all general disclaimers apply

Author's Note; I slightly revised the chapter before this (ch.7). No major changes, just some small additions of detail I forgot to address prior to uploading that chapter. So you may wish to re-read that chapter before going on to the one below. ;)

Aww, Craps! Part 8

Tristan found himself in an awkward position. He just watched two females 'evict' two males. He was the last. He needed to buy himself some time while avoiding the hen nest.

"Uh, ladies, if you'll excuse me, I need to return to the hotel for something. I'll return in about an hour." Tristan replied as he quickly darted out of the home. Mai and Tea had yet another power laugh.

Joey sped into the nearest casino. His strategy was a basic, speed favoring one. He would hit the first five hotels he could easily access as the ran straight down the main Strip then finish the race on a straight, uninterrupted run back to Mai's home. His first was the Rio, a hotel-casino that was completely lit in colorful neon lights on its exterior. Entering, he'd get his first little gift and be off again in no time. He only needed to locate the gift shop.

Meanwhile, Yami had a different approach. He would run some distance first and at an arc from the end destination. He'd use alleys, sideways, and other pathways off the main roads. This way he could avoid crowds, traffic, and most likely Joey. The arc he chose gave him the Luxor as his first hotel destination. It would then align the Excalibur, NewYork, NewYork, Harrah's, and the Venetian before giving him a straight line back to Mai's apartment. In all, the hotel search would just barely encompass a block and best yet, he'd already been in a couple of these hotels already so he knew exactly where the gift shops were located.

Joey was going in circles as he tried to follow the signs on the hotel walls. He'd seen the gift shop sign and thought he'd found it, but it turned out to be some business fax office. He had to backpeddal, find the sign, and try again. Perhaps this little race was easier said than done. Perhaps his simple plan wasn't so simple.
*Why can't I just get her flowers! I mean, it's what I really want to give her. I don't know why she kissed me, but it sent fire into my heart. Course I couldn't let the others know that. They'd take me as some sappy geek.* Joey thought as he coursed the halls once again. He'd already spotted several flower sellers, but they didn't exactly stamp the hotel name on flowers and, well, Joey didn't want to be caught dead running around with cutesy little flowers.

Elsewhere, Yami had already completed two hotel visits. At the Luxor, he bought a pendant of a black pyramid, the Luxor itself with name imprinted upon it. At the Excalibur, he found a bracelet with a small excalibur sword and name. En route to the next hotel, he ran into a band of teens playing Duel Monsters in an alley. He couldn't resist a quick look. He was always drawn to Duel Monsters.

"Hello." Yami said gently, as the look of curiousity lit his eyes.

The four boys, roughly twelve years old halted their game to see who had greeted them. One's eyes suddenly grew wide. "Y-y-y-you're Yugi Motou the WORLD CHAMPION?!" the boy said as the others gasped in awe as they too suddenly recognized the young man.

"Yes, I suppose you can say that."

"Oh man, this is so awesome! I mean, it's Yugi and he's at OUR game." another said.

Pressed for time, Yami couldn't stay and chat for long. "I must be going. I was just curious as I passed through here."

"Hey, before you leave, could you sign one of my cards?"

"Mine too." each of the other three said while thumbing through their decks. Yami reached for the four cards and marker offered to him. He looked over the four cards as he signed them. They were lower monsters that likely never saw play. *Smart players. They know that, even in a spontaneous situation, that monster choice is vital. They can't waste a useful monster on a mere signature.* He thought as he signed Yugi's name across the description area of a Basic Insect, a Meda Bat, a Petit Dragon, and a Science Soldier.

Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind. He had three hotels left. "Hey, would you four like to help me in a quest?"

"Wow, would we!"

"How familiar are you with those two hotels?"

"We all live here. We just got out of school a little while ago. We've been in all these places a hundred times!" one of the boys answered.

"I need to buy gifts with the hotel's name on each. Two of you go to that hotel and buy a keychain. The other two of you go over to that one there and buy one of those souvenier magnets." Yami pointed as he handed each duo some money. "Whatever's left in change, keep." Meet me back here in ten minutes." Yami replied as he thought about it. * I didn't say anything about employing other human help. And they're still using human power.*

"Cool, this'll be fun! Okay, we'll be back." The group said as the split into partners and took off towards the two hotels Yami directed them to. Yami himself, went to the third and farthest one...the Venetian. Upon entering he suddenly realized a big problem. He had just walked into a major shopping mall. The hotel gift shop was going to be a bit difficult to find!

Meanwhile, Joey was onto his third hotel. From the Rio, he had crossed two highways to Ceasar's Palace. He was fast becoming winded from all the running, but was now on his way to Treasure Island. He had a great plan too. He was going to buy all keychains. He knew every hotel shop would save time by not looking around. Key chains were almost always located near the cash registers. *Heheh, Yami's probably cursing to Ra right now because I bet Yugi's body's energy is nearly gone by now.* Joey thought as he motivated himself to continue onward.

Back at Mai's apartment, the ladies were having a little 'heart-to-heart.'

"So, you think Tristan has a chance with Serenity?"

"I hope so, but he's got competition in Duke."

"It's cute to see two guys compete for a lady. I wish it was the same for me, but then again, I like the selfishness of having just one as well. But enough about me, what about you? I dare say Tea, you've put yourself in quite a bind."

"What do you mean?" Tea said as she felt the heat of a flush form upon her face.

"Well dear, it's probably the weirdest love triangle I've ever seen. Two souls, one body, but both take interest in you. I wonder what will result?"

"I care about both Yugi and Yami. I know I lean more towards Yami, but I also know that it's Yugi in the here and now. Yami may not be here much longer. He's not meant to be here at all. He's a spirit of the past. Dead. Deceased. Part of history."

"You sound as if you are trying to convince yourself of that. C'mon Tea, honestly. I've watched Yugi. He knows you care more about Yami than him eventhough it's the other way around for him. His interest in you is likely more than Yami's."

"You don't know that for sure. Yami showed great interest in me just last night."

"Ah but dear, I know Yami's kind, of sorts. I hang around the wealthy, powerful, popular, high status types all the time. Even dated one. Don't mistake gentlemanly etiquette for love. High status males tend to be more mannerly by upbringing alone."

"But Yami isn't completely like that. I see more than that in him."

"Yami IS a king. As kind as he is, he's still a king. Kings don't have to do anything for anyone. It's the other way around. If a king wants, a king gets. Worse yet, he's a spirit--a ghost, Tea. If he's anything like tales of other ghosts, he main objective is to find his way back."

"Back? To where?"

"Rest. Eternal rest. Exactly what we seek when we die. We certainly don't expect to be roaming around, body-less for who knows how long. It has to be the worse torture a soul could have. Nobody and noplace familiar in the living world and unable to get back to loved ones in the dead world. It's pure cruelty to a soul, perhaps even as bad as hell itself. While Yami may not express this fact, these realities exist for him too. We just make it a little easier for him by being friends to him. Otherwise, he'd want nothing more than to find a way to return to the dead world."

"You sound as if you don't want me and Yami to get together Mai."

"I don't want to see you or Yugi hurt. You said it yourself, Yami is not likely going to be a physical soul here. He's a spirit from the past. He's already lived his life, however short and unfulfilling it was. He died young, but it doesn't mean he can take a new life in our time. Yugi, however, is of our time. Don't overlook someone who may be your true love. Destiny may have something different in mind for you. It's not always what you want it to be."

Tea didn't respond. Mai had brought up the most difficult, complex dilemma Tea had ever faced in her life. And many of the things Mai said were probably quite accurate. Yami could be suffering in his present existence and just not revealing it.Yugi had mentioned several times about the spirit of the puzzle being 'depressed.' She tried not to think about it. And eventhough Mai is a friend, she'd had enough of this particular subject. But, if there was one thing she could learn from the Game King, it was how to shift subjects.

"Hey, do you think Joey and Tristan made it into that topless show they were snickering about this morning?"

"Girl, they didn't even make it past the main doors! I heard about that incident from a friend of mine...a bouncer for those shows. They dressed in employee uniforms, but their immaturity was obvious...the snickering, the drooling, and who knows what else. They just wanted us to think they pulled it off."

Back to the race, Yami wasn't the only one with the idea of utilizing others' assistance. As Joey ran out of the third hotel, he quickly scanned the area for a short cut to the next hotel and ran smack into another person!

"Ey! Watch where ya goin' ya stup--Hey Tristan! What're you doin' here? Small world eh?"

"Nice to see you too Joey. You coulda simply said hello rather than giving me the doggy greeting. I'm surprised you didn't slop my face with your tongue."

"Haha. Look Tris- I don't have time to chat. I gotta get these keychain things. Hey, help me please? I mean, you're on foot and as far as I know, you're human so why dontchya lend a hand eh buddy?"

"Why should I help an inslultin' mutt like you?"

"Cuz you're my friend man."

"Okay, since you put it that way. Give me some money. I'll go to one, you go to the other. We'll meet back here at this exact spot."

"Gotchya." Joey said as he gave Tristan some money and the two dashed off to complete their task.

Meanwhile, the four boys met back up with Yami having completed their tasks.

"Thank you all. I really appreciate all you've done."

"No THANK YOU. I mean, you autographed our cards. You let us do stuff for you. And most of all you talked to us."

Yami shook the boys' hands then departed. He was on his way back to Mai's apartment.

Tristan and Joey had also completed their tasks, met back up, and began their return to Mai's place.

None of them knew that they had basically started their returns with roughly the same distance to go and left at roughly the same time.

So, it was a strange coincidence that all three met up at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn.

"YOU!" Joey said as he recognized the spikey-haired pharaoh.

Yami returned Joey's look as his mind sped faster than the cars on the highway. He knew he couldn't outrun Joey. Joey had both speed and stride. Yami's shorter legs and lack of endurance due to Yugi's 'fitness challenged' body were obvious pitfalls. Yami's only advantage was his mentality. Upon seeing a billboard of scantily clad showgirls, he saw his opening. There were a couple of semi-decently dressed prostitutes standing on the corner of the adjacent street.
"Look Joey, Tristan--on the other side of the street. Those are showgirls giving autographs."

Immediately Joey and Tristan's hormonally charged bodies reacted to such a temptation. They stared long enough to miss the walk light.

"The desert's warped your mind pharaoh. Those aren't showgirls, those are hookers." Joey said while still looking at the women anyway.

"Uh Joey?"

"Yeah Tris?"

"You're talking to dead air. Yami's on the other side of the road waving good-bye to us."

"Wha!?" Joey exclaimed as he watched the sly king lengthen his lead. Joey tried to dodge cars Frogger style, but ended up returning to the curb and waiting for the light. "American drivers...have they no respect!? Slow down! You could kill someone!"

"Joey, they have the right-a-way when the light is green. I sure hope you never get a driver's license." Tristan murmured as he held his friend by the shirt collar to keep him from darting recklessly back into the traffic screaming by.

On the other side of the street Yami was making headway as best as he could. But as he feared, he was fast becoming winded. /Partner, you really need to take physical education more seriously./

//Don't start with the lecture Yami.//

/Fine. We'll discuss this another time. Meanwhile, I've got to find a way to stay ahead of Joey./

//That's what that cunning brain of yours is for right, King of Games.// Yugi shot back sarcastically.

Yami half chuckled and half coughed. Yugi was indeed becoming everything he was destined to be with perhaps a few things added on the side. But that wasn't going to help him now and Joey likely wouldn't be duped a second time in such short time. As he ran down a more residential street, he heard dogs barking and trying to leap out of their chains. This gave Yami his next idea, but he'd use it only as a last resort. For now, he'd continue on and try to use the shortest, most direct path to Mai's house with what little head start he had.

By now, Joey and Tristan had made their way across the street. Joey was furious at falling for such a stupid trick and his adreneline was pumping his heart extra fast. This made him run faster and not feel the effects of running so hard. He was gaining ground on the ancient king quickly. Even Tristan was having trouble keeping up with his best friend and he had the freshest legs of any of them.

"Go on Joey! I'll meet you back at Mai's." Tristan yelled as he flagged down a taxi cab. He didn't want his best friend to be slowed up so he opted to let Joey go on his own.

Moments later, Yami could hear Joey's ranting from roughly a block away. For once he was thankful of the boy's loud mouth. Without a glance back, Yami began cutting through yards, hurdling bushes, and other feats Yugi could only dream of. Though still short, Yami had a bit more height and skill in the physical sense. He was falling short distance and speed wise due to having to use Yugi's heart and lungs, but Yami did have his own height and agility. Joey would likely see Yami taking short cuts and would also follow a similar path if only to counter Yami's moves. The once king knew this tactic of Joey's well. Their dueling strategies often reflected into other areas of life as well.

As Yami lept from a bush into another yard he assumed the dog he heard was leashed. He was wrong. Neither he nor Yugi had much experience with dogs aside from the occasional Joey-dog. The Game King began to wonder if he had bitten off more than he could chew as a huge muscular dog bolted straight towards him with teeth bared. For a fleeting moment, Yami thought about sending the dog to the Shadow Realm, but then again, it was he who was violating the dog's turf, not the other way around. Besides, this dog's name could be Fluffy, a kind, gentle dog to its family who was merely protecting them from intruders. Yami altered course and launched himself onto and over the next fence he saw. He slammed into the bushes in the next yard with a thud.

Joey had indeed saw Yami leaping fences and cutting through yards. Trespassing was illegal and the fact that the Game King was doing such baffled Joey somewhat, but then again, Yami wasn't as innocent as Yugi. Joey was no innocent either. He followed suit, taking a slightly different path, one he hoped would be slightly shorter though tried to avoid as many yards as possible. It was exactly what Yami wanted him to do. Joey's path would take him closer to bigger, badder doggies.

As Yami cleared the yard, he ran for the sidewalk. He was trying to avoid treading into yards as much as possible as well. He knew it was likely illegal to tred on others' territory.

"Heheh, I've got ya now!" Joey yelled as he once again had Yami within his line of sight. Yami heard him and cut into the next yard. He slipped between two garages and as he looked back to get a visual on Joey he suddenly had a falling feeling. At the same time, he felt water. He had fallen into an inground pool. With a slight curse to himself for his carelessness, Yami swam to the nearest ledge and heaved himself out. But now, he was not a happy pharaoh. He hated being in wet clothes. But he hated losing evenmore, so he ignored his discomfort and continued onward. He could see Mai's home.

Joey heard the splash and lost sight of Yami at the same time. He could only guess that the King of Games was now royally wet. He slowed up slightly to make sure his friend was okay. As he saw the sopping pharaoh crawl out of the pool, Joey began laughing. Yami was quite a sight when he did something unexpected to himself. It's very hard to run and laugh at the same time and Joey found that out the hard way. The blonde-haired teen stumbled over himself. As he tried to recover his balance, he tripped into a couple of garbage cans full of garbage on the side of the road. He body slammed the cans with a loud bang.

Now it was Yami's turn to stop and look. He saw a couple of legs hanging awkwardly upward in a pile of trash. The sneakers on the legs revealed that it was indeed Joey. For a moment,Yami thought about going over and helping his friend out, but upon seeing Joey right himself and begin cursing at the offending cans of garbage, he thought otherwise. It was best to not squander good fortune. He continued on his course.

Joey lept onto his feet and shook off the still clinging bits of trash. The rest flew off him as he broke into a fast run. 
"I'm gaining Yami!" Joey yelled as he once again had the Game King in his sights.

Yami heard Joey but didn't look back. He could see Mai's home and that's all he wanted to focus on. With a sharp cut across one more yard, he'd have a direct line to Mai's. As he entered the grassy yard, his feet slid out from under him. He fell to the grassy ground belly first.
"CRAP!" Yami yelled in frustration as he regained his footing. He found using english slang words rather suitable for situations such as this. He had lost all his momentum and speed. It would take energy his body didn't have to regain it again. Joey was gaining at an alarming rate.

Yami was in the back yard as Joey reached the front yard Yami had just slipped in.

"Heheheh, that's exactly what you slipped in your highness!" Joey said as he fought the urge to laugh too hard. He didn't need to trip up again, not when he was this close.

Once again, Joey's loud mouth attracted attention. Mai, Tea, and the newly arrived Tristan heard Joey's ranting and made their way to the front porch to see the action coming towards them.

Yami could see the trio step onto the porch. He was that close! He could hear Joey's steps behind him. He was also THAT close! With renewed effort to win, Yami summoned up every last ounce of energy he could get from his exhausted body.

"Oh no you don't." Joey said as he noticed Yami trying to put some distance between them.

Yami tried to hurdle a small bush as he reached the last street crossing. The momentum he would gain in the air would help his forward speed. But his tired body rebelled against his mind. It would have none of it. Yami's leap fell short of clearing the bush. He fell onto it but rather than allowing it to stop his motion, he tucked and rolled out of the shrubbery and regained his footing. He looked as if he were a soldier hitting the ground then peeling up to continue a charge. Rather than gaining a second, Yami lost one. Lady Luck was with Joey as well.

Joey was hot on Yami's heels when they reached Mai's yard. His longer stride was closing the gap with every step. As they drew closer, the trio on the porch noticed that their two friends did not fare well in their journey. They were muddied, stained, and the stench of trash could be smelt.

Joey and Yami stumbled and crashed onto the porch at the same time. Neither had enough energy to stand. They sat panting while the ladies inspected the two duelers.

"What have you two gotten yourselves into?" Mai asked. Joey was covered in stinky mud, tomato sauce, and other garbage goodies. And the once meticulate, proud pharaoh didn't look much better. He was completely wet with mud and grass stains everywhere. His once defiant spikes of hair drooped slightly as water, grass, and mud weighed them down. "EEeeww, okay neither of you are allowed inside until you are hosed off. Then you will each take a shower because neither of you smell like roses." Mai said as she shook her head in disbelief. She expected as much from Joey, but the mighty ancient king whose swuave properness rarely faded, it was an interesting surprise. Now Mai was curious as to what Tea was thinking of the young man she seemingly worshipped with her heart.

"Yami, what have you done?" Tea said while in the back of her mind she felt as though she was her mother scolding a child.

Yami looked at her with amused eyes. This was a rare occasion where he could let someone he cared about see him for his true self. Although he had no memory, he knew he was a king and his regalness prevailed in his behavior and actions. But deep down, he always felt a playful stir and wanted to be like any other his age. At times, he envied Joey and the others. For a once pharaoh, whose status and rank prevailed over age or desire, acting immature and playful was usually only exhibited in dreams.

"I can't believe you two!" Tea scolded as she kneeled down to Yami. He felt sheepish, but he wasn't going to let her know that. He leaned back as Tea leaned forward towards him. He wasn't sure what she was up to, but it was stirring him on the inside. "And Yugi will have a cow if you don't clean this off." Tea remarked as she pried a piece of turf grass from the eye of the Millenium Puzzle.

Not interested in the same things the ladies were, Tristan was interested in the outcome of the race.
"So who won?!"

Yami and Joey both looked at one another. They were both so focused on Mai's place that neither had paid attention to who set foot on the porch first. It was Tristan, the third party who would have to be the referee.

"Okay, did both of you get five different items from five different hotels?" Tristan asked.

Both Yami and Joey dug into their pockets for the items and presented them to their respective ladies for inspection.

"Five keychains Joey? Ooh, that's original. But thanks Joe." Mai said with a wink as she pulled out one keychain after another.

Tea found that Yami had thought more about it. She had a necklace, bracelet, keychain, magnet, and pin.

"Thank you Yami. Now I don't have to do much hunting myself."

"Well I guess both met the five item qualification. So, who arrived here first? This is the question."

But after a few minutes, nobody could answer that.

"So, we have to come up with a tie-breaker? Somebody HAS to win right?" Tristan remarked.

"I didn't do that for nuthin'." Joey remarked.

Both Yami and Joey looked at one another and replied at the same time. "DUEL!"

"Whoa, you two get cleaned up first." Mai said as she snagged Joey's deck from his upraised hand. Tea already had Yugi's since Yami gave it to her for safe keeping prior to the race.

Joey ran for the hose while Yami calmly and quietly followed. As he did so, he peeled off his shirt. Though it was Yugi's body, Yami's shown on the outside. He was thin, but smooth muscles bulged when flexed. His chest rippled slightly and the sun glazed his darkened skin tones enhancing the representation of a living son of Ra. Tea's heart skipped a beat as her eyes seemingly saw everything in slow motion.

Mai chuckled. "Oh girl, you really DO have it bad don't ya?"

This shook Tea out of her stupor. But still, her eyes never wavered.

"LOOK OUT PHARAOH!" Joey yelled as he aimed the hose directly at Yami, who wasn't expecting it. The cold water hit him directly in the chest. While normally this would infuriate him, he was slowly getting used to the antics teenagers played. When they played them upon him, it made him feel more like one of them. Sometimes he felt up to them and tolerated them, like now, and sometimes he made them pay. It was yet another kingly attribute of his.

Yami swiftly ducked and grabbed a portion of the hose. He bent it causing the water to stop on Joey's end.

"HEY!" Joey whined as the water dribbled to a stop.

"Give me the hose Joey." Yami asked calmly.

"You can't handle the hose!" Joey said as he simulated a line from one of his favorite movies.

"The hose Joey."

"Nope."

Yami closed his eyes and smirked. "So be it. You were warned."

"Warned? About what?"

While they were conversing, Yami had snaked portions of the hose into position. With a quick jerk, the hose tightened its noose around one of Joey's legs. A second jerk flipped Joey's leg out from under him. He splatted on his ass with a thump. "That." Yami said as he untanged the hose from Joey's leg and took possession of the entire thing.

"Why you!"

Yami ignored him and hosed himself off. He took particular care to clean the Millenium Puzzle. He didn't want to play games with Joey this time. He wanted to return to the ladies. With a grin, he tossed the hose back to Joey and departed. Mai had found them both clean t-shirts to wear. She always had a collection of promo shirts from the casino she worked at and most were too big and too masculine looking for her own tastes. She usually just kept a stash of them to use for rags and so forth.

Yami took a nice hot shower and was out just as Joey was ready to go in. Once all were clean and had settled down (mainly Joey), the group gathered at the kitchen table. It was time to duel!

"Let's make this interesting. You two know your decks extremely well. So, let's change this a little. We all have decks so, each of us will use a number to represent our deck. You two will draw a piece of paper with one of those numbers on it. That will be the deck you use." Mai suggested. Both Yami and Joey nodded in agreement. It would be a refreshing and challenging change from the norm.

"Since this is a gaming city, let's offer a prize. Winner gets not only bragging rights to that race, but an exclusive date with either Tea or myself. Do you agree Tea?" Mai replied with a wink. The King of Games rarely, if ever lost a Duel Monsters game. Both ladies knew it. Joey was good, but Yami was the master.

"I agree." Tea replied softly.

"Well boys?"

"Can the winner have both of you?"

"JOEY!"

"Hey, I had to try. I agree. How about you Yami?"

Yami nodded.

"Okay, there's five of us here so Yugi's deck is one, Joey's two, Tristan's three, Tea's four, and mine is five." Mai said as she grabbed a few slips of paper and numbered them. She then folded, tossed, and shook the pieces of paper in a hat.

"Joey, you draw first." Yami suggested as Mai brought the hat to them.

"If you say so." Joey said as he reached in a grabbed a piece of paper. Opening it, it was the number one. Joey would duel with Yugi's deck! "Oh, you're really in for it now pharaoh." Joey snickered. Lady Luck really did like him!

Yami drew a number. "Four." Yami said. He would have to duel with Tea's deck. Tea didn't duel very often and her deck was definitely not of the same caliber as Joey's or his own. This would indeed be a challenge for the Game King.

All was ready. A chivalrous game of Duel Monsters was about to manifest. A battle for an evening out with a lady with their choice. Yami didn't quite get the opportunity to teach Joey a lesson in the race, but perhaps this opportunity would suffice. Problem was, he'd have to humiliate his own deck to do so!

to be continued...