closed to atem & kaiba.

[puzzlers]

I know. I... don't know what's wrong with me. [ said more to himself than his familiar, but he was still habitually petting peregrin ( snake - cat - phoenix ) out of sheer nervousness. why, he wasn't 100% sure, but he had a feeling it might have to do with exploring his feelings. he hadn't said anything to atem back then, and there's nothing he's regretted more in his life. his other self meant ( and still means ) so much to him. he screws his eyes shut tight as he feels himself getting overwhelmed, but peregrin's there to coil his snake head around his wrist in an attempt to ground him. yugi smiles, scooping him up and holding him closely. ] ...thanks...

O- Ok. Here goes nothing. It's just dinner. [ a firm nod as he moves his familiar to his shoulder and leaves his bed. ] I can do this. [ he goes over to atem and greets him with a wave, giving him a smile. ] Hey Atem. How about dinner later? Me, you, and Kaiba?

Comments

[puzzlers]

I can't believe I'm the last to know. [ he looks aside, his shoulders slumping, because he's torn between being upset and annoyed. eventually annoyed wins, so he quietly stews as they make their way into the restaurant. ] It's like an eternity! [ he makes a noise when kaiba tries to placate the situation. ]

Well maybe I don't want to know now. [ he does. he really does. he's just being difficult. ] I wonder if anybody at the shop knows anything about your war game. [ he'll have to ask. ]

Will you? [ he sideeyes kaiba. ] It's going to be pretty hard to make it up to the both of us. You sure you're ready to pay the piper? [ he orders himself a stiff drink, because he's still pretty tightly wound from early. he takes a sip, crinkling his nose, because wow... but the shock wears off pretty quickly and he's able to take a sip here and there. ] My price is pretty steep.

[king_of_egypt]

[Wasn't Atem the one lamenting being the last to know something earlier? Cough. In hindsight, he was glad that he'd kept his unease primarily to himself, though body language likely betrayed him a few times. Oh- and there was that one line to Yugi about keeping secrets that was meant to be in jest but it wouldn't have been difficult to read between the lines. This shared sentiment went a long way towards smoothing everything over from before, as did their discussion.] Come on, Yugi- can't you cut Kaiba some slack this time? Given the circumstances surely. [Deciding to back off of the brunette in regards to the war games. It was obvious that the slight hadn't been intended by his mannerisms and it's not as if he had to tell them everything]

If the group is as cloistered as you say Kaiba, it might have been for the best that you made their acquaintance first. If we had all expressed an interest in it at the same time we could have been barred from participating from the start.

[Atem orders a drink himself that likely would have given Yugi pause- but he personally seems to have no problem with it.] To make it up to us? [There's seems to be no end to the surprises today. He was about to say that it wouldn't be necessary, just relieved that everything has more or less calmed down from earlier when Yugi pipes up. Oh- he's playing a game of his own is he?]

[blue_ice]

[ Kaiba appreciates your attempts to help him, Atem, but Yugi's right. Friends shouldn't keep these things from one another. ]

While that's smart thinking, I still should have trusted you with that information. That's what...I believe the phrase is 'that's what friends do'?

[ He sighs and nods. Even if this price is surely harder to pay than the usual. ]

Name it.

[puzzlers]

[ he does feel a bit bad for going to hard on kaiba, so he'll nudge him under the table in an attempt to relay that he's kind of sort of kidding. not completely, but he does need to cool his jets. ] It's... alright. You needed to make nice with them. Now we have an in. [ he gives kaiba a small smile and then looks to the drink atem ordered, curious. ]

I need to think on it. [ but now seems like the perfect time to move on again. ] -oh! I just got a job at Prismatic Hobbycrafts, so if you guys ever need anything let me know. I get a discount~

[king_of_egypt]

Well, yes... that is the phrase. [Sounding a little dubious as to the rest of it. This wasn't the sort of secret that did any real harm to anyone. Catching the look Yugi gives his drink, he'll quietly offer it to him to try it. Be forewarned that it's pretty strong in itself.] Congratulations Yugi. [Everyone was out there making connections, and getting new jobs. It's like they were really settling in to this new world] Have you already made it through orientation and gotten used to the routine? How are you enjoying it?

[blue_ice]

[ Kaiba silently nudges Yugi back. He still feels guilty, but he seems to understand that this isn't a relationship-ending disaster. So that's a relief.

He looks on with mild interest. It's perhaps a little different from selling games, but well in Yugi's wheelhouse. ]

I'll have to visit soon.

[puzzlers]

[ no, of course not, it's going to take a lot more than one little secret to break their bond. ]

I did, and it's not so bad. When it's not busy I can even study, so it's not like I'm really missing out. I can't wait until we start hosting tournaments. I expect the both of you to be there, making a clean sweep of the competition. [ he covers a laugh. ] But, yeah, I am... [ he takes atem's drink and gives it a sip, which, again, prompts him to crinkle his nose. it's stronger than his, which is surprising, because his own was already strong! slides it back over, giving his other self a smile. ] It reminds me of home...

But, yeah, please do!

[king_of_egypt]

[It's not difficult to tell that Kaiba was considerably worried that his omission would have had more repercussions to it. He should know Yugi better than that by now but it was proof positive that Kaiba was serious about his intentions toward the shorter duelist and sincerely wanted to make it work. Well- maybe Atem could forgo the speech he'd been saving for later about "if you do anything to hurt Yugi..."... cough. No, it wouldn't be necessary]

We'll have to see about that, won't we Kaiba? [Looking towards him with a smile]

[He had a feeling the drink wouldn't be to Yugi's liking, but alcohol wasn't exactly something foreign to the pharaoh. Sometimes it was safer than trusting the water supply] Mm, I'm glad it's working out for you Yugi. [If only he had some new venture to share he would have inserted it into the conversation now]

[blue_ice]

Oh, we will. And I'll see you there very soon.

[ Maybe he should have pursued traditional employment, but...he likes his way better. He hides a smile at Yugi's reaction to the alcohol, but he can't resist commenting. ]

Be careful with giving Yugi drinks. He gets...well...let's just say that's part of how he lowered my walls in the first place.

[puzzlers]

[ yugi had said that working there reminded him of home, and while that was most definitely true there was another reason he'd looked into employment there... so he could feed his addiction. not to mention being surrounded by new games could help spur his own creative juices! ]

K- Kaiba! [ he's going to bristle and give him a nudge from under the table. ] I can hold my liquor! [ no he can't. he's small and gets drunk easily. ] M- Maybe we should be careful what we give you.

[king_of_egypt]

Really? [The tone of Atem's voice indicated that he found the warning intriguing. Then he looked aside and tried to discretely nudge his drink back over to Yugi in jest.]

I'm sure you can Yugi... in one hand, until you start to get tipsy then you need both. [Knowing full well that wasn't what Yugi had meant by the assertion.]

From a bystander's casual observation I think it's more fair to assume I should keep an eye on both of you when alcohol is introduced.

[blue_ice]

[ How rude! Kaiba huffs. He resembles that remark. He's...a little bolder when tipsy. Not that he wasn't already, but there's an added element of emotional honesty. ]

What? We're the poor defenseless humans who don't get to see their pharaoh cut loose?

[ There's laughter in his eyes. He's swaying slightly to the music floating through. ]

[puzzlers]

... [ he's not backing down from a challenge. ] I can so hold it... in both hands. [ ha ha ha atem. he takes the pharaoh's drink and, taking a deep breath to brace himself, throws his head back to guzzle it all down. it stings, and he has to keep himself in check, otherwise he might choke on it, but he's got this. he slams the glass down and gives atem a cocky grin. ] See. [ and to further punctuate his point he'll finish his own drink. #regret. ]

[ yugi's shrill with laughter as the waitress comes over to give atem a new drink, since SOMEONE drank his x: and she looks between the two drunk people and gives him a sympathetic look. ]

Let's see you drink up, Atem, cheers! [ raises his empty glass. ]

[king_of_egypt]

[Don't be offended Kaiba, just drink up. Let's see more of this emotional honesty.]

Are we making this into a drinking game...? [Quirking an eyebrow at Kaiba's statement, because if they were...... you two can prepare to lose. Then he looks to Yugi and smiles a little surprised when he does drink the whole thing with his own glass on top of it.
What has he started?]

Thank you. [ Atem voices to the waitress, as she brings him a fresh drink. He catches the look but he thinks he has this under control so her concern isn't necessary.] We've never had the opportunity to go out drinking before, have we? [With that, Atem raises his glass and proves that he can polish off a glass himself, though Yugi is one drink ahead of him. Kaiba had offered to pay for this outing but that was before it had escalated, perhaps they should be a little more conservative- since.. admittedly Atem was the only one sans a money making venture]

[blue_ice]

[ Kaiba downs his own glass with a spark in his eye. Now this is more like it. ]

We should've done this a long time ago. Maybe I wouldn't have wasted so much time fighting.

[puzzlers]

If it's a game, then it's a game I'm going to win. [ he flails an arm to call the waitress over, but she's already on her way to refresh their drinks. yugi's smirk is lopsided, but still as challenging as ever. ] Friends can still fight. Not every fight has to be a fight. [ it made more sense in his head, anyway, he's going to carefully nurse his newest drink until it's empty. ]

[king_of_egypt]

Perhaps. [Atem allowed as far as Kaiba's response went even though he doubted that Kaiba would have let alcohol impede his sense in the past]

I would like to see you try, Yugi- but if it gets to be too much there is no shame in quitting. [Shaking his head at how animated Yugi had become.] That's true as well. Even close friends won't always agree on everything. Disagreements are bound to arise.. but yes they don't have to be detrimental to the relationship on a whole.

[He starts losing counts of the drinks as they continue to partake]

[blue_ice]

Heh.

[ Kaiba tosses down another drink, regarding them with a solemn expression. ]

Your main disagreement with me back then was whether friendship was valuable at all or a waste of time. I still won't socialize frivolously, but...

We all have our beliefs that we'll stick to. And others that you've managed to turn me around on. But...Yugi, Atem, your words have always carried weight with me, and always will.

[puzzlers]

[ he's dead set on winning so he's not going to stop. ]

Of course. No one's asking anyone to change. Not, like, crazily. But opening your arms and your heart to friends isn't the weakness you thought it was. It's a strength, and I'm glad you're starting to see that.