OOC Honda says "Hello, Mokuba."

Mokuba looked up, wondering who would disturb him while looking at a fabulous pair of pants. When he saw it was Honda, well, he decided he'd try and play nice. "Hey. Um, what's going on?"

"I was just playing DDR at the mall with Ryou and Malik, actually."

"Oh, that sounds fun." Mokuba shifted his eyes between Honda and the pair of pants. "You aren't sweaty, are you?"

"A little, sorry. I'll keep my distance from your pants."

Mokuba smiled. He didn't mind this guy. "That's very thoughtful of you." He wondered if he should buy these pants. He wasn't really in the mood to put them on, so he held them up and turned to Honda. "Do you think these would look good on me?"

"I think it would be very difficult for anything to not look good on you."

"Good answer." He handed the pants to some server to go ring up and charge to his big brother's account, then took a few steps closer to Honda. "I'm glad you came back from wherever you went. It's nice to have some sane people back in Domino."

"Nice to be appreciated. Was beginning to wonder if I really am sane, though."

"You have wonderful comments for myself, which I am very deserving of. I don't see how you can NOT be sane." Mokuba grabbed the bag from the server and hooked his arm with Honda's. "Would you like a drink?"

Honda gapped. He was certain this could not possibly be what it sounded like. "Uh, sure."

They both walked out the store. Mokuba wondered what he wanted to drink. Tea, coffee. No, none of that sounded appealing. He thought to ask what Honda might like, but Honda could deal with whatever he wanted. He glanced around and noticed a place that he hadn't been in some time. "Ooooh, let's get smoothies!"

"...Smoothies? Sure." 'Is he forgetting I said I wanted to try to take over the world for kicks?'

Mokuba walked up and ordered two berry smoothies. If he remembered right this place was good. When the order was up he handed one of the drinks to Honda and grabbed the other for himself. "Let's sit and chat. You can learn all about me and, if I want, I'll listen to what has been going on with you."

"Sounds like fun."

"Do you have any of the clothing from my line MmmK?"

Long pause. "Actually, no, I don't think I do."

Mokuba nearly spit out his drink. "What? You need to go buy something of mine!" He took a drink and grumbled: "And here I thought you were sane."

Honda shrugged. "Hey, you said it, not me."

"You know, I'm buying you a smoothie so the least you could do was be nice. Geez."

"Ah, but I never asked you to pay for it." He took a drink, "So tell me, what's the worldwide distribution for your line?"

"I was just trying to be nice. Obviously I won't be next time." He took a drink and sent a glare toward Honda before he continued. "Right now my line only delivers to Domino. We'll be extending to other areas of Japan soon and eventually to America. Maybe. I'm unsure if I can help those people and their dreadful fashion. Believe me when I say that because I was there. Poor challenged people."

"I was out of town all this time, that's my excuse for not having any of your clothing."

"Okay, I'll buy that. So why were you out of town? Something happen?" He hoped it was some juicy gossip.

Honda considered whether to tell the truth or lie. "Just visiting some friends, that's all."

Well, that sure wasn't anything amazing. "You were gone an awfully long time. Are you sure that's all?"

"Yes, that's all. What, you don't think I have friends outside of Domino?" Honda asked defensively.

"Not really, but it's not like I put much thought into it, either. No need to get so moody." No one gets so defensive over a simple 'just visiting friends' thing. "So what types of friends are they?"

"Assasins posing as wealthy rock stars." Honda took another drink, "I thought you wanted to tell me what you've been up to, not ask about me."

Mokuba wondered if Honda was joking or if the boy really had assassins. He'd have to look further into it and have his assassins take out Honda's assassins if they really existed. "Pardon me for trying to be interested. I've been making new designs that will come out soon, having sexual relations with so many of the people in the office, shopping. Just the usual."

"Sorry," Honda sighed and looked at the ceiling. "I just don't want to talk about, okay?"

And that meant it was probably something really interesting. "Okay. But it really does no good to hold things in. Your complexion can get nasty, you might gain weight. I don't want that to happen. It's not a great sight, and I don't want to have to see it." Mokuba smiled.

"I'll keep your oh-so-generous advice in mind."

"I'm just a waterfall of advice. Remember that." Mokuba took the last few drinks of his smoothie. "So what to do now...unless you have anything in particular you wanted to ask me or talk to me about."

Honda smiled over his drink. "Hey, you asked me to go out for drinks, not the other way around. I'm still wondering why you did."

"Truth be told, I'm not sure, either. You were there and it didn't seem like a bad idea. Plus I hadn't seen you for awhile. Call it curiously." Mokuba smiled. "And, you know, you always had that strange, kind-of-cute thing going on about you."

"Right. I think I can honestly say this is the first time anyone's called me 'kind-of-cute'. Much thank yous for asking me, by the way."

"I mean, your hair could use a change. Have you ever thought of a different style?"

Honda laughed. "I take it you have several helpful suggestions?"

He laughed. "I do. You've got to get rid of that big point thing going on. Hmm...since you seem to like it spiked, maybe get a good trim and have it spike all over."

"And then what? Look like a porcupine?"

"You really aren't the one to talk about hair." Mokuba rolled his eyes. "But I'd love to hear what you may have in mind."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have any ideas either."

"I don't think I can see you with long hair."

Honda gave a sly grin. "At least we're on the same page on that."

Mokuba laughed. "Though you can get extensions just for kicks. And pictures, of course."

"Pictures?"

Yes, Mokuba thought, for blackmail purposes. "For happy memories."

Honda considered this carefully. "Sometimes you say the strangest things."

"I get that a lot, especially from Ryou. He always seems to think I'm weird. I don't get why. I mean, really, he's the odd one."

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

"That boy is such a complainer. I mean, hell, that's all he did for so much time. It was so annoying."

Well, that was certainly new. "I had no idea. Please, tell me more."

Mokuba leaned a little closer over the table. "Well, I'll tell you as much as I remember, though I admit I've tried to forget so much." He wondered where he should start.

Honda leaned in to listen better.

"There was this whole thing with the gods that involved him and some other people. Then he got really sick from some disease that doctors couldn't cure. All he did was talk about how he was going to die. Yeah, like he was the only one. He just wanted to make it all about him. Please."

"Wow. I'd heard he had been sick, but no one put it like that." Honda finished off his drink. "I guess, in theory, everyone dies eventually, right?"

"Exactly! That's what I'm saying. Like his death is more important then someone elses." Mokuba smiled. "Finally someone who gets what I'm saying."

"You mean no one else has raised that point?"

"I don't think so. But you'd be suprised at the amount of fairly stupid, insane people in Domino. I mean, they even thought I was dying or suicidal or something once. Me? Please. That's so super emo or something."

"Ah, so the rumors were untrue then."

"Who told you what rumors?"

"No one. From the way you were talking, I just assumed there would be rumors." Honda smiled. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Just some people on my friend's list in LJ voiced concern or whatever. Though I did almost die. It was pretty interesting. And, see, I don't go whining about it like some people."

"How did you almost die?"

"Went sky-diving, and my main chute didn't open, and then the back-up one didn't open. Luckly I strapped a third on me--I'm a Kaiba, I take precautions--and it opened just fine. So, yeah, that's how I almost died that time at least."

"Ah, so it was at most a few seconds of near death. Did you have the whole 'life flashing before your eyes' experience as well? Also, I am slightly curious about the 'that time at least' comment."

He shrugged. "I've been in predicaments before, but I'm usually fairly safe. There was that time with Pegasus where my soul was taken. Then the time before that with some fairly violent individuals. The price of being a Kaiba."

"I suppose no one warned Ryou about the price of being a Bakura."

"Whatever." Mokuba glanced at the table, running a hand down his side before letting it rest on his chair. "So any almost deaths with you?"

Honda shrugged. "I've had my share. Nothing as exciting as yours, I'm sure."

"Don't even try and compare. Nothing's really comparable to myself. But I'd listen if you decided to talk about it."

Honda smiled. "No, I think I'll be mean and keep it all secret. You didn't tell me if your life ever flashed before your eyes."

"It's not nice to be mean." He pouted. "I saw all my clothes, and money, and all the designs that I want to make buy haven't had the chance to when I my first two chutes wouldn't open. It was scary." He shivered just thinking about it.
"No childhood memories?" Honda asked, half teasing.

He shifted his gaze to one side of the table. "Not really."

"Guess it all depends on the definition of childhood." He shrugged again. "Did you really want to know about my near deaths?"

Mokuba looked back up at Honda. "Yeah. It's nice to know other people almost died, too."

"Just so long as they don't talk about it while it's going on?"

"Yes, because then it becomes such dribble."

"That's the problem with being near death for an extended period of time, I suppose."

"Maybe we should put them out of their misery. But we're getting off topic and away from your death experiences. Are you trying to avoid it or something? You are the one who asked if I would like to hear them, and I said yes."

"I guess I am trying to avoid talking about it." Before Honda could continue, his cell phone rang. "And I'm wanted at home. Sorry, I should get going. Find me tomorrow, and I promise to tell you about it, okay?"

"That's just...that's just unfair!" Mokuba got up from the table and grabbed his bag. "Yeah, whatever, but I might not feel like it tomorrow."

"Unfair it is." Honda got up, threw his empty cup away, and turned to leave. "I really hope we can talk later."

"I might decide to grace you with my presence. If you're lucky."

"Thanks. For everything."