharaoh.
"I don't know why you did what you just did…but thanks," he said quietly.
Atem blinked in astonishment. Did Bakura just thank him?
Before Atem could say anything, Bakura stepped the rest of the way inside, calling out that he wanted second controller.
So...if you are reading this, I would really appreciate it if you would comment something simple about what you like about the story so far. Brain has been really mean lately to the point where it keeps asking me why I'm still writing this other than self-spite to finish. It's made moving on to the next chapter WiP hard to do (I just finished chapter 90 a few days ago and is now in the edit queue).
This is me on my hands and knees begging for some sort of reader interaction. It doesn't have to be a super in-depth review with footnotes and summary, just 'Hey I really like XYZ', or something along those lines. I don't care if it's incoherent rambling (in case it isn't obvious I am a pro at it), or badly translated via Google (I can get the basic idea), something is better than the never ending chorus of crickets. Anything that lets me know that there's at least someone that's interested in seeing where the story goes (besides myself, which is cheating because I already know how the story ends). Numbers on a chart can become eschewed, and it doesn't tell me anything other than 'hey, someone did a clicky and opened this page'. It doesn't tell me if it was actually read.