This is one of those things that seems so obvious to me that I don't know how to reconcile it with reality. Which is to say, this is canon to me even though it isn't canon.

I don't know how else to say it.


.


Seto flew a variety of Pride flags all throughout the Kaiba Corporation's regional headquarters in Domino, specifically in highly visible parts of the building with the most foot traffic, where the most people could possibly see them. He'd received plenty of complaints about them ever since beginning the practice, and he delighted in ignoring them.

"Is it not true," Kisara asked one day, "that this does hurt your business? I'm sure you've lost out on a great number of deals and agreements, possible relationships in your industry, for the sake of this display." She didn't sound like she was judging Seto when she said this; if anything, she sounded impressed. She simply wanted to know more about his logic.

What drove him to this decision?

Seto, who could tell the difference between a good-faith question and a bad-faith one, especially on the subject of his business practices, simply smiled at her. "I want everyone who works here, first and foremost, to know that I won't allow anyone to disparage them. That I stand with them, and that they are free to be their authentic selves in this building." He crossed his arms over his chest. "And I want everyone who steps into this building to know it, too. For the children who never knew it was perfectly natural to be different. For the teenagers only just realizing something about themselves. For the adults who never heard the words when they needed them most. I say to them all: you are safe here."

"And the people who are insulted by this proclamation? The people who consider it offensive? Immoral? Degenerate?"

"To put a fine a point on it as I can: those people can fuck themselves."

Kisara tossed back her head and laughed.

"I lost plenty of people when I first put them up," Seto said. "They quit in protest after I made it clear that I wouldn't accommodate them. That I wasn't going to compromise. I refuse to be on the wrong side of the paradox of tolerance. If the idea of being open and accommodating to the marginalized is offensive to you, then I want no part of you. Get out of my building."

Kisara grinned, flashing her fangs. "Oh, if only my uncles knew what sort of man they met at Christmas." She looked wistful. "I think they would have tried to lift you bodily from the house."

"Tried being the operative word," Seto said.

"I almost wish they would have tried. Or, perhaps, asked about your company. Is it safe to assume that you wouldn't have been . . . shall we say, careful? I think you are, perhaps, the sort of man to be up-front and honest about this, regardless of circumstance."

"Am I so obvious?" Seto chuckled. "I would have been as diplomatic as I know to be. But I don't think I would have been able to resist asking your uncles how they manage to reconcile their beliefs with the fundamental Christian maxim of not judging others. Without sin, first stone, et cetera."

Kisara's grin widened devilishly. "Memaw would have appreciated that, but I don't think my uncles would."

"Your grandmother struck me as a wise woman. But that does not preclude her being an agent of chaos when necessary." Seto winked. "Mokuba has gotten very good at marking older people who like to cause trouble. Given how much she seemed to like him . . ."

"Memaw already considers Mokuba her favorite grandson."