"Mail's here!"
The old voice of Solomon Motou cried through the air, and Yugi did his best to fasten the belt of his pants as quickly as he could to go down stairs and collect it. Now he was almost ready to leave the house and peruse the city with his friends on the somewhat dreary Sunday afternoon. He had slept later than expected, and would probably have to take the train downtown to make up for lost time. But at the cost of 200 Yen, he was easily sacrificing a good hotdog or round of arcade games.
His shoe laces were undone, but he wasn't worried. The boots were a little large and awkward for his tastes but they adjusted his height in such a way that there was now only a marginal difference between the heights of he and his darker self. As he had grown older the last years or so since he initially solved the Millenium Puzzle in the beginning of High School, he had noticed the gap being bridged between the age of the Pharaoh Atem before his death and Yugi's own age. Now he was a third year student, still a little short, but climbing the ranks steadily.
But still, as confident as he was, Yugi collapsed when a miscalculation in balance hit him. He was less decorated now, the only things in plain view was the Millenium Puzzle. The other items were tucked away in his backpack. But as he fell down the stairs, tilting in such a way not to land on the awkward ornament on his chest, his bag came undone. Nothing seemed to be a miss as he stared at it. Time seemed to stand still as he fell in what seemed like slow motion, but eventually an object came hurling out. It was a golden ball marked with the same symbol the other Millenium Items were.
There was an aged cry, and Yugi could only imagine that they eye had clunked his grandfather in the head upon it's descent. As Yugi finally caught himself, he turned to his the familiar figure downstairs. His grandfather clutched the side of his head, only ratifying Yugi's suspicions. But there was something terribly off. The letters had fallen free of his grandfather's grasp in the commotion, and had fluttered into different spots. However, the Millenium Eye had stopped dead onto one of them, pinning it down. It spun quietly, emitting a quiet whisper as it scratched at the paper in its circular motion.
Yugi's first impulse was to fix his things, and he did so as he walked down stairs more cautiously. He picked up the eye, which offered no resistance in his rotation, but then choked a breath nearly dropping it again. He had to do things cautiously or he might get excited and trip again, so he placed the eye into his bag before picking up the letter that was weighted by the sphere's presence.
"Whatcha' got there, partner?" His grandfather was collecting the other pieces of mail without much complaint about the collision of the ball and his head. Yugi adjusted the dress shirt he had on over his usual attire, it was just a plain white button-up that he had rolled the sleeves up on. He did this nervously, trying to pretend nothing was wrong.
"Oh nothing, it's just an advertisement about a new game shop. I think someone's trying to put you out of business again, Grandpa'!" He was supportively cheerful, but he adjusted his bag again and slid the letter into his front pocket hoping that his grandfather didn't notice the familiar emblem on it. He'd open it later in the presence of his comradery where he could resolve things step by step.
"You know what, I've gotta' get going! I'm burning daylight, but I promise I'll check out this new store and let you know of the competition!" With that, he didn't give his grandfather time to catch up with any response. He darted out the door and made a brisk walk down the quiet lane for the subway station four blocks away. Downtown, Anzu, Jounouchi, and Honda must have been waiting for him, as well as anyone else who had shown up for the one free day of the week in the eastern land.
He still couldn't believe who the envelope's return address was from. Had the sleeper finally awoken?
---
"Pegasus J. Crawford sent YOU a lettah'?" The blonde haired youth Katsuya Jounouchi exclaimed in a mix of terror and renewed aggression. After everything that they had been through involving the man called Pegasus, he wasn't sure that anything good could come of that name. Of course, after everything had been said and done, the misled man had lived up to his word. . . But was that enough to simply accept an invitation to America from him?
Jounouchi pulled some of his blonde hair out of his eyes, it had gotten longer but somehow still held the same position it always had. Anzu had cut it in the back when he started to show signs of an upward curl, but he had let the front hang down in his face as always. It gave him the element of surprise when the hair would fall out of his eyes and he would be dead glaring into his opponent's face.
"Yeah, it's an invite for 'Yugi Motou and guests' to come over to Industrial Light and Magic Inc., the corporation that makes Duel Monsters. Apparently, they want us as guests for the unveiling of three new sets that are coming out." Jounouchi noticed how appealing Yugi was trying to make this seem, as he carefully gestured with each word darting his eyes back between he, Anzu, and Honda. They had been through the entire ordeal with him, and returning to see a new set unveiled was right up Jounouchi's alley.
While he was never a first place winner in any big leagues, Jounouchi was still attending local events around the locale of Domino City. While his Kansai accent was a little thick and he occassionally slurred the words of the cards, he still was revered for being somewhat of a local legend. This was also very true because Yugi never played in any local tournaments. Somehow, his skill was kept fresh without playing ever at all, and Jounouchi hoped to tap into that timeless skill one day.
He looked towards the sky, which was thick with clouds baked in the sunlight. For the past two days, it had been clouded without rain. A grey sky that seemed to glow eternally. He wasn't really concerned. As a rebellious youth, he often found himself running in the rain, so if it ever did come, he'd let it. Still, to get out of Japan during a bad weather season like this. . .
It was the summer, but it felt like the school year still. Anzu stilled worked at 'Burger World' serving traditional American meals, and Jounouchi had extended his paper route much further than usual. Yugi worked at his grandfather's game shop, and Honda had become the bus boy at a local French restaraunt. With the group split up from the work schedule, only on a Sunday could they all gather at one time without being overly exhausted. The opportunity of going to America and being together seemed alright, and with a new set in mind. . .
Ever since Bakura had used the entire "Threat Of The Demon World" set against Yugi in a daring clash in a ficticious world inside the Millenium Puzzle, Jounouchi was ready for a change. Everyone was using demon style decks, and there was little offered for his warrior deck currently.
"Well?" Anzu poked at Jounouchi's side, he instinctively jerked back. It seemed that with all eyes on him, the blonde rogue had been in thought much longer than he intended. Trying to compensate for his lack of activity, he zealously through a fist in the air.
"Alright, let's go to America!"
"We already decided that we were going Jou', we were asking if you wanted to go out for Pizza tonight."
---
She stared at him, and she wondered and she longed. Why wasn't he showing his face today? Was he hiding from her? Did he feel it wrong to put others at expense for his own personal needs. He didn't noticed her locked gaze on him, his hair was in his eyes as he ate the pizza slices quickly. He had picked up habits from Jounouchi like eating so fast that you would choke, but it was nice to see them getting along.
Anzu sighed behind the glass of soda and eased herself into the back of the leather booth. Somewhere behind those golden locks were darker eyes, that burned with poetic resolve. Now that she had really seen him, she longed to see him again. That fated challenge between Yugi and "Atem" that had been destined for all time.
He lost. . .
But he lost gracefully, beautifully.
Honda and Jounouchi exchanged jokes, Yugi choked down another slice. Where he put all of that food was beyond her, for being such a slender child and all. She scolded herself quietly with a sigh. Ironically, Yugi wasn't that much younger than her. He was a fast student who advanced quickly, but he was still only a year or so behind. Maybe there was hope in him that could not be found in the darker half.
But she couldn't get her mind off of it. How could she ignore Yugi if he was the body, the possessor of Atem? They were the same person in some respects, and yet she only pined for one half. She couldn't fall for them both, that would be playing the field too much. She couldn't fall for just the one, that would trick the emotions of the innocent.
"So a new set huh? You actually think you can go anywhere with that, Jou'?" Anzu tried to change the subject to get her mind off her real problems. There was no reason to dwell on it with success for her friends oncoming. Honda chimed in something to add to what she said, but she was phasing out of the plane of reality they were in, and had to focus to stop.
"Yeah, I guess so. . . I mean, I gotta' lotta' good cards already. . . Let's see. . . D. D. Warriah' Lady, and Freed the Matchless General! And then there's Gearfried da' I'on Knight. . ." Jounouchi counted off generals and soldiers on his finger tips on and on until Anzu had lost all interest. His mouth moved but no audible sound seemed to come out. She swayed back and forth, taking another sip of the soda to seem animated in such a way that she was there, with them. Aside from that, she just pretended to listen, and dwell further on her problems.
"You still play too Anzu, right? Kaiba did give you da' hookup a while ago when we got back from Alcatraz Island." Anzu snapped to attention. She forgot about that. After talking with Seto Kaiba about dealing with loss and how helpful he was playing his part in the scheme of things against the darker urges of Malik, he had rewarded her with a plethora of cards.
"This is the only way you're going to get close."
She remembered his words well, the way he actually smiled when he handed her them. It was a documented reduplication of that which had been used upon the defeat of the members of the Big Five by her hand. She had done him a favor, and he had done her a favor. A way of relating to that which she wished to be closer to.
"I don't really tinker around with it anymore. It's alright. . . You know, Dark Magician Girl and all that. I don't have time to play on weekends, you know I have dance class." She smiled batting Jounouchi on the head with his straw, her soda glass finished quickly from nervously sipping at it.
"Yeah, I don't think you can call Dance Dance Reva'lution 'Dance Class', Anzu." She smirked, it was true. Ever since the last summer and the clash against that cheating scoundrel, she had begun to excel at her own game. Yugi had once spoke to her about the value of games when she was purchasing a pack in the family game shop just as an excuse to see his face. As the conversation began to rile up again about work anecdotes and card games, she tried to remember his words, which weighed as if he were his other self. . .
"You see, people play games for different reasons. Like Duel Monsters! The intuitive nature of Duel Monsters has driven men mad, towards their goals, and even into bankruptcy. There are many who are trying to make it big, who are trying to be good enough to impress themselves, or to impress others. There are those who play because they need to feel like someone, and those who are walking someone else's path. There are those who are looking to waste time, and those who think anything else IS a waste of time. Everyone has a reason that's good enough for themselves to be here, so make sure you have yours. I play this game for the sole purpose of friendship, the reason why it was created. To interact with a mind of someone else, to meet a new friend and not just win, but win a new friend in the process. "
Huh. . . Thanks, Yugi.
The old voice of Solomon Motou cried through the air, and Yugi did his best to fasten the belt of his pants as quickly as he could to go down stairs and collect it. Now he was almost ready to leave the house and peruse the city with his friends on the somewhat dreary Sunday afternoon. He had slept later than expected, and would probably have to take the train downtown to make up for lost time. But at the cost of 200 Yen, he was easily sacrificing a good hotdog or round of arcade games.
His shoe laces were undone, but he wasn't worried. The boots were a little large and awkward for his tastes but they adjusted his height in such a way that there was now only a marginal difference between the heights of he and his darker self. As he had grown older the last years or so since he initially solved the Millenium Puzzle in the beginning of High School, he had noticed the gap being bridged between the age of the Pharaoh Atem before his death and Yugi's own age. Now he was a third year student, still a little short, but climbing the ranks steadily.
But still, as confident as he was, Yugi collapsed when a miscalculation in balance hit him. He was less decorated now, the only things in plain view was the Millenium Puzzle. The other items were tucked away in his backpack. But as he fell down the stairs, tilting in such a way not to land on the awkward ornament on his chest, his bag came undone. Nothing seemed to be a miss as he stared at it. Time seemed to stand still as he fell in what seemed like slow motion, but eventually an object came hurling out. It was a golden ball marked with the same symbol the other Millenium Items were.
There was an aged cry, and Yugi could only imagine that they eye had clunked his grandfather in the head upon it's descent. As Yugi finally caught himself, he turned to his the familiar figure downstairs. His grandfather clutched the side of his head, only ratifying Yugi's suspicions. But there was something terribly off. The letters had fallen free of his grandfather's grasp in the commotion, and had fluttered into different spots. However, the Millenium Eye had stopped dead onto one of them, pinning it down. It spun quietly, emitting a quiet whisper as it scratched at the paper in its circular motion.
Yugi's first impulse was to fix his things, and he did so as he walked down stairs more cautiously. He picked up the eye, which offered no resistance in his rotation, but then choked a breath nearly dropping it again. He had to do things cautiously or he might get excited and trip again, so he placed the eye into his bag before picking up the letter that was weighted by the sphere's presence.
"Whatcha' got there, partner?" His grandfather was collecting the other pieces of mail without much complaint about the collision of the ball and his head. Yugi adjusted the dress shirt he had on over his usual attire, it was just a plain white button-up that he had rolled the sleeves up on. He did this nervously, trying to pretend nothing was wrong.
"Oh nothing, it's just an advertisement about a new game shop. I think someone's trying to put you out of business again, Grandpa'!" He was supportively cheerful, but he adjusted his bag again and slid the letter into his front pocket hoping that his grandfather didn't notice the familiar emblem on it. He'd open it later in the presence of his comradery where he could resolve things step by step.
"You know what, I've gotta' get going! I'm burning daylight, but I promise I'll check out this new store and let you know of the competition!" With that, he didn't give his grandfather time to catch up with any response. He darted out the door and made a brisk walk down the quiet lane for the subway station four blocks away. Downtown, Anzu, Jounouchi, and Honda must have been waiting for him, as well as anyone else who had shown up for the one free day of the week in the eastern land.
He still couldn't believe who the envelope's return address was from. Had the sleeper finally awoken?
---
"Pegasus J. Crawford sent YOU a lettah'?" The blonde haired youth Katsuya Jounouchi exclaimed in a mix of terror and renewed aggression. After everything that they had been through involving the man called Pegasus, he wasn't sure that anything good could come of that name. Of course, after everything had been said and done, the misled man had lived up to his word. . . But was that enough to simply accept an invitation to America from him?
Jounouchi pulled some of his blonde hair out of his eyes, it had gotten longer but somehow still held the same position it always had. Anzu had cut it in the back when he started to show signs of an upward curl, but he had let the front hang down in his face as always. It gave him the element of surprise when the hair would fall out of his eyes and he would be dead glaring into his opponent's face.
"Yeah, it's an invite for 'Yugi Motou and guests' to come over to Industrial Light and Magic Inc., the corporation that makes Duel Monsters. Apparently, they want us as guests for the unveiling of three new sets that are coming out." Jounouchi noticed how appealing Yugi was trying to make this seem, as he carefully gestured with each word darting his eyes back between he, Anzu, and Honda. They had been through the entire ordeal with him, and returning to see a new set unveiled was right up Jounouchi's alley.
While he was never a first place winner in any big leagues, Jounouchi was still attending local events around the locale of Domino City. While his Kansai accent was a little thick and he occassionally slurred the words of the cards, he still was revered for being somewhat of a local legend. This was also very true because Yugi never played in any local tournaments. Somehow, his skill was kept fresh without playing ever at all, and Jounouchi hoped to tap into that timeless skill one day.
He looked towards the sky, which was thick with clouds baked in the sunlight. For the past two days, it had been clouded without rain. A grey sky that seemed to glow eternally. He wasn't really concerned. As a rebellious youth, he often found himself running in the rain, so if it ever did come, he'd let it. Still, to get out of Japan during a bad weather season like this. . .
It was the summer, but it felt like the school year still. Anzu stilled worked at 'Burger World' serving traditional American meals, and Jounouchi had extended his paper route much further than usual. Yugi worked at his grandfather's game shop, and Honda had become the bus boy at a local French restaraunt. With the group split up from the work schedule, only on a Sunday could they all gather at one time without being overly exhausted. The opportunity of going to America and being together seemed alright, and with a new set in mind. . .
Ever since Bakura had used the entire "Threat Of The Demon World" set against Yugi in a daring clash in a ficticious world inside the Millenium Puzzle, Jounouchi was ready for a change. Everyone was using demon style decks, and there was little offered for his warrior deck currently.
"Well?" Anzu poked at Jounouchi's side, he instinctively jerked back. It seemed that with all eyes on him, the blonde rogue had been in thought much longer than he intended. Trying to compensate for his lack of activity, he zealously through a fist in the air.
"Alright, let's go to America!"
"We already decided that we were going Jou', we were asking if you wanted to go out for Pizza tonight."
---
She stared at him, and she wondered and she longed. Why wasn't he showing his face today? Was he hiding from her? Did he feel it wrong to put others at expense for his own personal needs. He didn't noticed her locked gaze on him, his hair was in his eyes as he ate the pizza slices quickly. He had picked up habits from Jounouchi like eating so fast that you would choke, but it was nice to see them getting along.
Anzu sighed behind the glass of soda and eased herself into the back of the leather booth. Somewhere behind those golden locks were darker eyes, that burned with poetic resolve. Now that she had really seen him, she longed to see him again. That fated challenge between Yugi and "Atem" that had been destined for all time.
He lost. . .
But he lost gracefully, beautifully.
Honda and Jounouchi exchanged jokes, Yugi choked down another slice. Where he put all of that food was beyond her, for being such a slender child and all. She scolded herself quietly with a sigh. Ironically, Yugi wasn't that much younger than her. He was a fast student who advanced quickly, but he was still only a year or so behind. Maybe there was hope in him that could not be found in the darker half.
But she couldn't get her mind off of it. How could she ignore Yugi if he was the body, the possessor of Atem? They were the same person in some respects, and yet she only pined for one half. She couldn't fall for them both, that would be playing the field too much. She couldn't fall for just the one, that would trick the emotions of the innocent.
"So a new set huh? You actually think you can go anywhere with that, Jou'?" Anzu tried to change the subject to get her mind off her real problems. There was no reason to dwell on it with success for her friends oncoming. Honda chimed in something to add to what she said, but she was phasing out of the plane of reality they were in, and had to focus to stop.
"Yeah, I guess so. . . I mean, I gotta' lotta' good cards already. . . Let's see. . . D. D. Warriah' Lady, and Freed the Matchless General! And then there's Gearfried da' I'on Knight. . ." Jounouchi counted off generals and soldiers on his finger tips on and on until Anzu had lost all interest. His mouth moved but no audible sound seemed to come out. She swayed back and forth, taking another sip of the soda to seem animated in such a way that she was there, with them. Aside from that, she just pretended to listen, and dwell further on her problems.
"You still play too Anzu, right? Kaiba did give you da' hookup a while ago when we got back from Alcatraz Island." Anzu snapped to attention. She forgot about that. After talking with Seto Kaiba about dealing with loss and how helpful he was playing his part in the scheme of things against the darker urges of Malik, he had rewarded her with a plethora of cards.
"This is the only way you're going to get close."
She remembered his words well, the way he actually smiled when he handed her them. It was a documented reduplication of that which had been used upon the defeat of the members of the Big Five by her hand. She had done him a favor, and he had done her a favor. A way of relating to that which she wished to be closer to.
"I don't really tinker around with it anymore. It's alright. . . You know, Dark Magician Girl and all that. I don't have time to play on weekends, you know I have dance class." She smiled batting Jounouchi on the head with his straw, her soda glass finished quickly from nervously sipping at it.
"Yeah, I don't think you can call Dance Dance Reva'lution 'Dance Class', Anzu." She smirked, it was true. Ever since the last summer and the clash against that cheating scoundrel, she had begun to excel at her own game. Yugi had once spoke to her about the value of games when she was purchasing a pack in the family game shop just as an excuse to see his face. As the conversation began to rile up again about work anecdotes and card games, she tried to remember his words, which weighed as if he were his other self. . .
"You see, people play games for different reasons. Like Duel Monsters! The intuitive nature of Duel Monsters has driven men mad, towards their goals, and even into bankruptcy. There are many who are trying to make it big, who are trying to be good enough to impress themselves, or to impress others. There are those who play because they need to feel like someone, and those who are walking someone else's path. There are those who are looking to waste time, and those who think anything else IS a waste of time. Everyone has a reason that's good enough for themselves to be here, so make sure you have yours. I play this game for the sole purpose of friendship, the reason why it was created. To interact with a mind of someone else, to meet a new friend and not just win, but win a new friend in the process. "
Huh. . . Thanks, Yugi.