I was terrified. I knew how important this tournament was to Niisama – this tournament could make or break the public opinion of Kaiba Corp and, in turn, the company itself.

And it was up to me to get the crowd going; I had to get the stadium full of people above me into the spirit of things.

When Niisama told me that he wanted me to be the announcer, I was thrilled; finally, I could take a bigger part in the company! But there I was, and suddenly, I was scared. In just a few minutes the platform I was standing on would rise, and what I was about to say would be key to the opening of the tournament – it would be the first impression that people would remember.

I had my cell phone in my pocket, and to my surprise, it rang; I answered quickly. "Hello?"

"Are you ready, Mokuba?" Niisama's voice crackled over the earpiece. I wondered why we had such a bad reception, but I was so happy to hear him that I didn't bother to ask.

"Hai! We'll be starting any second," I said cheerfully, keeping my nervousness inside – I didn't want anyone, not even Niisama, to know how worried I was.

"I know. I just wanted to say I…" he paused, and I heard the smile in his voice as he continued, "Be confident – you'll do fine."

I blushed. There was nothing greater than Niisama's praise, and it made me feel a little better. The platform jerked, and I heard the jets above me blasting out smoke – all part of that grand first impression that I had to make. A nearby guard held up his hands, counting down from ten. "I've got to go, Niisama!"

"Give 'em a show," he said, and I hung up, tossing my phone to the guard, in turn getting a microphone – I almost missed catching it. The platform jolted again, and slowly I felt it begin to rise, felt the sunlight pouring down on me from the opening above. I bowed my head, and within seconds I felt open air whoosh around me. The platform stopped, steam cleared, and there I was, faced with a stadium full of spectators.

Now or never – it was time to prove that I was just as capable of helping Kaiba Corp, of helping Niisama.

Slowly I looked up, and I brought the microphone up. Nervousness fluttered in my stomach as I began speaking. "Now, the championship for the most powerful duelists held by Kaiba Corp is beginning." The crowd began to cheer, my nervousness faded, and with a smile, I continued.

The first impression was a hit.

-end-

Notes
This is fascinating, because this piece is six years old. I checked three times, and I never posted it here, but there it was - sitting in my dA gallery clear as day. (I was posting California Dreaming over there, and for those of you waiting patiently: it is coming, I promise. :D)

So, I decided to bring it over here for all y'all to enjoy! It definitely showcases an older writing style (or at least I think so), and I debated changing a couple things... but decided against it. For whatever reason I got it into my head that once I've put it on the Internet I've committed myself to the idea that it's complete, and I cannot shake that, no matter how badly I think it needs work. (Le Coeur, we're looking at you!)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this short foray into this little bit of ancient history. :D