Hierarchy

Startlingly Blue

Ryo Bakura had just left university with a degree in Advanced Acting and a college-level HND in English Literature. The world was his oyster, and after moving to Domino city, Japan's top district for up-and-coming actors, Ryo was confident that he could do whatever he wanted with his life. He had used the inheritance money from his father's passing to buy himself a small apartment in the CBD, right next to one of the most famous theatres in he city and therefore the country, Kaiba Corp. In actual fact, that was where he was going now. To audition for their recent production of a play called 'Corrupt Entities', written by Seto Kaiba himself, set in ancient Egyptian times in which a thief becomes infatuated with a high priest. He wasn't sure which role he should take, but he hoped that he would pass the audition with flying colours, and that would give him the opportunity to work with KaibaCorp. Work with KaibaCorp! Words could not stress enough how much of an honour this would be to the pale introvert, and Ryo exercised all of his self-control not to squeal in excitement and anticipation at this prospect as he walked into KaibaCorp's main theatre.

"Good morning," greeted a pre-teen kid with longish black hair who wore an extremely expensive looking white suit and a lilac tie. "Do you have an appointment with my brother, Mr Kaiba?"

"Um I spoke to someone on the phone. I'm here to audition for 'Corrupt Entities'. My name is Bakura Ryo,"

The kid's eyes scanned dubiously over the text on his concealed clipboard before giving Ryo a satisfied nod, and leading him into a large theatre hall. Ryo had never been in such a magical place. The hall was all white and looked like heaven, with some very light blue engravings and patterns sculpted into the tiers where the audience sat, rows upon rows of navy blue seats faced a beautifully angelic, white marble stage. Ryo gawked at the magnificence of it all, and the kid gave knowing smirk.

"Big brother!" He called to the seemingly empty hall. "Bakura Ryo is here for his audition!"

The sound of metal toe-caps clicking on marble flooring was heard, and from behind a stage curtain out slinked Seto Kaiba, the millionaire who owned the theatre. Kaiba was no older than Ryo, but taller and walked in with a drawn-out, elegant gait. He had slightly tousled yet immaculately trimmed greenish-brown hair and piercing blue eyes, the kind which blinded anyone who dared look into them. Ryo fidgeted in his intimidated state and gulped.

"I had an appointment you Kaiba-sama," he squeaked. Kaiba shrugged as he sat in one of the seats, and outstretched a hand to Ryo as if to say 'well, show me what you can do'. Ryo accepted this challenge, taking a step forward that exuded more confidence than he actually had.

Ryo began to do a monologue from Shakespeare's Macbeth, reciting the speech made by Lady Macbeth. He put such heart into his performance. Such vigor. His virtues were flawless and of many, his voice trembling with emotion that Lady Macbeth would show, that sly, cunning smile that could belong only to the embodiment of a woman fuelled by ambition and avarice, lust and love.

"Was hope drunk / Wherein you dress'd yourself, hath it slept since? From this time / Such I account thy love. Art thou afeared to be the same in thine own-"

"I've heard enough," Kaiba decided curtly. "Bakura-san, you are an adequate enough actor and not as irritating as I thought. I would like to employ you for a part in my newest play,"

"Oh thank you Kaiba-sama!" Ryo almost squealed in his delight, his eyes widening and softening with utter gratitude. "I would love to play the priest!"

"No," Kaiba contradicted. "You will play the thief,"

"The Thief?!" Ryo almost wailed in trepidation. "But why?! I'm nothing like a thief!"

"The thief is the antagonist," Kaiba reasoned, although knowing that he didn't actually need to tell the kid why he was the Thief. He felt a strange desire to...make the kid happy. Weird. "Your performance, although brief, demonstrated your flare for remembering many lines, which the Thief has, and for playing the role of an antagonist. You're very good at such a role Bakura-sama, no matter how stupidly vanilla you are in real life,"