Last edited: July 2019.
-V-
-V- Tag -V-
-V- (You're It) -V-
-V-
Coming to the Standard Dimension, Yuto had expected a whole lot of things. A cityscape unmarred by fighting was one of them. An uncarded and lively population was another.
When it had come to answers however, Yuto had been decidedly less certain. After all, he and his friend, Kurosaki Shun, had come to Standard in order to investigate the LDS, which was the brainchild of Akaba Reo before the man had moved on to bigger, dimension-conquering endeavours.
Truth to be told, Yuto was now more worried about Shun than about the LDS. From what Yuto observed so far, the LDS students lacked both the discipline and the ruthlessness of the Fusion invaders. Shun wasn't listening to any of that though; he went out to hunt, manically searching for answers as well as for someone to blame for his sister's disappearance.
But days had gone by and their investigation had yielded next to no results. As a result, Yuto had gradually found himself losing hope.
Then he had encountered the girl, Hiragi Yuzu. Finding out that it wasn't their Ruri had hurt, but Yuto certainly didn't regret standing in-between her and the students from the LDS. He still hadn't told Shun about this encounter though as he could not quite trust him not to do something rash in his current paranoid state.
Shun was gone now, but he would be back eventually. This was still their base, and Shun needed to eat and sleep sometimes, if only in slight amounts. They had got enough cup ramen to sustain themselves for a few days yet. It was not terribly luxurious, but they were not terribly used to luxury either.
After all, compared to how things were back home, their life in Standard was only a step down in the sense that their surroundings were foreign to them. Otherwise, compared to Heartland, Standard was deceptively peaceful, and full of people who had never known war.
Thinking this, Yuto could not help but wonder if this Maiami City would soon meet the same fate as Heartland, raided and burnt by the forces of Duel Academia. The thought did not sit well with him. But in the end, if they could not even save their own home, then what chance would they have to save this place?
Some distance away, there was the LDS Tower, towering over the city. Seated upon a warehouse roof, Yuto looked up at it, wondering if the answers and the people they were looking for had even been in this world to begin with.
-V-
"Additional lunch boxes?" Sakaki Yoko peered at her foster son, alternating her gaze between the grinning Judai and a decidedly exasperated-looking Johan, who was leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest. She was surprised, yet at the same time not very surprised, and also quite suspicious. "Not that I mind, but what for?"
Judai's grin widened a fraction. "Feeding the homeless and weary?"
Yoko gave him a pointed look that told him to cut the crap. Judai remained entirely unapologetic though. Really, Yoko ought to grab him and give him an earful.
"Hoh?" she said at last, humouring him. "Just in general or do you have any specific stray in mind?"
"Maybe?" Judai most certainly had, because otherwise, he wouldn't have asked. After all, Maiami City was not typically known for its homeless strays; it was a fairly big city, so there was probably a few of them out there somewhere, but for Judai to make such a request now, someone really had to have caught his interest.
Yoko returned to her cooking. "Is he cute?" she finally asked.
She blatantly assumed that it was a guy. If it wasn't, then Judai would've asked her to come along. Then again‒
"You'd probably think he's cute," Judai said. "I'm pretty sure he's about Yuya's age. He seems to have been through a lot though and has a lot of trust issues, so…"
Yuya's age. Fourteen. "Is it just him? Alone?"
"I'm pretty sure he's got a friend, possibly a few years older."
So, two teenagers with trust issues. This knowledge alone invoked a surge of motherly instinct that Yoko had to quell; she hadn't even laid eyes on them yet and she already wanted to hug them. "Two extras then."
"Start with one extra," Judai said. "It's a trial run."
Yoko recalled the time when she herself had picked up the stray that now sat at her kitchen table. Even now, she was able to recall the event in vivid detail.
Perhaps her own past was ultimately what had left her so open to the thought of picking up various strays; of giving a home to those that no one cared for or needed. It had also been a good way to keep the house lively after Yusho was no longer around; something to distract both herself and Yuya from the fact.
Naturally, Yoko had known well that Yuya was reminded more than enough; his demeanour had told her as much. As much an actor as the kid aspired to be, hiding things from Yoko would never be his forte. The same could probably be said about Judai, although the boy retained a strange ability to conceal things with that grin of his.
Pretty much from the very start, something in Judai's demeanour had reminded Yoko of Yuya. At the same time though, Yoko had been able to see a lot of herself and some of Yusho in him as well. Perhaps this had been why it had just seemed so natural for her to take him in, despite him being a complete stranger.
But Yoko had trusted her instincts. Besides, the dogs and cats had all warmed up to him fairly quickly, and animals usually had a good grasp on a person's true character. So far, they hadn't been wrong.
Also, contrary to popular belief, Yoko did pay a fair deal of attention to what went on in her son's vicinity and in her own home in particular.
Even after absence, Judai had been accepted back into the pack nearly instantly. Johan had also been readily approved, even if he seemed less sure about how to handle it.
In contrast, the pets of the Sakaki household had never really bothered with Sora, and even now, they regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. From what Yoko herself had seen so far, Johan seemed to have adopted a similar stance on the issue, while Judai on his end remained cordial and affectionate if a bit disapproving.
"Why that guy though?" Sora had asked her this.
Yoko hadn't really answered him then, not truthfully at any rate.
As for what was the actual the truth, she herself still wasn't entirely certain why she had decided to bring Judai into the family. In part, it was due to timing. In part, he just so happened to fit fairly well into the empty space that had left behind by her husband.
Humans were different from strays though. Usually, they had a home to return to, making them lost rather than actual strays. And, like with lost pets, they would eventually have to return or be returned ‒ unless they themselves actively opposed it, that is.
Yoko had always known that Judai's past would come for him sooner or later, be it in a benevolent or in a not so benevolent form. Of course, she hadn't quite expected it in the shape of Johan Andersen, but she hadn't been wrong either.
Having Judai tag along with her to the store, Yoko had casually interrogated him about the nature of their relationship.
Johan did seem to be perhaps a few years older. Then again, with Judai's own appearance having changed very little since he had first arrived, perhaps they were even the same age? Judai had said that he and Johan had met at a Duel School when she had asked. He had claimed that they had both been duel-obsessed idiots back then, but hadn't really said anything further, which ultimately left Yoko to arrive at her own conclusions.
Naturally, Yoko had posed some question to Johan as well, and had received confirmation that he and Judai had indeed met at school and become fast friends and even best friends. "Because we're both idiots."
It was both interesting and a bit cute how they had both used that phrase, and the slightly fond look accompanying the statement indicated that they had heard it more than once. Then again, that did leave Yoko wondering about Judai's other friends and even more so about his family, which had never been brought up. Yoko had wondered, but knowing that it could be a sensitive topic, she had never really forced the issue. But now, with Johan turning up with the obvious objective of finding Judai, her curiosity on the matter had been rekindled.
"Judai's parents?" Johan had repeated, looking a tad awkward. "I honestly haven't met them, and most of what I do know comes from third-hand sources. I only know what Judai's former dorm mates told me, and they in turn got their info from the school's headmaster."
There was undoubtedly some history there, and Yoko had recalled Judai's slightly awkward yet easy acceptance of her as his 'mom'; a history of neglect perhaps, if not in a physical sense then perhaps in a psychological one? Abandonment?
From what Yoko had managed to pry from a decidedly reluctant Johan, odds were that Judai hadn't been in contact with his parents for the last three, possibly even six years. Of course, Yoko knew as well as anyone that there were Duel Schools out there with pretty strict rules. But from what Yoko had understood, Judai had already graduated and still hadn't gone home.
"He doesn't know how to face them," Johan had said, obviously pained. "And they probably don't know how to face him either."
A lot of things could probably change during the course of three whole years, but still, to not even make contact? Not even a single phone call?
According to Johan, there had been little use forcing the issue. Yoko obviously didn't approve, but on the other hand, she understood. Still, should she ever get the chance to meet Judai's actual parents face to face, then she would no doubt pounce at an opportunity to give them a piece of her mind.
"Yuya said you'd promised to teach him about Fusion." She got a somewhat sheepish grin from Judai as she finished packing up the last lunch box and handed it to him. "Don't forget about it."
She didn't tell them to be careful; they were both old and travelled enough not to get into trouble that they could not get out of. Well, that was what she hoped at least.
After they had left, Yoko was left to ponder other things. After all, although she was decidedly curious about the parents of Yuki Judai and his friend, fact remained that Judai and Johan were both young adults or at least fairly close enough to it.
Shiunin Sora was another matter altogether. Going by his looks and behaviour, Yoko had him pinned down as being Yuya's age, or possibly a bit younger. This of course brought about the curious question as to where in the world Sora's parents were and why they would allow him to come all the way to Maiami City on his own.
For several reasons, strict Duel Schools and limited parental contact lay close at hand, but if so, then Sora had most certainly run away or dropped out of one.
Going by the borderline familiarity that seemed to exist in-between Judai and Sora, perhaps they had attended the same school, only at different points in time?
If Johan's penchant for blue was similar to Judai's penchant for red, then maybe there had been some sort of division, much like the LDS had courses in Fusion, Synchro and XYZ Summoning? If so, and if the colour indicated the course into which they were enrolled, then it made little sense; Judai, who favoured red, obviously favoured Fusion, along with Sora, who wore blue. Or maybe all three of them were proficient in the art of Fusion Summoning?
Yoko put down a mental note to look further into the matter.
-V-
"So?" Yoko asked later that day when Johan helping her clear the table, while the rest of them were in the living room, discussing Fusion. "How was the turnout?"
Johan shot a tentative look in direction of the living room. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "As expected, there are some serious trust issues. It's hardly a wonder though."
Yoko nodded in understanding.
"They've had it rough, huh?" she sighed. "What else? Any food allergies? Preferences?"
Johan considered it, before seemingly arriving at some sort of conclusion.
"Personally, I think variety is important," he said. "From what I understand, their diet mainly consists of cup ramen."
"Cup ramen?" Yoko made no attempt at hiding how scandalised she felt, turning on the tap to fill the sink. "Honestly, where are those parents?"
"We're still looking into it," Johan explained, pulling out a kitchen towel while Yoko started doing the dishes. "Can't say it seems very easy though."
Yoko handed over the first plate for Johan to dry and put back into the cabinet. "If I met them, then I'd want to take them in. Yuya would have a fit."
Johan responded to her easy smile with a somewhat half-hearted one.
"We're imposing upon your hospitality already as it is, Yoko," he said.
"Nonsense," she scoffed in return, handing him another plate. "Family's family. And a friend of the family is practically family."
On one hand, Johan seemed relieved. On the other, he seemed decidedly troubled. Again, he looked towards the living room. "I suppose."
"And I suppose," Yoko said at last, handing him another plate. "That Judai will be busy teaching Yuya and the others tomorrow, and that you wouldn't mind accompanying me."
Yoko had questions and Johan had answers, some of them at any rate.
Going by the look on his face, he too was very well aware of this.
-V-
It was in the buzz of the recently announced Maiami Championship that they were walking the dogs through the park.
Informed of Yoko's plans, Judai had done little to rescue his friend from her grasp; not entirely unexpected, all things considered. Instead, he had taken Pharaoh and merrily left to help Yuya and the others get a better grasp on Fusion Summoning, leaving only a muted half-hearted apology to said friend. Though not entirely pleased, Johan seemed to have come to terms with his fate.
"So…" Yoko wondered just how spot on her womanly intuition was. "Is the red and blue merely a question of personal preference or do they actually mean anything?"
Looking like he had more or less expected this turn of events, Johan looked to the side and then back at her, resigned.
"What is the real question, Mrs. Sakaki?" he asked.
Cutting to the chase already, huh?
Yoko smiled, satisfied yet at the same time a bit bummed out that it hadn't take more than that. Then again, with the time spent in the Sakaki family, Johan obviously had quite a good grasp on its dynamics, meaning that he knew that Yoko alone reigned supreme.
"Well then, Johan. I know that you and Judai know each other from Duel School, and my womanly intuition's got the impression that you both know Sora, not personally but by association. How's that for starters?"
Johan once again looked around, his gaze lingering on one particular spot before heaving a sigh. "We're not completely unrelated."
"You're all from Duel Academia, right?" Yoko said.
Johan gave her a look of definite surprise. "Judai said that he hadn't‒"
"The uniform jacket," Yoko commented, pulling him towards an empty bench with the dogs in a tow. "The name was printed on the washing tag."
Stunned, Johan took a seat and just looked at her for several moments as she lets En, Kilo and Watt off their leashes.
"I had considered the Duel Disk, but not that," he admitted at last.
"Ah." There had been that as well. If she recalled things correctly, then the Duel Disk had only said KC, which honestly hadn't given her a lot to go on.
"So," Johan said at last, resigned. "I guess you tried to look up Duel Academia."
"Pretty much," Yoko readily admitted, because indeed she had, back in the day. "So, I do know that there are some pretty strange and strict schools out there, but where is that Academia of yours?"
"It's located on an island far out at sea," Johan said. "Really far out."
"It's even farther than that though, isn't it?" Yoko said.
Again, Johan looked slightly to the side. "It is."
"How far?"
"Out of this world far."
Well‒ "That explains a lot actually."
Johan folded his arms across his chest, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
"Will you get in trouble for telling me this, Johan?"
He heaved a sigh at that and looked back at her, still uncomfortable but with definite determination.
"Right now, there are worse things," he said. "I can't go into detail on everything, but‒ something big is coming, something bad."
Yoko honestly wasn't too sure about to how to respond to that.
"Well, let's start with the small things, shall we?" she said after making sure that the dogs were still within her line of sight and not bothering anyone. "You don't like Sora."
Johan didn't hesitate. "I don't."
Yoko had already figured as much, but at the same time, she was undeniably curious. "Why is that? He's so cute."
Johan actually pinched the bridge of his nose at that and screwed his eyes shut; to Yoko, it seemed like he was trying very hard not to say the very first thing that had apparently come to mind.
"Yoko," he said at last, looking like he was regretting it already. "There is someone that I think you should meet."
-V-