Fran's Fandomy Randomness

Changes, CHapter 8!

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 04:19:56 GMT

Yuugi scanned the lunch room. No sign of them... where would...?

Wait. Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun had been fighting, which meant...

He quickly headed up for the roof, grimacing as he could hear the pair arguing before he even got the door open.

"You're not even helping!"

"You told me to stay home!"

"So that he'd stop hitting on you!"

"Ryou-chan wasn't--"

"Stop calling him that!"

"That's her NA--"

"You stay out of this!"

Oh hell...

Yuugi pushed the door open, seeing Jounouchi and Honda looking to be seconds from getting into a fist fight, even with Anzu standing between them. In fact, it almost looked like Jounouchi was readying to take on Anzu as well...

"I will NOT! Can't see you're making her miserable!?"

"I am not! You just think I am because you want him to change!"

"She wanted to before I even found out!"

"Bullshit!"

Yuugi's fists clenched. "STOP IT!" he yelled, entire body tense. "Just everyone STOP!"

The group froze, looking over. "Yuugi..." Jounouchi said in a startled voice.

"Just stop fighting about it! What Bakura-kun does is Bakura-kun's choice, not any of ours!" Yuugi continued, voice upset. "You're going to pull him apart and he'll leave us behind thinking he can't be who he wants to and be our friend at the same time!"

"But-- but I--"

"This isn't about you fighting against Anzu-chan, it's not about Anzu-chan having a friend she can shop with, or Honda-kun's crush. It's about Bakura-kun and what she wants to be and if Bakura-kun wants to be Ryou-chan, we should be supporting her, not fighting about it! We'll all fall apart this way!"

The group was silent, neither of them looking at each other. Yuugi took in deep breaths, trying to calm down again, rubbing his eyes. Damnit, he was NOT going to cry...

After a long while, Honda picked up his bag, heading for the door back to school.

"Where are you going?" Jounouchi asked, voice sounding almost afraid.

"Bakura's." Honda replied, hand on the door.

"Honda--"

"No! Listen to me for once!" the brunet said sharply, turning. "I've been thinking ever since we found out. I'm not gay, but I like Bakura. So Bakura has to be a girl, no matter what. You dragging her along to bar fights and monster truck races isn't going to change that." He looked at Jounouchi a long moment. "You're only going to lose if you keep fighting. This isn't a duel, and Bakura isn't the bad guy, and isn't being brain washed by a bad guy. Things happen. Things change. And if you can't deal with that change, you'll wind up like your goddamned father, loosing yourself in a bottle every night."

Jounouchi flinched, looking as if he had just been slapped.

Honda watched him a long moment before turning and heading down the stairs.

Jounouchi cursed under his breath, turning to kick the cement wall violently.

"Jounouchi-kun..."

"Leave me alone!"

Yuugi flinched, at the words and at the tone. It almost sounded like the blond was about to cry... "Sorry," he said softly, turning to head down the stairs as well, giving Anzu a small look, indicating she should follow. "I'm going to get lunch... maybe afterwards, we can talk....?"

The blond muttered something Yuugi couldn't hear. "Maybe," he finally said, voice sulking.

Yuugi looked at his friend a long moment before heading down the stairs.

"Yuugi! Get the door!"

"Coming!" the boy called as he hurried down the stairs. He slid to a stop before the door, pushing his bangs back to the side before opening it. "Jounouchi-kun....!" he exclaimed, eyes going wide. "What happened?"

The somewhat battered looking blond gave a small, cocky grin. "Got into a fight. You shoulda seen the other guy," he boasted, kicking off his shoes as he came in.

Yuugi looked almost worriedly at his friend. "Here, let's get you cleaned up before mom sees you..."

"Ne, Yuugi? Have I been an ass?" Jounouchi asked as his friend carefully placed a bandage over a freshly cleaned cut. He gave a small chuckle as Yuugi hesitated. "That's a yes, isn't it? I know you, Yuugi, you're too nice to flat out say anything like that," he smiled slightly, looking down.

Yuugi fidgeted slightly, not quite knowing what to say. "I think you've been trying too hard to change something that wasn't your decision," he finally answered, closing the first aid kit.

Jounouchi gave a small nod. "I just-- Bakura's always gotten lost in the shuffle, ya know?" he sighed, looking up. "The entire time we've known him, really. Duelist Kingdom, some how that creepy bastard came back and took him over again, then Battle City when he just-- vanished and wound up with that stab wound in his arm, freaking Malik!" He scowled, fist clenching. "And I swore to myself that I'd never let him get lost like that again, and than that bastard Ring spirit went and did all that shit in Atemu's memories and they we were, looking at him across the table, passed out again like with Monster World. He needed someone to look out for him and I was always so damned caught up in everything else that I never even noticed something was wrong til he wasn't him anymore. With the Ring gone, it wasn't as important. Everything was better, ya know? And then-- Then this shit happens and I'm the last freaking one to know and it's already too late to do anything about it and he's turning someone different again!" He ran a hand through his hair in agitation.

Yuugi was quiet a moment. "Bakura-kun's still Bakura-kun," he said softly. "Even when she's Ryou-chan."

Jounouchi shook his head. "Honda's went on and on about 'Ryou-chan' for near a freaking WEEK, Yuugi! And once he found out it was Bakura in drag, he's been freaking...!" He gave an agitated growl. "We've already got a girl in our group, ya know? How in hell are we gonna stay the same when Honda's too busy trying to get in Bakura's pants to pay attention to anything else?!"

"Would it be any different if Bakura-kun stayed a boy and still went out with Honda-kun?"

Jounouchi fidgeted a bit. "Honda wouldn't do that. He isn't gay. He has to have said that a good 50 times this week alone."

"So if Bakura-kun likes Honda-kun, wouldn't it be better for Bakura-kun to be a girl?" Yuugi asked gently.

Jounouchi was quiet a long moment before giving a loud sigh. "It had to be freaking Honda, didn't it?" he half muttered. "Why in hell couldn't he be going after like-- Otogi or something. Otogi's fruity enough to be gay as well."

"Otogi-kun's been after Shizuka-chan for the past year, Jounouchi-kun, I don't think he's gay," Yuugi pointed out with a smile.

"He aught be, damnit!" Jounouchi scowled. "Keep him the hell away from my sister! And now without Honda to keep him honest it'll make everything more freaking complicated there too!"

"... So you've been making Bakura-kun miserable all week because you want Honda-kun to pay more attention to you and to keep Otogi-kun away from Shizuka-chan?" Yuugi said with disbelief. "That's the most selfish thing you've done in a long time, Jounouchi-kun!"

"It's not like that!" Jounouchi protested, looking hurt. "I just-- I mean-- Gaaah, fuck it all, I don't know!" he finally exclaimed, getting up. "Its just-- everything, ya know?" he tried to explain, starting to pace the length of the bathroom. "I don't want Bakura to be lost or left behind again, I don't want to loose Honda or Bakura and I don't want things to change cause everything's GOOD for once, ya know?! And all I'm doing is fucking up left and right so now Honda's pissed at me, everything thinks I'm an asshole and Bakura--" He shook his head. "I just wanted to spend more time with him and do stuff and convince him to stay with us as he was and all it just all blew up in my face!"

"Because you just grabbed Bakura-kun and treated him like he was Honda-kun when he's not," Yuugi pointed out. "You even took him to that burger place with the boobs when you KNOW he's gay!"

The blond fidgeted a bit. "I forgot," he defended in a small voice, hands deep in his pockets.

Yuugi nearly groaned, pressing his hand to his palm. "You forgot?!"

"Hey, I don't think about the sex lives of my friends that much, okay?!" Jounouchi defended. "And it isn't like he's hitting on me or anybody so I just didn't think about it."

Yuugi sighed, shaking his head. "Either way, I think you need to go apologies to Bakura-kun."

Jounouchi fidgeted again. "But Honda's over there...."

"So?"

"What if they're... ya know... doing stuff?"

"... Bakura-kun's NOT going to let Honda-kun get that familiar just because she's a girl!" Yuugi exclaimed, face slightly red.

Jounouchi rubbed the back of his neck slightly. "You don't know Honda though..."

"But I know Bakura-kun VERY well," Yuugi said firmly. "And I know YOU well enough to know that you're just making excuses."

The blond fidgeted again before giving a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I know..." he half mumbled. With another sigh, he headed for the doorway. "I guess I should get on that now..." he paused, looking down slightly before turning back to his friend. "Thanks for putting up with me," he smiled slightly.

Yuugi smiled. "You're my friend," he said simply. "It's what friends do."

Info on new Yuugiou series

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:44:27 GMT

http://ankhutenshi.livejournal.com/67960.html

Apparently it WAS made to promote the game, as expected. :D

How sad is it that this is more fun then GX has been lately? :)

KnN

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 06:13:56 GMT

Due to various reasons, I'm going to be condencing KnN so that it all fits on KnN.net and can be taken off Fran-web.

What does that mean?

For starts, grab all the manga scans you want off that section, because that's going down first. The Monster World arc will probally be left. Heck, all the Bakurae stuff'll probally be left. The music videos and similar will also be up. My and JUdy's fanfic'll stay up, everyone else's will probally go. Fanart will also probally be taken down.

Alot of images will be nuked as well. Doma, AE, KCGP, definately gone. The misc charas section will probally also get chucked. The Yuugis section will be VERY trimmed, as will the Jounouchi. Most the monster/card images will be trashed.

Basicly, 800 meg of crap has to be cut in half so it all can fit on the KnN server. Anything you think you wanna keep, grab it now, just in case.

REasons I dislike the AE arc...

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 04:53:55 GMT

There really isn't any point to Theif King/Yami Bakura if Zork N is the baddy.

[No, I'm not going to go look up how to spell that name. @_@]

Apparently Akunadin went all doomy ebil and took over shit and YY sacrificed himself to seal em both and shatter the puzzle.

Does this explaine YB being in the RIng? No.

Does this explaine the whole ever flashed to duel between Pharoah Boi and Set in the chaotic destruction of Egypt? No.

Does this explaine what actualy happened in AE? No

Does this take into account ANY of the freaking cannon that's been slowly building up for nearly 30 freaking volumes of manga? Not really, no.

AE is like a bad fanfic. Oh sure, it has all the usial cast, minus Kaiba (but the anime fixes that reeeeeal good,) more or less in character, but it has a new created baddy who comes out of nowhere who apparently has been the cause of eeeeverything up til now who is a yami of someone else who's basicly good in intention, even if a jerk face war criminal, but in a world of them or us, you always chose 'them' as the ones to suffer.

So, baddy who is a variation on a theme? Check.

It heavily involves TCG wank boys favorite penis conspenstating cards giving spiffy new AE makeovers. Oh look, Oblisk is in stripes! How Egyptian! It has the most uberawsomesoshineydon'tyouwishyouhadit card ever created that is weilded by the main character to defeat the baddy. Said UASSSYWYHI card is also the FUSION of the PREVIOUS UASSSYWYHI cards that have been so over used they're freakign comon place.

It tramples over an established baddies title as the one to rule the final arc [Cause while tencialy Bat was running the show, he was Zork's bitch in the actual game.] Said established bad guy admits he was only doing whatever for the new baddy. Established baddy seems to fucking forget everything he had set up for before.

It heavily steals from a previous plot arc, but does it badly. Hrrmm... TPG with peoples souls inside? Where have I seen *COUGHmanga6COUGH* this before? *COUGHmanga7COUGH* How in fuck can you have a TRP without a single freaking dice roll? What, is there a built in yami no random number generator in there somehow?

It involves a SHITLOAD of plot devices. Bobasa/Hasen/Shadi/BobMcJesus is the living walking embodyment of Yami Yuugi's pulling a win out of his ass power. Yuugi-tachi magicly shows up for a friendship moment at the right time and then Zork N gets to go 'Wait! You can't end the freaking plot arc NOW! Gimme that script!' and rewrites it.

And don't get me started on the anime version.....

In sum, AE is everything I dislike about Yuugiou in one annoying package. Only with less dueling. AT least that's nice...

So, it's not fandom realted, buut..

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:27:52 GMT

Amusing blond joke

*snickers* The best part of this? About... oh, 30 links back someone havign a coment: ETA 2: where the fuck are you all coming from? This entry is getting, like 300 hits a day. *is curious* *snickers*

FranFic update

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 18:16:13 GMT

I went and posted a few more fics at: http://www.fanfiction.net/~JudyNFran Nothing you haven't seen here, I think.

Will be digging up, processing and posting some already done fanfics in the near future, including a bunch that Sennet and I cowrote.

New journal!

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 02:27:15 GMT

http://www.livejournal.com/users/frannyan/

The new journal is going to be all the personal stuffs. This current journal will be slowly converted into a fandom journal.

If you have me friended because of Yuugiou or another fandom, and that is all you know of me, please do not add my new journal and just stay with this one.

If you know me personaly, wish to get to know me personaly, or we chat over AIM often, feel free to add my new journal.

grins

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 19:14:25 GMT

http://yuugiou.fran-web.net/Temp/TigerWoods-C.avi

I made another viiiideooo. :D

Sennet: You MUST MUST download this one. :D I comand it!

6 hour video!

Mild spoilers for AE is you haven't seen any of it. Very very minor. Like 'OMG, AE EXISTS?!' minor. :D

The song in the video is very trimmed down [chopped more then in half :)] If you want to hear the full song, lemme know, and you'll see why it got trimmed. :D

*sings* "It aint bragging if it's true, yes, sir, yes, sir..."

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:24:11 GMT

Ancient Egyptians Revered Dwarfs

By Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

Jan. 4, 2005 —Dwarfs commanded respect in ancient Egypt, to the point
where several gods were depicted as dwarfs that were venerated by all members of
society, according to a paper published in the latest American Journal of
Medical Genetics.

The determination suggests dwarfism was not always viewed as a physical
handicap or disorder.

Author Chahira Kozma also indicates that blind individuals and people with
other disabilities received necessary care, as evidenced by their relatively
long lifespans for the time, but they also worked and were assimilated into
daily life.

"The ancient Egyptians had a strong code of ethics," Kozma told Discovery
News. "They believed in doing good and in integrating everyone into
society."

Kozma, an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Georgetown
University, quoted the ruler Amenhotep III, who reigned over Egypt from
1391-1354 B.C.

He said, "Do not jeer at a blind man nor tease a dwarf neither interfere with
the condition of a cripple; do not taunt a man who is in the hand of God, nor
scowl at him if he errs."

Kozma said dwarfism, often caused by a genetic bone growth disorder called
achondroplasia, was about as common then as it is today. The earliest skeletal
remains for dwarfs in ancient Egypt date to 4,500 years ago. Many individuals
were buried in elaborate tombs.

"There was a burial area near the great Pyramids for high-ranking Old Kingdom
(2700-2200 B.C.) dwarfs," she said.

Four such elite dwarfs were Seneb, Pereniankh, Khnumhotpe and Djeder.
Pereniankh was an entertainer in the royal court. A chair found in his tomb is
inscribed with the phrase, "the dancing dwarf in the Great Palace, the one who
pleased his majesty everyday."

A statue of Seneb, now at the Cairo Museum, shows Seneb with his wife, who
was not a dwarf. The carver respectfully placed the children beneath Seneb to
give the piece balance and to detract away from Seneb's diminutive stature.

Aside from serving as entertainers, dwarfs worked as jewelry makers, animal
trainers, fishermen, "keepers of the wardrobe," "supervisors of clothing and
linen," nurses, midwives and as personal attendants.
Often males looked after household pets, such as dogs and monkeys, while
females frequently assisted women in the delivery of children.

Perhaps because of these jobs, a number of gods were depicted as dwarfs.

Women during childbirth often chanted a "magical spell" to give them
strength. The chant, called "the spell of the dwarf," was: "O good dwarf, come,
because of the one who sent you...come down placenta, come down placenta, come
down!"

Yet another spell invokes a dwarf god to stand by the speaker who chants, "O
that dwarf of the sky, O that dwarf of the sky. O dwarf great of face, with high
back and short thighs. O great pillars, extending from the sky to the
underworld. O Lord of the great corps which rests in Heliopolis. O great living
lord."

Kozma is not certain why dwarfs figured so prominently in ancient Egyptian
spiritualism, but she thinks the ancients believed such individuals held magical
powers. Ptah and Bes were two prominent dwarf gods.

What is certain is that the ancient Egyptians did not consider dwarfism to be
a disorder or a disease. Kozma points out that their medical papyri do not
mention dwarfs.

Joyce Filer, a special assistant for human remains in the Department of
Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, agrees that dwarfs could achieve
status in ancient Egypt.

In her book "Disease," she examined the life of Seneb, whom she said was
highly esteemed and served as a court official.

Unfortunately, later societies seemed to be less enlightened. Kozma said
early Europeans tortured and killed dwarfs. In contrast to what she called "the
humanistic" statuary portrayals of the Egyptians, "the Greco/Roman depictions
often were grotesque."

Kozma added, "Ancient Egypt was a successful civilization that was tolerant,
and not brutal. We can even learn from it today."

</div>

Explaines YYuugi? *grins*

Oh yeah:

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:49:46 GMT

http://fran-web.net/Personal.html

Finaly got the last page o Fran-web's revamp done!

I think. :D

Some of the undersections still need gutting and redoing.

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:34:42 GMT

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/site/pp.asp?c=coIHKTMHF&b=1331701#4

Apparently they're starting to find that the geneticly modified stuff that takes a bit o DNA from one thing and puts it in another causes the thing that was uterly harmless in the first thing to cause problems when it's out of it's context.

So much for the 'If it's harmless here, it's harmless there' bullshit....

Oh Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennet!

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 19:10:32 GMT

http://www.strangecandy.net/

*snickers*

Link pimpage

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 18:21:01 GMT

http://www.thehungersite.com

and it's realted sites.

Just click to help them donate through ad reveane.

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 03:56:55 GMT

Today I saved

4660 pounds

of carbon emissions

And so can you.
Go to coopamerica.org/go/carbcutter

to find out how.

Mind you, already was doing the things that were listed.. :D

eee!

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 01:47:33 GMT

http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g2/clouds.htm <-- I made a high score! :D 3304! Huzzah! 5th place! <3

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 21:14:05 GMT

Mom: How badly do you want this?
Me: ... um... it'd be nice to have....?
Mom: That doesn't sound too enthusiastic. You'll probally get money for your birthday instead.

As I just sit there going: Um.... I don't BADLY want anything. There;s a few things that would be nice to have and all but, there's a thing known as moderation and the realization that stuff is just stuff. I Mean, if my computer was broken, hell yes I'd want a new one badly but as none of the things I use daily are broken, there's nothing on my "want really badly" list.

Why do you need to be all fired up and 'I WANT IT SO BAD I NEEEEED IT OR ELSE I WILL EXPLOOOODE' in a GIR voice for something to think you'd appreicate something? O.o

... [AE arc reflection]

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 14:47:17 GMT

Ya know what I just realized?

According to teh Anime, Zork was around the instant the Items were created. There's a shot of him smacking around one of Akuanadin's flunkies right after the metal cooled...

Sat, 07 Jan 2006 01:55:39 GMT

Fran: Oh yes and: http://www.naturespath.com/products/snack_foods
Sennet: Nature Tarts! w00t!
Sennet: And the filling is not unnaturally red! Yay!
Fran: Yesyes :D Horray for natural stuffs!
Sennet: I always hated incredibly red/orange foods XD
Sennet: Ever since I read in my science book in third grade that those colors often mean "DO NOT EAT ME"
Sennet: That said, raspberry zingers frighten me XD
Sennet: I can't look at one without thinking "Some plants and animals have evolved vibrant orange or red colors. These plants or animals are usually poisonous if eaten."
Sennet: And then I think "It doesn't want me to eat it. O_O"

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 21:56:21 GMT

http://fran-web.net/FuzzyButtShou/ <-- updated with more photos! :)

Snark!

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 17:17:29 GMT

Just because.. goddamn this guy is still stupid :D

Rokara had just locked up the shop when he thought he heard the
phone
ringing. Ah well...if it was important, they would call his
cell phone. He
hailed a taxi and told him to the airport. He will
do a short cooking tour
of China while his shop is being fumigated.
He hoped to learn more
recipies, so that when he gets back...he can
have a bigger variety.

He runs a chocolate and bread shop at age 18. So, of course, he has the money to RANDOMLY GO OFF TO CHINA, which is, of course, well known for it's chocolate and breads.

If you were looking for more variety of breads, wouldn'tit make more bloody sence to, yak now... buy a cook book?

Birth, Part 3

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 16:08:03 GMT

Last part we have written so far. No idea if there'll be more after this.

Note: Tadaimaa means 'I'm home.' It's sort of a traditional thing you call out when you come back home in Japan.

~3~

"And you're sure you'll be fine on your own?" Yuugi asked, voice concerned as he followed Bakura up to his apartment.

The paler boy gave a small smile nodding. "I'll call you if I need anything, I promise," he assured. "After everything, I think I just need a little time alone," he laughed slightly, seeming embarrassed. "Without the HonJou honour guard," he laughed again, covering his smile.

Yuugi laughed as well, echoing Bakura's embarrassment. "They meant well...."

"I know," Bakura smiled, "and I am truly grateful. You all made everything so much better."

Yuugi beamed. "Are you sure you'll be fine though? What if...?" he trailed off, looking at Bakura's door.

The paler boy was quiet a moment. "I don't think he'd do anything, now that you all know." He gave a small laugh. "Especially with Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun," he said fondly.

"We worry," Yuugi said softly.

Bakura smiled warmly at his friend before taking the small bag he was carrying. "I'll see you in school tomorrow," he promised. "Or I'll call you if I can't make it."

Yuugi nodded. "I'll call tonight to make sure you're doing okay," he promised.

Bakura nodded again before opening the door and slowly entering the apartment.

The apartment was the same as it had been when he left two days earlier, save for a few... minor changes. Several sets of grimy footprints lead alternately to the kitchen and to the couch. One lead to Bakura's bedroom, but that set was fading.

Not too surprisingly, to one who had left the prints was curled up on the couch. Bakura's yami seemed to have had more trouble caring for himself than he had thought he would. The clothes he had filched out of Bakura's father's room were thoroughly caked in dust and grime, and his feet, bare as the day he had been 'born' were just as bad, if not worse. He had apparently received a blow to the head at some point, judging by the slight bump on his forehead. The makeshift bandage he had applied days ago was filthier than his clothes, which he probably didn't see as much of a problem.

Overall, he looked pathetic, even more so when compared to how confident he had been before.

Bakura hesitated a moment, looking at him, before closing the door behind him. "Tadaimaa..." he said quietly.

Yami no Bakura sat up with a start, blinking in dazed, half-asleep confusion at the intruder. "The fuck are you doing back here?" he asked, blearily blinking at Bakura again. This was, perhaps, the longest undisturbed nap he had had since Bakura left, judging by the dark circles developing under his eyes.

"It's my apartment..." Bakura pointed out warily. "What happened? You look like..." he trailed off uncomfortably.

"I look like shit; just say it," the darker boy muttered, lightly poking the bump on his head. He winced. "And several things happened, few of them being especially pleasant. Most relevantly, my finding out that Domino city has fewer safe places to sleep than Egypt did three thousand years ago." He looked up at Bakura, silently requesting permission to stay where it was warm and safe just a bit longer.

Bakura gave a small nod, carefully removing his shoes. "That's why I left the door unlocked," he said softly. "A little surprised everything wasn't trashed," he admitted with mild embarrassment.

Yami no Bakura's expression shifted swiftly from pleading to a sort of touched confusion. "You did that intentionally?" he asked.

Bakura nodded. "Didn't want you to have to break back in."

"I see," Yami no Bakura said, falling back onto the couch. He heaved a sigh and shut his eyes. "Does that mean that you're going to throw me out again, now that you're here to protect your home?"

Bakura was quiet a moment. "No," he finally answered, finally entering the apartment proper and heading for his room.

Yami no Bakura sighed contentedly and settled back into his former position. Then, he noticed something slightly amiss with that exchange. "Wait, what?" he said in a half-asleep slur, practically jumping off the couch to follow Bakura. "What do you mean 'no'?!"

"I'm not kicking you out," Bakura clarified, gently putting his bag down on his desk.

"Because you can't?" the darker boy ventured.

"No," Bakura scowled slightly.

Yami no Bakura frowned a bit in confusion. "Then why not?" he asked, shoulders slumping a bit.

Bakura was quiet a moment as he slowly unpacked his bag. "I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. "But..." he hesitated a moment. "I think you were right..."

Yami no Bakura cocked his head, the expression combined with his shabby appearance making him look more than a bit comical. "Right about what?"

"Me not wanting you dead."

Yami no Bakura stood there, silent for several moments before finally saying "I'm glad," as softly as he could without becoming inaudible and giving a slight smile. "Ah... How do you work the shower?" he asked as more of a smokescreen than an afterthought. "I doubt you want me tracking dirt around now that you're here."

Bakura smiled slightly. "I'm going to make you clean it up later," he said with no indication if he was joking or not. "You need to turn the knobs in the shower to get the water, then push up the lever to turn the shower on."

"I'll see if I can remember that," Yami no Bakura said with an awkward laugh as he made his way to the bathroom.

Bakura smiled slightly, continuing to unpack his bag. Was he doing the right thing...? Or should he have kicked the Ring's spirit out to weather modern life alone and unsheltered?

He looked down at the pile of trinkets and get well wishes from his friends. "Not even him..." he said softly.

A harsh cry of "Gah! Cold!" jarred Bakura from his musings. There was some muttered swearing, followed by an accusing cry of "You didn't tell me that different knobs brought different water!"

Bakura covered a small laugh. "You really are helpless, aren't you?" he asked with a small smile, walking over. "The one with the H is hot, the one with the C is cold."

Yami no Bakura muttered at the comment, but followed his former host's advice. "I could've figured that out myself," he said with a sigh.

"You should have thought about this sort of thing before you decided you wanted your own body," Bakura pointed out.

"I didn't expect to be reduced to the level of a stupid child," came the snarled retort. "I appreciate your not throwing me out on my ass, though."

"You'd better," Bakura half muttered under his breath, setting out towels for his yami. "I'll go find some things of Tousan's you can wear," he said more loudly before exiting the room. Just because he had decided to be kind to his yami didn't mean he had forgiven him. Far from it.

Yami no Bakura sighed contentedly as he slipped into the pants and shirt that Bakura had left out for him. The shower had certainly helped his mood. "Some food would help, too," he muttered to himself. Deciding that was just the thing he needed, he left the bathroom in search of Bakura, checking the boy's room first.

Bakura was calmly and carefully getting his room back in order. He had fixed up and reorganized the closet shelf, as well as remade the bed and tidied up around it. He was now at his desk, looking through the copies of school notes Yuugi had given him to catch up on his missed classes.

"Ryou?" the darker boy asked almost timidly from the door.

The boy paused a moment. Using his personal name... But it was better then just calling him 'host.' Though, it also meant 'landlord' which was certainly applicable now. He gave a small smile. "What is it?" he asked, not looking over.

"I'm hungry," Yami no Bakura said simply.

"Did you eat everything that was here already?" Bakura asked, reaching for a piece of paper to take notes on.

"I didn't really eat much that was here at all," Yami no Bakura replied.

"Why was that?" Bakura asked, half distractedly as he wrote.

Yami no Bakura was silent for a moment, considering his answer. "It's not mine to eat," he finally answered.

Bakura gave a small smile. "I was thinking while you were in the shower," he commented, setting the notes down and finally facing his yami. "I can't do everything I need to do to keep up the apartment and cook for two and teach you about living in modern Japan all while going to school," he pointed out. "And I especially can't afford you freeloading with the check Tousan sends me. So, while you're here, you're going to have to help out. I'll teach you what you need to do to it, but I will not do it for you." He watched his darker reflection carefully for reactions.

The darker boy stared back at him, slackjawed with disbelief. "I have to do housework, now?"

"Did you expect I would do everything and leave you to sit around and be a leach worse then you were before?" Bakura replied pointedly.

"I didn't expect housework," Yami no Bakura explained, fiddling with the hem of his shirt a bit.

"Then what DID you expect to do?" Bakura asked, still smiling.

"Not housework!" Bakura's yami sighed. "But if it means food and a place to stay, I suppose I don't have much choice."

Bakura nodded. "It isn't like you can just go out and get a job to help pay for things," he pointed out. He paused a moment. "There's one other string attached," he added.

"What?" Yami no Bakura asked after a short pause.

"I want the Ring back."

Yami no Bakura scoffed. "Psh. Fine," he muttered, taking the Ring off and giving it a fling in Bakura's direction.

Bakura caught it, almost surprised that his darker half had given in. "Thank you," he smiled, slipping the Item on and tucking it under his shirt. "It's not that I don't trust you--" he paused a moment. "No, actually, to be honest, I really don't feel I can trust you," he corrected. "I trusted you once before and you showed me how foolish that was." His eyes glinted slightly with a remanet of hurt, betrayal and anger.

Yami no Bakura grunted in reply, not meeting Bakura's eyes.

Bakura gave a soft exhale, calming himself again before getting to his feet. "Let's start with the mud track you left, shall we?" he smiled.

Yami no Bakura followed, silently nodding.

Bakura swiftly assembled a small pile of cleaning materials. "Mud is hard to get out when it's been caked so we'll probably have to do a few things to clean the rug," he said, plugging in the vacuum. He smiled, holding the handle out to his yami. "Here. There's a button on the handle that you press to start it going."

"Right..." Yami no Bakura muttered, obviously still subdued as he pressed the button. The machine wrred to life and began making a meal of the caked mud.

Bakura nodded, watching carefully. "Now you can see there's still some residue left," he pointed out as the machine was turned off. "If I had a carpet washer, it's be easier, but since I don't..." He smiled as he held up a bucket and a scrubber. "You get to do it by hand."

"How?"

Bakura knelt down, setting the bucket on the floor and dipping the scrubber in it. "Like this," he said, demonstrating.

"Right, right..." Yami no Bakura said, taking the scrubbing brush and imitating Bakura.

Bakura watched him a moment before nodding and heading for the kitchen, a small smile on his lips. For some reason, the image of the person who had dominated his life in such a restricting way for so long scrubbing the floor made him feel much more relaxed and happy with life.

Yuugiou Fic: Birth - Part 2

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 15:59:15 GMT

Birth, Part 2.
Mild language warning.

~2~

Bakura's eyes slowly opened in the darkness of the hospital room. He could feel the IV in his arm and hear the very soft beep of someone's heart monitor down the hall in the otherwise quiet building.

He gave a soft sigh, looking up at the ceiling. It wasn't the first time he had wound up in the hospital because of the Ring's disregard for his personal well being... Most of Battle City had been a blur of medical rooms and strange dreams from sleeping off the large knife wound in his arm.

So many questions... from Yuugi, from his friends, from the doctors. No, he hadn't been attacked. He had done it to himself by being stupid and believing in someone who had done nothing but hurt him before. No, he didn't want to file an abuse report. How could he? And he didn't want anyone contracted. He doubted his father would even get the message until long after he had been discharged. If he even got it.

He sighed again, turning his head to look at the small pile of gifts on his bedside table. Flowers from Anzu, a cheesy, but well meant card from Honda, packs of Duel Monsters cards from Yuugi and his grandfather, Jounouchi's bizarre 'get well' charm that he wasn't even sure *what* it was, even a small box of homemade cookies sent from Yuugi's mom. He smiled softly, carefully reaching out to brush against the pile. It felt nice, knowing that they cared... Having them there beside him, made the hurting inside him almost fade away....

Something in the dark of the room moved. Or seemed to, at least. A vague form stepping from one corner of the small room to another.

Bakura looked over and sighed again. "Why are you here....?" he asked, voice tired.

The figure in the shadows stepped into the light cast from the window, looking slightly less intimidating than he had when Bakura had last seen him. He looked tired and frustrated, and his left hand was haphazardly wrapped in what might have been a bandage. Bakura could tell that he was trying to be intimidating, though.

"I can't just let you run free and unchecked, can I?" he asked in a hushed whisper. "You'd give me away."

"What's to say I already haven't?" Bakura said flatly, feeling a sense of petty glee at the darker boy's half bandaged hand.

His yami appeared to wilt significantly before glaring at him. "You've already told them?" he hissed, taking a step toward the bed.

Bakura smirked slightly. "Maybe," he said in an offhanded manner, half mimicking Yami Bakura's speech. "You have no way of knowing anything I've done now."

"How would you like it if I found your little friends and got the information from them?" Yami Bakura said, whatever remained of his calm facade dissolving as he grabbed the footboard of the bed. He promptly recoiled, swearing loudly and flailing his injured hand.

Bakura slowly shifted to sit up. "Then they'd know, wouldn't they? It's not like you look like my clone anymore," he pointed out, watching his former tormentor with smug glee. "And be quiet. You'll wake someone. And then you might get arrested for trespassing," he smiled with innocent happiness.

"Why don't I burn the frick out of your hand and slap it on something metal to see if you yell!" Yami Bakura snapped, lowering his voice near the end of the sentence. He looked off to the side, at the door. Nobody seemed to have heard that. Good.

Bakura nearly smirked, barely bothering to hide his amusement.

"So did you tell them or not?" Yami Bakura asked, taking a moment to blow on his injured hand. "Not like I can just find out myself anymore," he muttered.

"I don't think I'll tell you," Bakura smiled, feeling very pleased with the situation.

"Then I think I'll hang around for a while until you make up your mind to tell me," Yami Bakura said lightly, taking a seat at the foot of the bed. "I don't suppose I can just kill you here and go find your friends anyway. I don't want to attract any attention."

"I think the nurse walks by every half hour," Bakura commented idly. "Maybe I'll call her and ask for a drink of water," he debated aloud, reaching for the button.

Yami Bakura scrambled to cover the button and move Bakura's hand away from it, hissing at the sudden pressure on his bad hand. "No, no, no, no, no! No. Let's not do that," he stammered, voice slightly apologetic. "Let's be rational, all right?"

"Rational?" Bakura repeated the word, voice strained. "You want me to be RATIONAL after what you did to me?" He smacked Yami Bakura's hand away, eyes almost angry.

Yami Bakura reared back, taken off guard by Bakura's sudden outburst. "All right, just calm down!" he said, bringing his hands up in front of him. "Look, I don't think you understand that this has been freaking hard on me, too."

Bakura glared. "Oh really. Yes, tell me how *hard* it's been for you after you RIPPED yourself out from inside me," he snapped, arms crossed angrily.

"I didn't say that I had it worse," Yami Bakura corrected, rather relieved that the catastrophe pressing the call button would have caused had been so far avoided. "It just... hasn't gone as well as I had thought that it would."

"Good," Bakura scowled.

"What you're hearing come out of my mouth right now? Not Japanese, from what I can tell."

Bakura blinked, looking at Yami Bakura strangely.

Yami Bakura sighed. "It would seem that a lot of the things I had to draw from your brain didn't quite carry over in the transfer," he explained. "I remember a lot, but not everything. Your language and however one works the stove, for example."

Bakura gave a small snort, looking away. "I'm not helping you," he said flatly.

Yami Bakura sputtered and shook with barely contained rage. "Just tell me how to use the stove so I can fucking feed myself!"

"No." Bakura's words were cold as he continued to look away.

"Why the hell not?!"

"Because I hate you," Bakura near snapped. "Because you've used me and hurt me and taken advantage of me and made my life miserable and I wish you would just go away and STAY away and stop trying to make like I have to do anything you say just because you say it!"

"I'm not saying to do it because I say it!" Yami Bakura corrected, his voice elevating to a level that was just barely appropriate for the situation. "I'm saying to do it because I'll starve otherwise. And you have to go home eventually." He smirked confidently upon adding the last part.

"No I don't. Yuugi-kun offered to let me stay with him."

Yami Bakura narrowed his eyes. "For how long?"

"For as long as I need. His grandfather said I could move in if I wanted to."

"Then I'll come find you," Yami Bakura said, some of the confidence in his voice wavering.

"And do what? Anything you try, Yuugi-kun will defeat you. He always has and now you don't have me as a shield anymore."

Yami Bakura gave the Ring a jingle. "And you can't bind my hands any longer, Ryou," he said with a sneer.

"Don't call me that!" Bakura nearly snapped, fists clenching. "And your game world won't work any more. You can't trick them into playing."

"Then I'll bring extra dolls," Yami Bakura said casually. "They don't have to play."

"But that isn't how it works, is it? Or else you wouldn't have bothered tricking them in the first place."

Yami Bakura scowled. "How would YOU know how any of it works?"

"I'm observant. I've watched Yuugi-kun enough to know that there are rules for these things. And you wanted the Puzzle bad enough to tell me about it, so if you would have been able to just put everyone into dolls from the start, you would have done so." The boy paused and gave a small smirk. "Unless you're just stupid and never thought of that."

Yami Bakura grasped Bakura's wrist in a flurry of movement. He leaned in, pulling Bakura closer at the same time, their faces inches from each other. "I've let you land a few punches, little Ryou, but I will not let you call me stupid." He squeezed Bakura wrist hard, half-intending to leave a bruise. "Don't forget that, now that I don't need your body, you're of little consequence."

Bakura made a small pained sound, trying to pull away. His other hand reached out and yanked down on a cord near the bed. "Anything you do, everyone will know," he whispered intensely, not looking away from Yami Bakura's eyes.

Yami Bakura smirked as a familiar shroud of swirling darkness encroached on what little light was in the room. His other hand moved to shove Bakura back against his bed. "Call anyone you like," he said. "But you're leaving with me whether you like it or not."

Bakura struggled, trying to push back and stay up. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" he near shouted. He reached up and grabbed hold of the Ring, trying to pull it away from his yami or at least break his hold on it.

Yami Bakura released the boy's wrist to slap his hand away. "That's what you think, Ryou," he snarled, shifting most of his weight on top of the other boy as he pinned his arm down and began drawing the IV needle out with his free hand. "I need you, and you know what that means."

Bakura cried out, trying to struggle while keeping his arm still. "Stop it!" he cried out, starting to shake slightly as he stared at the needle. "Someone! Someone help!" he yelled, jerking franticly at the pull cord.

Yami Bakura's head whipped around to face the door as the sound of voices and hurried footsteps resounded in the hall. The darkness grew, enclosing the two of them completely. "Time to go," he announced, tossing the needle aside and pinning both of Bakura's arms against his sides.

Bakura continued struggling, trying to squirm out from under his darker self. "Let me GO!" he shouted, kicking franticly.

Yami no Bakura snarled, attempting to pin the boy's legs with his own. "Just cooperate," he sneered. "I've got all the power here, so just accept it."

"No!" Bakura yelled, thrashing as best he could. His knee jerked up.

Yami no Bakura made an indignant urk sound, but did not move away when Bakura kneed him in the stomach. The hit had been too close for comfort, but he couldn't afford to let Bakura get away.

After a while, Bakura finally stilled, slumping in near exhaustion, breathing heavy. "I hate you..." he said weakly.

His other half only snorted and gathered him up, shaking his head. "Not nearly as much as you should, I suppose."

Bakura weakly tried to struggle again. "I won't help you," he declared, trying to ignore the confusion from his yami's words.

"You'll change your mind," the other said, tightening his grip on the boy. The entire hospital seemed to be draped in darkness, as it followed the two of them wherever they went. No sound or movement disturbed the darkness, and several nurses and other staff were unconscious on the floor or against the walls.

"I won't..." Bakura said stubbornly, kicking ineffectively at his yami as if to prove his point.

"Then you'll live in squalor while I constantly run the risk of incinerating us," his yami deadpanned.

"Yuugi-kun'll come rescue me," Bakura insisted. "I won't be there long!"

The darker boy chuckled. "Your knight in shining armor, eh?"

Bakura scowled, kicking at his captor again.

"Well, don't worry too much," Yami no Bakura continued, seemingly unaffected by the kick. He leaned in a bit, grinning at Bakura. "This dragon won't eat you. Not in the literal sense, at least."

Bakura's face darkened angrily. "Don't you even DARE," he hissed angrily, decking his captor as hard as he could.

Yami no Bakura recoiled, abruptly dropping Bakura as the blow caught him off guard. He stumbled back, bringing a hand up to his face and glaring at Bakura. The darkness around them flickered briefly, but recovered.

The boy scrambled away, throwing whatever he could down behind him to impede Yami Bakura's way.

"New rule," Yami Bakura said, approaching his former host. He grabbed hold of a food cart that one of the nurses had abandoned and shoved it over. "You don't call me stupid," he began, bending down to grab one of Bakura's ankles. "And you do NOT hit me."

Bakura kicked franticly, barely aware of the unfortunate state of his hospital gown. "Let GO!" he exclaimed, throwing things back at his yami.

"Sit still!" Yami Bakura commanded, taking hold of Bakura's other ankle and pulling him toward him. He was suddenly quite thankful for the slick hospital floors.

The boy desperately tried to cling to the floor or anything he could reach, fingers managing to get hold of the fallen cart.

Yami Bakura gave his former host's legs another hard yank, pulling both him and the cart closer.

Bakura made a small pained sound, breathing starting to become laboured again, but he continued to cling to the cart, knuckles whitening. "I'm not leaving here with you," he half hissed. "I'm not helping you either! I hope you burn yourself and starve!" he spat, shaking slightly.

Yami no Bakura shook his head, giving Bakura another tug. "Do you? Really?" he asked smugly.

The boy made another small sound, trying to kick free. He was running on empty, his reserves utterly spent. "I wish I'd never gotten the Ring. You've just used and hurt me, lying to me and manipulating me to get what you want and even though you've ripped me in half you still want to make my life hell, why in hell wouldn't I?!" he exclaimed.

"Because you don't really want me to starve," Yami Bakura said, smirking down at Bakura. "Admit it. Part of you is still holding on to the hope that this is just temporary, and that things can go back to the way they were before any of this happened."

Bakura nearly flinched, looking away. "So you could go back deceiving me? Pretending you cared to get me to do what you wanted?" he near spat, anger laced with pain as he fought to keep his eyes from tearing. "I'd rather it never had happened!"

"You'd rather I was still just a cold voice in the back of your head?" the darker boy asked. He leaned over Bakura, keeping a firm grip on his legs the whole time. "You'd rather still be all alone?"

Bakura tensed even further. "I'm still all alone," he whispered, eyes clutched shut. "Why can't you just let me be with them?" he half begged, exhaustion slowly overtaking him. "Why do you hate me so much?"

Yami Bakura recognized his opportunity, released Bakura's ankles, and pried his fingers loose from the food cart. He scooped the smaller boy up, making certain to pin his arms against his sides. "I don't hate you," he said as he watched the boy's consciousness slip away. "It's just hard to get anything done without making it seem like I do."

"Liar...." Bakura whispered before falling into darkness.

Bakura gave a small groan, shifting in his sleep as he started waking. His head throbbed, his body aching and sore and his thoughts muddled. Slowly, his eyes cracked open, blinking slightly as the room around him slowly came into focus.

He was back in his room, at home. And, to his mild surprise, redressed. Light was filtering through the window, illuminating the room and heralding the morning. His yami was propped against the bedroom door, guarding it. He was seated on the floor, one knee pulled up to his chest. His eyelids drooped with fatigue, but his body was tense and alert, ready to spring on Bakura or anything that tried to get in or out of that door.

Bakura looked at him a moment in what almost bordered hatred before looking away, towards the window. Prisoner again... But not for long. His friends would come for him...

His fingers weakly clenched. Until then... he'd hold out...

His yami stood slowly and cautiously. It was obvious that he was stiff from staying in that position for so long. "Finally awake, eh?" he asked casually, casting an appraising glance at Bakura.

Bakura nearly snapped a retort but stayed quiet. "How long was I asleep?" he finally asked, not looking over.

"Long enough for it to be light out for a good four hours or so," Yami no Bakura informed, quickly snapping his head to one side. He was rewarded with a satisfying crack sound and a slightly alleviated stiff neck. "Ready for something to eat?"

"I thought you couldn't cook?" Bakura said mockingly, keeping his eyes locked on the window.

"I can at least bring water to a boil!" Yami no Bakura snapped back. He picked at the bandage on his hand, muttering sullenly.

"Then what do you need me for?" Bakura replied, barely flinching at the tone.

Yami no Bakura was silent a long while, idly picking threads from his makeshift bandage. "Are you going to eat something or not?" he finally said.

"I'm not hungry."

"Bullshit," Yami no Bakura deadpanned. "You look like a corpse."

"Then maybe I should be in the HOSPITAL," Bakura snapped, still not looking at his yami.

Yami no Bakura recoiled slightly before scowling at his host. "Don't be ridiculous. You just need rest and plenty of good food. I can provide one of the two without assistance."

"I'm not helping you," Bakura said stubbornly.

"I didn't ask you to help," Yami no Bakura muttered. "I'm just asking you to rest and not fuck things up for me for a while."

"I would have done that fine at the hospital," Bakura replied in a similar tone.

"And you would have told everyone about me."

"Not unless you tried something to hurt them," Bakura replied sullenly. "And it's not like I would have even needed to."

Yami no Bakura's face worked itself into an unusual expression as he went back to picking at his bandage. "I can't change anything, now. Just eat something."

"I don't want to," Bakura insisted, still sulking.

Yami no Bakura glared hard at him. "You'll eat, or I'll make you eat," he informed coldly.

Bakura crossed his arms stubbornly. "I doubt you could," he retorted.

The darker boy snorted and walked to the door. "Move, and I'll cram it down your throat," he warned before opening the door and stepping out into the rest of the apartment. The door closed with a slam, and Bakura was alone again.

Bakura scowled, pulling the blankets up over his head and curling up inside them.

Moments later, the door opened again. There was some incomprehensible mumbling, followed by a soft clattering as something was dropped onto his desk. "You'll get hungry eventually," his yami's familiar voice said. The door opened and slammed again.

"Even if I do, I'm not eating it!" Bakura yelled back, stubbornly.

Silence answered him. If Bakura's yami had heard him, he didn't make it obvious.

Bakura curled up deeper in his bedding, trying to make himself believe that outside, everything was normal. There was no Ring, there was no voice in the Ring, he wasn't being held against his will in his own apartment...

The phone would ring and it would be--

His eyes went wide as there was the harsh clammer of the phone. Almost franticly he scrambled out of bed, nearly falling over as he flung the door open and dove for the phone.

He found himself captive in strong arms within moments. His yami had ambushed him from the side. "You didn't think I'd leave your connection with the outside world unguarded, did you?" he chided. Meanwhile, the phone continued to ring. And ring. And ring, until the answering machine picked it up.

Bakura struggled briefly before going limp with exhaustion. He gave a weak kick back at his yami, listening to the prerecorded message.

"Bakura-kun...?" Yuugi's voice asked, sounding worried. "If you're home, please pick up..."

Bakura's breath caught and he struggled again, but with the same result.

"... the video from the hospital didn't show much and everyone's really worried. Everyone's saying you were kidnapped, it's even on the news!" Yuugi's voice continued. "No one can even get in touch with your father either. If you get this, please, call one of us. You can even call the shop or Anzu's cell, you can always leave a message!" There was an awkward pause. "We're going to look for you... please be safe, Bakura-kun..."

"Shit," his yami deadpanned, releasing Bakura once the message ended. He contemplated swatting the phone off the table, but decided against it.

Bakura half collapsed to the floor, taking in large breaths that he hadn't realized he had been holding. He gigged almost inaudibly, giving a shaky smile. "On the news..." he laughed, shifting to be sitting on the floor. "Of course... after the mess..."

Yami no Bakura shook with silent rage, glowering down at his former host. His plans were collapsing around him, and that was more than enough to make him want to slap Bakura across the face.

But he didn't. All that had happened was his fault. He sighed heavily and unclenched his fists. "Go to your room," he said coldly. "You may call him back after you eat your food."

Bakura blinked, eyes wide in surprise. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself before any sound came out. Unsteadily, he hauled himself to his feet and wobbled slightly as he headed for his room.

The door was slammed behind him. It muffled a series of muttered curses as his yami wandered off, ranting to himself.

Bakura startled slightly, looking almost afraid before giving a soft exhale. Maybe this would all be over soon....

He looked over at the 'meal' his yami had made and grimaced slightly. It was almost a soup... sort of...

Giving a soft sigh he sat down and forced himself to stomach the concoction.

Carefully, he opened his door, peaking out.

The phone, thankfully, was still connected. His yami was seated on the floor next to it, keeping guard as he had while Bakura slept. "Did you eat all of your food?" he asked in the same collected voice. "You can't call unless you finished it."

Bakura nodded. "I have...." he said softly, looking from the phone to his yami and back again.

Yami no Bakura nodded. "I trust you," he said. "Go ahead and call Yuugi back."

Bakura gave a small smile, shakily reaching for the phone.

He trembled slightly as it rang.

"Hello?"

"Yuu-- Yuugi-kun...?"

"Bakura-kun!" the boy exclaimed. "Where are you?! What happened?! Are you okay?!"

"I--I'm at home," Bakura said quietly, looking nervously at his yami. How much could he say...? "I-- I was--"

Yami no Bakura glowered up at him, every trace of his calm resolve gone, replaced with threatening malice.

Bakura took a panicked step back, clinging tightly to the phone.

"Bakura-kun? Bakura-kun! Are you okay?!"

"I'm afraid, Yuugi-kun," Bakura whispered quickly. "He won't let me go, I don't know what--"

His yami got up in a flurry of motion, surprisingly not approaching Bakura. He hovered a hand over the phone, silently threatening to dismantle Bakura's only connection to his friends.

Bakura's breath caught as he froze. "Please..." he whispered shakily.

"Bakura-kun?"

Yami no Bakura's eyes narrowed as he took a step toward Bakura. "Finish it," he hissed. "Cleanly."

Bakura took a step back, still clinging to the phone, torn between the part of him that pleaded for his own self preservation and the part of him that was still screaming in the pain of betrayal. Slowly, he calmed. "Or else you'll do what?" he said, voice holding a slight taint to it. "I won't let you win...."

"What could you do to stop me, really?" Yami no Bakura sneered, smirking. "I've got the Ring and my own body for transportation. I only keep you around for..." He faltered, trailing off for a moment. "If I didn't need to keep you quiet, I'd have left right after I was done with you!"

"You're a shitty liar," Bakura said flatly. "And I'm sure Yuugi-kun just heard you, Ring-kun..."

Yami no Bakura gave sharp gasp before growling and yanking the phone from Bakura's hand. He covered the receiver before speaking. "It's true. If it weren't for the fact that you'd jeopardize my plans, I would've called an ambulance from a pay phone or something and left." He extended the phone to Bakura, the receiver still covered. "Now finish it. I can't return you to the hospital without suspicion, so I'll stay here and make sure you don't die. After that, I'll remove myself from your life if I feel I can trust you."

"You mean you'll hold me prisoner until you can figure out how to live on your own," Bakura retorted, yanking the phone back. "Or was that little display in the hospital all a sham?"

Yami no Bakura twitched. "Tch. I've been thinking, and I'm sure I can take care of myself."

"Then you speak to him," Bakura smiled sweetly, holding the phone out again.

"What would I say to him that would make any... sense." Yami no Bakura's eye twitched noticeably as what Bakura was implying sunk in. He needed the boy to communicate for him. "I'll pass," he said sourly.

Bakura's smile seemed to almost drip with fake sweetness. "Thank you. Now let me talk to my friend in peace...."

Yami no Bakura wilted, hung his head slightly, and backed away from Bakura. The situation had been reversed, putting the power in Bakura's hands. Bakura could say any number of things that would have his friends busting down his door long before Yami no Bakura could get the phone out of his hands.

He was the captive, now, and it was far from pleasing.

Bakura gave a soft sigh, leaning back against the wall. "Sorry about that, Yuugi-kun," he said quietly, eyes closing as he gently slid down to sit.

It was nearly an hour later when Bakura hung up the phone.

Yami no Bakura jolted slightly as he heard the soft clicking of the phone being hung up in the other room. He didn't get up from his spot on the couch, though, and sat there quietly waiting for Bakura to walk by. He'd behave. For the moment.

It was a long moment before the paler boy did enter the living room, seeming much calmer and very drained. He gave a small exhausted sound, flopping down on the room's other chair. "Yuugi-kun and his grandfather will be here with a cab in a few minutes," he said softly. "He and Jounouchi-kun are going to come up with a story to explain what happened at the hospital."

Yami no Bakura nodded defeatedly. "I had a feeling you'd tell them," he said as he got up and walked calmly to the door. "I'd better get out of here before they arrive. Bye, Ryou."

The door to the apartment shut quietly, and Bakura's other self was gone.

Bakura was quiet a long moment before giving a deep sigh, eyes closing as he leaned back against the chair.

Yuugiou Fanfic: Birth

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 15:31:53 GMT

Title: Birth
Central Characters: Bakura, Yami Bakura
Pairings: Breif BakuBaku in the beginning.
Warning: Mpreg (breif. See below for more on that)

Co written with Sennet. This is yet another cliche reclaimed writing, for the most part. I came up with a "realistic" magical Mpreg and realisitc consequences for what would happen after. The Mpreg is not a standard pregancy, it's more of a figurative/symbolic one, and is only in the beginning of the first section, really, but the warning is being put out for people who really would rather avoid that sort of thing.

Bakura gave a soft content sigh, reaching up tiredly for his yami, aching in a way that straddled the line between pleasure and pain. He had never thought it possible for him to be so impulsive... but then again, he hadn't had thought it possible for the Ring's voice to be so kind and gentle and loving...

Yami Bakura smiled, running his hands down Bakura's chest to rest on his abdomen, smirking as the boy squirmed slightly. Everything was ready...

The darkness swirling around them seemed to grow denser as he gently stroked Bakura's belly. "The seed has been planed," he smirked cryptically.

The boy blinked up at him in confusion. "Planted...?" he asked, voice slightly hazed with afterglow.

Yami Bakura didn't answer, continuing to caress the pale skin, darkness seeming to seep from his fingertips into the boy beneath him.

Bakura gave a small sound as he felt something side of him. "Wha--" he gasped, sitting up, hands moving to cover where the darker boy was touching.

He cried out as he was roughly pushed back down, looking up at his darker self in growing worry. "What-- what did you do?!" he asked, voice holding a slight wince as there was again the strange feeling.

"I told you. I planted my seed..."

Bakura cried out as his yami's hands began slowly sinking into him. Almost franticly, he tried to pull away, but felt himself being held down by the darkness. "No--- No, what-- what are you--?!" He cried out again, struggling. What was happening?!

Slowly, something began to emerge from where Yami Bakura's hands had penetrated, the darker boy ignoring Bakura's screams as he continued to gently coax out the small tan form from within his host. Slowly, the Ring Spirit's form began to fade as the child emerged, slowly seeping into it.

Dark red eyes opened as Yami Bakura vanished completely into the newborn, and a familiar smirk spread across his lips. Rapidly, the child began growing, sitting up on Bakura's stomach before slipping off to stand on his feet, looking over at his former host, his hair growing short and wild as he reached full height, his form filling out, becoming well muscled and defined. In a few short moments, he was full grown to the age he had been before he had become one with the Ring.

The newly-formed man nudged Bakura with one bare foot before crouching next to the boy to examine him.

Bakura was curled up on his side, clutching his stomach and whimpering, looking paler then usual and shaking slightly.

"Was it hard on you?" Yami Bakura asked, smirk broadening as he reached out to tug at the Ring's cord. The darkness around them rapidly dissolved, leaving the two of them back in Bakura's bedroom.

Bakura looked up at his yami, eyes holding a mass of conflicting emotions. "It hurts..." he almost rasped, voice weak.

The spirit-made-flesh chuckled and lifted the Ring off Bakura's neck. "Would you like to rest while I find some clothes?" he offered as he stood back up and slipped the Ring's cord over his head. He jingled it, enjoying its familiar weight. "Giving birth can be painful and exhausting, you know."

Bakura weakly reached out to try and recapture the Ring as it was taken before his arms fell limply back down. "Giving...." He gave a small choked sound, curling up again. "What did you do to me...?" he whispered, voice shaking.

"I planted my essence inside of you and used that to create my own, personal body," Yami Bakura explained as he stooped again, this time to pick Bakura up and set him on the bed. "I had to take a lot of you for the sake of it, but it's nothing major. At least, I don't think so."

Bakura gave another deep shudder, curling up further, feeling dirty and used. "So... the only reason you..." He tensed further.

Yami Bakura frowned, but shrugged it off and walked over to Bakura's closet. "Essentially," he said simply.

Bakura made a small choked sound, turning to bury his face in his blankets.

Yami Bakura ignored the whimpering boy, pulling out an oversized shirt that might just fit him. It was Bakura's fault for trusting him anyway. He pulled the shirt on and returned to the bed, covering Bakura up as best he could.

The boy nearly flinched before curling the covers around him tightly. "Now what happens? You go off to kill everyone and leave me to rot?" he asked, voice upset and angry, eyes stinging with tears.

"Not everyone," Yami Bakura corrected, returning to the closet in search of more clothing. He paused, smirking deviously. "Just anyone who gets in my way."

Bakura shuddered, curling even tighter. "I trusted you..." he whispered.

"Well, that's all your fault, isn't it?" Yami Bakura sneered. He grabbed the baggiest pair of pants he could find and stepped into them, still finding them a bit snug for his liking. They'd have to do, though.

Bakura tensed, reaching out to weakly throw whatever was handy at his yami.

Yami Bakura walked somewhat-stiffly back to his former host and lightly patted his shoulder. "Do you want something to eat before I go?" he asked.

Bakura pulled away almost angrily. "Where are you going?" he asked, trying to push himself up to sit.

Yami Bakura paused, musing on the question. In all honesty, he really had no idea where he was going to go. He didn't have much of a plan as of yet. Much less anywhere to stay until he had one. "I don't know," he answered flatly. He pushed Bakura back down against the bed. "Now rest."

The paler boy made a small pained sound, collapsing back against the bed. "Leave the Ring...." He reached out, trying to reach the gold Item.

"It's not going far," Yami Bakura assured, tucking the Item under his shirt. "Just to the kitchen for a few moments, all right?"

Bakura fell limp against the bed again. He felt so exhausted....

"You'll feel better after you eat something," Yami Bakura said in the same hollowly comforting voice as before. He left the room, not bothering to secure the door. The idea of Bakura making an escape seemed ridiculous, given his condition.

Bakura looked up at the ceiling, silently cursing himself. He had been foolish... stupid. Pathetically naïve. To think that somehow, the Ring's voice would have--

He looked angrily to the side. And now he was incapacitated and the Ring strong and independent and still determined to hurt his friends.

His fists clenched at his sides, angry tears returning. Such a fool to fall for the Ring's hollow affection...

Yami Bakura returned a few minutes later, carrying a tray with a bowl and a glass of water on it. He set it on the bed beside Bakura and gave the boy's shoulder a shake. "I brought you some food," he announced. He didn't want to acknowledge Bakura's outpouring of emotion, though it was obvious what was going on.

Bakura made a small pained sound, pulling away from the shaking and curling up again. "I'm not hungry..." he said sullenly.

"You need to eat," Yami Bakura insisted. He may have taken all that he needed from the boy, but leaving him alone immediately afterward seemed cruel even by his standards. He'd stay with him for an hour or so until the pain subsided, then leave.

"Why do you care?" Bakura's voice was muffled as he near buried his face in his mattress. "You don't need my body to be healthy any more, you already *raped* it for your own needs!" he snapped.

Yami Bakura twitched and resisted the urge to slap his former host across the face. "You never fought me, and you never said no," he retorted harshly. "I just exploited your poor judgement. Now eat."

"I never agreed to let you do this to me!" Bakura near screamed, looking up through angry tears at his yami. "To-- to-- to just-- To just take whatever you wanted from me!"

Yami Bakura walked to the door again, turning his back on Bakura. "Trusting someone like me, you may as well have," he said. "I'm doing you enough of a favor as to stay until you're well enough to take care of yourself, so count your blessings."

The boy slumped back across his bed, burying his face in his pillows once more. "Because I believed you could be human, this is my fault?" he said with angry disbelief.

"I was human at some point," Yami Bakura said, shoulders slumping a bit as he felt his heart sink slightly. "Just not anymore. Now eat your food and I'll leave you alone for a while."

"I'll be sick if I eat now..." Bakura half mumbled, not looking up.

"Then just rest," Yami Bakura deadpanned. "You can go on thinking I want you to die, but try to rest while you do it. Then eat something." He stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind him.

Bakura lay miserably in bed a long moment, listening for sounds of what the other boy was doing.

The world outside Bakura's room was quiet for several minutes, the only sign of another person being the occasional padding of feet outside Bakura's door. Then, a harsh clattering broke the tense serenity. It was followed by a string of rather loud swearing and ranting.

Alarmed, Bakura pushed himself out of bed, half stumbling for the door. He hesitated at the knob. He sounded angry... what if he....?

Cautiously, he cracked the door open, peeking out.

Down the hall, in the living room, his dark was moodily sprawled out on the couch. Several books and picture frames were on the floor beside the table they had been resting on earlier. Yami no Bakura snarled and gave the arm of the couch a hard kick before picking his head up and glowering down the hall.

Bakura shrank back slightly, hoping he hadn't been seen. Internally he wondered what on Earth the Ring's voice had to be angry about. He had just won, hadn't he?

"Feeling better, I see," Yami no Bakura muttered, locking eyes with his former host, making it clear that he had not gone unnoticed.

Bakura flinched slightly. "I wanted to see what the noise was..." he said defensively, looking to the side.

The larger boy snorted and fell back onto the couch, obviously brooding over something. "I threw a fit. Nothing to worry about."

"...." Bakura looked at the pile that had been on the end table. The books had fallen awkwardly, pages bent against the floor. With a small sigh he made his way carefully to the living room, bending down with a wince to pile the books properly by the side of the couch.

Yami Bakura grumbled and got up, whatever he had of a conscience irritatingly prodding him when he watched Bakura pick up after him despite the pain he must have been in. He gripped the boy's wrist when he reached for another book and forced him to stand. "I told you to rest," he said firmly, but not angrily.

Bakura gave a small pained sound, wincing. "They'll get damaged if you leave them that way," he protested.

Yami Bakura sighed and released the smaller boy's wrist. "I'll clean it up," he said, inwardly cursing at himself for being so easily swayed.

Bakura looked at the other boy a moment, cradling his wrist, before giving a small nod, moving to sit heavily on the couch, pulling the sheet that was his only covering around him more closely.

"Good boy," Yami Bakura said, putting a light pressure on his former host's shoulder in a silent effort to urge him to lie down. "I'll clean it up, and you get some rest."

Bakura curled up slightly, but let himself be guided, not meeting his yami's eyes.

"I'm stuck with you, anyway, so I might as well learn to live with you," the former spirit muttered to himself as he began picking the various objects up and placing them back on the table.

Bakura made a small curious sound, blinking up at his yami.

"I just realized that this is the only place I have to stay," Yami Bakura explained, not taking his eyes off of the framed photograph he was examining. "That's more or less why all these things are on the floor."

"Oh..." Bakura said softly. Realization slowly sunk in and he turned away, fists tightening in the sheet.

Yami Bakura only shrugged and set the photograph back on the table. "You won't have to put up with me long if nothing complicate things."

"What things?" Bakura's voice was almost resigned in tone as he avoiding looking at the other boy. Maybe if he closed his eyes, he could pretend the Ring was still just a voice in his head...

"My plans," Yami Bakura said matter-of-factly.

"To get all the Items and destroy Yuugi-kun..." Bakura's hands tensed again.

"Not him in particular. Just the other one." Yami Bakura grinned, his excitement over his new body returning. He turned on his heel and walked to Bakura's room, saying nothing more.

Bakura lay still a moment before pushing himself to sit up. If only he didn't feel so muddled, he could think of some way to fix the mess he had made...

He gave a small exhausted sound, flopping back down against the couch, eyes closing.

Bakura's dreams were a chaotic haze, part of him feeling as if he was reliving his yami emerging as he slept. Everything hurt, and his head throbbed like someone was pounding on it.

"Bakura-kun?" "Oi, Bakura? Are you in there?"

Slowly, the boy's eyes opened and he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. It had sounded like...

Another knock at the door made his eyes go wide. "Maybe he's not in..." "But where would he be? It's not like Bakura-kun to just skip school..."

Wincing in pain, Bakura near scrambled to his feet, stumbling towards the door. He had slept through school? His friends where here? Yuugi-kun!

The door seemed so far away... Was he still dreaming? No... no he had to be awake, the hurt wasn't dulled like it was when he slept...

A hand suddenly clamped hard onto Bakura's shoulder, pulling him back slightly. "Where do you think you're going?" a hushed, threatening voice whispered.

Bakura gave a small pained sound, stumbling slightly. "Yuugi-kun's here..." he said in a small voice, reaching out for the door.

"That's nice," Yami Bakura deadpanned, pulling Bakura farther back and placing a hand over his mouth. He removed his hand from Bakura's shoulder and wrapped it around the boy's chest. "Get to your room," he commanded quietly.

The boy struggled weakly. "But-- But--!" he protested, voice muffled behind his yami's hand. 'They came to see me...' he thought miserably, eyes starting to water slightly.

Yami no Bakura snarled and tightened his grip on Bakura's face, digging his nails into Bakura's cheeks slightly. "If you go to your room, I won't have to deal with him. Understand?"

Bakura whimpered slightly, the stinging causing the barely formed tears to spill over. Slowly, he went limp, almost boneless, giving in to his inner misery completely. He hurt, felt empty and used, aching for some sort of comfort and companionship. And his yami-- his captor... was denying him what his friends had come to give....

"That's a good boy, Ryou," Yami Bakura said, stooping to catch the smaller boy as he went limp. He half-carried Bakura back to his bedroom, keeping a hand on his mouth the entire way, then dumped him just inside and shut the door.

Bakura lay as he'd been dropped, tears silently flowing as he looked blankly up at the ceiling. Still using his personal name... as if he cared. His fists clenched weakly. Just like his father... just like everyone else who had given him hope and dashed it to pieces in front of him...

He struggled, pushing himself up. He was tired to just taking the pain. Tired of being treated as if he didn't matter. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he walked over to the closet. He wasn't just going to take it without a fight this time...

Meanwhile, Yami Bakura waited for a few moments by the door before returning to the living room and waiting for Bakura's friends to get tired of waiting and leave.

The muttered talk of the group continued, seeming to be arguing over what to do next, but was halted sharply as there was a loud crash from inside Bakura's room.

Yami Bakura jumped and scrambled off in the direction of Bakura's room, giving an unintentionally loud exclamation of vulgarity as he did so.

The boy was unstably standing in the middle of a large pile of boxes that had fallen down from the top closet shelf. Game pieces were scattered around the floor, gameboards sliding out of dented cardboard cases as the boy clutched tightly to the sweater he had been taking off the hanger.

"Are you, uh, are you all right?" Yami Bakura managed to ask after assessing what had apparently happened. He approached the clutter and began picking up the scattered game pieces as he had the books and photographs, shaking his head at the boy's clumsiness.

Bakura stood there a long moment before very slowly putting on the sweater, seeming not even to notice the other boys presence. Carefully, he stepped over the pile at his feat, heading for his dresser.

Yami Bakura glanced over his shoulder at his former host as he went about the routine of dressing himself. The eerie calm with which he did it was more unsettling than the small breakdown he had had in the living room. He shrugged it off, putting it off as Bakura's habit of withdrawing into himself when something bad happened, and went back to cleaning.

The paler boy gave a small smile as he heard the distant sound of the apartment door being pounded on. He could faintly here Jounouchi's voice yelling his name....

Yami no Bakura froze. So that was it. He got up off the floor and turned around to grip Bakura's wrist, yanking him close to him. "You get out there and tell them nothing's wrong," he growled as quietly as he could. "And don't invite them in unless you don't want them to leave. Ever."

Bakura trembled slightly, still unstable on his feet. He gave a small nod, lightly pulling on his wrist to tug it free.

Yami no Bakura loosened his grip on the boy's wrist, but did not release him. "Say that you understand," he commanded, narrowing his eyes.

"... I understand..." Bakura said softly, doing his best to glare back.

"Good boy," Yami no Bakura said, smirking darkly as he released the boy.

Bakura rubbed his wrist a moment, scowling before turning to unsteadily walk towards the apartment door.

"I'm here..." he called, voice sounding worn and tired as he fumbled with the door's lock. Slowly, the door swung open and he peered out against the sun, giving his friends a small, shaky smile.

"Bakura-kun...." Yuugi said in a small, shocked voice.

"You look like shit! What happened?" Jounouchi demanded.

The pale boy smiled again. "I--" his voice faltered. "I---" He swayed slightly, clutching at the door frame. They were there... they had come.... Weakly, he reached out for the group before him. "I gave birth..." he whispered, collapsing into his friend's arms.

Cute photos o the day. :)

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 05:18:19 GMT

http://www.batroost.com/browseproducts/Sponsor-a-Vampire-Bat.HTML

http://www.enn.com/iotd2.html?id=343

http://www.aspca.org/images/content/pagebuilder/522942.jpg

Relatedly (to the first image) It's so nice when you find a gift for someone that not only is cheep, but suports a conservation organazaion. :) It's like a double gift! :D

'Duh' news:

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 22:21:27 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The round-the-clock
availability that cell phones and pagers have brought to
people's lives may be taking a toll on family life, a new study
suggests.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060105/hl_nm/cell_phones_family_tension_dc

And in other news, water is wet!