Positive Memory - VoidTreckers

[luckydragonsfoot]

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he was wondering if this was going to actually work out well at all. It was, after all, as he'd overheard on the roof.

Kaiba was Kaiba, Seto was Seto. Nothing was going to change her attitude in things. In a sense he woudn't have had it any other way, but...

He sighed, looking at the deck he was holding in his hands. "Nyhhhhh... Should have just tried messin' with th' silver wire..." At that thought he turned to the desk at the side where the silver wire in question sat, half bent into a series of shapes and occasionally dotted a rusty red. Yeaaah...

Maybe on Christmas.

"Hey, Katsuya-nii..!" Dammit.

The blond shook his head, grabbing his duel disk from the side and fastening it on his arm before answering the door. "Yeah, I'm comin'..! Where's Seto-chan?"

Mokuba held his hands behind his head, jerking it slightly to the side. "She's in her study already..." he grumbled, huffing. "I'll make sure she gets out though, don't worry! You just get to the yard okay?"

He nodded. "Righ'." There were probably plenty of other rooms with space for this (actually, he KNEW there were rooms with enough space), but somehow it seemed like it'd be more fun outside... "She's got 'er duel disk..?"

The boy snorted. "What made you think she goes anywhere without it..?" Hahahaha...

"Point," he responded under his breath, laughing. "Alrigh' then! Don' make me wait long!" he called out, the two heading their separate ways as Mokuba nodded.

"I could say the same to you Katsuya-nii!"

"EH?" What-

What did that even mean, what-!

He didn't even catch a glimpse of what it meant, in the end. Certainly not before he got to the backyard, and not before he began wandering the relatively clear space between the mansion and the line of trees that came before the horse's field.

Which was alright for him he supposed. He wasn't about to fret over it for now, and so instead he stood around with his hands in his pockets to wait. Duel disk on, deck in place... A breeze of wind blew toward his back as he stood, and with it a few fallen leaves to catch his eye.

...Shit. He knew it was Seto's birthday but...

Was it really the middle of fall already? It was just one of those things that hadn't occurred; something he hadn't bothered paying attention to between screwing around with the others and sitting around for his job.

...Also dreams, he supposed, but ehhhhhhhhhhh-

"Are you serious."

He jumped, turning at the sound of Seto's unimpressed voice. True to Mokuba's word, she was there with her duel disk. Didn't look happy about it of course, but she was there.

Katsuya grinned. "Hehe... What! Y' said you'd duel me sometime, didn't yah?"

The woman merely stared, light glare unchanging. "I hardly expected you to take advantage of that moment today," she growled, crossing her arms. "Particularly out here."

He shrugged. "Whaaat, y' have a better idea f'r a location?"

"Inside the ball room, one of the basement rooms... To list a very small few of many options," Seto answered dryly.

"Eh." Another shrug. "Here works jus' as well righ'? B'sides, th' leaves look great righ'? Lot more colourful than a plain green!"

The frown persisted, but in the end she snorted. "Tch. You're lucky I have nothing better to do then, 'Mutt'... I think I might just humor your challenge. Perhaps knock you down a rung or too after the ego boost you received from the tournament." Hahaha...

Oi oi, they were technically tied for third in Battle City weren't they? Eh.

Whatever. "Yeah yeah... It ain't a challenge, jus' a duel you know!"

"Hn." Oiiiiii... "Lets just get this over with then," she decided, holding out her duel disk. "You want a duel? Then you'll have one! I'm not about to turn this down..." she leered, eyes sparking with an almost threatening gleam. He just about shuddered at that. C-Casual though, it was just casual..!

(Did the word exist in her dictionary?)

In the end he didn't bother asking, instead nodding and grinning as his own disk clicked on. "Yeah!" Decks shuffled, and cards were drawn-

Of course, since Seto had long since activated her disk she went first. And he figured that was only fair, with her birthday and all. He'd... Probably not win in the end. Just a gut feeling really. "Well- yer move, birthday girl!"

...He probably shouldn't have said that.

Immediately Seto stiffened, a light frown becoming a thick scowl. "Oh just wait," she snarled. "You're about to learn exactly what a real duel is!" Awwwww shit he really shouldn't have said- "I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered!" she announced, slapping the card to the disk as a tablet of stone arose from the ground; crafted almost from the ground that was truly there it seemed, the stone that appeared was coated with a layer of moss and grass along the top. The monster that thundered through however did not appear to pay it any mind, merely shaking his head with a roar as he prepared for battle. "I then set two cards and end my turn!"

The second set of tablets rose to a similar guise behind the Ryu-Kishin, and as he looked over the blank faces he smirked. Heh. This beat a table top match any day! "Alrigh'... Y'r gonna have t' do better than tha' though!" he laughed, slipping his first card to the disk. "I summon Gearfried in attack mode!" As the tablet rose his grin grew, the iron knight cracking his knuckles in anticipation. "Too bad f'r you," he added with a laugh. "Those traps ain't gonna work on Gearfried!" Not if they were her usual at least..! So!

"Ready when you are..."

"Gearfried!" Katsuya announced- "Attack!"

"Hnhnhnhn.." As the monster charged his summoner froze, watching as his opponent smirked. "Really... The cards aren't intended to effect your monster... Activate trap!" she announced, the first of blank tablets crumbling into a lens that forced the light around Ryu-Kishin to shrink and distort. "Shrink! Ryu-Kishin's life points are halved," she announced, Gearfried's bladed arms easily skewering the beast as a noxious gas slowly erupted from the resulting wound. "And with his destruction, the Crush Card Virus is activated!"

"NGH-"

The gas filled the field and immediately Katsuya brought his arm to his face, coughing as the wind blew it over the field. Wheezing, the Iron Knight on his side of the field collapsed in a fit, and the blond moaned as his tablet crumbled as well. "Awwwwww..." Nooooooooo... He looked to the other cards in his hand, sighing as their images appeared to blacken. At the same moment, other cards were being spat from his deck... And with yet another resigned sigh he started sending them to the grave. "Sorry ev'ryone..."

Across from him his opponent merely snorted, still smirking. "'Sorry'..? I would think a weak duelist would have plenty of weak monsters; this just enforces that!" she laughed.

"Bah! I still got plenty 'f strategies t' combat y' Seto-chan!"

"Katsuyaaaaaaa..." Okay maybe he should just not use her name for most of this match, urk-

"Go on!" he called out, cutting off whatever scathing remark she was prepared to make. "Make yer move!"

"Hn..." The woman rolled her eyes, sighing. "Such a boring duel... Very well! I draw!" she announced, doing just that. While Seto looked over her hand, Katsuya had to swallow. Okay so he SAID he had something but...

Well.

He was still defenseless dammit! "I summon La Jinn!" Seto called, a new tablet rising as the ethereal deity materialized from the stone. "Attack him directly!" Awwwww craaaaap...

"Khu- Kah...!" Still coughing from the virus he grimaced, watching as the jinn nodded and charged. With a fist raised it prepared his attack, expression impassive and-

Dust met his face, and as his coughing fit increased the jinn snorted and crossed his arms. "Mmn! Pathetic!" the monster decided, Katsuya's points dropping by 1800 as it shifted back to his place. "I merely blew upon you!"

Oh be quiet man, he was too busy dealing with potential lung infection. "Planning on discarding a few internal organs with those coughs?" While the blond frowned, she continued. "Really... Didn't you know fools can't catch colds?"

"Yeah yeah... Imagine if it really was a cold!" The woman seemed to stiffen briefly at that, and in the pause resulting he drew his next card. "Whatever- 's my turn!" And with the cards in his hand now, he mentally crossed his fingers. "First, I summon th' Swordsman of Landstar!" he announced, tablet rising before the card could even be placed. "An' next..." Please work please work please work... "Graceful dice!"

As the tablet rose and the angelic imp floated forth from newly carved stone, Seto rolled her eyes from across them. "Hn... You can't win everything with luck, Mutt!"

"Heh... I c'n still try can't I?" ...Okay not the best comeback but- "Watch!" he shouted, the die falling from the imp's hands. "Th's roll's gonna set things right!" Bounce... Bounce... Four! The swordsman's blade glowed with power, and Katsuya pumped a fist in cheer. "WHOO! Alrigh'! Landstar! Attack th' Jinn!" he ordered, the swordsman's increased power more than enough to cut down the beast before them to inflict a little more damage to already cut down points.

His opponent merely scowled. "Hn... Don't get so excited yet," she drawled, drawing her card as it came to turn end for Katsuya. "The duel isn't over..." Briefly she looked over her hand, eyes snapping up as she prepared to make her move. "If anything, we've just begun!" As she spoke yet another tablet appeared, again rising from the earth around them before crumbling away to reveal the image of what lay within. "I summon the Blade Knight," Seto cried, the armored man stepping out with a loud crunch of leaves beneath his feet. "And I attack the Swordsman of Landstar!"

"Ngh-" Bracing himself for the backdraft he averted his gaze, the mute soldier giving a single sharp cry as the opponent cut through.

"HN!" The knight snorted, giving one swish of his blade before replacing it in his sheath. "Bring out a real opponent next time, Ancient!" Tch. Ancient this ancient that...

...Was everything in Seto's deck like this! Across from him another tablet arose, his opponent calmly setting another card. "One card face down," she stated, apparently calming slightly with the move in her favor. She fixed a triumphant smirk Katsuya's way, arms crossed once more. "End turn!"

"Heh." Despite the severe blow to his lifepoints he had to grin, a fact that had his opponent's own expression freeze just slightly. What... Surprised to see him in this kind of mood? She had a lot to learn, didn't she? "My turn then!" he announced with a laugh. "Y' might 've cut me down, but I'm jus' getting' warmed up here..!"

"Warmed up with nearly a quarter of your life points remaining?" she responded dryly, a somewhat cruel smirk joining her words.

He stiffened somewhat at that, but shook it off. "Oi oi... Jus' watch..! I summon th' Little Winguard in attack mode!" he called out, tablet rising as Seto frowned.

"...Is this some moronic attempt at strategy, Mutt?"

Even the Winguard seemed to take one look across the field before giving a loud 'eep!' at her chances, looking back with wide eyes. "Please say yes, please say yes..!!"

Ahahaha... Oi oi, what did she take him for? "Maybe," he said instead, taking another card from his hand as he winked at his monster. "Why not see f'r yerself? I play th' magic card Legendary Sword!" he began, his monster jumping as her own blade began to glow. "An' with tha', I att-"

"Activate set card 'Absorb Spell'!" Seto countered loudly, Katsuya's smile locking in place as it 'cracked' in a sense. "Diverting your 'power up' to the Knight!" she finished with a grin, the glow fading from Winguard's sword as it transferred to the Blade Knight instead. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Nice try 'Mutt'... But not quite..." BAHHHHH.

Like that was going to get him! "Mannnnn... You f'rget my name again? Mutt this mutt that..." he joked, shaking his head as he took another card, "Maybe I oughtta think 'f somethin' f'r you!"

"...Try it," she snarled almost immediately, her opponent stiffening. "And you'll see what happens."

"AHEHEHEEee... I set one card," he decided to say in the end, coughing a little uneasily as the Winguard in front of him swallowed. "End turn!"

"Um. I hope you have a good idea Katsuya," the Winguard said with a swallow, "Because I could have at least gone into defense..." Ahahaha...

Eugh, bit late for that reminder...

Well, he'd hope that there wouldn't be an attack at least. He swallowed, watching Seto draw her next card.

Looked like he got his wish. "Hnhnhnh... Not afraid of an attack are you?" she chuckled, looking across as he stiffened.

"Nyhhhh... Jus' a little!"

The woman's smirk grew. "Too bad! I can do much worse after all- I pay 1000 lifepoints to play this," she announced, a new tablet rising at the side where her now destroyed spells once stood. "Enemy Controller!" Shit. "I take control of the Little Winguard," she continued with a grin, "And while I could sacrifice both of these monsters," the woman went on, Katsuya grimacing as the large device appeared from the earthenwork to seemingly 'zap' his monster into a drone like state, "I think I'll play this..."

...Dammit. "Cost down!" As the next tablet rose and crumbled the dust seemed to shoot toward Winguard, covering her completely as the monster slowly walked toward Seto's side of the field. "And with that done, I only need one sacrifice for this! WATCH!" she cried, "This is a real monster! I summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

In an instant the Little Winguard crumbled into the ground, vanishing into nothing but a rising flow of dust to form a new, larger tablet. Despite the darkened soil and moss however, the dragon which broke through the stonework was as white as its name, and completely untarnished by the ground. She stepped forth with a loud, song-like roar that had both Katsuya and Seto herself looking toward her magnificence, before the great white dragon took her position at her master's side.

The look on Seto's face made it relatively obvious what she was about to do. "Hnhnhn... It seems our duel didn't last too long!" she laughed, pointing her dragon forward. "Exactly as I expected...! Now.. Blue Eyes!" she called, the dragon taking a deep breath as she looked toward Katsuya. "BURST STREAM..!"

"HAH-!" A resounding slap entered the air as he activated the tablet at his side, palm stinging just slightly as a pair of small lambs tumbled out from the once blank stone. "Act'vate th' set spell... Scapegoat!" The first leaped directly before him, taking the hit directly and becoming naught but ashes in an instant. The second however, gave a loud bleat before curling up near his feet, the blond giving it a brief look before turning back to his opponent with an expression of grit determination.

"Hn! Of course you would have that," the woman sighed in response, as though this new development was only barely delaying some other plan. Fingering her one card for a mere moment she pointed her other monster forward, the scapegoat at Katsuya's feet standing with a jolt. "Blade Knight gains 400 attack points due to his effect," she announced, the monster's blade seeming to glow with still more power from the barely existing hand of cards in Seto's grip. "NOW! ATTACK!"

"HnnnnHAH-!" As the monster charged the scapecoat leaped into his path, cleaved easily in two as another lamb came to take his place. Speaking not another word the knight moved to take his position again, Katsuya swallowing. Alright...

No monsters with more than 1500 attack points in his deck, annnnd... ...Blue Eyes right across from him. Shit.

Not good he thought to himself, drawing the 'Battle Warrior' and preparing his next move with a sigh. "Hahhh... Set one card," he announced as it came to his turn, a blank tablet coming to his side as another rose almost directly in front of him. "An' after tha', Battle Warrior in defense mode- End turn!"

"Really, your delays are getting worse the longer this goes," his opponent 'scolded', triumphant smirk still fixed in place.

"Tch!" He snorted. "As if..! You jus' wait an' see what I've got in store," he added, his own smirk coming into existence. Maybe he didn't have any strong monsters, but he had a plan...

He just hoped to hell it worked! "My turn," Seto called out, drawing her next card and giving it one look before placing it on the field. "I play the spell Card of Demise!" she announced, Katsuya staring with somewhat wide eyes from across her. She'd be able to draw until she had five cards his mind told him, watching as Seto did just that.

...Provided she discard it all in five more turns...

"I'll be sure to destroy you before this card's effect comes in full force," the woman stated, as though realizing just what was on her opponent's mind. "Until then... I summon the Kaiser Seahorse!" she announced, tablet rising and crumbling almost as quickly as she made the summon. Covered in violet and sea blue armor the almost coral-like knight stepped forward, giving nothing more than a scoff at what lay across him on the field. "And then I attack! GO!" she ordered, the knights charging forward as the last of the scapegoat bleated in defense. While both were cleaved in two their tablet shattered entirely, before that of the Battle Warrior's followed beneath the fires of Blue Eyes herself. "If you intend to prove me wrong Katsuya, you'd best do so quickly," she laughed, apparently not catching her slip as the blond before her briefly stared in surprise. "Because it looks as though your next turn will be your last..! Unless of course," she added almost idly, "You intend to give up..."

His grin could probably have rivaled a few of Seto's really. "Hehehehe... As if, Seto-chan!" Drawing his next card he set it on the duel disk immediately, tablet rising from the ground only to buckle and spin as it formed an ever familiar grinning faced pot. "I play Pot of Greed!" he announced, drawing his next two cards as the pot in question crumbled into two more tablets. "An I've got jus' what I need... Firs' though, I'm activatin' my trap!" the blond shouted, hooded imp leaping from the tablet to begin digging at the ground in an instant. "Graverobber! I pay 1000 lifepoints t' activate th' effect of yer very own 'Enemy Controller," he continued, his opponent going white. "DESTROYIN' BLUE EYES!"

...This was probably not a good idea.

"WHAT..!" As the controller took effect the dragon roared, clutching her head immediately- in but an instant however, there was no head to grab. Instead the dragon dissolved just as the Little Winguard before, vanishing into a wash of dust on the ground. "Blue Eyes... YOU..."

"I ain' finished yet," Katsuya continued, catching his breath as the lifepoint train took effect. "I play th' spell Monster Reborn..! Bringin' Blue Eyes White Dragon t' MY side of th' field!" The roar that met his ears was incredible, and for a brief moment it drowned out the snarl from across him. The tablet of the dragon rose tall behind him as the ankh of the spell appeared, drowning the field in a brilliant teal light. With a singing roar the dragon launched forth from her tablet, soaring through the air before landing protectively at his side. Once more, the dragon roared... But it seemed calming almost, and perhaps even reassuring. And as Katsuya stared the dragon briefly rubbed her head against his, before batting his hand with it. "Ah- Alrigh, Alrigh'," he muttered, giving the beast a slight pat on the head. "Er..."

"Get your hands of my DRAGON!" his opponent roared, the blond swallowing somewhat uneasily. Okay, this really could have gone a little better but...

"She ain't yours righ' now!" he instead countered, pointing the dragon forward. "An' b'sides tha', she doesn' seem t' have any problems with fair play!"

"YOU..." OKAY HE SHOULD PROBABLY SHUT UP NOW.

"ATTACK TH' BLADE KNIGHT!" he called out, the dragon rearing as she prepared to send a blast of flame forward. "BURST STREAM!"

"Ugh." As the fires flew across the field, the Blade Knight seemed to almost sigh in resignation. "At least you got the damn attack name right..." O-Oi oi...

It wasn't like he did that for EVERYTHING he attacked with right?

As the fires cleared he tried not to pay too much attention to the livid expression on Seto's face, instead placing one more card on the field. "I summon th' Hayabusa Knight in d'fense mode," he stated clearly, the smaller tablet rising up with the carving of the bird headed knight at his side. "End turn! Maybe y' shouldn' assume th' end of a duel so quick!" he added, smirking again as Seto continued to glare. "Anythin' can happen..!"

"Ahh..." Oh shit. As Seto clenched her fists and looked across the field he felt himself pale again, before the woman settled with drawing her next card. "You're right... 'Anything' can happen..." Why did that not sound like an agreement. "You made one very... Very... Big mistake though," she continued lowly, Katsuya silently cursing under his breath as Blue Eyes seemed to look down at him in mild (and potentially amused) worry. "You. DO NOT. TOUCH. BLUE EYES! I still have Kaiser Seahorse!" she roared, pulling it from the disk and sending it to the grave as she made her move. "And he accounts for two sacrifices for any Light monster! SO WATCH," the woman snarled, another tablet rising in song as the Kaiser Seahorse crumbled. "I sacrifice the Kaiser Seahorse to summon my second Blue Eyes... AND NOW, MUTT," she continued in rage, "I'M SENDING YOU TO HELL!"

"S-Sheeesh..! C-Calm down," he laughed uneasily, the other dragon roaring just as threateningly. "'S not tha' big a deal!"

"Oh it is..! ATTACK!" she ordered, the first of the dragons immediately charging a blast in retaliation as the second launched their flames. "BURST... STREAM!"

Ducking under his arms the white flames encompassed the entirety of the field, blinding him just long enough that by the time he looked up with spots in his eyes the field was cleared of both the dragons. "Holy shit," he groaned, holding his head. "I get tha' they mean a lot t' yah but..."

"But nothing," she spat, setting another card to the field. "I play the Monster Reborn, bringing Blue Eyes back to the field!" As the tablet that had been destroyed so often again returned Seto narrowed her eyes, her dragon soon appearing to her side with an apparently similar outlook on the match. "There's only one place for Blue Eyes," she continued, almost spitting on the ground as she roared. "UNDERSTAND?"

"I GET IT..!"

"And the next time you even THINK of dueling-"

"We hav'n even finished this one yet..!"

"Blue Eyes should never even be anywhere NEAR your HAND-"

"AAAAAUGH-"

"Aouuuuuuuunnnnnn..." The pair jumped, turning as the white dragon on the side yawned.

"Eh... W's tha'..."

Seto said nothing, merely staring at her dragon with an expression that almost resembled embarrassment before turning back to the field with a stiff frown. "Tch. This duel is going to be over with in just one move more," she hissed, crossing her arms. "My turn is over! Lets see what 'defense' you come up with now..."

"Hahhhhh..." Saved. He was just saved by a yawning dragon, really...

What the hell had his life come to... Nonetheless he swallowed, drawing his next card. Baby Dragon... Well, he needed to get something on the field right? "Baby Dragon in d'fense mode!" he announced, one more tablet rising in front of him for a shield. "End turn!"

"Is that all?" The blond merely stared across the field in silence, and Seto snorted. "Blue Eyes will swallow those two whole! But first," she laughed, taking the card she'd drawn and giving it a minute glance, "Stop Defense!"

Awww hell. As the monsters were forced from their tablets the Hayabusa knight shook himself, a light screech escaping him before he drew his sword. He couldn't speak, as it seemed- but he looked back to his summoner with a single look and nodded, as though already knowing what was planned. Across from them, Blue Eyes prepared for attack...

And Katsuya prepared to counter. "GO BLUE EYES," Seto ordered. "BURST STREAM!" As the fires blasted the ground his side of the field was briefly obscured from view, the blond barely able to grope around for his blank tablet to activate it. But as the smoke cleared, it was plain to see what had been activated- and Seto's scowl increased.

"Hah... Nutrient Z!" he laughed, grinning despite the bizarre shock to his system the tablet had just given him. "I migh' not have much points left r'gardless, but it's more then what you've got!”

"Tch..." The woman merely narrowed her eyes, slipping another card into the disk. "I set one card and end my turn," she then decided, expression otherwise unchanging. "Your move." Ahahahah Good god she could make anything menacing, couldn't she...

He drew his next card, a wry smile on his face as he realized what it was. Time Wizard... This was his chance then! A long shot, but it was his chance! "I play th' TIME WIZARD!" he roared, tablet rising the instant its name was called. And as the wizard hopped forward, staff held toward the sky he continued. "Let's work some magic!" The dial spun. The hand of the wheel blurred and the symbols with it as the arrow passed over it, Katsuya swallowing as he watched for the result. Red... Black... Red... Black... It was a fifty fifty shot, and if it could land in his favor...

...Crown.

"YEAAAAAAH!" The Baby Dragon before him immediately began to grow- bones cracking and skin hardening as it slouched over, a beard growing as the beast quickly dwarfed much of the field. "An' because of th' effect," Katsuya laughed, looking across the field, "Blue Eyes is-"

His grin fell, watching as a smirk came over Seto's own face. Another trap. Interdimensional Matter Transporter. "Recognize this card?" she asked, the Blue Eyes White Dragon shimmering back into existence with a snarl. "You'll never defeat me with a gambling deck! And now that it's my turn this is the end!" As still more tablets rose from the ground the Thousand Year Dragon moaned, narrowing blind eyes in confusion. "First- I discard the Thunder Dragon, adding two more to my hand!" the woman announced. "Next, I play this- Polymerization! Fusing the thunder dragons in my hand to summon the Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon!"

As she spoke a portal appeared behind her, and from within it the sounds of snarling could be heard. Crawling out from its depths and coming to her side the red-scaled beast came, double mouths open and screeching as lightning sparked from its back.

"And in addition to that," Seto continued, her opponent swallowing, "I play this- QUICK ATTACK! THIS IS THE END!" she roared, pointing th monsters forward in that instant. "TWIN-HEADED THUNDER DRAGON ATTACKS THOUSAND YEAR DRAGON... AND BLUE EYES ATTACKS DIRECTLY! GO!" she announced, unable to hear or see what her opponent was now doing as the white fires again filled the air while joined by sparks and the sound of thunder. "ATTACK! WITHBURST STREAM!"

"Hahaha..." The fires and sparks both blasted against the now thousand year old dragon and in seconds it was ash, most of the field leveling itself at the same moment. "HahaHAHAAA!" And as the flames of Blue Eyes' otherwise restrained attack slammed against him he felt his body launch backward in the force, laughter faltering only when he finally landed. "HnhnHAHAHAHA- G-OH!" OW. That hurt... Still laughing he rubbed his head, standing with a grin. "Hahahah... AHAHAHAHA!"

"What the hell are you laughing about!" Seto snarled, disk clacking back into its inactive mode as the last remaining portions on the field faded away. "...HEY! Katsuya!"

"Hahahah... AHHHHH..."

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" Sheeeesssssh she was ticked...

"Man," he laughed, replacing his deck and pocketing it. "You really got me there!"

...That comment managed to actually surprise the woman, apparently. "...What."

"I said y' got me!" he laughed again, shaking his head with a grin as he walked toward her. "It was a good match! Light'n up already! It's yer birthday! Th' duel was f'r fun, r'member!" He spun, stiring up fallen leaves as though to help the subject along. "Righ'? FUN!" Seto merely stared, as though unable to decide if she was disgusted or confused.

Or perhaps both. The remaining anger from the whole 'got yer dragon' thing probably wasn't helping. "...You're an IDIOT. I don't have-"

"Finish tha' sentence an' I'm tellin' yer brother."

"WHAT?" While Seto barked out the incredulous remark Katsuya merely laughed, grin widening beyond normal limits as the two slowly made their way back to the house. "Tch... Duels are not about... Just take your loss like a normal human being..!"

"Already did! Nothin' wrong with enjoyin' a good match against a strong opponent!"

"That isn't normal in anyway..!"

"Hehehehehe..!"

"Tch..." She apparently gave up, storming ahead to grab the door and go back instead. "Never mind... A mutt like you can't possibly understand..!"

"Hahhhhh... I think it's you not understandin'..." Oh.

Oh maybe he shouldn't have said that, because now she was glaring at him and...

"Uhhhhhh..."

"Go on," she growled. "What am I not 'understanding'..?"

"Erk- Well... 'S just fun, y' know."

"You said that already."

"I know, I know!" he protested, taking his shoes off as they got inside. "Jus'... What other reason would there be t' duel?"

"To win!" she snapped back, as though the answer were obvious. "What kind of question is that!"

"Really?" Seto paused at that- really paused, as though hesitating not only on if it would be best to answer with her same stubborn remark but also on something else.

In the end she merely began to make her way down the hall, Katsuya behind her. "...The duel is over," she stated flatly. "Just drop it." He sighed at that, but decided to humor her nonetheless. If that was how she was going to be...

"Aha! Not yet, not yet!"

"Eh?" As the pair turned the corner Mokuba seemed to bolt out from nowhere, instantly doing his best to herd the duo toward an opposite room. Given his size compared to them, it was actually a little amusing but... "Wh- Mokuba! What are you doing?"

"The Tenma brothers are still on the phone! Don't give me a reason for me to hand you over!"

"EHH? Why don' y' jus' say she's not here then?"

While Seto settled for a somewhat disbelieving glare, Mokuba snorted. "Yeah, because they'll believe THAT! It was hard enough giving them the excuse I just gave them now!"

"And that excuse is?" There was no answer, the two suddenly shoved rather bodily into another room before the doors shut. "AH-!"

"Oi..! Mokuba!"

"Hey hey, Mokuba! Let 's out!"

"No way!" came the muffled response from outside the door. "I gotta distract these guys. You two can watch a movie or something, there's popcorn waiting!"

...Okay what. He knew Mokuba'd planned everything but...

...What. The two traded a brief glance, before looking toward the couch in the dim lit room. The room that was, strangely enough, lit by a TV screen. As Katsuya walked over to stare at the screen before taking a seat, Seto snorted.

"Aha... No."

"Whaaaaat." He smirked, resting an arm on the side of the couch. "Don' like movies?"

She merely fixed him with a glare, standing near the door a few more moments. "I have better things to do than sit in front of a tv screen for three hours."