| Tuesday, April 11, 2006 Blind Eyes - Chapter 02 |
 Title: Blind EyesChapter: Chapter 02 Authors: Dragons of the Moon Contact: Apollymi and Katsuko Word count: 938 Bakura wasn't sure if being a guest in the Kaiba mansion was a good thing or not. For the 'not good' side, it brought back a lot of bad memories, too many of which he'd hoped were buried in the ancient past. On the other hand, Seto was nothing if not a generous host and not only to the (still) Thief King. "So basically the moral of the story is 'love sucks'?!" Bakura snickered; he wasn't sure what Jyonouchi was talking about, but the part of the conversation he could hear was amusing. Said teenager was currently sprawled out on the sofa, cell phone to his ear and a book open in front of him. "Yuugi, dude, our teacher is on crack," the blond decided. "Hmm? Well, yeah, it's not easy, but I think we've done okay." The silver- haired man frowned slightly. Since he'd returned to Domino, the only people he had seen or spoken to were Seto, Jyonouchi (who scowled and insisted on being called 'Katsuya'), and Mokuba. Although he desperately wished to see the boy, Bakura had not ventured to contact Ryou. And he wanted nothing to do with the Pharaoh's other half, no matter how content Jyonouchi seemed when talking to Mutou Yuugi. Jyonouchi's next words caught the thief's attention once more: "Can you spend the night, then?" Bakura froze, eyes not seeing the book he'd been pretending to read. Dark memories rushed at him, pain and humiliation coupled with eyes that held mock-pity and contempt, eyes far too similar to those he'd come close to trusting before his time as Spirit of the Sennen Ring ended. "-kura?" For a second, Bakura thought the voice that had spoken was soft, female, and familial. His dear sister's voice, speaking the name she alone could call him. Then the moment passed, the voice was quiet but masculine as it spoke again. "Bakura? You all right?" "What?" He blinked at Jyonouchi a moment before replying. "Yeah, just thinking." "Oh." The blond frowned a bit, and the thief wondered if he was fooling the teen for even a second. "Yuugi and Ryou are gonna come over this evening. We've got some stupid English... thing that's due tomorrow, and I can't make sense of it. We'll probably just stay in the den, if you wanna come say 'hi' to 'em or anything." No, he did not want to see Mutou, not at all. But, if yadonushi was going to be there too, maybe he could handle being around the shrimp for a few minutes... ~+~+~+~+~+~+~ //It's not the Pharaoh, it's not Atem, it's not him...// Bakura repeated it in his hand like a mantra, crouched at the top of the steps as Jyonouchi talked to the new arrivals in the foyer. So intent was he in convincing himself of this truth that he completely missed Seto's arrival at his side. It was only when the other spoke that he noticed. "Bakura?" Seto asked softly, frowning slightly when the Egyptian jumped. Rather than dwell on it, though, he continued, "Are you okay?" "Yeah, fine, I'm okay," Bakura replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Why do you ask?" "You look like you're about to jump out of your skin." The taller man stood up and stretched, eyes not meeting Seto's as he replied, "I said I'm fine, Seto. Now drop it before-" "Bakura?" The Egyptian's mouth snapped shut as both he and Seto glanced back down the stairs. Apparently Ryou had heard and recognized his darker half's voice as he was halfway between them and the main landing. Jyonouchi and Yuugi were still on the first floor, a tiny frown on the blond's lips. "It's really you, isn't it?" the pale-haired teen asked quietly, his eyes and face revealing nothing to the darker thief. Before Bakura had time to do much more than give a slight nod, Ryou rushed up the last few steps between them, arms wrapping tightly around the Egyptian's waist and face buried against his neck. Only now was Bakura aware of the tears that been (barely) held back by his yadonushi. "I was so worried about you," Ryou sobbed. "I wanted you to be okay wherever you were, but I was afraid they'd send you to hell or something because of what Zork did." "Shh, don't cry," Bakura murmured, his arms coming up to hold his lighter half. "I'm all right. Hell was afraid I'd take over so they kicked me out." He smiled softly at the giggle he drew from Ryou. "I'd hoped you would come back," the teen admitted. "It wouldn't be fair if Atem was allowed to come back and you couldn't." The thief felt his blood run cold at the words, a haze of panic settling over him. It was all he could do to keep it internalized. "Life's not fair at times, yadonushi," was all he could bring himself to say. He opened his eyes to see that Jyonouchi's expression had closed off entirely; as Yuugi turned towards the blond, however, his usual cheery grin returned. //A mask?// Bakura mused briefly before returning most of his attention to Ryou. "You two can catch up for a while," Seto said smoothly as he stepped past them. "I'll supervise the children and make sure they actually study." "Fuck you, Seto." "You're not my type, Katsuya." "Who's supervising the children?" Yuugi grumbled, the words belied by the amusement in his eyes. He turned and offered a gentle smile to the Bakuras. "Take all the time you want. It's nice to have you back, Bakura-san." Amazingly, Bakura was almost positive he meant it.
posted @ 6:57 PM
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Blind Eyes - Flashback 01 |
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Title: Blind Eyes Chapter: Flashback 01 Authors: Dragons of the Moon Contact: Apollymi and Katsuko Word count: 1,027 Seth heaved a tired sigh as he stepped into the gardens, mentally exhausted from dealing with Atem's temper for much of the day. If he'd had it his way, the trials would have been over hours ago. Unfortunately, something had set off the Pharaoh and caused him to drag out everything. Kisara is probably pulling her hair out by now, the High Priest mused as he walked to the section of the gardens closest to his rooms. She always worries when the Pharaoh makes what she deems unreasonable demands. He couldn't help but laugh softly at that thought; to Kisara, any demand that kept Seth from returning before sundown was unreasonable. It took him only a few minutes to reach the small pool where his charge bathed each evening, and he was pleased to note that the usual guard was present as the girl tended to her long white hair. In all the kingdom, there was no one he trusted more than Oten to watch over Kisara in his absence. "Good evening, High Priest," the guard greeted as Seth approached. His expression was carefully neutral, but the cinnamon-haired man could see concern in the other's green eyes. "Good evening, Oten," he responded. "Is something troubling you this night?" "Is there anything you do not notice?" Oten asked dryly. Seth opted not to answer, instead fixing the guard with a rebuking look. Oten smirked for a second before the troubled look returned to his eyes. His next words surprised the High Priest. "I have been removed from my duties of guarding the Pharaoh." "For what reason?" Seth asked. "Only the captain of the guards is more skilled than you." Oten glanced over to check that Kisara was not listening in before answering softly: "Two nights ago I heard... something coming form the Pharaoh's rooms. When I inquired about it, both the Pharaoh and Priest Mahaado told me to mind myself. The next morning, the Pharaoh dismissed me from my duties." Seth frowned. It was an essential part of the guards' duties to inquire about disturbances. "What did you hear?" "Screams." Once more Oten glanced to where Kisara was bathing, Seth following his gaze. The woman's back was to them, but Seth wouldn't put it past her to be listening in covertly. "It concerns me," Oten finally added, "because lately the Pharaoh's eye seems to be following our fair sister." The High Priest's eyes narrowed, and he willed himself to calm. "I will try to gain admittance to the Pharaoh's rooms," he said after a long silence. "I must ask that you remain close to Kisara." "My loyalty is to you and Egypt," Oten replied. "It extends to Lady Kisara. No harm will befall her while I yet breathe." "Take care, Lord Seth," Kisara said, confirming the priest's assumption that she was well aware of the conversation. "I am aware that Pharaoh is Pharaoh, but he makes me uneasy." "Remain with Oten," Seth commanded gently, wrapping Kisara's robes about her as she stepped from the water, "and return to my rooms quickly. I will go once you are safe." "Take care," the woman repeated firmly before stretching up to press a sisterly kiss to Seth's cheek. She offered him a soft smile before turning to the guard. "Oten, would you take me back to our lord’s rooms?" "As you wish, Lady Kisara." Seth watched the two until they vanished into his rooms then crossed the gardens towards Atem's. True, the Pharaoh’s rooms did not open directly into the gardens, but there was a short hall that would lead him directly into the Pharaoh's bath chamber. He would proceed from there, come up with some excuse for entering Atem's sanctum without permission. Seth drew in a deep breath before pushing the door open. As he'd hoped, the bath chamber was empty, but he could hear nothing from the main rooms, although only a curtain separated him from Atem's personal quarters. Any other time, the silence would be reassuring; now, with Oten's report in mind, it served only to worry him. Cautiously he pushed the curtain aside, alert to even the smallest sign of life. Blue eyes scanned the room, finding nothing at first. It was the faintest of sounds -- a quiet whimper of pain -- that drew his gaze to the bed. In an instant, Seth found himself wishing Atem dead, preferable at the end of the Sennen Rod's hidden blade. Two months had passed since anyone had seen the self-named Thief King Bakura. There had been rumors that he'd fled to the furthest reaches of Kehmet, far into the desert, that even perhaps he'd died in one of the many tombs he was said to have robbed. Ra, some of the rumors had come from the palace guards who'd been last to see the pale-eyed thief. Nothing had even hinted that Bakura might still be within the city, let alone a... 'guest' in the palace. Seth mentally catalogued the damage -- bruises covering most of the unconscious man's skin; ligature marks on wrists and ankles, still red and seeping; cuts and scars along his sides and likely on his back; fresh blood on the linens between Bakura's thighs. The one mark out of all this that sent his fury even higher was the bleeding mark on the thief's right cheek. It began just above the eye and ended just below his mouth, with two horizontal cuts crossing through it over his cheek beginning from his ear. It was an ancient mark of ownership. The Ra-damned bastard had branded the Thief King as if he were cattle. Biting back on the urge to track down Atem and gut him, Seth quickly made his way to the bed. Even though it would be best not to move Bakura in light of his injuries, there was no way in all Kehmet that he was going to leave the man to Atem's obviously non-existent mercy. He pulled the sheet tightly around the unconscious thief, heart aching at the pained whimper the action elicited, and carefully picked him up. Quietly, Seth slipped back out the way he came, quickly crossing the gardens to his own rooms.
posted @ 6:56 PM
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Blind Eyes - Chapter 01 |
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Title: Blind Eyes Chapter: Chapter 01 Authors: Dragons of the Moon Contact: Apollymi and Katsuko Word count: 1,258 "Are you sure you can't make it this evening?" Yuugi asked into the phone, a slight frown crossing his lips. Ever since Jyonouchi had been removed from his father's care, the two rarely saw one another outside of school. Yuugi understood that the blond felt the need to repay his benefactor... but damn it, Jyonouchi was his boyfriend and he wanted to see him occasionally! "Yeah, I have to check over this new ad campaign before it can go to press tomorrow," Jyonouchi replied apologetically. "I don't think it'll take me too long, though, so if you want to get together after Isis' little meeting thing...." "I'll call you right after," the shorter teen interrupted, feeling immensely happier at the prospect of spending time alone with Jyonouchi for a change. "Love you, Katsuya." "Love you, too, Yuugi. I'll talk to you this evening." Yuugi said his goodbyes and hung up, smiling to himself. It took him nearly a full minute to realize that the others were all staring at him, which led to him blushing faintly and attempting to look innocent. Isis merely offered a patient smile before speaking. "It is safe to assume that Jyonouchi-san and Kaiba-san will not be appearing tonight," she said, her words almost sounding like a question, yet everyone knew they were a statement of fact. "I'll begin. You all know about the ancient text regarding the Unnamed Pharaoh." "Yes," Anzu said with a sharp nod. "About how he had to regain his memory in order to enter into the Afterlife... right?" "That is what we thought as well," the Egyptian woman said, giving the brunette a reassuring smile. "Unfortunately, we misinterpreted a section. It may have been due to the erosion of the original or possibly my father had horrible, erm, penmanship. Either way, there was a section of the text regarding what was to happen after the Unnamed Pharaoh entered in the other world." Honda frowned slightly. "What was supposed to happen after that?" he asked. Isis remained silent for a moment, then she turned and nodded to someone waiting just outside of Yuugi's line of sight. The door was pushed open the rest of the way, and Malik entered the room, followed by someone the four friends thought they'd never see again. "Afterward," Isis said, "he was allowed to come back." ~+~+~+~+~+~+~ Deadlines, bylines, board meetings and after-school activities, Seto mused to himself as the limo headed back towards KaibaCorp to pick up the third member of his small family. I really didn't want to see Isis or the others today, but I know Jyonouchi wanted to spend some time with Yuugi. I'll have to think of a way to make it up to them. He was abruptly drawn out of his thoughts when he glanced out the window and caught sight of a man making his way down the street. Normally people walking would do little to catch Kaiba Seto's attention, but this man was unusually dressed, and if that wasn’t attention-grabbing, then his dark skin and silver-white hair was. "Stop here," Seto called to the driver, gaze locked on the familiar-yet-not man moving steadily away from him. When the driver turned slightly to give him a questioning look, he snapped out, "Now." The limo had barely rolled to a stop when the brunet pushed the door open and practically leaped out, intent on catching his quarry. It didn't take long for Seto to catch up with the man and grasp his arm, pulling the 'stranger' to a stop. Suddenly the brunet found himself pinned by a silver stare that went from annoyed to confused in a matter of seconds. The oddly coloured eyes blinked; then suddenly the stranger was 'gone' with little more than an overly familiar smirk gracing the tanned face. "Don't I get a 'hello, Bakura. It's been a while. How is theAfterlife?'" the once Thief King asked. "Kids these days, no manners at all." "Smartass," Seto grumbled quietly. Apparently he wasn't quiet enough if Bakura's amused smirk was any indication. "Really, Seto, you're just being rude. Usually you don't just leap out of a moving vehicle and grab a near-total stranger. That's something they do in the movies, and then the guy doing it is usually has twice the muscle tone you do, because how much could you possibly work out if you're sitting in front of a computer monitor all day? You need to get out more, maybe go to the park or take in a movie. Here's an idea, spend some time with that kid brother of yours. Yeah, he's kinda quiet, didn't scream too much that time I grabbed him, but he's a good kid. And if you stop to think about it, you do own one of the top ten amusement parks in the world." By the time Jyonouchi showed up five minutes later, Bakura had changed topic seven times and Seto was beginning to wonder if coming back from the dead made one hyper. "But you have to be careful because the little seeds get stuck in your teeth. I usually scrape them off and heat them after I put on the cream cheese, but yeah, I'd say the onion bagels are my favourite." "Hey, Seto!" the blond called aloud, not yet noticing the babbling Egyptian. "I was starting to think you decided to just stay -- Bakura?!" Said thief turned slightly, stopping mid-sentence (something about how strawberry jam never worked on even plain bagels) and shot the stunned teen a grin. "Hey, pup." His expression turned to one of amusement as Jyonouchi actually growled quietly at the name. To his surprise, however, the blond didn't go into the whole I-am-not-a-dog spiel. He glared, true, but he asked the question that Seto neglected: "Why, and for that matter, how are you back?" "Heaven didn't want me, and hell's afraid I'll take over," the thief quipped. Both Jyonouchi and Seto gave him a look that said he wasn't nearly as funny as he seemed to think he was. Bakura snickered with amusement and made an attempt to free his arm from the brunet's grasp. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find yadonushi." He was surprised to find a second hand gripping his shoulder, and followed it to find the blond frowning at him. "When was the last time you ate?" he said abruptly, causing Bakura to blink at him twice in confusion. That... was definitely not what he would expect from the boy he knew had run with a gang once upon a time. "If I were to guess, oh, three thousand years ago," Bakura replied dryly. "Could you both maybe let go? I need that arm." "Get in the limo," Seto said abruptly, obviously expecting the thief to listen. "Hell, no. Get your hand off my arm before I break your fingers." "Get in the goddamn car." The fact that this time the command came from Jyonouchi startled Bakura just long enough for the two teenagers to half-shove him into the back seat and climb in, blocking his escape from either side. He knew it was childish, especially since he was closer in appearance to the twenty-three-year-old he'd been at the time of the Sealing than when he’d been sharing a body with Ryou, but the thief slouched in the seat, crossed his arms and proceeded to sulk. "Stop pouting," Seto said from his left. Steel grey eyes turned to glare at the CEO. "I'm not pouting, I'm fuming." "Looks like pouting to me." "I'm not pouting, damn it!"
posted @ 6:55 PM
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Blind Eyes - Prologue B |
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Title: Blind Eyes Chapter: Prologue B Authors: Dragons of the Moon Contact: Apollymi and Katsuko Word count: 358 Jyonouchi: This was both the end and the beginning.
posted @ 6:53 PM
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Blind Eyes - Prologue A |
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Title: Blind Eyes Chapter: Prologue A Authors: Dragons of the Moon Contact: Apollymi and Katsuko Word count: 168 Bakura: Hatred was easy when you had a reason.
posted @ 6:49 PM
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