Crossroads in Sand
May. 17th, 2016 10:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerNot entirely sure what title means; don't ask. Also, yes, this is long, but Yugi got a little chatty on me. /grins
Note: I found hibbary's work on deviantart, so in my head I'm going with the more realistic punk spiky hairstyle. Check it out if you haven't; it's pretty cool. I'm not telling you what to imagine, but if you want to go with author intent, there ya go.
~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Yugioh Legacy!verse, leads to the Phantom Tournament
Chapter Summary: In his grandfather's absence, Yugi mans the store and thinks about when he went to see Téa in the city. (This follows fairly directly after the events of A Different Kind of Duel.)
Word Count: 3670
Rating: teen
Yugi sighs and rests his hand on a palm, idly thinking about the homework that he could get done while he minds the store. He’s not feeling particularly motivated, though. Never mind the fact that this is university so he really should be trying harder, for Grandpa’s sake if not his own. The widow Hashira-san’s in again, browsing the selection of booster packs and muttering to herself. She’d accidentally wandered in when attempting to buy groceries (Yugi’s still not one hundred percent sure how she’d made that mistake, but he’s not about to ask and offend her). She’d started yelling, and poor Yugi tried to pacify her as he avoided the umbrella. Then Grandpa had come in and managed to calm her down, and since she’s pretty much treated him like her own grandchild. It took him a while to realize that it was the leather and spiked armbands she’d taken exception to (which she’s treated as an eccentricity since). She confided that it made him look like a “gangster”, which had bemused him, since the only ones he’d known in school in gangs wore much more…normal things?
Grandpa, to explain the appeal of the game, had sat her down and played a few rounds. It’s a little bit of a surprise how good the old woman is. She’s…scarily like an elderly Rebecca, honestly, playing up the ‘old grannie’ routine rather than the ‘little kid’ act whilst hiding a terrifyingly sharp strategic mind underneath. That had delighted Grandpa, who invited her to come and challenge Arthur or him at any time, or just come to the shop and she’d get a discount. She’d taken him at his word and become a regular since. (They had received a rather weird phone call, essentially saying that they’re cheating an old woman out of her money, and the grandchildren out of an inheritance. At least, that’s what Yugi thinks the phone call was about. The speaker was rather rambly, and didn’t really make sense when Yugi attempted to say something, so he thinks the caller might have been drunk. He hasn’t told Grandpa yet, which might be dangerous, but no one’s followed up on the call yet, so he hopes it’ll turn out all right.)
Hashira-san is happy enough to see him, but she lights up when his grandpa’s around. It’s adorable and disturbing all at the same time. He’s happy that Grandpa is happy, and he’ll be perfectly okay with everything as long as he doesn’t walk in on them kissing or something. Grandpa’s already teased him by talking about the fact that he considers her an attractive woman, to which he put his hands over his ears and ran upstairs to the sound of laughter.
She’s good enough at cardshopping on her own, reading cards and instinctively understanding the best use and deck for cards (rather like him, actually), so he doesn’t bother going over and helping her unless she asks.
Her presence is usually comfortable, but today it mainly just reminds him of his own loneliness. Joey is going to a cram school, since he wants some chance of ending up in the same university as Yugi a year late. Tristan isn’t answering his phone. Rebecca’s with her Grandpa on some dig. Mai’s at some Latin America championship, and the last he heard she was kicking butt. She’d actually made some effort to stay in contact since he’d reached out. Téa…well, to be honest, Téa’s honestly what he’s kind of mopey about.
She’s still in Tokyo with her mom, going to a usual school by day and some dance school with all of her remaining hours. She’s doing well. Really well, if the fan club and bodyguards were any indication. This is her dream. I should be happy for her. He sighs slightly, staring at the poster of Dark Magician Girl on the wall opposite. And…that’s honestly not quite the issue. I am. Happy for her, I mean. But I also feel left out. Everyone’s moving on without me, and I’m still here, like I’m… He catches himself, shakes his head vigorously. The minute I start thinking like Rex and Weevil, I need someone to come save me.
As if hearing his thoughts, the chime by the door rings. “Welcome to the Kame Game—Téa!” He bounds over the counter, grateful that they don’t have pamphlets as usual for him to knock off in his excitement. It’s odd seeing that he comes up to nearly her chin, now—he’d grown since the last time he saw her! Her hair is long, longer than even when he'd seen her in the city, and tied back. It’s a little more sophisticated, but…maybe it’s nostalgia, but he likes the old version better. It looked more carefree. He stops thinking for a moment and grabs her in a hug, spinning her around as he giggles.
Téa’s shocked at first, then starts giggling too even as she protests. “Put me down, you silly thing!”
“Your girlfriend from the city, Yugi-kun?” Hashira-san asks, amused, attention completely taken off the cards, and Yugi blushes and sets Téa down like she’s burnt him. They went on the date, there in the city, but she hadn’t told him she wanted another one or called or emailed, so he wasn’t sure what it even meant. Maybe it was just…a magical moment. One he’d never get again. Sometimes, it was so surreal it even felt like a dream. A good one, but like it’d vanish the minute he examined it.
Téa frowns, and the second she puts her hands on her hips he knows he’s messed up somehow. He’s just not sure…how. She opens her mouth to say something but apparently thinks better of it.
“Well, I’ll go,” the widow states, smiling and winking. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt the meeting of old friends. Just put these cards aside for me, Yugi-kun, and I’ll come back later.” It’s hard to tear his eyes off Téa, but he takes the cards in near-shaking hands. She puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder and whispers, “Don’t worry, dear, she likes you, too. An old woman’s intuition knows these things.”
She closes the door, switching the sign to ‘closed’ as she does so.
“U-um, just give me a moment, to…” I was strong. I thought I’d dealt with this, but here I am, acting like the last two years didn’t even matter. Give me strength, Yami! He crosses the room and reaches across the counter, pulling a drawer open and sticking the cards within. It’ll do as a place to keep them for now.
“Sorry about that.” She can tell he’s drawing on his strength, voice lower than earlier. Still, it’s lower than when he was younger, for which he’s grateful. He doesn’t sound like quite such a little kid anymore.
“You haven’t gotten out of your bad habit of apologizing for everything, have you?” she asks, looking amused. Still, it’s as if he can still sense the frustration.
“No, it doesn’t seem like that,” he agreed, then, struck by an impish impulse, adds, “Sorry.”
She swats at his arm, to which he pretend flinches, but it’s familiar and he’s suddenly not alone. It’s nice. “I kept waiting for you to call me.”
O-oh. “I didn’t want to call during practice or class,” he explained, knowing that his oldest friend will probably fill in the unspoken, that he didn’t know how he stood and wasn’t wanting to push boundaries because he didn’t want to lose her friendship.
This time, she playfully pulls on one of his blond bangs. They’re getting long, too, as is the spiky hair at the back, but Grandpa’s been too busy to cut it, and the last time he tried by himself…well, he’s gotten a little more coordinated than when he was five, but it’s still a little difficult when he can’t even see what he’s cutting. “I had to call your Grandpa to make sure you didn’t hate me.”
“Hate you?!” Yugi exclaims, and Téa laughs.
“Yeah, okay, that does sound a bit unlikely. But I like you, and that date was a lot of fun, and then you never called.” She looks down and plays with the strap on her purse. “It doesn’t do much for a woman’s ego.”
“For a man’s, either.” Yugi sighs and puts his hand on her arm. “Sorry about that. …Was she right, then? Can I call you my g-girlfriend?”
She links their fingers together. “Only if I can call you my boyfriend. There’s an idiot at dance practice who keeps hitting on me and I’m getting sick of it.”
“Yeah, no problem.” He frowns at their hands. “Do you need me to—”
“Overprotective Yami much?” Téa asks. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been taking care of you for years, and given how dangerous a simple card game has gotten lately, I’ve shelled out a little on some martial arts lessons, so it’s going to be okay. You don’t need to solve all the world’s problems.”
He smiles sheepishly and nods. “Yeah. I worry about you, though. And no, I’m not going to apologize about that.” He pauses, and brightens up in a way that is Yugi, through and through. “But, you know, I bet those lessons are actually helping with your dancing, too. I’d love to see…well, any of it really.”
“What, you didn’t get enough while you were waiting for that date?” she teases, and he forces himself to be honest. Out of everyone, Téa deserves it.
“No,” he states, staring into her eyes, and by the expression on her face he can tell she’s not sure whether to be flattered or slap him.
She avoids the subject entirely by changing the subject. “So, did Kaiba ever explain why he didn’t hold the tournament?”
“Mokuba was kidnapped again.” Yugi sighs, turning a little more serious as he squeezes her hand as if seeking reassuring closeness. “I’d hope it’s just a relic of Yami’s paranoia, but…I can’t remember, even in the news, this many attacks on KaibaCorp. And, yeah, Gozaburo made a lot of enemies, and Seto made more on his own, but…I’ve been out of the Duel Monsters circle for a bit. You probably know that already, though.”
She nods encouragingly, but it’s worrying to see him look so down. “You’re worrying about the new tournament, aren’t you?”
He blinks, eyes almost as wide as when he was younger. “…H-ow…”
“I got an invitation, as a plus one. You didn’t send it?” It’s her turn to get a little worried, though she definitely doesn’t want to show Yugi. He’s already tense enough for the both of them. She fishes around in her purse until she finds the letter.
He buries his face in his free hand, spiky fringe the only thing visible. “I can never have a normal tournament. I am cursed,” he moans, almost as melodramatically as Joey, and for once Téa’s at a loss. She can’t think of anything encouraging to say.
Then she remembers something. “It could be like the World Championship. It doesn’t have to be an ancient evil trying to take over the world.”
He moves a few fingers and peers out at her. “Oh, good. We can run into clingy people chasing after fame and evil people trying to scheme to take over Seto’s company, instead. You’ll protect me from Vivian Wong?”
“Always.” She tries not to seethe too much. “See, Kaiba’s cursed, too.” Her words don’t cheer him up like she expects. Instead, he looks even more serious and unhappy. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he mutters quickly, but she recognizes that gloomy, pensive look from Yami, and he’s not about to put her off that easily.
“Yugi Muto, you can’t lie to me. Actually, I’m not convinced you can lie, period, but spill.” She pokes his chest, and he looks a little startled.
Good, he’s not about to start brooding like Yami. “I wonder if it has to do with the Items,” he states quietly, looking more Pharaoh-like than ever, and it takes her a minute to catch up.
“W-wait, the Millennium Puzzle? What’s that got to do with it?” He sighs again, then blinks and looks around the room, as if he’s forgotten they’re sitting on the ground in the middle of the shop.
“Let’s go upstairs. It’s more comfortable, and it’s a long story.” He makes sure the door is locked and lets go of her hand for a minute to place the cash register out of sight, checking the back door as well, then takes her hand again as he leads her to his room.
She instantly notices a difference—there’s now what appears to almost be a shrine in the corner of the room, filled with various Egyptian items. He must’ve picked up a few of them on his trip to Egypt. He lights some incense, and she notes the Puzzle Box in the center. She touches it, just slightly, and it’s almost as if she can feel the power thrumming through it. It must just be her imagination, though.
When she turns back to him, he’s blushing. “The bed’s the most comfortable, but…”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind kissing you, but I think it’s a bit early on for anything else,” she tells him and is amused by how his skin increases in shade of red by three degrees.
“Téa Gardner, you are evil,” he mutters, glaring at the door before shrugging and carefully sitting. She joins him and stares at the incense, which is starting to distort the stone carving behind it like the heat on desert sand. He stares at the carving, too, before beginning, and it’s the Pharaoh voice, deep and ancient. “My father made the Millennium Items,” he begins, and she shivers. She’s never heard him actually recount one of Atem’s memories, nor really Yami’s, just state that he had them and act on knowledge he couldn’t have had otherwise. Perhaps it was too personal—or too strange. “Or at least, so the stories go. Then again, the stories also speak of slave labour for the Pyramids.”
“That’s not true?” She’d watched a documentary, but…
Yugi smiles at her, and suddenly he’s all Yugi again. “Nope. I mean, they might’ve had a little. Slaves did exist back then. But it was mainly a cultural thing—everyone in modern day just assumed they were slaves because there wasn’t any evidence of them getting paid in money, and of course only slaves didn’t get paid in money, right?” He squeezes her hand. “Luckily they’ve been finding evidence lately and discounting that theory, which is good, because it made out Egypt to be this terrible empire, not a civilization with a cool culture. It was kinda…like part of taxes, and a military draft, and a job all rolled into one? They didn’t do it all year, just when they weren’t working on important things like the harvest, and it was a civic duty to the Pharaoh to try to help build the tomb. And they got paid. In beer and bread, mostly, but usually you had to make that for yourself, or buy, or trade for it.” He smiles, violet eyes a little far away. “It’s not like the Pharaohs were supposed to be these tyrants, either. Sure, they were pretty much reincarnations of Horus and Ra, but they had a duty to their people, too. That’s why Set—not Seto, by the way, Seth was a good ruler, not like Set, the brother of Osiris—was thrown off the throne. Well, that, and he killed his brother. But, the point is, the Pharaohs weren’t supposed to be like that. Even all the efforts to get them safely into the afterlife—it was thought that as long as the ruler made it, he could help his people cross over when they died, too. And then they’d pretty much live a life like the one they just left, only it would never end. The Pharaoh with his servants and people, the people with a benevolent Pharaoh to protect them. Everyone had to pass the tests to get in, but without a path, you’d never make it. It wasn’t until the New Kingdom when they got democratic and everyone started having to fend for themselves, so they were all getting their own Books of Death to guide them past all the dangers.”
It’s rare to hear Yugi talk this much, but he’s alive in a way he rarely is unless he’s playing a game or talking about one, and it’s amazing to see. He catches sight of her fond look and coughs in embarrassment. His cheeks, which had finally begun to fade, are bright again. “U-um, anyway, my point is that the stories aren’t always accurate.” His voice drops again, as he plays with one of his bangs distractedly. “Anyway, he didn’t make them or order them to be made. There was an invasion. Without some miracle to save everyone, the unification of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms was doomed. Father rode out to try to stop it, but there was only so much our armies could do, and even the priests were failing, with their backing of the Egyptian Gods. It seemed like they’d abandoned us.” He pauses. “My memories aren’t, you know, actually that good on that point, since I technically wasn’t alive, and I had to piece some of this together myself.”
She nods encouragingly, and he takes a deep breath and continues. “Well, even Set wasn’t always considered completely evil. Akhenaden was the High Priest of Set, which…” He pauses, as a thought occurs to him. “…That’s actually pretty appropriate.”
She blinks, and he frowns a little, thinking about how to phrase it. “Akhenaden was actually the Pharaoh’s brother, just like Set was Osiris’s brother. Both were jealous of their power on the throne, and eventually acted against a Pharaoh, although even at the end Akhenaden was vaguely better, since he did think about his own son when trying to seize control. And he waited until that whole mess with Bakura, so he might not have actually acted on it without interference. Seto might’ve been named after him, but he’s actually a lot better than the mythological Set. No matter what Joey might think.”
That earns laughter, but she doesn’t want to actually interrupt the magic of the story, and it seems like Yugi understands. “Anyway, Akhenaden did something awful, but it was to save Egypt. My father was furious. He didn’t want that power, feeling it was too high a cost, and begged the gods to consider him and only him responsible in order to save me.” He takes a deep breath and his hand in hers is suddenly almost a death grip. “Akhenaden created the Millennium Items. By sacrificing the village of Kul Elna. He killed an entire village to make them.”
Suddenly, her grip matches his, and her voice catches in her throat. “That’s awful,” slips out in a whisper, and he nods once.
“Never mind that the village was supposedly the home of so many grave robbers. Yami Bakura was the sole survivor, and his hatred…well, you saw what that caused. He believed all of Egypt to be personally responsible. He thought all the items were tainted. And, of course, it opened the pathway for Zorc to possibly enter this world.” He shivers, suddenly cold. “Maybe he was right. I mean, not that my father was responsible. He was happy when the Millennium Items saved Egypt, but when he learned of the price, he was horrified. We’ve seen the Millennium Items used for good. There’s Yami himself, and I did set Seto free from the weight on his soul, in our first duel. But we’ve also seen the dark side of the Shadow Realm. Well, not like I have to tell you that. Even in the past it wasn’t all perfect. Mages grew in power, and some were definitely corrupt. At least only the Guardians could use the Millennium Items to extract the dark half of a sinner’s soul.”
“Oh. That’s what you did to Kaiba,” she realizes, and he smiles tiredly at her.
“Yes, though I didn’t realize at the time. I think he’s grateful, though he’d never actually say that.” He yawns, blinking like he’s going to fall asleep. “I’d never trade my time or memories of the Puzzle or the Pharaoh for anything, but I’m hoping that it didn’t leave me cursed. Or Seto—he did handle the Rod and the Eye. Or even Pegasus or Marik—and I’m not entirely sure they would’ve taken the dark path without the influence of the Items, even if we ignore the fact that they couldn’t have done anything without their powers in the first place.”
“So, we’ll get an exorcist,” she tells him, refusing to let the story drag her mood down, and that earns a small smile.
“I’m not sure that’s how it works, but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try.” He yawns again and starts leaning back onto the bed. “Sorry, Téa, I want to hang out more, but I had to open the shop bright and early since Grandpa’s on a day trip out to the city, and…”
“Don’t worry about it.” She threads her hair through the spikes, shocked as usual at how soft they are. She pays extra attention to the back of his neck, and he makes a kind of whining noise and leans into her touch as he falls asleep quickly. “If I get bored watching you, I can always go try to see what sort of deck I could make, maybe.” It’s a somewhat silly idea, but given how much she enjoys listening to him just get excited about something, maybe she could ask him to help her make a deck.
He mutters something incoherent into the bed, and she smiles. He’s been working himself too hard again, not like she can talk. Still, this is a nice break, at least for a bit.
Note: I found hibbary's work on deviantart, so in my head I'm going with the more realistic punk spiky hairstyle. Check it out if you haven't; it's pretty cool. I'm not telling you what to imagine, but if you want to go with author intent, there ya go.
~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Yugioh Legacy!verse, leads to the Phantom Tournament
Chapter Summary: In his grandfather's absence, Yugi mans the store and thinks about when he went to see Téa in the city. (This follows fairly directly after the events of A Different Kind of Duel.)
Word Count: 3670
Rating: teen
Yugi sighs and rests his hand on a palm, idly thinking about the homework that he could get done while he minds the store. He’s not feeling particularly motivated, though. Never mind the fact that this is university so he really should be trying harder, for Grandpa’s sake if not his own. The widow Hashira-san’s in again, browsing the selection of booster packs and muttering to herself. She’d accidentally wandered in when attempting to buy groceries (Yugi’s still not one hundred percent sure how she’d made that mistake, but he’s not about to ask and offend her). She’d started yelling, and poor Yugi tried to pacify her as he avoided the umbrella. Then Grandpa had come in and managed to calm her down, and since she’s pretty much treated him like her own grandchild. It took him a while to realize that it was the leather and spiked armbands she’d taken exception to (which she’s treated as an eccentricity since). She confided that it made him look like a “gangster”, which had bemused him, since the only ones he’d known in school in gangs wore much more…normal things?
Grandpa, to explain the appeal of the game, had sat her down and played a few rounds. It’s a little bit of a surprise how good the old woman is. She’s…scarily like an elderly Rebecca, honestly, playing up the ‘old grannie’ routine rather than the ‘little kid’ act whilst hiding a terrifyingly sharp strategic mind underneath. That had delighted Grandpa, who invited her to come and challenge Arthur or him at any time, or just come to the shop and she’d get a discount. She’d taken him at his word and become a regular since. (They had received a rather weird phone call, essentially saying that they’re cheating an old woman out of her money, and the grandchildren out of an inheritance. At least, that’s what Yugi thinks the phone call was about. The speaker was rather rambly, and didn’t really make sense when Yugi attempted to say something, so he thinks the caller might have been drunk. He hasn’t told Grandpa yet, which might be dangerous, but no one’s followed up on the call yet, so he hopes it’ll turn out all right.)
Hashira-san is happy enough to see him, but she lights up when his grandpa’s around. It’s adorable and disturbing all at the same time. He’s happy that Grandpa is happy, and he’ll be perfectly okay with everything as long as he doesn’t walk in on them kissing or something. Grandpa’s already teased him by talking about the fact that he considers her an attractive woman, to which he put his hands over his ears and ran upstairs to the sound of laughter.
She’s good enough at cardshopping on her own, reading cards and instinctively understanding the best use and deck for cards (rather like him, actually), so he doesn’t bother going over and helping her unless she asks.
Her presence is usually comfortable, but today it mainly just reminds him of his own loneliness. Joey is going to a cram school, since he wants some chance of ending up in the same university as Yugi a year late. Tristan isn’t answering his phone. Rebecca’s with her Grandpa on some dig. Mai’s at some Latin America championship, and the last he heard she was kicking butt. She’d actually made some effort to stay in contact since he’d reached out. Téa…well, to be honest, Téa’s honestly what he’s kind of mopey about.
She’s still in Tokyo with her mom, going to a usual school by day and some dance school with all of her remaining hours. She’s doing well. Really well, if the fan club and bodyguards were any indication. This is her dream. I should be happy for her. He sighs slightly, staring at the poster of Dark Magician Girl on the wall opposite. And…that’s honestly not quite the issue. I am. Happy for her, I mean. But I also feel left out. Everyone’s moving on without me, and I’m still here, like I’m… He catches himself, shakes his head vigorously. The minute I start thinking like Rex and Weevil, I need someone to come save me.
As if hearing his thoughts, the chime by the door rings. “Welcome to the Kame Game—Téa!” He bounds over the counter, grateful that they don’t have pamphlets as usual for him to knock off in his excitement. It’s odd seeing that he comes up to nearly her chin, now—he’d grown since the last time he saw her! Her hair is long, longer than even when he'd seen her in the city, and tied back. It’s a little more sophisticated, but…maybe it’s nostalgia, but he likes the old version better. It looked more carefree. He stops thinking for a moment and grabs her in a hug, spinning her around as he giggles.
Téa’s shocked at first, then starts giggling too even as she protests. “Put me down, you silly thing!”
“Your girlfriend from the city, Yugi-kun?” Hashira-san asks, amused, attention completely taken off the cards, and Yugi blushes and sets Téa down like she’s burnt him. They went on the date, there in the city, but she hadn’t told him she wanted another one or called or emailed, so he wasn’t sure what it even meant. Maybe it was just…a magical moment. One he’d never get again. Sometimes, it was so surreal it even felt like a dream. A good one, but like it’d vanish the minute he examined it.
Téa frowns, and the second she puts her hands on her hips he knows he’s messed up somehow. He’s just not sure…how. She opens her mouth to say something but apparently thinks better of it.
“Well, I’ll go,” the widow states, smiling and winking. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt the meeting of old friends. Just put these cards aside for me, Yugi-kun, and I’ll come back later.” It’s hard to tear his eyes off Téa, but he takes the cards in near-shaking hands. She puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder and whispers, “Don’t worry, dear, she likes you, too. An old woman’s intuition knows these things.”
She closes the door, switching the sign to ‘closed’ as she does so.
“U-um, just give me a moment, to…” I was strong. I thought I’d dealt with this, but here I am, acting like the last two years didn’t even matter. Give me strength, Yami! He crosses the room and reaches across the counter, pulling a drawer open and sticking the cards within. It’ll do as a place to keep them for now.
“Sorry about that.” She can tell he’s drawing on his strength, voice lower than earlier. Still, it’s lower than when he was younger, for which he’s grateful. He doesn’t sound like quite such a little kid anymore.
“You haven’t gotten out of your bad habit of apologizing for everything, have you?” she asks, looking amused. Still, it’s as if he can still sense the frustration.
“No, it doesn’t seem like that,” he agreed, then, struck by an impish impulse, adds, “Sorry.”
She swats at his arm, to which he pretend flinches, but it’s familiar and he’s suddenly not alone. It’s nice. “I kept waiting for you to call me.”
O-oh. “I didn’t want to call during practice or class,” he explained, knowing that his oldest friend will probably fill in the unspoken, that he didn’t know how he stood and wasn’t wanting to push boundaries because he didn’t want to lose her friendship.
This time, she playfully pulls on one of his blond bangs. They’re getting long, too, as is the spiky hair at the back, but Grandpa’s been too busy to cut it, and the last time he tried by himself…well, he’s gotten a little more coordinated than when he was five, but it’s still a little difficult when he can’t even see what he’s cutting. “I had to call your Grandpa to make sure you didn’t hate me.”
“Hate you?!” Yugi exclaims, and Téa laughs.
“Yeah, okay, that does sound a bit unlikely. But I like you, and that date was a lot of fun, and then you never called.” She looks down and plays with the strap on her purse. “It doesn’t do much for a woman’s ego.”
“For a man’s, either.” Yugi sighs and puts his hand on her arm. “Sorry about that. …Was she right, then? Can I call you my g-girlfriend?”
She links their fingers together. “Only if I can call you my boyfriend. There’s an idiot at dance practice who keeps hitting on me and I’m getting sick of it.”
“Yeah, no problem.” He frowns at their hands. “Do you need me to—”
“Overprotective Yami much?” Téa asks. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been taking care of you for years, and given how dangerous a simple card game has gotten lately, I’ve shelled out a little on some martial arts lessons, so it’s going to be okay. You don’t need to solve all the world’s problems.”
He smiles sheepishly and nods. “Yeah. I worry about you, though. And no, I’m not going to apologize about that.” He pauses, and brightens up in a way that is Yugi, through and through. “But, you know, I bet those lessons are actually helping with your dancing, too. I’d love to see…well, any of it really.”
“What, you didn’t get enough while you were waiting for that date?” she teases, and he forces himself to be honest. Out of everyone, Téa deserves it.
“No,” he states, staring into her eyes, and by the expression on her face he can tell she’s not sure whether to be flattered or slap him.
She avoids the subject entirely by changing the subject. “So, did Kaiba ever explain why he didn’t hold the tournament?”
“Mokuba was kidnapped again.” Yugi sighs, turning a little more serious as he squeezes her hand as if seeking reassuring closeness. “I’d hope it’s just a relic of Yami’s paranoia, but…I can’t remember, even in the news, this many attacks on KaibaCorp. And, yeah, Gozaburo made a lot of enemies, and Seto made more on his own, but…I’ve been out of the Duel Monsters circle for a bit. You probably know that already, though.”
She nods encouragingly, but it’s worrying to see him look so down. “You’re worrying about the new tournament, aren’t you?”
He blinks, eyes almost as wide as when he was younger. “…H-ow…”
“I got an invitation, as a plus one. You didn’t send it?” It’s her turn to get a little worried, though she definitely doesn’t want to show Yugi. He’s already tense enough for the both of them. She fishes around in her purse until she finds the letter.
He buries his face in his free hand, spiky fringe the only thing visible. “I can never have a normal tournament. I am cursed,” he moans, almost as melodramatically as Joey, and for once Téa’s at a loss. She can’t think of anything encouraging to say.
Then she remembers something. “It could be like the World Championship. It doesn’t have to be an ancient evil trying to take over the world.”
He moves a few fingers and peers out at her. “Oh, good. We can run into clingy people chasing after fame and evil people trying to scheme to take over Seto’s company, instead. You’ll protect me from Vivian Wong?”
“Always.” She tries not to seethe too much. “See, Kaiba’s cursed, too.” Her words don’t cheer him up like she expects. Instead, he looks even more serious and unhappy. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he mutters quickly, but she recognizes that gloomy, pensive look from Yami, and he’s not about to put her off that easily.
“Yugi Muto, you can’t lie to me. Actually, I’m not convinced you can lie, period, but spill.” She pokes his chest, and he looks a little startled.
Good, he’s not about to start brooding like Yami. “I wonder if it has to do with the Items,” he states quietly, looking more Pharaoh-like than ever, and it takes her a minute to catch up.
“W-wait, the Millennium Puzzle? What’s that got to do with it?” He sighs again, then blinks and looks around the room, as if he’s forgotten they’re sitting on the ground in the middle of the shop.
“Let’s go upstairs. It’s more comfortable, and it’s a long story.” He makes sure the door is locked and lets go of her hand for a minute to place the cash register out of sight, checking the back door as well, then takes her hand again as he leads her to his room.
She instantly notices a difference—there’s now what appears to almost be a shrine in the corner of the room, filled with various Egyptian items. He must’ve picked up a few of them on his trip to Egypt. He lights some incense, and she notes the Puzzle Box in the center. She touches it, just slightly, and it’s almost as if she can feel the power thrumming through it. It must just be her imagination, though.
When she turns back to him, he’s blushing. “The bed’s the most comfortable, but…”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind kissing you, but I think it’s a bit early on for anything else,” she tells him and is amused by how his skin increases in shade of red by three degrees.
“Téa Gardner, you are evil,” he mutters, glaring at the door before shrugging and carefully sitting. She joins him and stares at the incense, which is starting to distort the stone carving behind it like the heat on desert sand. He stares at the carving, too, before beginning, and it’s the Pharaoh voice, deep and ancient. “My father made the Millennium Items,” he begins, and she shivers. She’s never heard him actually recount one of Atem’s memories, nor really Yami’s, just state that he had them and act on knowledge he couldn’t have had otherwise. Perhaps it was too personal—or too strange. “Or at least, so the stories go. Then again, the stories also speak of slave labour for the Pyramids.”
“That’s not true?” She’d watched a documentary, but…
Yugi smiles at her, and suddenly he’s all Yugi again. “Nope. I mean, they might’ve had a little. Slaves did exist back then. But it was mainly a cultural thing—everyone in modern day just assumed they were slaves because there wasn’t any evidence of them getting paid in money, and of course only slaves didn’t get paid in money, right?” He squeezes her hand. “Luckily they’ve been finding evidence lately and discounting that theory, which is good, because it made out Egypt to be this terrible empire, not a civilization with a cool culture. It was kinda…like part of taxes, and a military draft, and a job all rolled into one? They didn’t do it all year, just when they weren’t working on important things like the harvest, and it was a civic duty to the Pharaoh to try to help build the tomb. And they got paid. In beer and bread, mostly, but usually you had to make that for yourself, or buy, or trade for it.” He smiles, violet eyes a little far away. “It’s not like the Pharaohs were supposed to be these tyrants, either. Sure, they were pretty much reincarnations of Horus and Ra, but they had a duty to their people, too. That’s why Set—not Seto, by the way, Seth was a good ruler, not like Set, the brother of Osiris—was thrown off the throne. Well, that, and he killed his brother. But, the point is, the Pharaohs weren’t supposed to be like that. Even all the efforts to get them safely into the afterlife—it was thought that as long as the ruler made it, he could help his people cross over when they died, too. And then they’d pretty much live a life like the one they just left, only it would never end. The Pharaoh with his servants and people, the people with a benevolent Pharaoh to protect them. Everyone had to pass the tests to get in, but without a path, you’d never make it. It wasn’t until the New Kingdom when they got democratic and everyone started having to fend for themselves, so they were all getting their own Books of Death to guide them past all the dangers.”
It’s rare to hear Yugi talk this much, but he’s alive in a way he rarely is unless he’s playing a game or talking about one, and it’s amazing to see. He catches sight of her fond look and coughs in embarrassment. His cheeks, which had finally begun to fade, are bright again. “U-um, anyway, my point is that the stories aren’t always accurate.” His voice drops again, as he plays with one of his bangs distractedly. “Anyway, he didn’t make them or order them to be made. There was an invasion. Without some miracle to save everyone, the unification of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms was doomed. Father rode out to try to stop it, but there was only so much our armies could do, and even the priests were failing, with their backing of the Egyptian Gods. It seemed like they’d abandoned us.” He pauses. “My memories aren’t, you know, actually that good on that point, since I technically wasn’t alive, and I had to piece some of this together myself.”
She nods encouragingly, and he takes a deep breath and continues. “Well, even Set wasn’t always considered completely evil. Akhenaden was the High Priest of Set, which…” He pauses, as a thought occurs to him. “…That’s actually pretty appropriate.”
She blinks, and he frowns a little, thinking about how to phrase it. “Akhenaden was actually the Pharaoh’s brother, just like Set was Osiris’s brother. Both were jealous of their power on the throne, and eventually acted against a Pharaoh, although even at the end Akhenaden was vaguely better, since he did think about his own son when trying to seize control. And he waited until that whole mess with Bakura, so he might not have actually acted on it without interference. Seto might’ve been named after him, but he’s actually a lot better than the mythological Set. No matter what Joey might think.”
That earns laughter, but she doesn’t want to actually interrupt the magic of the story, and it seems like Yugi understands. “Anyway, Akhenaden did something awful, but it was to save Egypt. My father was furious. He didn’t want that power, feeling it was too high a cost, and begged the gods to consider him and only him responsible in order to save me.” He takes a deep breath and his hand in hers is suddenly almost a death grip. “Akhenaden created the Millennium Items. By sacrificing the village of Kul Elna. He killed an entire village to make them.”
Suddenly, her grip matches his, and her voice catches in her throat. “That’s awful,” slips out in a whisper, and he nods once.
“Never mind that the village was supposedly the home of so many grave robbers. Yami Bakura was the sole survivor, and his hatred…well, you saw what that caused. He believed all of Egypt to be personally responsible. He thought all the items were tainted. And, of course, it opened the pathway for Zorc to possibly enter this world.” He shivers, suddenly cold. “Maybe he was right. I mean, not that my father was responsible. He was happy when the Millennium Items saved Egypt, but when he learned of the price, he was horrified. We’ve seen the Millennium Items used for good. There’s Yami himself, and I did set Seto free from the weight on his soul, in our first duel. But we’ve also seen the dark side of the Shadow Realm. Well, not like I have to tell you that. Even in the past it wasn’t all perfect. Mages grew in power, and some were definitely corrupt. At least only the Guardians could use the Millennium Items to extract the dark half of a sinner’s soul.”
“Oh. That’s what you did to Kaiba,” she realizes, and he smiles tiredly at her.
“Yes, though I didn’t realize at the time. I think he’s grateful, though he’d never actually say that.” He yawns, blinking like he’s going to fall asleep. “I’d never trade my time or memories of the Puzzle or the Pharaoh for anything, but I’m hoping that it didn’t leave me cursed. Or Seto—he did handle the Rod and the Eye. Or even Pegasus or Marik—and I’m not entirely sure they would’ve taken the dark path without the influence of the Items, even if we ignore the fact that they couldn’t have done anything without their powers in the first place.”
“So, we’ll get an exorcist,” she tells him, refusing to let the story drag her mood down, and that earns a small smile.
“I’m not sure that’s how it works, but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try.” He yawns again and starts leaning back onto the bed. “Sorry, Téa, I want to hang out more, but I had to open the shop bright and early since Grandpa’s on a day trip out to the city, and…”
“Don’t worry about it.” She threads her hair through the spikes, shocked as usual at how soft they are. She pays extra attention to the back of his neck, and he makes a kind of whining noise and leans into her touch as he falls asleep quickly. “If I get bored watching you, I can always go try to see what sort of deck I could make, maybe.” It’s a somewhat silly idea, but given how much she enjoys listening to him just get excited about something, maybe she could ask him to help her make a deck.
He mutters something incoherent into the bed, and she smiles. He’s been working himself too hard again, not like she can talk. Still, this is a nice break, at least for a bit.
