I inspire to be as petty and salty as Kaiba. The dude basically yeeted himself into the afterlife just to beat someone in a card game. All I know is that he really cares about product quality.
7
Amelia held her breath as she pulled one of the blocks from the tower Yugi had constructed. He had brought a version of Jenga she hadn't known existed, and he was the best at it. Ryou would go after her and then Yugi. She knew that he'd win, he was the king of games, but she couldn't help but play to the best of her abilities. Jounouchi wasn't joining them, deciding to spend time with Honda instead. She understood, some people had multiple circles of friends. She respected the hustle. She placed her wooden block on the top of the tower and paused as it started to move. It stopped and she moved back.
"Your move, Bakura-kun," She said, and he eyed the tower critically.
"There's not a lot of pieces I can move without causing it to fall," He murmured as he chose a piece from the middle and slowly pulled it out.
He placed it on top and a bead of sweat went down his face when the tower wobbled again. Yugi held his breath and they all relaxed in unison when it stayed up. The base of the tower was all gone and most of the weight was at the top. He wisely chose a block from the top and slid it out before placing it on top. The tower stayed still. The two boys looked at Amelia as she contemplated the right block to remove.
It didn't matter as someone bumped into the desk and caused it to come tumbling down. They all made sounds of disbelief before looking at the male classmate who was apologising profusely. He obviously felt horrible about knocking the tower over on accident, so they simply waved him off and picked up the fallen pieces. Yugi put the game back in his bag and they started talking about duel monsters and how it was slowly overtaking capsule monsters in popularity for Japan. Amelia sheepishly scratched the back of her head in slight embarrassment when her artwork got complimented. She was starting to take compliments without her cheeks turning a deep scarlet. They moved their desks back to their normal spots as the bell rang.
"I think I did well on that test," Amelia quietly said as she flexed her hands.
She winced slightly as the still bruised bone twinged with pain. She was starting to wonder if she had broken one of her knuckles and that was why it still hurt a week afterwards. She'd have to ask at her upcoming physical. She wasn't looking forward to being poked and prodded by people who would judge her for having a tattoo.
"You must've studied for it like crazy, Mia-chan," Yugi commented, and she tilted her head.
"Well…English is my first language, so I have an unfair advantage in the class," Amelia stated before giving an apologetic smile.
"It's the same for me as well," Ryou said, surprising her, "my family lived in England for a while before Egypt and then Domino."
"Woah, that's amazing Bakura-kun!" Yugi stated and Bakura gave a sheepish smile.
Yugi could only imagine travelling the world. He made a mental promise to himself to visit a foreign country before he got too old to enjoy a trip. Maybe he'd go to Egypt and learn more about the country his puzzle came from. He would do that, and it would be amazing.
"Hey, Yugi!" Jounouchi's voice called out and Yugi turned to greet his friend.
He faltered slightly at the sight of Honda but relaxed at the smile on Jounouchi's face. Amelia was watching the taller brunette and inwardly smiled. Ah yes, Ribbon-chan or rather Nosaka Miho. She hadn't forgotten about this particular chapter or the fact that Miho had been a character in the Toei animation. Miho was quiet, and kept to herself but she was sweet when talking to others.
"We need your help," Jounouchi said.
"Wait, Yugi's the one you think could help?" Honda asked in confusion.
"Yeah," Jounouchi confirmed, and Honda glared at the blonde.
"From this guy?!" Honda exclaimed, "I don't know if he could even help."
Honda was thinking about Yugi and how he never seemed to be able to work up the courage to tell Anzu how he felt about her when it was obvious they liked each other. How was the shorter teen supposed to help him when he couldn't even confess himself? He looked towards Bakura Ryou and noted that the white-haired teen was frowning in confusion. He wouldn't be much help either, he didn't seem interested in other people that way. Crawford Amelia, or Mia as she requested to be called, would be his best bet since she would know what another girl would find romantic. She raised a brow at him, and he glared back. Her expression shifted into a challenging one. Right, he had heard rumours that she could easily break another person's nose.
"Fine! I have to talk to you but everything I have to say needs to remain a secret!" Honda stated and Amelia sighed.
"I'm guessing you like a girl and want to confess to her," Amelia stated, and he froze in surprise his face growing hot, "aha, your reaction tells me I'm right."
"Got it in one," Jounouchi said, grinning at Honda's flustered state, "he likes Nosaka Miho, and he doesn't know how to confess to her."
"Maybe the game shop has something?" Ryou suggested as he looked to Yugi.
"Hmm, maybe," Yugi reluctantly agreed, "Jii-Chan might have something."
They walked all the way to the game shop in a tense atmosphere. Jounouchi knew why and sighed quietly. He'd like for Honda to see how awesome his small group of friends was and to join them, but he was stubborn at times and that made it difficult to work around. It usually ended with one of their faces bruised.
"Jii-Chan, I'm home," Yugi announced as he opened the door to the game shop.
"Welcome Home," Sugoroku greeted with a happy smile.
"Do you have anything that can be used to confess feelings to a girl?" Yugi asked his Grandfather in a slightly embarrassed tone.
"I have just the thing," Sugoroku said with a slight smile, he turned around and searched the shelves behind him, "I used this to get your grandmother."
"Are you sure this will work?" Honda hissed to Jounouchi.
"Relax, I trust them," Jounouchi sighed.
Sugoroku had brought down a dusty old puzzle box. He blew at the dust and they all coughed as a cloud settled over them. Kuriboh let out a sneeze and flew back a few feet before shaking its whole body. It flew back to sit on Amelia's shoulder. She gave It a slightly fond look before quickly looking at what Sugoroku had pulled down. A milk puzzle. She could see the use for one. She looked to the side with a slight frown, that would work on her. She wasn't too sure about Miho liking it.
"It's a blank jigsaw puzzle," Sugoroku explained, "you just write down what you want to say and then you scramble the pieces."
"It's totally not your style," Jounouchi said as he snickered at his friend.
"I could see it working," Amelia said with a slight shrug and she blushed at the confused looks sent her way, Sugoroku gave a grandfatherly laugh.
"What I think Mia-chan means is that a puzzle like this would work for her," He explained and Jounouchi gave her a sly smirk.
"Not a word, Jounouchi-kun," She grumbled.
"It's sweet," Ryou said as he looked at the puzzle, "I think most people would like to get something that had thought put into it."
Yugi sighed in relief as Honda relaxed a bit, a flush on his face. Asking his Grandfather had been the right move. He looked at the varying expressions on his friends faces. Ryou and Amelia were completely on board with the puzzle, their love of games made it make sense in their minds. He too believed that it would work.
"It's perfect," Honda stated as he paid for the puzzle, "a romantic gesture."
"Glad you like it," Sugoroku said as he put the money away in the register, a smile on his face.
"But what do I write?" Honda muttered before turning to Yugi, "Yugi, you'll write it!"
"No, he won't," Amelia said with a frown, "the confession would then be Yugi-kun's and not yours, just try and formulate what you like about Miho-chan and write it down."
Honda looked at her for a few seconds before giving a slow nod. Jounouchi let out a huff as his shoulders relaxed, he had thought the two would start fighting. He was glad that the situation had defused. He left with the brunette after giving his remaining friends a thumbs up. Amelia fidgeted for a few seconds before smiling.
"Want to play duel monsters?" She asked.
That had peaked everyone's attention and soon she was explaining the newest rules to everyone. Sugoroku was up to snuff with the game, so he just listened as the kids began a duel to test out the waters of what cards did and which ones they liked. Amelia had a spell-caster deck that Yugi was interested in. He watched as she and Ryou played a round together. His other friend favouring the fiend monsters.
"I play Black Magician Girl in attack mode on the plane field," Amelia stated as she gently placed the card down, "and I attack your Psi-blocker, taking your life points down to eleven hundred."
She heard Mana's laughter and whoop of victory in the back of her head as Ryou looked at his hand to find a good monster to play. She was being patient with him, not wanting the spirit of the ring to come out and cause issues. Duel monster had been an important part of the story, and she knew that having Yugi start the game earlier than he should, would help him in the long run.
"I place Banisher of Radiance in the forest field," Ryou stated as he did so, his placement of the card just as gentle as hers, "any card that is sent to the graveyard while this monster is on the field will be banished."
"Right," Amelia nodded as she looked at her other monster in her hand, "I place the neon knight in the plains and attack, bringing you down to nine hundred life points."
"You're good at this game," Yugi complimented, and her cheeks burned in response, there went her finally taking compliments in stride.
"I play curse of the dragon on the mountain field and I attack the neon knight," Ryou said as he placed said card down, "your life points are now at eighteen hundred."
Amelia nodded at that and placed the Black Magician down on the field and attacked the two thousand attack point monster. Ryou went from 900 to 400 life points and he studied the field Intently. It was one of the things she was glad vanished in the later version of the game. Field spell cards made sense, playing on a genuine field didn't. Well, she supposed if she thought about other games with similar rules, it did. Did Magic the Gathering use fields? She couldn't remember. As much as she had enjoyed games Magic hadn't been one of her favourites.
"I play Gremlin in the wasteland field," Ryou said, and he sighed as she swiftly ended the duel.
A small smile appeared on his face when she held out a hand and said, "good game". It may have been a lost, but at least his opponent had good gaming etiquette. Amelia inwardly screamed as the familiar term slipped out. She was so used to saying it in America after defeating an opponent that she hadn't thought to ask if it was proper in Japan. Well, since Ryou or Yugi didn't say anything, she was in the clear. Yugi decided to play against her, and she let him use her deck with the Black Magician cards.
Yugi barely ended up winning and Sugoroku congratulated him on a win in a game he wasn't used to, and Amelia gave him a smile. Ryou clapped his shoulder with a small one of his own. His cheeks burned at all the support from everyone, and they quietly laughed. He handed over the deck to Amelia and she paused for a few seconds before handing him a card. He looked at the small monster and frowned. Kuriboh?
"Kuriboh's effect is to negate battle damage when you discard him from your hand," She explained, "I think it'll be perfect in a deck of your own."
His eyes lit up at that and he looked back down at the monster in question. He couldn't see the spirit of it flying around happily, slightly bumping into the strings of the ceiling fan. Ryou noted the strange occurrence and started to wonder which one of them was haunted. Amelia and Ryou left after they completed their homework with Yugi, the two English speakers made sure he knew exactly what the homework was asking of him.
"Did you ever get the photographs developed?" Ryou asked and she froze for a few seconds.
"Ah, no," She sheepishly admitted, "I was going to, but I got a little distracted by some hardware."
"You…you're going to build that pencil cannon, aren't you?" He questioned with a small sigh.
"Of course I am," She said with a proud smile, her hands on her hips to accentuate her point, "my chaotic whims can no longer be ignored, I must create my greatest weapon!"
He let out a quiet laugh at her over-the-top statement and she gave him a smile as Kuriboh snuck a flower into her bag. She needed him to stop noticing the duel monster spirit, just until everyone knew about the two millennium spirits running around. Once that happened, she was in the clear. It wasn't like they'd believe her anyway. She gave a cheery wave to Ryou before heading into her house. He gave one back, humour still evident on his face. Her expression fell once the door closed completely.
"Am I a bad person?" She quietly asked Kuriboh and the monster loudly protested at her question.
She gave it a tight smile before heading up to her room to work on the cannon. It would be made by magic, which was why she chose to make one. Mahad believed it would help her with her focus. Mana said she needed to be herself and just go for it. That last bit of advice confused her a bit. What did she need to go for? Did the other girl know something she didn't? She sighed and shook those thoughts from her head as she started to work on the insides of the cannon, scratching hieroglyphs onto the wood with a sharp, pointed wood carver.
Amelia looked at her shoe locker the next morning and noticed a flower sitting on her shoes. A freesia, a pale violet one at that. She picked it up with a gentle touch and smiled at the sight of it. Whoever heard her griping about her dislike of roses and defending of freesias smelling like fruit loops had remembered. She'd place it in her hair, but a rumour was going around that Chono had been rejected by a potential marriage candidate and was in a foul mood. She discreetly held the flower out and Kuriboh grabbed it. It would keep the pretty flower safe to the best of its abilities. She finished changing her shoes with a tiny smile before heading up to class. She had left him early to get the photos developed by someone she knew did a high quality- and fast- job. She had the photographs in her school bag, and she placed them in a pocket that the teacher wouldn't dare to touch or notice. She hurried up to the classroom and noticed Jounouchi snickering at the flushed state that Honda was in. She sighed and gave the blonde a slight bop to the head.
"If you ever get a crush on a girl, this gives me full rights to tease you mercilessly about it," Amelia informed him, she placed her bag on the hooks on her desk and went to ask Yugi about the situation.
"Honda-kun put the puzzle in Miho-chan's desk," Yugi quietly answered, and she nodded her understanding.
Ryou yawned as he went to ask about the rumours surrounding the mood of their homeroom teacher. Yugi paused for a few seconds, his surprise causing him to tense up as he watched some of his classmates hide items in their uniform pockets. Amelia fidgeted slightly before looking at the puzzle hanging from her friends' neck and wondered how he hadn't gotten in trouble for it. Chono went after the small mascots hanging from their bags all the time. She wondered if Chono had a vendetta against the female students at the school, it made sense.
"I don't think she cares for the female students," Ryou said, and he watched as Amelia nodded her agreement.
"She once got on Mimi-chan from class three B for wearing her long hair up in pigtails," Amelia stated and he frowned, "she seems to turn a blind eye to what the boys do, it's maddening sometimes."
"Has she ever gotten you on anything?" Ryou asked as his brows raised in surprise.
"She keeps saying that my hair is dyed, but it's naturally this colour," She huffed, her cheeks puffed out in a very familiar fashion.
Mana would be proud of her fellow student If she could see the expression that Amelia was making. Yugi thought it was cute and Ryou let out a light laugh at the childishness of it all. If the homeroom teacher was going to be a child, then Amelia would react in kind, he knew his friend well enough to know that. The bell rang and they quickly went to sit in their desks. The whole class held a collective breath as Chono walked in, a smile plastered on her heavily makeup covered face. Amelia had no problems with makeup, having respect for anyone that could do more than a cat eye with a single colour shadow, but even she thought the amount on the other woman's face was excessive.
"Good morning!" The class greeted as per usual.
"Good morning class," Chono greeted back, "before you open your textbooks, I'd like you all to empty your bags and desks onto your desktops."
Several students did as she said immediately, others faltered for a few seconds before doing so. Yugi watched as Amelia did as asked, but she kept her eyes plastered on her desktop when something came out of her desk. He was confused until he saw the bright pink package with hearts patterned on it. Chono homed in on it like a vulture. She inwardly sneered at the redhead who didn't even give her, her undivided attention. She had the little troublemaker now.
Amelia's friends all looked at the redhead with concern. It was obvious that she was trying to figure out what was going on. Amelia knew that things had to change to allow for another player in the pharaoh's destiny, but this change had been unneeded. Why did she have to be put under scrutiny when Honda was there? Her ears caught the sounds of a hissing Kuriboh, and she finally looked at Chono. She could see the smirk the other woman was trying to hide. The spazzing muscles didn't hide anything, but instead made It more apparent.
"What is that, Crawford-kun?" Chono questioned.
"I'm guessing its a box," Amelia said without thinking.
She inwardly cursed at her inability to shut her mouth for once in her life. She was going to end up expelled and she'd have to explain to her dad that a box from someone else had gotten her kicked out of school. He'd understand the sarcastic response, he'd have given one too. Wait. She paused for a few seconds as her mind mulled over the fact that it called Pegasus Dad without even thinking. She was tired of acting like he wasn't. He was her dad in every sense but biological.
"I was asking you a serious question," Chono stated.
"And I answered you," Amelia said as she narrowed her eyes, "this is a box that I found inside my desk, I don't know who gave it to me."
Chono tore open the paper and her smile became closer to the smirk she was fighting. Amelia blinked at the sight of a handmade box with flowers carved on the sides. It was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Chono let out a titter and eyed Amelia with a strange look. Amelia inwardly groaned, a nice gift like this from someone else was obviously going to set the rejected teacher off. Whatever happened to leaving the personal life outside of the classroom?
"This looks like a gift for a confession, what else is in here, hmm?" Chono questioned.
She tried to open the box, but a frown slowly appeared on her face. She couldn't get the damn thing open! She looked towards the redhead and handed it to her. A raised brow was the response before the teenager looked at it. Amelia gently rubbed her fingers underneath the small over hangs on the lid and found notches. She pressed them and the box sprung open. It was removed from her hold, an annoyed expression passing over her features.
"Who'd give Mia a gift?" Jounouchi muttered, his chair was lightly kicked by Anzu.
"There's a few guys in the thirdly year that thinks she's really cute," Anzu hissed at him.
He gave her a doubtful look at that before turning his attention back to the situation at hand. Amelia was looking at the teacher with a slightly nervous expression and he narrowed his own eyes in response. She was trying to find a way out of getting expelled, he didn't doubt that she'd find one. She was scary like that.
"Oh, this looks to be a love letter," Chono stated as she walked back to the front of the classroom to place the box on the podium, "lets see, my lovely Mia-chan, oh now this is good."
A few of the other girls in the class snickered at the blush that was steadily growing on Amelia's face. Yugi watched as she looked down at the wooden surface of her desk to ignore the laughter. Her expression was one that showed she was clearly embarrassed. He frowned at the teacher who was continuing to read the letter at the front of the classroom. Apparently, this person believed that Amelia was one of the girls who had interests that were nothing but feminine. They acted like she didn't enjoy games or sports, just traditionally feminine activities like cooking or sewing. Yugi knew for a fact that she couldn't sew to save her life.
"Whoever wrote this is going to be talked to," Chono stated, and Amelia fisted her skirt into her hands at the unjust reasoning of one miserable woman, "relationships are against the rules after all."
"The rules for this school are ridiculously strict," Amelia said, and she steeled her nerves as she met the teacher'seyes.
"They were made to make sure you all become respectable members of society," Chono said, her fake cherry tone bothering Amelia, "are you suggesting they need to be changed?"
"I'm suggesting that they enter the twenty first century before we enter it," Amelia stated, remembering the fact that it was the nineties.
"I doubt anyone agrees with you," Chono said with a slight smirk.
"All right, bet," Amelia said as she stood up from her chair and gave the teacher a glare, "why don't we make this a bet, I'll start a petition to see if there's agreement in the student body for a slight change of rules and you'll have to accept the outcome if there is."
"And if there isn't you'll be expelled," Chono stated, her glee at the situation rising, "is that agreeable with you, Crawford-kun?"
"Yes," Amelia nodded, her expression serious and Anzu found herself wanting the rule change to happen.
It would allow her to work without worrying about being expelled. She held her breath as Amelia walked up to the front of the classroom and grabbed the box that had been in her desk. Her sharp glare to the teacher had simply caused the woman to smirk. Amelia would get back at her, she knew that she was being underestimated. She would use that to her advantage.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ryou asked Amelia as she handed him his lunch during recess.
"I couldn't let her continue abusing her power like this," She answered with a slight frown, "its not right, and it'll allow people to relax a bit and make money."
"So, you're thinking about people like Anzu?" Jounouchi questioned.
"And like you Jounouchi-kun," She quietly admitted before her expression became serious, "I truly dislike people like Chono-sensei."
Yugi gave an uncomfortable sound and her expression relaxed as she sent them an apologetic smile. Out of her bag came a distraction, pictures from the festival. Yugi smiled at some of the pictures she and Ryou had taken, both had an eye for detail that was impressive. Ryou had focused more on the stands and Amelia liked taking pictures of the people enjoying their time. The rest of their day was spent in a tense atmosphere, and Honda wondered if it was always this way with them.
Amelia looked at the clipboard in her hand and sighed in relief. She had gone to the third years first and asked them to sign her petition. Once she had the signatures, they didn't have to associate with the petition anymore and were free to deny involvement if Chono asked. She felt it was brilliance on her part as she moved around the school and quietly asked people to sign the petition if she were to be honest if felt a bit like a drug deal. Well, she'd never been a part of one so she was going off what it would most likely feel like.
"Mia-chan," Yugi's voice startled her a bit and she turned to face him, "c-can I sign the petition?"
"Sure," She said with a slight nod, "sorry, I didn't ask you because I don't want to get anyone else into trouble."
"It's worth it," Yugi smiled.
He was handed the clipboard and he was surprised at all the signatures she had accumulated. He knew that she had charisma when it counted, but to see it used in such a way was eye opening. Was she aware of it? He almost believed she was. He quickly signed the petition and handed it back to Amelia. She accepted it with a small smile and his cheeks heated up. She held the clipboard to her chest and tapped a finger against the top of it in thought.
"Oho, are you scrounging around for signatures for your stupid petition?" A first-year student asked.
"Perhaps, but I'm guessing Chono-sensei promised you something," Amelia stated, "I knew she wouldn't be able to stop herself from cheating in our bet."
She quietly lamented the fact that she didn't know how to start a shadow game, but Mana informed her that it was something she shouldn't wish to do. It was dangerous and the game could always rebound on her. She wouldn't start one with that knowledge in mind, but she would always wish. It would've worked wonders against Chono since the woman was unable to play fair. Hm, she supposed the saying of, "absolute power corrupts" was true. She shook such thoughts from her head and looked at the fellow first year who was glaring up at her. She mused quietly at the fact that the other teen thought he scared her.
"The rules don't need to change," The teen growled.
"Then you don't want extra spending cash?" Amelia asked with a surprised expression and the teen faltered, "or what if you want a girlfriend? You can't have one of these with the rules as they currently are. I just want to see them revamped into a more modern mindset where we aren't treated as uncontrollable idiots."
The teen was quiet for a while and Yugi nervously looked between them. Was she really trying to talk the other boy into signing the petition? She did, and soon she had yet another signature. She knew that tactic wouldn't work on the more die-hard supporters of Chono, but she had enough on the petition to turn it in to the dean. She smiled slightly and Yugi relaxed a bit at the sight.
"Did you reach the number of signatures needed?" Yugi questioned.
"Yeah, I only needed a hundred, and that was the last one," She stated, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief, "today was the last day as well."
Yugi realized that she had been asking for signatures for a whole week without asking them to get involved. She didn't want them to get in any trouble. He blinked as the blonde teacher walked up to his friend and put a hand on her hip. Amelia simply looked at her in a blank manner like she didn't know what to make of the older woman.
"Are you heading to the office to admit defeat?" Chono asked and she was surprised by the quiet chuckle that came from Amelia.
"Defeat? No, I'm going to declare complete victory," Amelia stated with a smile, "you've lost, Sensei, you underestimated just how stubborn I can be."
Chono stared at her for a few seconds and Yugi was surprised when Amelia quickly grabbed his hand and walked away from her. He looked back to see a heated glare sent their way. No wonder Amelia had grabbed him before walking off, he didn't want to be around her. Amelia let out a short breath and he turned to face her with raised brows.
"That woman is surprised she lost because she doesn't play fair," Amelia quietly said, "I think this might be the first time that she wasn't able to keep the students from doing what they want to do."
Yugi nodded his agreement and he joined her as she presented the petition to the dean. She stood up straight and the older man wiped at his forehead with a handkerchief. He was wrapped around Chono's finger, but he couldn't just ignore the fact that the student body had a voice. He could lose his job if he did! What was he to do? He looked at the list and noted that she had so many of the third-year class that it bothered him that a first year could do such a thing.
"I will look into this before making a decision," He stated, and he was surprised when she didn't leave at such an obvious dismissal.
"I'm sorry, but what is there to look into?" Amelia quietly questioned, "The petition clearly states that there is a wish to see the rules revamped into a modern image, meaning students are allowed jobs in moderation and can date."
"Like I said, I will look into it along side the other teachers," He answered, and he nervously looked at the teen.
"I understand," Amelia said as she realised that nothing was going to come of her petition.
Yugi followed her as she exited the office and slammed a fist into the wall after the door closed completely. She looked down at the ground with a frown on her face before crouching in place. She had reacted with her bad hand, and now there was nothing but pain racing up her arm. She forgot that bruised bones took a while to heal. She didn't move after that and Yugi worriedly held up his hands. He didn't know if she was thinking, or about to cry.
"That woman…" She hissed and he watched as tears of anger dripped from the tip of her nose and onto the ground, "She couldn't even agree to our terms."
Yami made an appearance at that and place a hand on her shoulder. He turned towards Kuriboh and watched as the monster gently tugged on the long red strands of hair, a worried expression on its face. Its summoner had put her own time into the petition and had talked to people that she wouldn't have in the first place. She wanted to show that she could make a change without destiny making things fixed in time. Yet, she hadn't been able to and that caused her to feel stressed and furious.
"Amelia," Yami stated, and she looked at him, "go back with the others, I believe I can handle a teacher without protection."
She gave him a look at that, and he stepped back as she stood up. She brought a hand up to her face and wiped at her eyes with the back of her sleeve. She was still angry, but she'd let him do his thing. He brought a hand up and gently tucked some of her long hair behind her ear. She calmed down a bit and sent him a tiny smile before heading to class. He turned on his heel and went to perform a shadow game with Chono. He had a frown on his face, his anger at the teacher had to steam from Amelia's.
"Yugi-kun, are you feeling all right?" Amelia quietly asked as they walked home together, Ryou having a doctor's appointment that afternoon.
"Hm? I feel fine, Mia-chan!" Yugi chirped and she gave him a doubtful expression before it quickly vanished, "What about you?"
"Just tired like usual," Amelia answered with a slight smile, "I might sleep in this weekend just to beat the bad dreams into submission."
Yugi couldn't help but think she could possibly do that. He pointed at a shop and gave her pleading eyes and they went in. Amelia wasn't really looking for anything, but just browsing suited her just fine. She moved a game to the side and slowly read the back of the box as Yugi looked around like a kid in a candy shop. She smiled slightly at the sight of it before she jumped in surprise as a boy stepped up to her. He had a familiar card in his hand.
"C-Can you please sign my Black Magician Girl card?" He asked and she blinked in surprise, "Please, Crawford-sama."
"Oh, uh, sure," She said as she gently accepted the card and the permanent marker.
With a few quick strikes she put her initials next to the drawing on the card. Yugi came back to see her handing it back to the boy. He was a small kid and his mother quickly walked up, apologising for his forwardness. Amelia had simply waved her off and thanked her for supporting her family's company. She turned back to him and gave him a small smile as he walked up to her with a bag in his hand. His Grandfather might enjoy the game he found.
"What was that about, Mia-chan?" Yugi questioned.
"Oh, he had a Bark Magician Girl card and asked me to sign it," She answered, "I'm surprised he recognised me, that doesn't happen much here in Japan."
He smiled at the fact that she had done so. She probably made a happy memory for that small kid. He dropped her off at her home and she waved at him before heading inside. Amelia let out a yawn and grabbed a tea from the fridge before heading up the stairs to her room. Kuriboh flew around the room before slamming into the pillows on her bed. It knew that it wouldn't be long until she decided to go to sleep. Her dreams were making it difficult to stay asleep, but it gave her more time to study magic so there was a trade off there. She watched as Mana's card fell as she moved in her frame and she summoned her.
"You look tired," Mana commented, "you shouldn't have summoned me."
"It's all right," Amelia said, and Mana lightly flicked her forehead and she winced in surprise.
"Remember what Mahad said, "don't push yourself too much"," Mana huffed, and she watched as Amelia made a strange face, "what's wrong?"
"Does magic mess with dreams?" Amelia asked.
"Some of them, but it's usually a curse or prophetic vision," Mana answered, "are you having strange dreams?"
"Yes, some of them I remember but others I don't," Amelia said, and she frowned in thought, "I wonder what's causing them."
Mana gave a thoughtful look before smiling apologetically. There wasn't anything she could do because she knew that her fellow apprentice wasn't cursed. She wouldn't put a curse on her and Mahad would never do that to someone without a good reason. He was fond of Amelia, even if he wouldn't admit it. She picked up the can of tea and noticed it was one without caffeine. She de-summoned herself and Amelia swiftly caught the can of tea. She felt her magic snap back and she was left breathless. Mahad was sending Mana a look from his card as Amelia caught her breath. A little warning would've been nice.
"Jeez, do you not get any sleep?" Jounouchi asked as the group of friends, minus Anzu, walked through a bad area of Domino.
"It's for the weak," Amelia quietly answered as she brought a hand up and rubbed at her eyes, "why are we out here anyway?"
"There's a store here that's selling a pair of shoes that I've been saving up for," Jounouchi said as he turned to face her, "I hear that the owner has some rare books as well."
"I'll be the judge of that," Amelia muttered as she eyed the store in front of them.
The Junky Scorpion was a ran door store, trash was littered outside it. Amelia couldn't help but feel as though she was back in America. Everywhere else in Japan had been so clean, so to see something that wasn't felt like whiplash. She brought a hand up and scratched at the back of her head as they entered the store. Her nose crinkled and she gagged slightly. It heavily smelt of body odour and blood. How was there a smell of blood? She was starting to think she didn't want to know. She moved to stand behind her male friends when she saw the slimy shop owner. Ryou seemed surprised when she took refuge behind him, but stayed quiet as Honda shot the blonde a look of disbelief. It was obvious to see that two of their group seemed uncomfortable being in the shop.
"Ah, the Air Muscles!" Jounouchi exclaimed as he found the shoes he came for, "And in such excellent condition!"
"Don't act as though you own the place!" The owner grouched before shooting Jounouchi a strange look, "Besides, that item isn't for sale, it's very rare and impossible to get anywhere."
Amelia opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped. Something about the man rubbed her the wrong way, and it wasn't because he'd send gangsters after the shoes. There was just something off about him. She frowned in thought and tried to figure out what it was. All she knew was that there was a churning in her stomach as she looked at him. She stepped a bit closer to Ryou and tried to make herself unnoticeable to the shop owner. It wasn't her wishes to be hustled by the shopkeeper, not after shopping at her local grocer for a while. They left her alone and usually helped to take things down from the top shelves, that was the extent of their communication with her.
"You've got to sell me these shoes!" Jounouchi stated, "We came a long way for them!"
"You mean you," Honda grumbled as he looked at a scorpion in resin.
"There are more people who want those sneakers then there are stars in the sky," The owner stated as he put his hands into the pockets of his red hoodie, "I don't sell to any punk that just walks in. To take these sneakers, you must meet the requirements, even my very own American sneakers have a murder story attached to them."
"Are you crazy?" Jounouchi asked as he looked at the owners' sneakers, "Are you going to sell me the shoes or not?"
"Hmm," The owner pretended to think for a few seconds before smirking, "To see if your worthy we'll play a little game."
He pulled out a scorpion from inside his hoodie and Amelia narrowed her eyes. She felt Ryou tense up and she blinked as two parts of his hair stood up a bit. She was no longer hiding behind Ryou, but Bakura. The spirit seemed intrigued by the game proposed by the shop owner. He sent her a look over his shoulder and gave her a smile that was based off his host's. He inwardly smirked when she gave him one back, but there was a curious glint in her eyes. She would notice a change in his behaviour having been around the Pharaoh for a while.
"With this scorpion," The owner stated, "I'll place it inside the shoe, and then you'll test your courage by placing your foot inside it."
"What kind of requirement is that?" Jounouchi asked as the other's began to slowly move backwards towards the door, "We're not monsters."
Amelia spared a glance towards Bakura and had to add, most of them weren't monsters. Bakura was going to do some horrible things in the future, and he had stepped on the body of Atem's father at one point. She gave him leeway with that last one, the man had killed his people without a second thought. She was brought out of her thoughts when Bakura discreetly held up an arm to keep her out of the owner's line of sight. Her eyes narrowed slightly, so he was pretending to be Ryou just to keep the other's from noticing the change. That was smart. He seemed amused when Jounouchi slammed his foot into the shoe.
"You pass," The owner stated as he applauded, "I didn't really put the scorpion in there, I just pretended to it would've stained the sneaker. I'll sell it to you, and I'll even half price it for you."
Jounouchi happily walked outside with his brand-new shoes, not even caring about the "muscle hunters" that were going around looking for his shoes. Yugi shook his head in amusement before turning to ask Amelia something. Her expression made him pause. She was looking back at the store with a frown on her face. Bakura had caught her narrowed eyes.
"Something wrong?" Yugi asked and she tilted her head to the side.
"There was something off about that man," She stated, and she shook her head, "it was probably nothing."
Jounouchi paused at that and turned to face the redhead. She had good senses when it came to people. He'd have to keep his wits about him, and not fall for any obvious traps. They turned onto the main road and started heading to Burger World. He pulled Amelia into a headlock and she slapped at his arm with a slight glare. He wanted to distract her for a few seconds, she did enough by letting them know that something was off with the man.
"Release me," She hissed at him in a playful manner.
"Hah? Did you say something, Mia?" Jounouchi asked, playing along.
"In that case," She muttered, and she went completely limp.
He stumbled under her deadweight and huffed in amusement as she just laid there. Out of all of them, she had to be the pettiest when it came to horsing around. It didn't help that she was small enough to mess with them, save for Yugi but she never made fun of him or messed with him. He let out a strange sound when a tire was thrown over them. Right, the "muscle hunters". Honda moved to help as Bakura ducked under a fist sent his way. His host may not be the most physically fit, but he could be quick when he wanted to be. The shoes were stolen from Jounouchi and Amelia used the removal of them to remove the tire from their persons.
"Everyone all right?" Amelia asked as the group of thugs ran off.
"I'm all right," Yugi nodded and so did Bakura.
"Feh, it's time to get payback right, Honda?" Jounouchi asked his friend.
"Yeah," Honda nodded in agreement, he turned to Amelia, "why don't you reserve a spot at Burger World, and we'll met up there when done."
"Sure, its not because I can't fight," Amelia sarcastically stated.
"We'll you can break noses with ease, but your hand is still injured," Jounouchi pointed out, "take a break from this one, we can handle this."
"I'll make sure she doesn't go anywhere," Bakura said in the soft voice of his host.
"Thanks, Bakura," Jounouchi nodded he turned to the others, "let's go!"
Amelia pouted as she looked out the window of Burger World. She was worried that they wouldn't come back at a decent time. It would also be the third shadow game she missed, but she supposed that spending time with the spirit of the ring made up for that. He was eating some fries and studying the people around them. He had already picked two pockets so far, getting gum and pocket change of all things. As long as he wasn't hurting people she supposed that he could continue.
"What's on your mind, Mia-chan?" Bakura asked.
"Nothing but world domination," She answered as Kuriboh stole a fry from her meal.
His eyes followed the monster and she waited for him to ask questions. He didn't, electing not to reveal himself. She inwardly frowned as he quietly chuckled.
"Without sleep?" He asked, some of his natural raspy tone leaking into his voice.
"The best plans are usually made with little to no sleep," She shrugged, "what can I say, genius can't be stopped by exhaustion."
He switched back with his host and Ryou didn't have any time to ask what happened when the others came to the booth. Jounouchi joking pushed Amelia closer to the window and she moved so he could sit next to her. Yugi sat next to Ryou and Honda joined Jounouchi. Amelia felt a little trapped next to the window and tried to ignore the memories of the last time she was in Burger World. It was difficult seeing as her mind made her smell the burning flesh and smoke from last time. Jounouchi's elbow to her side brought her out of her memories as he stole some of her fries. She didn't mind, but she glared at him as he tried to dip them into her milkshake. She didn't want to possibly get him sick. Granted, she had been vaccinated by the time she was pulled through. She shook her head of those thought, focusing on things that had yet to pass and may never pass wasn't healthy. She smiled as Jounouchi was pushed out of the way by Honda. He stole some of her fries as well. Her friends were so lively, which was how it usually was.