First Day of the End (Rei no Kaado)

[mugenginga]

There wasn't much talking between the three of them for the rest of the day. Jeff came down about an hour later to check on things, but the female employee who had helped before handled the full explanation. She cut quite a few corners. Yuugi was glad they wouldn't have to explain things and Atem was quietly grateful as well. Yuugi had a tendency to get pushy when he felt things needed to be said... he was generally right, but Atem didn't want to bother Souji.

What bothered the former Pharaoh the most of all of this was Souji. His reaction to Issun's statement earlier had been... overblown. It had been a look of barely restrained anger on his face, so he had no misconception about Issun being wrong, but something had triggered it. He found himself not being able to justify Souji's reactions but what little he knew of his previous interactions with Izanami. Which seemed to narrow it down to one option, and Souji had been annoyed today. Had Izanami...?

Due to having come in a bit earlier, Yuugi and Atem were let off first. Atem complied to Yuugi's request they wait for Souji. Truth was, he was worried about Souji as well. He just wasn't very good at this emotional stuff, and he recognized the need for distance better than Yuugi did. Souji had said he'd tell them later. They'd be waiting when Souji got off.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Souji had gone the rest of the day without talking to anyone any more than he had to. After the incident earlier with Issun, he just didn't feel like talking to anyone. It had been that stupid bug's fault. If he'd just left him alone...

These were the kind of thoughts Souji had been thinking since Amaterasu and Issun had made the smart decision to leave. He'd avoided talking to Atem and Yuugi, even knowing he'd concerned them further. He knew Yuugi had been concerned about whatever was eating him since early that morning, and that hadn't changed after the incident with Issun.

Since Yuugi and Atem had come in earlier than he had, they'd left before Souji had. Souji finally got off work an hour later, and headed out of the store after changing out of his uniform. He ended up seeing Yuugi and Atem after leaving the store, though.

"...You didn't have to wait for me," Souji said.

[mugenginga]

Yuugi looked uncomfortable and looked down. Yeah, he did. But explaining that was hard, a lot of opeople didn't get it. Atem noticed Yuugi fidget and looked up at Souji with a slight smile. He straightened up from where he'd been leaning.

"Partner is... we're worried about you, Souji-kun," Atem said, "And if you don't talk soon he'll pester you into it."

"Atem!"

Atem raised an eyebrow after turning to Yuugi, "Am I wrong?"

"Well.......um...."

"Did Izanami do anything to you lately?" Atem had turned away from Yuugi as he tried to come up with a better answer. Man was straight to the point, had to give him that.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Atem was really straight to the point. Souji looked uncomfortable for a moment before he responded. "Not specifically... I ran into her yesterday. After we got done here."

Souji's expression pretty much said that this wasn't going to be a fun conversation. "She was acting weird during that entire conversation... didn't really find out why until later... But she offered to take us off of the island to a safe dimension at the moment the Fall hits..."

Souji hesitated for a moment before speaking again. Whatever he was about to say was hard for him.

"She's also apparently in love with me."

There, he'd said it. The big thing that had been eating at him all day. Oh, there were other things, like how she had been planning on pulling him to another dimension after he'd been turned into a comatose zombie. How probably the only reason she was doing that instead of leaving him and Izanagi to die was because of the fact that she was infatuated with him.

[mugenginga]

Even though Atem claimed to not do well with emotional situations, he was observant. He frowned at the apparent offer Izanami had made, but said nothing merely because of Souji's following expression. Yuugi had given a guilty look up as soon as Souji had started talking. He also remained quiet, and for a similar reason. A chance for escape...

Then again, he was worried about his own friends. Most of them were still in his world, and he doubted Izanami's offer extended to Bakura or Malik. He didn't hate the latter, although there was quite a bit of lingering dislike. Having him control a friend and force you into a death duel with them didn't really make friends, and it took a lot to cause Yuugi to hold even a minor grudge. He was brought out of his thoughts as Souji spoke again. His eyes widened, and he found himself unable to find words. Even Atem looked surprised.

"With you...?" It wasn't said rudely, and the implication was pretty clear. The differentiation between Souji and Izanagi was what he meant. Atem wasn't well versed in Shinto myths, but he was observant and had picked up on the many things. Izanami was the sister and wife of Izanagi, so....?

Yuugi was still speechless. That... did explain why she had offered to save Souji. But the rest of them...?

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Souji had gotten the expected response. Neither of them could believe it either. And Souji had doubted they would. After all, this was Izanami they were talking about. He really found no need to go into any further detail considering that one fact. He got Atem's question pretty well too. Atem was wondering whether it was really him she was in love with... after all, he was Izanagi's vessel.

"Yeah... with me. Not Izanagi," Souji said. "I finally agreed to let her take us off the island when the Fall hits. Might have left there without anything worse happening if she hadn't mentioned she was planning on kidnapping me off the island anyways."

Souji didn't understand why Izanami had even bothered asking. No, that was a lie. He sort of did now. She would have just taken him anyways. Kept him like some sort of... perverse apathetic pet on some dimension that would be safe from the Fall. She'd asked because she wouldn't have taken the others otherwise. She'd felt like doing some kind of kindness, apparently.

[mugenginga]

Atem was frowning, but his eyes weren't focused on Souji. Yuugi had looked pained as Souji had said he'd agreed to what Izanami had said. That... he didn't want to run out on his friends, but if things collapsed and there was a way not to die... To not take it would be a form of suicide. But he didn't want to think about just abandoning Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu, his grandfather, and everyone else like that.

"Partner?"

Yuugi jumped and looked up towards Atem. He'd spaced out there.

"....Can... Souji-kun? Um..." he looked down. That would mean letting himself die and having Souji and the others know about it, but... "Could she bring me and Atem back home...?"

"....Partner." Atem's voice was a bit hushed.

It wasn't meant as criticism, and it sounded nothing like it. Atem was surprised, as as soon as Yuugi had gotten it out he'd realized the full implications. It was a decision he himself hadn't been able to make. To let go of the new for the old. And it wasn't a case of giving up, rather the opposite. He realized with a bit of anger that Yuugi had made that decision without thinking about what he'd do. Yuugi had mentioned him, but hadn't asked him. His Partner had made that decision without even knowing if he was going to take Izanami's offer. He closed his eyes and a combination of emotional pain and anger spread on his face.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Souji looked pained at Yuugi's question. He looked even worse at Atem's expression Yuugi asked it. Was Yuugi that desperate? Souji didn't blame him if he was... they all were. The world ending in a few days and all that. But even Yuugi just wanted Izanami to take him back to his homeworld... and it looked like Atem wasn't happy about that.

"I don't know," Souji mumbled. This whole situation was just making him feel worse and worse. He was starting to wish he hadn't even brought it up to Yuugi and Atem.

And as if things couldn't get much better, Amaterasu was walking up toward the three.

[mugenginga]

Yuugi looked up as soon as Souji muttered, and the short teenager looked like someone had just killed his dog. And then he caught Atem's expression, and it didn't take long for Yuugi to realize what he'd said wrong. He looked about ready to cry at the pain he'd caused both of them, and he honestly couldn't figure out who to speak to first. Souji had other friends too, after all. But he knew Izanami wouldn't be willing to return him if what Izanagi had said was true. She was trying to save Souji. Yuugi thought he could understand it a little, but still no words would come. How was he supposed to apologize?

Atem's expression had shifted more to anger and frustration in that short time. He was generally a fairly rational person, and when he let his emotions lead things didn't tend to end well. Right now he knew what was wrong, and there was a level of disgust aimed at it. He was jealous. Of many things, such as Yuugi's greater strength, but the biggie was over the attention. Yuugi had chosen death and his friends over him. By now Atem had somewhat conveniently forgotten that Yuugi had said his name and was focusing on the decision itself. To die with his friends without even asking him what he wanted. As if he was doing much better, being jealous and angry about Yuugi choosing his friends over him. A good person would respect Yuugi's choice, but...

Neither of them noticed Amaterasu, actually. Atem's eyes were still closed and Yuugi was looking between Souji and Atem while trying to figure out how to step out of the whole he'd dug for himself.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

None of the three noticed Amaterasu approaching, mainly due to the depressive hole they'd managed to dig themselves into. Izanagi was staying silent. This was a matter of mortals, even considering the fact that Izanami was involved. The emotions Izanami were showing were rather human, after all.

Amaterasu frowned at how the emotional state of the two humans had deteriorated since the last time she was there. Souji seemed to be just the same as before, but the other two seemed to be even more depressed. She sat down next to Souji and let Issun catch their attention.

"Man, you guys look like your dogs all up and died at once," Issun said. Souji jumped about five feet at the voice, and upon realizing who it was, shot a glare at the glowing green bug.

"Don't you have better things to do?" Souji asked. There was a fair amount of venom in his voice.

[mugenginga]

Yuugi whirled around at the sudden voice, and Atem's eyes popped open and he gave a jerk to the side. His reaction was actually the calmest, but that wasn't saying much. He tried to keep a flat expression towards what Issun had said, but it didn't quite succeed. What shone through was anger. Yuugi didn't seem angry, but he sure looked guilty about something. He couldn't keep staying quiet with how things were going, but at least something had come up that was different than how he'd hurt both Souji and Atem.

"Souji-kun, I don't think she means any harm!" Yuugi said, worried about the reaction enough that he turned back to Issun and Amaterasu, "You said something about the end of the world before, right? Is it something all gods know...?"

Change of topic. Yuugi had to remind himself it was all about the change of topic. Besides, maybe Amaterasu wouldn't have the same defeatist attitude about it Izanagi and Izanami did. It was a long shot, but..

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Souji opened his mouth to object when Yuugi continued on, asking Amaterasu if all of the gods knew about the end of the world. Issun shook his head.

"Nah, Ammy here didn't even know anything about it until she ran into that Izanami chick," Issun explained. Amaterasu had filled Issun in on all the details she had while they waited for Souji, Yuugi, and Atem to get off work. "Izanami said that the world was gonna end in about nine days, and Ammy and I are stuck here 'cause of it 'cause Ammy isn't at full strength.

Now that caught Souji off guard. "Nine? The Fall shouldn't be coming for another couple weeks."

"Well, Izanami seemed to think it was 9 days," Issun said, and crossed his little arms.

[mugenginga]

Atem seemed to visibly calm down as Issun stated nine. Souji was right, according to Minato it was supposed to be on the full moon. Atem thought for a moment and rememebered something just as Yuugi gave a shallow and worried mumble.

"K1-kun..." He looked up as if somewhat surprised. He hadn't meant to say that outloud, it had just come. He gave an apologetic look, "K1-kun knows, I didn't even think about that! He kept glancing at people when he stopped by this morning and I thought it was because he was depressed but I think he saw our Death Clocks!"

"That doesn't make sense," Atem said. It had been what he had thought of too. He'd noticed Abel that morning, but there was still the nagging problem. Abel hadn't come to say goodbye even though he'd been remarkably civil. If he had, Yuugi would be acting differently, "If the Death Clocks said 9 he'd have left."

Yuugi averted his gaze, ".....He ran out of the shop like there was some kind of emergency... he had his COMP out and I think he'd just gotten a message..."

All of this probably had Issun and Amaterasu a little confused.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Issun was very confused. Amaterasu was a bit confused, but she was listening in on the situation. She wasn't sure who this K1 person was, nor did she understand the comment about clocks and that device called a COMP. Well, Amaterasu's principal dimension was one that was still stuck back in the days of feudal Japan; not like she really could. For now she was assuming that "K1" was an acquaintance of Yuugi's. Though it seemed Atem didn't regard him very highly.

"He nearly ran into me on his way out the door this morning," Souji added. "He looked pretty panicked. Something definitely seemed to be wrong."

"So, uh, who's this K1 guy? He a friend of yours?" Issun asked. "And what's a 'Death Clock', anyways? Somethin' that says how long you have ta live or somethin'?"

[mugenginga]

"It's possible he's trapped here," Atem said, "That would be enough to cause panic to anyone confident they'd be able to escape in time. He wasn't around when we were informed of the lynchpin status, although Cain not knowing does surprise me."

"K1-kun is..." Yuugi hesitated, shook his head and smiled, "Yeah, he's a friend. Death Clocks... yeah, sort of. Apparently its this program that connects to some server thing called Laplace's Demon, and if you have a COMP with it you can see how long a person has to live if its nine days or left. Its changable, but its really hard. I think its supposed to be fate or something like that."