Chapter 5: Bad News Bears
I shrugged, easing my way into my new Obelisk Blue uniform. I chose to keep the solid blue as the main color of the coat while keeping white limited to the accents. I had the coattails removed, finding them needlessly cumbersome. Also, I didn't care to jack Zane's style. "I'm blue, da ba dee da ba dee…" I hum as I finish tying my boots.
Everything was moved in thanks to the student-hired volunteer moving crew, as well as Bastion, Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley. I wanted to treat the guys to something, but I had no money, and they needed nothing extra from me anyhow, so I simply thanked them as best I could. I would make it up to them sometime.
The room was absolutely gorgeous. Large picture windows on the west wall allowed for a calming flood of natural light to enter the room- I would have little need for the glass chandelier dangling from the ceiling until nightfall. I wouldn't be bothered by the sunrise when I woke, but I would be able to enjoy a nice view of the sunset if I so chose.
The bed was entirely too large and comfortable for one person, but that was no problem at all in my opinion. My clothes fit into the spacious dressers with plenty of room to spare, and I had my own bathroom! I think I might have died and fucked right off to heaven! Any regret I had about defeating Chazz the way I did evaporated when I saw this bathroom. I mean we're talking brass towel racks here people!
After the boys left, I had half a mind to call Alexis over right now to admire these brass towel racks and maybe make out with her. Wait, did I say that part out loud? Now I was sure I was giving myself too much credit when it came to the ladies.
Luckily, there was no need for me to pick up the phone at all. A ring on my doorbell (I have a doorbell?!) signaled the arrival of a visitor. I opened the door to find Alexis standing there in a fetching black t-shirt with white shorts. Her hair was done up in a ponytail, which I thought looked very good on her, although she had the type of hair that worked in any style.
"Well, well, I see you're already moved in, and in your new uniform no less! Have you moved from the mirror since you put it on?" She smirked wickedly.
"You laugh, but you know I look damn good in this ensemble." I chuckle.
"Well, it's a step up from that dreadful yellow, at least. May I come inside?" Alexis asked, and I just now noticed she was holding something in her hands.
"By all means." I waved her in, keeping my eyes trained on her hands. It appeared she was carrying a small black box. Was she about to pop the question? I mean I know I'm a catch, but this is a bit much!
"How much did the ring cost you?" I asked, and we both laughed.
She plopped down onto the bed, sitting at the mattresses' edge with her legs crossed. "I actually got a good deal on a secret rare Ring of Destruction on eBay, only twenty dollars for a slightly used copy. You can really save a lot of money if you don't mind a bit of damage on the cards. I assume that's what you mean?"
I nodded facetiously. "More useful than a diamond if you ask me. Really, what's in the box?"
She opened it deftly. "It's a customary gift whenever a new member joins the ranks of Obelisk. A rare card that I thought would fit your deck just right. Zane and I knew just what to get you."
No way. It was an Ultra Rare copy of Chaos Sorcerer, a card I was sorely missing in my deck. It was summoned in the same way as Black Luster Soldier- a light monster and a dark monster had to be banished from grave. Chaos Sorcerer had a decent 2300 attack stat, but his real power shone through in his effect, which allowed me to banish a face-up monster at the cost of not being able to attack that turn.
"Near mint, as well…this must have cost a pretty penny, Alexis. Thank you!" I hugged her, truly appreciative.
"Well, the card shop gave us a pretty good deal…but I wouldn't thank me yet."
I felt a sudden lurch in the pit of my stomach. I let go of her suddenly. "Oh."
She nodded knowingly. "I'm glad this won't come as an undue shock to you. Come to the lake at one in the morning sharp. There are some welcoming traditions in Obelisk Blue that all new members go through. Don't bring anything else but your deck and some swimming trunks."
Memories of college came rushing back. I chuckled, remembering initiation week at the fraternity I rushed. I never thought I would need a deck of Yugioh cards at a hazing ritual, but this is the world we live in. Or rather, the world I live in.
"In that case, I'll be ready." Was all I replied with. I would hate for the sweet girl to twist my words against me later during this ritual.
"Thanks for being such a good sport. Believe me, you're getting off easy. I had to do this during my very first night here." She said, getting real with me for a second.
"I'd like to sympathize, but I really can't until I know exactly what 'this' is." I dryly replied.
She tilted her head in understanding. "Bastion's rationality rubbed off on you, I think. But I'm glad to have you in Obelisk, Jamie. I know the circumstances we've met under have been weird, but you seem like a decent guy."
I looked at her, my bright green eyes meeting her hazel ones. I didn't look away until she did first. "Thanks. I agree, things have been a bit strange. I feel like I hardly know ya, to be honest."
"I'd be happy to show you around the commons sometime."
"Tomorrow, then, after I catch up on sleep. We'll get food or something afterwards." I decided to capitalize on the opportunity she so graciously offered. I knew that unless I gave a specific date, the plans would inevitably fall through.
She stood, stretching her back. "Sounds good, Jamie. Do try to have fun tonight. Just remember we're all glad you're here." Oddly enough, I found her constant reassurances more intimidating than anything, or least I would have if I were the green boy she thinks I am.
"Of course. I'll see you soon, Alexis."
Later that night, I slept in a hoodie and sweatpants, ready to jump out of bed at a moment's notice. Then, at exactly one in the morning, I heard numerous footsteps outside my door. They tried to be stealthy, but there were far too many people out there to sneak around effectively. Still, I kept my eyes shut, not wanting to spoil the fun.
Dozens of people starting yelling, causing me to jump out of my bed and stand at full attention. The door was unlocked- one of those damn resident assistants must have had a master key! At the front of the pack was Zane, of fucking course.
"C'mon freshie, you owe me five goddamn laps around the lake now!" He shouted, a sharp departure from his usually stoic voice. I was frozen for a moment, hardly believing this was real, until he yelled, "NOW!"
That had me moving real quick.
It wasn't anything too bad, compared to my first time doing this type of thing in college. For the first leg of the night, I had to undergo physical trials as if we were in the army. This was considered "payment" for that new Chaos Sorcerer my so-called friends gifted me. I had to run five miles around the lake while the men and women of Obelisk Blue shouted various obscenities at me before we entered what was known as the "gauntlet".
Basically, I had to duel and beat five Obelisks in a row. If it any point I lost, my count would be reset, so a 5-0 record was necessary. I was huffing and panting at this point, sweat stinging my eyes as my brown bangs hung limply over my forehead. I discarded the hoodie halfway through the run, and I could tell that despite their affected attitudes, some of the girls liked what they saw. A small comfort, of course.
After I finished the run, my duel disk and deck were roughly shoved into my hands by a random student. Thank Ra they didn't find my Melodious Diva deck from 2016. That would have been more than a little awkward and difficult to explain.
The moon was full, and cast a pale blue hue over everything in sight. The trees, the water, and those uniforms my new floormates wore. This singular color, combined with my weariness, made this whole affair seem surreal, like a reflection in water.
My brain wasn't working- time to rely on instinct. The first two Obelisks went down in a matter of turns, and I nearly thought I was in the clear. I could've sworn I recognized one of the Obelisks- a guy with long hair and glasses- but in my haste, I didn't figure out who it was. Soon enough, however, I got handily defeated by a guy playing Chain Burn. The only way I could have been angrier would be if he was playing Exodia. Now that's some real cancer. I'll admit it- I was cheering for Weevil when he threw those damn cards overboard! Clearly Yugi didn't need them to win anyways, so there! Fight me!
I had to make use of every tool in my arsenal to keep up with the blue duelists, and I bluffed more than once. The anime often made Obelisk Blue duelists out to be rich snobs who only got in the dorm due to their parent's money and connections. While there were students like that to be sure, most of these people were good duelists in their own right and deserved their rank.
By the time I had managed to win four games in a row, I was on my twelfth game. At this point, I wasn't sure if I was going to even win the last game, having lost twice at this point. Perhaps I would simply stay here forever, eternally dueling the students of Obelisk Blue as the sun rose and fell around us. Suddenly, I felt a new respect for Syrus, who surely had to go through this in canon when he was promoted to Obelisk Blue in season 3.
Who would be my last opponent? If it was Zane, I think I legitimately would have thrown a temper tantrum. To my shock, however, I saw the braided brown hair, the white uniform on tanned skin. It was Erin.
"Ooh, good run, Jaime. Sad that it's gotta end here, you were doing so well." She said as she fastened her duel disk to her arm.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I really hope you suck at this game." I wheeze.
"Well, hope's a four letter word." Erin replied, drawing chuckles from the onlookers.
"In that case, I think I should stop hoping and start doing!" I rip the first card from the top of my deck, my teeth bared. "Let's duel!"
"I've been looking forward to this, Lancaster!" She replied with equal ferocity. "Show me that you are worthy of being called an Obelisk Blue!"
"Fine! I summon Vorse Raider (1900/1200) in attack mode!" A muscular orc clad in green armor leapt onto the field, a malicious expression on its ugly face.
"Next, I'll play two face-downs and end my turn." I finished. My monster was strong, and my traps should protect him well. If I can get some momentum, I can finish this duel before she gets her strategy together. I wanted nothing more than to close my tired eyes at this point, but I had no intention of wimping out front of the entire dorm.
"Very well…" Erin, on the other hand, looked like she was having the time of her life. What deck will she play? I figure it's something water-related, what with her being a surfer, but that would be a bit on the nose, cliche even. She could be playing anything. "It's time to show you what some real monsters can do." She said. Her attitude reminded me of an even more aggressive Jaden.
"I activate the field spell A Legendary Ocean!" she declared as holographic water flooded the grass, seemingly submerging us to our ankles. It seems my initial assumption was correct. I didn't want to judge a book by its cover, but then again, that's why books have covers.
"As I'm sure you know, this field spell gives all water monsters two hundred extra attack and defense points. It also lowers the levels of all water monsters in our hands by one. Because of this, I can normal summon Terrorking Salmon (2600/1000) in attack mode without a sacrifice!" A vicious-looking fish jumped out of the water, settling on the surface as it stared down my Vorse Raider hatefully.
"I don't like those traps…so I'll set a face-down and end my turn." She finished. What would make this match difficult for me was the fact that Erin had seen my deck in action before, however briefly. She knew that I had a proclivity for traps and defensive play. Suddenly, I had a really bad feeling about her face-down card.
"Draw! During my standby phase, I activate one of my trap cards, Compulsory Evacuation Device! This will let me send a monster on the field back to its owner's hand. I choose your salmon!" I declared, desperately hoping this would go through.
Erin smirked. "Not this time, Jamie. I chain my trap card, Royal Decree! While this face-up card is on the field, the effects of all other trap cards on the field are negated!"
I gaped, sending my now-useless trap to the grave. "Oh, fuck me."
"So direct…I like that. This isn't the time or the place, though. You were fishing when I first met you, but right now I'd wager you look more like a landed fish! Now, you can continue your turn." Erin quipped. Ugh, why are all these Obelisk Blues so damn witty? Of course, I can't complain too much at risk of looking like a hypocrite.
"I don't need trap cards to win! You're about to find out what true power really is! I activate Foolish Burial, letting me send a monster from my deck to the graveyard." I sent Airknight Parsath, wanting a light monster in grave as soon as possible.
"Next, I'll set a monster and switch Vorse Raider to defense mode. That ends my turn." This is really bad. Her monsters were far too powerful for me to fight head-on. I was growing of tired of relying solely on defense to win games- it was giving me a bit of a reputation. Still, it was my only choice in most cases.
"Just hiding again, eh? I thought you had more guts than that, Jamie! I summon Amphibious Bugroth MK-3 (1700/700)!" An orange-painted submarine with green jet boosters surfaced above the water.
"As long as my field spell is around, this monster can attack you directly!" The vessel carved through the water, painlessly passing through me. She must have put in her deck to counter my monsters that cannot be destroyed by battle. This situation was getting worse by the second. (Jamie 2300/Erin 4000)
"Now, my Terrorking Salmon will destroy your Vorse Raider!" The giant fish snapped up my orc effortlessly, leaving only my set monster on my side of the field. "That ends my turn."
It was probably around three in the morning now, and I could tell that Erin was at least beginning to feel a little sleepy. That's probably why she's been acting so excited- to ward off fatigue. If I could pressure her into making a mistake, I could take this game. First, I need to destroy that Bugroth submarine, and this draw was the best thing I could've asked for!
"I activate Lightning Vortex! By discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy all monsters on your side of the field. I don't know about, but I'm feeling like some well-done char-broiled salmon, how about you?!" I actually cackle as her monsters are all zapped with lightning from the heavens above.
"And since I discarded Sinister Serpent (300/200), it returns to my hand immediately!" Unfortunately, the only other card left in my hand wouldn't be good to mount an assault with at the time, so I was forced to end my turn. Luckily, I still had a monster in defense mode on the field, and I couldn't wait for her to see what it was.
"Lucky draws…it won't save you for long. I summon Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness (2000/1700 after Legendary Ocean boost) in attack mode!" A fearsome warrior clad in indigo-blue armor rose from the water, a golden pike in his hand. "Now, attack his defensive monster!"
The warrior loosed his pike, only for it to sink harmlessly through my favorite pink marshmallow. "Bad luck, Erin. I'm sure you're familiar with what Marshmallon can do at this point." I smiled. She grimaced as she was forced to pay 1000 life points to the piper. (Jamie 2300/Erin 3000)
"That's just fine, Jamie. I figure you'd draw that little number sooner or later. You already know I have ways of working past your legendary defenses." She leaned back, seeming content with how things were going.
"Are my defenses considered legendary already? High praise." I replied cheekily.
"Only because of cheap they are. Most duelists are used to actually fighting their opponent head-on, rather than working past layers and layers of traps. Of course, I don't have that problem." She explained. Oh for Ra's sake, would these people ever shut up about my "cheap tactics"? It's a card game!
"No, I suppose you don't. You do, however, have this to worry about. I activate Pot of Greed!" It's not banned yet, merely limited to one. Yeah, it's that bad. The card was an absolute staple and there was a reason it would never come off the banlist once it was on there. It's hard to believe the lengths which players would go to draw two cards later on, just look at Pot of Desires for proof!
"Next, I'll play Brain Control! By paying 800 life points, I can take control of one of your monsters until the end of this turn. That means your Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness serves me now!" The crowd on onlookers booed, finding this to be a dishonorable tactic. Little did they know that dishonorable was my middle name. Yep, Jamie Dishonorable Lancaster was my full legal name. Funny how my namesake, Jaime Lannister, was also maligned by the public for being a man without honor. Unlike him, I planned to keep my so-called dirty tactics confined to the dueling fields. (Jamie 1500/Erin 3000)
The warrior clutched his head, seemingly in agony as he struggled against my mind control. Unfortunately, his attempt to break free was in vain. Soon enough, he went limp and hovered over to my side of the field, an unwitting accomplice to my master plan.
"Don't worry, you would get him back at the end of the turn if I were foolish enough to actually keep him for that long. No, I sacrifice your monster to summon one of my own! Come out, Vampire Lord (2000/1500)!"
In a pillar of purple flame, a pale blue-haired man appeared, his features angular and effeminate. His cape fluttered in the night, black on black. "He may not look strong, but his effect more than makes up for it! Now, he'll attack you directly!"
Opening his cape, my vampire let loose a swarm of bats to harass my opponent. Erin braced herself for their arrival, finding their appearance hideous. (Jamie 1500/Erin 1000)
"Now, my monster's effect activates! When he inflicts battle damage to you, I can declare one type of card, and you have to send one card of that type from your deck to your graveyard!" I paused, contemplating for a moment. Since she was running Royal Decree, I doubted she ran any other trap cards in her deck, so choosing that would be foolish. Choosing a monster could work, but she could have the means to resurrect it from the grave. A spell would be best in this instance, since spells generally have less utility in the graveyard than monsters.
"Send a spell." I said shortly. She nodded, recognizing that this was the wisest choice. She sent some inconsequential spell, I think it might have been a copy of Terraforming.
"Not only does Jamie have the life lead, but he has some good field presence going on as well. The Vampire Lord is good for attacking while he has the Marshmallon to keep his life points safe. Good on him. I'm surprised he can strategize this well while sleep-deprived." Alexis praised. She sat by the lake's edge with Zane, apart from the rest of the Obelisk Blue students.
"It is not as it seems. The pieces of Erin's strategy are all in place, Jamie just doesn't see them quite yet." Zane pointed out.
"What do you mean, Zane?"
"She has more cards in hand, and that field spell is going to come in handy very soon."
I heard Alexis and Zane talking about something, but I paid no heed. My position was far more precarious than it looked. I only hoped she didn't have the resources to take me down. This game was already entering its final stages.
"Nice move. Vampire Lord's a powerful card, but I've got plenty of stamina left." I saw a drop of sweat on Erin's tanned brow. The pressure was on now. I forced myself now to look at her, because how was I supposed to keep a cool head when she was out here looking like that? Grimacing, I readied myself for her move.
"I play Card of Sanctity, allowing us to each draw until we have six cards in hand." A crafty move- she drew more off the card's effect than I did. I summon Mother Grizzly (1400/1000) in attack mode!" A blue-furred grizzly bear surfaced from the water. Looks like Card of Sanctity has its anime effect- good to know.
Fun fact: I've always been a bit scared of bears. Maybe it's because they can rip arms from sockets the same way an ordinary person pulls the leaves off of a strawberry. Perhaps it's their surprising speed, or maybe it's just their size. For some reason, the Mother Grizzly here scared me more than the fantastical dragons and demons otherwise seen in this game. Although my wide eyes probably gave me away, I otherwise stood stoic in the face of this oddly terrifying creature.
"Now, I'll sacrifice my Mother Grizzly to call forth my strongest monster- Levia Dragon Daedalus (2800/2100 after Legendary Ocean boost)!" She raised one hand to the sky, her ponytail coming undone from the sudden updraft of wind that heralded the approach of her great leviathan. I had to admit, she looked better with her hair down. Of course, how Erin wore her hair was the least of my concerns in the present moment.
From the waves erupted the winding body of the serpent, its blue scales shining in the moonlight. Roaring, its yellow eyes, along with the cobalt gem on its forehead, glowed with unbridled power. Frankly, I was less scared of it than I was the bear.
"You try to control the pace of the fight through your defense. You're as predictable as a rock, Jamie! That makes you ill-equipped to handle my cards. Water can flow or drip or crash, and I control the water. Uncertainty makes you uncomfortable- I thrive in it!" She shouted as the water whipped around her and her monster coiled in the air.
"Ocean man, take me by the hand, lead me to the land, that you understand…" I found myself humming that stupid song under my breath. Shaking my head, I looked at my cards once more.
Oh, thank Ra she played Card of Sanctity. I couldn't believe that the card kept its anime effect rather than its beyond terrible real life effect. That card's a bit of a double-edged sword if your opponent is an enterprising bastard like myself. We were both dueling on a tightrope in a hurricane right now, and someone was about to fall into the drink. In such a situation, the most balanced and centered individual was the one who stayed on the tightrope the longest. Before long, Erin would learn the value of a conservative strategy.
"Your night is far from over, Jamie! Now, I activate my dragon's effect! By sending A Legendary Ocean from the field to the graveyard, I can destroy all other cards on the field!" From behind her, a wall of water rose twenty feet high. I knew it was a hologram, but it was still an imposing image. The wave crashed over the field, destroying her Royal Decree, my Vampire Lord, my Marshmallon, and the face-down card I had set earlier. Although I was obviously untouched by the holographic water, the wind whipped up by the attack blew my hair up to the point that I looked like a bargain-bin, brown-haired Super Saiyan. The water drained from the field, and the green grass we were standing on was once again visible.
Suddenly, Erin's dragon rapidly grew smaller in size, nearly half of its original proportions. "What's this?!" She questioned, suddenly caught off guard.
"I chained my face-down card to your dragon's effect- the quick-play spell Shrink. Now, until the end of the turn, your monster's attack and defense points are halved." Now, the creature could only hit me for 1300, meaning I would live to see another turn.
"You've delayed the inevitable, Jamie. Don't think you've seen the last of me once I win, either! After you beat the next four Obelisks, I'll be waiting to knock you on your ass again and again!" She declared as bombastically as any anime villain. I nearly laughed, knowing that this behavior was on some level a performance, a farce. Although maybe it wasn't and underneath Erin Reid's laid-back surfer persona was this gregarious figure who enjoyed nothing more putting new Obelisks through their paces. Perhaps this was therapy to her- I should really be charging for this!
"I get the feeling you would enjoy that." I replied. Her cheeks flushed, but she was otherwise undeterred.
"You'll find out. Levia-Dragon Daedalus, attack him directly!" She roared as her monster began charging a blue-white beam of energy in its mouth. Wow, nearly forgot about him. The dragon unleashed its beam attack, the raw stream of energy inexorably blasting towards me.I winced as the reduced beam struck me in the chest. With the dragon's attack points at 1300, I was barely holding on. (Jamie 200/Erin 1000)
"Unless you happen to run a burn spell in your deck, I think you might have to end your turn." I said, and she seemed to return to herself.
She said nothing to that, instead setting two face-down cards and ending her turn. Time for a miraculous comeback- now I know I live in an anime! The crowd whooped and hollered- because they were against or because they supported me, I would never be sure.
"Let's go! During my standby phase, my Vampire Lord is resurrected since he was destroyed by a card effect." Another tower of violet fire signaled the return of my monster. For some reason, the dapper vampire was holding a crimson rose between his long fingers. After a whiff, he nonchalantly threw the flower to the wind. Crazy how much detail they put into these holograms.
Oh boy, now that her Royal Decree was gone, my traps could coming back with a vengeance. Luckily, there would be no need for them this time, unless something went south again. The look of trepidation on Erin's normally playful, confident face was evidence enough that this game was nearly in hand.
"I hate to end this match so soon, but I think it's fitting that I end this with the card you guys gave me! By banishing Marshmallon and Vorse Raider to call forth Chaos Sorcerer (2300/2000)!" The warlock arrived in a blinding vortex of white light and smoky dark energy, wearing black and purple wizard's robes. In one had, that bright white power shone. In the other, dark indigo flames crackled intensely.
The noise from the crowd was building into a furor, like water coming to boil. I don't think Erin actually heard any of my words there, and I doubted I could hear her anymore. From the movement of her lips though, I could infer that she was less than pleased. Clearly she hated losing, which I could relate to. Hell, she might actually be taking this better than I would. We all have our flaws, I suppose.
"Now, my Chaos Sorcerer will use his effect to banish your oh-so-mighty dragon into the void!" Once again, an overpowered monster effect wins the day over reliance on a boss monster! Maybe this isn't so different from 2016 after all! I couldn't help but chuckle as her dragon's physical body was banished to the shadow realm. The only drawback was that my sorcerer couldn't attack this turn, but that hardly mattered when I had a Vampire Lord ready and willing to conquer his next victim. His fingers were already alight with the blue flame, which I meant I was going to actually sleep soon! Yay!
"Attack!" Vampire Lord leapt forth and sliced Erin one last time, ending the match once and for all (Jamie 200/Erin 0). That game could've gone either way. Frankly, it was pure luck that I drew the cards I needed when she played the card that let me draw six from my deck. Still, these idiots- I mean these elite duelists would erroneously think that I was somehow superior for beating Erin in one duel. The fact that I didn't use my Black Luster Soldier would be some sort of sign I was holding back, to be sure. Never mind that I hadn't drawn the card all duel. Man, this was a sweet gig! The only problem was that I felt like I was about to pass out. I dropped to one knee, taking deep breaths in an attempt to keep myself awake.
My thoughts were halted, however, when I suddenly heard the crowd of Obelisk Blues fall silent. They all looked on at Zane Truesdale, whose mere motion of standing was enough to stay their tongues. Even Erin looked deferentially towards him. I felt like I was in a nature documentary, watching the lions give way to the alpha of the pack.
"That makes five victories. Now we have ascertained that Jamie Lancaster has all of the qualities needed to be a member of Obelisk Blue." Zane spoke emotionlessly, the crowd hanging on his every word. "From this moment on, he is our brother, a fellow elite. When Jamie Lancaster requires help, he many come to us. Likewise, when a fellow Obelisk needs help, he will come to their aid. He is free to sleep in our quarters and use our facilities as he sees fit. Most of all, he will wear our colors with pride and his behavior will befit and reflect well upon his station. Am I clear?"
The rest of the pack gave varying noises of assent. This really was too much. This was a card game, not the bloody marines! And yet, something in me I thought long lost stirred at this speech. I wanted to prove that I was worthy of wearing the Obelisk coat. I had thought my heart long since scabbed over to displays such as these, but I was wrong. I had no idea that this sort of thing happened to Obelisk initiates. It reignited my curiosity about what else existed in this world that I didn't see on screen.
Suddenly, Zane's grim expression dropped, replaced with a rare smile. "With that said, let's all get some sleep. We party this weekend. Good night to all."
With that, the crowd dispersed, eager to rest. I nodded and slowly rose to my feet, looking forward to a proper bout of sleep in that soft new bed. Before I could get going, however, my vision was obscured as I felt my shirt being thrown in my face. Frankly, I would've forgot if whoever just threw it at me hadn't done so.
Peeling it off my face and donning it once again, I noticed that it was Erin who had helped me. She stood close to me, her arms behind her back and an "innocent" smile on her face.
"Wouldn't want you to forget that…" She trailed off. I didn't quite know what to say to that, so I just chuckled.
"That was a fun duel…although I don't think I'm going to run Card of Sanctity anymore." She sighed, brushing against my shoulder.
"Honestly, that's probably a good idea. Still, you're really good, one of the best I've ever faced. Who knows how round two would go down?" I say, hoping that she doesn't take it as cheap praise.
"We'll find out soon. For now, I need to get to sleep. This little sojourn means I'm gonna have to train later in the day. Normally I like to get up with the sun." She shrugs.
"I know, it's always fun to work out in the morning. I think a run tomorrow is just what the doctor ordered!" I reply with what little enthusiasm I can muster.
"Maybe I'll join you sometime…" And suddenly I feel her grab the front of my shirt and lean in, her soft lips pressed against my cheek for an impossibly long moment. Funny thing is I was so tired that I barely registered what she was doing at first. I wanted to kiss her back for a second, but she pulled away.
"See you later, cutie…welcome to Obelisk Blue." In my daze, I barely heard her words as she walked off to the girl's dorm. The smile never left my face, even as I finally made it back to my new room and my head hit the pillow.
A/N
Hope you all enjoyed.
With that, Jamie is now officially an Obelisk Blue. All sorts of new challenges and opportunities await him in his new dorm, and I can't wait to write them. However, his greatest obstacle may not be a duel, but rather in maneuvering through the thorny social hierarchy of the elites. Potential romantic implications may complicate things as well. Fun stuff!
Just an aside, I just wanted to thank you all for the fantastic feedback this story has gotten thus far. You all have been leaving great, detailed reviews and I love reading your thoughts and ideas. With that said, I thought I'd address a common question I've seen in the reviews, specifically among the guests. Can Jamie see duel spirits and will he have a partner in the same way Jaden/Chazz/Chumley do? The answer to that question...will be answered definitively in the next chapter. Haha sorry, but I had to tease you like that. One thing I will also say is that Jamie will not be dueling every chapter- in time, I plan to allow all of the side characters some plot-relevant duels of their own.
Next chapter will see Jamie investigate the existence of duel spirits, a mysterious power outage at the Obelisk Blue dorm, and the beginnings of a rivalry.