d u e l h e a r t e d

He noticed this guy dropping his deck and was quick to be over there, picking up a few cards, without even looking at them, “You should treat your deck a little better then that sir.”

There was no arguing that. As they both picked up the high schooler’s deck, Yuugi made sure to brush his cards off and examine them from any scratches. He briefly considered putting his cards in protective sleeves.

“Huh? Nah, it ain’t me who called ya here. Must be someone else.”

It can’t be Jou! After all, he had very neat hand writing. –Okay. Maybe not so neat… It was legible though!

“But hey! Fancy seeing you here! Whatcha doin’? Did someone write you a messy love letter?”

@setoism​

So he was to be left in suspense for longer? Pursing his lips to one side, he gave the hand written letter another read over, then held it out to Jounouchi.

       “ You mean this call out. . . Is actually aー? ”

@duelhearted​

Everything was set in place. The heir to the clan of the tombkeepers had had plenty of time to prepare, to arrange his relocation to Japan after gathering enough information to designate his target— Yugi Mutou… the one currently in possession of the Millennium Puzzle, and the likely vessel of the nameless Pharaoh to whom Malik’s clan had sworn lifelong servitude. He visibly cringed, gritting his teeth as the thought of his birth-given ‘purpose’ filled him with contempt. Once the detestable Pharaoh had regained the memories that cruelly decorated his own flesh, the Ishtar family’s mission to guide this mysterious king would be fulfilled, and to the Pharaoh and those that sided with him, the tombkeepers were surely as good as dead once that purpose had been served.    

Malik clutched the handle of his bookbag with a tightening grip, mentally preparing himself for the start of his plan’s most crucial phase— from now on, he would be in the presence of the enemy, the Pharaoh’s vessel, and, very likely, the spirit of the Pharaoh, himself. At the teacher’s call, Malik sighed in an attempt to release whatever tension he could prior to his introduction, and reached for the door handle, pulling it open and casually approaching the front of the room.

“My name is Malik Ishtar,”  he announced to the class, sharp eyes immediately darting to the only reason he was standing there at this very moment: Yugi.  “It’s a pleasure…”

The mere mention of a new transfer student was more than enough to get the entire class murmuring and whispering about their newest peer. They hadn’t even arrived yet and already the gossip had sprung up: what were they like? where had they come from? why were they transferring so late in the year? Students simply loved anything that deviated from the humdrum everyday nature of school.

While Yuugi wasn’t the kind to partake in gossip, he couldn’t deny the thrill of curiosity and excitement that thrummed through him. To him, a new student meant one thing: a potential new friend.

When the door opened at their sensei’s call, the class fell into a buzzing kind of silence, every pair of eyes glued onto the figure who entered the room. The chatter started up again once the new student introduced himself, mostly concerned around his unusual-sounding name and its potential origins, but Yuugi found himself staring directly across at him.

Their eyes had locked.

Hearing the buzz from his classmates, the shadow too found himself warm with excitement. The shadow echoed the new student’s name in his head. In his own accented tones, it didn’t sound quite right but if he practised it before striking up conversation, he’d get it right. Lips tugging into a friendly smile, he wondered about the likelihood of them having a nice conversation or sharing a lunch break together. If Ishtarさん enjoyed games, then perhaps they could play one together some time.

Tagged by: @kaginokioku​ (wink-wonks this is another blog of the wife’s) Tagging: @katsuragi-yako​ @hostofthering​ @puzzllcd​ @pharahos​

Anime Hair: His tri-colored hair is among the most famous examples of this style.

The Chosen One: The chosen solver and wielder of the Puzzle - the "Guardian of the Shadow Games".

Helpless Good Side: Until Millennium World Arc. He took levels in badass in the manga's version of the Dungeon Dice Monsters arc (Dragons, Dice & Dungeons).

Morality Pet: Starts out as this for Dark Yugi, who becomes less ruthless over time.

Perky Goth: Wears leather, a dog collar, has crazy hair... and is very cute, cheerful and kind.

Retool: In an author's note in the front of one of the manga, Takahashi comments that when brainstorming the concept for Yu-Gi-Oh!, he wanted to make it a horror series at one point. Going off of this, it's possible that Dark Yugi was intended to be just a vengeful ancient spirit or another facet of Yugi the Puzzle brought out, especially in the first episodic manga volume. Then the series settled down into an arc-based manga, so his character changed pretty dramatically. This is especially jarring when comparing the early and later manga, or the manga and the anime (also applies to Kaiba and the psychosis levels of most of the early bullies).

The Ace: He's introduced as the stronger counterpart to Yugi, being essentially invincible at every game he plays. Dark Yugi has saved people or the world countless times, simply by being that good a duelist. Also applies to his past self - he was very skilled in both sorcery and combat, and though he could not defeat Zorc, he created a seal strong enough to hold him for 3,000 years and with the failsafe of his name as the final but lost key in case the Puzzle was ever solved. Played up in derivative media like Capsule Monsters, where he does some impressive acrobatics.

Catch-Phrase:In the first series anime: "Saa, geimu no jikan da!" which translates to "It's game time!"In the second series anime: "Sore wa dou kana." which translates to "We'll see about that."The English dub also gave him "It's time to duel!"

Celibate Hero: Implied. Unlike Yugi, he never shows any romantic interest in girls, and there's no indication that he actually reciprocates Anzu's feelings for him. In fact, he eggs Yugi on about going out with her (and suggests clothing that would make him look cool for her - like silver, hence the Japanese silver meme). Also, according to the Millennium World arc, he never took a wife when he was the Pharaoh.

A voice, almost soundless compared to the voice of this other self’s reached his mind. The shadow recognised it as one of the many thoughts that Yuugi unknowingly shared between the two of them. Curious to know if it worked the other way around, he pondered to himself.

       ( Can you hear me like this too I wonder? 　　　　  　‘Hah… You would think of me as your friend too? )

A smile ghosted across his lips.        “ Every time you feel fear, sadness, anger, those feelings reach me.          Whatever is worrying you, I can hear it. As long as you wear the          puzzle, I can help you. You can call me, and I will come. With your          help, we can conquer whoever- whatever stands in our way together. ”

       ( No more Ushios. No more Kokuranos.                                …But what of Kaibas? Shadis?                                                  … I must do what I can.                  No one will trespass into the territory of our hearts.                                                     Not without paying the price. )

His tense shoulders softened. The relief that things were going to be easier, that they had some kind of understanding, that he could better protect Yuugi was immense; well needed. The shadow only wished that they could have done so sooner. Maybe his other self wouldn’t have had to go through as much hardship. Maybe he wouldn’t be so uncertain.

Just as he was unaware of the fact that his private admittance of the tiny bud of friendship that had begun to sprout between the two of them had been heard by the one on the other side of the door, Yuugi was unable to hear the thoughts that had been gently aimed in his direction. Despite this, he was able to catch the edge of the emotions that lived within that attempt at communication. Gratitude? Relief? Happiness? Whatever it was, it settled over Yuugi like a comforting blanket on a chilly winter’s day.

                     [ You can call me, and I will come. ]

          ‘ I-I don’t know about conquer... ’ he said with a shaky laugh, making his wobbly way back up onto his feet. Conquering enemies? Those were almost the words of a knight -- or a king. ‘ But I’m sure if -- if we’re working towards the same thing... we can make something work. ’

The room was gradually brightening, though Yuugi could detect no visible light source. As it became revealed to him, he became enamoured with the giddy thought that this was no prison, but a playground. Toys and games and other such exciting things “decorated” the floor of the increasingly more cosy and inviting room. And yes, his hand was now able to close around the handle that had appeared on the door. It was not without some nervousness that Yuugi tugged it downwards, wondering -- wondering -- if this was the moment when he would come face-to-face with the other whose soul shared his body--

--but instead, Yuugi was presented with a seemingly endless corridor -- and another door that could not have been more different from his. Made of solid and uninviting metal -- etched with the same Egyptian eye symbol that could  be found on the Puzzle. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of room lay behind a door like that.

     Accepting the cube absently, Yuugi stared down at the brightly-colored toy. Between the two of them, it was nearly complete – a testament to what it meant to use teamwork when it came to solving a problem. It wasn’t even as though he’d needed the help (there was a trick to solving these, after all) and yet…

     He felt better for it. Whether that was because of the cube itself or the company he was keeping remained to be seen.

          Who would have guessed that talking to himself could actually prove to be a soothing way of passing the time? Elsewhere, he slept (he was pretty sure his body was asleep), but here, his thoughts raced and tumbled, water over a ledge stirred into a chaotic mass on the rocks below.

     Yuugi nodded, slowly twisting the sides of the cube at last. Colors slipped by as he worked, the steady click click click almost calming in the room. “Every time I think I understand exactly how it works, I learn more,” he said, laughing a little. “–but you’re right. I’m really glad this is one of its abilities.”

     Talking to himself had never been more literal, had it?

     Fingers pausing, he glanced at his other self, aware of the subtle way he was trying to fish. It seemed that the younger Yuugi understood the idea of not wanting to know too much about his own future – and yet he still wanted to help.

          “Ah, well, you know…” Hearing that from himself made it somehow more real. “It’s… It’s hard to burden our friends like this, when they’re already struggling so much with their own issues, you know?” Even now, even though this was himself, Yuugi felt a pinch of guilt for unloading so much of his fears.

     It was funny, though. His other self had really hit the nail on the head, hadn’t he?

The soul room was said to be a representation of the true self -- and indeed this somewhat chaotic environment that looked as though Kame  Game had been turned on its head did them justice. Youthful -- perhaps  eternally so -- at heart, always looking for new and exciting things to  entertain themselves with, and perhaps just a little on the disordered side.  With their words, thoughts, and reassurances passed back and forth between the two of them like the Rubik’s Cube, Yuugi could almost feel his thoughts becoming more ordered in unison with each completed  block of colours. They’d created their own metaphor. 

          ‘ Mmmmm... ’ Though he didn’t like it, Yuugi couldn’t help but  agree. He’d always found it difficult to ask for help -- hated the thought of putting any unnecessary pressure on the people he called friends. Silly, really, considering offering comfort and advice was one of the things  friends were for. ‘ Hahaha... it’s not very sensible of us, is it? At the very least, it looks like we’ll always have ourselves to talk to. ’

Whether that was their “other self” or literally them, it seemed. 

Yuugi lifted a hand and gently placed it on his older self’s upper arm, smiling up at him. 

A soft trembling chuckle rolled between Ryou’s lips. He felt bad, really, making the other do this kind of thing for him instead of enjoying his break. Though, without any doubt, if not Yuugi, Ryou would have ended up stuck in the nurse’s office one way or another. There was only so much time the one could ignore a bleeding hand.

“I will… pay more attention from now…?” He offered, inspecting the neat wrap of bandage around his hand. Fingers closing lightly over it, he studied their limited movement, and the way they stuttered under the prickles of pain. - Was this poor condition obvious for the other, Ryou didn’t know, but with another question making it to him, he was already brushing it off like a habit.

“It’s not so bad. I could use some, but don’t worry- Let me, ah, let me help with it first” He was stubborn like that, and he was already reaching for the paper towel to wipe some other minor spot on the floor.

          ‘ Thank you. ’ He nodded his head briefly at Bakura’s words, dearly hoping that his friend would be able to stick to them. And if not. . . well, it looked like Yuugi would have to start bringing enough medical supplies for two. That he didn’t mind so much, though it would be awkward to have to explain why he had an entire first aid kit in his backpack if anyone else  happened to find out about it. . . 

Yuugi’s mouth opened to protest as Bakura immediately started helping out with the cleaning process, but then it gently shut again. He knew how it felt: to desperately want to make yourself less of a burden on other people.

          ‘ Here you go, ’ he supplied, handing over the packet of medication. ‘You can keep that, okay? Do you still want to go to the nurse’s office? ’