Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ The Game ❯ Preliminaries ( Chapter 5 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Category: Anime, Gundam Wing, Yaoi, Timeline-What-Timeline, Alternate Universe
Minor Anime: Trigun, Sailor Moon, Samurai Deeper Kyo
Pairings: 1x2 main
Warnings: shonen ai
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina (a) hotmail . com
Website: www . geocities . com / arigatomina

The Game

Part 5: “Preliminaries”

White sheets fluttered in the afternoon breeze, humid air throwing a sweaty haze over the men battling in the center of the yard, as well as the people watching near and on the walls that lined the court. The cloths reminded Duo of bed sheets hanging up to dry. They were lined up in squares to section off parts of the yard so that multiple battles could take place at once. The tournament had started with so many participants that it had taken most of the day to just to finish the preliminaries - large group fights from which only one person would advance. Duo considered himself lucky not to have been placed in one of the ‘rings’ with Heero or Yukimura. Both were currently slaughtering their opponents with seeming ease.

Yukimura had surprised them the morning of the preliminaries, by showing up dressed in a pale blue kimono, his black hair arranged so that it appeared to have been cut - the longer layers pinned beneath a feminine bob that accented his cheeks. He didn’t explain why he had the inclination to dress up as a woman, and neither Duo nor Heero had found a good way to broach the subject. Duo suspected it was the same reason Yukimura had asked if they knew his name, before telling them about the tournament. He was probably entering as a ‘woman’ to hide his identity. Why he’d need to do that, the man hadn’t shared, and they hadn’t asked. If the intrigue mattered in the game, they were confident Yukimura would explain himself eventually. In the meantime, they’d been more focused on the tournament.

The rules were such that anyone who killed his opponent was disqualified. To make this easier, real blades were banned from the preliminary fights. Instead, they were given round-tipped wooden sticks and ushered into the sections in groups of ten. Yukimura proved himself a swordsman with the way he used his seemingly frail wooden ‘sword’, knocking his opponents unconscious without breaking the blade. Heero was more akin to Duo when it came to the sticks - he dropped his the moment he was in the ‘ring’ and beat his way through the ranks with his fists and kicks, proving far more adept at martial arts than Duo had realized.

Duo found himself at a slight advantage when compared with the two of them. Where Yukimura and Heero had gone into their fights with all their opponents centered on them, Duo’s adversaries disregarded him as a threat. They attacked each other the same way other groups were doing, without focusing on any one person. That gave Duo a nice opportunity to leisurely take out the opposition without having to do much defending. He kept his stick, which he couldn’t bring himself to call a sword, and used it to bash the distracted men over the back of their heads. Sure, it lacked the style of Yukimura’s swordsmanship, or the uncanny grace of Heero’s fighting. But there were no rules about chivalry, and Duo didn’t particularly care if some of the spectators disapproved of his approach. All that mattered was advancing to the real tournament rounds and getting the prize.

By the time Duo finished his group fight, leaving a mess of men sprawled on the packed dirt, Heero and Yukimura were waiting for him across the yard. He ducked his way through the spectators, a few of whom glanced after him with startled looks for his ‘strange’ clothing. There were only two groups still fighting, and Duo wasn’t interested in watching them. He sent his gaze upward to the tall stone walls that circled the yard, and to pagoda beyond, where two men were watching the proceedings. One of them was the person running the tournament, a man with a funny name that Duo couldn’t quite remember, no matter how many times Yukimura repeated it to him. The clan leader wasn’t even looking at the yard or the remaining fighters. He was leaning against the wall and appeared to have dozed off.

Duo smirked and turned his attention back to where Heero was waiting. The preliminary round hadn’t proven very interesting. With around one hundred men all fighting together, there was no one to root for or against. It wouldn’t really be worth watching until the next day, when the participants were cut down to twenty or so ‘established’ fighters. Then, Duo would take this part of the game seriously. In the meantime, he was more interested in seeing what Yukimura had planned for their evening. The man had proven very creative in the way he’d helped them pass the time before the tournament started. They’d whiled away days on the road without a single creature or bandit attacking them. If not for their entertaining guide, Duo would have gone stir-crazy after the first day. He just hadn’t expected The Game to progress so slowly.

“So,” Duo greeted, speaking in Japanese to keep from attracting the attention of those spectators close to them, “how does our opposition look?”

Heero shook his head and waited for Duo to drop down beside him, Yukimura leaning against the side of the tree and leaving plenty of room for the pair. Once Duo had made himself comfortable, Heero nodded to one of the spectators.

“He finished his round a few minutes ago,” said Heero. “He’s the only person aside from us who didn’t use the weapon. His skills at hand-to-hand combat don’t compare to either of us, but he’s far above the rest. Also, he’s hiding something large beneath that cloak. I could see the bulge on his right arm, and he was careful only to attack with the left.”

Duo looked over the man, his eyebrow quirking in surprise. The stranger was tall and dressed in a cream robe that covered him from neck to feet, the collar so high it hid part of his mask. His face and hair were covered by a strange white ‘animal’ mask with a mane of tan ‘hair’ flowing back till it disappeared beneath his collar. He was the only person Duo had seen wear a mask so far. He sent a weak smile at Yukimura.

“Is that normal?” he asked. “To wear a mask like that?”

“Not usually,” Yukimura smiled, his narrow eyes going over the man in question. “But in a tournament like this, it will add intrigue and mystery that may unnerve his opponents. People with something to hide are people to watch out for.”

“Like you, right?” Duo teased. “You might be dressed like a woman, but you still don’t look it. Need a little more padding there.”

The slender man gasped playfully and adjusted the top of his kimono, as if he had something to hide. While his waist lended itself to the ‘slender woman’ disguise, his flat chest seemed overly obvious to Duo. He couldn’t see why people weren’t staring at the man. He supposed what Yukimura had claimed was true - that any woman participating in a tournament would bind herself to avoid inconvenience and unsavory proposals. Duo still considered the spectators morons for not seeing right through the outfit. Yukimura might have been slender, but there was no hiding his lithe muscles, especially when his kimono had no sleeves to speak of.

“Aside from the masked man,” Yukimura commented, “the rest of the participants appear surprisingly weak. I can only assume the strong ones are biding their time. Some of the opponents I expected to encounter are not here. I suspect your presence, instead of Kyo-san, is to blame for that, along with the fact that the tournament is being held a week sooner than it should have been.”

Heero and Duo exchanged a sharp look at that, Duo shifting uncomfortably.

Yukimura had been dropping increasingly stronger hints about the ‘changes’ their presence had made on things. So far they hadn’t addressed any of his comments, and he hadn’t offered any speculation as to why things were changing. What he had done was make it clear to them that he knew they had ‘replaced’ Kyo, and that while he wouldn’t push them to explain, he wouldn’t pretend not to notice, either. It was a strange impasse. Yukimura seemed to be encouraging them to talk about the game, which just didn’t make sense considering he was a part of the game himself. It ruined Duo’s earlier claim that ‘game characters’ were limited to an established script. No game character in a ‘normal’ game would ask the player to tell him more about the game.

After a few moments of silence, Yukimura invited them to quit the tournament yard. The last two matches had finished and while he admitted the spectators would mill around till nightfall, he didn’t see any need for them to remain. Once again, he invited them to share an inn at his expense, and they agreed out of necessity. It had occurred to Heero that having no money in the game put them at the mercy of their guide, but so far Yukimura hadn’t done anything to betray that trust. Heero had no choice but to believe Duo's claim that when they needed money, the game would present them with an opportunity to make some.

That evening found them once more ensconced in a rural inn, which, Duo cheekily noted, was almost an exact replica of the first one they’d stayed at. Yukimura passed the comment off with a light explanation that there was little reason for builders of purposed facilities to experiment, and a gentle reminder that this one, having been built to service visitors of the castle, hadn’t been placed over a hotspring. This inn received business due to its location, with no need for extravagance to lure in visitors. That was, Yukimura claimed, the reason the amenities were so stark. People passing through the area had only one inn to stay at, so the owner could charge however much he chose without supplying more than the basic necessities.

Duo didn’t argue with the man. He was still convinced the ‘model’ of the inn would be the same no matter where in this ‘game realm’ they went. It was the same repetitiveness he’d noticed in the crowd of spectators at the tournament. While there were a number of original looking people, the majority had seemed to look alike. It could have been due to the region, as Heero surmised, given that this was ‘fuedal Japan’ before the borders opened to allow mixed blood and cultural changes. Duo just had trouble believing the ‘inhabitants’ could all look so similar by nature. He was quick to point out to Heero that Sasuke didn’t look anything like the ‘unnamed’ game characters. In Duo’s mind, that was proof that the game was more creative with important characters, and that it used ‘stock images’ for insignificant ones.

As always, Heero found it difficult to argue with Duo, even when he was confident his own views were more accurate. He didn’t waste more than a few minutes debating the subject. The game’s character and building designs were more an issue of curiosity than importance. Like the meals, those minor details seemed to exist only to make the realm appear realistic. None of it had an effect on their ultimate task. They both agreed on that point. The game had added so much of what Duo called ‘filler,’ that they’d already spent days doing next to nothing. Heero was beginning to understand what his partner had meant about games allowing time for characters to get used to each other.

The lack of rush and danger since that first encounter made this first task seem like a strange vacation. While Heero wouldn’t admit it out loud, he was starting to drop his guard and actually enjoy himself. Just watching the spectators earlier, with their historically accurate clothing and visages, had been interesting. If it weren’t for Duo’s short attention span, Heero could happily have stayed on the yard and observed the ‘people’ for hours. He simply didn’t like the idea of Duo being separated from him, even if he were with Yukimura. Or rather, especially if Duo were with Yukimura.

The man had a playful nature that Heero found unnerving. This was especially evident when the man was drinking, which he seemed to do quite often. By the time they settled themselves at the inn, Heero was doubly glad he’d stuck close to his partner.

Sasuke, who had gone off somewhere during the preliminary round of the tournament, showed up shortly after they finished their evening meal. He took up a bored position, leaning against the wall in the shadows of the porch, and watching the moonlit forest facing the inn. He’d yet to say more than three words to Duo and Heero, so they’d grown accustomed to his silent presence.

Yukimura beamed back at the boy and held his sake jug up in a teasing salute. Then he turned to the two foreigners seated beside him on the low porch. He’d just been in the middle of convincing Heero to try some of the liquor. Now that he had Sasuke as an audience, his smile shifted from playful to outright flirtatious. He quickly included Duo in the offer.

“I don’t know,” Duo said slowly, sending a teasing look at Heero. “I don’t think my partner would approve.”

“And do you always listen to your partner?” asked Yukimura. “Good sake is difficult to come by these days. Think how long it might be before you get another opportunity to sample some. I’m sure if Kyo-san were here, he wouldn’t be adverse to sharing a drink with me. It’s a shame things have become so distorted in such a short amount of time. Why…imagine what else might change if I were forced to drink alone the night before the tournament…!”

A low muttered ‘baka’ sounded from the silver-haired boy watching them. Heero turned to look at him. Sasuke met his gaze and rolled his eyes, telling him without words that Yukimura was just being his normal teasing self. Heero shifted his resigned gaze back to Duo.

He ended Yukimura’s flirtatious offer by picking up one of the little saucer-sized cups and holding it out pointedly. This earned him a blindingly bright smile from the black-haired man, and a surprised stare from Duo. Heero gave his partner what he hoped was a casual look.

“I’ve never tried sake,” said Heero, “but it can’t be any stronger than other things we’ve…tried…in the past.”

Duo grinned at the glint in Heero’s eyes. He knew exactly what the boy was referring to, those drugs and substances they’d been tested against before becoming pilots. He didn’t know if the others had been trained to withstand mind-altering substances, but he and Heero had both been exposed to strange mixtures by their doctors. It wasn’t likely that a little alcohol would be enough to affect either of them. And besides that, this would be a good opportunity to see how the things they consumed in the game affected them.

That last bit was a rather weak rationalization that Duo only thought of on the off chance that he’d have to explain himself later. The real reason he wanted to try the drink was simply because he could. It was early enough in the day that even if he were to get drunk, he’d be able to sleep it off and be fine by the time the tournament started the next day. He wanted to enjoy this ‘vacation’ before he and Heero rejoined Wolfwood and had Quatre keeping watch over their actions. He really doubted Quatre would let them get drunk. Plus, he was curious to see what a drunken Heero was like. Even if there was only a small chance of alcohol affecting Heero, it was a chance he didn’t want to miss.

Heero’s reasons were simpler. He wanted to show Duo that he was willing and able to ‘hang out’ and ‘enjoy himself’. At least, he was willing to pretend. He had no intention of dropping his guard to the point where his reaction time would be dampened and his judgment impaired. The moment he felt the slightest buzz from the surprisingly strong alcohol, he stopped drinking it.

He continued to sip at the little saucer, partly because Duo was paying close attention to him, mostly so he wouldn’t be expected to speak. As he’d expected, given how quickly Duo burned off calories, his partner had a much lower tolerance for the drug than he did. The difference was that the alcohol made him feel uncomfortably warm after only a few drinks, while Duo looked about the same as he always did. The boy might have smiled a little easier, but he didn’t slur his speech or tug at his collar the way Heero was tempted to do.

It wasn’t until Duo’s cheeks began to display a telling pink flush that Heero decided he had to intervene. He was spared the trouble by Sasuke, who’d stood back so silently that Heero had once again forgotten his presence. That distracted him for a moment, the fact that he’d actually forgotten there was a near stranger standing mere feet from him, at his back, no less. He quickly came to the conclusion that the alcohol had affected him more than he’d suspected.

Duo and Yukimura stared after the boy, who’d morosely stopped the festivities by taking the last jug of sake and walking into the forest with it. Yukimura let out a pouting complaint against spoiled shinobi who went out of their way to spoil his fun, just because they passed out from a mere whiff of alcohol. He then pushed off the porch with a wink for Duo, a wave to Heero, and a warning that they’d see him at the tournament the next day, not before.

Heero frowned at the shadowed forest the man had disappeared into. He couldn’t help but notice that Yukimura’s walk was every bit as graceful and controlled as it had been during the preliminary battles. Despite his having consumed two jugs of sake, the man didn’t look the least bit drunk. And it struck Heero as suspicious that Sasuke had taken away the remaining alcohol, just when he’d made up his mind that Duo didn’t need any more of it. He had a nagging suspicion that the two strangers had planned their departure in advance.

Duo sighed beside him, and Heero flashed the boy a quick look. “Are you tired?”

“I’m drunk,” Duo admitted, with a guilty laugh. “And you’re not. I figured he’d be drinking for at least another hour, so there’d be plenty of time to get you plastered. But there I went and blew it. Now I’ll never know what you’re like when you’re drunk.”

“I’m uncomfortable.”

Duo winced at that, embarrassment rising to join the guilt on his face. “Because I drank too much? You should have said something. I wouldn’t have drank so much if I knew it bothered you.”

Heero blinked for a second before shaking away the apology. “No, you didn’t bother me. I meant that’s what I felt from drinking the sake. It made me uncomfortable. If I’d gotten drunk, I’d have felt worse. I avoid things like that, so it feels strange and disturbing. It’s all right for you to relax. As long as one of us is sober, we’re safe.”

“Yeah...”

Duo sighed and flashed his partner a wistful smile. He was still disappointed at the wasted opportunity, and he knew it was very unfair of him to have enjoyed himself while Heero watched on. If nothing else, he’d hoped Heero might have gotten a bit jealous of all the attention Yukimura had lavished on him. As irritated as Heero had been over Wolfwood, he’d thought the boy would show some sort of reaction to Yukimura’s blatant flirting. Now all he had was weak knees and the knowledge that Heero was sober while he wasn’t thinking clearly and probably looked like a little kid who couldn’t hold his liquor.

“I should probably go to bed so I don’t have a headache in the morning,” Duo sighed. “I don’t want you to think I’m completely irresponsible.”

The boy pushed to his feet and Heero hurried to do the same. He opened his mouth to tell Duo that he didn’t consider him irresponsible. If he had to admit that he’d found the boy’s carefree smiles and unrestrained behavior endearing, then he was ready to do so. He was saved from having to say anything. Duo wavered on his feet and flashed wide surprised eyes at him. Heero almost smiled as he stepped over to steady his partner.

“I guess I drank more than I thought,” said Duo, his expression more startled than embarrassed. “My legs feel like mush…!”

Heero gave in to a slight smirk and pulled Duo’s arm over his shoulder so he could support him back to their room. His partner flushed a little at needing the help, and Heero was again tempted to tell him how he’d viewed the evening.

Watching Duo laugh with Yukimura had reminded him of the old days aboard Peacmillion, during those slight breaks in the battles, stolen moments where Duo and Quatre had done their best to forget everything and just smile until the rest of them either accepted the distraction or watched on with secretly fond eyes. Heero knew for a fact that Wufei had watched them the same way he had. There was something reassuring about friends who could simply smile and laugh, when the natural course would be silent brooding over the troubles ahead. Heero might not have appreciated Yukimura’s flirting, but it was worth it to see Duo relax and enjoy himself. It wasn’t as if a game character could actually steal his best friend from him.

Duo seemed to lose most of his embarrassment by the time they reached their room. Heero suspected it was because the boy was beginning to get groggy and wasn’t really aware of his surroundings. Whatever the reason, it meant Duo had gone from avoiding his gaze to beaming at him as if they shared a secret. Heero found himself offering a light smile in return.

“You know,” Duo started, “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have around when I’m out of it. You’re dependable, and I mean that in a good way, not a boring way.”

The slight hint of a slur in Duo’s voice brought a smirk to Heero’s face. He responded with an amused thanks, aware that Duo had tagged on the ‘not boring’ because he usually used the word as if it were an insult – telling Heero he wasn’t nearly spontaneous enough. Heero prided himself on being steadfast, dependable, and he rather liked the fact that right now Duo needed him to be dependable. Usually Duo could take care of himself as well as he could.

Duo smiled at him and wrapped him in a warm embrace. Usually Heero’s first reaction would be to rebuke the gesture and respond to it as teasing, like Duo’s fondness for tossing an arm over his shoulders or ruffling his naturally tousled hair. This time Heero was certain the gesture was uninhibited affection. His face heated a little, but he returned the hug with a small smile he wouldn’t have had if Duo had been sober. As much as they exchanged banter, and teasing remarks, he couldn’t remember ever actually hugging Duo. It was a pleasant sensation, almost as nice as when he’d first spotted Duo on the satellite, like coming home.

.-.
TBC