Disclaimer: If I owned YGO 5Ds this wouldn't be a fanfic, it would be canon.

"—ia? Maria!"

I blink, realizing my name is being called, and look over my shoulder. Zora eyes me from the register.

"This is the fourth time I've seen you slacking off today!" she says. Most of the customers keep eating, I guess they're used to Zora's yelling, and a few watch. Knowing this, she lowers her tone, "Just get back to work," and flies through the kitchen doors to yell some more.

I finish sweeping under a table and go through the side door to dump the dustpan in the trash. Looping around, I step onto the deck.

Empty seats wait outside the door, but at one sits a dainty woman.

She hums to herself and looks out into the streets. Her expression lifts to a smile when I amble up to the table.

"What can I do ya' for," she says, faking a Western accent, "little lady?"

"I came to ask you the same thing," I chuckle.

After her face twists in thought, she says, "I'll have tea." I turn to go, but she says, "Two teas, actually," and I stop.

"Two teas?"

She nods. "Yes, two."

I head to the kitchen. Barely even through the door, there's a hollering noise and an arm raises with an object in hand. I duck just in time for it to splatter the wall.

"Bingo!"

"I think we got her!"

A pair of chef hats pop up from behind a counter.

"Um," I stumble, "what was that?"

"Oh." They stand, one of which crossing his arms. "It's just Blue Shirt Girl."

Blue Shirt Girl? I shoot a look back at the wall and frown; they threw a muffin at me. Blueberry? A hand raises to my chin and I squint at it. No, not blueberry. Banana nut, maybe?

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?"

Or is it pumpkin?

"She did it!"

"I saw it happen. And muffin throwing," the woman states matter of fact-like, "is on a level of stupidity only you two can reach."

I'm grabbed on my shoulder and whipped around. "Sorry about that," she grins. "Don't take it personal. It wasn't meant for you."

"Oh," I nod, glancing again at the muffin. "I might've deserved it either way."

She frowns, but it fades into another grin. "So you're the mysterious Blue Shirt Girl Zora hired." She grabs my hand and shakes it (jeez, she's strong). "Chiyo."

The two guys, brothers as it turns out, take off their hats and introduce themselves. The one with light blue hair is Mako and the one with dark green hair is Asura.

"We thought we were never gonna meet you, Blue Shirt," states Mako.

"Yeah," Asura agrees. "First you didn't come to work, which pissed Zora off by the way."

They chuckle just mentioning it. "And then you ignore us—we were so offended!"

"Don't mind them. They're idiots," Chiyo says, strolling back to a stove. She flicks a switch that lights a fire. A perfectly tweezed eyebrow arches, "I'm guessing you came in for something?"

"Oh!" I jump. "Nayla wants tea."

"Boss-lady wants tea?"

"Two of them."

"One more than one?"

"Will you two bozos shuddup and make the damn tea for crying out loud?" Chiyo screams. I almost want to say her flames grow when she glares at the brothers.

Before I leave with the tray in my hands, I ask them what kind of muffin it was they were hoping to throw at Zora.

They stare for a long time and the hairs on the back of my neck stick up. Whispering in unison, smiles forming: "Nothing sticks it to the man like a helping of bran!"

I turn and leave as a shiver runs down my spine.

"Here you go," I say when I'm out on the deck again. "Two teas just as you asked."

I lay the tea set on the table and she pats my hand. "Join me."

—

"Hey."

The rag needs more water. I dip it in the bucket again, wring out the excess, and continue wiping off a table. There's something about cleaning that's calming.

"Hey!"

I know everyone else hates it—or maybe that's just when you're forced to do it?

The citrus scents, the assortment of tools. I even love the phrase "elbow grease".

"Blue Shirt!"

"What?" I gasp. "What do you want?"

"Jeez," Mako frowns. He soon changes it to an apologetic grin. "You can stop cleaning, ya know?"

I look at the table. "Am I doing it wrong?"

He gives an eye-squinting laugh. "No, it's—"

The kitchen door swings and out saunters Asura. "Quittin' time!" he cheers. "My favorite part of the day."

"Oh," I pick up the bucket, "I guess I'll pour this out then."

"You guys ready?" Chiyo asks as she walks out of the woman's bathroom. The tall brothers nod, now side by side, and Chiyo turns her head to me. "Did you want to come?"

None of them wear the white chef coats they were when we first met. Asura's got loafers on, Mako dons a spiked jean jacket, and Chiyo's lips are coated in black lipstick.

"There's going to be a sick DJ."

"And it's on a boat this time."

"No thanks," I decline softly. "But thanks anyway."

The brothers, already in a partying mood, dance out the door. Chiyo shrugs, "Maybe next time."

Yeah, maybe. Or not.

"By the way, there's a girl out here waiting for you," she says, halfway out the door. "Akiza, I think?"

After dumping the bucket and cleaning up the water I spilled from being in such a hurry, I pull on my jacket. Akiza paces up and down the sidewalk outside the café, the tails of her uniform billowing behind her. I walk down the steps but she doesn't spot me yet. She looks like she's saying something, probably to herself.

"Hey," I call.

Burgundy bangs swish toward me. "Hi!" Heat comes to her cheeks and she tries to laugh it off, "I didn't see you there."

I laugh too, not wanting to embarrass her more. "What's up?"

Akiza takes a deep breath, the blush disappears, and her composure is regained. I need to learn that trick. "Can we take a walk?"

—

"Let me get this straight," I exhale. We stopped walking a while ago, ending up by some fountain in the square. A vender strolls his cart full of hotdogs past us. "You're a psychic?"

Akiza crosses her arms nervously. "Mhm."

"And you, the twins and the guys," I swing my spoon around like I'm the fairy godmother casting a spell on Cinderella. "You're all…er, Dark Signers?"

"Just Signers," she sighs. "Thankfully just Signers."

I take the open spot next to her on the fountain edge.

Two and a half. That's how many months it's been. A measly ten weeks, eight of which I spent locked away in a grimey motel room with junk food and bad sitcoms.

I'm lost, Mom. When you talked about the city, I didn't think this—the things Akiza just told me and the things that happened at the factory—was what you meant by "hustle and bustle". Two and a half crappy months and I don't even know what normal is anymore.

All this confusion only makes me miss you more.

"You're not saying anything," Akiza chuckles lightly. It may have been a laugh but she doesn't look like she's seen anything funny.

I toss the cup of ice cream away; I've lost my appetite and I want to go to bed. "I believe you."

"You do?"

"Mhm."

How can I not?

"I thought maybe you wouldn't." She sighs and lifts her head in my direction. Gratitude, appreciation, thanks—just words with similar meanings. But I don't think any of them can quite explain the look on her face. "Most people don't remember it at all so I don't expect you to."

"But they believe it don't they?"

"Because of the media," she scoffs. "Everyone in New Domino listens to the media."

I shove my mouth into my jacket sleeves, trying to muffle the sounds.

"What?" Akiza asks worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"It's just," I start, failing to hide the giggles, "I guess you could say it's one big domino effect."

.

..

…

"I'm beginning to regret this friendship already."

Nothing too serious this chapter, especially compared to the last one. Hopefully y'all still like it :)

TTFN