I want to say a quick thank you to those who have come with some ideas for me to work with for the future chapters. I'll credit the ones for the ideas when I add them in the chapters, especially if it's something very specific that they came up with and no one else did.
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Several people have been asking to read the Signers and some other characters in other outfits than their signature ones, so I hope this will satisfy you. I asked for help from a good friend of mine here on FF, so shout-out to my French friend CitrusUnshiu.
You can find the outfit Estelle is using in this chapter on my DA account.
This chapter takes place around one week after the last chapter. And there will be some flirting, so please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 36: The Signers' New HQ
My friends and I decided to have a meetup on Friday, a few hours after work and Duel Academy to see how Kalin, Yusei, Jack, and Crow were doing. From what I heard, they have been looking for a place to live in the entire week, so I was curious to hear if they had found a place or not. From what I knew, they were currently living in the twins' home because Martha didn't have enough room after Crow's kids moved in and the three Signers needed lots of space to store their stuff for the time being. Luckily, the twins' parents were still out of town, so they had no idea about the former Enforcers.
Carly, Aki, Leo, Luna, and I were waiting inside a coffee shop for the boys while a light September rain was pouring outside. My outfit was a bit of the eastern style and not my usual feminine style. I was dressed in a white t-shirt with sleeves reaching down to below my elbows and two pink lotus flowers and blue waves looking like water, a dark plum robe with white hydrangea flowers and purple edges that rested at the back of my chair, dark grey, dark teal and purple Chinese trousers, and a pair of purple and lavender flower print trainers.
I wasn't the only one who had a change of clothes. Luna had a black undershirt with a slightly baggy white and red horizontal stripey shirt, white shorts, and a pair of red shoes. Leo was dressed in a light blue t-shirt, dark blue pants, white trainers, and a caramel brown jacket he had put on the back of his chair as well. Aki had a grey blazer with a white shirt underneath, dark blue skinny jeans, and a pair of black flat pumps. As for accessory, she had a rose-bold watch on her left wrist. Carly didn't have a big budget and couldn't afford fancy clothes, but she was still cute in her light blue simple button overshirt, dark blue denim jacket, black skinny jeans, and white wellies.
The reason why Carly was with us was because she and I had gotten close ever since the end of the Dark Signers war. She constantly tried to make me tell her some inside scoops from Sector Security and use that information to write great articles for the magazine she was working for.
"Where are they?" Leo whined as he put his upper body on the table. "It's so boring!"
"Calm down, Leo", Luna rolled her eyes. "Yusei said they were going to be a bit late since they had an appointment today."
"It must be hard for them to find a place where they can live together…", I let out a soft sigh. "I think many agents are still a bit afraid of people with criminal marks."
"I wouldn't mind if Jack wants to stay in my apartment, just like the time when I took care of him…", Carly giggled as her cheeks turned red.
"Sure you wouldn't", Aki giggled. "Speaking of…" She picked up her black handbag and pulled out a postcard which she placed on the table, showing Misty posing with the Eiffel Tower in the background. "Misty sent me this picture postcard from her shooting in Paris. She says she's doing well and is looking forward to try some of Mom's designs when she returns to Japan."
I got highly surprised when I found out Aki's mother, Setsuko, was a costume designer and not only a housewife as she was portrayed in the anime. Setsuko had a hard time achieving her dream to create her own brand, so she worked as a seamstress a couple of years in a small boutique where she fixed the customers' clothes. Apparently, that was how she and Hideo, Aki's father, met for the first time and fell in love, got married, and Setsuko got the right path she needed to make her own brand. Once she achieved it, she got pregnant with Aki. It was also Setsuko who had designed Aki's usual outfit, and the Signer made a copy of it before leaving for the Duel Academy at the age of thirteen. When she joined the Arcadia Movement, Sayer had someone tailor the outfit for her.
"That's nice to hear", Luna smiled. "Greiger's brother and sister called us the other day to tell us everything is fine with them too. Greiger seems to be doing well after everything."
"Are you feeling okay, Carly?" Leo asked.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Carly asked, sounding very confused.
Aki and I exchanged a glance. It looked like Carly hadn't been suffering from nightmares or flashbacks from the time she used to be a Dark Signer. I guess it was only a matter of time before she would start remembering bits of her dark time.
"Sorry we're late, guys!" Crow's voice called.
We looked up as Yusei, Jack, and Crow walked over to our table. Jack was wearing an outfit that looked like the one he used to wear before he betrayed Yusei and stole his first Duel Runner; white long trench coat without purple lines, sky blue button shirt, grey pants, and white boots. He was still wearing his giant A earrings and belt buckle. Crow had an orange shirt, a slightly oversized light grey hoodie, form fitting brownish pants, and brown male sneakers. He had his usual headband and earrings, but he had dumped his gloves. Yusei was wearing a royal blue blazer with a black shirt underneath, jeans, and dark beige boots.
"Finally!" Leo exclaimed while throwing his hands up. "What took you guys so long?"
"The appointment took a bit longer than we expected", Yusei explained as he removed his blazer and placed it at the back of a chair that was between me and Leo.
"Where's Kalin?" I asked as I realized the boys were one person short.
"He couldn't come today…for a good reason", Crow said with a mysterious grin as he sat down on a seat between Luna and Leo.
"Why's that?" Aki wondered.
"We'll tell you when I get my cup of coffee", Jack answered as he sat down between the female Signer and Carly.
We placed our order and had quite the variety of drinks and desserts. I chose a piece of chocolate cake with whipped cream and a cup of Earl Grey tea. I had a big sweet tooth for chocolate.
"So how did the appointment go?" I began as I held my tea cup with both my hands. "Was it about an apartment you were interested in?"
"Yup", Crow nodded as he held a biscuit in his hand. "We've been hunting like crazy all 'round New Domino City it's ridiculous. But then again, so are many other Satellites who want to start a new life now that the city and the island are connected." He ended his sentence by throwing the biscuit in his mouth and chewed loudly.
"Martha gave us a tip about an old friend of hers who lives in New Domino", Yusei continued. "Her friend owns a clock shop, but the house is big and has lots of space after her son moved out, so she decided to start renting the back of the house to have another source of income. It includes a garage too, big enough for our Duel Runners."
"And how did that go?" Luna asked.
"We got the place", Jack answered after he sipped his coffee.
"Really?" Carly said while looking a bit disappointed.
"Yeah, but only after many ifs and buts", Crow laughed sheepishly. "Zora, the owner of the shop, first threw us out with her broom, thinking we were trying to rob her."
"That's because you went straight forward and talked as if you were demanding the whole place, moron!" Jack retorted irritably as he used his free hand to fix his hair. "She almost ruined my hair when she hit me with that broom!"
"She did what?!" Carly said in disbelief before she turned Jack's head to check his face for injuries. "Are you okay? Did she hit you somewhere else?!"
Jack got caught off guard by her sudden actions, but I noticed a hint of pink on his cheeks as Carly's soft hands cupped his jaw. "I-I'm fine, Carly! Get off of me!"
"If it wasn't for Yusei, we wouldn't have been able to clear up the misunderstandings", Crow continued, grinning at the blonde man's attempts to get the love-struck reporter off of him.
"When can you guys move in?" Aki wondered.
"This Sunday", Yusei replied. "Zora said she'll clean up the apartment tomorrow, so we're going to pack up our stuff this weekend and make sure we'll get everything."
"Yeah, if Mom or Dad finds something that doesn't belong in our house, they're gonna flip out and ask me and Luna who's been living with us", Leo sighed before he drank his glass of apple juice with a paper straw.
"That would make them super suspicious and reconsider putting us back to home tutors instead…", Luna said as she looked down on her half-eaten piece of strawberry shortcake.
"Is the apartment big enough for all four of you?" I asked. "Speaking of four, where's Kalin?"
The Satellite Trio looked at each other and smiled softly without saying a word. I had a feeling we were going to hear some more good news.
"Guess who's gonna be the next aspirant at Sector Security!" Crow exclaimed.
We were quiet for a few seconds before my eyes widened in realization. "No way… He really joined the Police Academy?"
"Yep", Yusei nodded with a smile. "After you and I discussed about Kalin during the Daedalus Bridge Tournament, Crow, Jack, and I managed to convince him to start a new life by making amends and protect the weak ones, especially kids."
"If you don't remember, Leo and Luna made quite some impact on him during the tournament", Jack added.
I had a quick flashback of the day of the tournament. I did notice Kalin grew a bit soft and broke out of his shell while he interacted with the twins. I wondered if he always had a soft spot for children.
"When did Kalin leave for the Police Academy?" Aki asked.
"It was actually last week", Crow replied with a grin. "And he was leaving with a big smile on his face."
"He promised he would call us once a week to tell us how he's doing", Yusei added with a tiny relieved smile. "It's nice to see him return to his old self."
"Do you guys need help to pack your stuff for the moving?" Carly asked.
"That'd be appreciated", Crow nodded. "We've got tons of stuff we need to sort and decide to keep or not."
XXXXXXXXXX
Well, one thing for sure; Crow didn't exaggerate about him and his foster brothers having too much stuff. When Aki, Carly, and I went to Leo and Luna's place to help the Satellite Trio pack their stuff into a van that Hideo borrowed from a moving company on Sunday, there were cardboard boxes everywhere in the living room with stuff carelessly lying around, both on the floor and on furniture.
In other word, chaos.
"You seriously have this much stuff together?" I asked as I stepped over a cardboard box that was labeled "YUSEI" in big bold letters after I had removed my robe and hung it by a hanger next to the boys' jackets.
"Yeah, but I'm the one who owns most of it", Yusei replied sheepishly as he taped a cardboard box that said his name and "TOOLS".
I thought back at the time I used to live with Yusei in his underground hideout in the old Satellite. He did have lots of stuff, but he always had things organized.
Crow came out from the elevator after he went down to pack some boxes in the van and let out a loud sigh of exhaustion. "I like high places, but this is ridiculous that you little guys live on the top floor", he told the twins as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"Hey, we didn't choose to live here", Leo retorted. "Complain to our mom and dad."
"Yeah, and it's a good thing you found a place, because our parents will throw a fit if they find you in our home", Luna added a bit nervously.
Aki patted the twin girl's head with a small smile. "Don't worry, Luna. You said yourself they'll be back in four days. The boys will be out here before then."
"I have to admit, I'll miss the Jacuzzi", Jack spoke up from the kitchen where he made himself a cup of coffee.
"Hey, who told you you can take a coffee break now, Jack?!" Crow growled as he stomped over to the blonde. "We're not even halfway done and you decide to leave the rest of the job to us?!"
"What? I need coffee to get some energy, so shut up!" Jack retorted irritably as he poured the coffee into a mug.
"I thought you had more stamina than that, Jackie", Carly said teasingly as she walked over to a pile of boxes that were labeled "JACK".
I noticed how Jack froze for a second when the reporter called him by that nickname. Did it bring back bad memories from the time when Carly was a Dark Signer and Turbo Dueled him? I remembered Carly used to call him by that nickname and rarely used his real name at that time. Should I tell Carly to stop calling him that or should I let Jack do it instead?
"You can reward yourself with a cup of coffee after the moving, Jack", I told him as I walked over to Yusei and helped him pick up a heavy box. "Doesn't the area, where you're going to live, have a café or something?"
"The Fountain Plaza, and yes, it does have a café", Yusei nodded as we walked into the elevator and settled down the box. "I think it was called Café la Geen."
"Yeah, you heard that, right, Jack? Get your coffee at that place after the movin'!" Crow growled at the blonde Signer.
Jack just snorted loudly and lifted the mug to his mouth to sip the warm liquid.
"Ehh… Carly, why are you going through Jack's stuff?" Luna questioned.
I turned my head at the reporter who had opened one of the sealed boxes and put Jack's belongings around her as she seemed to be on a quest to find something. "A reporter needs a source of inspiration and maybe I can find something in here…", Carly grinned with very red cheeks.
Jack spat the coffee out of his mouth before he turned around to see the mess Carly had done. "What the?! Carly, what the hell are you doing?!" He put the coffee mug on the counter and rushed to his boxes. He grabbed Carly by her arms and pulled her away from his stuff.
"I just wanted some inspiration for my next article…", Carly whined innocently.
"By going through my stuff?! What's wrong with you, woman?!"
I couldn't hold back my giggles, so I hid my lips with my knuckle while Carly and Jack argued back and forth. "Poor Jack… He's got a perverted fangirl…", I whispered to Yusei.
Yusei let out a soft snort and turned away with a tiny smile, also hiding it with his knuckle.
"Okay, you two, break it up!" Aki called as she tried to separate the arguing duo.
Crow just watched on with a smirk. "I like this show. Kids, you got any popcorn?"
"Nope, 'cause I ate the last ones yesterday", Leo replied.
XXXXXXXXXX
After finally getting everything in the van, we headed straight to Zora's clock shop. Yusei got the keys for the place and even a key to the garage. We helped each other to get the cardboard boxes inside the garage first, so Hideo could bring the van back to the moving company. When we took a look around in the apartment, I got surprised when I saw that the ladder, which led up to the bedrooms in the anime, had been replaced with real stairs that were behind the cooking wall.
"This place is huge!" Crow commented as he looked around in the kitchen slash living room. "It's perfect for us! And we've got a couch and a TV too! Jackpot!"
"It's really big in here…", Aki nodded as she put down a box labeled "KITCHEN" on the coffee table placed between the flat TV and the couch.
"It's got a nice furnishing here", Luna said. "It feels like a real home…"
"Yeah… Not as cold and empty as ours…", Leo mumbled.
I guess the twins have been missing getting the warmth and love they needed from their parents. Sure, they had a roof over their heads and were living in luxury and could get anything they wanted, but material things could never replace the hungry need of the love they wanted from their own flesh and blood.
"We should check the bedrooms and see if there's any furniture in there, like beds", Yusei pointed out.
"Right. We might have to sleep on the floor if there are no beds or mattresses", Crow nodded nervously.
"If there are beds in the house, then I'll claim the best one!" Jack declared.
"Wait, you haven't seen the bedrooms yet?" Carly questioned.
"Nope, we never got to see the apartment when we rented it; just the garage, but only through the big windows", Crow explained.
I picked up my phone and checked the time as I felt my stomach growl. It was way past lunchtime, and I had a feeling everyone was getting hungry. "How about you guys look around and start packing up a bit while I head out and get us some lunch?"
"Lunch? That's my favorite meal of the day!" Leo brightened up by the thoughts of food.
"That'd be appreciated", Yusei nodded.
"Are there any convenience stores nearby?" Aki questioned.
"I spotted one when we drove here", I said. "It's like a five-minute walk. You guys stay here while I take care of the food. I'll send a text to let you know what kind of takeout they have, but just in case; does anyone of you have allergies?"
"No."
"Nope."
"Not what I know of."
"Alright", I nodded as I headed to the stairs leading down to the garage. "I'll be back shortly."
XXXXXXXXXX
I bought different kinds of food and drinks, but we mainly had rice balls with different fillings for lunch. The leftovers ended up in the refrigerator for the Satellite Trio to have as breakfast the next day. The rest of the day moved on very quickly and it was quite late when Carly drove Aki and the twins home. I was about to call Shinji, the chauffeur who drove Goodwin's limousine, when Yusei offered to take me home. I didn't want to accept the offer at first, thinking he was tired after the hard labor of moving, but he kept insisting, so I gave in.
It actually felt nice to ride on a Duel Runner again. I enjoyed the brief moment of freedom and the feeling of the wind ruffling my hair. I was considering getting a Duel Runner and a permit for it, but I had to talk to Goodwin about it first. I had secretly looked up the prices of different Duel Runners and they were pretty pricey.
"Thank you for the ride, Yusei", I said after I dismounted his Duel Runner when he braked in front of the mansion and removed the spare helmet from my head.
"You're welcome, Estelle", Yusei smiled as he grabbed the spare helmet and put it away in a compartment on his Duel Runner right behind him. "I don't want to be pushy, but maybe you should consider getting a Runner of your own."
"I've been thinking about it lately", I confessed as I picked up my glasses and put them on my face. "But I don't know yet if I'm ready to get one or not. It could help a bit not to constantly rely on you and the others all the time with such short rides."
"I think that's more than enough reasons to get one", Yusei replied. "If you've got any questions about Runners or Turbo Duels, you can ask me anytime."
"I appreciate it, Yusei", I smiled. "I'll talk to Goodwin about it at dinner tonight and we'll see how it goes."
"I'm sure he'll approve of it. Speaking of Runners, Crow and I need to get our official permits soon."
"What…? Oh yeah, your Runners were illegal back in the old Satellite, but now that a new era's been born, you're going to need permits to even keep the Runners."
"Yeah, we called the office, so Crow and I are going next week for them."
"That's a good thing. I wouldn't like seeing you or Crow lose your Runners and then you two sneaking into the impound center to retrieve them, like last time."
"Yeah, that was quite an adventure", Yusei chuckled softly before rubbing the back of his helmet.
"Just don't go all Enforcers with Jack and Crow from now on", I giggled.
"We won't", Yusei chuckled. "And I'll make sure those two stay put."
"If you ever need help, you know my number."
Yusei nodded and then, to my surprise, reached out and grabbed my right hand. I blinked confusedly at his actions while he gently squeezed my small hand in his big one, but I could hear my heart beat rapidly in my ears.
"Thank you for all the help today", Yusei said with a tiny but warm smile. "And for saving Kalin by suggesting the Domino Police Academy."
My heart slowly calmed down as I smiled softly at the Signer and squeezed his hand in return. "You're welcome, Yusei. I'm glad I'm able to help you and the others somehow." My eyes grew a bit sad when I thought about my childhood. "I don't have so many fond memories of my so-called 'old friends' who just used my help to fulfill their own selfish needs without appreciating it." I looked at the young man in front of me with a genuine smile. "So I'm really happy to feel like I'm needed by others and they care about me as well. You and the others…actually saved me in a way too. So, really, thank you."
Yusei looked surprised by my short speech, but he then smiled and squeezed my hand one last time before letting go of it. "You're a great woman, Estelle. Don't let others tell you otherwise. If they do, then they just can't see how precious you are."
I blushed hard when I heard that and Yusei also got caught off guard when he realized what he had just said, because I could swear I saw his cheeks get red underneath the visor of his helmet.
"I…", the Signer began before clearing his throat. "I should head back now."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah… I guess you're a bit tired and need some rest."
Yusei nodded as answer before he drove off. I watched the red Duel Runner until it was gone by the horizon. I still couldn't shake off those words he said. Did he say all that to comfort me or did he speak without thinking? His words had been full of honesty, so he couldn't possibly fake it.
Did this mean he was feeling something for me?
I shook my head, trying to get rid of the hopes of a possible future with Yusei. I was in this dimension on a mission and once it was completed, the Crimson Dragon will send me back to my dimension.
Couldn't I stay here instead at the very end? But I also had my biological family that must be worried sick about me and I loved them to the death and beyond. This was such a conflicted situation I didn't know what or how to think.
I massaged my forehead before I turned around and walked into the mansion, hoping that everything will get clear in the near future.