End of the Rainbow (Rei no Kaado)

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Souji turned toward Jeff as the man reappeared, and followed him over to the table. He looked toward Yuugi and Atem for a moment before taking a seat across from Jeff. He felt a little nervous. It wasn't like he disliked the man. And he doubted Jeff held any of that unpleasantness from when Izanagi had been in control against him. But something still nagged at Souji. Maybe he was just a little nervous about things.

"My friends and I are interested in getting jobs here," Souji said, with a glance back toward Yuugi and Atem.

[mugenginga]

"All three of ya, eh? Well, we're pretty laid back here. I've had to let a few people go recently for various reasons and such," Jeff gave a wink towards Souji before refocusing on the group at large, "Any of you have any experiences in coffee shops? Lemme know now if you're a disaster in the kitchen, I've got cleaning jobs to. Oh," he gave a long pause, "And if you attract explosions of any sort, I'm gonna have to ask you to look elsewhere. I pay enough for insurance on this place as it is."

He ended with a chuckle. Atem had looked a bit annoyed and turned his head to the side about the line about being a disaster in the kitchen. It had caused his eyes to lock with Yuugi's, who was biting his lip in an attempt to not laugh. Atem turned the other direction and crossed his arms, but it was clear he wasn't that upset. It almost looked as if he was trying not to laugh at himself.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Souji found himself giving an amused smile as Jeff said to look elsewhere if they attracted explosions. He had to wonder how many people actually did that. It had to be a fair amount if he was having to give that kind of disclaimer.

"Well, we don't attract explosions, but doors do tend to end up broken, knocked off their hinges, sliced down, etc. around us..." Souji said with a bit of a chuckle. "And I'm pretty good in a kitchen, dunno about these two, though."

[mugenginga]

Jeff didn't look too amused by Souji's lines about the doors. It wasn't upset, but his usual face breaking grin became somewhat normal. He paused for a moment, trying to figure out if Souji was serious. He couldn't see any sign of a joke. He let out a light sigh.

"Well, it'll be outta your paycheck if it happens here. I'm a bit protective of my shop," he glanced up at Yuugi and Atem, "Mind filling the rest of us in on the joke?"

Yuugi looked embarassed. He looked down at his feet and fidgeted. Atem shook his head.

"You probably don't want to stick me in the kitchen, then," he sighed, "I... didn't get the chance to practice a lot while growing up."

"Jeez, you talk like you're an adult. What are you, fifteen?"

"Seventeen," Atem said, not missing a beat. He honestly didn't know, but the conversation earlier was enough to use it.

"Well, that still ain't an adult, I don't care what some people say," it was clear Jeff didn't mean it harsh, "Well, I can let ya on as soon as you're ready. Name's Geoffery Madison, but call me anything but Jeff and I'll have to hurt ya."

He stood up and extended his hand. Yuugi looked at it for a moment before taking it, "Mu.. Ah, Yuugi Mutou."

"Atem."

"No surname?"

"Do you need one?"

"Helps with the paperwork, y'know... I find it hard to believe you two are from different worlds, too," he chuckled as he let go of Yuugi's hand and pointed at the two of them.

"....Ishtar."

Yuugi blinked and turned towards Atem. His mouth hung slack. They'd just had an issue with Malik yesterday, and now Atem was pulling that. He rubbed the back of his head and looked towards Atem. His eyes practically begged Souji to move the conversation along. Jeff noted the reaction but just smiled a bit more before turning towards Souji and extending his hand.

"Souji Seta, right?"

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Souji looked a bit confused at Yuugi's reaction to Atem's choice of surname. He didn't know about Malik's arrival-- heck, he didn't even know that Bakura wasn't staying in that building anymore, and Izanagi certainly hadn't bothered mentioning it if he did-- so he didn't really understand what the big problem with it was. He blinked at Yuugi's pleading expression and looked back toward Jeff, who had held his hand out. Souji looked down at it, and took it after a moment's hesitation.

"Yeah, that's me," Souji said. "I guess you found it out from Kisa?"

Souji didn't mind Kisa, but Izanagi rather disliked her, and not only that, but she could sense Izanagi. She didn't seem to like Izanagi too much, and after how Izanagi had acted when she'd met up with Kaiba, he doubted she liked him any more now.

[mugenginga]

"Heard it here and there, but yeah, mostly from her. Not sure how her dad took that scrape up of hers... She doesn't seem to wanna talk 'bout what happened there..." Jeff shook his head and ran over any attempt of Souji to explain, "So, if you three want it, job's yours. I figure you can handle the kitchen. You seem like a people person, think you can handle money? Oh and you.. don't seem all that friendly, no offense. Probably stick you on clean up. Any conflicts I should know about?"

Atem had paused and jerked his head towards Souji when he said Kisa. Because he'd expected a third syllable that hadn't come up. The problem with what was said there was the card he was sure Kaiba had tried to use. He ignored Jeff's comment about him not being all that friendly. Yuugi looked embarassed again when he got called a people person, but shook his head in regards to Jeff's question. Atem put his hand on Yuugi's shoulder. The short teenager looked over at him and Atem pointed to the door, mouthing something. Yuugi blinked in confusion, and Atem gestured to the cards. Yuugi waved his hand in a manner that indicated in a few moments.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Souji blinked at Atem's reaction to the name Kisa. Atem seemed to have recognized the name a bit, but he seemed to be focused on something else. And based on what he managed to get a glimpse of out of the corner of his eye as he responded to Jeff, it involved those cards.

"I can't really think of any conflicts at the moment," Souji said. "If something comes up, I'll tell you."

In any case, it looked like all three of them had jobs now.

[mugenginga]

Jeff pulled a notepad out of his back pocket and a pen. The pad had the store's logo on the front, it looked like it was usually used for making orders. He scribbled something down and then ripped the paper into three pieces. He handed one to each of the people before him.

"Sorry for needing you all to come in so early tomorrow. Ah, don't worry about uniforms. I'm good at eyeballing and I'm pretty sure I've got something that'll fit all of you," he noted Yuugi's surprise, "Hey, you're a little short but with the variety of people that come through here, we've got the size. Did you folks need anything else?"

"No, thank you. Partner, come with me. Souji-kun, I'll see you back at the Apartments."

Yuugi looked a little concerned. He gave a gentle smile to Jeff and shrugged and shook his head towards Souji. He knew it had to do with the cards. He was trying to place if he'd heard the name Souji used before. Considering Atem's reaction, it was likely something from his past... something he and those that had went with him could have missed. Atem had pulled out his deck as soon as he pushed open the door and was flipping through the cards. If this worked, it meant his hunch could be right...

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Souji took the piece of paper and winced. Oh, ouch. That was pretty early in the morning. Well, at least they didn't have school. He was starting to wonder about that. Did this place even have any high schools? He'd looked, but the few he'd found seemed to be private schools. He pocketed the paper and was in the process of standing up when Atem spoke. He looked toward Yuugi and Atem as they left, and then turned back toward Jeff.

"...By the way, I really am sorry about how I acted that one time. Sometimes I'm not really myself, and..." Souji shook his head. "Forget it. Just forget I said anything. I'll be here tomorrow morning."

He headed for the door, prodding Izanagi awake again as he went.

-------------

Enjin Hiizumi smirked as he saw the group of two leaving the coffee shop. He was crouching on top of a low building nearby, watching the two as they left the small little coffee shop nestled in Void City. He pulled the grey COMP from his coat and flipped it open. The majority of the folders still read "empty", but that wasn't important. What was important was some mails in here that had mentioned a "Yuugi" who apparently been really close to Abel before they'd left for some reason.

He closed his eyes, and allowed a bit of electricity to move around his antennae as he spoke.

"Satelite."

He gave a small smirk as he began to read the minds of everyone in the general vicinity. Most of it wasn't very important. In truth, it was just a bit of a precaution. He was still observing them, after all.

He turned his head as he saw a silver haired man exit the coffee shop. The man himself hadn't been what had attracted his attention. The thoughts he was reading from him, however, were much more interesting than his appearance. At first, Enjin had thought the man was talking to himself. Then, as he managed to get a fix on his presence, he realized it was something much different. It was two very similar presences inhabiting one body.

And very different at the same time. One of them seemed to be a god. Not a land god, like those silly ones that protected Sakurashin Town, but an honest-to-God ookami. And if what the human was saying was correct, this particular god was Izanagi himself. Interesting. To be entirely honest, he wasn't even sure that the god's host (as it appeared to be) was entirely human himself. It seemed to be something like the oyakume; his aura just being barely noticeably off.

Someone's spying on us.

Enjin disappeared from the spot he was standing in just as the silver haired man turned toward him. Well, that man wasn't who he was concerned with, anyways. He'd sensed more than two presences with those two spiky haired boys, after all... And he had a few questions to ask them.

[mugenginga]

What's wrong with him? He looked at his cards. Atem, slow down! ....He's really concerned about something.

Atem paused and Yuugi nearly ran into him. He'd picked a card from his deck, and Enjin would be more than aware of its identity. Black Magician. Depending on how his abilities ran, he might even be getting a mental image of it too. Among that was some depressive thoughts surrounding a man named Mahaad and a bunch of sacrifices. The tanned teenager seemed to regret a choice that hurt people and put his friends at risk. Various flashes and memories of two times flitted across Atem's mind, a lot of them circling around the Dark Games themselves. He shook his head and headed into the alley. Maybe the Island was used to odd things, but no need to summon a Ka in broad daylight.

"Atem, what's wrong?" Yuugi asked once they got a few feet into the alley.

"Something..." He paused when he saw Yuugi's concerned face and let out a sigh, "I'm not one to ignore coincidence, Partner. The name of Kisa is a little similar to Kisara. She... was this white haired woman in Ancient Egypt that Priest Set was involved with. How much, I'm not sure, but I'm quite sure they shared feelings. She gave up her life force and spirit to give Set Blue Eyes White Dragon. Its possible this Kisa is her reincarnation. I need to confirm something."

Yuugi's eyes had widened. He'd seen Kisara. Jounouchi had tried to protect her, but he and his friends had been nothing more than presences in Atem's Memory World. She'd been prosecuted as a witch. It had been like that? He still didn't quite understand the situation with Ka, but he knew enough. He nodded and took a few steps back as Atem held up the card of the Black Magician. He willed it to surface and the card swallowed itself in light before the beam shot up and formed the outline of the monster spirit.

The short teenager noted the pain in Atem's eyes as the presence materialized. Come to think of it, there was a lot that had happened in that world he didn't know about. It hadn't been for his sake, it had been for Atem's. He'd been busy trying to find Atem's name, having that fight with the piece of Dark Bakura that had manifested... all of that. A lot had happened for Atem, too. Atem narrowed his eyes.

That means its possible. No tribute was needed, and Black Magician needs the same number as the White Dragon...

He was able to summon it? But its a Tribute monster! Wait, that means... but why would someone connected to Kaiba-kun appear now...?

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Enjin appeared on top of a building that made up one part of the alley the two spiky haired teens had ducked into. The tanned one certainly was freaking quite a bit. Something about a magician and a man named Mahaad, and some Dark Games. He smirked at this. Whatever these Dark Games were, they certainly sounded interesting.

He listened to Yuugi and Atem's conversation, and watched as Atem summoned what could only have been the Black Magician. So, those cards could do something like what the COMPs did. And apparently they had required tributes before, but didn't now. He pulled the COMP from his coat pocket once more.

Based on the two's thoughts, it would seem that the whole reason this frame of thought came upon them was because of a "Kaiba". Enjin made a mental note to look in to this Kaiba character later as he jumped down into the alley.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Enjin said. He still had the COMP held in his hand.

[mugenginga]

On the way down, Enjin's actions had attracted Black Magician. Or perhaps his presence, because the Ka were more spirit than not. In any case, it suddenly flew in front of Atem. The way it held its staff was aggressive, as if it were poised to attack. Atem had whirled before Enjin finished his self pronoun. He wasn't significantly startled until he saw Enjin. Yuugi's eyes had widened and he'd taken a step back, but his eyes flicked up to Enjin's "ears" around the same time Atem's did. Not Naoya/Cain but the fact that the man before them had a COMP was problematic.

Atem's gaze narrowed. Not Cain, but using a dull grey COMP. He could pick out the faint traces of blood on it, which all things considered meant it was probably Seth's COMP. Yuugi came upon that thought a few moments later and a bit of panic raised in his chest. It wasn't Naoya, so the odds were it was a demon. But why would a demon have Seth's COMP. He'd gotten used to not carrying around the sword, and he wasn't very good with it either. He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye as Atem flicked a card towards him. Enjin could stop it, and considering he'd have known about it before the action was taken, could create the illusion of super speed. The card was Black Magician Girl and Yuugi would catch it if Enjin didn't stop it. Atem spoke just before he tossed the card.

"Who are you?"

The fact that Black Magician had picked up on it before he had left little doubt in Atem's mind. There was something wrong with this man, and the fact that he resembled Cain was the least of it.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Enjin smirked as some of Atem and Yuugi's thoughts moved through his head. They both had thought the same things that Abel and Seth had thought. He pulled his glasses from his face as he managed to catch a thought from Atem. He made a quick movement and managed to catch the card Atem had thrown at him in the same hand he had his glasses grasped in. He held it up and smirked. "Cute." He dropped the card to the ground. He didn't really seem very bothered by the fact that Atem had moved straight to attacking him.

"My name is Hiizumi Enjin," Enjin said. "I came to ask you a few questions about a certain King of Bel."

[mugenginga]

Atem couldn't keep track of how quickly Enjin had moved to grab the card he had tried to throw to his Partner. Yuugi stumbled back because he had seen Enjin moving half a second before Atem had thrown the card. He almost tripped over his own leg, but he managed to recover and look at the card. The movement meant Enjin was now between Atem and Yuugi. Black Magician had moved to Atem's side as he'd turned. That had been damn fast, almost as if he...

Wait, did he? Yuugi's eyes widened as Enjin mentioned K1. No, he'd said King of Bel. It was more accurate to think of K1 as Abel in that context. Atem found himself doubting Abel would have been all that talkative about him and Yuugi. Even if he had, the directions would have probably been to find them at the Apartment. There was an arrogance to Enjin that he couldn't ignore, either. He glared.

"Partner, he's reading our minds!"

"What!?" Yuugi said, his eyes widening.

Reading their minds. Like Pegasus had. And they couldn't exactly use the same trick they'd used on Pegasus. They had seperate bodies now, the Puzzle wouldn't do any good in that regard now. His own eyes flicked to Enjin's. He wasn't terrible at reading people, even if he didn't often act on that information. If Hiizumi was reading their minds, there would probably be a reaction to Atem's guess at it. Yuugi was frightened, but there was a defiant unwillingness to back down too. What would probably be more amusing to Enjin was Atem's worry over Yuugi. It wasn't as simple as friendship. Black Magician was still poised as Atem grabbed another card. It was Osiris, but he wanted to see what kind of reaction would be gained from just looking at the card. If it was like Pegasus, he'd know the exact card and the potential power of it.

They don't need tributes... and I've got two others, Atem didn't show the wince to the outside world, but he was berating himself inside.

With just that thought, Enjin would know about the presence of Obelisk and Ra. This wasn't like the fight with Pegasus, they couldn't use each other to shield their minds... and the odds didn't seem high for their friendship (Anzu, Jounouchi-kun, Honda-kun...) to be used by the Millenium Pendant with a whole dimension seperating them. Atem closed his eyes and tried to blank his mind. It was actually mildy successful, as a lot of his thoughts would become harder for Enjin to fixate on. In any case, concern about "Partner" with nothing he could use to defend himself seemed the loudest... and at the moment the easiest to pick up on.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Enjin's expression didn't change from the smirk plastered on to his face as Atem managed to realize that he was reading their minds. Well, that had been quick. And the tanned one, well, he certainly seemed more than a fair bit protective of the non-tanned one. He was rather concerned with the fact that the non-tanned one, who Atem continued to refer to as "Partner", didn't have anything to defend himself with. Well, he could certainly use that, as things certainly seemed to be getting a bit out of hand.

"No need for violence," Enjin said. "I only came to talk. If you insist on pressing things, though..." The COMP flipped open, and he appeared to have his finger on a button to summon something. "I'll have to fight back, you know?"

In truth, he was a bit worried. This Atem appeared to have drawn a rather powerful card. An "Osiris." But this didn't show on Enjin's face, and he was still smirking.