(open) You're so quiet

[silentmagician]

Who: Yugi + O P E N (+ closed prompts as they come into existence...)
What: Catch-all, some general exploration for now
Where: Various locations
When: Around the first weeks of March-ish
Content Warnings: N/A for now, but will update if anything pops up



[Open top-level prompts below unless otherwise specified! Feel free to PM or catch me on keihatsu for a specific prompt]!

Comments

[blue_eyed_obsession]

[Kaiba took it in the way it was intended] I'm not that petty, Yugi. [Rolling his eyes before explaining] A jet isn't like a private plane, there's certain things you need to know about riding in one before take off. [Got to dot those i's and cross those t's, and sign those waivers. cough.] Sounds... [Nice, boring, humdrum? Opting not to finish his statement he swiftly moved on] I'm only a little surprised you would trust Pegasus after everything that came before.

[Eying the hand gesture dubiously, Kaiba just shook his head before going to refill his cup, clearly not in the habit of being shooed. While he was at the counter, he checked the café supplies, debating if any of this would be missed if he took some of it 'home'. The answer was probably that it wouldn't be. When he returned, he placed the mug down first before he resumed his seat] That's accurate. [Was all Kaiba would say initially, since expanding on it would reveal more about himself than he wanted to admit. There was no getting around it though. He shifted in his seat, then finally broke the silence] The pair of you have been in my memories on one or more occasion. [It's not as if he thinks about you two all the time or anything. Cough] Look- there's no need to fixate on that. It's not peculiar for that to be true.. [Maybe trying a little too hard to push on past this]

Feh. Figures. After everything they put us through. [Why did they always have to be teased with the prospect of collecting rare cards only to have them snatched away in the end?] I knew I would come out on top in the end. [Sure, that's why you asked about it Kaiba] I was going to say I'm surprised it wasn't more than one entrant that caused issues. [He knows what he is] Let me give you some words of advice Yugi, success breeds discontent in other's. There's always going to be someone that wants to take you down. [Pause] Tell me Wheeler doesn't find a way to butt into this next tournament.

[silentmagician]

[Excuse me Seto 'I blew up a tower after I lost my own tournament' Kaiba, you are so that petty. On the other hand, Yugi is not so petty as to mention that out loud. The only thing he says showcases how awfully trusting he is:] Pegasus changed since Duelist Kingdom. He's different now. [You know, like some CEOs.] The only issue was that we didn't really get a return trip... But it worked out in the end

[Honestly? It doesn't really surprise him that they're in Kaiba's memories, and knowing what happens after Dartz and Atlantis makes that all the more obvious it would be the case. The mind crush alone is probably reason enough, actually. Kaiba seems to be overcompensating for it though, so Yugi offers a small smile and tries to be reassuring.] Don't worry, I'm not reading anything into it. I know we've been through a lot, so it makes sense that we would be there. And I know how [fixated obsessed] single-minded you were about trying to duel him. Among other things.

You did really well. We'd all still be in a world of trouble if you and Jounouchi weren't there. [You know, your favourite person in the world.] I mean, there were... a few that were... interesting... characters? [A pause for a moment as he debates whether that's the right word for all of those people, but. Hm. What else is there to say about them?] Jounouchi was invited. The person in charge invited him himself, so you'll have to take it up with the boss. Did I mention this was your tournament? [He did, like ten seconds ago. And he knows it.]

[blue_eyed_obsession]

[That was different. That tower had history. He's totally that petty. Aren't you from the future, shouldn't you be over the whole blowing up a tower thing? Like anyone in their right mind is just going to forget such a harrowing experience] I deal with him because I have to. [Not saying whether he agreed with the assessment or not. Duel Monsters was created by Industrial Illusions the association was necessary for Kaiba's aims. Yugi, your grandpa gets kidnapped almost as often as Mokuba does...]

[Kaiba was making too big a deal about it, but he found it uncomfortable to mention just quite how often Yugi or his counterpart might have come up. The mind crush had been included in his nightmares, the battle in his holographic coliseum had been one of the memories shared, and the reunion with Mokuba in Duelist Kingdom where he had thanked this Yugi for the role he played and promised that he would be compensated for as much.. just to list a few.] I wasn't concerned. [He lied but in a flat unwavering tone] Mm. There's no getting entirely around it. Not every memory involved the pair of you. [Some were from before then, in his youth.]

Really well seems like an overstatement considering where I ended up. [He know he lost in that tag duel, but the pharaoh had carried on. He crinkled his nose when Wheeler was included in the praise.] Must have involved duelists you never got to run across in Domino. [Given that assessment] It didn't bear repeating Yugi, I didn't forget whose tournament it was. [Still- he took a moment to digest that truth bomb] Someone must have dropped out and I was on a strict deadline, because otherwise I can't imagine ever doing that. [One day, one day.. he's going to have to acknowledge that Joey isn't a terrible duelist. That day isn't today]

[silentmagician]

[Oh, he's over it. But a good duelist keeps these things in mind, just in case. Like when needing evidence to confirm whether someone is or is not petty. Like now.] No one's expecting either of us to become his best friend after everything. But he did get me and my friends where we needed to be. He was reliable when he was given an opportunity.

[Yugi unfortunately (fortunately?) cannot read minds, so the amount of time they have come up in memories here or the source or extent of Kaiba's discomfort isn't super apparent. I don't doubt it. We've only known each other for so long. I would expect Mokuba to be in there even more. [And on top of that, while he doesn't mention it out loud, Yugi had been there for the Noa shenanigans and all that it entailed (see: Gozaburo). Kaiba certainly had a number of memories to draw from that didn't include him or Atem.]

[He shakes his head.] No, you had to be there. We all did. That was the point. If one of us hadn't, things may have gone differently. [ And then he shoots another frown. Don't you even think about talking bad about Jounouchi.] In either event, by the end of the tournament KaibaCorp isn't any worse for wear, from what I'm aware of. I mean, maybe you didn't tell us anything more, I can't be sure. [A pause, and then almost as an afterthought:] Oh, and the Other Me wins in the finals, so you don't have to worry about the title going anywhere because of the tournament.