"I am Not A Machine."

“I’m not a-” He bit his lip. He couldn’t say he was wanted. Mokuba had point-blank told him he should have stayed dead. They were keeping him around so they could keep an eye on him, not because they cared. He had to be real with himself. 

But that didn’t mean he wanted to hear it from someone else. 

He knew that there were Setos from different dimensions. Logically, there should be other Noahs as well. Was this a Noah from another dimension? What was his like, and how did he get here?

“Seto and Mokuba seem to be doing a good job with Kaibacorp on their own.” He said finally, though he didn’t want to admit it. He hated the resignation and inadequacy it brought with it. 

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.

“I wanted to look like a better Vice President. People didn’t take a long haired gremlin serious… I kind of miss it but there’s good things about not having long hair.” He reached up to run his fingers through it. still messy and unmanageable but the lack of length helped.

“Does it look ok?”

Then, he finally turned to face Mokuba, his face pensive. There were many thoughts swimming around in his mind and they... nearly made him feel human.

“You look older. How a Vice President should look.” He turned back to the window, and ran a finger over the clouded glass.

Noah eyed him wearily. He didn’t like these questions. He wanted to say that he was getting better, but… he hadn’t really noticed any difference. He still stared off into space, he still lost track of time, he still felt…. tired. 

“Why does that matter to you?” he asked, averting the question. “Why are you here? Who are you?”

Where to start, where to start...

“I don’t enjoy seeing someone with my face being treated like some unwanted dog, for one.” He stated simply. He stopped once there was only a few feet between him and crossed his arms.

“Secondly, my name is Noah Kaiba, son of Gozaburo and heir to the KaibaCorp company.”

“No,” he says quickly, maybe too quickly. He looks away. “They’re not- the doctors are here to help me. I’m here to be helped…”

He trails off. His brow furrows, visible because the mop of bangs he had is gone. He’s here so they can fix him, so he won’t get upset and do things like that again. It’s to help him, not punish him… Right? 

He eyed the boy with interest. He might not be the most stable, but that just means he could be used even better. He stepped closer slowly.

The solid image hummed, a familiar sound whenever he showed himself. His back was turned toward Mokuba with no real intention of looking back. His eyes were focused on the rain pelting the windows. “It’s... been a decade since I’ve felt the rain, I think.” 

“Maybe longer. What does it feel like, Mokuba?”

He contemplates his answer as he sits up on bed. He might as well. Sleep was a moot point lately anyway.

“…It’s not that bad.” He answers finally, sidestepping the first part of the question. “It’s almost like a normal bedroom.”

He hummed, the sound vibrating oddly in the dark room. “Doesn’t make it any less good either. A regular bedroom doesn’t have doctors poking and prodding you everyday.”

He doesn’t mind the staring, in fact, he only seems to smile.

“Brother complex?” He visibly cringed. “Don’t say it like that– You’re making Seto sound kind of creepy.”

“I was thinking more before that duel. I know we were in that room watching everyone wander around your virtual world.” Did they just sit there? Did Noah make him play games with him? Noah had been lonely and lacked the ability to spend time with real people so maybe.

“I’m not accusing you of doing anything weird.” Though Seto did tell him Noah stroked his face. But that was just to get under his skin more than anything from the sounds of it. “I guess I just feel uncomfortable having large gaps in my memory.”

“He might not be creepy, but I don’t like him.” A painfully obvious retort but he didn’t bat an eye as he continued on.

“We watched them, yes. I pulled you away to play a few games to kill time.” The corners of his mouth twitched downward before he could stop himself. He crossed his arms, noticeably ending the eye contact.

“I’m surprise you didn’t remember that.” The brainwashing was after it, but perhaps that had lasting effects? Oh well. What’s done was done.

“Soft– like being small and cute. Having a higher chance of getting away with things. Its fun.”

“Well I guess– Aside from using me as a meat shield to win against Seto what happened? I sort of remember Seto saying some harsh things before things got blurry… But I’m assuming that was just some false memories or something you created.”

Well that’s something he couldn’t relate to, but it wasn’t surprising. He missed his opportunity to get away with anything ‘fun’. “...Hm, sure.”

“Those were false memories, correct.” Everything was said and done now, no reason to keep it a secret. “Seto told you some... ‘touching’ things a man with a brother complex would say to their younger brother. It broke through to you, and broke you from my control. I turned you both to stone then.”

“You were part of the ‘been through too much’ you ass. Even if I don’t remember most of what happened. And Seto wasn’t around for a good chunk of it so I didn’t exactly get answers.”

“Just because a bunch of horrible things happened doesn’t mean I’m not still soft.”

“I never said I wasn’t part of it.” Which was true, “If you want to know, just ask me. I was there for-- well, all of it.”

“I’m still soft and fragile. I didn’t ask to be tall and attractive.”

Random strangers had already started to leave creepy letters and gifts. Now he knew what Seto had to deal with.

“Sure, as soon as you stop growing like a giraffe. It’s…unbecoming of you.”

The boy looked over, immediately holding back a sneer. If Seto thought a tan job and some weird clothes would fool him, than he’s even bigger idiot than he initially thought.

It was... rather impressive actually. Still, that didn’t mean he would play along with whatever game he came up with.

“Don’t compare us; I look nothing like you.”