Not Ancient Egypt (Part 3)

DIMENSION: ANIME (The One That Pays to Save the Day)

Masika opened her mouth briefly, then closed it. "Do I really have the right to not be the Bandit Queen Thief?" Her eyes bordered between wanting to cry, and holding it back, like she didn't know what she should do or say.

Atem sat down next to her bed. "No one holds right over each other just because of Silhouette. Whether spirit or human, no one can force anything on another." Those eyes again. "You know? When Yugi was younger and I was having a hard time deciding on what to do about my own future, Yugi forced me to spend a day with Téa. It was an odd time, but it was in a way fun. I think? It'd be nice to go out as friends with you one of these days. Instead of playing inside, we should play outside." Something different than Connect Four.

She looked oddly at him, a tendril of hair drooping down between her eye with no bounce. So unlike Téa. "You would like to be my friend, without any motivation? No keeping Téa closer for Yugi or anything?"

"Right."

"There must be some reason?" She tried to guess. "Is it to keep Silhouette in your life, Atem? We can all work something out if you want to be involved in her upbringing."

"No."

"Is it . . .?"

Atem almost wanted to laugh. She was still trying to figure it out. "Haven't you had any real friends before? Did all you ever have was the Bandit King?"

"Well . . . some master husbands pretended to make things smoother, but everyone eventually showed their true colors. My only friends have been Bakura, and Téa." She grinned. "Téa is a friend. I will kill 99 evil people for her."

"Well, now you have a new friend. Eventually, you will probably make others." Knowing how Yugi's group held together, she would probably be friends with them all.

"Okay. One day, we will have a friend outing," Masika agreed. "But just to be sure, if anything else ever happens, I am . . . I am not doing anything else that creates another Silhouette."

Oh? "I thought you and Bandit King-"

"-I just annoyed Téa with a relationship tease, I've only hung out as a friend with Bandit King," she revealed. "He clearly wanted more but . . . I . . ." She shook her head. "I am claimed by no one."

Right. ///Atem: She's getting better.///

"Even with Silhouette, nothing else." Her voice was getting more confident. "And you, or anyone, if anyone wants to be a boyfriend that is my choice, but I will not do anything else above kissing! I belong to no one, my body is no one else's!" She was grinning. An absolutely radiant grin, almost a smirk. "Thank you, Atem." She pulled herself out of the bed, now wearing some pajamas Téa must have got on her, and headed out the door. She headed downstairs.

Atem followed after her. It felt like she was finally making an important turning point.

He watched her head straight to Yugi, Téa, Grandpa and Silhouette. She looked around. "No one from this day forth shall lay any hand upon this body without my say so! Even if I kiss or let someone cast their gaze across my naked body, no one shall ever get anything else!"

"Uh? I could . . . handle that," Grandpa said awkwardly, while Yugi scolded him.

Téa just gave Atem the oddest infuriating look. "What did you say?"

Atem just shook his head with a small chuckle. "She's 'modernizing' herself how she wants, Téa."

"What the hell are you going on about?!" Bandit King showed up looking down from upstairs.

"We are friends. If I want more, it will be on my own say so." She pointed at him. "I will never have sex with you though!"

"Okay Miss Thing," Téa said strained as she went toward Masika. "Calm it down already."

"I am free, Téa. No one can ever be a master husband unless I agree." Her face was so joyous, even Téa couldn't be mad. "I must talk with Bandit King now. I am going to kill everyone I have to, to save you, Téa. I won't wait for someone to decide that you and I are worth it. This is not Ancient Egypt. We are worth it! You are my friend, and I want to live too."

"You're gonna make the items?" Téa looked horrified.

"It's okay. I am evil, but Atem still wants to be friends." Masika smiled. "I must talk to Bandit King now."

Atem noticed a very deep glare come across Bandit King's face as he walked past him.

"Woman?" Bandit King's voice was strained. "What the fuck?!"

"I am creating the millennium items and saving Téa and myself. I am hoping you will help me?"

"After yelling that out?" Displeased. "The hell was that all for?"

"If you don't want to help me because of my declaration, then I will figure it out myself," Masika told him. "Téa, please help Atem and Bandit King watch over Silhouette. Atem also wants to be a part of her life, so he will need help too. Oh? And. You need to show me the diaper thing. The crib thing. I will need many modern lessons too from you. I am going to seek out Sekhmet now. I will see you later my friend Téa."

Téa just sighed as she watched her head out the door and looked at Atem. "You just had to tell her you would never lay claim as a master husband. Not that hard. You had to give an inspiring speech to her, didn't you?"

Atem did not admit fault. He told her what needed to be said.

"Fucking millennium item making! Those fucking things shouldn't ever exist again!" Bandit King was struggling.

"Hey!" Téa called him out. "You need to start watching your mouth around Silhouette, one day she is going to start to speak. You want her to hear and say nice things, not things like that, BK."

"Eh." Bandit King seemed strange. "I'll . . . try. Fuck."

"Try harder," Téa warned him.