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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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.
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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.
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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?"
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...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."
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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..."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?"
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"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."
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"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.
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"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."
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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.
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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?"
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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.
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"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..?"
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