Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds: The Judgement of the World
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: Ironically I dislike Jack, but he and Carly do make for a stable Beta couple don't they?
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"Aki."
"Yusei."
"...Is there anything you wish to tell me?"
"No."
"..."
Past the first hallway, Yusei turned his gaze upwards towards the colorful displays of white and pink hearts. That was new for a school...
"Aki."
"...Yusei..."
"Are you 'sure' there is nothing you wish to tell me?"
"No, everything is just fine..."
"Judai's going to get his butt kicked, and its. Going to be funny," Aki's duel spirits were singing along as they followed behind. "He's going to get beat up and its. Going to be funny."
The hallway was quiet with no one walking around, Yusei assuming they were in class, Aki knowing better. There was the occasional bulletin board with messages and notices and Yusei quietly took in the environment. He didn't visit the school often enough and for once he wasn't looking for anyone in particular. He could just trust Aki and take his time.
Aki slipped a set of cards out of her pocket, her head hung low as they stood in the center of another hallway. One he had never been down before. "You're going to need these cards for the duel."
Yusei blinked as he looked at the top of Aki's head and then accepted the cards she held out. 'That makes no sense, I already set my cards to standing duel, so... what are these for?' he pondered as he began looked between the two cards...
And looked...
And... WHAT!?
"Aki..."
Said duelist had turned on her heel and was down right speeding her way down the hallway like she couldn't get away fast enough. But not fast enough to break into a dead run, and Yusei was not going to be silent about 'this'. "Aki what are these cards about... What's going on?!"
"Its fine..."
"Aki."
"Really..." Aki couldn't help but try and figure out where her life had gone wrong.
"Aki." Yusei gritted his teeth an walked after her as quickly as he dared. When he had caught up to her he grabbed her elbow to still her from her attempt to escape. "What is going on." His voice wasn't harsh, but it was sure stern and serious in a way that told her if she didn't spill the beans 'now' there would be consequences.
Her head went back down and she sighed, "Asuka needs help getting Judai's attention. So she got me in this duel. Its a lovers duel and the thing is I need a tag partner for it..."
'A lovers duel...' Yusei repeated mentally. Grateful that Aki didn't ask someone else to be her partner, but also now with a strong need to beat up this Judai person. This was awkward though, he wasn't her lover, he had no real right to... 'So basically this would be the same as saying to the school that we're dating?'
He looked down at the cards in his hand and a part of his brain argued that it wasn't right for the girl to assert herself by stating such a thing. That 'he' should be the one making such an announcement to a large body of their peers. 'Not that I would get anywhere.. How would I even make a statement as bold as this?' he found himself wondering as Aki took his silence as a cue and was trying to leave again. So he walked after Aki. 'So long as it keeps the other guys hands off her I suppose this will work.'
"No powers right?" He asked finally once he caught up to her. "The doctors won't be happy given my rib."
She nodded, "of course. Duel Spirits, if they manifest, will just as much be spectators as the rest of the school. We'll only be dealing with holograms."
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Neo Domino's Local Hobby Shop \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Carly walked along the well remembered rows of small model paints. Today was a good blue day, so she was decked out in her jeans and a sky blue colored tank top with Jack following behind. He was in what looked like his riding suit, only it was his protective gear that he wore when he worked on spray painting.
The little mom and pop shop had aged into a grandma and grandpa shop. Small in size the ceiling illuminated an earthy deep green walls, clean wooden floors, and rows of boxes of various things. From model ships and planes, to mech suits and set pieces for board games. The back was a social gathering spot as much for watching movies as well as gaming with thick sofas and multiple tables. Off to the side of the door was the register resting on a counter with a little old lady sitting behind it.
"Oh! Little Carly! You here to work on a new model?" Grams called out from behind the counter. The top of her head barely reached Carly's chin, with her hair salt with a touch of pepper hair up in a neat little bun. She wore a flowery little gown with a lovingly crafted by her grandkids apron over it. 'Best GrandMother' was embroidered over the chest by her daughter in law. The little old lady climbed down from her elevated seat and began wandering over even as Carly, with Jack in tow, turned to her.
"Hi Gramgram! Yep, but this is a special item, and... I think it might be a bit tough, I don't recall seeing the necessary color here." Carly explained as she dug into her purse and began seeking out the pictures that the guys had given her.
"And you know that 'how'?" Jack demanded, "the color isn't something usually used for the models you paint!" He retorted and immediately got a jab from Carlys' elbow.
"Well what's the problem?" Gramps asked as he called out with a stack of model mobile suits near by the paints. Unlike his wife, his hair had a smidge more pepper than salt, and he had a modest little mustache under his nose. And just as his wife had a 'Best GrandMother', he had a 'Best GrandFather' hand crafted apron on over his white button on and pale tan slacks.
"The guys have this model they wanted me to paint. Its a wedding couple, mounted on a magnet meant to move and dance in a music box." Carly began explaining as she finally produced the pictures and held them out to Gram. "The problem was that the model is out of circulation, I crafted a possible replacement based on these photos... But I need to paint it..."
"Its not an easy situation," Jack took over the explanation. "There is no existing picture that shows the inside of the music box, we had to hunt for the closest approximation. Only to find out that the box is out of production and if we wanted to get the figurine we'd have to make it from scratch."
It was amazing how Jack actually could sometimes tone down the 'I AM THE KING! ATLAS JACK!' vibe for the elderly. Or maybe he didn't want to blow out their hearing...
He sighed, "like everything else involving this box its a trial..."
"Its for an childs' grandmother, the box was broken during a medical emergency, and the guys," Carly jerked her thumb towards Jack. "Are trying to build a new one as close to the original as they can to cheer her up."
"Well isn't that the sweetest thing I've heard all day!" Gram cooed and made a slight shooing gesture. "Well you know where the paints are, what's the problem?"
"Well, the woman is African American..." Carly said and watched as those already small eyes blinked a few times as though she didn't quite get it it...
"OOH we have an African Japanese girl I see sometimes... Ok ok!" the woman nodded to herself as she went from 'shoo you know where to go' to 'come come this way' gestures. "So the model must be for dark skin right?"
"Yes," Jack answered as they moved away from the bright vivid colors and towards the more nature themed colors.
"Ok, we do carry brown, and you're a smart pair you know how to mix it to the right tone," she said as she moved. "As for making the model... Father!"
"On it on it!" Gramps called out already gone further back into the shop his head barely visible as he moved.
"So you can either make a mold of the figures or carve one out... Are either of you good at such things?" She asked as they moved to the paint section used more by the board game crowds.
"Umm I've never done either..." Carly confessed as she looked up at Jack, who had a grim line for a pair of lips before shaking his head.
"I've heard of it, but never had the chance to try it out," Jack confessed. After all there were no gaming shops of any sort on Satellite, and Godwin wouldn't let Jack out of his sight during those days.
"Wait!" Carly suddenly straightened mid grabbing two small bottles of brown paint. "Wedding cakes! Western wedding cakes would have it right?" She turned to look at the pair her expressive eyes hidden behind the thick glasses she needed to see with. "They put wedding figures on the top of their wedding cakes, and this model has that. They're wearing a western wedding dress! Maybe we can check that out first and see if we can put together something!"
"Ohh yes, or use it as the base you need for a model depending on how the music box worked..." the old woman agreed.
'I wonder how Aki's doing with her 'lovers duel' right now,' Carly thought impishly as Gramps came out with a few kits for crafting molds for their project. 'I suppose because of who Yusei is and because of the duel they let him on the grounds...'
Because they sure didn't let Carly and she 'begged' for permission. Begged so much and so hard that when she had to finally leave the office she begged her fairies to spy on the match and give her details. The moment she could 'see' her Fairies again. Assuming that the fairies were 'with' her when she started begging and not already at the school gym leaving Carly talking to herself. Because that was a possibility too.
"I don't know, if they have the figure we could just carve a place for the magnet..." Jack was musing as he held the kits in his hand. He kept going between the two, his hands moving as though he was weighing the choices between life and death. "Woman show me that picture." He ordered and got a look from Carly, but she did oblige.
It was a laughing newly wedded couple, with white gown and black tux, and standing as though dancing. Which made since because there was a magnet that would cause it to move about during the music. A magnet that would have to be adjusted for the music file that they would have to put in... Unless Yusei wanted to make the roll from scratch. 'And after he finds out what he got dragged into, he might just for the distraction...' he thought. Lips twisting into a slight frown. "If you can point us to a good shop... We should keep these here and decide on if we can find the piece."
"Huh, yeah... no point in buying a mold kit if we have something that works," Carly agreed. "Gramgram, how's the family?"
'Carly you idiot we want to get this done quickly...' Jack thought to himself as Carly launched herself into social chitchat with the elderly couple.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Back at the high school \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
"Nee, hey sis, you think big brother knows how this duel works?" Rua asked with a slight head tilt.
"That guy is jerk. Asuka needs to have her taste in men fixed," En proclaimed over Patty's head, her fire themed rod tucked under one arm as she hovered there arms crossed.
"KICK HIS ASS YUSEI!"
The voice came out of nowhere causing all the fairies, to get whiplash as they turned to the right. Meanwhile all the spirits partnered with children groaned as one and gave various 'children present' protests towards Cyber Blader.
"What did he do? Besides being stupid?" Swee asked baffled as she looked up at the towering spirit.
"He made Asuka cry," the spirit said in a sour tone, floating in the air, she had her head resting on one hand and no one could see her eyes because of her shades. But her tone spoke a 'lot'.
"Yeah, but I mean, ok most everyone here can't hear us... But little Ruka can... so... maybe language?" Hikari suggested making a discreet downward gesture towards said girl as Blader turned to glance at her.
"Oh..."
"I wish Asuka could fall for a real nice boy that was interested in her. Not just the one lone boy who makes her cry," Cyber Tutu grumbled as she settled down cross legged hovering over Bob.
"Here here!"
Meanwhile, Honest, who quite frankly was not the premier expert on human courting ritual, was a bit lost at the moment. In his defense he had learned how to emulate a great deal of human behavior. It wasn't hard really, shut his mouth, observe and listen, the most he ever had to endure was the sweet shy girls who wanted tips on how to catch Ryo's eye.
To date, Honest 'still' had no clue how that could even be done...
"So... how long until Yusei stops playing around and ends this duel?" Honest asked, trying hard to be quiet and discrete with his line of questions. But to him it looked like Yusei was trying to figure out a way to get Judai close enough physically so that he could beat the ever living hell out of the kid. The gym was lined with students, and the fact that they were skipping out on schooling for a duel that was little more than 'Hi date me' was just...
He kept his expression neutral while listening to not just the humans around him, but his fellow spirits around him. Asuka's spirits were drifting between them and the children, but that could have been because there were new spirits just hanging around. Fairies that he faintly recalled the night Isao kidnapped Yusei. But they were partnered to an adult woman, not a student so he was a little confused as to why they were here.
'But they must not be evil for God would have repelled them...' he reassured himself, and the fact was there 'was' something outside the grounds. He was missing several feathers from his inner left wing from something that took a shot at him. Djinn had sensed it, perhaps from her nature of more beast and primal.
Something attacking duel spirits or just attacking him? Was it just another part of the Darkness trying to claim more of the world? Or Yusuke realizing that both Honest and Fubuki were free?
"Well, seeing that physically beating Judai down is against school rules..." Kazushi noted with a rueful tone. "Man Judai is tone deaf."
"He's a jerk," Fubuki added unable to push away the tears and disappointment or the outright humiliation his sister had been exposed to. "I mean sure he apologized after lunch, but what's done is done..."
"Well at least he said he was sorry," Ryo acknowledged while he looked over the school. There was just this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that something was wrong. There was this nebulous feeling of danger that he couldn't put his finger on.
He could see that Yusuke and Fubuki sensed it too, with the way they would look about. But Fubuki had been through enough and Yusuke seemed to started to hover over him. Guilt seemed to color Yusuke's actions and Ryo was just scared enough that what happened to Fubuki could happen again.