A/N: I present to you, gentle reader, the Very First story in a series of random thoughts that shall be put down on paper – errrr… computer screen. Yes, this is my little version of a brainfarque. (skips around) So much fun!

I actually wrote about half of these during the whole "And Then There Were Two" series, usually when I scared myself at how much angst I was causing. I always meant to post them before, but now I actually have a reason! And that reason is –

Yami: (stares) You finally got motivated off your lazy butt?

Divey: (horrified at the accuracy) Uh…no. Um.

Bakura: (sneers)

Divey: (pouts) You guys aren't being very supportive, here…

Seto: (smirks) So sue us. (feigns shock) Oh, wait, you can't! Because you have no rights over our characters – seeing as you didn't create us - and if anything, we should be suing you over harassment and abuse of our persons!

Bakura: (smirks) I liked that Disclaimer.

Divey: (sighs) Enjoy?

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Brainfarque 01

A random happy-go-lucky interlude!

Yami stretched as he perused the puzzle on which he was working. Not the Millennium Puzzle, no. Nor was it any sort of puzzle upon which the fate of the world rested – for a change. It was… a simple 250-piece jigsaw puzzle. It portrayed two fiendishly cute kittens surrounded by multicoloured flowers, with unblinking, soul-snatching yellow eyes that stared at him as he tried to place the pieces. It was a challenge. The puzzle itself was cheating, he was sure. None of the pieces were going where they obviously should go! And yet. He was the King of Games. He could do this. The pieces would fit – after they had seen the error of their ways. His thirty-odd non-stop hours of intense puzzle-solving would be rewarded. Yes.

Yuugi bounced down the stairs, listening to a newly downloaded song on his MP3 player. He looked over at the table, where his Yami had apparently not moved since yesterday morning. Upon closer inspection, though, it became obvious that he had. Scissors and scotch tape lay beside the head-clutching ancient spirit, who was currently muttering something about soul-stealing kittens. Yuugi blinked as he moved closer. The front lid of the puzzle was placed vertically on the table for reference, yet the mostly-assembled …work… on the table in no way resembled the idealized picture. Save for two sets of mismatched, yellow eyes, the rest of the jigsaw was a messy conglomeration of vaguely matching colours held together with many layers of…was that scotch tape? It was. There was also, Yuugi noticed with dismay, a number of puzzle bits in the garbage: remnants of a doomed struggle against the good kitchen scissors.

Yuugi went back to staring at the mangled puzzle in consternation. It was as if Picasso had painted a car wreck, then had thrown the entire work into a giant blender. Yuugi slowly backed away.

Yami, unfortunately, had apparently decided that he needed encouragement. Swivelling around, he fixed his desperate, blood-shot red eyes upon his lighter half.

"Aibou! Look at how much I've fit together! Isn't that a lot?"

Yuugi shuddered. A jigsaw puzzle junkie-recoveree himself, he suddenly recognized the symptoms. This was a critical situation. Oh, why hadn't he put the pieces together sooner … metaphorically speaking? Yami needed help! Yuugi nodded absently at his delusional yami as he furiously brainstormed for a solution. Terrifyingly large eyes widened even further as he hit upon a solution. That was it! Smiling coyly, Yuugi leaned in towards his Yami.

"Hey, Yaaaaaammiii…"

Red orbs blinked several times in fatigued befuddlement as his other side suddenly moved close, forcing his exhausted lenses to contract in a desperate, last-ditch effort to focus.

"…wha..?"

Yuugi slowly moved closer – it was possible – before leaning down and lifting his Yami's head up to face him. Slowly twirling dagger-like bangs between his fingers, Yuugi continued speaking.

"You look so stressed. How about we go relax?" This last statement was followed by a slow wink. On Yuugi, this wink was drawn out even longer, due to the massively long distance the eyelid had to travel in order to reach the bottom half of the eye. Much like the world-renowned Energizer bunny, it kept going and going and going and…

Yami still remained confused for several more minutes, before realizing what his precious aibou was saying. Drooped eyes widened suddenly and took on a desperate tinge.

"Aibou…do you really mean it?"
"Sure, Yami. Let's go play a game where you're sure to win. Okay?"

Yami grinned, albeit slightly derangedly. This was, after all, a rare offer of depraved pleasure.

Three hours later

Yami slammed the card onto the table. With triumph. With delight. With relish. Oh heck, he slammed the card onto the table with relish, a Top Dog, a bun (technically two of them ), ketchup, mustard, and any other assorted condiments or additions the typical North American reader finds appetizing.

"Dark Magician destroys your pathetic Petit Angel! Your life points have been reduced to zero!"

Yuugi snickered as the former Pharaoh's mood and confidence drastically improved by the minute. It was a rare privilege indeed for Yami to be allowed to repeatedly trounce the hopelessly outclassed duellist. Across the table, Tea sighed – again – in acceptance of another brutal defeat. She had only been on her second turn in that duel…

"Um…Yami…I'm really tired. We both know you can beat me without even trying. You've shown that – repeatedly - in the past thirty duels. Okay? Can I leave yet?"

Unfortunately, Yami was too busy mentally gloating to notice her voiced complaint and regrettably misinterpreted her words.

"I, the King of Games, accept your challenge! Once again, I will triumph over my opponent as I physically prove my worthy might upon your weak deck! Muahahaha!"

Tea sighed –because really, what choice did she have? - then reached out, gathered her cards, and shuffled her deck. Again.

Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "Yuugi better appreciate this. Thirty-one humiliating defeats do not a happy Tea make."

"Very well! Let us begin! I lay one card face down and I play…Gaia, the Fierce Knight! In attack mode! Prepare for imminent defeat, mortal!"

And Yuugi smiled.

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A/N: Divey had fun! Wheee! (sniggers) Poor, poor Tea.

Next up: Yami walks! Like an Egyptian. (grins) Among other things…