A/N – I wish there was a more convenient way to reply to Anonymous reviews
Without further ado, Chapter Two
Chapter Two - A Day of Respite
Melancholy has me in a stranglehold, sluggishly surrounding myself further in the comfort of soft blankets vainly trying to warm my body in the early day. The weight of my makeshift armour enough to keep myself feeling as I wait out the cold of morn, that same track of music I'd slept to still bouncing off the walls of my room dully. I look back around my room, at the plastered-on images, still casting a blanket ineffectively over me before starting the kettle, and letting its heat provide much needed respite from the dawn.
Layer by layer I wean myself out of the protection I'd built up, shaking slightly with each removal. Pouring the heated water out straight into mug I hold it close to me, letting the heat flow through me, preparing for the day. Reaching for my phone the time taunts me, only 6:15… I lean back to pass the time, flicking through the pages of old versions of dueling philosophy. Theory of advantage state, the delicate balance of deckbuilding… The more experience I seem to get, the further away it all seems.
I resist the urge to doze off and spread the deck the boss gave to me out onto the table, wondering whether this would be the one for me, but drawing a few hands in practice and looking at the flavour text for each and every vanilla, loathe as it maybe I don't have any real affinity for it. I sketch out a copy of a card or two before heading out, remembering the idea of the three monsters I summoned yesterday as a time and bringing that to a sort of life, dulling the earlier pensiveness.
Dressing myself in a similar ensemble as before, I prepare for the day before heading out with a backpack over my shoulder. The streets are busy but safe as to wander, ending up back at the local park as the clock hits 10:30, watching from the sidelines as two local football teams have a brief kick-around, recognising a few as brothers of drafters I'd played with before. One of the kids eyes inevitably meet mine, getting me to turn and leave with a sigh.
"Have any of you seen my daughter?"
Concern oozes from the voice of a wide-eyed, wobbly kneed mother. Panting out of breath with dishevelled hair, I walk over to her putting a hand slightly upwards and notice a picture she's showing on her phone. Petite with bright honey eyes, and long navy hair that brushes down the length of her back with a gentle aura about her. I recognise her, with her being about my age, but by no means have I seen her recently with working for Boss being increasingly frequent. Regretfully I can only end up suggesting that she head to the card shop, figuring that if nothing else me recognising her makes it likely she is a duelist, so the others might have a clearer clue.
"She said she would be sleeping over at a friend's house and when I show up, they said they've not seen her." I walk with her part of the way, nodding slightly with each comment she makes about her daughter "I don't know quite what's gotten into her, but if you see her can you please call me?"
Biting my lip I turn to her "I'm headed out for school tomorrow… if I see her today, or before then I'll message and I'll keep an eye out until then. I hope you can find your daughter, Mrs" My nod of affirmation stilts a little seeing her expression go a little more downcast, walking in awkward silence we finally arrive and I point to the right shop. "I think you might have better luck asking in there… if you're struggling ask to see Little Jimmy, he tends to know better about where people are and how they're doing.". She heads in swiftly, leaving me alone… to an extent, I get nods of recognition from a couple kids but I keep my distance and start headed to the office, though there's still business to attend to.
A savoury fragrance wafts through the air as I make a short stop at the local Bakery. "Hey pops, how's the business going?" my voice trails through the air before reaching the tall redhead smoking a cigarette before letting out a huff and responding back, noticing his wife in the phone with a frantic expression on her face flicking through the phonebook… 'maybe she's been told about the missing girl?' I mull before I get a response. "Everything's great, just a few dozen failed experiment breads I'll have to get rid o-… anyway, how are you? Did ya pass the test?"
I make a peace sign and smile back "I'm the boss' protégé, don't think so little of me." I puff my chest in jest before deflating just in time to see a wry smile plaster his face and before I know it a bag of bread fills my hand and he pulls my hat down "Perfect, consider this your congratulations. I'll tell Maya you came by alright? Put a good word in with your schoolmates when they're on vacation for me." His energy makes it hard to refuse, though an out is offered as the door chime echoes again. "Thank you Sir, and sure… tell Maya I hope classes go well for her". A tall man in paint covered overalls walks past to talk to pops so I've got no reason to remain idle, leaving once pops gives me a heads up.
The extra weight now on my hands I give this month's speciality a taste, and quickly flinch, a sickeningly gooey, banana-esque filling and pungent aftertaste kill what was my growing appetite. Drowning out the aftertaste with water I shudder and look at how much more of this I have left to try and get rid of… damn him for giving it to me. I sigh a little deeper, jealous of the man.
Greeted by the office theme I arrive shortly past noon and put the bread on the table as Boss comes downstairs, though in it I find a wrapped up gift in a small box that makes me feel a warmth course through me that I instinctively try to shake off, putting it into my backpack.
"I'm the breadwinner Boss." I jest at him, though he quickly turns his nose up at the scent, a half mix of disgust on his face as he puts it quickly into the fridge. "…sure you are kid. I'll find a use for the bread, so don't worry about that." Part of me doesn't believe him, though I suppose if push comes to shove anything can be useful, even if the food's so bad I'd consider it cruel to give to a beggar.
I sit back at the table, smiling as I get my deck back out, flicking through the cards, and picking out 'Gagagigo' once again. "I quite like this guy boss, probably my favourite of the deck… nice backstory, cool design and the duel yesterday could have been so different if he was just the slightest bit weaker" My eyes shine a little as my smile grow looking at him again.
Boss enjoys his juice opposite me, resting a hand on his chin "So you're saying the card's too good and I shouldn't have give it ya? I'm just kiddin', I felt like the card worked well for ya and ya imagination" My hat's taken off again and I shake my head side to side to get my hair covering my eye.
Pursing my lips I pout childishly, flustered at him knowing I'd think of something like that but not wanting to hide it "Yeah… I'm grateful you added him to the deck… and I MIGHT have got a little imaginative but that's just part of being a duelist right?" I tilt my head, revealing one of my green eyes clearly reflecting the cerulean of my Boss'. "I figured you'd want to talk a little more about the specifics of what I can do with decks while I'm in my first year."
He sits back for a moment, looking confused before darting up "Deckbuilding, yeah!" He scratches the back of his head before rushing upstairs and getting out a messily scribbled piece of paper detailing the rules. "I put this together a couple days ago… I know it's last minute but I figured it's better like this… take a read."
The handwriting while not elegant was legible enough after a year of working with him, and I forgive him for the messiness considering that it wouldn't have been something he was expecting to do this year. The paper reads as follows –
'Deckbuilding rules.
The deck must change drastically each week, for the first two months, with at least one duel wrote down turn-by-turn as an example of how you use it, and what you've learned while playing it.
The deck must have a different theme for the first two months, i.e. you can't make an Umi deck, then a Water deck. The whole point is to try brand new things, as long as you can.
Must duel at least one person a day from your own dorm, to make friends and make sure you can afford the next deck… but seriously making friends will help out a lot.
It's okay to lose, it's your first year, don't sweat it… later on it will matter more, but by then you've learned all of your silly mistakes and will actually own enough to make a good deck.'
Or at least I believe so. His signature is underneath and borrowing a pencil I accompany it with my own as an agreement and take a picture of it on my phone to keep a better hold of it.
"Aright, that works for you kid?" He looks rather surprised I agreed so readily, but it does seem agreeable… I still don't have much of an idea of what a deck that's for me actually looks like, there've obviously been cards I like more than others, but nothing enough so that I can say I want to play with it each and every duel, you know?
"Yeah, if you think it's a good idea Boss I'll trust in it…" His faces scrunches up a little at the way I put it "C'mon kid, I think it's a good idea but do you? Ugh, never mind." he lets it lie, shaking his head a little "That aside you got everything you wanted to do done? I'll pop by your place and move all your stuff out of there tomorrow. So stay here tonight, I'll make sure you don't oversleep… it's a big day fer us." His grin grows as he speaks, heart on his sleeve as always… but I admire that about him more than I could say, and can only muster a sincere 'Thank you' with flushed cheeks.
The day's still young, so there's plenty of time for the two of us to chat and talk, even if I'll be getting an early sleep to refresh myself for what is yet to come… though with it being the day before I head off he soon enough gets out a small box, contrastingly poorly written, but oozing with intent. "Open this when you get to the Island, ok? Probably will help ya settle in". It's a tad overwhelming, being given two gifts… I'll have to bring him something back from the Academy when break comes… both Boss and pops are too great a pair of guys to leave be. He wakes me up from my reverie by ruffling my hair and looking over me softly. "You didn't sleep much didja? Get an early night, I'll close up early to keep things quiet for you kid."
Time ebbs and flows like our words, patiently, impatiently, ever streaming as the warmth of the afternoon dies down with the bright blue sky tinging orange, and my self-imposed time for sleep approaching. I head to my makeshift office and sleep under the Kotatsu's warmth, blissfully surrounded with the heat, resting like a tabby. Everything I need packed in one corner of the room thanks to Boss handling it for me, faintly hearing the door lock from downstairs as a sign he's headed off home to his family.
'Tomorrow… I'm going to have to live for me' It's a concerning thought, but deep down it's for the best I'm separated from Boss… I need to focus on myself, rather than being so damn dependent.
A/N I wasn't all too sure how to end there so apologies if it's really clumsy, I'm still trying to find my footing with it. I hope you enjoyed and any constructive criticism is appreciated. To everyone reading, Happy Holidays, I'm wishing you the best.