Legion stone: Thank you for reviewing! Glad you like it! :) Hopefully it will also be a surprise... As for Serena... If she does learn how to love dueling, it may take quite a while! ;)
Kias: Thank you for reviewing, glad you like it! :) I'm also glad you think those two were in character and that it's believable, because other opinions help me a lot! ;)
I only own my OC's!
It was deadly quiet. Not a thing could be heard or seen. Rubbing my eyes, I wanted to make sure whether this was some sort of a dream or reality. I even pinched myself by my arm. However, it didn't seem to work at all. Yet again, I was surrounded by thick mist.
"I really don't get the whole thing with the mist." I commented in annoyance while looking around. If I had to look on the bright side, then I could conclude that at least I was all alone this time. There were no mysterious figures, and there were definitely no voic….
Suddenly, I could hear some sort of laughter from the distance. From what I could hear, it was coming from…. Children. They sounded so happy….
"I'm gonna win this time!" A young boy's voice declared in determination. "That's what you said the last time!" A young girl started laughing. "Well, I'm saying it again!" The boy retorted. "If I'm going to lose to a girl, then let it be with honor and a good duel!" He shouted dramatically. "You said you wanted to be the 'King of Games'? At this point, you sound more like the 'King of Drama'." The girl pointed out tauntingly. However, she and the boy then started laughing once again….
Rubbing my eyes, I sat up in the bed. I then opened them and looked around the room. Sun rays were coming through the opened window on my right. It was still July, so it was a pretty hot morning already. I let out a sigh while running a hand through my long and messy red hair. It was even messier now considering I hadn't brushed it yet…
Oh, how I wanted to just go back to bed and sleep more…. However, as much as I wanted to, it just wasn't possible.
Ben was coming over today. He wanted to explain the basics of Duel Monsters to me. Yes, oh, la gioia. I would spend the whole day playing with stupid children's cards!
Letting out a groan, I stood up from the bed and began stretching out my arms. After five minutes, I ran into the bathroom to start getting ready. Taking the hairbrush in my hands, I looked up at the mirror. A reflection of a girl with messy red hair, light blue eyes and freckles over her cheeks was staring right back at me.
I quickly started brushing my hair. At the same time, I couldn't help thinking of how fast this was going to pass. It was the end of July, and the entrance exam for West Duel Academy was in Italy at the end of August… That meant my parents and I would have to move away during the middle of the next month. I wasn't looking forward to it.
Now, I had absolutely nothing against country where my roots were from. Italy was a beautiful country. However, moving away from Japan was what bugged me. I was so used to everything here; I wasn't even sure whether I'd Italian people! From what I heard; they ate pasta literally every day…. As much as I loved pasta, that was a bit too much.
Even though I was more used to sushi and fried shrimp, my parents (when they were home) usually cooked Italian food so they could teach me more about my roots, but also take a break from Japanese cuisine from time to time. They liked it, but, like I had said it in my case, sometimes, it could be a bit too much. And when they weren't there, Aunt Maria would come and cook Italian food as well. In fact, she was the best cook ever!
After brushing my hair, I quickly dressed in a white, short-sleeved shirt and dark blue pants. As soon as I put sandals on my shoes, I was ready to get out of the room. However, cards fell out of a pocket of my jeans. "Shoot." I growled in disbelief and quickly got on my knees to pick them up. Normally, I wouldn't care so much about those stupid cards, but this was Aunt's deck, and I was forced to go to that stupid academy, so you surely got the picture…
Now that I thought of it better, Aunt did see me dropping the cards a few times since she gave them to me. That was why she suggested getting a box where I could keep my deck. It was apparently called Deck Box… However, I didn't bother with buying it until now because I had better things to do, such as collecting flowers.
It was obvious I had to go buy it today though. I didn't want to lose the cards(only because Aunt gave them to me), and if I kept dropping them, that would most likely happen. Therefore, I would go to buy that box now.
If my assumptions were correct, Mum and Dad wouldn't be home until 10 PM. That meant I could get out through the window.
I quickly ran downstairs to see whether my parents were in the dining room. However, there was no sign of them. In fact, no one was in the house. I couldn't help smirking. This was just perfect!
Then, I decided to go back to my room. But not before I grabbed a croissant off the table in the kitchen and put it in a nearby bag. If I weren't in such hurry, I would take more. That was actually a bad habit of mine. I loved food so much, that sometimes one portion just wouldn't be enough. Ben once told me that I had more than one stomach. Aunt even told me that I would scare all guys away with that habit. I guess they were right, but what could I really do? I loved eating!
Once I climbed through the window and got off the tree, I took the croissant out of the bag and started eating it along the way. Who actually cared whether I scared all the guys away? I certainly wasn't interested in any of them! Besides, my eating habit would prevent them from trying any funny business. Not that I hoped that would happen, nor did I want it… But you know… It was good to always be on guard.
It wasn't that hard for me to find a shop selling everything related to Duel Monsters. There was one not too far away from my house, maybe about 20 minutes away. There would always be a huge crowd and a lot of screaming during school year; that's how I knew about that shop in the first place. It was also Ben's favorite place in this city.
Fortunately for me (never thought I'd actually say this), there wasn't a lot of people in the shop during summer holidays. Everyone was either outside playing stupid cards, or they were out of the city. It's during this time the city was the most peaceful. Just the way I liked it…
By the time I was in front of the shop, I could see there was no one outside. Thankfully. I could buy that Deck Box, and get out of there the fastest I could.
I walked into the shop, closing the door behind me. There weren't many people inside. From what I could see, there were three if we didn't count the shop owner. One of them was a man dressed in a business suit. He had balding black hair and green eyes.
The second one was a woman, who looked like she was in her twenties. Her long, auburn hair was tied in a ponytail while her brown eyes were looking all over the shop.
The third one was a guy who was talking to the shop owner. His back was turned, so I couldn't see him well. The only thing I could see was his hair and clothing. It looked rather messy (although I shouldn't be the one saying that, my hair was even messier). However, what attracted my attention was its unusual hair color. The lower, most part was mostly dark brown, but the upper part of it was light brown. He was dressed in what seemed to be school uniform.
After a few more seconds, I looked away from the guy with weird hair. I didn't come here to observe other people, I had to buy that box! So, I started looking around the place. It definitely wasn't as small as I thought it would be… I was serious, the exterior looked way smaller!
However, shelves were filled with either decks or cards. I didn't even understand why cards were separated from decks, but whatever. The less I knew about them, the better.
I was obliged to go to that academy. However, no one said I actually had to know everything! I would just graduate, dueling the least I could, and getting passable grades. It was actually sort of a revenge for my parents even putting me there in the first place. I smirked at that thought. Take that, Mum and Dad!
"Miss, do you need help?" A voice brought me back to reality. "What?" I let out a yelp and quickly turned around. The shop owner and the weird-haired guy were looking at me. "Do you need help?" The owner repeated. "Oh." I said simply. "Well, yes. I was wondering whether you had boxes for keeping decks?" I started playing with my red strands.
The man's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean, the Deck Boxes?" He presumed. "Yes, that, whatever they're called!" I quickly said and nodded. He took one rectangular, black box off a shelf behind him. "Those are the best we have." He motioned for me to come closer so I could see it. "Then I'll take it." I said immediately.
"Do you want me to pack it for you?" The owner offered. "No, thank you. I'll put the cards in now so I don't drop them again." I explained. The man sweat dropped. "Sheesh." A male voice from behind me said. However, I ignored both of them.
I took both the money and the cards from pockets of my jeans. The man opened the box and I quickly put the deck inside, closing it. "My recommendation is having it strapped near the waistline. You can never lose them there." He told me with a smile. I simply nodded and gave him the money.
However, as soon as I turned around towards the exit, my head hit into someone else's… And I soon found myself lying on the ground. My back hurt a bit. "Cazzo…" I cursed in Italian with a growl while rubbing my head where it hurt the most.
Looking up, I could see the weird-haired guy on the floor as well. He was also rubbing his head. "Are you alright?" The owner ran up to me and offered me a hand. I took it. He then gave me the box I had dropped while falling. "Thank you." I told him before he offered a hand to the guy as well.
"Why don't you watch where you're going?!" I walked up to him and growled. "I was right behind you, and then you…." The weird-haired guy stammered in confusion while rubbing the back of his head. I looked at him furiously. We were about the same height, so giving him a piece of my mind was even easier. "Then next time don't be behind me!" I screeched. I hated people who didn't watch where they were going, I really did!
I then marched out of the shop before the stupid guy or the owner could say anything else.
I slammed the window shut once I jumped into my room. I was still annoyed by what happened at that shop… What an idiot of a guy… I mean, seriously, how blind would you have to be not to notice a person right behind you?!
Letting out a deep breath, I tried to calm down. There was no point getting angry with people I wouldn't see again… I decided to just drop it. The idiot could go bumping into other people, far away from me.
"Serena!" A voice shouted from downstairs. My eyes widened in surprise. It was Aunt Maria! She came earlier today, that was for sure… "Serena!" Another voice shouted as well. It was Ben?! Then that meant he came to show me dueling basics… I let out a groan in annoyance.
But I ran downstairs anyway, knowing there was nothing I could do to stop this from happening. Ben and Aunt Maria were in the living room by now. I hugged her first, and then my cousin. "You came earlier today?" I then asked my aunt in confusion. "Your mother asked me to, that's why." She explained with a small smile.
And there it was again, Mum being all overprotective… I rolled my eyes but stayed quiet. "How about I show you how to duel?" Ben then suggested cheerfully. He was looking forward to it, I could see it clearly…. "It's not like I have a choice, do I?" I put on a forced smile. "No, of course you don't!" Aunt Maria and Ben chorused with smirks. "But blame it on your parents, not us. We're just enjoying the show." The former added. I looked at her unimpressed, but sat on a couch, right across Ben.
"Did you get the Deck Box?" He asked me. "I did." I said simply with an eyeroll. "What's the matter?" My cousin asked. He obviously saw I was still a bit angry because of what had happened at the shop. "Some idiot bumped into me inside." I frowned.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "What idiot?" He questioned. "Well, there's obviously one word for the term 'idiot'…" I started in a bit of annoyance, only to be cut off. "No, no, no. What I meant was, what did the so-called 'idiot' look like?"
I folded my arms with a sigh. "He was about my height, and he had this weird, messy hair which was both dark brown and light brown." I finally explained. Ben frowned. But then, his eyes widened in what seemed to be realization. "I think I know that guy. He's…" I cut him off. "Please, don't tell me who he is. Just next time, do tell him he's an idiot." I said pleadingly.
He closed his mouth and gave me a disapproving look. "He can be a bit… Inattentive, but he's not such a bad guy." "I don't care." I huffed. "If you say so." My cousin rolled his eyes. "Now, take out your deck."
I did what I was told, taking the Deck Box. I then took the cards out of it. "Give them to me." I did so. Ben took them in his hands, looking through all of them for a minute in silence. Finally, he nodded. He took 4 of the cards, then gave the rest of the deck back to me.
"Before you start with dueling, you need to know the basics." He started seriously before putting the cards in front of me. "Do you know at least a thing about dueling?" "It's a stupid card game that children and for some reason adults play." I replied immediately.
My cousin gave me another look of disapproval. "That kind of thinking won't get you anywhere. Didn't we say that looking at positive side of things helps?" He reminded curtly. "Except that the positive side I see is anything that isn't related to the cards, like nature for example." I fired back. He let out a sigh.
"Just look at those cards, please?" I huffed but looked down at them. The first one was the fungus card I had seen earlier. He took it in one of his hands. "In Duel Monsters, your primary goal is to take out your opponent's Life Points before he does that to you. You use various cards to accomplish that goal." He started explaining.
I did appreciate he wanted to explain it, but the game still sounded so stupid… "This is the Monster Card." Ben then pointed at the fungus card. "You see those small, three stars?" He asked. I nodded. "That's the level of your monster."
He then pointed at a brown circle with some Japanese writing above the small circled stars. "This is the element of your monster. In this case, it's Earth." I nodded once again. "And those numbers in the lower, right corner…."
"Those numbers actually show how much Attack and Defense points your monster has!" A young, male voice was echoing in my head.
"Serena, are you listening to me?" Ben's voice broke my train of thoughts. I quickly shook my head before looking at my cousin. He seemed to be a bit annoyed that I apparently zoned out. "Yes, yes! Those numbers show how much my monster has Attack and Defense points!" I quickly said.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Alright…." He trailed off but then frowned. "Each Monster has Special Effect you can use in the duel. In your case, this fungus is able to absorb points from your opponent's monster, and either use them or turn them into Life Points for you." "Really?" I looked up at him surprise. He nodded. That sounded… Kind of cool.
He lifted another card. It showed plants standing straight even though they were sprayed by a bottle in someone's hand. "This is a Trap Card." Ben stated. "And it…"
"The Trap Cards can be used anytime during your opponent's turn. However, you may have to wait for a certain effect to activate. Those cards help you out a lot, especially if the opponent attacks you." The voice explained excitedly.
Someone was shaking me by my shoulders. "Serena, you're not listening!" Ben looked at me angrily. I looked up at him, my eyes wide. "But I was!" I lied. "The Trap Cards are used anytime during the opponent's turn!" I then added.
Ben was looking at me incredulously. "Which drugs are you on?" He demanded. "Ben." I glared at him. That was so rude of him to say! "I mean it! I didn't even start explaining what the Trap Card was when you zoned out, but now you just told me you know what it is!" He was obviously losing it.
However, he then took a deep breath. "Are you sure you've never played Duel Monsters?" He demanded. I shook my head. "Never, I don't even know what it's about!" I answered honestly.
Honestly, I wasn't sure what exactly happened… Except that I heard a young, male voice in my head explaining to me what those cards were. I didn't know what to think of it. I was definitely going crazy… However, seeing Ben was angry, I decided to stay quiet about that matter. I would question my sanity later, when I was alone.
My cousin gave me the card. I looked at it better. Apparently, the Trap Card was called 'Rapid Evolution'. If I used it, one of my monsters could become immune to any attack during one turn… Based on the description of the card anyway.
"Fine, let's just continue." Ben sighed, taking the next card in his right hand. I let out a sigh as well. Here we go again…
That's it for this chapter! I think you could guess who that 'idiot' in the shop was... ;) Things should pick up the pace starting from the next chapter, which will feature a bit of a time jump. I hope you liked it and until next time!