ficlet
For 31_days. Jan 18 prompt: "something familiar about the way they fit together" Ryo and Edo, Dark World, G-rated, gen-ness. In which Edo drops the mask and allows himself to connect.
[YGO isn't mine]
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Edo Phoenix does not connect well with people.
Oh, he's brilliant when it comes to the superficial things. Smile pretty for the camera, shake hands, sign an autograph or five hundred. All of that he can do without batting an eye because there is no depth to any of it. He doesn't have to get to know anyone and, more importantly, he doesn't have to let anyone know him.
There are only three people who truly know (knew) him. His father, DD, and Saiou. And it's obvious how well that worked out for all parties involved. The former two dead, the third institutionalized and Edo....
Edo continued to click along. Not allowing himself to connect with anyone. It's safer that way, after all.
And he would have been happy to stay that way forever, except for this whole insane mess at Duel Academia (and it seems like it's always that place if there's something bizarre going on) involving alternate dimensions and before he knows it he's alone and god knows where with only Hell Kaiser for company. His entire life dependant on just how well he and Marufuji can get along.
Edo is a master pretender, of course, and at first that's all he does. Smiles falsely where Marufuji doesn't even bother to fake it and tries to instigate some kind of a conversation as to where the hell they even are and what they should do.
Marufuji barely even grunts in reply, and soon enough Edo stops trying. Lets the perfectly polished mask that he normally wears as his public face slide away in favour of the short temper burning just underneath the surface. Glowering and cursing Hell Kaiser out and essentially blaming him for the entire mess they're currently stuck in for no reason other than to make himself feel better.
Marufuji all but laughs in his face at the outburst, and if anything that just makes Edo even more furious. Stomping off ahead, fully intent on leaving Hell Kaiser in his dust, and wanting to hit something when the older boy easily keeps pace with him. Strolling along at Edo's side as if there's absolutely nothing amiss.
Once Edo cools down, once he gets everything in perspective, he realizes that it's easier this way. Less exhausting than keeping up the pleasant public face (and really, what reason does he have to impress Hell Kaiser Ryo, anyway?) and in the end safer since it gives him one less thing to worry about.
And if it seems a little too easy, a little too comfortable, getting along with Hell Kaiser after Edo drops the façade.... Well, Edo simply prefers not to think too closely about that. Telling himself that there is only two ways this can end. They'll either make it back home in one piece, whereupon Edo will pretend that the whole insane mess never happened.
Or they'll die here. And whatever (unnerving) ease with which they've connected won't matter one bit.
[YGO isn't mine]
---------------
Edo Phoenix does not connect well with people.
Oh, he's brilliant when it comes to the superficial things. Smile pretty for the camera, shake hands, sign an autograph or five hundred. All of that he can do without batting an eye because there is no depth to any of it. He doesn't have to get to know anyone and, more importantly, he doesn't have to let anyone know him.
There are only three people who truly know (knew) him. His father, DD, and Saiou. And it's obvious how well that worked out for all parties involved. The former two dead, the third institutionalized and Edo....
Edo continued to click along. Not allowing himself to connect with anyone. It's safer that way, after all.
And he would have been happy to stay that way forever, except for this whole insane mess at Duel Academia (and it seems like it's always that place if there's something bizarre going on) involving alternate dimensions and before he knows it he's alone and god knows where with only Hell Kaiser for company. His entire life dependant on just how well he and Marufuji can get along.
Edo is a master pretender, of course, and at first that's all he does. Smiles falsely where Marufuji doesn't even bother to fake it and tries to instigate some kind of a conversation as to where the hell they even are and what they should do.
Marufuji barely even grunts in reply, and soon enough Edo stops trying. Lets the perfectly polished mask that he normally wears as his public face slide away in favour of the short temper burning just underneath the surface. Glowering and cursing Hell Kaiser out and essentially blaming him for the entire mess they're currently stuck in for no reason other than to make himself feel better.
Marufuji all but laughs in his face at the outburst, and if anything that just makes Edo even more furious. Stomping off ahead, fully intent on leaving Hell Kaiser in his dust, and wanting to hit something when the older boy easily keeps pace with him. Strolling along at Edo's side as if there's absolutely nothing amiss.
Once Edo cools down, once he gets everything in perspective, he realizes that it's easier this way. Less exhausting than keeping up the pleasant public face (and really, what reason does he have to impress Hell Kaiser Ryo, anyway?) and in the end safer since it gives him one less thing to worry about.
And if it seems a little too easy, a little too comfortable, getting along with Hell Kaiser after Edo drops the façade.... Well, Edo simply prefers not to think too closely about that. Telling himself that there is only two ways this can end. They'll either make it back home in one piece, whereupon Edo will pretend that the whole insane mess never happened.
Or they'll die here. And whatever (unnerving) ease with which they've connected won't matter one bit.