Yu-Gi-Oh: A Past and Future Pharaoh
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
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"I'm just glad Kaiba doesn't do the whole costume thing..." Valon commented as they walked by an adult shop with costumes in the window.
Said window was making some vain attempt at hiding the nature of the store with its mannequins. They were standing in basic positions wearing all leather Catwoman esque gear, or cowboy stuff, with the butt respectably not facing the window. Along this road were shops that didn't really seem 'kid' friendly, but knew that kids were a possibility. Book shops with stuffy formal window dressing and names, a furniture shop, a coffee shop that advertised alcohol.
There was even small metaphysical at the end of a series of shops with a lovely light shade of blue colored aesthetic. The cherry on top was the 'its going to rain in' timer that was ticking down in its window. A lovely joke really given how it rained every day, albeit briefly. There weren't any kids in the area, though the neighboring road certainly 'did' have a good number of children by the sound of it.
"Its a pretty good set up, people who don't want kids on this road, people who have kids on the other..." Malik noted casually as they strolled down the road.
"And there are stuff for night time as well, put the kids to bed and go out in the evening," Ryou added in agreement.
Perfectly normal conversations that anyone who got a hint that Malik had ties to Egypt would pass off as just some Islamic extremist ignorance. Given how he looked, he clearly had gotten rescued from some extremist group and found himself enjoying the outside world.
Nope. Nonononononononononono.
He was from Egypt all right.
Just under the sands living in underground tunnels and was one of the first to come back to the surface..
"Wait. So you and your tribe..." Valon had sat there his mind blown after the pair had relocated the three of them into the kitchenette. It was a balance of being far enough away that they could talk quietly and not disturb Mai. But close enough that she wouldn't get anxious and start looking for them, even if he couldn't bring himself to explain her strange phobia yet. So now that they were corralled off he found it as good as time as any to be a bit more curious about the pair.
"We lived completely cut off from the world, and honestly until recently I couldn't see the logic of it. Why couldn't we live above ground and do our duty," Malik confessed with a shrug. Leaning with his back against the wall, the Egyptian didn't look like he had no clue about the upper world. Even thinking that blew Valon's mind, but he clearly picked modern clothes...
While Ryou was eyeing the menu drink list with a critical British gaze. "Only we've come to learn what happens when something from the past is left to the ever shifting ways of the world. The book that brought all this about was unleashed because the belief in such things was lost." Bakura explained, his tone in that tired of repeating himself manner that brought to mind the nuns who were done with Valons shit.
"So a whole tribes worth of people managed to survive thousands of years underground. Which is fair I can imagine it would be hell facing the other tribes..." Valon reiterated earning a nod from Ryou.
"Given just what happened to the book, letting the world know about the Sennen Items would have just destroyed the world further than anything we could realistically do now." Bakura agreed as he picked up on a possible menu item. Tea would be nice and Mai had none in the suite. None of the civilized teas... Southern tea was just brown water and a bag of sugar.
"Annnd that's what's that got to do with me or Mai? I mean she's just a duelist and I'm... well.." Valon shrugged.
"Yugi probably knows, and Mai is friends with Anzu and the others more than she is with either of us." Bakura pointed out, "we'll be graduating soon, and we can't all just stick together. Life is going to start pulling us apart and the thing is this is going on 'now', when our bonds are going to be at their weakest due to life in general."
Valon nodded as he had brooded over that statement.
If the kids were going to be pulled apart, and Mai 'did' have a preexisting connection with them, it made sense. Find people to fill the gaps that were going to start forming, after all the pair had explained what happened to that Pandora bloke.
The demon drove a man to near suicide.
That wasn't a joke, whoever this group was, they were playing for keeps.
Meaning that Yugi, being 'God' of all people, was trying to help his friends before they drowned under the weight of the battles coming.
'High school kids, I don't even want to imagine...'
"Oh, a statue of Isis..." Malik exclaimed before turning right into that supernatural shop.
"Oookay..." Valon began when Ryou glanced over his shoulder.
"He has an older sister that shares the same name." The Teen replied before stepping into the shop.
Valon uttered a calm little 'oh' and followed them in.
It was his first time in such a shop, but the same could be said for a great many things he had experienced since following Mai. Some herb was being burned and while he couldn't place the name, it was clearly not a drug. Since there was no feeling like he was getting off balance. Then again having far and away more experience with the scent of motor oil, grease and gas...
The walls were a soft shade of blue, with wooden shelves holding books, stones, jewelry and statues. A sandwich board at the back showed a listing for 'readings' and what it was listing would have sent Sister Jane into a straight out faint, and Mother Elizabeth would be looking for the ruler faster than the fastest motorcycle Valon had ever worked on!
"I'll be right back..." Valon replied cheerfully as he made his way to the back of the room.
Ryou was left a little startled when Valon walked off, more so when he saw the direction the man was headed. Valon wasn't a bad person, Bakura could tell that right away, and he was earnest with his loyalty to Mai. 'Oh dear Hathor... No. You know what? Anyone listening that isn't Yugi. Help.' A part of his mind mused, though admittedly there was no serious bite to his words. Valon had admitted being an orphan and growing out of the system. Given where he came from he could very well have a strong interest in things denied him due to his circumstance.
'Heh, that KaibaLand is designed for orphans and he's here is actually a bit ironic.' He mused as the man got the attention of someone from the back.
"Where's Valon going?" Malik asked as he held one of several statues designed in the form of Isis. It was Isis holding Horus as a baby, given the age difference between the pair it made a type of sense to think of himself as the baby. And yet... 'it feels like I would be likening to her solely as a 'maternal' type...'
There were statues that implied her might with magic, only 'that' brought Mahaado to mind and the fact that back in the past they were marr... ma...
Malik still had yet to come to terms with the fact that his maternal older sister ever had such a thing as desire for another man. Another man that he had now met and so long as they didn't try to resume...
"I believe he wants to have a reading for his fortune done. Which is a bit amusing given that when we first met Mai, she was pretending to have such abilities herself."
Malik blinked in surprise before putting the statue down, "how did she pretend?"
"Coated the cards with various perfumes then worked to memorize them," Bakura answered easily.
"Oh I could see that, it doesn't really 'tamper' with the card like what Pandora did with Dark Magician so she could get away with that." Malik agreed when a beautiful necklace caught his eye.
"Trimmed them I think you told me once?" Bakura recalled aloud.
"Shaved down the borders, what do you think?" Malik asked as he reached up and pointed at a gold pendent of Isis with her wings drawn out. The symbol of her holding her wings over a person and thus protecting them.
"I think you can do better than gold plated," Bakura answered in Egyptian as he glanced through the glass at the piece. It was laid out amid a display of various Egyptian themed jewelry, with only the stones appearing to be real. Nothing appeared to even be of enough quality to inspire his palms to itch for a practice grab.
Malik, for his part, looked disappointed and let his gaze drift around the shop. "Anything worth getting sister? Or brother? Anything real here?"
Malik had swapped back to their Kemet language and rested his gaze on the thief. Perhaps he should have studied the thief before he started eyeing items. After all, a thief would know the value of what they were looking at... Right?
"The stones are real, I'd have to smell the oils or herbs," Bakura casually looked about as a young girl came out from a different doorway than the one Valon had wandered through. 'Young girl, Ryou she's around your age.' He chided himself.
Said sales rep had a sharp short hair cut, hair so black it had to be dyed. There was a series of tattoos on her arms and exposed shoulders, and her make up was dark enough around her eyes to be at home in Ancient Egypt. Granted it wasn't in a pattern that would provide magical or divine protection but it was something. Black tank top and black faded jeans that were a size too big for her hips among other rings both on her fingers and nose finished out her appearance.
"I didn't hear you enter, sorry, can I help you guys with anything?" She had this laid back drawl of tone, with hints of southern. But she was trying to mask it...
Malik blinked at her, picked a few words as best as he could and sighed... "I don't think I can do this..." he groaned turning to look at Ryou.
The snow white haired teen rolled his eyes and let his gaze go from Maliks' resentment fueled unspoken request to the teen. "My friend would like to find a gift for his older sister."
"Oh, anything in particular?"
"The Egyptian goddess, Isis." Ryou asked politely, for which the teen nodded and moved behind the counter to where the jewelry were placed.
"I don't mean to be rude, but our friend is getting a reading... Um is there anything you can tell us about... Is anyone back there or did we let our friend wander off into the forbidden lands?"
"Australian?" She asked, as she began to slide open the back to game. At Ryou's nod she nodded in response. "Yeah, heard him, talking in the back so I guess he ran into Gran."
"Uh, you know if Valons' ok?" Malik asked as he nudged Ryou.
"Yes, sounds like he's not going to come running back to us with a flurry of boxes and what not being flung at him." Malik replied causing Ryou to crack up before having to explain to the sales rep.
But the image 'was' amusing to the man, given how Valon was so earthy. Just the average guy who got lucky in Mai accepting his company. He wasn't a bad guy by any means, but he had even 'less' experience with what they were going through than Mai did. Save that Yugi welcomed him so whatever possible future they had. Valon was to be part of their group...
'Its as though he's rebuilding his Sacred Circle. But the numbers are off, he can easily replace his grandfather and the others with the friends from his modern life... How many does he need? Of course I was never a pharaoh so I am not an true expert on what makes a 'sacred circle'. Isis had a gift of Sight, and Mahaado magic, but realistically no one had any ability outside of their Sennen Items...'
"Annnnnnnnnnnnd you're thinking and not translating..." Malik grumbled at his friend who had stopped paying attention to the woman's explanation of the jewelry.
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Where as Anzu and Mai were currently planted in plushy comfy chairs with their feet planted in the warmest of water! As she and Mai enjoyed the pedi part of a mani pedi day! The chair was thick and comfortable as it rolled and kneaded against her back to help pushing away the weight of the past few months. Around them was the soft melody of soothing flute music playing. All in all there were four chairs in this area with stations for the manicure set up across from each chair.
Since Mai was going to be in the finals before the duel against Yugi, a mani pedi had been suggested by Ryou.
"But while you both are gone, stay with her. Don't let Mai be left alone in a quiet place for long periods of time."
It was the only instruction he had given her, whispered so swiftly and quietly she had wondered if she had heard him right.
'But she had mentioned something was off... he- Oh I bet Valon asked Ryou to do it...' Anzu mused to herself before glancing to her right to peek at Mai.
The duelist didn't look 'great' to Anzu's eyes. There was a slight downward curve to the blonds' lips and a very slight tenseness to the corner of her eye.
'What do I do? It would be rude if I make noise or start chatting wouldn't it? I...' she didn't go to get a mani pedi when she was in New York spas. Their nail salons were laid back casual affairs, conversations filling the air along with the odor that came with the chemicals used to quick dry the paint. Only spas were so quiet how could she get time to chat with Mai? Causing worry to grip her as she tried to think of a way to distract Mai. "Mai? Are you ok?" she asked, the words feeling lame to the teens' ears.
"Yeah, its just... I had a bad dream once about being in a spa..." Mai reluctantly explained as she opened her eyes. "It was good until I got a massage and then everyone disappeared so... It felt too real..."
Anzu nodded, giving a sympathetic wordless sound. "Well you're not alone today, so lets enjoy this treatment!" After a beat she added, "is that ok? Because when Yugi prepares for a duel he tended to want peace and quiet... Am I going to be distracting?"
Mai chuckled as she turned to look at Anzu, not to make sure she was still there, of course she was still there, "I already worked on my deck. You're fine! And Valon's nice and all but he's still a guy, he can't quite get everything I would like to talk about."
"I'm a bit surprised that he's able to travel around with you. He's not a duelist after all," Anzu began as she tried to get her thoughts back into order.
"Its not easy sure, but its nice to have company. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I spent any length of time with you guys." Mai confessed thinking back on how tight her fiances were now. He did work, and it was why she 'had' fiances, so not dealing with dead weight was still highly appreciated. "He's nice and he makes a point to find work when we're in an area for tournaments. Granted being limited to just working on bikes 'is' niche."
The spa was located on the grounds, and Anzu couldn't help but feel this was meant to be a space for parents who wanted some alone time. But it also meant that Kaiba was covering this, 'is that why she didn't want to leave? Because she can get pampered for free on Kaibas' yen here, while she can't anymore on her own?' Anzu was left musing.
"So what's Yugi's life plans? The shop is gone and he's going to have to support you somehow when you get married," Mai asked cheerfully causing Anzu turn to nuclear red with embarrassment.
While on the other side of the wall that split the room Vivian pulled back from the wall and gave it a good glare. "She's not engaged? The little mouse is?!" Vivian growled as the first attendant who had been standing there trying to get Vivian to follower her waved down support from another attendant.
"Miss?"
"BE QUIET!" had never been hissed so fierce and quietly in the history of man.