[Yu-Gi-Oh][Problems had Solutions][Yugi, Yami, Seto Kaiba]
Title Problems had Solutions
Author/Artist jurhael
Recipient icedark_elf
Fandom YGO
Characters Yami, Yugi, Seto Kaiba
Rating PG
Prompt "Sometimes life isn't just a game"
Disclaimer This is loosely based on a real life murder/suicide. Those of you familiar with Pro Wrestling should know what I'm talking about.
Warnings Nothing, really, but sorry so late!
Yugi, Yami, and Seto Kaiba had one thing in common: the belief that life was a game. Or, at least that’s what Yugi believed. Kaiba said it often enough and Yami never openly disagreed. Yugi often found himself agreeing. All his life he played something, and if he didn’t play it, he watched it. Problems had solutions and anything complicated ended up pieced together the way one handled jigsaw puzzles.
Yugi mastered the art of puzzling at a very early age, and his ability introduced him to Yami, and ultimately to Seto Kaiba. Card Dueling helped a great deal too, and when Yugi thought about it, he realized that games were exactly how he got all his friends, and kept a solid social circle. Most duelists did the same, even Kaiba had such a thing whether he admitted it or not.
One day, Yugi sat in his room doing his card organizing ritual, and Yami appeared beside. Such a thing in and of itself happened all the time, but Yami’s eyes lacked the spark he almost always had. Before he could ask why Yami looked worn, he heard a car engine rumble before falling silent.
“That must be Joey,” Yugi said, running out of the room with Yami barely trailing behind him.
Seto Kaiba walked to Grandpa’s card store, his white trench coat trailing behind him like wind itself. He looked as dead as Yami, only he walked with his usual long, confident strides. Yugi managed a few blinks while his nerves tingled with the knowledge that something happened, something bad.
“You must have heard,” Yami said. He walked over to Kaiba, a full head and shoulders shorter, but every bit as sure of his movements. Usually, he stayed within the puzzle, only appearing when absolutely necessary, and even then, he was visible only to Yugi. Now, he acted as if he had his own body and no longer needed to swap places with anyone for any reason.
Kaiba nodded. “It’s why I’m here.”
“What’s going on?” Yugi asked, running to Yami’s side. “What happened?”
“One of the top duelists killed himself this morning,” Kaiba replied. The next words sounded like he had to shove them out. “He took his family with him.”
“What?” Yugi almost fainted. He knew that no duelist had a perfect life, but he never thought that someone would do something like that. Suicide wasn’t unheard of, but taking others? School shooters did that, but not family. At least Yugi thought so, and he shut his eyes, feeling like an anvil fell on his head. “Are they blaming you? Us?”
“No.” Kaiba shook his head. “Not now, at least, but it’s inevitable that someone will try.”
“Like the media,” Yami added.
“But, it’s not anyone’s fault but his!” Yugi pleaded, his heart pounding when he imagined camera flashes, stupid questions, and ending up on the news with talking heads asking them questions. He sighed. “The cards didn’t make him do this. He did it. He’s the one that did it.”
“Yes, Yugi, he did,” Yami replied. “Still, that won’t stop anyone looking for answers.”
“Answers that we have to give,” Kaiba said. “Don’t be surprised if the media hounds you. Actually, it won’t be if, but when. I’m kind of used to it, but you’re not, not like this, so be careful what you say. One wrong word and people will tear you apart.”
“I’d like to know the answers too! I just dueled him last week!” Yugi looked at Yami. “You remember, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course I do.”
“I think he took things way too seriously.” Kaiba narrowed his eyes. “I can understand that.”
Yugi gasped. “You can? All three of us believed that life is just a game!”
Yami looked at Yugi, his piercing eyes almost blank. “Yugi, sometimes life isn’t just a game.”
“For him, it obviously wasn’t,” Kaiba agreed.
Author/Artist jurhael
Recipient icedark_elf
Fandom YGO
Characters Yami, Yugi, Seto Kaiba
Rating PG
Prompt "Sometimes life isn't just a game"
Disclaimer This is loosely based on a real life murder/suicide. Those of you familiar with Pro Wrestling should know what I'm talking about.
Warnings Nothing, really, but sorry so late!
Yugi, Yami, and Seto Kaiba had one thing in common: the belief that life was a game. Or, at least that’s what Yugi believed. Kaiba said it often enough and Yami never openly disagreed. Yugi often found himself agreeing. All his life he played something, and if he didn’t play it, he watched it. Problems had solutions and anything complicated ended up pieced together the way one handled jigsaw puzzles.
Yugi mastered the art of puzzling at a very early age, and his ability introduced him to Yami, and ultimately to Seto Kaiba. Card Dueling helped a great deal too, and when Yugi thought about it, he realized that games were exactly how he got all his friends, and kept a solid social circle. Most duelists did the same, even Kaiba had such a thing whether he admitted it or not.
One day, Yugi sat in his room doing his card organizing ritual, and Yami appeared beside. Such a thing in and of itself happened all the time, but Yami’s eyes lacked the spark he almost always had. Before he could ask why Yami looked worn, he heard a car engine rumble before falling silent.
“That must be Joey,” Yugi said, running out of the room with Yami barely trailing behind him.
Seto Kaiba walked to Grandpa’s card store, his white trench coat trailing behind him like wind itself. He looked as dead as Yami, only he walked with his usual long, confident strides. Yugi managed a few blinks while his nerves tingled with the knowledge that something happened, something bad.
“You must have heard,” Yami said. He walked over to Kaiba, a full head and shoulders shorter, but every bit as sure of his movements. Usually, he stayed within the puzzle, only appearing when absolutely necessary, and even then, he was visible only to Yugi. Now, he acted as if he had his own body and no longer needed to swap places with anyone for any reason.
Kaiba nodded. “It’s why I’m here.”
“What’s going on?” Yugi asked, running to Yami’s side. “What happened?”
“One of the top duelists killed himself this morning,” Kaiba replied. The next words sounded like he had to shove them out. “He took his family with him.”
“What?” Yugi almost fainted. He knew that no duelist had a perfect life, but he never thought that someone would do something like that. Suicide wasn’t unheard of, but taking others? School shooters did that, but not family. At least Yugi thought so, and he shut his eyes, feeling like an anvil fell on his head. “Are they blaming you? Us?”
“No.” Kaiba shook his head. “Not now, at least, but it’s inevitable that someone will try.”
“Like the media,” Yami added.
“But, it’s not anyone’s fault but his!” Yugi pleaded, his heart pounding when he imagined camera flashes, stupid questions, and ending up on the news with talking heads asking them questions. He sighed. “The cards didn’t make him do this. He did it. He’s the one that did it.”
“Yes, Yugi, he did,” Yami replied. “Still, that won’t stop anyone looking for answers.”
“Answers that we have to give,” Kaiba said. “Don’t be surprised if the media hounds you. Actually, it won’t be if, but when. I’m kind of used to it, but you’re not, not like this, so be careful what you say. One wrong word and people will tear you apart.”
“I’d like to know the answers too! I just dueled him last week!” Yugi looked at Yami. “You remember, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course I do.”
“I think he took things way too seriously.” Kaiba narrowed his eyes. “I can understand that.”
Yugi gasped. “You can? All three of us believed that life is just a game!”
Yami looked at Yugi, his piercing eyes almost blank. “Yugi, sometimes life isn’t just a game.”
“For him, it obviously wasn’t,” Kaiba agreed.