Summary: To see the future can be a gift or a curse the same. Having taken refuge at the confines of the Tarot Café, its owner Ryou Bakura earns his money by predicting peoples their futures and aiding them at important decisions. However, sometimes the customers that visit him aren't always humans, or just seem to be... One of them is Seto Kaiba, top-mannequin extraordinaire and also a three-hundred years old vampire. What will his question be?
Story Type: YGO-themed Remake (Original: Everlasting Beauty, out of the Short Story Collection ´The Tarot Café´ by Park Sang Sun)
Reason: For apocalipticoblivion whose dare has given me serious writers block for the last two months. (Honestly, Michie, couldn't you choose a different pairing?-.-;)
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, neither to the creators of Yugioh nor the ones of The Tarot Café. This fiction is the creating of a enthusiastic fan and created for entertainment purposes only.
/......./ Ryou's Narrative
The Wheel Of Future
Intro
It's easy to tell the humans about their past. You only have to watch the expression of their faces and the way they're acting.
But there's almost nobody, who can predict the future. Maybe this is because there are so many faces of it.
But when time and space collide, I can take a look at what the future holds.
/The Hanged Man: It is necessary to respect society if one wants to achieve justice and continue one's growth. Obtaining spiritual wisdom can require to bring certain sacrifices./
It is a gift and a curse of God.
End Intro
- Card Number VI –
§The Lovers: The Lovers – The right way around. – Meeting of a familiar soul. A courting couple hesitates at making an important decision. Beauty and Youth. A special event in the future is being influenced by the faith and the good intentions of a human. The wrong way around. – An unfortunate meeting. Seduction, Betrayal, Underhandedness, Envy, Difficult Decisions, Addiction to an other, Insatiable Greed.§
The world of beauty.
Fake, vividly bright colours, fresh breezes, gentle caresses,... - the world of mannequins. The clicks of cameras and flashes of light along with shouted to stand this way and hold one's limps that one being the only constant part of it.
It was his world.
Standing tall, short sable hair swaying in a playful breeze, bare upper body half revealed by the unbuttoned shirt, one hand hooked at the rim of his belt while the other phantom caressed his bare navel... Two golden chains adoring his pale flesh, one around the neck with an exquisite pendant, the other stretching it's filigree links between the tips of his index and middle fingers, a small diamond hanging in the middle... The expression on his face was one of somebody who knew that he was being watched, yet not ever really noticed it; a touch of highness and nonchalant seduction coating the air that took the viewers their possible breath.
CLICKAnother costume, baroque this time. A close up of his face and upper torso, left hand coquettishly tipping the large, ornament- and feather-decoyed hat so that it his half of his face, the visible expression underneath it sober. A cold, dismissive beauty, aided by the dark colour of his painted lips and the icy look of his infinite ocean blue eyes. This man knew that you were looking at him. –And he didn't care in the least about it.
A black cloth ribbon around the white collar of his undershirt being lightly pushed back by his free right hand into place, the dark brown colour of his properly combed hair contrasting nicely with the dusk coloured material of his jacket and it's shiny golden embroideries on the cuff of his arms and the whole length of the oversized, stylish collar flaps...
CLICKThis time it was a grad close of the side of his face, fine boned, noble and timelessly elegant, though hints of a mischief youth showed through the porcelain façade. Maybe it was only the created effect of his, this time, a little messily worn hairdo, which was hiding all of the left side of his face, a few stray bangs brushing over a curiously widened azure eye. Hints of nightshade-blue mascara was empathizing the unnatural colour of it's orb even more and rose-dipped, perfect lips were curved in a surprised ´ah´-sort of emotion.
CLICKHe never needed any kinds of advices from his photographs.
All of his every poses were picture perfect.
They ever were.
By now, this man in front of the many flashing cameras had become a secret synonym for the expanses of human beauty and all of the world recognized and honoured it.
They paid well. And he gave them what they were wanting to see.
The man in front of the camera was a professional.
But what only little knew, he also was many, many more.
-----
"I'd like to have this magazine over there, please."
The old shop keeper smiled friendly, handing the youth the requested magazine and taking the change in response. Although others might have found it strange having a young man like this buying a magazine like this, the elderly man didn't pay any attention to it at all. Ryou Bakura was a well known and liked personality in this part of the city and, although without doubt a little strange, an always friendly and well-liked customer and neighbour. So, instead of being surprised, the shopkeeper only smiled a bit more, saying: "Here you go. The air's very wet and foggy today, isn't it?"
The young man who'd bought the magazine smiled, balancing the bag with the groceries he'd made against one shoulder while he took the magazine with the other.
""Yes, it is. Hopefully I won't catch a cold..."
He smiled again, bidding the shop's owner a gentle good-bye before wandering off. Remembering why he'd actually bought the magazine, taking a closer look at his newest bargain. Usually Ryou wasn't the type to buy this type of magazine, but the close-up shot of the side of a very attractive brunettes face on the cover had made him change his mind for today. The most striking of the young mannequin were without question his stunning blue eyes.
Ryou smile to himself, imagine how it´d must be to be with a partner like that. "Hm, this guy..."
"Seto Kaiba."
Surprised, Ryou turned around. Behind him stood the owner of the voice and long time flat mate. Giving the white-haired youth a flat look, Malik handed him a spare sandwich, similar to the one he was currently eating.
"He's that famous as a model that they even bring him on the cover page of the Times Magazine." He frowned a little. "You seem to like him, huh?"
Taking the offered treat and nibbling on it a bit, Ryou nodded. "Yes. He look very good."
The blonde Egyptian's expression dropped a little. Like all men and boyfriends in general he didn't like his lover openly admitting that he thought another man aside of him himself handsome. Taking a bite off his sandwich, he shot Ryou a sideways glance, retorting coolly. "Even though he's a mannequin, he's blind. And a vampire."
Noting his lovers slight jealously and intentionally ignoring it, Ryou only shrugged his shoulders, taking another good look at the picture.
"Minor details."
Malik clearly sweatdropped at this. Somehow he'd hoped to bring his lovers stray thoughts away from the brunette after mentioning his true nature... He should've known that it´d be futile.
Before the two could continue their trifle wordplay, they were interrupted by a strange man. Dressed stylishly in all white clothes, a tall man suddenly stepped forward, halting only a few steps before Malik. The surprised Egyptian raised an eyebrow, noting the strange clothes – from hat to the shoes white!- as well as the obvious clear height difference. Malik was tall, but this guy easily towered over him with a heads size or more. Next to him, Ryou blinked, impressed. That man had to be 1,9 metres tall at last!
First, the strange man didn't react. When he did, it came like a cold shower. Keeping his look pinned straight at the still confused Malik, he asked in a even, deep voice.
"Are you Bakura?"
They both gaped at him. After a first, initial shock moment, Ryou found the courage (and annoyance- He and Malik looked clearly different.) in himself to clear his throat and thus draw the attention of this strange foreigner at him for the first time.
Pointing a finger to himself, he said. "I'm Ryou Bakura."
If the man reacted, his face didn't show it at all.
Still keeping his eerie calm, the young man calmly reached upwards to his face. With an as swift as smooth move he took off his sun glasses that had hidden his eyes and the fashionable white hat.
What was revealed was a pair of unbelievably, stunning blue eyes which were framed by short sable strands that fell into his face.
Ryou and Malik gaped.
"Seto Kaiba?!"
-----
/Sometimes I have strange customers.
They are humans and yet they are not, or maybe they are just other creatures, that life among the humans./
§The Seven Of Swords: Chance, Hope, Expectation; Listlessness and possible failure.§
Ryou took a quick look at the card before showing it to his new customer.
"I don't know exactly about what it's going, but you should think good over it before you make a decision. It could be that you're being lied at or betrayed."
Hearing this, Seto Kaiba smiled a bit. It was a small and bitter little smile that signed that he knew exactly what the white-haired youth sitting opposite him was talking about. Tilting his head a bit into a nod, he gestured for Ryou to go on.
Ryou revealed the next card.
It was the Three Of Swords, it's motive depicting a red heart being stabbed through by three sharp swords, along with a dark, dreary sky.
§The Three Of Swords: Failure, Separation, Absence, Delay.§
"A tear for Love, that painful, as if one's own heart would be pierced by a sword..."
The expression on Seto's face changed into something else at those words, wistful. "It lies so long back that I've become a vampire," he began, "that long that I can't even remember it anymore.
Etched into my heart is only one moment in time, the one when I met him."
End of Part One