Chaos Effect

"Yugi…" Tea said as she and her boyfriend went through the garage, looking for boxes of Christmas decorations. Mr. Muto had decided that he wanted to decorate the house for Christmas to try and win the Christmas Light Competition, in hopes that doing so would net them enough money so that they could keep the house. But where everyone else had had weeks to get ready they only had a few hours to get everything settled. As such Yugi had asked his friends to assist. Tristan and Duke were already hard at work with the box of lights that they'd found but Tea and Yugi were trying to find other items they could put up. The problem was-

"Look at this, Tea!" Yugi said, holding up an old wooden sled. "Man, I had so much fun with this when I was just a boy. Feels like it was only 5 years ago I was 10 years old and riding this."

"…it was five years ago," Tea said before adding, under her breath, "Oh my god, did Edwin have to go through all this every holiday? No wonder he snapped during Halloween." At that point Tea was about ready to try and take over the world… she was still 50/50 on if she would strip naked to do it.

Yugi smiled fondly at the sled, running a hand along it. "Don't you sometimes wish you could go back to those simpler days, when we were all just kids?"

"Technically we are kids," Tea pointed out.

"No worrying about bills-"

"Edwin is paying off all my bills."

"-or work-"

"I lost my job after the Pharaoh mindcrushed my condescending supervisor for screaming at me to do holds when I was supposed to be cleaning to dining area."

"-or insane Egyptians trying to kill us."

"…okay you have a point with that one." Tea shook her head. "Yugi, have you noticed anything… off?"

"I've noticed that if we don't find those blow up candy canes then Caesar and Sally are going to beat us in the decorating contest! They have an animatronics Santa! That hands out presents!" He gave a determined little nod. "But we can still defeat them! They might have all their fancy new technology but with good old fashion skill we can win!"

"That's what my last boyfriend said!" Cassie called out as she walked by drinking directly from a box of wine.

Tea just watched her walk past before shaking her head. "Yugi, have you noticed anything… odd?"

"What do you mean, Tea?" Yugi asked. But before she could say a word Yugi gasped and pulled out a blue blanket with snowflakes on it. "I remember this! We used to cuddle under it while watching the big Christmas Eve fireworks show!"

"…no we didn't," Tea said.

"Come on Tea, you know we did!"

~Years ago~

"Look Tea!" Little 4 year old Yugi said, pointing at the sky, their favorite blue blanket wrapped around their shoulders as they drank from cups filled with coco (or at least they were supposed to be… it was just as likely the cups were empty).

"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO US!?!" Four Year Old Tea screamed in horror, looking at her little body. "Oh god, I'm back before I looked before I went through Anime Puberty!"

~Present Day~

"Oh… oh thank god!" Tea whimpered as she saw she was back to normal, squeezing her breasts. "There you are, never leave me again." She patted her rear. "And I didn't forget about you."

"Such memories… tender wonderful memories, all linked to this house," Yugi said.

Tea though grabbed his face, squeezing his cheeks between her palms. "Yugi, we've never been in this house before!"

Yugi managed to pull away and laugh. "I know it might seem that way, what with it being so long ago, back when we were young, but we have so many good memories here! Filled in these boxes."

"I know," Tea said dryly. "Every box has a 'memory' in it!" She rolled her head back and let out a huff. "I am getting Edwin such a nice birthday present for having to put up with us being this stupid." She turned and grabbed Yugi before he could dive into another box of trinkets that were filled with 'lovely memories' of 'christmases of yore'. "Yugi… do you not think it is odd that we are ignoring Marik and Ishizu and focusing on a Christmas Light Contest?"

"…but we have to save the house," Yugi said, confused.

Tea blinked as there was a flash of light and the Pharaoh appeared.

"Yugi is right, Tea. I know you are worried that we won't be able to save Yugi's grandpa's home but we will! We must merely trust in the Heart of the Decorations."

"…Yugi is so lucky he's pretty because I am so close to calling this whole thing off," Tea muttered even as Yugi took back over to gush over finding a small green and blue ball that apparently was another cherished childhood memory. "And no more fucking flashbacks!"

~MC~MC~MC~

"Edwin…" Mai said gently, watching as her boyfriend stared at the MASSIVE wall that was around the town of Little Town. Apparently it was a barrier to help protect against blowing snow, seeing as the town was in a small valley in the Rockies. They just hadn't noticed it because the blimp had flown over it before landing right in town but now it was impossible to miss.

"I can deal with this," he said even as he took out his lightsaber.

"Captain…" Renard tried but Edwin drove the blade into the barrier, gritting his teeth as he began to slowly work to saw through the stone. "Captain, I don't think that will work."

"It will work," Edwin growled. "Go see if you can find the Night's King or something. He can help."

"Is it really that bad to be in a Hallmark movie?" Yuri asked.

"YES!" Edwin roared before going at the wall again.

He was barely cutting into it and when he pulled his lightsaber out to check how much damage he'd done the stone rapidly cooled and sealed over.

"The town is quite lovely… we could have a nice holiday…" Mai suggested. "Try and avoid the insanity?"

"There are going to be stupid romantic subplots, vaguely Right Wing propaganda, cameos by 90s kid stars with washed-up careers, and at least three musical numbers." Edwin turned, eyes flashing gold and white. "I am not putting up with that."

"…the bakery was nice?" Yuri said weakly.

"It was run by Fetish Porn Barbie who now has Seto realizing he has a dick!" Edwin exclaimed. "Seto should NEVER realize he has a dick! When he does that leads to horrible slash fictions where he bangs the Pharaoh! And that's assuming the Pharaoh isn't banging Yugi! Is that what you want? Hot Boy on Egyptian Ghost Action?!?"

Sally, who had been walking by, began to walk away a bit quicker.

Seeing that he was getting nowhere Edwin clipped his lightsaber to his belt. "Okay… cutting doesn't work…"

He began to punch the wall.

"Captain!" Renard scolded.

"Every year a little bird comes to the diamond mountain and sharpens its beak upon it," Edwin declared as he continued to punch the wall. "And so, the shepherd's boy said, 'when the mountain has been reduced to dust… the first second of eternity will have passed!'"

"Maybe… maybe we should let him tire himself out," Yuri suggested. "We can always figure out where to go to supper."

Mai, seeing no other option, pulled out her phone. "That Italian place looked nice."

~MC~MC~MC~

The Doctor frowned as he looked about. "He's stealing my lines again."

Obi Wan Kenobi frowned. "Excuse me but could you please leave? I am trying to teach Class 1-A." He gestured at Izuku, Ahsoka, and Momo.

"He also has lightsabers now," the Doctor said.

The Jedi Master took a deep breath. "While that is concerning I believe-"

"Fuck you old man, let's blow up that nerd!" Bakugo raced into the TARDIS upon roaring that.

~MC~MC~MC~

Susan frowned as she looked through her binoculars towards her beloved Seto's hotel room. Unfortunately he had closed the curtains, which meant she couldn't spy on him as he got changed. But she had heard him say he wanted to try dressing more 'casual' and had even asked his little brother what 'Edwin' would wear if he wanted to just blend in.

'I don't know who this Edwin is, but he sounds like someone who inserts himself into the tales of others,' Susan thought to herself. 'Still… if he is getting Seto to loosen up I suppose that isn't TOO bad… while it would be lovely to go to a rich and fancy place for a date under the stars there is something to be said about a casual night in… oh! Perhaps he is coming here! I must get ready!' She raced to begin getting dressed.

~MC~MC~MC~

"What are you up too?" Marik muttered to himself as he used HIS binoculars to spy on the strange woman who had threatened to stab him. He didn't know what it was but she was just so different and alluring and he NEEDED to know more about her!

"Marik, whatever are you doing?" Ishizu asked as she finished propping Odion up in the bed. While she was VERY cross with him for sealing away her true emotions and not siding with her… he was still her brother and it was Christmas so it was important to show some kindness. She had gotten him propped up and was thinking that she could get him looking a bit more festive (perhaps a hat? And some glasses with eyes drawn on them?) when he'd noticed Marik staring out the window. "Are you spying on the Pharaoh?" she asked gruffly before her tone took on a more lighter side. "Oh! Are you spying on the Pharaoh?"

"I have no desire to look at that pointed haired fool!" he declared, ignoring how pointy his own hair was (his at least was natural… he knew that the Pharaoh dyed his hair… like a whore or a Broadway dancer). "I was watching that woman we encountered on the street. The one that threatened to cut off my face."

"The one you are in love with?" Ishizu teased.

"I am not in love with her!" Marik snapped. "I am merely interested in her." He frowned, tilting his head. "But now I am confused."

"Because of the love you are feeling?"

"There is no sense of feelings such as love! I instead… crave things."

"Like a cheeseburger?" Ishizu asked.

"No, not like a-" He paused, considering what she'd just asked. "Actually yes, I crave a cheeseburger. And some fries as well."

"Shoestring or steak? Because if you say steak I will destroy you."

"Sister, we are eternal enemies that are battling to determine the destiny of the world… but I think we both can agree that shoestring are the superior fry." He paused. "Unless it is seasoned curly fries."

"Well of course," Ishizu said, walking over to check the menu. "Hmmm… this might be a land full of infidels but the menu is quite impressive."

Marik nodded at that before he went back to his spying.

"So, what is the woman that you do not love doing now?"

"I don't know…" Marik said. "It is rather confusing. She was preparing to change clothes but once she removed all her garments she began to fondle her mammary glands."

"Marik!" Ishizu snapped. "Do not watch her as she plays with herself!"

"Considering how hard she is twisting those nipples I can't call it playing."

"Enough of that, Marik!" Ishizu said. "That isn't proper."

"I saw you naked all the time," Marik retorted.

"…I do not wish to speak ill of our father but I do question him thinking that family bath time was a good idea."

~MC~MC~MC~

"And this is Santa Claus," the Spirit of the Millennium Ring said, gesturing to a cheerful drawing on Santa that had been spraypainted onto a wall.

"I… am aware."

"Because I told you," the Spirit of the Millennium Ring said happily. "It is working! Now to cram more Christmas Knowledge into you!"

"You do know that it isn't right to force things into people."

The Spirit of the Millennium Ring laughed at that. "Oh, silly foreign boy… everyone knows rape isn't real."

"What?"

"What?"

~MC~MC~MC~

Seto shifted uneasily as he waited outside the bakery. 'This is stupid… I should go…' But every time he thought about turning away and going back to the hotel he found himself feeling the strangest sensation that he just COULDN'T turn away. That he HAD to remain there.

He tugged on the sweat shirt that he was wearing, hating how awkward it made him feel. He was used to uniforms and shirts and garments with high collars. But the sweat shirt, with a disgustingly cute reindeer printed on it, just felt… wrong. It was all warm and snuggly and made him feel comfortable. Warm and safe like he was being given a hug.

He hated it.

He also hated the jeans that he was wearing… he didn't know WHERE Mokuba had managed to get them but they fit him perfectly and kept him somehow warm but not too warm and did well to flatter his frame. One of the women in the lobby had had the nerve to stare at his rear and say it looked good!

Disgusting,

But he was wearing the stupid clothing and it was too late to get changed and-

"Oh, hello Seto!" Bebe said, the bake shop owner smiling as she came out of the front door. "I was just locking up… but I'll be open tomorrow if you want something."

"Actually…" Seto said, hating how awkward he felt. He thought about looking away from her, hoping that maybe not staring into her large brilliant blue eyes or gazing at her smooth white scales or noticing how she was the perfect height to hold (though he wasn't sure why he thought about holding her…) then he'd be to talk to her without feeling all tongue-tied.

But that would mean not being able to look at her either and Seto found himself not wanting to do that either. That if he looked away she might disappear forever.

"I… I was wondering if you'd… that is…" He swallowed, hating how tongue-tied he felt. "I thought maybe you and I could… get something to eat?"

Bebe smiled at that. "I would love to get a bite to eat."

"Then let's go," he said only to start when she moved to not just walk beside him but grab his arm. His mouth suddenly felt VERY dry but he forced himself to continue on, ignoring the fluttering in his heart.

He must have food poisoning.

~MC~MC~MC~

"And this is snow," the Spirit of the Millennium Ring explained to Nate. "It is stuff that falls from the sky onto the ground. Please don't be scared of it."

"I have no idea why we are still doing this," Nate commented. "Or why you feel the need to rub a buck knife against that rabbit as you do."

"Oh, just making sure you understand the importance of Christmas…" the Spirit of the Millennium Ring said as he calmly held said rabbit, gliding the blade along its fur.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Is Edwin almost done being crazy?" Mai asked. "I made that reservation at that Italian place and I'd like him to change just in case attacking that wall caused him to get his clothing dirty." She looked out of her hotel balcony window to see the wall… but no Edwin. "Uh, where is he?"

"He gave up on attacking it with his fists and decided to try other things," Yuri said with a smirk, getting far too much entertainment out of Edwin trying to escape the Hallmark movie they were in. Honestly Yuri didn't mind… at least, unlike last year, there wasn't a risk of them fucking being shot by the Peanuts gang. "He tried Gleipnir for a while… then morphed and attacked it with his Power Staff…"

"My favorite was when he tried to glue a door to the wall in order to make a portal," Renard said. "He slammed into the wall like he was the Coyote."

"And now?" Mai asked, not sure she wanted to know.

"He's on his last option."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Edwin screamed as he ran towards the wall, holding a pole vault pole. He slammed it into the dirt, went soaring through the air…

…and crashed into the wall with a crack that had Mai wincing.

"And he's done," Yuri said as Edwin slowly slid down the wall like one of those sticky octopuses you got out of a 50 cent prize machine.

"Are… are you sure he's okay?" Mai asked as Edwin finally hit the ground and just kinda… puddled there.

"FAB?" Yuri asked.

"I'm trying to understand how he thought that little pole would ever work."

"That's what she said!" Cassie called out as she walked past their room with a whiskey barrel slung over her shoulder.

"See, now that one felt lazy," Yuri commented.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Alright sis," Joey said as he looked around the small dance studio they had been given to practice their act in, "I suppose we should get ta work!"

"…doing what, Joey?" Serenity asked. She tugged on her outfit, which oddly enough looked like it belonged in a 1980s exercise video. Black yoga pants, a blue tanktop, a pink headband. Joey was wearing the same thing, not knowing why everyone was laughing at him when they saw him in the outfit; if anything they should have been laughing at Serenity since Joey's ass looked so much better in the outfit. "I mean… what is our act?"

That had the blond blinking in surprise. "Huh… come ta think of it I don't know what we can do for the talent competition. I mean, we really ain't that good at much else other than duelin'."

"I'm good at lots of things."

"I mean I'm a great duelist but I can't juggle."

"I can."

"I can't throw knives."

"I can."

"I don't have that many hobbies."

"I can… oh, sorry, I thought you'd say something else. I mean 'I do'."

Joey slumped down against the wall. "Aw man, if we don't have an act we'll let down that poor little sick girl!" He waved his hand towards the fully glass wall that looked out onto the street where Aria just happened to be passing by. Realizing they'd called her 'little' and 'a girl' the 20 something flipped to Wheelers off before continuing on her way. "Poor little girl, that disease is makin' her fingers do weird things now! We have ta help her… but I don't know what we can perform! What are we gonna do, sis!?!"

"Well," Serenity said, considering their options, "we need to do something that will get people's attention. Something that will get toes tapping and heads bobbing. But we also want it to be as dignified and respectful as possible."

"Right…" Joey said, rubbing his chin only to snap his gaze up towards his sister. "Wait… ya know what is da most dignified thing two white kids from Japan can do?"

"Dance and rap to 90s black music?" Serenity asked.

"Exactly!"

~MC~MC~MC~

"Hey Tristan!" Koyo called out. "Mr. Muto is getting the turkey out of the oven!" No one was quite sure how the old man had managed to make the turkey so quickly, especially since he hadn't known that he had a house in Little Town let alone had one with a fully stocked kitchen, but it was free food so none of the teens were complaining (Well, Tea was complaining but no one was really worrying about that, as they chalked it up to her being emotional due to the holidays; that or she was having her period because none of the teens understood how women's bodies worked).

Tristan though was outside, standing near the fence in the backyard where Yugi claimed he had played a lot (despite never having lived there), staring up at the stars.

"I'll be right there… I just want to think some more."

Koyo walked outside, stuffing his hands in his designer jacket. "What's the problem? You seem kind of upset?"

"I don't know… all this is getting me thinking about what is going to happen once Battle City is over with. My dad wants me to take a heavier hand in running the family business but… I'm not sure that's for me."

"Well, what do you want to do?" Koyo asked gently.

"I don't know," Tristan admitted. He simply had no idea what he was interested in doing with his life after high school. It felt so far away, him being an adult, yet so close as well. Racing towards him, demanding he decide before it ran him over. "And that's the problem. If I don't have a good answer for him about what I want to do then I know my dad is going to not listen to me." He sighed, dropping his head downward. "I just wish I had some answers."

"I can help you," a voice said and the two turned to see a large man, both in terms of size and just presence, enter the backyard. "Hello Tristan."

"You know my name?" Tristan said.

"Of course I do. I know many things about you. I'm Vencent and I'm here to offer you some wisdom."

"R-Really?" Tristan said, growing excited. "Because that would be so great! I just don't know what to do with my life so any help be super appreciated!"

"Of course!" Vencent said. "Now, the first thing-"

"Don't worry Tristan," another voice said and the two teens turned away from Vencent only to blink in confusion when another man, this one with dark skin and a more athletic build, entered the backyard. "I'm here to help you out in your hour of need. I am Zachary." He gave a small bow.

"Wow… two people offering me advice?" Tristan exclaimed. Two was better than one… unless if was venereal diseases.

"Two?" Zachary said only to spot Vencent. "…get the fuck out of here."

"Language," Vencent said with a sniff. "Such talk-"

"Yeah, such talk!" Zachary declared. "As in 'I'm here to give these boys some help and you are getting in the way'! So scoot scoot scoot!" He made a shooing motion with his hands.

Vencent glowered at that. "I am here to give these boys some help. I'm the wise and mysterious elder who gives them help who might not even exist to begin with."

"Well I'm the magical black guy who gives advice to white people so that they not only figure out what to do but also feel like they are being racially sensitive."

"Oh, like how to be a worn out trope?"

"Your mama's a trope!"

Tristan frowned as the two moved towards one another, completely forgetting about him. "UH, I need some help here…"

"You want to to settle this, man to man?" Vencent asked. "Normally I abhor violence… but I find I abhor you."

"Feeling's mutual." And with that Zachary pulled out a duel disc from… somewhere. "We will decide this, once and for all, who is the one that will give this poor bastard advice."

"I could do without you calling me a bastard," Tristan said, raising his hand.

But the two ignored him. "Very well, let's duel!" Vencent declared.

"I… I think we should just let them settle this on their own," Koyo said.

Tristan nodded. "Well, I know I don't want to do THAT job when I graduate," Tristan muttered.

And so they left what would eventually the greatest duel ever played.

Unfortunately, due to the costs of filming such a thing, it all happened offscreen.

~MC~MC~MC~

"-and while I was backpacking through Europe I came upon this little bakery that made the best pastries. The smell was soooo good!" Bebe chuckled at that, fondly remembering the scent of the scones that had been baking that morning when she'd trudged into the town, covered in dust from the road and her stomach rumbling. "As much as I wanted one I knew I couldn't be wasteful with my money so I was ready to move on when the baker spotted me. Offered to let me do some work in order to pay for a scone… I didn't have anything planned that day so I figured why not."

She paused.

"I ended up staying there a month."

"She showed you how to bake," Seto said.

Bebe nodded. The two of them had gotten something to eat from her favorite little restaurant, a place that served pretty much everything, and now they were wandering the town, looking at the different Christmas lights that had been set up. They were drinking coffee that had been made by one of Bebe's friend's at his coffee shop, the cups seeming to never empty but also so light it was like there was nothing at all.

"She did. After a month I knew what I wanted to do with my life." She smiled as they came to a small gazebo and motioned for Seto to sit down with her. "So… how did you become a captain of industry?"

"I really didn't have a choice in the matter," Seto answered. "I was told that was what I had to become if I wanted to give my brother the life he deserved."

"That's… sad," Bebe said softly. "Very noble but… sad."

"I'm fine with the choices I've made."

"But you just admitted it wasn't a choice at all," she pointed out. "You were told to do that."

Seto nodded. "But I continue doing it. I could have easily just decided to give up and sell the company. Chop it up piece by piece and then done whatever I want with the money."

"Then why not do that?"

"Because that would be giving up," Seto replied. "I don't give up. I fight to the bitter end. And I win."

"And if you don't win?"

Perhaps, if she had been anyone else, Seto would have snapped that 'he always wins' or something trite like that. But instead he merely shook his head and said, honestly, "Then I get back up and prepare to give it another go."

"A good way to look at it," Bebe commented as she shifted to sit a little closer next to Seto.

And, after a moment, he slowly lifted his arm and put it around her.

~MC~MC~MC~

I sipped my hot coco as I sat outside one of the many cafes Little Town had. Despite the fact that it was clearly VERY cold out it was actually rather comfortable to be outside… the 'magic' of a cheap ass Hallmark movie that shot in June, I supposed.

At least the food was good.

"Are you still brooding?" Mai asked with a smirk. "I would have thought you'd get that out of your system after you bashed yourself against the wall."

"No, I did not," I muttered as I watched the odd sight of Seto Kaiba slowly wandering back to the hotel. He looked… rather tired… and I was suddenly struck by the horrific thought that he was doing the walk of shame. "I want out of this fucking place so fast…"

"Come on Edwin, it isn't that bad!" Yuri proclaimed only for Tea and Yugi to plop down next to them, the latter looking chirper but the former utterly annoyed and tired.

"It is, so fuck you," Tea moaned.

"I see your new sister is adopting your cursing, Captain," Renard commented.

Tea though shook her head. "I don't curse as often. I hold it in that way when I do drop one it has an impact. Edwin just rapid fires them."

I merely downed another mouthful of my coco before sliding a menu over to Tea. "So, discovering this place isn't as fun as some at the table think?"

"Yes," Tea muttered even as Yugi began to look over their breakfast options.

"I don't know why you are so upset, Tea," Yugi said. "Are you feeling sick?"

"No, that would be Aria," Mai said… only for the woman in question to pop out from under our table, flip us off, and storm off. "When did she get down there?"

"FAB," I replied, checking to make sure there was no one else hiding under there.

"I am not sick, Yugi," Tea said, trying to muster a smile. "Why don't you go order for us, okay?" Yugi nodded and hurried inside the café to get their food… which allowed Tea to lean over and hiss. "It was the chessiest thing I've ever done and now I believe Aiden Order was right all along."

"How so?" Yuri asked, sounding morbidly fascinated by her sister's suffering.

"So Mr. Muto found out that he has this house here… he didn't know about it, never bought it, never inherited it, he just… has it. And its going to get repossessed which, who cares because it cost him nothing. But everyone is acting like we've been here a million times and it's a great tragedy. I found him crying late at night… he was crying about how he had failed to hold onto the house and disappointed countless generations of Mutos and I felt bad for him until I remembered he hasn't even owned it for 24 hours!" Tea threw her hands up in the air. "There are goldfish that have belonged to people longer. Not the animal… I mean the cracker!"

"That… that is odd," Yuri admitted. "But its still sad for them and I don't see-"

"The entire night was designed around memories of things that never happened," Tea said dryly before making herself sound like Yugi. "'Oh Tea, remember how we used to play in this tree?' No Yugi because we never did. 'I'll be so sad that we never get to play in it again! Come on, let's play that game we made up! You remember the rules, right?' No Yugi, because we never made up that game because it never happened!" Seto suddenly returned, looking about when he'd heard about Yugi playing a game, but when he didn't spot his rival he went back to trudging along. "'Remember when Grandpa burned the ham that one Christmas and we had to make burritos instead?' No Yugi because that never happened! 'Tea, let's snuggle by the fire!' …okay, that is fine Yugi because I like snuggling but all the rest of this trip down memory lane is giving me a migraine!"

Once more she pressed her forehead against the table and I reached over, rubbing her back.

"On the plus side we're almost out of the woods if I can't figure out a way to break out of here." Mai shoot me a look. "One that doesn't involve bodily harm and does allow Mai to take me shopping."

"You mean you will take ME," she teased.

"Right. Anyway, we're almost out of the woods. They are doing their stupid talent show, house decorating contest, and big lighting ceremony tonight so that means tomorrow will be the wrap up where we can just give away presents-"

Tea's eyes snapped open. "I NEED TO GET EVERYONE PRESENTS!"

"And there it is," Yuri said with a smirk. "At least you have a ton of extra money."

Tea nodded, clearly thinking of the thousands of dollars I'd managed to get her via the waffle bar. Of course I would also be willing to give her cash if she were desperate. "Right… so a few small gifts for people like Rex and Brom, a lot of personal and meaningful presents for my friends, deeply thoughtful ones for my family-" She glanced at Yuri and then me, smiling softly, "-and figuring out what to give Yugi…"

"Literally any duel monster card ever," I commented.

"I want something better than that!" Tea complained.

"…two duel monster cards?" I smirked at Tea glowered at me. "Well, lucky for us Little Town seems to be a place where you can find anything so-"

"I am giving him advice!"

"I am!"

We all turned to see Vencent and Zachary from KaibaCorp riding on motorcycles and dueling each other.

"…I don't even want to know," I said.

"That might be the dumbest thing I've ever seen," Renard said. "Card games on motorcycles…"

"That didn't set me up for a joke!" Cassie complained as she walked out of the café holding a moonshine bottle.

~MC~MC~MC~

"No, I'm afraid you can't come to visit," Brom said as he pressed a finger to his ear so he could hear the other caller easier. "Yes… yes Seto still has that restraining order… sorry Cousin Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come…"

~MC~MC~MC~

Susan frowned as she saw Seto enter his hotel room. She tried to rush and get to the door before it closed but it clicked shut just before she could stick her hand in and she heard the bolt turn, locking it.

'Playing hard to get, my love?' she thought as she considered going down to the front desk and gutting whoever was working there just to get a key so she could sneak inside. In a romantic sort of way, of course. 'Or… perhaps you were out late buying me my Christmas present!' She suddenly became utterly giddy at the thought. 'Oh, that must be it! You were getting me a wonderful gift!' She was practically vibrating at the thought. 'Maybe something ring-shaped… with a diamond…'

And that's when the tanned asshole with white hair bumped into her.

"Oh no!" the man said… a touch overly dramatic perhaps, but she quickly dismissed that in the face of her anger at him not bothering to apologize! "I have bumped into you so carelessly! But I am sure you do not have the will to do something horrible to me! I just hope you don't describe in graphic detail what horrible tortures you plan to inflict on me!"

"You mean like tearing open your asshole like it's a buttermilk biscuit, shoving an umbrella up in there, and then pressing the button to open it?"

"Oh yes… that," the white-haired man said with a grin. "And what else?"

"How I am going to grind your face into the ground as I use your body as a sled as I ride you to the hospital so you can get patched up just so I can do it all over again?"

"That sounds… horrible," he replied with an odd smile on his face.

Susan shot him a dark look before stomping off.

~MC~MC~MC~

"I can't believe that we are letting the fate of the KaibaCorp factory come down to a talent show!" Martin complained as he walked with Seto. "I mean… we signed contracts! Everything is set! How is it that someone winning this talent competition will mean that they get to decide what happens to a factory that is already scheduled to be shut down?" He gave a shrug. "I mean, if it were a children's card game determining the fate of a factory and all its workers then I could understand it but this? This is just…"

"Right…" Seto murmured.

"Are you okay, sir?" Martin asked, confused by Seto's… calmness… in the face of the situation they were in. Mokuba had gone off with Edwin to shop for Christmas gifts and Martin had assumed that would mean that Seto would be more open to discussing what they were going to do about the factory, as he didn't like discussing work around his brother. But Seto's mind was elsewhere…

"Martin… have you ever met someone and just felt a connection with them?"

"I'm a lawyer," Martin stated. "I'm not for sure if I'm legally allowed to make a connection with other people." He rubbed his chin in thought. "I can look it up sir, to see, but-"

"I've… I've met someone, Martin," Seto said. "And as my best friend-"

"I'm your best friend?" Martin said, startled.

"-I need your advice on how to woe her."

"Hmmm… have you tried scheduling a board meeting to discuss a potential merger between your two companies?"

Seto considered that. "You think that might work?"

"Seems awfully romantic to me, sir," Martin reasoned.

"Very well, I will discuss it with Bebe at the Talent Show."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Hip hop, the hippity hop. Here come the hip hop and ya know it don't stop…"

I watched as Serenity, in a Domino City Dragons hockey jersey and a backwards cap, rapped as Joey did some break dancing. And seeing them try and fail to be cool I realized that this was the true meaning of Christmas.

…actually no, I was slowly dying of embarrassment for the two.

"Wow," Mai said.

"I know, right?" Yuri asked. "This is… this is bad."

"What is scary is its better than every other performance," Renard commented.

"Go Joey!" Yugi cheered before looking at Tea. "Come on, we have to cheer Joey on!"

"…woo," Tea managed to get out, eyes half shut.

"What a lovely performance," Caesar said, having been elected as the MC for the Talent Competition. "And I think it is clear who the winner is!"

"Joey! Joey! Joey!" the crowd cheered.

"Fucking white ass crackers," I muttered to myself.

"You're German, English, and Dutch," Mai pointed out. "You are literally a blue-eyed, blond haired, white skinned German super baby."

"And yet I am still the least white person in this fucking city," I muttered as Joey was given the prize money which he promptly gave to Yugi's grandpa, Aria, and a few other people. "Fuck it, let's just leave and open presents. This has been painful."

"…seems like you are kind of rushing this along, Captain," Renard said.

"It's a Hallmark movie, they all have really fast endings so you can't think about how their message is women should abandon their careers and just be housewives who make babies and sandwiches."

"And this is what white people call singing," the Spirit of the Millennium Ring informed Nate.

"No… no its not."

~MC~MC~MC~

Susan frowned as she heard the doorbell ring.

It was VERY odd because she was in a hotel room and thus shouldn't even have a doorbell.

Getting up from the chair she'd been sitting in, drawing pictures of her and Seto together with words like "I will kill a thousand people just to see him smile" and "Everybody loves me, everybody loves me" and of course "My Immortal was the greatest fanfic eva" she made her way to the door and opened it to find the strange Egyptian man she kept bumping into standing there, holding up some signs.

I AM JUST A BOY one sign read before he dropped it.

STANDING IN FRONT OF A GIRL'S DOOR

LETTING HER KNOW THAT I HATE HERE

ALSO I MISSPELLED THE WORD HER

I MEANT TO SAY "LETTING HER KNOW I HATE HER"

AND I AM WONDERING WHY I WROTE ALL THIS

ALSO THAT

AND THAT

WHY DIDN'T I JUST REPLACE THAT CUE CARD? FUCK IT

BECAUSE ALL I KNOW IS HATE

AND I WOULD LIKE US TO HATE TOGETHER

Susan blinked.

"I love Seto Kaiba," she said flatly.

Marik merely shrugged. "I am also willing to just try out this 'pity sex' I've heard so much about."

"…you wear a bag over your head and I get to call you Seto."

"I am okay with that."

Susan yanked him inside.

~MC~MC~MC~

"I've thought it over, Bebe," Seto said, "and if we merge your bake shop with KaibaCorp we could be together…"

"Oh Seto… I wish we could do just that," the dragon woman said softly, reaching across the table and taking his hand. "But I'm afraid it can't be. We can't be together."

"But… why not?"

Bebe stared at him for a long moment.

"…because you are 15 and I don't feel like getting put in prison." She smiled. "See me when you're legal."

"…I will," Seto whispered. "I will."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Merry Christmas, Yugi," Tea said, handing her boyfriend his present. All of us were gathered in Solomon's house, which I had to admit was nice, exchanging presents.

"Tea…" Yugi said as he opened the box to reveal… "A signed copy of Pegasus' Autobiography!" He held up the book ('I am Duelist Kingdom And So Can You!') and beamed. "Its perfect! I can't believe you got it signed!"

"Pegasus is… right here," I said, waving at the businessman who was seated across from me, sipping his cappuccino.

"And here you go, Edwin," Tea said, handing over my gift.

"Hmmm…" I said as I looked at the cylinder. "With where my mind is going this would be more of a gift for Mai…" I opened up the package and my eyes went wide. "Tea…" I whispered, tears gathering in the corners of my eyes.

"I went back to the blimp to get it," Tea said as I took out a second lightsaber, it matching the one I had. "Put the ends together."

I did as she said and gasped in delight as they locked into place. "A doublebladed lightsaber…" I sniffed. "This is the true meaning of Christmas!"

"Star Wars is?" Yuri asked.

"Oh yeah," I said. "Obi Wan is basically Space Jesus."

"Wow."

"Don't go insultin' Life Day, Yuri!" Joey called out as he looked over the portable dvd player Mai had gotten him.

"Well, I am so glad we were all able to have a wonderful Christmas together," Solomon said. "And thank you all for helping save the house."

We all nodded.

"…we're never coming back here again, are we?" Renard said.

"Oh my no!" I chuckled.

Next Year

It's a Weevilful Life

The Doctor frowned as he and Bakugo floated through space, stranding and surrounded by Daleks.

"…I blame you for this."

"Fuck you, shitty nerd.