Mana slowly popped her head above the surface, scanning the beach for any signs of humans.
All was quiet.
The sun beat down heavily across her shoulders, causing her skin to sting, so she sank beneath the waves again, dragging the sack of dead scales behind her.
Her fear rose higher the closer she got to shore, and she swallowed thinly.
This was all for Atem.
It was her fault that Atem had been captured, so this was the least she could do.
Hooking the sack of sales into the hole carved out in the rock, Mana hovered under an incoming wave, listening for sounds of footsteps. Still nothing.
She raised her head slowly over the water again, spying a Human Residence sitting on the cliff's edge and swam towards it. The tall windows were uncovered, and she could see right into the house.
No one was home.
Frowning, Mana kicked off the shallow shore beneath her and swam off.
She was partially relieved, but also disappointed that the human wasn't on shore.
This meant she would need to make more trips alone until she finally saw him in order to properly deliver Atem's message.
Kaiba pried himself out of bed and shivered. His body was oddly cold, and there was a familiar bubble of nausea sitting low in his chest
The bright afternoon sun streamed through his open windows and Kaiba cursed silently.
He had slept the morning away, and for some reason, Isono hadn't come to wake him.
Rising to his feet unsteadily, Kaiba sat back down on the edge of his bed, feeling the skin on his legs ache.
Another mystery symptom?
Growling to himself, Kaiba dragged himself into the bathroom and stripped. He ran a palm down his leg while his heart pounded fearfully in his chest with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
His skin was so dry, it looked like the cracked surface of a dessert which had never seen rain.
He noticed the vein patterns sprawling over every inch of his skin which looked oddly transparent, very similar to freshly harvested scales.
Oh…shit. Kaiba reeled, leaning against his bathroom counter as his head spun terribly.
Before he could compose himself, bile rose up this throat and he vomited heavily in the sink.
Furious, Kaiba braced himself against the edge of the counter and switched the water on, hating everything. His throat burned with a horrible sour aftertaste and he quickly splashed water onto his face after taking a few gulps.
He heard footsteps coming up the steps and predictably, Isono's thoughts floated into his consciousness.
"Master Kaiba…vomiting again. I'll get him some medicine. He keeps refusing, so I will keep pushing. Perhaps I should call the doctor and spring a surprise visit on him. Mokuba could use a check-up too…."
Taking deep, steady breaths, Kaiba shut his eyes and waited for the nausea to subside.
His entire body was mysteriously sore even though he had healed from the rough sex session a week ago. The most irritating pain was coming from the stinging and burning dryness on his legs.
Desperate for relief, Kaiba threw himself into the shower, making sure the water was at its coldest setting as he shivered under the lukewarm temperature.
The water bounced off his skin and didn't help the dryness at all.
Growling, Kaiba faced the water and grabbed the soap. Slapping it onto his skin, he rubbed vigorously, mildly amazed at how the bubbles slid ride off his body and down the drain.
Fucking great. Kaiba cursed again and stepped out without bothering to dry off with a towel.
If his skin had become hydrophobic, he didn't really have a need to dry off.
He snatched his briefcase off the floor and thunked it heavily down onto his desk, prying it open and scanning the contents, searching for the blue jar of serum. Grabbing it quickly, Kaiba dipped four fingers into the clear liquid and smeared it down his leg without hesitation, and the relief was sudden.
It was as if his skin had taken a deep breath of air, and the aching dryness vanished.
Breathless with excitement at this new discovery, Kaiba continued to coat his legs with the serum, and Isono's footsteps approached the door again, his thoughts louder than ever.
"Should I knock, or just go in? Will he shout at me to leave? I really don't enjoy Master Kaiba's temper. A young man like him should learn some tact if he wants to keep a partner around…"
"Come in!" Kaiba called irritably, not caring if his manservant was going to see him naked.
The door creaked open and Kaiba winced when Isono shouted with surprise in his mind.
"OH! AH! He's naked! Ah...I did not expect that…well, he's…applying…cream? I'll—I'll put this by the door and leave."
Kaiba grit his teeth and finished applying the serum, hearing a rattling clink of Isono leaving the tray of coffee and medicine by the door before he ducked out quickly.
"Young Master Kaiba has been behaving so strangely since coming into contact with the mythical creature…."
"Oh, shut up, old man," Kaiba muttered, capping the jar of serum and moving to his closet to get dressed.
Isono froze mid-step, shock rooting him to the spot when he heard Kaiba's voice echoing through the front of his mind. W-Was he hearing things?
Kaiba draped his tie over his shoulders and tilted his head to the side, feeling an odd pang of confusion, coupled with another thought from Isono.
I'm hearing things! Or did he say it through the door?
Staring aghast at his own pale reflection, Kaiba blinked rapidly and wondered if he should mentally send a response back.
How was this happening? What was transmitting this?
Isono stood motionless in the middle of the grand staircase, listening intently, his hair slowly standing on end the longer the silence stretched. Perhaps he had just been hearing things.
Kaiba squared his shoulders back and glared at his own reflection, thinking quickly, "I need Isono to come back in here. Forgot to ask him how Mokuba's lessons went yesterday."
Isono's fingers slipped with sweat on the shiny banister as he heard Kaiba's voice in his mind once again, this time loud and clear.
Footsteps echoed from the hallway underneath him, and Mokuba appeared at the bottom of the staircase with a laptop tucked under his arm.
The child glanced up at him strangely. "Isono?"
Isono nodded robotically, taking a hesitant step downwards, and the older Kaiba's voice echoed in his mind for the third time. "Goddammit Isono, come back in here. I know you can hear me."
Mokuba tilted his head curiously, watching Isono sweat visibly, turn pale, and then slowly walk back up the staircase very mechanically.
Weird. Mokuba shrugged to himself, and raced off towards the entertainment lounge, eager to get some video gaming in before anyone could stop him.
Upstairs, still gripping his tie tightly, Kaiba had heard all of this.
Mokuba's footsteps faded, and Isono's heavy steps grew louder and louder, until they paused and were interrupted with the sharp click of the door being opened.
"M-Master Kaiba…" Isono said shakily, bowing forward deeply and staring intently at the tips of his slipper-covered toes.
Kaiba slowly turned to give Isono an appraising look, stating matter-of-factly, "So, you can hear me."
Straightening up quickly, Isono reached for his handkerchief and dabbed delicately at his forehead, stammering, "I-I'm not sure what I heard. Did you call for me?"
"No, I didn't," Kaiba said plainly, staring directly into Isono's dark brown eyes and continuing the rest of his sentence in a thought. "Answer me properly with a yes or a no. You can hear me talking to you, right now?"
Isono trembled. Kaiba's mouth did not move when he spoke, but instead, it was the voice in his head again.
"Yes or no?" Kaiba asked again impatiently, facing his own reflection again to resume tying his tie. "I'm going to be late for work. Tell Mokuba that he's not being sneaky, and that I know he's downstairs playing a video game instead of reviewing for his high school entry exam."
Isono swallowed thinly, almost choking on his own saliva as he watched Kaiba pick his briefcase off the floor and brush past him.
Still unable to move, Isono watched the older Kaiba hurry down the grand staircase and disappear.
Letting out a stressed sigh, Isono wrung the handkerchief between his fingers.
Yes.
The answer was yes.
If he wasn't going mad, he could hear Kaiba loud and clear in his own mind.
There was no mistaking it.
Was it…a new type of technology Kaiba was currently testing?
Either way, that had been a terrifying and cruel surprise.
Kaiba sat stiffly in his car, listening intently to Isono's faint thoughts.
So, it seemed there was a range, and even though his own manservant was scared shitless, so much that he was unable to answer verbally, he would make a great first test subject.
"Please…Solomon, please." Atem floated anxiously behind the aging merman while he sat in a spongy library chair. "One visit to shore every decade. Unsupervised!"
"No," the old man said plainly, turning a page and continuing to read. "We agreed one century with supervised Sun-Time, and that'll be that."
"But humans only live about eighty years!" Atem protested, his anger rising quickly, and he pressed hand down on the page Solomon was reading, intent on getting the old man's attention. "He will die before I see him again."
"You don't need to see him again," Solomon said loftily, yanking the book away from Atem's hand and glancing back down at it again with a frown. "A young man like you should be perfecting your spearing techniques. You are not a warrior, so you don't need to make unnecessary journeys to shore. Think about what your father would say."
Atem fell silent for a moment, feeling his blood boil before he retaliated.
"My father would insist that I remain in the human's good graces. If I just vanish without a trace, he will grow angry and think that I broke my pact with him."
Solomon sighed heavily and shut his book with a snap. "My dearest king, the way you used your words in your pact has saved you from seeing him. Don't you see? We've decided that you no longer need to rise to shore for your duties. He is on shore; therefore, he is no longer a duty—"
"I want to see him!" Atem interrupted angrily, resisting the urge to punch the old man in the face. "I haven't been fooled. I love him freely."
"And no one in this court approves," Solomon answered shortly, sinking back into the chair and turning a page in the book. "Please excuse me, Atem. I need to brush up on my English."
Biting his tongue in anger, Atem swam away slowly and decided that he would pay a visit to the mermaids in Confinement to help ease his mind. Perhaps together, they could scheme and come up with a way around this punishment.
How did mermaids communicate with their men on shore? Atem vowed to find out.
Kaiba bent forward to inspect the rats and guinea pigs in each of their cages, all of them clamoring against the glass, their tiny nails clicking on the surface. He could hear all his lab workers' uncertainties echoing in his mind.
I hate animal cruelty. I hope he won't keep these here.
Live animal testing! I didn't sign up for this! Was this in my contract?!
Knowing this man, he'll move up gradually and begin testing on larger animals.
Ah man, too bad I signed an NDA. This would make a great story.
Kaiba grit his teeth and straightened up, sweeping his gaze over his employee's faces. Everyone somehow managed to avoid making eye contact every time he looked at them, and the silence was heavy in the air.
"I hear you, goddammit," Kaiba growled, folding his arms across his chest. "I'll take them back into my private lab. I don't want anyone here touching these subjects. Your job here is to focus on the serum."
Several faces paled and many pairs of eyes widened as their frantic thoughts filled Kaiba's mind.
I didn't say anything! It wasn't me!
Oh crap! Who said something?! What did he hear?
Thank god! I don't have to quit after all.
Man, at least I can go home and tell my wife about this crazy shit
.
There was another long, awkward silence before Kaiba turned and walked towards the exit, hearing audible sighs of relief behind him as the doors slid shut, accompanied by several jumbled thoughts.
Does he behave like this at home?! No wonder he's single.
So much silence. My heart can't take it. It's like he can read thoughts.
I need to hurry up and birth this baby so I can go on my maternity leave. I need a break from being pregnant, and I need a break from this man.
Pressing his hands to his face, Kaiba shut his eyes and forced himself to take several deep breaths.
Hearing people's thoughts constantly was becoming unbearable.
Nothing was private anymore.
His own privacy was violated when other's thoughts interrupted his own musings.
If he was at home, it was Isono or Mokuba's thoughts, either about themselves or something mundane happening in their lives.
If he was at work, he was at the mercy of his secretary's rapid-fire wedding woes and his lab worker's private opinions.
How do the fish people fucking live like this?! Kaiba reeled, stepping unsteadily out of the elevator and standing at the far end of the office space, trying to avoid the front desk where his secretary was already sitting.
"Mr. Kaiba! Good morning!" she said happily, bowing quickly and standing at attention beside her desk with a beaming smile.
Her thoughts came raining in, and Kaiba strode by her frantically without a hello, and slammed the door to his office, locking himself inside, desperate for peace and quiet.
Oghhh weirdo! He didn't even smile or look at me in the eye this time! He's seriously bi-polar oh my god.
Oh! Tsukiya sent me a lovey-lovey email! HOW SWEET! Oh my darling...I want to take you out to dinner tonight AW YAY! …please wear…
"Fuck me!" Kaiba shouted, resisting the urge to bang his head on the wall. To his supreme annoyance, her worried thoughts invaded his mind once more.
Oh my god. Is he okay?! What is he throwing a tantrum about now?
Did he lose a save? It's probably that.
He's always yelling in there by himself.
Does he think I can't hear him?
I mean, he acts like I'm not here anyway…I'm basically the phone picker-upper and the apologizer of all the things he does wrong when he offends someone. Oh! Right, crap! I have to remind him about a meeting with an American businessman today.
A soft knock sounded at the door and Kaiba sighed deeply, sinking to the floor.
He leaned his head back against the wall and pressed his hands against his face, not caring how uncomposed he looked.
He hadn't seen Atem in nearly a week, and other people's thoughts were slowly killing him.
On top of that, his sense of smell, sight, and hearing had somehow sharpened, and he was able to hear Isono starting the car outside in the mornings, even though the garage was at least a mile away.
A soft knock sounded at the door, followed by a click and soft footsteps.
Kaiba heard a soft gasp and a slight headache started coming on after more of her thoughts flooded into his consciousness.
"Mr. Kaiba! Are you okay?! I'm so…"
OH MY GOD HE IS NOT OKAY! Is he having a crisis?! He looks…scary! Scary tired! Was he crying? Is this a breakdown? Do I need to call a doctor?
Kaiba slowly lifted his head and gazed up at her. She was kneeling beside him with her brow furrowed in genuine concern.
He gazed steadily into her soft brown eyes for a moment before managing to crack a weak smile. "Want to go to lunch?"
Blinking rapidly, she sounded taken aback by this suggestion. "Uh-it's…it's 9 AM . Are you…hungry? Did you…"
IS THIS GUY INSANE?! Wait, is he hitting on me?! Why is he asking me out to LUNCH when it's breakfast time? Aggggghhh I wanna go to lunch with him!
Tsukiya doesn't have to know. He'll get really mad and jealous.
He's always thinking Seto Kaiba is a 'playboy motherfucker' ahhaahhahahaaa if only he knew…..
"You can tell your future husband that I like men," Kaiba said viciously, slowly regaining his composure while her face grew paler and paler with every passing second. "Let's do breakfast then. I don't care. Just anywhere but here."
"I…." She gaped at him with her mouth hanging open, and she remained on her knees long after Kaiba managed to stand.
Future husband?! He knows!
How does he know I'm engaged?
How does he know?! I've been extremely private!
AGH DOES HE STALK MY SOCIALS?! MY INSTAGRAM?!
Cuz it's filled with pictures of my dear Noodles, and I don't mention Tsukiya in any of it!
"We're going to go somewhere…that serves…salad, and nothing that can talk back to me on the plate," Kaiba said stiffly, not wanting to find out if any of his new fish powers included hearing animals.
His secretary threw him the oddest look and shook her head slowly, declining.
"I think…perhaps you need a hospital, ." She said politely, bowing stiffly again, and her mind was eerily silent.
Kaiba understood that whenever silence happened after a sentence, it was a heartfelt statement.
"Yeah, no thanks." Kaiba scoffed, straightening his tie haughtily and checking his own reflection in the full-length mirror behind his desk. "No doctor can fix what I have, and even then, I don't need that kind of doctor."
She blinked rapidly and remained silent while her thoughts spoke loudly.
What is he going on about?! He IS crazy! People always said he was crazy, and he just never talked to me properly, but now we are talking, I can't. Understand. Anything.
"You can go back to your desk if you think I'm crazy," Kaiba said venomously, echoing her thoughts exactly, intending on shaking her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.
Wow, he's aware! That's great! She thought cheerily, and somehow managed another sympathetic smile while saying, "We're all a little bit crazy, Mr. Kaiba. Just find the right person to help you, and I'm sure you'll figure it out!"
Kaiba narrowed his eyes at her and watched her bow swiftly before making a hasty exit, her thoughts trailing after her faintly.
Whew! Avoided a "lunch date" with him kyahahaha! ….Ooh I can't wait to text Ueda-san about this! Tsukiya must never know….
Grinding his teeth tightly, Kaiba slowly sat down behind his desk and realized that she had given him some very good advice.
He needed to find the right person to help.
Who the fuck would that be, that wasn't a person who had a fin for legs?
A professor of mythology? Kaiba mused, his spirits lifting as he pried open his laptop and hastily typed in the search bar.
His results that popped up were numerous, showing results for accredited professors at universities all over the country.
How the fuck could he narrow this process down? They couldn't all possibly help, even if they were all knowledgeable.
Which ones would go to the media and claim he was crazy?
Which ones would turn him away and call him insane for having caught, conversed, and made love with a merman?
Browsing through all the profiles, one photo caught his eye.
It was a professor from R University located two hours away, and the name was unreadable, because it was foreign, but the man in the photo looked very similar to Atem and Mahad.
He had the same chocolate skin tone, dark-lined eyes, and startling long white hair. But his face looked youthful, and Kaiba was positive that in-person, this man's eyes would be violet too, because they were an unusual shade of grey in the photograph.
Excited, Kaiba reached for the phone and eyed the English written under the man's photo, squinting at it and trying to read it again.
Marik Ishtar.
Why did that sound oddly familiar and where had he heard that name before?
Indifferent, Kaiba dialed the number and expected no one to pick up, but to his surprise, the phone was answered on the first ring by a gentle voice.
"Hello, this is Professor Ishtar. My office hours are ending soon, so perhaps we could—"
Kaiba slammed the phone down frantically and his heart pounded rapidly in his chest while he glared at it, finally remembering where he had heard that name before.
It was also on the phone, last week.
Didn't this man call him posing as someone from a family planning clinic claiming Atem's sperm had been dolphin sperm?!
Kaiba jumped when his phone rang again, and he stared at the blinking orange light, deeply relieved that it was coming from the front desk.
He picked it up, and his secretary's voice was a welcome change. "Mr. Kaiba, the meeting you had with Mr. Rath this afternoon has been moved. He wants to meet at his offices instead. I told him you'd be there. Same time, different location."
"Thanks," Kaiba said carelessly, and he set the phone down quickly, trying to calm himself down.
This Marik Ishtar guy was definitely suspicious.
Was he walking merman too?
Also, was he being close minded by thinking every dark-skinned foreigner in Japan could potentially be a walking merman? But the likeness was too similar to ignore!
This Marik Ishtar guy had also called his personal number somehow, regarding the semen samples. There had to be a connection. Maybe this guy was his way to the secrets of Atem and his world.
The phone rang again and Kaiba rolled his eyes, picking it up quickly, "What?"
"Ah, Mr. Kaiba. Marik Ishtar, at your service. It seems you have found me. Touché."
Kaiba felt his stomach drop to his feet with dread. Crap. The guy had called back! Why the fuck didn't he look at the caller ID before picking up?
"Stop lying to me about who you are," Kaiba said through gritted teeth, feeling a rush of anger. "When is your next availability?"
There was a brief silence on the other end before an answer came.
"I haven't been lying at all. I am indeed a professor here at this establishment. I am also a doctor at a nearby hospital."
"Yeah I don't give a shit," Kaiba interrupted rudely, knowing that these merpeople somehow managed to fake paper trails that could fool any law enforcement. "I know you lied to me about the samples I sent you, and I want the truth. Did you intercept my shipment to the lab somehow? I'll have you know that's a crime."
Another long silence.
"Very well. Tonight, perhaps? Come by my office around 8?"
"You'd better be there," Kaiba hissed, and he slammed the phone down onto its receiver, desperately hoping he had been the one who had hung up first.
Whoever this guy was, he was annoying.
His secretary's thoughts were also getting louder and louder through the wall.
Oh noooo! He's gonna be late! Why isn't he coming out yet?
The phone was on. He's on the phone.
It takes an hour to get to the other guy's office!
Kaiba better leave now if he wants to get there on time!
Should I remind him again? The phone is off now…
Growling, Kaiba grabbed his briefcase and slipped his laptop inside it before snapping it shut. First, he had to get through the work day, then deal with the Marik Ishtar guy.
What a full fucking day.
Isis swam rapidly through the palace hallways, frantically sending out thought waves.
Court gathering! An emergency! Please gather quickly, now!
Mana heard this as Isis passed her door and she froze anxiously.
Oh no. Atem was in Confinement visiting with mermaids.
He wasn't going to be present for this emergency. Was it regarding the human, Seto Kaiba?
Diving out of her room, Mana zoomed right into Mahad's bare back, and she squeaked nervously, blushing with embarrassment.
"S-Sorry, didn't see you," she mumbled, and Mahad gave her a kind smile, offering her his hand.
"We'll go together, Mana. We've been having quite a few emergencies lately. I understand how you feel."
Mana gripped Mahad's hand tightly and allowed him to lead her gently through the main hallway and into the throne room where everyone was already waiting.
"Another emergency." Shadi growled, folding his arms across his chest with a look of disdain across his face. "Who has been captured now? I hope it was that fool, Rex. Let's leave him to die."
"No one has been captured," Isis said wearily, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder with a sigh. "I've received a message from my brother."
"Your half-brother, Marik?" Shada said, scratching his bald head and glancing around at everyone's faces, seeing grim frowns. "What happened to him?"
"Her half-human…half-brother," Shadi sneered, rolling his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder why it wasn't you that a pair of legs, Isis."
"Be respectful, Advisor. Your hate for humans is unreasonable," Solomon glared, his fist tightening over his staff. "Where is Atem? No. Don't tell me. I know. Confinement, right?"
All eyes fell on Mana and she nodded weakly, gripping tightly onto Mahad's warm hand for support. Unable to speak, Mana answered with a thought.
'Yes, he left a while ago with a Stealthsman accompanying him.'
"Never mind Atem." Isis said testily, waving a hand carelessly over her nose. "This concerns him anyway, which is why we need to discuss it without him."
"Oh great," Shadi muttered, and Isis talked steadily over him
"I've received a message from Marik. The human Seto Kaiba managed to obtain Atem's semen, and he sent it to a lab for testing."
Horrified gasps echoed through the throne room and Mana felt her blood run cold. So it was true after all.
Atem did mate with Seto Kaiba, otherwise, how else could the human have gotten his hands on his semen?
"Marik managed to steal the sample and contact Seto Kaiba, telling him it was dolphin sperm and disposed of it, but Seto Kaiba is not easily fooled. They are meeting tonight, and I fear for Marik's safety."
"Why? He has no fins," Shada mused, sounding completely unfazed. "Let Seto Kaiba poke and prod all he wants. He can't do much. That human is very curious."
"Dangerous is the word I would use," Solomon said seriously, his long white hair swishing gently in the water behind him. "Curiosity leads to our endangerment. Good thing Atem bound him with a pact. He's a good boy at heart, even now, believe he deserves time in Confinement."
"How do I protect Marik? ...Mahad?" Isis turned to Mahad for help, wondering if the warrior would walk on shore again to defend her brother, but to her dismay, Mahad shook his head sadly.
"This is not a grave emergency. I've already been to the Chrysalis twice this moon cycle, and both times it was for Atem. The guards are strict with their rules. Also, Marik is considered human by our kind. I don't know of a way to help him."
There was a tense silence and Isis nodded sadly.
"As I thought. Well, I'll send him a message back, telling him that we know, but cannot help."
"And if anything happens to him, I'll be the first to go up there and avenge him," Shadi said coldly, shaking his head. "I can't recall a time when a human has caused us this much grief."
"I can," Solomon said deeply, beginning to float away. "This is not the worst a human can do from shore, believe me. This Seto Kaiba is not as bad as his predecessor, Gozaburo Kaiba. Now that man is a murderer. I'm glad he's dead."
"He comes from a line of murderers?!" Shadi cried, and everyone made similar noises of shock. "Why is this my first time hearing this?"
"Indeed!" Mahad chimed in, shivering when he wondered why he had not been informed of this when he had gone up to make a deal with Seto Kaiba.
"Because Atem's father did a good job of stifling the matter two decade ago while this court was still young at the time," Solomon said loftily, regretting ever having said anything in the first place. "Gozaburo Kaiba was the last crisis the previous court had to deal with before retiring. Now, excuse me. I feel I should retire."
The old merman swam off, muttering angrily to himself, leaving everyone behind him in a stunned silence.
"Well, his actions of forcing Atem to mate does make a lot more sense now," Mahad growled, his blood boiling.
His initial thoughts about the human had been correct.
It made sense now, why every aspect of their meeting on shore had seemed off, because Kaiba had held all the cards, while he had been strung along like a dead fish on a hook.
"Don't blame yourself, Warrior," Shada said sympathetically. "I deal with humans all the time, and honestly, that is normal."
"Disgusting," Shadi stated, before swimming off in an angry huff.
Mana gave Mahad's hand a quick squeeze before leaving as well. She was going to wait in her room and recite the entire meeting to Atem when he came back from his visit.
Kaiba sat stiffly on the white leather couch in the empty waiting room with his legs tightly crossed.
He had arrived at this man's office ten minutes late but was somehow being sequestered in the waiting room because the meeting before him was still in session.
Maybe I should look over the notes, Kaiba thought wearily to himself, but he couldn't bring himself to reach into his briefcase.
The peace and quiet was golden.
Sighing happily, Kaiba leaned back into the seat and dared to close his eyes.
The meeting rooms were two entire floors above, and there was no one on this floor. Not even a receptionist. That had been on the floor below. This was a recreational breakroom of sorts.
I need a room like this, Kaiba thought venomously, already thinking about what renovations he could afford to make in the building he was currently in.
Content, Kaiba crossed his arms too and made himself comfortable in the chair.
Peace and quiet. At long fucking last.
Everything was silent, except for the low hum of the air conditioner, and the odd quiet whispers floating through his ears.
Look at this man, look at this man. Yes yes, he is quite the victim. Indeed indeed. I almost feel bad for him…bad for him…
Kaiba's eyes shot open and he stared right up at the tall, white ceiling, seeing the large chandelier above him.
Who the fuck was that? And what. And why.
Holding his breath and unable to move, Kaiba didn't blink. He listened sharply, and the whispers continued.
But he does look like all the others. Yes, all the others. All the others before him.
A warning? Kaiba thought, feeling terror slowly trickling through his body.
What the fuck was this voice?!
The most unnerving thing was that it didn't sound human.
In fact, it was several voices, overlapping, all chanting the same sentence.
Is he asleep? Is he asleep? So relaxed, indeed so very brave of him to sleep in such a place. How long do you think he'll last? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know….
Slowly sitting up straight, Kaiba scanned the entire room. There was no one around.
And then, he spotted it.
A large glass fish tank built into one of the building's pillars, with many brilliant multicolored fish swimming in a magnificent pattern around and around in the giant glass tube.
Oh fucking shit, Kaiba thought as he sat rooted to the spot, numb with shock.
He could hear fish talk.
He's looking right at us. Yes, yes he is. He'll come over here soon to look at us, and tap at the glass, no, no that would be bad. Everyone before him was forced to wait, wait, wait….
Furious, Kaiba rose to his feet and strode over to the tank, intent on giving everyone there a piece of his mind.
"Shut…up!" Kaiba hissed, approaching the glass and glaring at the swirl of fish, not caring how crazy he looked to anyone coming to fetch him.
To his ultimate surprise, the entire school of fish paused in their circular motions and all turned to face him, their flat round eyes shining eerily in the bright lights.
He speaks! He speaks to us! Amazing! Incredible! Can he free us from this eternal prison? Can he free us? Free us! Free us! Free us!
"Shut up, or I'll punch the glass," Kaiba said steadily, his eyes darting up and down the entire pole-like tank, impressed that it was a water feature built into the wall. It must have cost a fortune.
He sounds rude! How rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!
And the chanting increased tenfold as the fish resumed swimming in their circular pattern.
Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!
"Mr. Kaiba! Welcome!"
Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!
Kaiba rearranged his face into the most neutral expression he could muster, and he turned around to greet the person who had spoken behind him.
The man's thoughts mingled terribly with the fish in the tank.
Rude! Rude! Ah, Rude! Handsome Rude! Up close Rude! Too, I see. Rude! Rude! Rude!
His rival business associate bowed stiffly, his blonde hair swishing downwards quickly over his brow as he straightened up with a million-watt smile.
Rude! Rude! Rude! "I hope I didn't make you wait too long. My last meeting ran long…" Rude!
He held his hand out for a shake, and Kaiba stepped forward, automatically reaching for it.
Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!
"No problem," Kaiba managed through gritted teeth, and to his relief, the fish began speaking normally again.
A handshake, so it begins, begins, it begins…
"Let's speak in my office," the man said, and Kaiba shook his head swiftly, ready with an answer.
"Let's talk here. I like the fish…and the quiet." Kaiba emphasized, praying with all his might that the stupid hoard of fish behind him would understand. "We can help each other, can't we?"
The fish had to understand he was talking directly to them.
"Ah, yes, of course! That's why we're here!" The businessman said genially, letting out a laugh and taking a seat casually after unbuttoning his blazer with a swift motion. "Please, sit!"
Kaiba nodded stiffly and willed himself to remain calm as he listened to the barrage of thoughts flowing through his mind.
Perhaps I should get him a drink. What does Seto Kaiba drink, I wonder.
Do our ears deceive us? Rude Man wants to help! Free us! Free us! Free us! We will help, we will help!
Kaiba sat down stiffly and crossed his legs, seeing the man's mouth move, but his thoughts were clearer.
…He would look so nice…wearing something else….
Don't accept a drink! Don't accept a drink! Leave here quickly and free us, free us, free us!
"Well?" The businessman said, leaning forward expectantly with a smile. "I take you for a hard liquor type of man."
"I only drink when the day ends," Kaiba said automatically, and he pointed at the fish tank over his shoulder with a slender finger. "How much did those things cost? I want one for myself."
He will free us! Free us! Free us! Free us! Free us!
"You and everyone else," the man answered with a gleaming smile. "My water feature is built by a private architect. A friend of mine. I'll give you the name…if our deal goes well. I want my restaurants in your theme park, Mr. Kaiba. The more the better."
The fish began chanting eerily again.
Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!
"I only have room for one," Kaiba said testily, folding his arms across his chest and noticed the man's smile faltering. "What did you have in mind?"
"Ah, whatever the kids like," the man said carelessly, shifting in his seat. "I'm thinking fish and chips? That'll be an interesting menu choice, won't it?"
Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!
"Ah." Kaiba said plainly, unable to find another way to get the fish to shut up. "I understand. Well, that's not a healthy option. There are already four other restaurants serving fried foods."
There was a brief pause, before the man rose to his feet with another stiff smile while he spoke. "Please. Let me get you a drink."
Poison! Murderer! Poison! Murderer! Poison! Murderer!
"No thanks. I won't drink your poison," Kaiba said casually, flashing the man an equally bright smile, and he saw the man's expression darken in an instant.
"I don't like what you're suggesting, Mr. Kaiba," his rival said icily, his eyes narrowed threateningly. "I'm offering the best liquor I have."
Hurrah! Rude Man is rude! Rude Man is winning! Rude Man is rude! Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!
"I'm joking. Take a joke," Kaiba said, keeping the grin plastered on his face while he also rose to his feet.
The meeting was over. He was done wasting his time here…if the fish were to be trusted.
"I don't like how informal you're being," the man said bluntly, gesturing towards the door. "Come, let's talk in my office."
Kaiba blinked and waited for the fish to say something. There was nothing but an eerie silence.
Come on. Why weren't they saying anything? Apparently, people who went into this man's office became 'victims'. Of what? Did he really have to ask? These fish were idiotic. Why was he risking a high-profile deal on what some fucking fish were saying?
"Well, what happens in your office?" Kaiba asked lightly, doing his best to keep his tone light, and he was met with a stream of hostile thoughts from the man while the fish remained stubbornly silent.
I've heard things about this Kaiba, and he really is strange. So hard to deal with. But I need him to cooperate. Why the fuck won't he drink anything or agree to meet me in a more private setting? After drugging him just enough, he'll sign anything, and maybe do a little more….
"Oh." Kaiba said, unable to keep the shock off his own face, and he turned to give the fish behind him a look, hearing them laughing at him while they continued to swim in a lazy circle.
Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.
"Mr. Kaiba?" The man frowned and stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the tank. "You really like my fish that much?"
"Yeah, they…" Kaiba saw the fish swim higher and higher, almost reaching the very top of the pillar as they continued to laugh and chant.
We hate him! We hate him! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Monster! Murderer! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Murderer! Monster! Murderer! Monster! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.
The man looked up too and his jaw dropped open, seeing the fish swirling beautifully up along the entire pillar.
"Wow! Are they doing tricks today? I've never seen them do that!" He stepped back to admire them with awe, and Kaiba felt himself sweat.
Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha . We're dancing! We're happy! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. We've foiled him today! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Murderer! Monster! Murderer! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Tell him. TELL HIM! TELL HIM! Rude Man, tell him! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.
"They want me to tell you something," Kaiba said, biting back a laugh, and the man snapped back to reality with sharp, piercing eyes.
Ha. Ha. Tell him! Tell him! Tell him! Ha. Ha.
"You can talk to my fish?" His business rival threw his head back with a laugh and nodded encouragingly. "Go ahead. What are they saying Mr. Kaiba?"
This crazy motherfucker. I'm humoring him….
"They're saying…you drug people's drinks, get them to sign bad deals, and you walk away the winner," Kaiba said bluntly, bending down and picking his briefcase up from the nearby table and began walking away. "Either way, you're blacklisted. Don't contact me or anyone from my company again."
The man swelled with rage but Kaiba barely noticed, because he was already halfway in the elevator, with the fish's triumphant laughter ringing in his ears.
Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Not today, Murder! Not today! Foiled by our savior, the Rude Man! The Rude Man! All hail the Rude Man! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.
"All hail," Kaiba repeated dully, wondering if the fish could hear him, and he leaned against the back of the elevator railing, realizing he was drenched in cold sweat.
That had been a horrifyingly stressful ordeal. The fish chanting was the most unnerving and distressing thing he had ever experienced so far.
Being boiled alive in the shower was preferable to hearing their many voices over and over again in his head.
Shaking himself stiffly, Kaiba forced himself to remain composed. There were cameras in the elevators here. He would not crack, not here.
He still had one more hurdle to clear before throwing himself into Atem's arms at the end of the day.
The mysterious Marik Ishtar.
Author's note:
Mana tries to make contact but no one was on shore.
Kaiba harnesses his fish powers and terrifies isono + random business rival
Atem still nowhere to be seen but they're both so preoccupied, wonder when they'll start noticing they're missing each other?
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Please also enjoy this wonderful merman art done by Venom!
You can find more fanart for my stories on my blog tagged under [ uglifish dot tumblr dot com / tagged/fanartgallery]
edited by: setokaibaes/marshmallons
-Ugli