Sayzie Personal Blog

The Mallorn Trees of Lothlórien

i'm sorry but like

- Kaiba wins. it’s the most narratively compelling option; it proves Atem’s “we’re evenly matched, and you would have won at least half our duels if you weren’t spending so much energy on using me as some kind of weird hate-proxy for your dad” speech right; it’s been 20+ years and he deserves it tbqh

- which creates the perfect setup for a “got what you wanted but not what you need” scenario–finally achieving his goal throws into sharp relief that that isn’t his real desire

- which sets up a juicy and dramatique exchange that goes something like this: “no, I’m not satisfied and I’m not leaving!” “Kaiba you are literally dying as we speak, go home”

- “well I’m not leaving without you so Guess I’ll Die!” (calling back to the Duelist Kingdom rooftop ultimatum)

- “[softening] Kaiba…you have a life to lead. And now that you’ve won–proven yourself–gotten your closure–you can move on with that life” (MW/Ceremonial Duel parallels abound–that’s what people need him for, right? To use him as a symbol, a protector, a rival, until his strength fails and they surpass him, take his torch, and carry on a better life without him?)

- but: “I didn’t come here to duel you!!!” it bursts out, unplanned. he looks almost as surprised as Atem does

- “then…why…?”

- o shit. it’s time to forget what he told Mokuba all those years ago and Let Them See Your Weakness. it’s time to Submit to the Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known. it’s time to pull out the biggest guns yugioh has. it’s time…………….for a Friendship Speech

- it’s impassioned! there’s big dramatic gestures! highly emotional yelling! his coat is swooshing wildly around! I don’t know exactly what he says, tbh, but some themes that definitely come up: 1) some kind of reference to Rishid’s “there is only light in life” speech; 2) “our road of battle doesn’t end here!”; 3) reference to the Battle City tag duel (“you taught me that I deserve to keep living even if I lose, and I am not letting you throw your chip of life away you fucking hypocrite”); 4) “…as a friend”; 5) “…for you.”

- Atem: “o…oh. ;~; ”

- after much soul-searching, angsting about how he has A Destiny and he’s not supposed to Want Things, and possibly a nudge from Mana/Mahad/Shimon, Atem finally takes Kaiba’s hand. in a beam of golden light, they warp to–

- –the spot where Kaiba was last. which was thousands of feet above sea level. they’re falling. Atem’s screaming. Kaiba’s not screaming because he passed out from the effort of Walking the Realm of the Dead. Atem has to tap into the last of his Pharonic Powers, one last time, (he forfeited them when he defied his destiny, although he still has some magic that was learned and not puzzle-granted/innate, i.e. the illusion magic and dark magic that Mahad taught him) to summon Slifer and ferry them down to earth

- those iguanas would like to know what a couple of random unconscious assholes are doing on their island

As part of your financial investments portfolio, you own stock in Kaiba Corporation (NYSE: KCRP). Following the announcement of the new Duel Disk, shares are trading at an all-time high of $413.98. However, its charismatic CEO, Kaiba Seto, is once again on a “leave of absence” for unknown medical reasons and for an indeterminate length of time, and Wall Street analysts generally agree that Kaiba Corporation’s recent investments in space infrastructure were a bad move on his part. The question remains as to whether the Duel Disk and other Kaiba Corporation verticals (e.g., the amusement parks) will be able to sustain Kaiba Corporation despite the undeniable money sink that is the KC-1 Space Station. Kaiba Corporation’s cash position is best described as “unstable” and leverage is higher than average compared to its competitors.

Since its inception, Kaiba Corporation has not been managed so much as it has been ruled by its dynastic chief executives — if they had a family motto, “my way or the highway” would be an apt choice. Their results have been undeniable, although their methods are, delicately speaking, suspect. Analysts note that Kaiba's younger brother, Kaiba Mokuba, filling in as interim CEO, will almost certainly act in lock-step with both his brother’s strategic objectives and the “family legacy” vis-à-vis management style. Given Kaiba’s absence, the company may double down on strategy that favors the status quo: in essence, making sure that when he returns, he will find it just as he left it. If righting the ship now means displeasing the Kaiba family in the future, clear-cut (dare I say “common sense”) solutions will not necessarily be available to decision-makers.

You will have the opportunity to vote on a new board of directors at the next annual shareholders’ meeting. You may choose to retain the current board — essentially a vote for Kaiba’s continued leadership — or vote to remove the current board and replace them with directors who are unlikely to allow Kaiba to continue his reign over Kaiba Corporation. As noted, share price is strong, but the future holds only uncertainty.

Duelist Kingdom

Virtual World 1

Dice World,

Battle City

Virtual World 2 so that what Kaiba just learned in BC can be challenged one more time. Noah revival is optional but could be fun

Mem World

DOMA with Atem and TKB, so that they can process the events of Mem World. Actually I want the Ishtars here too

if I was doing the reshuffling, I might

keep Doma before Memory World (to plant the seeds of Atem questioning his worldview/morals, and to establish how far Kaiba and Atem’s relationship has come (so his reaction to the Ceremonial Duel lands))

Seto’s birthday is October 25th. At the start of the series he’s just entered 10th grade, and the Japanese school year starts in April, which would make him 15 and ½.

In Death-T (which takes place early in the school year) it’s stated that Gozaburo died about six months ago–right around the time Seto turned 15 (the anime sub explicitly sets the takeover on Seto’s birthday).

Duelist Kingdom takes place 6 months after Death-T, and then a time skip brings us to Battle City, which starts shortly after the gang enters 11th grade.