Author's Note: We've all seen it done. Sometimes it's done well. Other times it's so unrealistic you just groan and don't bother reading the rest. It's become a part of the Yugioh fandom - but it's also become something that's both overused and misused. The next time you decide to have Seto call Joey something other than his name... how about coming up with something original rather than use what's become nothing more than a cheap cliché.
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Dark Temptations Presents
Not a Puppy
(A gift for my Beta - Vash is my Angel)
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Some writers treat it like they've never heard of it before.
They primp and preen and promise that they will use it more.
Don't any of them realise that it's hardly something new?
It's been popping up in fanfiction since series number two!
Each time they call him 'puppy' - I groan and close my eyes.
'Mutt' may not be quite so bad, but 'pup' I too despise.
How can they bear to write so? How can they be so cruel?
But even more - how can they break such a simple rule?
The whole point of fanfiction is to write the ones you know.
Write them as you know them and never make them so,
That you cannot recognise them by anything but name!
To write them out of character's a no-no in this game.
Yet we see it all the time when Jou or Joey is involved.
How he's supposed to like it - that's a mystery never solved.
He always glared and challenged it - that is in the canon.
For him to laugh or blush at it - that is purely fanon.
We saw him in a dogsuit - sad but truthful yet.
But that was Devlin's choice, and one he went on to regret.
As an insult, 'mutt's a good one - even Kaiba used it once.
But 'pup' or 'puppy' as a nickname? That one has no chance!
His feelings for the terms 'pup', 'dog' and 'mutt' are widely known.
The few times they've been mentioned, his anger has been shown.
To have him calm - accepting such a nickname as his due...
You insult his character. That never could be true.
You would not accept it - yet you think that Joey would?
A humiliating nickname - but you think it would be good.
You don't care about his character, or what he'd really say.
You have him saying 'take me master' when it should be 'go away'!