Someone beyond my reach, someone reaching back for me...

[sidesofdarkness]

It had been a while since Yami had left the house to do something fun. A lot of things he had only himself to thank for, and after his latest fight with Mana he decided to break his own cycle of negative thoughts and to go out, get some fresh air or something, anything just to get him out of the house. Not to flee, but to get his mind off from the

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[redhairedbird]

Though she hadn't been expecting to go out at all, it still hadn't taken Shizuka a long time to get ready. It was still warm outside, so she was taking advantage of the weather to wear a strappy shirt - showing more cleavage than Kaiba ever allowed her to show in public - and skirt, figuring she needed to be able to expose her skin depending on where she wanted a tattoo, if that was what she decided on.

The heel were unnecessary though, and now her feet were hurting her from all the walking.

Shizuka was quite tired of getting lost. Even with splendid directions from the ever-helpful internet, she still had to enter three separate stores and find out where she was, and how to get to her destination. It was tiresome, and she truly should have been used to it by now. But with Yami waiting for her, she didn't want to be late, though her nerves were aleady getting frayed.

She was entirely indecisive. Did she want a piercing? A tattoo? What and where? She wanted everything, and couldn't decide on just one or two ideas. Maybe a piercing and a tattoo? It had been ages since she'd last treated herself to anything - so long as she conveniently overlooked the pretty dress she bought just the week prior - and this was a nice way to spend time with a friend she hadn't seen in far too long.

Her pace slowed as she neared the shop, mind swirling, flitting from one idea to the next, lingering on some and immediately discarding others. She figured there would be images to look at in the shop as well, and workers to discuss things with, but one thing she knew for certain: she wanted her belly button pierced. Most of her friends already had it done, and she felt rather left out.

They all reassured her that it barely hurt, so...

She perked up when she saw Yami standing outside the shop, and she bounded over to him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. "Yaaaaami-san!" she gushed happily.

[sidesofdarkness]

He was glad that he had made it in time; he was notorious for arriving late as Yami never carried a watch (didn't go with the wrist bracers) and he was too lazy to pull out his cell phone all the time to check it. Ironically, he didn't like to keep people waiting, so he was glad he arrived first, and only had to wait for Shizuka to show up. When had he taken the tattoo of the Winged Dragon of Ra? It had been a few weeks after he had returned from the Afterlife, right? It was only fitting that it was going to be joined by Osiris, his favorite after all.

Yami stared into the window of the shop. Another tattoo, another piercing.. was it a wise thing to do? Shouldn't he step up to be the person he once used to be, stern, strict, wise and righteous.. instead of having his body altered with ink and colors? Yami sighed. Why was he still so tied to the past while he had nothing but future ahead of him? His children, his friends, his family. Honda.

But then his name was called, and two arms were thrown around him, a whirlwind of flowery perfume, red hair and warmth surrounding him as Shizuka all but flung herself into a hug. Yami moved his arms around her to return the greeting.

"Shizuka-dear! You're right on time!" He smiled at her. She certainly was dressed... lightly, despite the last few days of summer still being warm.

[redhairedbird]

Shizuka grinned up at him, feeling rather happy and content now that she was around him. Yami always managed to have that affect on her, making her feel comfortable and soothe away any worries. He was a good friend, and she felt rather ashamed that she'd abandoned him - and, well, everyone else - for so long. She'd been buried in other things, letting her troubles stuff her in a closet, and only recently had she been able to fight her way out.

Only to run into more problems, but finally, things she could handle.

"I am? Oh good, I got lost so I thought I'd be late..." She bit her lower lip, glancing at the shop a little nervously before looking back up at him. He looked different somehow. A look of concentration crossed her face.

Nope, she couldn't place it. How frustrating.

"You ready?"

[sidesofdarkness]

It was good to see her - there was something about Shizuka that always made him feel different, as if he didn't have a care in the world. He wanted her to have a good time, and went to great lengths to achieve it. Hopefully they could stay in better touch than they used to - Yami had been occupied with his own selfish issues, and felt ashamed he hadn't thought about his own friends that much. He still needed to congratulate Anzu on her performance...

...but at least now he could make it up with Shizuka, having a nice afternoon with her and maybe they could go out for dinner afterwards, he loved going out to eat.

"No no, you're good," he said, softly chuckling. "But I think the question is, are you ready? I already have one tattoo, and you don't." Yami winked at her. "Let's go inside and see what they have."

[redhairedbird]

His comment made her feel even more nervous, so she followed him rather closely, as if seeking solace in his proximity. After all, he was a veteran and she an innocent. It was only normal that she'd lean on his expertise.

The shop was large and airy, and surprisingly quiet. A few areas were curtained off, and Shizuka could see doors in the back, likely leading to more private areas. That alone made her feel a little more comfortable; if she decided to go with the belly piercing, the entire world wouldn't see her stomach.

The far wall was covered in images of tattoos, coffee tables strewn with more books of options, as well as magazines of every sort. A water cooler gave the entire shop the feel of an office, which made her have to stifle a giggle, imagining tattoo artists plying their trade at Kaiba Corp.

Which, of course, made her feel depressed, so she desperately focused on other things.

"Oh my..."

[sidesofdarkness]

Kimikiri hadn't changed a bit since the last time Yami was here; he liked the professionalism of the people here, they were aware of the latest trends and were very practical about everything, not ridiculously trying to be hip or impose fashions and trends upon their customers. Instead they respected their wishes, worked efficiently and with good hygiene, and made sure no one left the store dissatisfied.

Apparently every employee was occupied at the moment, as the desk of the girl who welcomed the customers was empty. It was quiet - was everyone on their lunch break, still? Yami pointed to the thick books on the coffee tables.

"Why don't you look into those books and see if there's something you like, Shizuka-dear," he said. "I'll go see if I can find Ramaku, he's the one who set the Winged Dragon on my shoulder. Very artistic, and very friendly."

He looked at Shizuka. Was her mood changing all the time or something? She suddenly looked preoccupied, and then forcefully happy again.. what was going on? Well, he could always pry it out of her later, for now, during tattoos and piercings, he didn't want to impose on her troubles.

[redhairedbird]

Shizuka wasn't too happy about being left alone in this place, despite the fact that no one was going to jump out of the walls and kill her, but she nodded anyway and headed over to the large, comfortable black leather couch. Throwing herself down onto it, she picked up one of the photo albums and began looking through it, pausing at a few pages and hurrying past others.

Some of those tattoos were huge and ugly. What were those people thinking?

Wrinkling her nose, she glanced up, hoping to see Yami returning, but he was still busy. Stretching, she leaned back and had to stifle a yawn. Would they mind if she took a little nap?

Probably.

She turned the page, and paused. Two pretty, delicate flowers with a butterfly; it would look really nice on her shoulder! She could already imagine it there, and she sighed, giggling softly. She was trying to push down her impulsive decision, but it kept biting her on the nose.

Tattoo, or belly button ring? Or both. Hmmm.

Shizuka took the page out of the book and closed it.

[sidesofdarkness]

Hearing some noises, Yami went around the counter to the back, careful as not to disturb anyone behind the curtains; and sure enough, he found Ramaku and two other colleagues discussing quietly, with bentos in front of them on a table in a room down the hallway. Yami didn't want to leave Shizuka alone, but maybe she could use the time to find something suitable for a tattoo. It wasn't something you decided on a whim - at least, it shouldn't be.. it wasn't like Yami had really thought it over when he had set foot in the tattoo shop the first time - and especially when choosing a design, you had to really think twice about what you wanted.

After asking if Ramaku could come help him (after finishing his late lunch, of course), Yami made his way back to Shizuka. She was sitting on the comfortable black leather couch, one of the books on her lap.

"Did you already make a decision, Shizuka-dear?" He asked as he sat down next to her.

[redhairedbird]

Shizuka leaned comfortably against Yami and showed him the image on the paper, pointing out which one she wanted. "How do you think that would look on my shoulder?" Some additional advice and support would help solidify her decision, and she was already wondering if getting both a piercing and a tattoo would be too much for one day, or if she could handle it.

She idly wondered what Yami was going to get aside from his next tattoo. Would he get another piercing as well? He was acting as if this trip was all about her, and she would prefer to focus on him; it kept her mind off of the impending agony.

"Did you talk to your...tattoo artist?" That was what they were called, right? Shizuka had no clue, and was beginning to feel like a small child, entirely out of her element. Belatedly, she wondered what her brother would say if she called him right now and told him where she was, and what she was intending to do, and who was with her.

He'd likely kill Yami. That would be bad.

"Can you get your tattoo done today?"

[sidesofdarkness]

Leaning back of course, he always felt so confident and at ease in Shizuka's presence, a few golden bangs brushed her shoulder as he looked into her direction. "I think that's very neat," he said honestly. "It's not too big, and flowers are always a good choice. Modest in colors, but bright enough to really make a distinction on your skin!" He nodded, showing how much he agreed with her choice. If the girl had chosen for a dragon with four heads or a large tribal tattoo that would cover her entire back, he would certainly have tried to talk her out of it - but Shizuka had already made a good choice.

"Yes yes, they were having a late lunch," Yami explained. "They'll be here any minute, Shizuka-dear. They are also piercing artists, so if you would like something pierced instead of tattooed.. they're wonderful people, and you can talk to them about what you want and what you like.. they have the experience." His finger went to his lip, where there used to be a piercing a little over a year ago. Maybe a tattoo wasn't the only thing he could spoil himself with today...

"I doubt it," he said, scooting even closer. "It's fairly large and I'm not sure if Osiris will allow itself to be captured in a few hours."

[redhairedbird]

It hadn't even occurred to Shizuka that Yami couldn't just walk in, get his tattoo, and walk out, all in one day. Would they need to make appointments? How long would it take to get everything done? She was beginning to feel uncertain again. Maybe watching him would make her feel better.

"I was thinking of a belly piercing too," she admitted quietly, glancing over to the front desk where a couple of workers had begun to congregate. They were staring at the two of them, and Shizuka frowned and looked back down at the paper in her hand.

She didn't, however, miss how he touched his lip, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Are you going to get a piercing, too?" Her question sounded innocent, at least.

[sidesofdarkness]

A belly piercing? She had mentioned something about it in their earlier conversation, and Yami had assumed she had meant either a tattoo or a piercing, not both. Would that be wise? Well, it was Shizuka's own body of course, she had every choice in what she wanted to do with it.. but he wasn't really sure if she was doing this because she really wanted it herself, or.. what was Kaiba thinking of this anyway? Her relationship wasn't any of his business, but Kaiba didn't seem to be the kind to guy who would.. eh.. appreciate his girlfriend either with a tattoo or a piercing.

"Are you sure, Shizuka-dear?" He asked, curiously. Yami ignored the others in the store, focusing his attention on the girl. "We can talk it over with the piercing artists. If you really want one, we can always discuss the possibilities with them!"

He had to smile. "I miss them," he said. "Silly, isn't it? I guess.. well, I do think I want to get one, yes."

[redhairedbird]

"I definitely want the piercing." That she'd been thinking about for a long time, and had come to a decision what felt like ages ago. Only certain things had stopped her from getting one thus far. Now that she was, in essence, finally free, she could do whatever she wanted.

It was such a liberating feeling.

And it was probably best to focus on that right now, and hold off on the tattoo until she could see Yami get his, and witness the process. Perhaps, after that, she wouldn't want one. After all, didn't people bleed?

"You should get one then," she said, trying to be supportive. She didn't approve of him replacing his facial piercings because it would limit the types of jobs he could get, but it was his decision.

Giggling and feeling excited, Shizuka put down the piece of paper and instead took his hand, squeezing it.

[sidesofdarkness]

She sounded very determined, so Yami nodded again. It was her body, and the way she was talking, she had given it a good thought instead of deciding it on an impulse. Besides, a belly button piercing was quite common and not some kind of major surgery. If Shizuka didn't like it after a while, she could always take it out.

Turning his hand a little so he could wrap his fingers around hers and return the squeeze, he returned a warm smile. Yami was getting pretty excited about his new tattoo as well, and maybe another piercing to boot..! Well, not all in one afternoon of course, but now that he had made the decision to get another one, he felt giddy and relief at the same time.

They weren't paying attention to the one approaching them, so Yami was almost startled when a soft voice next to him spoke up: "Welcome to Kimikiri, Mutou-san. And you brought a friend! My name is Ramaku," the young artist introduced himself to Shizuka, "what can I do for you?"

[redhairedbird]

Shizuka was startled by his approach as well, and her eyes were a little wide as she looked up at him. He was...a very attractive man, she had to admit, and she had to force herself not to stare.

Still, spots of color bloomed on her cheeks. "Uhm," she said eloquently, finding that all coherent thought fled. Great, as soon as she was single again, she quailed before every hot guy who crossed her path. Well, except for her friends.

This was silly.

Clearing her throat, she looked over to Yami, hoping that he would save her. After all, the artist seemed to already know him.

[sidesofdarkness]

Ramaku Yohji was hot, plain and simple. Yami wouldn't mind pinching his ass, but he didn't, of course; first of all, he was in the company of a lady, and second, he had a commitment with Honda. Besides being hot, the man was a very talented artist, only needing a few pictures for reference before drawing the entire Winged Dragon of Ra flawlessly on Yami's shoulder.

"Ramaku-kun," he said familiarly, "this is Jounouchi Shizuka, and she has chosen a very nice design for a tattoo.. the orchid ones. However, she also wants a belly button.. or she wants a belly button right now and a tattoo later. I'm sure you can advise us?"

He was almost batting his lashes at the other, which would also be a bad idea. He was going to behave in front of Shizuka. Ramaku was amused and smiled.

"Welcome, Jounouchi-san," he said. "So, you would like a piercing for a belly button..?"