Wrote a fun Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic. I miss my fandom.
“Don’t call me that!” The blonde male scratched his scalp with both hands roughly to make his hair stand on end. The once limp locks poking out in every direction now except for his bangs that seemed content on drooping down.
“But that is your name, Malik.” His sister retorted. The ink pen in her hand scratching down delicate letters into the answer boxes. “I really wish you would at least accept that.”
Anger crossed the younger sibling’s face as he glared passed the raven haired woman to their step-brother that sat adjacent to her. “Odion, you of all people don’t think I belong here, right? Tell Ishizu that I don’t need a fourth psychiatrist!”
The scratching stopped and now two sets of eyes were boring into the unfortunate man’s soul. Each set daring the silent giant to break their trust in favor for the other. Olive eyes closed as the very man shifted slightly in his seat. “I believe you are only getting a fourth one because the first two committed suicide and the third one strongly kept referring us to this one.”
“Traitor!” Odion slowly opened his eyes to stare across to his step-brother with a pained expression though said nothing. “This entire thing is a cruel joke! I fucking hate it!”
“Malik, that’s enough!” Ishizu glanced around the room only to see one other couple waiting with them and the receptionist behind the desk. Still, she did not want her little brother to cause such a scene even if the others present somewhat expected it from a patient seeking help.
Furious with his scolding, the blonde jolted upright, flipping the table in front of himself over in one swift motion. The ornamental vase that once rested on it now rolling across the reflective marble floor. It’s white camellia flower no longer standing tall to greet waiting room guests.
“Master, please.” Odion placed a hand over the frustrated younger’s shoulder in hopes of calming him down. For a moment it seemed to have worked. The violet set of eyes appeared to have softened in a hint of regret for their master’s actions up till a familiar name was spoken.
“Get off of me, you fool!” The wild haired male brushed the other’s hand aside before walking around the knocked over piece of furniture. “My name isn’t Malik,” his voice struggling to sound calm. “It’s Marik. Say it.”
Looking puzzled, the woman stuttered to say something before giving a small bow in apology. “Forgive me,” her head dipped back up with a worrisome smile as she tried to accept that what she assumed to be a brat was demanding respect that he did not deserve. “Marik.”
Still in a bitter mood, the young Egyptian tsked under his breath before motioning for the staff worker to show him where to go. As horrible as being forced to attend such a place was he figured that he might as well get it out of the way. The sooner the better and if he was lucky, perhaps this new one might finally throw in the towel so he could be free of the pathetic shrinks that wanted to probe his mind and fix the damages of events long passed.
Odion withheld a sigh while Ishizu let her’s go freely. Each of them wanted what was best for their little brother but so far, nothing they tried had worked and only after they each had prayed to the heavens for some help did they get a call of recommendation. Perhaps this was the break they needed. Maybe this time they could finally give Malik the help he needed to cope with past events that tainted his innocents several years ago.
Further down the blank halls the two walked. The only thing possibly considered art were the overly large doors that were just as blindingly devoid of color like the walls around them. The knobs were mercifully silver but even that was ungodly pale for the young Ishtar’s tastes.
“Right this way,” the woman beckoned as she stopped before the second to last door on the right. Her fake smile remaining plastered to her pale face despite Marik’s frown. He knew she was avoiding his name and for some reason, he resented her for it.
Wanting to say something snide, Marik tilted his head far to one side, his frown melting into a slow but wide grin. White teeth appearing like stuffing though taught thread on a bloated teddybear. “Stab a knife through her head, makes a girl wind up dead.” Sure, it was not snide like he originally wanted but it did remove that sickening smile from her face and that was what he wanted for that moment in time.
Rolling his head around his shoulders, Marik slowly rolled it back into place. His cheshire grin never wavering as he slipped inside and closed the door behind himself. Yes. That woman’s fearful glance as the barrier separated him made him feel alive, if only for the time being.
Quietly, the boy let his joy fade into his system as he looked around the dimly lit room. His expectations of more white against white not coming true. Instead the walls were brown, rich with natural wood and thick red drapes that hung around the gargantuan windows. The atmosphere a little gloomy but Marik found that to be strangely acceptable.
“Would you care for a seat?” The blonde drew his attention away from the windows towards the far side of the room where the voice had originated from. A large and very plush chair placed with it’s back to him causing the Egyptian to stand perfectly still.
This was beyond strange. The others he had talked too always had light bright rooms and were always facing him as if they needed to be ready to chase after him- which one time one did.
“Who are you?”
“Ah, good question!” The unseen person chuckled. “I am Dr. Akefia but really the title isn’t that important. Actually, my name isn’t of much value either. The real important question is, who are you?” The chair spun around to reveal another dark skinned male with white hair just long enough to cover half of his face when he sat hunched over.
The blonde snorted. “It’s in my file.”
“Hm… Yes. I read your file but I know that not everything written down in it is accurate. So tell me, what is your real name?” Akefia placed his white gloved hands on the desk in front of him, still hunched over enough to cast a long shadow over his face. His small toothy grin one of two defining characteristics the patient could focus on other than white hair.
Intrigued though still skeptical, the younger of the two stepped away from the door to the chair closest to him. One hand caressing the fine leather as he moved around it. “Everyone calls me Malik but I’m not him. I’m not as pathetic as him.”
“I’m afraid that only tells me who you are not.”
“Marik. Call me Marik.” His violet gaze narrowed, challenging the elder to contradict him.
“Marik, huh? Alright.” Akefia shoved himself back into his seat, eyes pointed upward towards the ceiling in thought. “So tell me, Marik, why would anyone bring someone sane like you to see a shrink?” The ceiling no longer of interest to him, the white haired male now looked back intently at his guest.
Baffled by the other’s actions, the Ishtar sat down with a quiet thump, expression blank despite the whirling questions that moved in his skull with the nimble grace of a ballerina. “A court order. Apparently killing your father is a serious crime.” It was far from the sarcastic response he originally wanted to give but Marik hoped that point blank honesty would get him the jolt of fear he expected to see. Instead he was surprised as the other man nodded his head in agreement.
“If reports are to be believed then you went out of your way to administer as much pain to him as you possibly could before killing him.” His smile shrinking in size just a bit. “Is that true?”
At last! Fear! “Yes,” Marik replied simply. His inner delight growing as the other’s smile faded just a little more than before. The truth however was different. As much as he wanted to make the man that he called father suffer, he had been interrupted and forced to make the killing blow sooner than he liked.
“I see.” A light cough of a chuckle cleared his throat before the well dressed man flicked his wrist and jabbed two fingers onto his desk. “It looks to me as if you were unsure of yourself. Take a look.” In one smooth action, Akefia slid his fingers further up the desk. A cream colored folder eventually peeking over the edge of the lavish wood.
Breath caught in his throat, Marik looked from the psychiatrist to the presented folder. Was this a test? “You’re lying,” he growled. How dare this man take him for a fool?
“Why do you think- oh,” Akefia chuckled. He then stood up from his seat to move towards the window. “The others would be afraid to show you your handy work in fear that it would induce old feelings. In all honesty, I think it would be too difficult for you to muster up that precise hatred again. After all, your father isn’t exactly around any more to keep it burning.”
Marik gritted his teeth together before grabbing the folder and turning it around on his lap. A new light source pouring into the room as the dark skinned psychiatrist opened up the blinds. Cursing under his breath, the blonde opened the item and thumbed through it’s contents. Much to his surprise, this really had been his records. Personal files that not even he was meant to look at, at least the other three shrinks he had seen told him that it was for them to read and him not to worry about. Pictures of bloodied halls were paper clipped in the corners in a small stack till he wiggled them free and shuffled through each one.
“You said I was… unsure of myself?” A bloody rectangle of flesh laid over sandstone flooring. The next that of his father on his stomach. A large patch of exposed meat taking over his entire back. Oh if only Marik could go back in time and push himself to go just a little quicker with his work then maybe he could have done some more damage before that sick bastard’s heart had given out.
“Indeed, I did.” Akefia turned around, now standing in the light. An even greater shadow being cast across the room then before making it impossible to read his expressions. “I do see plenty of conviction to what you have done but I also see what appears to have been a struggle.” Of course, Marik thought, the old man naturally put up a fight. “It looks like part of you was in regret.”
“What?” Photos dropped from his hands as the rest of his file tumbled around his feet. “Hell no- fuck no!” The last remainders of his written report now laid scattered on the hard floor as he jumped to his feet, hands curled tightly into fists. “The only regret I have is not ripping out his heart and eating it in front of him!” This was definitely not something he meant to say but the hatred inside of him had been stirred and risen too close to the surface not to pop.
“I see.” Humming in his throat, the man twisted the rod between his fingers to darken the room once more. His silhouette bleaching back into a more crisp form, crisp charcoal hued suit coming back into sight along with his white gloved hands that continued to toy with the blinds just a moment longer then necessary. “What about Malik?”
“What about him?” Spat the blonde.
“I bet he had regrets.” His patient had confessed that he thought of Malik as a weak person. Perhaps he thought of him as such because of his compassion for even those who abused him. At the very least, it was worth a gamble to bring up just to note how this young man would behave.
Lowering his head, the Ishtar boy felt his nose wrinkle with disgust at the mention of his other side. “No.” His tone was firm but a blatant lie. “Are you even a real doctor?” Without even looking, the elder pointed across the room to his framed certification he kept in plain sight for just the occasion. “You could have faked one of those.”
“Yes, I could have but I didn’t. Even so,” he let his voice drift for a moment. It was obvious that the other did not want to talk about Malik, still, there was a smidgen of time left before their introductory session was over. “I would love to do some Rorschach tests with you but I think we will just save that for next time. For now, how about we just play a little game?”
Unsure of how this doctor’s thought process was wired, Marik just stared at him quizzically. The white haired other moving closer before crouching down to pick up the scattered papers. Only now that he was so close did Marik notice that strange markings under his psychiatrist’s right eye.
“What happened to your face?” Fists uncurled while the elder stood back up with everything assumedly neatly stacked in the folder once more.
“Marik, you’re being rude.” A crooked grin etched up the right side of Akefia’s face, making the lighter markings twitch. He could not resist the simple grin as his patient leaned back, taking off by being called out. “But if you must know, it’s a scar.”
“How did you-” He stopped mid sentence as that slanted grin twisted ever so quickly into a scowl. “You said we were going to play a game?” The blonde watched as the other Egyptian moved back around his desk and took to his seat once more.
It was with a soft squeak that he resumed his role of doctor. “Catch.” It was a simple game anyone could play. The confused expression on his young wards face eased his mind. Ah, this was going to be a fun nut to crack. Placing the file onto his desk, Akefia opened it and drew out a piece of paper. The smooth sheet soon crumpled into nothing more than a crude sphere.
“Aren’t those important?” Just what the hell was this man’s deal? Had his siblings brought him to the wrong place just to be studied by an insane adult?
With a shrug, the newly crafted ball was slung over to the standing blonde. The paper object now clasped in both hands. “Nothing more but simple facts you and I both already know.” Tilting his head up for a second, he motioned for the other to toss it back. The object soon moving back and forth at a slow pace. “Good. Now, throw it away.” The well dressed man slung it back to the Ishtar who held onto the ball for several long seconds before tossing it into the trash bucket the rested along side the wooden desk. “Felt good, right?”
Hesitating, Marik gave a stiff nod. It had felt good. Sort of like he no longer had to worry about it coming back, if only for a moment.
“Do it again.” Another sheet was crumpled from the file and tossed to the standing male. Catching it with one hand, Marik quickly flung it to the receptacle. The ball hitting the rim just before rolling in. “Again.” This practice went on for several more sheets till the wild haired blonde dunked his last basket with a overhand shot. The file bare apart from the photos that remained paperclipped inside.
Leaning back into his plush chair, Akefia let out a content sigh. His hands now laced together over his stomach while seemingly pupil-less eyes studied the man across the room that had been recommended to see him. He was a decently built thing. His hair a mess and if what he gleaned off the others was to be believed then this was not the boy they had grown up with. No, the one they mentioned was fairly interesting but far less tense and wild. Perhaps he could get to talk to both this Malik and the one called Marik that stood before him. But how?
“I’m afraid our opening session is over but I will be seeing you again next week. The day depending on when is best for you.”
“You mean when is best for them,” Marik scoffed. After all, it was Odion and Ishizu that drove him to these horrible places.
“My mistake. I do have one request to ask of you before you leave.” At least the young Ishtar showed interest. His experimental bonding process a success after all. “I want you to burn me a copy of your favorite songs and bring it in next time. Could you do that?”
Finding this man to be more and more bizarre by the minute, Marik just rolled his eyes as he turned around. “And they think I’m crazy. Sure, whatever.” The door opened and the woman that lead him there from before gave a second bow. Her form blocking Marik’s path that he elbowed past. An angered growl caught in the poor girl’s throat as she turned to follow him, leaving Akefia by himself.
Waiting till the muffled noises were no longer to be heard, Akefia leaned forward and pressed a button to the sleek black box that rested on the desk corner and held it. “I’ve underestimated him. Your expertise might come in handy after all.” He released his hold but sat leaning over the edge of his seat.
The box crackled with response soon after. “…Interesting. Meet you at the tavern?”
“I think so. My next one is coming in. Till then.” he released the button once more and leaned back, hands clapping together as a quite little girl stepped into the room. “Rebecca, good to see you again…”
I am Terra 