A/N: I'm in a hurry. Battery is almost dead. Enjoy the read! Thanks for the reviews ! Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko! Only my imagination :)!
Yumi stood in awe at the sight in front of her. From below the glass dome area seemed small. Now that she was at its entrance, it was on another level. "Looks like they're not using the entire space," Jeremie remarked. "Does that make you feel better?" Aelita asked. "It doesn't make a significant change," he answered.
Ulrich was more relaxed than he previously appeared to be. "No signs of your vertigo?" Yumi whispered. He shook. "No, at least, for now," he replied.
Odd and Kelly had no issues at all and they were the first to greet the man at the entrance. The three couples were each handed a number card. Yumi glanced at their numbers. Jeremie and Aelita were number 10, followed by number 11 for Ulrich and herself. Odd was flipping the number 12 card in the air. The man explained three couples would be seated at one round table in numerical order.
"Nice, we're at the same table," Kelly spoke up. "Probably because we all booked on the same date," Ulrich pointed out. The others nodded or hummed in agreement. They took there seats and a waiter immediately asked what they wanted to order. The six of them each relayed their choices and the waiter disappeared after confirming their order.
"I count six tables," Jeremie looked around. "Even high school students participate in these events," Yumi noticed a young couple who were dressed in their uniforms. A school nearby her home had students wearing the same uniform. "I wonder if they're trying to make a statement," Aelita said. Ulrich and Jeremie frowned, while Odd beamed in understanding. "I like their style. Nothing beats standing out, right?" He nudged Kelly, who simply rolled her eyes.
Aelita chuckled. "That's one way to look at it." Their attention was diverted to the stage in the middle. "Ladies and gentleman, welcome. My name is Michel Blanc and I will be hosting tonight's event. We hope you enjoy your meals as much as the rest of this event. The schedule will be as follows. First, we request that you fill out a small form after this introduction. My colleagues will now hand out the forms. Please leave out your names. In the meantime, your entrée will be prepared. After that the event's first round will take place, during which your main course will be prepared. Round two will be its follow-up. Finally, the scores will be tallied while you're having your desserts."
"The specifics for tonight's event will be explained by the head of our sponsor, Ms. Rose Lune from Revel Publishing," the host extended his hand towards a woman wearing an office skirt and a white blouse. She was wearing glasses and had her hair in a bun. Ms. Lune was slightly shorter than Aelita. "Thank you Mr. Blanc," the woman began. She faced the seated couples. "Whether you see them in real life or on TV, humans are complicated living beings. One of the reasons? Our emotions. There is more to life than simple happiness or sadness. One can relate back to either of the two, but the great amount of different emotions define us at certain moments or periods in life. In other words, those many emotions made us into who we are today. In the exact same way fictional characters would also be lost without their emotions. Our editors aim to help authors convey their characters' true nature to the audience in the best way possible."
Ms. Lune paused to let her intro settle into the minds of the participants. "Once there are people inside of one's story, there are many elements to take into account. I'm sure many of you have read stories about people who need to work together, who need to understand each other or who need to stay together. That brings us to tonight's theme: Trust. This common topic in the literature world carries many emotions with it. Today, we will explore the depths of trust. As you may have noticed, the form in front of you has a large empty space. In the next two minutes, please write down which emotions you have felt when you thought about or encountered situations concerning trust in your life. When finished, please turn over your paper. This will be considered as official data for a small project our company is part of. It's entirely anonymous. That said, I truly wish you will all be able to enjoy tonight to the fullest. Enjoy," Ms. Lune finished her speech and exited the stage.
Yumi looked at her friends, who were all deep in thought like her. She tried to think of emotions other than 'mere' happiness or sadness, but had a hard time defining her thoughts. After a minute, Ulrich had written down a few words. Jeremie and Aelita were smiling at each other after turning over their forms. Odd was drawing and Kelly seemed to be writing something as well. Yumi eventually wrote down one word.
The entrées were brought to their tables while their answers were being collected. Afterwards, it was time for round one. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to show how well you know your partner!" Michel announced. "Each couple will be divided, one will be A and the other will be B. This will be decided randomly with the letter cards which are being placed in front of you now. These also contain your team number. That way we will be able to tell you apart. Whether you want to switch cards with your partner is up to you!" The six of them decided to keep things as they were. "All those who have the card with B, please come to the front!"
Ulrich, Jeremie and Kelly got up from their seats. "Good luck," the remaining three told them. Jeremie looked like he had a sudden case of stage fright. Ulrich clapped him on his back. "Come on. Time to shine. She's watching you," Ulrich winked at him. "Easier said than done," Jeremie nervously replied. "It won't be too bad," Kelly said. "Just stare at Aelita and you should be fine," she grinned at him. Ulrich laughed.
Once they were on stage, the curtain fell down and eighteen cubicles could be seen. "Time for a quiz! There will be 10 questions, each being worth one point. More points will results in a greater chance of winning today's prizes! I will state the question to which the B's write an answer on their digital boards. Depending on the type of question, A will have to either guess whether their partner is correct or guess which answer belongs to their partner!" Yumi, Odd and Aelita were shocked to hear that. They had wished their partners luck, but it appeared they would need it more than them.
"Are you ready?!" Michel shouted across the room. Several enthusiastic and not-so-enthusiastic shouts were heard throughout the space. "If the B's would please step inside one of the cubicles," Michel requested. Ulrich and the others complied and walked over. The curtain was drawn back up. "The A's may now step forward to stand on the stage. Please direct your attention to the screen in front of you." Yumi and the others did as they were told. A hologram displaying a presentation could be seen hovering in above their tables. Currently, the words "Round One" were bouncing around.
"Question one: Do you know how many relationships your partner has been in, excluding your current relationship? A bonus point will be awarded if you state the correct number next to the obligatory 'yes' or 'no'. Even if the answer is no, you can still guess the number."
Jeremie was relieved the first question was easy. Ulrich frowned a little, not excited to be reminded of his number one enemy on a day like this. Kelly was the most troubled one out of the three. Of course she didn't know. She was afraid she would be the only one who would write 'no'. Kelly wrote a random number.
"Time! Let's ask our fellow A's what our B's are thinking. Please state the answers your partners should have written down," Michel walked over to A1. Eventually he reached Aelita. "It's 'yes' and zero," she calmly said. Yumi dreaded her turn, because she knew Ulrich could hear her. She was sure he had a scowl on his face by now. "That's correct and rewards team 10 with two points, being the fifth couple to have two points! Miss, what should your partner have written down?" Michel directed his question to Yumi. "Uhm, 'yes' and one," she said. "That makes six two pointers!" The host announced as Ulrich's answer was displayed in front of them. "How does it feel to be the second one to have a number higher than zero paired with a yes?" Michel asked. Ulrich was indeed scowling and wanted to walk over to stop the man, when he heard Yumi's answer. "Each person lives their own life, so I'm pretty sure there is nothing to feel. It's just a fact," she suavely responded. Aelita nodded in agreement and Odd stepped in and started blurting out his answer.
Ulrich smiled. "Just a fact, huh," he thought to himself. It was true that they had moved on from the past called William Dunbar. It was just a fact in the past, which they had dealt with together. He continued listening and had to laugh at Odd's reply.
"My partner should have written 'no'. Frankly, even I don't know." For a moment, all that could be heart was a thunk somewhere in the back. "Let's not start guessing the number either. It will give us all a headache," Odd said, as he crossed his arms pretending to think about his past.
"Your partner wrote 350," Michel was slightly shocked. "Ah, don't worry, it's definitely less than that," Odd assured the man. Kelly's snort could be heard from where they were standing and everyone – safe for Yumi and Aelita – looked at Odd. He grinned at the host. "Time for the next one?" He gestured to his left neighbour. Michel continued on his way.
"Ladies, gentlemen. Erase your previous answer. Here comes the next one. Question two: Describe your bond or relationship in one or two words."
Yumi smiled to herself. This was going to be an easy one.
Aelita and Odd had a harder time figuring out what their partners would write.
"Time!" Michel announced. The hologram displayed the answers, four of which contained the word 'strong'. "It seems we have some duplicates. If you wish to pick 'strong', you also need to point out which one was sent in by your partner!" Yumi frowned, she didn't see the answer she was expecting. Instead her eyes stopped at the word 'ingenious' and figured Jeremie would have chosen that word. Then she spotted 'artistic', which was most likely meant for Odd. "Ms. A11?" The host tried to get her attention. She hadn't realized everyone before her, including Aelita, had already answered. "So far, only the lady beside you has managed to succeed,' he added. Yumi counted the amount of answers and concluded, "there are only seventeen answers. My partner's answer is missing."
Everyone directed their focus to the display. "That seems to be the case," the host replied to her first observation. "But we have yet to determine whether or not Mr. B11's answer is indeed not present." Michel looked like he was listening intently for a few seconds. "I have just heard, that there was a technical issue. Your partner's answer was deleted by accident. Our staff however still have a back up from Mr. B11's electronic answering device. As an apology, we will give you a chance to earn two points if you can guess the right answer. If you fail, we will still show you the answer rewarding you with standard point." Michel suggested.
The Japanese woman smiled. "Challenge accepted. The word is 'unbreakable'." Ulrich also smiled to himself upon hearing his girlfriend's confident reply. "That is correct! That puts couple number 11 in first place!" When the host moved on to Odd, Yumi nudged Aelita. "Leave it to Jeremie to use a word like ingenious," she teased her. Aelita chuckled. "Well, I'm just glad he didn't choose something like interdimensional." Yumi stiffled her laughter. "It would have been a guaranteed point either way," she said. "True," Aelita agreed.
After a while they had arrived at question number eight. "Who is the most important to your partner in their family?" Aelita hugged herself when she heard the question. In the back, Jeremie held his breath for a moment. "We will be determining live whether or not your partner has written down the correct answer!" Yumi put her hand on Aelita's shoulder, who gratefully put hers on top to thank her for the moral support. Michel came to stand in front of her. "My father," she softly answered while the microphone was directed to her. "Correct once again! Couple number 10 is really giving it their all!"
"My parents and my brother," Yumi answered. "I'm sorry, I have to regard that as incorrect," the host pointed to the display. She read Ulrich's answer. 'All members of her family are equally important to her'. "Technically, you made a choice, which means your partner's answer is too broad." Yumi crossed her arms. "Stupid quiz," she thought, but showed no anger. She read Ulrich's answer once more. As long as she understood him, nothing would make her feel down.
"The last question will be done on stage!" The curtain was dropped again and all the couple's were reunited. Staff members gave each person a card with a green 'yes' written on the front and a red 'no' written at the back. Michel asked. Currently Aelita and Jeremie were in first place, while Yumi and Ulrich were in fourth, followed by Odd and Kelly in sixth place. "If all couples would be so kind as to stand back-to-back." Everyone complied. "Great, here we go."
"Question number ten: "Would you like to live together with your partner starting today? For those who already are, would you choose to live together at the same point in your relationship if you had the chance to redo that part of your live? If the answer is yes, you show the green 'yes' and vice versa for 'no'," Michel explained. "If you both guess each other's answer correctly, you win three points."
Aelita and Jeremie both chose to answer with 'no'. Known to their friends, the pair of Einsteins already had a mutual understanding concerning the topic. Yumi and Ulrich also showed a 'no'. Although they hadn't discussed the subject, they were both aware they had just started their relationship. Yumi knew they would undertake steps at their own pace, one the two of them were comfortable with.
Odd showed a 'yes' whereas Kelly didn't. When he heard Jeremie and Aelita receiving three points he was happy for them and he could also see why Yumi and Ulrich had chosen 'no'. Afterwards, he got excited when Kelly guessed correctly what he had decided upon. "Mr. A12," Michel began, "your answer?" With confidence he replied with "She would say 'yes'." The host wasn't as enthusiastic as Odd and shook his head pair with a shrug of his shoulders. "Unfortunately, your girlfriend has chosen 'no', which means you will descend in the rankings.
He turned around to check for himself. "Why?" He whispered. Kelly had a neutral expression on her face. Odd wasn't able to hide his disappointment. Jeremie, Aelita, Ulrich and Yumi were worried about what would happen. Meanwhile, Michel declared the first round had ended. It was time to return to their tables to await their main courses.
"Dinner will be served in a few minutes." Someone came by to relay the message.
Odd took Kelly to the other end of the dome immediately after hearing the announcement. "Are you angry?" She asked, when they were isolated from the rest. "No, but I don't understand either," Odd admitted. "At first, I didn't have any problems with it. Now, I'm not sure what to think of us living together. We spend little time with just the two of us. Even during weekends, you have appointments with them," she pointed to the remaining four worried people at their table. "I'm not saying you're to blame for everything. For example, I also go shopping with my friends. But that's every once in a while. I think I'm confused. Am I as important to you as Jeremie, Aelita, Ulrich and Yumi are to you?"
She saw the hesitation in his eyes. "I could be wrong, but I believe you have regarded me as someone who could fill the emptiness in your life when they weren't there," Kelly blurted out. "Those are the things I've been thinking about recently." He looked at her. "So you don't trust me?" Odd was taken aback by the turn of events this evening.
"No," she denied. "I do, but I can't really explain what's going on." Kelly was staring at her feet before making up her mind to state her final wish.
"I need some time," she revealed. "I want to figure it out by myself."
"Shouldn't we do that together?" Odd suggested.
"No," Kelly shook her head. "I'm sorry Odd." He wanted to persuade her to change her mind when he noticed the food was being served. "For now, let's put this conversation on-hold," he took her by her hand. "Let's try to enjoy the rest of the event. We're here to support Jeremie and Aelita. We don't want to worry them," he said. Kelly stayed quiet. She wanted to tell him this was exactly what she meant, but she also knew that he was right. They would discuss this later.
"Hey guys, we're back," Odd seated himself. "Is everything okay?" Ulrich asked. "Just fine, turns out I need to try harder in the household. I guess my laziness hasn't faded away yet," he awkwardly lied. They all caught on, but mentally decided to postpone talking about it until after the event.
Kelly wasn't happy with their situation at all. Yumi sat next to her and noticed the sadness in her eyes.
Being her closest friend out of their group (minus Odd), Yumi wondered if there was something she could do for her. "If you want someone to talk to, I'm willing to do so anytime. Don't forget, we're your friends too," Yumi whispered to her. Kelly nodded, but she was still in doubt.
Yumi glanced around the table. It was supposed to be a fun night. Especially for Jeremie and Aelita. But now everyone was feeling worried or bitter or sad. She recalled the word she had written down on the form at the beginning of the event: Fear. Yumi was always scared of what would happen to Ulrich and herself if their relationship were to change. She had spent so many years pondering about all aspects of their time together, doing so both before and after her high school graduation. At a certain point in time, she realized her worries were no longer that simple. Instead, it was replaced by pure anxiety created by the endless 'what ifs' in her mind.
She figured out Odd and Kelly's problem stemmed from something deeper. However, Yumi had never expected to see the day where one of her close friends was on the verge of going through that same emotion as she did.
A/N: I used some French terms, since they're in France after all. Names of people introduced are also in French. See you next time :)!