#lmao.............

man whatever

@puzzllcd

 The past is always only one step behind him; close enough to grip him by the collar if he tries to abandon it, but also just out of reach enough to remind him - a little cruelly - that this, too, can disappear. He’s been walking the thin line between remembering and forgetting for so many years that his sense of time is permanently damaged; what’s one or two years receding him? What’s ten? 

What’s Ancient Egypt, a crumbling tomb— - a broken dish in the kitchen when the diner takes on more orders than they can handle and his hands won’t stop shaking with the anxiety that none of this is real? 

He looks to Yugi, who looks at the Time Wizard, and understands that all of this is happening in past tense. They are not saving the world, they are not dueling, the anthropomorphic clock on the card is nothing more but a symbol for times he wants to go back to though, ironically, cannot leave.

The Time Wizard can’t save him anymore. He knows this, but won’t admit it. He just keeps thinking obsessively, if he could just… go back to that time, then… 

                            then… 

                                                              then… 

“I-I thought you would’ve thrown it out or something by now…”

It’s been a decade since they’d first left Domino City. In his memory, he can still smell the scent of the ocean as the wind blows against him, feel the subtle rock of the ship against the waves as they sail onward to Duelist Kingdom. On the balcony deck, Yugi stands beside him. Joey’s showing off the handful of cards he’d gotten through trading and Yugi shares his enthusiasm. They talk about dueling strategy and Yugi lifts the lid of his Millennium Box, before holding out a card. 

( Every time Joey remembers this, it’s imperative that he places Yugi’s smile. )

                        “Here, add this to your deck. It can be helpful in a tight spot!”                  “Thanks, I’ll take it. I can’t get over how you’re always helpin’ me out!”

‘— -…’ The edges of the card have rounded considerably over the years, it’s gloss diminished by the friction of being pulled from the back sleeve of his wallet one too many times. 

‘You rememba’, Yuug’…?’ He wants to say, but there’s a knot in his chest. He just wants to go back. He just wants to feel the island breeze, the little starships in his palm– - not this. This is the dangerous crossroad where nostalgia fantasy becomes taint with present contrast. It’s something Joey can’t handle, so he tears the flesh on the inside of his cheek ( he’d rather bleed than cry ), and turns away. He doesn’t want to commit such a sad reunion to memory. 

Through his teeth, he lies… unsure for whose sake.

> gonna work on character sheets to get some things ironed out

> hey didn't i make character sheets once upon a time? i should look at those, maybe there's something useful

> oh cool i found them, let's see here...

> "character sheet for [name] as of 29 april 2002"

> ...