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The Foxhole	By : jessara40k Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2878 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-The Foxhole
- 1
Disclaimer:
Not mine. If they were Bakura would have won his duels instead of being
defeated by, for example, a God Card. And Yami would have acknowledged that Bakura
had a legitimate grievance�I mean hello, the Pharaoh�s soldiers committed
genocide on his village.

Ryou�d
brought his current project with him to the Game Shop when Yami demanded he
come to join the others, including Kaiba, who had to be here just to pay
off some sort of bet. The CEO seemed to have made the same decision he had,
bringing his laptop to work on, the way Ryou�d brought an experiment he was
doing, trying to design a puzzle similar to the Millennium Puzzle, only without
the magic and carved from wood, rather than cast from gold and the bodies and
souls of 99 people. He�d already carved copies of the Millennium Ring, Eye,
Rod, Key and Tauk as well as some parts for the Scales, just not the
thin chains that held the pans, which didn�t actually require too much in the
way of thought. Bakura�d come along because he knew that the Ishtars would be there,
and the three of them were plotting something, probably a prank rather
than anything dangerous. The two Game Kings were playing Duel Monsters against
each other, with the others just playing audience...since they weren�t
bothering with duel disks or anything and they didn�t even have any interesting
stakes it was pretty boring to watch in Ryou�s opinion, he�d rather work on his
puzzle and he wondered why he�d been invited.

-The
same reason everyone was invited...so Pharaoh no baka could have a nice appreciative
audience. Can you think of a good reason for knowing about The Foxhole?-

:Youko,
Ragnarok Online.:

-He�s
Kitsune?-

:Yes,
should I volunteer to get passes?:

-See
how it goes Yadonushi-sama.-

�What�s
it like having a hikari that�s actually innocent Bakura?� Marik�s voice was
loud enough for the whole room to hear.

�Blood
innocent you mean.� Ryou spoke absently, more focused on carving the raised eye
of Horus on the key piece to the Puzzle than on the conversation. �Don�t think
even Yugi�s a sexual innocent anymore.�

�Oh
I don�t know about that. Judging from the blush our little Pharaoh�s sporting I�d
say they�re both sexual innocents.� Malik was still bearing a bit of a
grudge for the whole �carve the Nameless Pharaoh�s memories on the Tomb Keeper�s
back� thing, and it showed.

�Unlikely.
No matter how young he was when he took the throne he�d have been required to
marry - even if it was in name only. And he was certainly old enough to be
sexually active when he died.� Bakura�s off-hand explanation sounded almost
like something his father would say, something Ryou was tempted to laugh at.

�But
we all know he can�t remember anything from back then.�

�I
am not innocent, in any way.� Yami�s outburst was so distracting that
Ryou had to put his carving aside, to keep from messing it up. He looked up to
find Yami standing, red with a mix of embarrassment and anger, hands clenched
into fists at his side, and everyone else staring at him.

�Care
to prove that, Yami?� Kaiba�s voice was smoothly confident, Ryou could
tell he was jumping at the hint of weakness.

�How
could we prove something like that Kaiba-kun?� Now Yugi was getting in on the
act.

�Go
to a club with lots of witnesses perhaps? Bakura-sama, didn�t Youko mention he
was opening a club called The Foxhole here in Domino City when he e-mailed us to explain why he couldn�t
get online with us for a while?�

�The
Foxhole...that�s the new BDSM club isn�t it? You two know the manager?� Of
course Marik would know what sort of place The Foxhole was.

�Online
with you?� And Jounouchi would be confused about what Ryou was referring to.

�Youko
took his online name from a legendary kitsune, you do the math.� Bakura didn�t
explicitly tell Marik who Youko was on the scene, but if Marik had the right
connections he�d know.

�There�s
a MMORPG called Ragnarok Online, I�ve taken up playing it with Bakura-sama
since I learned that no one will play table-top RPGs with me anymore.� There
was absolutely no hint of accusation in Ryou�s voice, there didn�t need to be. �We
play as a Priest and an Assassin. Youko�s another Assassin who sometimes joins
us. In Rune-Midgard, the �world� the game takes place in a Thief who gains
enough experience becomes an Assassin.�

�Stupid
mortals. The skills aren�t the same.�

�Please
Bakura-sama, not now.�

�All
right Yadonushi.� The spirit laughed. �So Pharaoh, are you willing to prove
your words by visiting The Foxhole, and trying not to be spotted as a tourist?�

�And
will you try to pass as a dom, or a sub?�

�More
fun to let chance decide that, don�t you think Marik?�

�You�re
assuming that there�s anyone but you interested in going Bakura-sama.�

-As
if you aren�t Yadonushi-sama.- Bakura smirked at Ryou�s words. �Well, who�s
willing to play?� Within a minute Kaiba was the only one who hadn�t agreed.
Ryou picked up a sheet of paper and began cutting it into 16 equal pieces while
he waited.

�I
couldn�t afford to be recognised at a place like that.� From Kaiba�s tone it
sounded as if he could be persuaded...

�Then
wear a mask or something. It�s acceptable for doms and subs.�

�Five
doms and five subs then? So we can go in pairs as an excuse to ward off any
unwanted attention?� Ryou was already writing the letters �D� and �S� on five
pieces of paper each. :The sub pieces are marked with Shadow Magic.: Albeit a
very subtle hint of it. �Malik-kun, if you�ve got a small bag on you,� and he
did, the Egyptian hikari still carried his money around in a belt purse, �could
you empty it out, fold the slips and put them in there for everyone to pick a
slip. They don�t all have to be folded identically, but don�t make it so you
can tell what a slip is from how it�s folded. If you get a blank just put it
back in.� Everyone gaped at him for a few moments, but Malik moved to obey when
Bakura glared at him. �It didn�t look as if anyone else was going to get
organised any time soon.�

�You
want to do this?� Jounouchi sounded confused, Ryou couldn�t blame him.

�I�ve
learned it�s easier not to fight my yami�s whims - especially not when
they�re as harmless as this one. Pass me the bag so I can draw please
Malik-kun.� Ryou smiled at the blond, and he obeyed wordlessly. The first slip
Ryou drew out was blank, and he showed it to everyone �So you know it really is
blank.� before putting it back into the bag. Then he drew out a piece marked
with a �D�. �So I�m supposed to play dom. Bakura-sama, do you want to try next?�

�No,
let the Pharaoh and his midget pick first. Unless you�re scared that is?� That
was enough to have Yami snatching the bag almost defiantly, and putting his
hand in. There was a flicker of a strange look on his face for a second, but it
quickly disappeared, and he pulled a slip out, opening it - and paling ever so
slightly when he read it.

�If
you got a blank you have to show it around.� Marik�s comment seemed to
strengthen Yami�s spine.

�How
dare you insinuate that I would cheat.� He slapped his slip down on the
table in front of him, letting everyone see that he was supposed to be sub. �Aibou,
here.� He handed the bag over to Yugi, who drew out two blanks before he got a dom
slip.

�My
turn now.� Marik pulled the bag out of Yugi�s hand, taking his own slip out
quickly, too quickly to notice the Shadow Magic, laughing so hard he ended up
on the floor when he saw that he was supposed to submit. Bakura was the only
one willing to get close enough to take the bag from him, pulling out his sub
slip without hesitation, but not saying anything, just sitting down and looking
at it, eyes unreadable to anyone but Ryou. Malik got his dom slip first try,
Seto pulled out two blanks before he got a sub slip - proving that he
certainly wasn�t aware of the magic involved. As the bag got near to empty more
blanks were being pulled out before people got their assignment. Honda pulled
out five blanks before he got the final sub slip.

�Don�t
bother girl. Dom�s all that�s left.�

�You
got sub as well Tomb Robber. That had to be fixed somehow!� Yami started to
rant, glaring accusingly at Bakura and both Ishtars.

�Yami-san,
the only two people who had the chance to �fix� the results were myself and
Malik-kun. I�m flattered that you think I could cast such a subtle and
elaborate spell without you noticing, but really, how plausible is that?�

�It�s
funny as hell, but I didn�t know Marik was going to react like that - you
really think I�d risk it?� Their reasonable words seemed to calm Yami down, a
bit anyway.

�We
could make it into a game, perhaps. Go in as pairs, hikari and yami, last pair
to be recognised as tourists wins.�

�What
sort of stakes?�

�Winning
pair each take one card from the decks of each of the losing pairs, so if you
won you�d get a card of your choice from Yami-san and Bakura-sama�s decks, and
Malik-kun would get cards from my and Yugi-kun�s decks.�

�No
God cards.� Yami seemed to be getting into this now...he�d probably be
perfectly willing to submit to Yugi, but no one else. Still, there was no way
he�d be able to win.

�If
more than one pair lasts to the end of the night the pair that�s taken most
risks wins.� -And we�ll do a scene, so you can get passes Yadonushi-sama.-

�Put
my Blue Eyes White Dragons in the same class as the God cards and I want in on
the game - that�s if you think you�re up for it mutt.�

�Sure
I�m up to it. As long as you make it worth my while.�

�Definitely.
I�ll pay the cover charge for all of us then.�

�No
need, I can get us passes. Save us the bother of hanging around in the queues.
But you could arrange for transport to get us there and back.�

�I
don�t want to be recognised, so...lending a limo to one of you would work.�

�The
mutt. If you�re going to have him play your dom you have to show him some
trust.� Bakura could be so cruel, Ryou hated it, except for the part of him
that was Wraith.

�You�ll
all need to agree on what�s acceptable and what isn�t before we go, and it�ll
take some time to get costumes together, so, say...three weeks from today?�
Ryou knew that the others were a bit shocked at his apparent knowledge of the
scene, but Bakura�s smirk kept them from saying anything.

�Get
there at seven, leave at midnight?�

�Meet
at my house an hour beforehand. Agreed? Mutt, come see me sometime tomorrow.�
And with that Kaiba left.

-o-()-o-

Seto
paced, cursing his decision to enter the �game� Ryou had come up with on the
spot the night before, with the mutt as his partner - but the mutt was better
than the only other option. Anzu...any female...was too much like the whore
Gozaburo had given him on his thirteenth birthday, as a �reward� for the lie he�d
used to excuse his nightly visits to Mokuba. And he hadn�t been able to resist
the idea of beating Yami at something.

He�d
left orders for the mutt to be brought straight up to him when he arrived. By
the time he did it was the middle of the afternoon, and Seto was beginning to
wonder if he�d come at all - and why he hadn�t started making plans for
this game himself.

�Hello
bastard.� The insult sounded like habit by now, just like mutt did.

�Mutt.
What took you so long?�

�I
needed to do a bit of research. Unless you�ve got information about this sort
of thing lying around?� Seto hadn�t even thought about that.

�If
I do I don�t know where it is. If we do better than Yami in this game, but don�t
win I�ll give you any three cards in my collection besides my Blue Eyes White
Dragons. If we win I�ll give you any ten cards. Acceptable?�

�I
can�t think of ten cards I want off the top of my head. We win, you help me
pick those ten cards...agreed?� Was that a genuine request, or just a
counter-offer for form�s sake? It didn�t matter, in a way it was a compliment,
annoying as it was. And it impressed Seto that the mutt would either come up
with a counter-offer so quickly, instead of just accepting his own offer, or be
willing to learn from someone he hated.

�Agreed.
Now, what did you come up with in this research of yours?� He wasn�t expecting
too much from the mutt. So he was surprised at the book the blond pulled from
his bag, page already marked.

�Costumes
first...� The mutt was opening the book as he spoke; Seto had to make something
clear.

�I�ll
pay for both of our costumes, and I�ll give you money to pay for drinks before
we go out. You can keep whatever�s left over whether we win or lose.�

�Thanks.
In that case I�ll be wearing black leather pants and boots, and a black silk
shirt. For you I thought something a bit like this, but better quality, and
perhaps closer fitting. And the headcloth should be gauze or something like
that.� The picture was of a woman from one of the more fundamentalist Muslim
countries, loose black pants and tunic, both too baggy to really see her
figure, and a length of black cloth wrapped around her head, hiding all but a
strip of her face around her eyes.

�I�ll
give you some money for your costume, this...� Seto wasn�t sure what to say
about the suggestion. Was it some sort of subtle insult, implying that he was
weak in some way? Or was it something else?

�You
don�t want to be recognised, and from the way you dress I guess you don�t want
to show too much of your flesh. Well, this works for both. It could look kinda
sexy I guess, done right. But it�s certainly exotic, and it gives an excuse to
hide your face and covers you up the way you like. You do know you can�t wear
that necklace you�ve always got on don�t you?�

�Of
course!� Did the mutt think he was stupid?

�Sorry,
just you might be so used to wearing it that you forget you�ve got it on.� Another
unexpected insight from someone who often seemed determinedly unobservant. �That
happens sometimes. I figure you�ll need a padded bra, something to keep your
family jewels out of the way, and a wig - any colour but brown.� Another
separation from his real identity. �Got a copy of the house rules from The
Foxhole too, all subs and slaves are required to wear a collar,� Seto shivered,
he couldn�t stand to wear a dog collar again, or anything similar, �and there�s
a number of different types suggested. You want to take a look through it?�

�Yes.�
Perhaps there�d be something there he could stand. If he had to back out
without even playing...one suggestion was a fine chain with a heavy pendant
that hung where a sub�s collarbones met. �This will work. I�ll get something
suitable. No leash.� It wasn�t required by the house rules.

�Not
an issue.� Seto hadn�t remembered that the mutt had his own issues with that
sort of thing. �We�ve covered costumes, and what I get out of this. Now don�t
we need to decide what�s acceptable behaviour?�

�No
restraints.� That was the first thing that came to mind, even if he was
pretending to be someone else Seto didn�t want to feel vulnerable that way.
Looking through the booklet advertising The Foxhole�s amenities and stating the
house rules something else came to mind when he saw the mention of a �punishment
area�. �And no public �punishment� either.�

�I�d
probably give us away if I tried anything like that. But you can�t be so...you�ve
got to let me touch you without hitting me or pushing me away unless you want
to give us away.�

�We�ll
have to practise that then.� Seto hated acknowledging that, the mutt was seeing
things he didn�t want him to. �Do you think I can get away with rejecting
anyone else�s touch?�

�The
first couple of times let me do it for you. I�ll say I don�t let anyone else
touch you without my permission. Then you can do it yourself. Keeping quiet
should be easy for you?� Seto nodded, in social situations he rarely started
conversations himself, and with Gozaburo...

�Speak
when spoken to then?� Seto was getting the uncomfortable feeling that if he
wanted to do this he�d need to bring out all the lessons he�d learned from
Gozaburo, and put them to use. But he wasn�t going to back out now. He
refused to let anyone see him as weak. In any way.

�Yes,
or given permission to speak - guess we can arrange some sort of cue for you to
ask permission to speak, but you�ll have to be polite and respectful.� The
faintly mocking smile on the mutt�s voice told Seto that he didn�t believe Seto
could do it. He wouldn�t have survived Gozaburo if he couldn�t put up a show of
submission occasionally. Not too often, or he�d have lost interest in Seto, but
when he needed his �father� to think he�d won. He let his gaze fall to the
table between them, a very faint smile on his face.

�I
can be polite, when I choose to Jounouchi-san.� Then he looked back up at the
mutt, knowing that his expression was the one he wore when he was winning at
Duel Monsters. �I just don�t see any reason to bother with it around Yugi and
his groupies.�

�That
a compliment, or an insult? I figure it�d be in character for me to grope and
manhandle you at the club - can you handle that?� Seto blinked in shock, he
hadn�t expected anyone, let alone the mutt to realise what a display of
trust it was for him to allow himself to be childish and rude around the Game
Kings� friends.

�Practice
again mutt. I�ll work out a schedule, and give it to you tomorrow.� Where could
he take the time from safely? He wasn�t giving up Mokuba, but perhaps...

�What
if your schedule doesn�t work for me bastard?�

�If
you have outside obligations then tell me about them.� Highly unlikely
Seto thought. It wasn�t as if the mutt had any...

�A
part time job, fixing cars. But I don�t have permission from school, so I can�t
let anyone find out. I know my friends wouldn�t deliberately betray me, but
didn�t someone say two can keep a secret if one of them�s dead?� Seto blinked,
he wouldn�t know, his education had been almost purely in the sciences after
Gozaburo adopted him. Still, that sounded more like something he�d say. �The
hours aren�t exactly predictable either. I usually know the week ahead, but not
much more.�

�Give
me your hours for the next week before you leave then.� Perhaps he�d misjudged
the mutt a bit, none of the bullies back at the orphanage would have bothered
doing something like that.

�Thanks.
What else do we need to sort out?�

�I
think we need a set of rules for my behaviour as well.� It would probably be a
lot easier for him to beat Yami if he had a specific set of rules. Seto knew
about following rules even if he didn�t want to or understand them. Gozaburo�s
rules hadn�t always made sense, and he�d changed them unpredictably sometimes.

�Yeah,
I forgot about that. I got a list of suggested rules. Here.� He pulled out a
few sheets of crumpled paper, blushing faintly as he handed them over to Seto. �I�m
sure half of them won�t work at all - cut and paste�s a wonderful thing. Just
pick out whichever ones you think you can deal with for five hours. Then we can
argue over them if we have to. I�ll write out the rules we�ve already agreed
on.�

�Hmm.�
Seto was already focused on the list the mutt had given him - or rather the lists.
Some of the rules were seriously scary - �the slave will always have something
inside him, a butt plug, a dildo, a vibrator, or his Master� for instance, and
half of them were repeated in slightly different forms throughout the list,
usually in a different font each time. �Have you actually read these?�

�No,
just cut and pasted the examples of rules I could find. I didn�t have time to
do anything else. Told the librarian I was doing a project on abnormal
sexuality for extra credit.� That might have been more believable if he�d
researched anything besides the BDSM scene. �Anything useful?�

�Yes...there
are some rules that would work for me.� Seto paused before continuing and the
mutt seemed to think that was a hint.

�Well
here�s what we�ve already got.� They�d talked about everything on the list
except for one, and Seto had to admit that it would work better if he used
feminine speech patterns. �Add what you think you need, then we�ll talk after I�ve
read it.� The rules Seto added were surprisingly close to some of the rules he�d
lived with when Gozaburo was alive, obedience, keeping a properly deferential
attitude - eyes cast down and following a few steps behind - kneeling at the
mutt�s feet when he sat down would be the only unfamiliar thing.

�Two
amendments - unless I send you on an errand you�ll always be within arms
length, and if I want to haul you up into my lap I can.�

�Agreed.�
They�d decided everything important, Seto gave the mutt enough money for his
costume, telling him to keep any change before he left.

-o-()-o-

Yugi
kept on touching his neck as he waited to be shown to wherever Kaiba was
letting everyone meet, he missed his collar, almost as much as he missed the
belts and all the buckles he normally wore on his shirts. Still, his outfit
wasn�t that different from what he normally wore, black leather from head to
toe, but without all the straps and buckles - he�d figured they�d make him look
like he wanted or needed to be restrained. And of course he was wearing the
Millennium Puzzle, Yami seemed to prefer it that way - Yugi had a vague feeling
he should be insulted by that somehow, but he wasn�t sure exactly why. Yami
was still wearing his collar, and they�d had a small copy of the Millennium
Puzzle made to attach as a tag. Besides that Yami was wearing mostly jewellery,
armbands and bracelets from his soul room, along with anklets and a white linen
kilt.

Yugi
was grateful that they weren�t the last to arrive; Ryou and Bakura hadn�t got
there yet. Malik was wearing a white tunic, with a broad purple stripe at each
hem, sandals, a purple and crimson toga and a belt with his Millennium Rod and
a number of pouches attached to it. Marik was just wearing a loincloth and a
white leather collar, showing off the scars on his back. Anzu had found a white
dress that looked vaguely like the ones Yami remembered from his time, and she
was wearing an elaborately braided wig while Honda was just wearing a pair of
black jeans and a black, spiked dog collar. Jounouchi was wearing all black,
leather and silk, and Kaiba wasn�t there, instead a woman with red hair to her
shoulders dressed in black from head to toe, wearing a wolfs head pendant at
the base of her throat and carrying a large, thin black scarf sat beside him.

�Where�s
Kaiba-kun?�

�Has
he decided he doesn�t want to play after all?� Yami was smiling cruelly...he
really shouldn�t say things like that.

�You
didn�t think I was going to risk being recognised, did you Yu-gi-oh?� Hearing
Kaiba�s voice coming from the woman was such a shock, but looking at him harder
Yugi could see that he didn�t really look that feminine, it was just what they�d
expected to see.

�I
don�t think you need to worry about that Kaiba-kun. Is Ryou-kun running late?�

�No,
you were just all early.� There was a weird edge to Ryou�s voice, at least...

:Yami,
that is Ryou right?: The pale teen was wearing a long black hooded cloak,
falling open as he pushed the hood back to show the tight black leather beneath
it. He didn�t normally move that silently, or with such grace.

-It
doesn�t feel like the Tomb Robber aibou.- Yami smiled at him as he unfastened
his cloak, just letting it fall to the floor, revealing the knife at his hip. �So,
has the Tomb Robber decided to back out after all Ryou?�

�Wraith.
Tonight you can all call me Wraith. You should pick usenames for yourselves as
well. And Silver�s in the Ring, he didn�t really want to walk through Domino City unarmed dressed the way
he is.� Ryou�s hand reached up to stroke the Ring as he spoke. �Silver, come
out now.�

Bakura
looked...incredible, more fragile and feminine than Ryou ever had. He was
simply dressed in a white tunic and pants, both so thin Yugi could see through
them, and there was a silver collar on his neck, with a tag hanging from the
front. There were silver bands on his wrists and ankles and a silver chain at
his waist, and his finger and toe nails were all painted silver. His hair was
tied in a french braid and he was wearing make-up, silver paint on his
eyelids and red on his lips. He didn�t look up, or speak, instead he knelt to
gather Ryou�s cloak and settled on his knees at Ryou�s feet when the hikari sat
down. He looked up at Ryou, head tilted slightly, and touched his braid.

�Go
ahead Silver, I think it�s been in long enough to have the effect we wanted.� Ryou
reached down to stroke Bakura�s face as he spoke. Bakura immediately bowed his
head again as he began loosening his braid in a strangely seductive manner.

�Tomb
Robber, what in Ra�s name�s wrong with you?� Yami was finally frustrated enough
to snap at them. Bakura didn�t respond at all, and Ryou smiled at them.

�Silver,
you may speak, to answer the question and no more.��

�Yes
Master. It�s called getting into character - I am a good actor, as you should
know.�

�That�s
why we�ll probably win. Have you decided on your usenames yet? Dom�s names
should imply strength, and for subs there�s two options, either degrading names
like Bitch, or names that imply they�re treasured, like I treasure my Silver
here. If you choose a degrading name your actions have to live up to it.�

�How
do you know all of this?� Marik was looking at Ryou and Bakura in total
disbelief.

�It�s
called research pretty demon slave.� Ryou�s smile was chilling. �Did none of
you do any?�

�Hey!
We did research.�

�Although
you seem to have found much better sources.� Hearing Kaiba using feminine
speech patterns, and changing his voice, lowering it to a husky near-whisper
made almost everyone stare at him. �I decided that Silver has a point.�

�And
what about speak when spoken to my Priestess?�

�Forgive
me...Master.� Kaiba slid to kneel at Jounouchi�s feet, his entire body language
changing before their eyes, and he laid a hand on Jounouchi�s thigh.

�Speak.�

�You
called me Priestess?�

�Bakura
keeps on calling you Priest, and a female priest...any ideas for me?�

�What
about �Wolf�, Master?� Kaiba lifted his hand obviously touching the pendant at
his neck.

�I
like it - much better than mutt for certain.�

�I�m
Apollo then, and this is Aku.� Malik pulled Marik to his side, forcing his tongue
down his yami�s throat.

:He�s
going to take full advantage of this, isn�t he mou hitori no boku. Any ideas?:

-No,
aibou. I can�t think of a suitable name for either of us. Can you blame Malik
for enjoying the chance to dominate Marik?-

�I�ll
be Bast then.�

�And
I�ll be her Guardian.� Honda stood and moved to stand just behind Anzu, in the
classic bodyguard position.

:No
I can�t.: Everyone was waiting for Yami and Yugi to tell them what to call
them. �We can�t think of any names.�

�I
have an idea, Yugi, your name would translate into Latin as Ludos, and Yami, you
could be called Puzzle. It would fit with your tag too. By the way Priestess,
if you�re uncomfortable with using the title Master you could address Wolf with
the title �Lord Wolf�, if he doesn�t mind.�

�Yeah,
that�s fine by me.�

�Very
well. We�ll use the names you suggested Ryou.�

�It�s
Wraith. And it isn�t your choice little darkling. Yugi-kun, do you accept the
names I suggested?� Ryou�s voice softened on the last sentence, showing none of
the near-contempt from addressing Yami.

�Yes,
they�re fine.� Yugi was a bit annoyed that Yami hadn�t consulted him before
agreeing, but the names Ryou�d suggested would work as well as anything else
and there was no point in trying to think of others just because of that.

�Glad
to help, Ludos.� Ryou paused, shutting his eyes in a visible effort at
self-control.

�What
aren�t you saying...Wraith?� Yugi deliberately used the name Ryou�d told him
to, and smiling at him.

�I�m
just reminding myself that it�s rude to advise another Master on how to
discipline his slave without asking. Of course neither you nor Puzzle are in
character yet, not really.�

�No,
we�re not. Wraith.� How had Ryou managed to goad Yami so effectively in
such a short time?

�If
you want to stand any chance of winning this game you�ll have to be able to put
up with a lot more than that pretty Puzzle. Was self-control ever your strong
point?�

�We
need to get going.� Jounouchi was playing the peacemaker, calling for a
limo before Yami could respond to Ryou�s insinuations. Had Yugi slipped into
some alternate world or something? First Bakura acting like the perfect slave,
then Ryou almost picking a fight with Yami, and now Jounouchi stopping a fight?

�Yes,
we do.� Ryou stood, and just glanced at Bakura before he rose as well to put
Ryou�s cloak around his shoulders, stepping back afterwards, to trail just a
step behind his hikari. When they got to the limo Ryou pulled Bakura into his
lap, and the spirit seemed perfectly content to go to sleep there.

�Bakura-kun,
you shouldn�t let-�

�Bast,
for the third time, tonight it�s Wraith. And no, Silver isn�t in any
danger from doing this. I�m safely strapped in, and in an emergency I can send
Silver back to the Ring with a thought, as long as he�s asleep. If he was awake
he�d do it himself if he had to.�

�Wraith,
you shouldn�t cut Bast off like that.� Jounouchi seemed to be better at
remembering Ryou�s rules.

�She
should learn to remember what my name is for tonight.� Ryou�s voice was
uncompromising. He refused to say anything for the rest of the journey, petting
Bakura�s hair carefully. Bakura and Kaiba were the only two �subs� going
barefoot, and for some reason that bothered Yugi. But at least the limo took
them directly to the entrance of the club, and Ryou skirted the line, leading
them directly to the doorman and offering a card to him.

�You
and your guests are most welcome Lord Wraith.� The doorman knelt and bowed to
Ryou, head to the floor, holding the pose until they�d all walked past him.
Ryou didn�t waste any time staying with the group, only telling them that he�d
rely on their honour to admit if they got caught out while no one would hear
him.

-o-()-o-

-It�s
time Yadonushi-sama.- Ryou reluctantly acknowledged his yami�s veiled suggestion.

:Are
you still sure you want to do this?: He asked as he disengaged from the woman
he�d ended up chatting to about RPGs, a touch to Bakura�s bowed head the
visible cue for him to rise from his kneeling position and follow him to the
freestanding platform even now being cleared.

-They�ll
think this is just a way to win that bet, you know that.- Not that any cards
besides the God cards were worth doing this if you didn�t get some
enjoyment out of it, but that was beside the point. Ryou always loved playing
this game with his yami because it was one of the few ways he felt he had any
power, any control over his lover, even if he knew that control was an
illusion, but he�d never understood what Bakura got out of it. -Especially
given the script we came up with.-

:I
guess.: Ryou still wasn�t convinced of that, but he snapped his fingers and
pointed at the table on the platform anyway, smiling as he watched Bakura climb
onto the table and kneel obediently in place. His yami deliberately knelt
wrong, legs together, sitting back on his heels, hands in his lap, giving Ryou
the excuse to position him correctly. But first...

�You
are not to respond in any way to this. Do you understand Silver?� The question
was a trick, and he paused for a full minute to see if Bakura would fall for
it, raising whispers of speculation in the island of silence his clear command
had invoked. �You may speak now.�

�Yes
Master, I understand.� Ryou didn�t envy Bakura the task of suppressing his
inevitable arousal, but if they�d both known he had to if they wanted to keep
this a secret - and they did. And now he set to work adjusting his slave�s
posture, getting into the requisite mindset for this as he folded Bakura�s
hands at the nape of his neck, pulling him up and back until he�d just started
arching his back, showing a smooth line from his knees to his chin and finally
spreading his legs to shoulder width at the knee. He knew for a fact that
Bakura could hold this posture for up to three hours before he showed any
strain, other than the fine sheen of sweat that usually started about half an
hour in, so he had no hesitation in turning away and inspecting the selection
of toys available. He already knew there were no flechettes, but the inspection
was part of the show.

�The
toys offered are woefully inadequate. I need to get my own knives, but I�ll
give you something to be thinking on.� And then he drew the knife Bakura had
given him to use as Wraith. First he retraced the lines of the scar on his
face, reopening them carefully, and then he made a small cut down the centre of
his lower lip, something that, for a human would take a long time to heal, and
hurt throughout, before claiming those lips in a kiss, sucking the bleeding lip
into his own mouth. �You!� There were three slaves of the club standing by the
platform, in case he needed anything. �Get me a basin of boiling water, two
soft towels wrapped around a hot water bottle and a glass of iced water.� There
wouldn�t have been so many if Ryou hadn�t arranged this with the owner beforehand.
He�d offered to pay in cash for the privilege, but when a threesome had been
suggested as an alternative means of payment he�d agreed, only specifying that
he had to be dominant, and condoms were to be used for any penetration. The
other man hadn�t really been interested in Ryou anyway and had agreed easily.
And Bakura had found it hilarious...at least once he�d finished ranting about
Ryou�s lack of consideration in not giving him a safe word. �You, I left some
toys here in case this happened. Take me to them.�

He
wasn�t going to let anyone else carry the box with his blades and other toys
in, but he let the slave carry the bag containing an outfit for Bakura to wear
afterwards. There was a crowd gathering, whispering speculatively, but the
other slave hadn�t quite gotten back yet. Ryou busied himself by positioning
the slave with him on his knees, hands raised above his head, supporting and
offering the box to him. He�d delayed enough for the other slave to arrive,
carrying the things he�d asked for.

�Put
them on the other table.� He commanded absently as he stalked over to Bakura,
and began the process of cutting his white linen outfit off his body, pausing
when he�d exposed the spirit�s chest. �Peaked nipples...did you forget what I
told you?� He made a point of speaking just loudly enough that the nearest of
the watchers could hear him and turned to open his box. This had been one of
the contingencies they�d planned for, and he pulled out a pair of silver nipple
clamps, with little silver bells attached, sucking gently on each nipple before
fastening a clamp onto the brown nubs. Then he moved on to the trousers,
finding Bakura still as limp as he was supposed to be for this game, and Ryou
couldn�t resist the temptation to stroke him carefully, despite the guarded
fury that flashed in his eyes.

:I
do this, then it explains if you do respond.:

-You�re
assuming I�m going to fail Yadonushi-sama?- It sounded half insulted and
half amused, but the was an undercurrent of resignation.

�Put
these rags with the water and towels.� Ryou picked out the seven candles he�d
packed for this, and the lighter as well while the slave obeyed. One by one he
lit the candles, setting them in a v-shape between Bakura�s thighs...then he
cared for his knife, cleaning and oiling it before resheathing it. The slave
acting as his table was trembling already, and Ryou didn�t bother to hide his
disgust.

�Who
do you belong to?�

�Kitsune,
sir.� The owner of the club, not really surprising.

�And
he calls you?�

�Coal,
sir.�

�You
shame his training. I must remember to tell him that you need more practice in
acting as furniture - that or you need to build up your upper body strength.�
It didn�t need an answer, and Ryou picked up one of his flechettes and went to
work on Bakura, tracing careful patterns into his skin. The flechette just
barely broke the skin, only enough to make Bakura bleed, and between each
pattern Ryou would pause, glance to Bakura�s face, and stroke between his legs,
once. Sometimes he�d lay one flechette aside, and pick up another for more
intricate work, always cleaning one before picking up the next, and coating
them with oil as Bakura waited. He could do this for as long as Bakura could
hold stance, but that wasn�t what they needed for this, instead deciding on
fifteen designs. After the sixth design Ryou looked into Bakura�s face to see
that he�d started to bite his lower lip. He deliberately began to clean the
flechette, oiling it and returning it to the box, but he didn�t select a new
one, or touch Bakura between his legs, instead he turned back to his slave and
gave him an open-handed slap across the face, more noise than actual force, but
still enough to turn his head a bit.

�Tongue.�
He didn�t need to say anything else, they�d planned this, but Bakura had
refused to say when he�d start to bite his lip. Bakura obediently opened
his mouth and stuck his tongue out for Ryou to fasten a long silver clamp
across it - one of the more painful ways of gagging someone.

-Yadonushi-sama,
I don�t think I can handle this escalation for as long as we planned. Not
remaining unaroused. I hadn�t planned on starting to bite my lip until the eleventh
design.-

:Start
breathing heavily at the end of the ninth design then.: If Bakura did start to
get hard despite that Ryou had told him he planned to put a vibrator inside
him, switch it on, and add a cock-ring - then leave them until they got home. :But
you�ll spend a night tied up with something inside you for every design I
omit.:

-If
you�re that something for part of every night, and all of one night you have a
deal.- Ryou�d got halfway through the seventh design almost on autopilot,
fortunately it wouldn�t be obvious that he�d cut the show short with the way he�d
positioned the completed designs. Bakura was good. His breathing had started to
accelerate as soon as Ryou put the gag on him, but it didn�t get to be
noticeable until right at the end of the ninth design. Ryou ran his hand
through Bakura�s now tangled hair, leaning to whisper into his ear.

�Just
one more, you can hold out for one last design, can�t you my beautiful Silver?�
It wasn�t really a question and Ryou set to work on the final design,
kanji-based like three others, making a total of four kanji-based designs, four
hieroglyph-based designs and two fully abstract designs. As they�d agreed
Bakura was trembling ever so slightly when he finished, but Ryou ignored that
to; first, put away his flechette, showing the same care he had with the
others, then, remove the gag, clean it, and return it to its place and only then
to move each candle away from his yami�s thighs and blow it out. The bells
would stay where they were until they got home.

�Break
stance.� When it was finally safe to allow it Bakura collapsed back on his
heels, bringing his legs together and wrapping his arms around his body before
slumping over his knees. First, his mouth had to be dry. Bakura cooperated
willingly as Ryou manoeuvred him into sitting on the edge of the table, and
then he took a mouthful of water from the glass he�d ordered earlier, and let
it trickle from his own mouth in his slave�s in a kiss. Two mouthfuls would do
for now.

Ryou
wetted one of the rags he�d turned Bakura�s outfit into in the basin of water
he�d demanded at the start, now just comfortably warm, and he began to wash him
clean, in a wordless form of soothing. He followed the wet rag with a warm
towel until finally Bakura was clean and dry, then he dressed him in a new
outfit, loose trousers and a loose tunic in soft, warm dark red cotton velvet.
He closed his box of toys and handed it to Bakura before leading him off the
platform and making his way to the table where his friends had gathered.

-o-()-o-

�You
don�t have to stick with me all the time now that we�ve been caught out mou
hitori no boku!� Yugi knew it was as much his fault as Yami�s that they�d been
recognised as not actually being into all of this...nonsense ten minutes into
their visit to the club, but it still bugged him that his darkness insisted on
never moving more than arm�s reach away from him even after that.

�But
I want to aibou. We get fewer propositions this way.� True, the only
proposition Yugi�d gotten was from a dom while Yami was away from him, but one
proposition wouldn�t have been enough to have Yami come damn near running back
to him.

�And
what if I wanted to get propositions?� Yugi was just teasing, he didn�t want to
have to deal with people wanting to �top� him, whatever that was. He didn�t
expect the reaction he got from his other self at that. Yami sort of jumped,
looking shocked, and that shock reverberated down their link.

�H-here?
If you want me to not be present, so you can find someone else I will, but...�
He continued via their mind link -will you at least allow me to retreat to my
soul room, and stay inside the Puzzle? I would rather not be with anyone
but you.-

:I�m
sorry, I was only teasing.: He hadn�t realised his dark felt that way about
him, not really. They were both revolted by the sort of things they saw around
them, but Yami was clearly far from revolted by the idea of being with Yugi,
while Yugi just...wasn�t sure. He didn�t have any more time to think about it
either, since they heard what was running through the crowd.

�...carving
pictures on a white-haired slave....�

�...looks
almost exactly like him...�

�...incredible
control...�

�...not
allowed to respond...�

�...punished
for having peaked nipples...�

:That
sounds almost like...:

-Ryou
and Bakura? But...I
can�t imagine Bakura...-

:Neither
can I, but...let�s go and see anyway.:

-Yes
aibou.- Yami took hold of Yugi�s hand and began pulling him through the crowd,
towards the source of the whispers. But after a while they couldn�t get any
closer, certainly not close enough to see what was happening on the platform.

:Pick
me up so I can see over the crowd.: Yami only had an inch or two on him, not
enough to see over the crowd where Yugi couldn�t, but he was a lot stronger
than Yugi. :I�ll relay what I see to you.:

It
was Ryou, Yugi recognised him from the outfit he was wearing as well as
his white hair. He could feel Yami�s shock as he relayed the image of Ryou
slapping Bakura across the face, hard enough to turn his head, for what reason
he didn�t know. It was like a train wreck, Yugi couldn�t stop watching as Ryou
carved designs on his ever dangerous yami�s flesh and reached between his legs
to stroke his limp member, wondering just how long Bakura was going to permit
these liberties, not even when Kaiba came to them, his costume so good they
didn�t realise it was him at first, and led them to a table, set up in view of
the platform.

Jou
was waiting at the table, and Marik was sitting in Malik�s lap, hands tied
behind his back, his pants open for his hikari to play with him. There were
three chairs left, Yugi took one when Yami put him down, and Yami took another
and Jou grabbed Kaiba�s wrist before he could leave again.

�Been
caught huh? We need to leave a chair for Wraith, Priestess, get another chair
or two after you find Bast and Guardian.�

�Yes
Lord Wolf.� Kaiba left quietly, looking like any other submissive there.

�Not
like there�s much point after Wraith put on that sort of show with
Silver.� Malik sounded almost sulky as he spoke, pointing to the platform Ryou
was performing on with his chin.

�Then
why do you still have Aku tied up, and your hand down his pants, �Apollo�?�

��Cause
we�re not out of the running until we get caught out, or we leave. They could
still be caught out, just because they put on one hell of a show doesn�t change
anything.� Yami actually blushed as he realised that he�d forgotten the
rules of this game. Yugi knew that Marik would be riding him about this for a
while, and so would Bakura, probably - that or they�d both be riding Bakura
about what a good show he put on.

�Looks
like Silver�s in trouble.� A disturbing eagerness edged Malik�s voice as he
pointed out Bakura�s obvious difficulty breathing. Yugi shivered at the cruel
smile on Ryou�s face as he leaned to whisper something into Bakura�s ear and he
had to ask the obvious question.

�Are
we sure Wraith�s Ryou?�

�Yeah,
Bakura�s pretended to be Ryou before to take advantage of his friendship with
us.� Anzu had arrived and Honda pulled the last empty chair out for her,
standing behind it like the guardian they�d named him.

�Unless
they managed to swap roles since we saw Bakura come out of the Ring Wraith has
to be Ryou.� Yami was being the rational one in Kaiba�s place, the CEO had
knelt at Jou�s feet as soon as he�d brought a new chair to the table.

�Looks
like they�re finishing up now.� Everyone watched in fascination as Ryou gave
Bakura a drink from his own mouth and then began to wash him, dry him and dress
him, before coming to join them at the table. Bakura was carrying the box Ryou
had put his knives in and Ryou took it from him, setting it on the table before
he sat and Bakura knelt beside him.

�Hi
guys. Enjoy the show?� He opened the box as he spoke, pulling out a metal comb
and using Bakura�s hair as a handle to get him to lay his head in Ryou�s lap. �You
can make any noises you want Silver, just as long as there�s no actual words.�

What
was he going to do? Yugi didn�t know what he�d expected, but it wasn�t for Ryou
to start combing Bakura�s hair out.

�When
did you get so good with knives Ry-Wraith?� Yami changed the name in mid-word
in response to the uncharacteristic glare Ryou gave him. �And how?�

�Yami
and Hikari, two aspects of the same soul right? Stop me if I say anything you
don�t understand, pretty Puzzle.� Yugi could see Yami gritting his teeth at
that comment. �As two aspects of the same soul we both have potential to do
well in the same sort of things. We�re...less specialised than you two are. You
and Ludos are both really good at just about any type of game. We�re good with
languages, the sciences and knives, even if I don�t use them in battle much. I
use them to make my Monster World dolls remember? Did you follow my explanation
pretty Puzzle? I tried to keep it nice and simple for you.� Yami�s rage was
palpable in the silence that followed, a silence that was broken by a tiny
whimper from Bakura.

�Did
he just whimper?� Incredulity filled Malik�s voice at the concept.

�I
think I hit a bloodstain and knocked part of one of the older designs open at
the same time.� Ryou�s voice was coldly detached. �If it�s a sharp enough knife
you don�t really notice the cut until a while after it�s been made, and
I keep my blades in excellent condition, we both do.� Then Kaiba spoke up,
after Jou muttered permission, pointing out something they�d all missed.

�Good
timing too.� Ryou laughed at that, and even Yami had to admit that it was
funny.

�Yeah,
I guess it is. Wolf, since the house slaves seem to have vanished, do you mind
sending Priestess for our drinks? Just...I don�t think Apollo wants to untie
Aku, and I�d rather not let Silver out of my sight for a while.�

�Sure,
just tell her what you want and give her the money for it.� Jou seemed to pull
Kaiba up to his feet by the hand tangled in his wig, but that had to be an
illusion. �Get me some beer, and a white wine for yourself.� He handed him some
money, presumably enough for the drinks.

�Foreplay,
a Slow, Comfortable Screw, and a Screaming Orgasm for me - separate drinks, not
mixed, and a glass of bloodwine for Silver.� Even with the veil Yugi could tell
that Kaiba was blushing as he took the money Ryou gave him. �By the way, they
offer pretty good mead for a modern club - and Priestess, get Sehkmet�s Slumber
for Wolf. It�s the closest they have to real beer, the sort they had way
back when.�

-Aibou...-
Yami hadn�t brought any money, since he�d been supposed to pass for a slave or
a sub.

:You
want to try that beer?:

-Yes,
please aibou.-

�Mead
for me, and Sehkmet�s Slumber for Puzzle. That�s a really esoteric name for a
beer. Is it at all popular?� Yugi gave Kaiba more money than he expected the
drinks to cost, just in case, since they hadn�t been to the bar yet.

�I
wouldn�t know. I just know that it�s great.� Ryou shrugged carelessly as Bakura
whimpered again, barely loudly enough to be heard.

�Screaming
Orgasm for me, Aku can have Foreplay.� Malik sounded almost insanely cheerful.
�I
want sake, a jug, H-Guardian, what about you?� Anzu slipped for a moment there,
and Yugi wondered how she hadn�t been recognised as a tourist when he
and Yami had.

�Just
get me another dish and I�ll share your sake.�

�Did
you get all of that Priestess?�

�Yes
Lord Wolf.� And Kaiba proceeded to recite each order before setting off for the
bar.

-o-()-o-

Seto
noted with relief that he wasn�t the only sub sent to fetch drinks for an
entire table. The house slaves were all dressed almost identically, in only a
pair of loose trousers, and a halter-neck top that barely covered their breasts
for the women, but some of the slaves carrying trays of drinks were as
imaginatively outfitted as he was. This outing had been informative, he�d picked
up some knowledge about the proclivities of a number of his business rivals
that he�d be able to use somehow, if not directly. It was almost enough
to tempt him to do this again. Almost, especially since the mutt had proven to
be smarter than he acted and hadn�t tried to take advantage of this.

�Your
master send you for drinks?� It was his turn.

�For
the entire table actually.� All the staff were house slaves, no need to show
respect, he�d done research as well, if not as much or as wide-ranged as Ryou had.
It was worth an internal grimace when he realise he�d followed the mutt�s lead
in only researching The Foxhole, and stuff that applied directly to them.

�How
many groups are they paying in?� He put a tray out and began placing little
dishes on it as he spoke.

�Five.
Lord Wolf desires a Sehkmet�s Slumber and a white wine.� Seto only realised
what the dishes were for when the slave put the loose change into it, handing
the bills back to him. �Lord Wraith wishes Foreplay, a Slow, Comfortable Screw,
and a Screaming Orgasm, each in a separate glass, and a glass of bloodwine.� He
fished the bills for that out of his bra as he�d been told to, noting absently
just how close Ryou had been to the total. �Lord Ludos sent me for a mead and a
Sehkmet�s Slumber.� Yugi�d underestimated the price, so he made it up from the
money he�d given Jou before the others had arrived at his mansion. �Lord Apollo
wants a Screaming Orgasm and Foreplay - separate again.� But Malik had been
almost as dead on as Ryou, overestimating just a bit. �Lady Bast desires a jug
of sake, and two dishes.�

Once
the tray was ready he picked it up and made his way slowly back to the table -
thankfully people had enough consideration to let him through with it. He put
the tray in the centre of the table, glancing to the mutt for permission before
serving everyone with their drinks and change then sat back down at the mutt�s
feet.

�Which
is which?� Malik sounded baffled, and Seto wished he could see his face. Ryou
laughed and told him which drink was which as the mutt�s hand tightened on his
neck.

�Did
you know which drink Apollo asked for is which?�

�No,
Lord Wolf.� At that the mutt�s hand relaxed, and he began petting the wig Seto
was wearing.

�You
should punish her for not finding out.� A woman�s coolly amused voice
forestalled any change of conversation, and beneath the table Seto could see
that Ryou was hauling Bakura up into his lap.

�Why?
She wasn�t told to, and it�s not her place to take initiative that way, she
knows that.� The mutt handed his wine down to Seto before he continued. �Besides,
I don�t do public displays, of any sort. When I need to punish her I�ll do it
at home, in private.� Seto jumped a bit when he heard that...it reminded him
just a bit of Gozaburo, something he tried to forget as much as he could.

�There
are private rooms available you know. But...if you�d rather not. Wraith, you�re
surely not involved in that stupid game Ludos mentioned?�

�Should
I know you, or what you�re talking about? Ludos, introduce us to this...person.�
Ryou sounded more like Gozaburo than Seto was comfortable with, and he
found himself pressing just a bit harder against the mutt�s legs, despite
knowing how he was embarrassing himself.

�Guys,
this is Witch and-� Yugi sounded nervous and Ryou interrupted him coldly.

�You
don�t introduce slaves or subs. Their Master might, if he, or she of
course, feels it appropriate. You obviously recognised me Witch, would you
prefer it if I completed the introductions?�

�Please
do Wraith.� There was an almost fawning edge to her voice and Seto had to
wonder how Ryou would react.

�Very
well.� And now Ryou�s voice was as cold as liquid nitrogen. �Going clockwise
from myself we are; Apollo, Bast, Wolf, Ludos and Puzzle. You mentioned a game?�

�Tourists
visiting in pairs, pretending to be dom and sub, or Master and slave, until
someone asks them directly if they are pretending, as I understood it. Ludos
and Puzzle were playing it, but they were obviously in the wrong roles.�
Slightly surprising considering how devoted Yami was to Yugi. �Puzzle was doing
a better acting job than Ludos, but they were both messing it up. So, how many
of your companions are playing the same game?�

�Here�s
an idea, why not get your slave to pull up a seat and watch us for a while,
then guess for yourself.� There was hope in Yami�s voice, probably hope that
Ryou would be caught out first - which seemed highly unlikely, especially
considering that Seto was beginning to suspect that Ryou and Bakura actually did
frequent places like this, under the same aliases, on a regular basis.

�If
that�s alright with you Wraith?� An interesting assumption she�d made - in
normal circumstances everyone assumed that Yami or Seto was in charge of
the group.

�You
should ask the others. I was last to sit down, I couldn�t say who was first.� A
clear implication that the first person at a table had the right to decide who
sat there, Seto nudged the mutt�s thigh to make sure he picked up on the hint.

�Go
ahead, sit wherever you want. I�ve got nothing to hide.� The mutt was a very
good actor, better than Seto�d thought.

�Familiar,
do it. I would prefer to sit by you?� Witch�s voice was so hesitant it had to
mean that Ryou had one hell of a reputation.

�Very
well. But do try to talk to others, I have no desire to focus on you
exclusively.�

�There�s
one thing I wondered about. Why did you tell the slave who displeased you that
you�d report his failure to his master, instead of punishing him yourself?�

�House
rules say we�re not supposed to cut house slaves up. Reasonable I guess, since
we don�t really know how well they heal, like I know nothing I did to Silver on
stage would scar. And nothing but blood would show up well enough on that dark
skin of his.� Ryou sounded remarkably callous when he spoke to Witch, reminding
Seto even more of Gozaburo. Except Gozaburo hadn�t really cared about scarring
him and Ryou did care about giving Bakura more scars. The mutt passed
Seto�s wine down to him beneath the table, and he listened to the chat above
him without really paying attention for almost an hour.

�I�m
supposed to be doing a scene myself in ten minutes - not anywhere near as
dramatic as yours mind, Wraith. So, I�ll have to leave now, but...�

�You
want to make your guesses about who�s playing the game and who isn�t now?�
There was barely concealed eagerness in Yami�s voice, almost enough to make
Seto laugh.

�Yes.
Bast, you aren�t even involved with your Guardian, are you?�

�No.
We came here to support our friends, nothing more.�

�And
Apollo, you don�t normally dominate Aku do you? I don�t think you�re really
into this sort of thing at all.�

�No,
we�re not. This is a nice fantasy thing, but it�s really a one-off, you know?�

�Wraith,
Wolf, I have to congratulate you on just how well-trained your slaves are. Even
if I would have liked to see you punishing Priestess here Wolf.�

�Too
bad, you can�t. I wouldn�t even let my best friend watch that. The public
punishment areas in clubs bore me...they always seem to put so much emphasis on
physical pain.� Seto closed his eyes and shivered at the faintly amused note in
the mutt�s voice - Gozaburo had enjoyed using punishments other than physical
pain too...

�But
you will watch my performance? I have the same platform you were on Wraith.�

�We
might as well I suppose.� Ryou�s voice held the same cold notes it had all
night. Seto opened his eyes when he heard Witch leaving the table to see the
gentle way Ryou pushed Bakura back down to the ground, before opening his pants
and pulling his face into his groin. Bakura didn�t seem to resent the implied
order, sucking at Ryou silently, but with every sign of enthusiasm.

�I
thought the game ended at midnight...and it�s five to now.� There was quiet urgency in Malik�s
voice, for some reason.

�No,
the game ends when we leave the club - but we had planned on leaving around midnight?� Yami would want
to take the opportunity to extend the time when Ryou and Bakura could be caught
out...but he obviously felt obliged to stick to the rules of the game.

�Yeah,
but it would be polite to watch her scene, after she made the effort to help
our game. That is, if you don�t mind Wolf, since we�re the only two left?�

�Sure.
If nothing changes you�d win, so I�ve got nothing to lose.� The mutt pushed his
chair back from the table a bit, and reached down to grab Seto�s arm. �Up in my
lap Priestess.� Seto blushed, obediently sitting sideways on the mutt�s lap, at
least this didn�t bring up any...associations, and the mutt wasn�t
showing any signs of...interest. He hadn�t gotten to see much of Ryou�s performance,
so he looked over to the nearby platform, to see that a woman, presumably
Witch, had another woman stripped to the waist and tied to a frame, stretching
her limbs out in an X. It wasn�t something he wanted to watch, or think about,
but he couldn�t show weakness...or could he? He was pretending to be a
submissive, and he was unrecognisable in this get up...the sound of the whip on
the victim�s flesh decided him, and he buried his face into the mutt�s neck.

�Witch�s
technique�s rather pedestrian, can we go before I have to tell her that?� The
others seemed shocked at that, but as they left the club Seto wondered bitterly
how Ryou would judge Gozaburo�s technique.

-o-()-o-

Ryou
followed Bakura into the dining room, stifling a yawn behind his hand. He
couldn�t quite believe Kaiba had insisted on everyone getting up in time to
have breakfast at eight after getting in so late last night.

-You
shouldn�t be surprised Yadonushi-sama, I�m sure he�s pulled all-nighters
before, to get things done for his company and school.- And Bakura was
maddeningly alert.

:And
what�s your excuse?: Ryou didn�t hesitate to snarl at Bakura across their link,
the yami�d never really scared him, it had just been easier to let Yugi and his
friends think that he did.

-I
got to nap in the Ring before we set off, and in the limo on the way to and
back from The Foxhole.- A mental shrug accompanied his words. -Besides, I�m
always alert, except when I�m in the Ring. Survival�s a good motivator.-

�Hey,
�Kura, did Ryou really
carve you up last night, or did you pull a bait and switch on us?� Ryou was
grateful then that Bakura hadn�t gone into the Ring to heal last night as he�d
suggested, and they both rolled their eyes at Marik�s stupidity, considering
that Bakura�s facial scar was still scabbed over from where Ryou�d reopened it.

�Didn�t
catch the beginning of the show, did you?� Bakura laughed as he unfastened his
shirt and let it drop to the ground with no sign of modesty. Ryou laughed too,
dismissing the idea.

�I
don�t have the stamina or self-control to do what Bakura-sama did last night.�
He wouldn�t normally use that name for his yami when referring to what they�d
been doing, but the shock on everyone�s faces when he did now was irresistible.
He didn�t bother removing his own T-shirt, so with a pointed glare Bakura did
it for him, leaving him blushing a deep crimson.

�Any
more questions?� Bakura glared indiscriminately at everyone in the room, easily
discouraging anyone who might have been inclined to actually ask questions. �Good.
Priest, I could use another Dark Necrophia. I expect you�ve got one. Pharaoh, I
want your Summoned Skull. Marik, I want Newdoria from you.� Kaiba went for his
briefcase, not his deck Ryou noticed. He wasn�t really surprised, Dark
Necrophia didn�t really fit that well with his style. Yami looked a bit
relieved as he sorted through his deck to get the requested card. It wasn�t
particularly rare, but it wasn�t one of the really common cards either, and it
was powerful, and fitted to Bakura�s style. Marik just laughed as he
handed the card over to Bakura.

�I
figured you�d want this. I don�t know your style too well, but everyone
knows you use a demon deck.� Which was why Ryou couldn�t understand the slight
surprise Yami�d shown at Bakura�s choice from his deck. He knew that at one
point, early on, it had been the strongest single card in Yami�s deck. It wasn�t
anymore, but it was still the strongest of the cards he had that fitted Bakura�s
style. Ryou waited for everyone to hand Bakura�s loot over before he asked for
his own prizes, filling a bowl with miso as he waited.

�What
card do you want from me Ryou?� Yugi was actually the one who brought it up,
leafing through his own deck.

�I
heard you had two Dark Magician cards now Yugi, that card fits you best, just
like the Flame Swordsman fits you best Jou. And Malik, I�d like Spell of Pain,
in remembrance of when you shared my body.� Ryou blinked in surprise as Kaiba
fished a Flame Swordsman from his briefcase and handed it to him. It didn�t say
much for his powers of observation, but he hadn�t even realised that Kaiba hadn�t
closed it after giving Bakura his prize. �Wha..?�

�I
agreed to pay the mutt�s forfeit if we lost but still did better than the Game
Kings. And since they both got caught out first...� So Ryou could have gone for
powerful cards the way Bakura had without worrying about the difficulties Jou�d
have in replacing his. Everyone knew about Jou�s financial situation,
and Ryou�d decided on asking for cards with sentimental value between him and
the others to avoid making it obvious that he was trying not to take the blond�s
more powerful cards. �The trip was informative enough for who I saw there,
doing better than Yami at any game was just a bonus. I didn�t consider you
serious competition in this game.� He was referring to the way Bakura was
notorious for riding roughshod over Ryou�s desires according to Yugi and his
friends of course. Ryou bit his lip, thinking about what to say to that as Yugi
and Malik handed over the cards they owed him.

�Our
little act was pretty choreographed you realise? And with our link Bakura-sama
could tell me what I needed to change.�

�While
we were practising I could just go into the Ring to heal instantly when Ryou
screwed up.� Bakura sounded casual, and slightly smug. He�d actually had to do
that once or twice when they�d first started playing those games - after
Ryou�d had a thorough grounding in knifework - but not for a while. �At least
after he�d learned to cut deep enough. That was almost harder than getting him
to keep the wounds shallow enough not to be a real danger.�

�How
did you get to do your act anyway? It must have taken a lot of
pre-planning.� Now Kaiba was looking at both of them with a mix of admiration
and calculation.

�We
paid for the spot. That�s where we got those passes from that let us into the
club without standing in line. You can�t actually get them without doing an
act, and to do an act you have to prove that you�re worth watching.� Ryou
frowned as he explained. �What we wanted to do was exotic and spectacular
enough that it got bumped to the owner instead of a manager.� And hence the
unusual means of payment required.

�You
mean the Tomb Robber let you cut him up like that twice?� The shock in
Yami�s voice was absolutely hilarious.

�No,
by the time we were ready for that a human wouldn�t have been healed fast
enough. I used one of the tools we came up for learning, and Bakura-sama
demonstrated his stamina.�

�Tools?�

�Stamina?�

�It�s
fucking hard to hold a pose like that for more than half an hour.� Ryou smiled
at Kaiba�s amusement, as Bakura growled his explanation.

�I
can show you if you want. Let me finish my miso and I�ll get my flechettes to
do the demonstration. I�ll also need ten sheets of paper, in four different
colours if you�ve got them. Three sheets each in three colours, and one in the
last. But two colours will do as well, three in one, and one in the second
colour. I just used the four colour pattern to show even more control.�

�Explain.�
Bakura interrupted then, explaining himself.

�I
experimented, and with the right sort of knife, the sort I got for Ryou, it
takes about as much force to cut through exactly three sheets of paper as it
does to cut just deep enough to draw blood.� Ryou took the reprieve
Bakura�s words gave him to finish eating as fast as he could.

�Really
�Kura? I didn�t know that,
can I try too?� Of course Marik would be eager to try this out for
himself...and Malik looked interested too.

�I�ll
get the paper. Come Ryou.� He hadn�t expected Kaiba to actually go after the
paper himself, and Ryou obediently followed the CEO. Just as he was about to
separate, to get to the bedroom he�d left his �toy box� in Kaiba took hold of
his arm, stopping him.

�What
is it?� Ryou had a sinking feeling...

�How
much of last night was an act? And how much of it was something you two do
regularly?�

:Bakura...:
He echoed Kaiba�s question back to his other half. :What should I say?:

-Go
ahead and tell him the truth, if you want to. You can use the Ring well enough
to enforce a promise not to tell anyone, or wipe his memory if he won�t
promise.-

:Yes,
I guess I can.: Ryou smiled, the smile he used as Wraith, not the one he used
in his �normal� life. �I�ll only answer that question if you�ll swear on the
Ring not to reveal the answers to anyone. If you don�t want to swear...� He
shrugged, leaving the threat unspoken.

�What
do I do?�

�Touch
the Ring, and make your promise.� Ryou lifted the Ring on it�s chain, holding
it out to Kaiba.

�Then
I promise never to repeat what you are about to tell me, or let anyone learn
about it by my actions. Acceptable?�

�Yes.
The personae we used last night...they�re pretty well-established in the scene,
as Wraith I�m notorious for my skill with knives. We have an agreement...he�s
submissive when it comes to bedplay and the scene, and I�m submissive pretty
much everywhere else. It doesn�t bother me,� Ryou shrugged, �and truthfully, in
most BDSM relationships, the good ones anyway, it�s the submissive who�s really
in charge, who sets the limits and all that sort of thing.�

�I
didn�t know that...� There was an almost musing tone to Kaiba�s voice. �You
know how to assess someone�s skill with a whip?�

�Experience.�
Ryou shrugged again, and went to get his flechettes.

When
he got back to the dining room he found the Ishtars each brandishing their own
favourite weapon, and Bakura chewing on a piece of what looked like raw meat,
leaning back against the side table. He met his yami�s eyes, before rolling his
own in shared amusement.

�Those
things won�t give you much in the way of precision or control. But I hope you
aren�t dumb enough to expect me to share my own toys.�

They
didn�t have a chance to reply, Kaiba came in then, carrying a pile of papers in
four different colours.

�Well,
show us.� Ryou smiled and picked out ten sheets of paper, layering them with
the white sheet on the bottom, three red sheets above that, three yellow sheets
above those, and finally three blue sheets on top. He opened his �toy box� and
pulled out a flechette, resting his left hand on the pile of papers, and began
to cut. An inverted triangle through the top three sheets, large, the outer
lines to form the Eye of Horus in the centre of the triangle to go through the
top six, and the circle at the centre of the Eye of Horus to leave only the
white sheet uncut. Marik and Malik just mauled their papers, and then Bakura
dragged him away...so that they could play in private.
- 1
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The Foxhole