Kaiba stepped out of the limousine and was immediately greeted by a doctor, who bowed deeply while grasping his hand.
"Mr. Kaiba! Your donation was so generous, we really are thankful," the man gushed, while a couple of nurses stood by the door, holding it open respectfully with their heads lowered.
Kaiba withdrew his hand uncomfortably and resisted the urge to wipe it on his pants. The doctor's hands were damp with nervous sweat.
Could they skip the formalities and just head inside already? The 'man who didn't age' was reportedly living here based on his findings from the facial recognition program, and Kaiba was itching to meet him.
The main problem was somehow managing to interrogate the old man without raising the staff's suspicions.
Kaiba let the doctor chatter away while he followed him into the facility, glancing at all the potted plants that decorated the entryway.
The receptionist rose quickly to her feet and bowed politely. Kaiba immediately caught a stream of hostile thought from her.
The handsome but elusive billionaire…more like a spoiled shut-in with too much money to do whatever he wants. He's here to harass the elderly….
Ignoring her, Kaiba continued following the doctor, walking into a wide ballroom that had been transformed into a recreational area filled with tables and exercise equipment.
"We were able to buy many new exercise machines and a ping pong table. The women love it," the doctor said excitedly, thrusting a hand out proudly and nodding respectfully at an old woman who stared at them from a neighboring table.
"Cool," Kaiba said noncommittedly, hearing the old woman's thoughts loudly in his left ear.
WHAT A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN! MY LUCKY DAY!
He winced and trailed his gaze upwards, taking in the large spiraling staircase leading up to the second and third floor.
"Show me the other rooms," Kaiba said emptily, scanning every single elderly face that turned to stare at him. Some people from the veranda outside were also turning to stare. None of them matched the white-haired profile of the mysterious man he was seeking.
"Very well," the doctor said nervously, wringing his hands. "Ah…but, there isn't much to see. This is our nicest area. Perhaps we could take a walk outside? We have a lovely garden where we've planted many…"
Oh no…he's unhappy. What did I do or say? He doesn't like the look of this place?
I mean, we were poor to begin with! His money, however much, doesn't work miracles. Ah…Ueno-san was right, dammit, I should've listened to her. He came by to see how much of a difference his money made, and honestly…not much…ah damn…damn…damn…he's not saying anything…damn…damn…
"Leave me alone for a bit," Kaiba said bluntly, realizing his mere presence was off-putting. "I'm here to visit someone I may be distantly related to—"
"OH! Then, let me search our records for you!" the doctor cried, his eyes sparkling with hope and excitement. "That's right, you were adopted, weren't you? Ah…"
The doctor lowered his head, falling silent awkwardly, and his thoughts flooded Kaiba's mind quickly.
Crap! I interrupted him. That was rude. But he was rude first! 'Leave me alone,' he said. Are we speaking bluntly? Or is the difference in our ranks is too high…ah fuck.
"I know his name," Kaiba began quietly, fully aware that everyone in the vicinity was listening in on their conversation. "Yanagi Michio."
"Ah, Yanani-san…he's—" the doctor frowned and began to sweat visibly. "May I speak honestly, Mr. Kaiba?"
Crap, crap, bad news, oh dear…
"Speak frankly, I can take bad news," Kaiba said coldly, hearing more delighted shouts from other elderly people's thoughts, and he really wished they were somewhere more private.
"He's rude and hard to approach," the doctor said firmly. Just like you, Mr. Kaiba. Perhaps they are related ahhahaha…. someone kill me, I'm sweating too much here….
"Sounds about right," Kaiba said with a small smile. "Let me speak to him."
"Third floor, room 305," the doctor said shakily with a deep bow. "Please enjoy the rest of your visit, and please let me know if you need anything…."
Kaiba hurried away from the doctor and took the stairs three at a time, not caring how crazy he appeared to the other residents. He could hear their thoughts echoing in his mind, slowly driving him insane.
Is that Mr. Kaiba? Seto Kaiba?
Wow, so handsome…prettiest man I've seen in all my days…
Gritting his teeth, Kaiba strode down the hallway, and an orderly bowed hastily as he passed.
Ignoring him, Kaiba stopped at the door labeled 305 and rested his hand on the doorknob, listening intently for activity on the other side.
Nothing but silence.
Satisfied, Kaiba turned the knob, but to his annoyance, it was locked.
He rattled the doorknob, and an angry voice called back at him, "Go away! Not hungry or thirsty!"
"I'm not a doctor," Kaiba said stiffly through gritted teeth. "Open the damn door now."
"A stranger then? No thanks," came the reply, and Kaiba growled, contemplating crushing the doorknob in his hand before he came up with a better, non-violent solution. A lie.
I'm a warrior, Kaiba thought furiously, glaring at the solid grey door. Open up, old man.
That's no way to address your elders, the old man replied spitefully, but to Kaiba's relief, the lock clicked, and the door opened a tiny crack.
Without waiting a second, Kaiba barged in rudely and the old man stumbled back in surprise with an irritated cry.
Slamming the door behind himself, Kaiba made sure to turn the lock before he spun around to tower over the old man, taking in his every feature, noticing how the old man's skin was taut, with barely an extra wrinkle around his eyes and mouth. He didn't look a day over 50.
"Show your rank, and show your respect," the old man barked, stepping back and pointing an accusing finger at him. "I see you're wearing clothes head to toe, even covering your neck. Well?"
"You first," Kaiba said automatically, inching his hand down towards his phone. "I don't know if I have the right person."
The old man raked his gaze intrusively over Kaiba's tall form, his eyes narrowing when he spotted Kaiba's sharp fingernails.
"Pa!" the old man crowed, pointing at his hands. "You're young and inexperienced. File your nails down, boy! No human male has fingers like that. Quickly now, what's your problem? I'm not a cure-all, you know. I'm tired of being bothered by you Randoms just showing up here, blowing my cover."
"Your cover was already blown…in Singapore," Kaiba said bluntly, surveying the room carefully. It was nicely furnished but still barren, with only a bed, a desk, a mirror, and safety bars over the window. Was this a prison cell?
"No, you idiot, those are for keeping the crazy humans safe from harm," the old man said loftily, crossing his arms across his chest and eyeing Kaiba headily. "You speak Japanese well. What colony are you from?"
"Not telling until you show me your branded mark," Kaiba retaliated smoothly, tingling with anticipation. "I'm not an idiot."
He was so close…so close.
This man was a merman!
The old man eyed him shrewdly and nodded. "Very well. You young ones sure follow the Code to the letter. I can appreciate that."
Kaiba slipped his phone out and palmed it, watching the old man slowly lift his shirt up. Sure enough, sitting right on the upper corner of his chest was a raised scar with delicate lines drawn in the shape of a lotus flower. A slender crescent moon hugged the entire flower, and Kaiba allowed himself to stare for a millisecond before he slipped out his phone and took a quick succession of photos.
The old man dropped his shirt and glared furiously, his face growing red with rage and embarrassment.
"What is the meaning of that?!" he snapped, backing away towards his desk and slipping his hand into the drawer, producing a pair of sharp scissors and aiming the point at Kaiba.
"Gotcha!" Kaiba smiled devilishly and tucked the phone safely back into his pocket. "Now, tell me where the nearest Chrysalis is, or I'll report you to the doctor here. You'll be in the news all over again, and you'll be forced to relocate."
"Wh—What…why…!" the old man sputtered, his hand holding the scissors wavered shakily, and Kaiba listened intently to his thoughts.
Blackmail! No, he's definitely not human, but perhaps a warrior who has lost his way! He looks Pure! And young!
"I can hear your perverted thoughts, old man," Kaiba drawled, leaning against the door, listening for any footsteps that might be headed their way. "And sure, I am those things: pure, young, and I've lost my way. So the fuck what? Chrysalis location, now."
"Y-You're calling it a Chrysalis, eh?" The old man attempted to leer, but it only looked like a frightened grimace. "That means you're from a Southern Colony. They're a bunch of filthy elitists with too many rules and too many half-bred mer-people."
"Wow, look who sounds exactly like an elitist," Kaiba taunted, his triumph rising at this new information. "Half breeds? Half-human, right?"
"You are an idiot," the old man declared, still holding the scissors up at eye-level. "You're one of those pretty, but empty-headed ones. Did you fail all your written exams, Lost Warrior? Yes, of course, what other kind of half would they be?"
"Right, so where can I find a human woman who has given birth to a half merperson?" Kaiba asked genuinely, tucking a hand under his chin and completely unfazed by the pair of scissors still aimed at him.
"Are you asking me to do your Assignment for you? You're failing that badly? Get out!" the old man spat, lowering the scissors and pointing at the door. "And file your nails, for god's sake, or you'll blow the cover of everyone in your worthless pod."
"I take it you don't know," Kaiba said casually, examining his sharp nails with an air of indifference. "Ah, damn. And they told me you were a know-it-all genius."
"My wisdom extends only to human matters, not half-breed matters," the old man barked, stamping his foot in an oddly childish way. "GET OUT, or I will spit on you, I swear on Suijin's staff I will blind you and ruin your pretty looks."
Kaiba held his palms up defensively and smiled the friendliest smile he could, "Thanks for the info old man."
With that, he turned and hastily unlocked the door to make his exit. He could hear the old man's spiteful thoughts following him down the hallway even after the door slammed shut behind him.
Young and arrogant. Exactly how a failed warrior behaves! It's no wonder he's lost his way. He'd better find a Gene Pool before he dries up and starts vomiting blood.
"Jokes on you, I'm already vomiting," Kaiba muttered under his breath, nearly running headfirst into the doctor on his way down the staircase.
"Ah, Mr. Kaiba! Did the visit go well?" the doctor bowed deeply and straightened up with a flushed expression. "The orderly on the third floor told me Yanagi-san let you in! He rarely ever does…not even for me. Tell me how you did it!"
"I told him I might be related to him, and he clearly hates me," Kaiba answered truthfully, deciding to spin the story out more in the old man's favor. "He belongs here. All he remembers is how to be nasty, so I'm glad this is where he's comfortable."
"Ah…" the doctor nodded and bowed repeatedly, at a loss for words, but his thoughts were loud and clear.
Such high praise. Seto Kaiba really understands the old man, and this must be the real reason behind his donation. He isn't heartless after all…
I wonder if they really are family….
"I'll be leaving. Don't bother escorting me to the front," Kaiba said plainly, brushing past the doctor and hurrying down the rest of the steps.
The receptionist at the front thanked him profusely as he walked by, but all he heard was more of her condescending thoughts.
Damn, he's so handsome up close, but it's no wonder he's single. He will be, for the rest of his life. No woman wants to live with that kind of man, regardless of money or status.
Rolling his eyes, Kaiba threw himself into the backseat of his limousine and made brief eye-contact with Isono in the rearview mirror.
Drive, old man, Kaiba thought at him irritably, not bothering to open his mouth to speak, and he heard Isono reply shakily with a verbal, "Yes sir."
Pleased with himself, Kaiba slipped his phone out to inspect the photos he had taken.
A couple were blurry, but the rest were clear and crisp. It really was a lotus blossom encircled with a crescent moon. A little bit of a weird combination, but whatever.
This was perfect. He was going to find a way to apply this mark to his own skin so any time he came across another walking merperson, he would have solid proof of his solid lie.
Smiling to himself, he settled back into the seat and listened carelessly to Isono's thoughts while they drove down the scenic tree-lined road back towards their own city.
Atem settled himself on the algae-covered stone step, right between Joey and Tristan. They both instantly threw a friendly arm around Atem's shoulders and jostled him back and forth between them playfully.
"Hey, it's the king! We got the king!" Tristan crowed, and Joey laughed joyfully, echoing the same sentiment. "It's da kiiing!"
"Shut up, you dolts," Duke rolled his eyes, sitting stiffly at Tristan's side, his eyes nailed to the amphitheater stage where a Scholar was arranging documents on a podium.
Atem smiled warmly at his friends, feeling a twinge of excitement. Mahad was about to give a speech on Shore Behavior, and he was very interested in this topic too. Quite a few mermaids were sitting in the very front, giggling and preening themselves, clearly ready to catch his eye.
"…Can't believe your sister is in the front row," Duke muttered at Joey, waving his tail anxiously back and forth underneath himself. "I want special treatment too. Hey Atem, get us to the front row."
"Hell no! The back is where the party's at," Tristan declared, and several people turned to give him annoyed stares. "Alright, I'll shut up…jeez."
A hush fell over the crowd, and Mahad floated onto the stage, bowing deeply with his staff at his side, and to Atem's surprise, everyone rose out of their seats to bow respectfully in return before settling back down.
There was a silence as Mahad surveyed the entire audience, and he smiled warmly, holding his hands out widely, his voice booming in the amphitheater.
"Friends…Warriors, Scholars, my brothers, and ladies," he beamed at the girls in the front row, and Atem heard Duke groan in jealous agony. "Thank you for joining me here today. I have walked onshore too many times to count, but, if one must know, the number exceeds the fingers on both hands."
Quiet whispers broke out, and Atem blinked, quite taken aback by this new information. Mahad had surfaced more than ten times?! In his entire lifetime?! That truly was amazing….
"Those of you who are still In Training know that the first rule is to learn the local dialect and slang, and perhaps manage to learn a few songs as well."
Murmurs of agreement echoed up from the audience, and Atem could see Joey and Tristan nodding seriously, listening with deep rapture.
"But what you aren't taught is how to deal with kind humans," Mahad said deeply, nodding. "Sometimes, humans act randomly, seemingly without reason. This is called Acts of Random Kindness. When this happens, do not, I repeat, do not feel the need to reciprocate all the way. This will blow your cover. Simply say 'thank you', or give a gift in return, and move on. Remember their kindness, but do not linger on it. The human wants you to remember it."
The audience replied with a chorus of "mmm's" and "ah's".
Atem sat very still, drinking in the information, and doing his best to keep his mind focused on what Mahad was saying, but for some reason, his thoughts kept wandering back to Seto Kaiba.
All this talk about human behavior was only making him miss Kaiba more deeply.
Kaiba stepped into the dingy shop and eyed his surroundings apprehensively.
It was empty. The smell of cigarette smoke lingered heavily in the air, and Kaiba wrinkled his nose, feeling his lungs burn.
Enhanced sense of smell, sight and sound was not doing him any favors right now.
"Hey!" Kaiba called loudly, craning his neck and seeing an empty chair beside a rickety exam table.
This was reportedly a yakuza establishment where people would come to get tattooed. Kaiba had only managed to find this location after bribing a couple of seedy-looking men loitering in front of a karaoke bar in a bad part of town.
He heard footsteps behind him, so he stood very still and did nothing.
The cigarette stench was getting stronger.
"Oi, who the fuck are you?" A voice with a rough accent addressed him rudely, and he felt a soft punch land between his shoulder blades.
Kaiba slowly turned around and stared at the scrawny man before him. He was wearing a cheap black suit, but the silk tie shone eerily underneath the fluorescent lights.
Two other men appeared behind him, effectively blocking the entrance, and Kaiba felt a chill run up his spine when he saw the men take up protective stances with their legs planted apart, and their hands clasped before them, their faces grim.
"I guess I found the right place," Kaiba said lightly, choosing his words carefully while managing a smirk. "I want a tattoo."
The scrawny man took a threatening step towards him, his chin comically only reaching Kaiba's chest, but his beady eyes were hostile.
"No, you don't. Get the fuck out, and leave your wallet, Rich Boy."
"I'll leave a stack of cash," Kaiba said cleverly, fully ready to be extorted for all he was worth. "But I don't even think you can do it. The design is complicated.
"What?" The man spat, his eyes raking up and down Kaiba's tall form intrusively. "Who do think I am? Insulting me already? Show me a photo."
Kaiba made brief eye contact with the men at the door, noticing that both had tattoos peeking out from underneath their suit sleeves. Holding his breath lightly to keep his nostrils clear of cigarette stench, he slowly slipped his hand into his blazer pocket to produce his phone
He tapped the screen and held it up to the scrawny gangster's face, seeing the man's eyes widen at the sight of the scarred tattoo.
"You want…this?" The man pointed a finger at Kaiba's phone and threw his head back, laughing rambunctiously and showing all his teeth. "Hey men, look at this! Rich Boy wants to get a tattoo like this!"
The two men at the door marched silently forward and bent down to inspect the image on Kaiba's phone. There was a second of silence before all three men looked at each other and burst out into hostile laughter, their voices echoing painfully in Kaiba's eardrums.
"This guy…! Scarification?!" One of the men pointed at Kaiba and doubled over laughing, slapping his buddy on the shoulder, who was wheezing and halfway on the floor, weak with mirth.
"I'm fucking serious," Kaiba fumed, staring at the three men, all bent over with laughter, gasping for breath and wiping tears off their face.
"You're a funny man, Seto Kaiba," the scrawny leader said, straightening up and holding his hand out for a shake. "It's true what they say about rich people. Life is boring because you can have it all. You're seeking a thrill?"
Kaiba shook the man's hand with a grim smile, "You can do it?"
"No, you're right, I can't," the man said bluntly, giving him a leery smile. "But I know three men in the entire world who can, and they're not in Japan. You're a powerful person, so how about you owe me a favor instead of cash? Your power is worth more than money."
"A favor?" Kaiba repeated, his anxiety rising. Oh no, this was bad. Owing any kind of favors to anyone was a horrible position to be in. "No. Cash only."
"Tsk," the scrawny leader clicked his teeth in annoyance and folded his arms across his chest, giving Kaiba an apprehensive glare. "Boys, what do we think? Take his cash, and chop off the hand he uses to masturbate with, or let him go after he promises us a favor?"
Kaiba gazed intently into the man's beady eyes, hearing his thoughts easily through the rapid pounding of his own heart.
My daughter would be able to make it into a top tier university with his recommendation. She's always being bullied for being the daughter of a gangster…a prestigious school would set her life straight, straighter than mine anyway…
"Fine," Kaiba said tersely, eyeing the two men behind him and reading their thoughts briefly.
Leader doesn't want money?! This guy has gone crazy!
Gonna tell the boss about this. Not taking money from Seto Kaiba, but wants a favor instead.
"Fine?" the scrawny leader echoed, raising his eyebrows.
Just like that? Man, this guy…feels off. Something is weird with him.
"Yeah, I'll write your daughter a recommendation letter for any T or K university," Kaiba said stiffly, holding his hand out once more for a shake. "I'll throw in extra cash for your two lugs back there too. Give me the three names and your daughter's information."
There was a long, uncomfortable silence and Kaiba settled himself into it, listening contentedly to the men's thoughts as they began to visibly sweat.
H-Holy shit, what? How does he know I have a daughter?
BOSS IS GONNA BE HAPPY WITH THIS! CASH FOR ME TODAY!
Shit, now I want a favor too. Leader is always sticking his neck out for his daughter.
"V-Very well. Let me get a piece of paper," the scrawny leader said, moving to the back of the shop and Kaiba could hear a pen scratching as he wrote. "If you can give her a job too, Mr. Kaiba, I'd appreciate that."
"Oh, I'm 'Mr. Kaiba' now?" Kaiba grinned casually, still feeling tense. "I said I'd only write the letter. I can lie and say she did work for me, and also fake the papers. I don't ever want to meet her."
The leader held the folded paper out with both hands and bowed his head stiffly, "Very well. Now get lost."
Kaiba snatched the paper out of the man's hand, not bothering to return with formalities, and he brushed past the two men at the front, nodding at them.
"I'll have one of my men drop by this location with cash. Got a time?"
"Tomorrow, noon," the lug on the left answered, barely able to contain his excitement. Kaiba nodded and hurried away down the dirty alleyway, relishing in the gangster's happy thoughts.
Money money money! New car, new clothes! I wonder how much! He's so damn rich, anything more than 100,000 yen is to be expected!
"Idiots," Kaiba muttered to himself, rounding the corner and breathing a heavy sigh of relief as he stood on the corner of a busy street. He unfolded the paper and squinted at the gangster's oddly neat handwriting, thankful he hadn't been fooled into walking out with a blank page.
Koizumi Sakurako (my daughter, and don't you dare contact my wife)
.jp
chibitoro. .jp
2-0-2 Higashiyama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
103-8043
Tiong Fann Poh (Thomas Peng)– #12 – 90 Keng Towers
BLDG A6
Singapore 565751
REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
Rebecca Wong (Becki/Becca) –790 Danucuabe ESP
South Shore Beach, 4729
(she may have moved, I forgot, maybe in Victoria now)
AUSTRALIA
Pengaru Bin Ramli (Amil) – K-23-19 Tejuas Condominium
Jalan Murni Delima 10 Kajan Delima
70006 Kota Kinabalu
Ipoh
MALAYSIA
"Oh fuck," Kaiba said, wavering slightly on the spot with shock. Either this gangster was sending him on a wild goose chase all over the world, or these were legit addresses to legit people who could apply the scarred tattoo.
He snapped a photo of the paper before stuffing it all back into his blazer pocket, feeling people staring at him as he walked by.
Time to get out of the public's eye, get home, and track down these three strangers.
Atem waited anxiously outside in the courtyard with Serenity floating quietly beside him, wringing her hands with worry.
"He spent the past six moons studying for this," she said, swimming around Atem for the lack of something to do. "I even helped. He'll pass, won't he? He has to!"
"He will pass," Atem reassured her, but deep down, he had slight reservations about Joey's exam-taking abilities. His friend had somehow managed to fail all his written exams and was now taking a verbal one. Given the way Joey spoke, Atem was pretty sure it wasn't going to go well, but he wanted to wait outside the exam arena just to show his support.
"I heard Warrior Mahad is one of the judges," Serenity said, sounding close to tears. "I heard he's harsh and very judgmental! Oh, my poor brother…"
"Mahad is kind, and will take everything into consideration," Atem said, gently patting her on the shoulder with a sympathetic smile. "Don't believe everything you hear."
"But I heard things about you which turned out to be true," Serenity protested, her brown hair floating prettily around her face. "Mana says you're generous, and strong-willed, and brave…you are all of those things!"
"Th-Thank you," Atem said awkwardly, feeling the tips of his ears grow warm at the sudden compliments. "Well, Mahad is harsh, but he is fair. If Joey fails, which he won't, then we will know which parts he needs to improve on before he takes the exam again—"
Atem was interrupted by a triumphant whoop as Tristan came zooming towards them with a scroll in hand, and a spear in the other, pumping his fist in the water excitedly.
"What is it? What is it, Tristan?!" Serenity asked hysterically, "Did you see Joey in there? How's he doing?"
"Forget about him, I PASSED!" Tristan yelled, tossing his spear directly upwards in the water and doing a magnificent flip before managing to catch it again as it shot back down through the water. "Ha! Watch out humans, I'm commin' for ya'!"
"But Joey?!" Serenity cried, but she was ignored as Duke came swimming towards them at breakneck speed, his black hair flowing messily out of his red bandana. He also carried a scroll and a spear with an insignia, and he tackled Tristan in the water with a happy yell.
"FUCK YEAH DUDES!" Duke shouted, his voice echoing in courtyard as he tossed his spear upwards in celebration. "Shore, here I come!"
"Boobs and alcohol, here I come!" Tristan snickered, throwing his arm around Duke's shoulder and pulling him into a playful headlock. "Can't wait to touch 'em! I hear girls find us more attractive onshore."
Atem watched this exchange with envy, now wishing he could have studied for an exam to walk on shore with his friends, but he knew his court would never let him.
It was a sore reminder that his duties remained underwater while his warrior friends got to enjoy a decade of mandatory study on shore.
"Where's Joey?" Serenity demanded, crossing her arms angrily and floating in front of the boys who were still arm-in-arm, singing lewd lyrics to a human song.
"Still in there being grilled by Warrior Mahad and the rest of the Board," Duke snickered. "He looked so nervous; you should've seen his face."
"'You're the only Warrior this millennium who has failed all your written exams'," Tristan said in a mockingly pompous voice, "'What do you have to say for yourself, Warrior Jounouchi?'"
Duke doubled over laughing, slapping his fin in mirth as Serenity's face grew redder and redder.
Sensing an argument, Atem opened his mouth to defend Joey, but to his relief, his friend swam out of the exam room and floated glumly towards them.
"Oh no…Joey!" Serenity drove quickly towards her brother and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. "Did you pass?"
"Yo, spill the deets," Tristan called, while he and Duke paused in their rambunctious singing to stare at him. "Why the long face? Pass or fail? C'mon man, talk!"
Atem held his breath, feeling his heart sink rapidly to the floor, taking in Joey's gloomy aura. Oh no….
Joey lifted his head, his eyes brimming with tears, and he threw his arms around his little sister, bawling loudly.
In each of his fists, there was a scroll and a spear bearing the royal insignia.
"Oh shiiiiiit, YES!" Duke crowed, breaking away from Tristan and slapping Joey on the back. "Hell yes, dude! Congrats! You're not stupid, I knew it!"
Serenity, who couldn't see the spear and scroll in Joey's arms which were locked around her back, turned her head frantically, her cheek still tightly pressed into Joey's chest. "What is it? He passed? Or he didn't? Joey! Why are you crying?! Don't cry!"
"He passed!" Atem breathed a sigh of relief and let out a laugh, also rushing forward to pull Joey into an embrace. "See? Mahad is fair and kind."
Sniffling with joy, Joey threw his arms around Atem's neck and clung onto him with a tight hug, "H-He t-t-told me that I'd m-make a good w-warrior c-cuz we-we're such g-g-good f-friends…"
"Yes, indeed," Atem said gruffly, patting Joey gently on the back, biting back his own tears of relief and happiness. "Walk on shore proudly, my friend."
Joey nodded vigorously and sent Atem a private thought amidst the chaos of the celebration around them.
I even have a hidey-hole spot dug out, so if there's anything you need me to take on shore, drop it off there and I'll deliver it to anyone you want.
Atem felt Joey pull away and watched him get jostled playfully by Tristan and Duke while Serenity swam in happy circles above their heads, singing sweet high notes.
He felt an odd pang of sadness.
Somehow, the distance between them had increased.
Joey was going onshore with his friends, leaving him alone once again.
Author's note:
Kaiba be losing his way for real, trolling some yakuza hot spots for a "Warrior's Mark" tattoo that might not even be legit
Atem is struggling and missing kaiba™
Joey Tristan and duke are all going on shore for their mandatory studies! Yay!
edited by: taedae