A/N This one was a doozy - my second attempt at writing a duel, I hope this one is more clear than the last. If people would be interested in me putting the Deck List somewhere I can do that should there be a desire for it. I'll keep doing my best with this, though updates will be less frequent when I start doing school work again. I sincerely hope everyone's enjoying the story, please leave a review if you have any criticism or feedback, I love hearing people's thoughts, and, without further ado...
Chapter 4 – Deck Building 101
Class is dismissed when the bell rings, at 16:00… having not eaten anything to say I was famished was an understatement. "Visit me at the dorm later, at 7PM, alright? To talk about earlier alright Robin?" Blair waves me farewell quickly, and after I nod hurries down the downstairs entrance, gathering a few looks on the way. Now alone I pack my stuff into my bag and notice Jaden getting up with a stretch before heading over with rest of his trio.
"We were headed to the card shop upstairs. Wanna come with?" He offers and gratefully I accept, putting my bag over my shoulder.
"It'll do me good to figure out where things are, and I can't think of much more than the card shop." I nod back, following their lead upstairs, only a short walk from class until we reach the place, the setting sun dyeing the room slightly orange. The room is split into three sections; the first being a book and supplies area, carrying pencils, pens, and dueling based magazines. Going there swiftly I recognise a few of them, others seemingly containing tell-all pieces on big names, with a few being analytics into the changes of dueling over the year though incredibly expensive and covered in packaging so I can't just flick through.
Syrus soon chirps up, "If you're interested in legacy duels the Professor of Ra Yellow keeps a library going that carries copies of that, not the recent stuff but anything a year old. By the time you look through all the old stuff what's in that one's probably going to be free." He chuckles with a hand on his head.
"Thank you… I'll check that out later." I smile back, putting down the copy in my hands, before flushing slightly red with my stomach growling, making me turn away.
Chumlee is next to talk to me "If you're hungry you can buy Sandwiches from there for cheap, just 50DP… just warning you, you don't know what you get until you've picked it out.". His tone carries a sense of warning, "Check before you take a bite, you might get something nasty."
All of this begs the question though "…Is there no way to buy what sandwich you actually want?". I look inquisitively up at him "Like, what if you're a picky eater?"
He shakes his head "Word to the wise, you will have to get used to what you pull around here; the dorm has breakfast and dinner, but this is really the only thing that's for lunch, so you better have DP… even if it means you have to keep losing it's best to have plenty to eat." Getting the impression he's speaking from experience I take that to heart and watch Jaden already eating one.
"Pretty good, Sausage sandwich!" He gives the three of us a thumbs up as he makes quick work of it, before pointing a finger, smirking "You guys try. Do you have your ID yet Robin? We need to get some grub down you."
Shaking my head my embarrassment grows "Not yet, it's supposed to be with my duel disk, PDA and the rest of my things in my room, but I headed straight to class before so haven't had a turn yet."
Before I know it he's got an arm on my shoulder, smiling, "Don't worry about it. I'll foot this one for you." He pulls his ID back out and Ms Dorothy scans it and lets me reach in for a sandwich.
"Thank you, I'll duel with you when I can Jaden, how about tomorrow? I'll probably be spending most the time unpacking today." I turn to him before reaching in and grabbing randomly out for a sandwich, and taking a look as Chumlee recommended I see that it's anpan. Letting out a relieved smile I relish the taste, finding it refreshing "Anpan… can't beat that" I chuckle to the other two.
"Sweet, nice pull." Jaden remarks back, patting my shoulder "and sure, we can duel at the dorm tomorrow." I notice Chumlee happily enjoying his, though Syrus looks a lot more squeamish, before quickly taking it down and drink water to take it down.
"D-don't ask" He leans down, hand on his stomach. 'Poor guy'. A familiar song starts playing from my pocket, the Boss' ringing so I quickly smile and excuse myself, heading into a quiet corner of the room and picking up to his voice.
"Sorry about the rush this morning but that was the only flight to the island this week. Ya make it there alright?" I nod softly against my phone before a realisation dawns on me and I make it a video call and give a thumbs up.
"Yeah, I made it. I've seen the Chancellor, and introduced myself to a few classmates, I'm at the card-shop right now. I'll be headed back to my room soon enough… might head back if it's not too much a walk, to upgrade my deck a little" He's relieved as he gets visual on me.
"Glad to hear you're making friends, Maya showed up today and I had to 'xplain that you headed off already. Can you message her later while you're at it?" He remarks, having me nod before continuing "It's erm, a- Monday today, so change your deck every Monday alright, you should have some DP starting off to make it easier on you."
"Yeah, I'll focus on making this one great for now… that way I can get more DP for the other weeks and build up a nice collection of cards to work with. Oh! The academy duel disk also records my decklist and duels so you can check them out easy as well". Jaden gives me a wave from the center of the room, and Boss notices me looking away.
"I take it yer new mates are headed out right? I'll call again some other time. Have fun kid." He cuts the conversation, leaving me free to go back over.
"Thank you for being patient, I just got a call. Wanted to check up on me" I bow slightly as I follow them out the school, and to a beaten down path stretching close to the cliff space, to a relatively small, shack-like abode; slightly miscoloured walls, and a main-hall covered with a sliding door greet me.
We'd made a little small talk on the way there. "The email I got says my room is 101, would you guys be able to show me which one that is?", without hesitation they, or rather Syrus nods.
"It's the room closest to the second-floor stairs. We're in the second floor's second room, room 202. You'll have a roommate or two yourself, I think" The bluenette elaborates, before Chumlee interjects.
"That used to be Bawnji's room, he moved up to Ra Yellow though at the start of this year. So it should be just you and that short guy with a hat… You were with him earlier in class so I figured you knew already." There's a warmth to his voice talking about the newly promoted student.
"Blair? Ah! I needed to see him later anyway, that's really convenient for me. Thank you." We arrive and they go up the stairs, Syrus finishing things off while Jaden pulls another sandwich out his pocket and eats contentedly. "We'll meet you in the dining room at 7pm, Professor Banner will see you then too. Talk to you later."
I knock on the door twice when I arrive, "Blair? I heard I'm your new roommate, can you let me in, my stuff should be in there, I'll sort it all out. Sorry if there's a mess." A squeal makes it through the door, a shrill, cute sound of surprise reaching my ears as sounds of shuffling continue.
Five minutes pass as I stand outside the door, trying to keep myself warm. "Are you there?" I ask again, only to hear the door-lock open and see the room, half closed drawers. The room is clean, and obviously prepared for multiple people. On one of the desks, there's a folder with paper slightly hanging out. In spite of a lack of kettle meaning I'll have to check the dining room later, and all of my bags strewn around it looks comfy enough.
Blair greets me with a bright, if not forced smile "T-that explains all of the things in here… the ID and Duel-Disk are in the box on your side of the table. Don't touch my things, and I won't touch yours alright?" There's a clarity to the directing Blair gives, but also a firm unrelenting insistence to the emphasis on personal space… and I get that.
"Of course, just show me where I can't go and I'll do my best to remember" I nod back, an awkward smile back, before noticing that there's stickers on each drawer in the room, that Blair explains.
"I had this sort of situation with my old roommate. Anything marked with red is for me, anything blue you can use. If you want to use another colour that's fine, just don't touch any red area, I've moved my things out of them now." Blair brushes himself off, a little hair covering his eyes similarly to mine with my hat. "If you're as good a nerd as today for the whole semester then you'll probably join him soon."
Unpacking my bag I see Blair with outstretched hands, "I'll help make it easier on you. Better to make this quick". The logic is sound, but I shake my head and put a hand up.
"I-I really should handle this stuff myself, but thank you for the offer. It's organised so it shouldn't take too long." Similar to the stickers there's labels to designate where blazers, casual clothes and the like should be kept that make my life easier. Blair leans back against the wall from top bunk, listening to music, and I organise the bottom bunk; placing my own sheets and pillows on for comfort reasons, before tapping the wooden frame of the bed to get Blair's attention. "Do you want these pillows? I brought my own from home so I'm not really needing them"
Blair's smile grows, putting the pillows I offer at the back of the chairs in the room. "It was always a pain having to move them from the bed so we can just leave them there… and, tell me when you've unpacked. Remember you promised to talk to me in the dorm after class. It was a scare knowing that I was getting another roommate today."
It takes a while but within the half hour I finished unpacking the bulk of my suitcase I move it to a side as Blair explains about laundry, about dining arrangements, all the trivial things I do need to know as a roommate. All I need to do is unwrap the presents I'd received and the box on the table.
Opening the box Blair kindly placed on the left of the table I reach out for a lanyard with my ID on it, putting it around my neck and an academy issue duel disk with my academy ID number on the front that fits as comfortably as duel disk, though I have no qualms putting it into my backpack until it's needed. I see Blair climbing down the ladder "I'm headed out to the card shop, follow with me please. It's a little late to go there alone, but I'm headed out with company."
Having my own need to visit, largely to bolster the deck I do have I accompany back, getting used to the path more, appreciative I'm not going to get lost since I've got a guide. Blair quickly meets the woman at the counter with a cheerful expression that scans the ID quickly, a monitor showing what packs are available. Blair spends 500DP, largely on a card pack with 'Axe of Despair' plastering the cover, and the shopkeeper goes to the back and gives them to Blair.
Having seen what to do I do the same, to a smaller selection of card packs, though I notice that there's a pack Blair doesn't have available that I do, supposedly containing machine monsters like 'Steam Gyroid' though I pay that little mind. Spending 1000DP, to leave me with some left I buy 10 water themed packs and open them, next to a pondering Blair looking through what they've pulled.
The average card quality I get from the packs is better than most of what I carry in my current deck. 'Aqua Spirit', 'Mermaid Knight', 'Giga Gagagigo' being several of those that catch my eye, the latter particularly due to its flavour text. 'In order to fight tremendous evil he gained formidable power through body reconstruction, but lost his heart and his redemption.' I have half a mind to not put it in my deck but at the same time I'm interested in whether there's more to the story I can infer. I shake my head a little and place my cards in a second deck box for later.
"When we get back, make your deck and we'll duel. I'd like to see what you're made of." Blair requests as we walk back, the sun almost down, leaving me cold. "You could make for a good partner for the practice tag-duel days in the meantime."
"For the meantime?" I ask back before putting two and two together. "I get it, you want to be that Obelisk's partner, so until then I'm a convenient stand-in?" It's a sound idea, and it's not like I have a better in to tag-dueling. "That works for me, partnering with you will be good practice, and help me find someone who'd be a good partner too."
Blair's not slow to put his hands together with bright eyes "He's so cool… and he's good at dueling too… I wanna be just like him…" Rosy-cheeked and starstruck eyes have me off-guard, but it's cute.
"You sound just like me talking about someone I know. I'll help you out… I have someone I wanna be like too." I offer a hand for a handshake though Blair looks rather confused for a moment before shaking his head from side to side.
"This was easier than I thought it would be. All that I need now is for you to be a good duelist. What type of deck do you use? Right now I use spellcasters, and level-monsters… mainly 'Silent Magician' and 'Silent Swordsman'"
"I don't really have a defined deck-type, I'll be changing every week. I was taught it's important to be flexible as a duelist… I've always been more able to draft than construct my deck, so I'm open to trying different strategies. Right now though I'm using a water themed deck."
Blair's pulls at his hat, putting it lower on his face "…It doesn't sound like something that's to my tastes but it works for me. We can trade cards too if I have anything that's good for you as a partner to have, and vice-versa… but if you get a 'Cyber Dragon' please give it to me! It's Zane's ace monster and it's so, SO cool!" The enthusiasm at the end is undeniable, getting a chuckle out of me.
"Fine by me, but if you get a 'Red Eyes Black Dragon' It's got my name on it, my 'Zane' uses it as his Ace." Blair looks a little astonished again for a second but we're soon at our room, Blair undoing the lock and sitting at one of the two desks. The top draw of the desk is the trunk, mine still has a key in it to keep it locked.
I spend my time putting together my deck and organising my trunk into card types, only having 100 or so cards currently making it rather easy to keep track of them. I start by removing cards I feel are too weak for my current deck, and instead adding stronger monsters as upgrades, or adding multiple copies of cards I'd like to get more often like 'Gagagigo', 'A Legendary Ocean' and 'Star Boy' until I'm content with the deck.
The only problem is before we're able to duel, dinner time arrives… a loud ring and the sound of students rushing down the stairs convincing me we should head there now. It's my first meal after all, and I can talk about using the kettle too.
Professor Lyman Banner is standing in the middle of the dining room, a cat rubbing against his leg with a loud purring. Blair, myself, Jaden, Syrus, Chumlee… virtually every Slifer Red student had entered, and sat waiting to listen to what announcement he has to share. "First order of business, can you all please stop feeding Pharaoh sandwiches you don't want? I know some aren't the most delicious but he is already fed plenty."
Murmurs fill the room at that, a few students avoiding eye-contact after guiltily. "The second order of business is welcoming our new student, Robin Ainsworth, I hope you will all get along. Now Robin, please introduce yourself."
I give a formal greeting, put on the spot awkwardly, only for Jaden to shout out some words of encouragement. "We're here for you pal".
"Any questions Robin?" The bespectacled professor asks at the table Blair and I are sat at, the majority of Slifers having begun to eat already, paying me no mind.
"Would you happen to have a kettle around here? I get really cold in the mornings, so I pour hot water to warm me up."
He points to a corner of the dining room "The dining room opens at 6:15 in the morning, you can use the kettle from that time onwards, though please try not to have coffee in any sort of frequency… we have enough people hooked in staff, we don't need first years to join in." He lets out something of a laugh, more jovial than I feel intended as I nod and start eating.
Once having ate I wait for Blair to finish, having had twice as much as I'd think I could handle, and after we clean our plates we head back to the room, with him asking "Do you want to try out your new duel disk, or will the table do?"
"I'll try out the duel disk, it'll make it more memorable a first duel at the island. Do you want to go first, or second?" I fish into my bag and get it out, placing it on my arm and my deck where it needs to be before a light comes from where the life point counter is.
"Scan your ID, it needs to register that properly first alright?" Blair explains "It's a pretty quick process, and you can start us off. Do 8000 LP"
I scan myself in, causing the light to fade and the duel disk to finally activate, ready to start.
Robin 8000LP/Blair 8000LP
"My turn, draw!" I look carefully at my hand, seeing a couple of new additions at the forefront. "I activate the field spell card 'A Legendary Ocean'!" The room itself feels as if it's flooding, light shining through from the ceiling that's not from the usual lightbulb as between the two of us schools of fish swim around in groups, from guppies to starfish, the ground seemingly covered in seaweed. "This card not only is treated as 'Umi' but lowers the level of all water monsters in our hands by one, on top of the 200-point increase to both the attack and defense of water monsters."
"Next I summon 'Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness' in attack position" (1800-2000Atk/1500-1700Def) The familiar warrior rises up from the seafloor weapon in hand as he stares almost through Blair "and end my turn"
Blair's turn arrives, "Not bad. My turn, I draw." Taking a moment, he looks through his hand indecisively. "I set one monster in defense mode and set one card. I end my turn."
I nod and draw my next card 'Nightmare's Steelcage'… "I draw. Thanks to the level reduction from 'A Legendary Ocean' I summon 'Orca, Mega-Fortress of Darkness!(2100-2300Atk/1200-1400 Def)'" beside my warrior emerges his steed, at least that's how I choose to interpret it. Fish that were on my side of the battlefield swim away from my creatures as I point at Blair's set monster. "I attack with my Orca." My Orca fires a cannon from its back, a beam of light piercing through the set monster, revealing 'Mystical Elf'(800Atk/2000Def) momentarily before the prayerful maiden has disappeared. "Now I attack directly with my 'Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness!" Lunging forward the soldier stabs at Blair, weapon in hand, causing him to flinch as if he was winded. (Blair 8000LP-6000LP) "I set a card and end my turn."
On the backfoot now Blair draws "I activate 'Swords of Revealing Light'. For the next three turns your monsters won't be able to declare an attack." Paralysing lights shoot through my side of the field, making a barrier between our fields. "Now I set a monster and end my turn"
"My turn… Due to my field spell's effect I can summon my 'Deepsea Warrior'(1600Atk/1800Def) without a tribute." A spear toting soldier with light blue armour appears with a battle stance "Due to his effect he is unaffected by any spell cards while your 'Swords of Revealing Light' while 'Umi' or in this case 'A Legendary Ocean' is on the field… but he also doesn't get a stat increase. I use him to attack your set monster." Throwing his spear I feel the recoil, seeing a second 'Mystical Elf on the field where the first had been destroyed. (Robin 8000LP-7600LP) "Damn it. I end my turn Blair."
"Sorry but that's not good enough." Blair teases, drawing a card. "I sacrifice my 'Mystical Elf' in order to summon my 'Silent Swordsman Lv 5'(2300Atk/1000Def), The elven woman disappears as an orb of light, that pulses into a cloud of smoke; in her place appearing a robed soldier holding a large blade in one hand over his shoulder. "Next I attack your 'Deepsea Warrior'!" With a noble aura he lunges through the barrier of lights and destroys my 'Deepsea Warrior', ending the turn with a smug smile. (Robin 7600LP-6900LP)
"Ugh, cool card Blair! I summon my 'Giga Gagagigo' (2450-2650Atk/1500-1700Def) and switch my 'Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness' to defense position. I end my turn, since I can't attack." 'just one more turn of being unable to attack.'
"Why thank you. I set one monster face down and destroy your warrior!" Like my Deepsea Warrior before him, my defensively positioned Sea Serpent is destroyed, though this time I don't take any damage. "Your move"
'Giant Trunade' is my next draw, and a really poor one at that given the circumstances. With a sigh I set a monster "I place one monster in defense mode, and I end my turn."
'Swords of Revealing Light' is now destroyed, clearing from my field and opening up my options. "I attack your set monster with my swordsman!" Cleaving it cleanly in two, other than a briefly lingering oozing residue my 'Revival Jam' (1500-1700Atk/500-700Def) is destroyed.
"I activate my monster's effect! When sent to the graveyard by battle I can pay 1000LP to summon him in face-up defense position on my standby phase."(Robin 6900LP - 5900LP)
Blair ends his turn with that, and my previously disposed of 'Revival Jam' re-forms in defense mode.
"My turn. I remove from play my 'Deepsea Warrior' to special summon my Aqua Spirit (1600Atk-1800atk/1200-1400Def) in attack position, and alongside her, my '7 Coloured Fish'(1800Atk-2000Atk/800-1000Def)as my normal summon." I fill my field, a sought for rainbow coloured fish emerges and nestles against a spiritual maiden who's hair's composed of water, veiled as a bride would be with outstretched hands. "Next off, I attack your swordsman with my 'Giga Gagagigo'!" Getting vengeance for my previous soldiers my re-constructed reptile mangles the soldier until he's all but unrecognisable before vanishing. (Blair 6000-5650LP) "Next up, my '7 Coloured Fish' strikes your first face-down monster." It dashes forward, a swift lunge through the card reveals a smaller version of the earlier soldier, this time his level 3 version. "Now my Orca attacks the other!" 'Magician of Faith' is destroyed… but still succeeds in her task.
"Hold it. Since my monster has been flipped I get to add 1 spell card from my graveyard to my hand. I of course choose 'Swords of Revealing Light'"
The move gets a sigh out of me, "Fine. My 'Aqua Spirit' attacks you directly!" My own lady does a spin, chanting an incantation before making signs with her hands to unleash and condensed ball of water that slices towards Blair with increasing traction before it collides. (Blair 5650LP-3850LP) "I end my turn"
Still fancying his odds Blair continues "I activate 'Premature Burial'. (Blair 3850LP-3050LP) Allowing me to return my 'Silent Swordsman LV5' to the field." Familiar a sight as ever the twice shy swordsman returns with a vengeance "… now he will attack 'Aqua Spirit". She disappears back into the ocean, only for my side of the field to suffer Deja-vu as paralysing light appears again. "I also activate my 'Swords of Revealing Light' to stop you from attacking for 3 turns… and set one face-down monster. I end my turn"
'Alright, I was a bit hasty earlier.' "My turn, I activate my 'Giant Trunade'. This card returns all spell and trap cards on the field to their owner's hands… including both of yours!"
Blair flinches "Even if 'Premature Burial' is sent back to my hand my swordsman remains on the field", returning the two spells to the hand. As for a brief second the aquatic atmosphere of the room fades.
"I re-activate my field spell card, 'A Legendary Ocean' and summon my 'Mermaid Knight' (1500-1700Atk/700-900Def) in attack mode, due to Umi being on the field she can attack twice a turn! …not that she'll have to." I smile confidently at my board, switching 'Revival Jam' to attack position. My blade swinging redhead swims to the frontlines, a shield on her left arm that she drops to the floor, replacing with a twin blade. "Like before, my 'Giga Gagagigo' attacks your damn swordsman." I've lost track of how many times that accursed card has been summoned, grateful it's for the last time as he disappears for good with a grunt. "Now I attack your face-down with my Orca!" A familiar beam fires, eradicating what was once again the level 3 version of that swordsman, only for me to finally be able to finish the duel off. "I attack with my 'Revival Jam' and my 'Mermaid Knight'.
Blair pulls back, covering his body with his arm as my mermaid gets one slash in before my slimy partner finishes off the duel. (Blair 3050LP - 1350LP - 0LP) "And that's game." Relief fills my voice as I turn off my duel disk and sit at my bed, noticing 767DP was automatically added to my account for the duel, my rank increasing from level 1 to 2.
"Oh man, I lost… Good duel, you'll be a great partner!" Blair seems happy despite defeat, getting on the top bunk and stretching. "Your deck's pretty good too, I'll get you next time though." And I'm inclined to agree with the stubbornness her deck has bringing out 'Silent Swordsman LV5'.
"You too. You have some really great cards in there, like 'Silent Swordsman LV5', and those 'Swords of Revealing Light'… if I didn't have my 'Giga Gagagigo' when I did it could have been a very different duel. I'll learn a lot from you." The praise gets a chuffed "heh" from my partner-until-Zane-picks-them-partner.
Exhausted we get ready for the night, with me messaging Maya about the day to no reply… but 'I have something special to do first' I think to myself with a smile as I start unwrapping the box from Pops first…