system failure

And Leonhart wasn’t going to ask about it. They weren’t close, and it really wasn’t his business. For now, it was only something to note and move on from. If Noah wanted to talk about anything, he’d listen, but until then… he was just glad for the company. Although his classmates liked him well-enough, he hadn’t quite gotten into the swing of hanging out with any of them yet. This was nice.

“Oh, okay.” He thought for sure Mr. Kaiba would have wanted him studying more, yet this wasn’t an unreasonable thing either, was it? If nothing else, Leonhart hoped it meant that Noah had enough free time to – “play” sounded like a childish way to put it. Free time to have fun? Relax. He added playfully, “I’ll work hard for both of us, then.”

A nod, giving the pile a cursory glance. “You mentioned last time wanting to teach me? We could start with that.”

“Oh-alright!” Noah smiles, soft but genuine--the first one in a while. It was a happy association--rainy days when one couldn’t go outside were spent playing card games with his tutor or a nursery maid. 

They were fond memories. 

“So, it’s not very complicated,” Noah says as he grabs the regular deck and pulls it out of its sleeve, “in fact, if you like games like Duel Monsters, you might find it a little boring--but I’ve always found it an easy way to pass time without having to think about anything too hard.” 

He removes the jokers and puts them aside. “We don’t need those for this game,” he explained, and began to shuffle. “So we break the deck evenly between us and take turns lying cards in a pile. What card you lay dictates how many cards the other players has to lay down next.”

He cuts the deck and starts dealing cards to both of them, one at a time. “If I lay a Jack, you lay one card. A Queen is two, a King is three, and an Ace is four. If you lay down the cards and don’t get another Face card, I get to pick up the deck. If you do, I have to start laying cards, and it goes back and forth till one of us picks up the stack. If we both lay number cards we just keep going until one of us gets a face.” 

Ah, that was the wrong thing. He should have asked first, and next time he would–especially before jumping to the conclusion that standing equaled an invitation to hug. In retrospect, it really was a silly thing to think, wasn’t it? Awkward, too. Leonhart plopped himself down quietly into the designated chair, hoping it wasn’t too weird.

“Oh, alright, I think? I never realised how many people I actually saw in a day back home–it’s just me now.” Very few people ever asked him that. Still, Leonhart shook his head, offering a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, though. The other kids at school are really nice.”

“What about you? Shouldn’t you be studying, too?”

Noah nodded. “Big houses like these, you’re bound to run into somebody throughout the day.” He was definitely seeing more people now that he’d been moved to the hospice room, but he wasn’t going to mention that.

“Oh- I’ve uh, had to take a short break from schooling,” Noah waved his hand, trying to look nonchalant about it. “But I’m ahead in my studies, so, uh, I’ll be fine. I’m glad to hear you’re getting along well at your school. So-!” 

He leaned backwards and gestured to a small pile of games lying on the corner of his bed. There were a few board game boxes, a deck of regular playing cards, and larger deck box containing Noah’s deck, which had mysteriously been inside the pants pocket of the clothes that had been on him when he materialized into a living body several months ago. 

YGOTOBER 12: Forgotten

Time seems to stop.

“Just remember, if you get in trouble, I was the one who convinced you, alright?” He asked, giving a wink, before grabbing Noah’s hand, and going back towards the stairs from the roof. 

It was amazing, the fact that the arcade was still open after all these years. The same one they’d been to ages ago. 

“Have you ever been to an arcade before, Noah?” He asked brightly. 

“Not in the real world,” he said as they entered. Flashing screens lined walkways, and though it wasn’t crowded for the time of night it was, there were some teens entertaining themselves with air hockey and shooter games. “There was an arcade in the virtual world--it was a very complete replica of Domino. But,” he shrugged, “you can only beat your own high score so many times.” 

He looked around. There was a lot to take in. Older titles, like Pacman, were there, along with newer games he didn’t recognize.

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you are olivedrab #688E23

Your dominant hues are green and yellow. There's no doubt about the fact that you think with your head, but you don't want to be seen as boring and want people to know about your adventurous streak now and again.

Your saturation level is higher than average - You know what you want, but sometimes know not to tell everyone. You value accomplishments and know you can get the job done, so don't be afraid to run out and make things happen.

Your outlook on life can be bright or dark, depending on the situation. You are flexible and see things objectively.

Tagged by: @sethokai

Well, if anyone around here was going to judge doing horrendous things while being more than a little mentally unstable, it wasn’t going to be him–though, part of that was admittedly a desire to just not deal with it anymore, and the fact that this was Kaiba family business, not his. He just lived here. 

“Doesn’t everyone? Want to be left alone, I mean. Not about the other things.” Though the whole losing time thing–maybe not as extreme, and he didn’t pick at his fingers, but losing time was definitely relatable. 

He takes a glance at Noah, and then back towards the city. “Hey, why don’t we get out of this place for a little while? I’m with you, so it should be fine. If not, I’ll take the heat.”

Noah chewed on his lip as he considered. He knew he was allowed to roam around as long as he had someone with him, or at least told someone where he was going, but he didn’t know if that extended to leaving the property. If that wasn’t the case, he didn’t want Atem to get in trouble. But, the opportunity to get out of this stupid house for a while... 

He laughed. He couldn’t stop himself from the sudden atrocity that just made it to his ears.

“They’re doing a ‘good job’ with Kaibacorp? Are you out of your mind?” He closed the rest of the distance, his eyes glowing uneasily in the darkness. His whole body seem to give off a bit of light. A finger jabbed into Noa’s chest insistently as he spoke.

“KaibaCorp was the leading powerhouse of a company when it came to weaponized affairs, from guns to bio weaponry. Since when was stupid flying dragons and children’s entertainment was Father’s top priority?” He sneered as walked away, his hands behind his back. There was a long stretch of silence as he let his words sink in.

“Father was a genius during his time, but he has nothing on us. With us together, we can make him look like some lonely street merchant, pedaling pistols in alleyways.”

“Kaibacorp is still a powerhouse of a company,” Noah leaned away from the poking. “Stop that- It just specializes in benefiting people instead of killing them.”