Chp. 2 Rough Draft of "ATTIC"
This is just the beginning. I've been stuck on this for AGES, so I finally decided to just post this somewhere so that if anyone cares enough, they can read it. Heh. I plan to finish the chapter soon. We'll just have to see if I can do it! (I'm so lazy...)
The tournament was being held in a week, and Yugi was still determined not to take part in it. He hadn’t given any explanation, just smiled and politely told his friends that he had no interest in attending.
That clinched it, of course- they were making him go.
It wasn’t as though Yugi was truly different, but he had certainly been acting strangely. He had been changed by his experiences, and he wasn’t taking the necessary steps to heal. He wasn’t making any effort to heal, at all! He ignored his own changes, pleading distraction or boredom. Though he claimed he no longer dueled because he had beaten the game completely- mastered it fully, with no challenges any longer- they all knew it was because it was too painful for him to do so.
An intervention was needed. And Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu were exactly the people to pull Yugi out of his unfortunate slump.
The elder Mutou was consulted as soon as it they found a convenient time.
Jounouchi explained to him Yugi’s sudden change in behavior; Honda elaborated in length on the upcoming tournament; and Anzu voiced the trio’s worry. If Yugi wouldn’t deal with the hurt, how could he possibly recover from it?
The old man was silent as he absorbed the information they had given him. "You’re right," he said finally, his voice deliberate. "Yugi’s not the same. Did Egypt affect him that much?"
The three all threw a glance back and forth. "I think," Anzu said at last, "that it was losing the pharaoh more than anything. Yugi shared his body with the spirit- they dueled together, they fought together, they were closer than anyone could possibly comprehend. I’m not sure he can cope with the loss."
"Well, yeah," Jounouchi said quickly, a little embarrassed at his loud outburst but purposeful all the same. "It’s that definitely, but... Well maybe he just feels like he’s not ready for all the memories. I mean..." He squirmed a little, trying to voice what he felt in his heart. "Yugi’s a good guy, right? And he loves dueling. He should be glad that the pharaoh’s in the uh... Well that he’s dead. Or... more dead. Or whatever. The point is that maybe there’s something more. You know, something that we’re not seeing."
"What?" Honda rolled his eyes. "Jounouchi, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say. Do you think Egypt and the pharaoh don’t have anything to do with it?"
"Well... I mean, I’m sure they have something to do with it, but..." He looked at the elder Mutou. "Maybe he really is just tired of dueling. I mean it is possible, right?"
"You’re a duelist," Anzu said softly. "Would you get tired of it?"
Jounouchi lowered his head. "I... Can’t really imagine that I... that I would."
Anzu nodded, more determined than ever. "Then we have to help him! Maybe he just needs a little push in the right direction. After all, he’s our best friend. If he’s really lost his love for dueling then we’ll leave him alone, but I think this is just his way of grieving. And we need to help him move on."
She looked to Honda, then Jounouchi, then Yugi’s grandfather. "Are we all agreed?"
The three men thought for a moment. She was right; Yugi was one of the most important people in each of their lives. And it couldn’t hurt to try, as long as they weren’t too adamant. He did need to move on if he was still grieving- Yugi hadn’t been vocal about how he was feeling, so his friends weren’t sure exactly how far along he was in the healing process. If he was holding on, trying to keep himself in the past... Or if he was ignoring how he truly felt...
They were worried. Dueling was the one thing that had kept them together no matter what. And they weren’t going to let Yugi throw that away.
Hope that'll suffice for now! If you're from fanfic, feel free to comment. (Or... even if you're not! heh.)
ILB out.
The tournament was being held in a week, and Yugi was still determined not to take part in it. He hadn’t given any explanation, just smiled and politely told his friends that he had no interest in attending.
That clinched it, of course- they were making him go.
It wasn’t as though Yugi was truly different, but he had certainly been acting strangely. He had been changed by his experiences, and he wasn’t taking the necessary steps to heal. He wasn’t making any effort to heal, at all! He ignored his own changes, pleading distraction or boredom. Though he claimed he no longer dueled because he had beaten the game completely- mastered it fully, with no challenges any longer- they all knew it was because it was too painful for him to do so.
An intervention was needed. And Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu were exactly the people to pull Yugi out of his unfortunate slump.
The elder Mutou was consulted as soon as it they found a convenient time.
Jounouchi explained to him Yugi’s sudden change in behavior; Honda elaborated in length on the upcoming tournament; and Anzu voiced the trio’s worry. If Yugi wouldn’t deal with the hurt, how could he possibly recover from it?
The old man was silent as he absorbed the information they had given him. "You’re right," he said finally, his voice deliberate. "Yugi’s not the same. Did Egypt affect him that much?"
The three all threw a glance back and forth. "I think," Anzu said at last, "that it was losing the pharaoh more than anything. Yugi shared his body with the spirit- they dueled together, they fought together, they were closer than anyone could possibly comprehend. I’m not sure he can cope with the loss."
"Well, yeah," Jounouchi said quickly, a little embarrassed at his loud outburst but purposeful all the same. "It’s that definitely, but... Well maybe he just feels like he’s not ready for all the memories. I mean..." He squirmed a little, trying to voice what he felt in his heart. "Yugi’s a good guy, right? And he loves dueling. He should be glad that the pharaoh’s in the uh... Well that he’s dead. Or... more dead. Or whatever. The point is that maybe there’s something more. You know, something that we’re not seeing."
"What?" Honda rolled his eyes. "Jounouchi, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say. Do you think Egypt and the pharaoh don’t have anything to do with it?"
"Well... I mean, I’m sure they have something to do with it, but..." He looked at the elder Mutou. "Maybe he really is just tired of dueling. I mean it is possible, right?"
"You’re a duelist," Anzu said softly. "Would you get tired of it?"
Jounouchi lowered his head. "I... Can’t really imagine that I... that I would."
Anzu nodded, more determined than ever. "Then we have to help him! Maybe he just needs a little push in the right direction. After all, he’s our best friend. If he’s really lost his love for dueling then we’ll leave him alone, but I think this is just his way of grieving. And we need to help him move on."
She looked to Honda, then Jounouchi, then Yugi’s grandfather. "Are we all agreed?"
The three men thought for a moment. She was right; Yugi was one of the most important people in each of their lives. And it couldn’t hurt to try, as long as they weren’t too adamant. He did need to move on if he was still grieving- Yugi hadn’t been vocal about how he was feeling, so his friends weren’t sure exactly how far along he was in the healing process. If he was holding on, trying to keep himself in the past... Or if he was ignoring how he truly felt...
They were worried. Dueling was the one thing that had kept them together no matter what. And they weren’t going to let Yugi throw that away.
Hope that'll suffice for now! If you're from fanfic, feel free to comment. (Or... even if you're not! heh.)
ILB out.