NEVER ENOUGH YGOS

[awishforfriends]

[For those actually loitering inside the building today, you may end up seeing a small little boy with weirdly spiked hair wandering around, most likely having passed you by. Perhaps he asked one of the less helpful people around for directions to some city or outside, and just gotten turned around.

As it is, he's been in and out of rooms and hallways at least three times now. It's only once he's -- somehow -- on the roof again that he finally surrenders to the prospect that he's lost, sighing and flopping his back against one of the AC units.

His hands reach down to fiddle with the large, golden object around his neck, looking up to the sky.]

Jounouchi-kun... Honda-kun... Anzu... where are you?

Comments

[awishforfriends]

Ah...

[Yugi looks down at his Puzzle, then the Ring.]

It looks a lot like my Puzzle!

[fluffydeathdealer]

That's right. It's part of the same 'set'. My father brought it back for me from Egypt a long time ago.

But... Yugi.

Once I started wearing it, I started to black out a lot. And when I did... things happened.

[awishforfriends]

[That has him sitting up. Bakura was worried about blacking out for the reason he was now. Two things from the same set, and...

It couldn't be...]

What... kind of things?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Every time I blacked out, people kept going into comas around me. I kept moving schools, but every time, it would start again.

Eventually... I found out that there was 'another me' who came out when I was wearing it. And that 'other me' was the one hurting the people I knew.

But, Yugi...

There's something important I have to tell you about that.

The 'other you' is the one that stopped him from hurting you, back when I first met you.

[awishforfriends]

[That's chilling, honestly. So there was an "other him" that was causing so much trouble? His hand subconsciously goes to his arm, lightly touching the bandages.

...But that last part...]

The... other me...?

[Of course... if Ryou has another "him" that appears when he blacks out, then obviously, his Puzzle would make...]

He tried to protect me?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Un. I think... the other you is looking out for you. I don't know what happened with Kaiba-kun, though.

[Taking one of the profiteroles, he nibbles at it for a moment.]

The other me is a bad person. But the other you... I think the other you is a kind person.

[awishforfriends]

[He nibbles on his again, looking thoughtful. The other him is a kind person... could he be? But then why would Kaiba-kun hate him?

...But he has to admit, ever since he finished the Puzzle and started blacking out, he and his friends have been doing a lot better. Even dangerous situations they've gotten out okay, like the time Anzu was threatened by that criminal...

And yet...]

Whenever I blacked out... it felt like I was falling into a lot of darkness, almost like I couldn't breathe sometimes. And I only ever started blacking out when I felt upset, or scared...

[That criminal, he had burned to death, right there in the booth. Had his "other self" done that?]

I don't really know what to think.

[fluffydeathdealer]

What? Maybe you should start with 'If I'm not aware of it, it isn't my fault'?

[The voice is a little more brusque, a little more loud and even kind of thuggish, but it's still Ryou's voice at heart. It'd be difficult to tell that it was a different person and not just a different vocal manner.

Leaning his head on his hand, Bakura stares at Yugi curiously.]

You've got a 'get out of guilt free' permission slip right there in your head, Yugi.

[awishforfriends]

Ah...?

[Yugi suddenly has a very bad feeling, and he isn't sure why. Ryou sure sounds weird, too...]

Maybe that's true, but that's no reason to...

[...What is he even...]

Bakura-kun?

[fluffydeathdealer]

'Bakura-kun', 'Bakura-kun'...

[Drawing the name out carelessly, he leans back in his chair with his legs outstretched.]

Don't look so surprised. I just thought I'd say 'hi'.

[awishforfriends]

[...Ah!]

You're... the other Bakura-kun?!

[fluffydeathdealer]

Bingo~!

[He smirks a little at that.]

Don't worry, I know better than to hurt you now.

[awishforfriends]

[Again, his hand goes to his arm.]

You did this? Why?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Tch... Isn't it obvious, Yugi? I wanted to take advantage of the fact you didn't remember me, so I could take your puzzle unhindered.

[awishforfriends]

Why?!

[His hands go to grip his puzzle tightly.]

This is my treasure! You can't have it!

[fluffydeathdealer]

Sorry, sorry. It's in my nature to want what I can't have.

[He holds his hands up as if in surrender.]

Anyway, you lived through it.

[awishforfriends]

[His reply catches in his throat. He lived through "it." But he had...]

...What happened? What did... "I" do?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Eh? Why do you want to know that?

[awishforfriends]

Because...

[Because he wants to know if that "him" really is kind. Because he wants to know if that's what really happens when he blacks out. Because he wants to know if he did anything to Ryou in return.]

...please, tell me!

[fluffydeathdealer]

Heheh.

Didn't you notice the pain in your mouth, too, Yugi? That wasn't my doing. The other you was quite happy to play with my knife for a bit.

Oh, but he gave it back to me in the end. Of course, I had to catch it, first.

[awishforfriends]

...What?

[Now that Bakura mentions it, he does notice his tongue is sore. But... threw a knife at...

He reaches a hand up to touch it and... yep, that's a cut.]

But why?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Beats me.

[It's as direct an answer as he can offer.]

I'm just impressed I caught it at all, since I was kind of blind in one eye at the time. Clearly the other you doesn't discriminate against the injured. Even when half of them is innocent.

[awishforfriends]

[No, that can't be right, can it? Ryou said he was sure the other him was kind! ...but, he had set someone on fire to burn to death for threatening Anzu. And who knows what else he'd done...

I hope you're happy, Bakura. You have him struggling with himself now.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

After that, we played a little game, he messed with my mind and I ended up half-scared to death.

[A shrug.]

So you can thank him for your lack of being mugged, at least.

[awishforfriends]

[.......yeah, Yugi's got nothing to say. On one hand, you tried to steal his treasure. On the other...]

I... want to talk to Bakura-kun again.