Narrator's Note: You know what I'd really, really, really [really] rather be doing right now? Not telling you a 10,000 word chapter. You know what you really, really, really [really] should be doing right now? Leaving a quick thoughtless review on how [4filter] this story is.
[THREE] ["FLOWER-TOPPED ANCIENT BOXES"]
"Yugi. What. The. Hell. Did. You. Do." Amy's face was starting to turn blue.
Once again Yugi Muto had his palms wrapped around the puzzle, holding it practically as a shield between them. There was nothing else in the immediate area that could defend him any better. That is unless he wanted to hide behind Joey. Not that she wouldn't follow him there. "I - uh, I'm really sorry Amy. But, uh, it isn't a necessarily bad opportunity," was his half-hearted reply. Every time he tried to find the words to explain himself they floated off of his tongue and into the vasts of space. Partly because of the steady, unflinching glare being sent his way, and partly because they never seemed quite right. He wasn't entirely sure how to explain himself because he wasn't entirely sure what had happened.
After the other students dispersed, the group decided to walk home as a together. Well, not really 'decided' they should. The phrase 'decision' - while only defined as a conclusion reached after consideration - implies the action of 'choice.' Yugi and the gang, for one reason or another, felt some obligation.
Ryo and Téa came to the joint conclusion that Amy might not be safe traveling alone under the… circumstances. Rumors tended to evolve into disease in this city. Imagine that, starting up a rousing round of 'Plague': "Gossip-x243" infected in Domino; "Gossip-x243" strain is now airborne; "Gossip-x243" has evolved the "Word Vomit" symptom; "Gossip-x243" is now fatal; Domino has entered a state of anarchy.
Joey searched deep into the most mature part of his soul and discovered that he just could not let this go. After how many scenes Amy made about Duel Monsters, she went and did what now? She was trying to convince the staff to let the students do what now? So she could be free to do what now? Oh yeah. Duel. Joey had all the questions, and boy was he ever eager to ask them.
Tristan's motivations were unclear to Amy. He looked like he had questions, a shift here and there in his eyes made it seem like something was grinding the wheels in that head of his, but he didn't ask anything. Only joining in on a quip or two of Joey's, Tristan appeared to brush off the entirety of the situation.
The others departed as the school disappeared from view until it was just Amy, Joey, Tristan, and Yugi. That was when her silence started to fizzle away.
"I thought you were supposed to be the meek one! You go and magical girl transform your character for thirty seconds and decide to use that power to throw me under the bus. What the actual hell. I thought you were Mr. Duel-For-Fun. [4filterrrr], dude."
Tristan, who was walking dangerously close to Amy, winced and covered his ear. "Ya know, most people say 'thank you' and move on."
Amy let out a stream of smoke through her nose, "Well thanks Moral Orel, thank you so [4filter] much for correcting me on my holier-than-thou etiquette."
"You've got an expansive vocabulary, don't you?"
"Spankin` observation Detective Tristan. So glad I can rely on your deductive abilities in a pinch. Thank you."
"Alright, I get it. A simple 'shut up' would have been fine."
"Shut up."
As she walked, Amy attempted to shove the rolled up posters back in her broken bag, all of which she'd been awkwardly carrying in a pile. The blonde gave her a friendly punch on the shoulder, almost making her drop them all, again. Yugi had to adjust the pile from the side, despite coming within feet of Amy was a current hazard to his health. "I dunno what ya` blaming Yug for. If you had just told us what was going on in the first place one of this would've happened. He saved your sorry butt out there."
"I wouldn't call it that," Yugi mumbled, looking at the ground. His cheeks lit up in the slightest shade of pink.
The boys expected something sarcastic or snide to rebuff, such as 'Nor would I' or 'He 'saved me' my [4filter]', but were merely met with a scowl. They shrugged. "Are you always this unhappy?" Tristan asked.
"Just when I'm about to get my plump, ol', rear end kick off, shaken up, and handed to me with a side of fries," she replied. "In case you cheery optimists forgot, I don't even have a deck to duel with. It's currently living somewhere in Cho-Nator Hell." No amount of arm waving could begin to express the levels of impossible she was trying to convey, but they swung around rapidly all the same.
As she did, a small colorful building came into view. "Small" here isn't used literally. If Amy stood on herself four times, she wouldn't come close to the roof's peak. However, it was small compared to the tall skyscrapers that sat next to it. On the front read the word "GAME" in big rough letters. Red letters. As in aggressive "look at me" red. Competitive "buy from me" red. Commanding "come inside" red. You get the idea.
As they approached the shop, Yugi opened the door and held it. "We didn't forget. That's why I asked to take a little detour today." A welcoming bell chimed above Amy as she dodged one of many game boards sticking out from the shop's shelf.
"Speaking of rule breaking, aren't students supposed to go home straight after class?"
As the others talked, Amy got the opportunity to look around the shop. On one side there were traditional games. Chess, Shogi, Mahjong, varying colorful packs of French Suit playing cards. Then there was a section for puzzles of all sizes and complexities. Most looked reasonably old, back when landscapes and traditional paintings were used as the image, rather than animal photos nor anime characters. The bell rang again as Yugi closed the door, which Amy took as a cue to dust the starter kit to an old roleplaying game that still had its dice and manuals. Which appeared sad next to the shiny, new Monster World collectible figures.
While there were a lot of titles that she didn't recognize hiding among the shelves, the cash register was set up on a glass display of very familiar cards. Green, purple, and brown cards each with its own unique and beautifully drawn image. It drew her in. Her fingertips brushed up against the glass Amy kneeling on the wood floor to get a view of the selection. 'Mystical Elf' looked familiar. The fog from her breath clouded the surface. Amy whipped it off with her sleeve, never breaking away from the 'Elf's glow.
It quickly became apparent just why she was dragged here.
"Just looking through the glass won't magically make them appear in your deck, you know. You'll have to buy it first."
The voice, old but spirited, made Amy freeze. Her skin pinched, and she jolted back onto her feet, meeting the face of an old man. He unlocked the case from the other side of the counter and knelt down, ready to scoop one up. "Well? Which one would you like."
She swallowed, hard, and took a composing breath, "None. I want none."
There was something familiar in the stocky old man. Something in the way his confused face dropped when he said, "Really? My instincts tell me you're strategizing as we speak, and my instincts are rarely wrong." as stood back up.
"You're not big on keywords, are you? The spotlight here being on rarely. Unless you rarely miss those sort of things, in which case condolences for the [4filter] day you're having."
"Don't listen to her Gramps," Joey's loose accent wedged its way into the conversation, making Amy roll her eyes, "she's too angry to admit she loves Duel Monsters!" He said with a cheeky grin.
Amy didn't hesitate to rebuttal, elbowing him in the chest. "I'm not angry!" The blond grunted, wind taken out of him, and stumbled backward, bumping a poster advertising the Duel Monster's Regional showdown. Whether he hit the wall that hard, or the cheap tape holding it just gave out, the poster floated off the wall and covered Joey's face. Tristan burst out laughing at the sight. Amy stuck out her tongue so they'd know she had no regrets.
Yugi let the bag slide off of his shoulders and took it by the handle. "Hi Grandpa, I brought a friend with me, hoping you might be able to sell her some cards."
That was it! That was where she'd seen that expression before, plastered to Yugi's face. Only more blocky and wrinkly than Yugi's god given rounded chin and tight skin. They both had the same full eyes, only the shopkeeper's had seen some age, and both sucked their lips inward when confused.
"Oh!" the old man smiled in aw, like a light had just gone off in his brain, "You should've just said so. I see you took my lecture to heart, Joseph. Come on, get out your cards, we'll fix `em up."
"Nhey!" Joey sprung up like nothing had happened, the paper floating on to the ground in the process. Bearing fangs no less. "You haven't even seen my deck yet, Gramps! How could you know it's bad?!"
No one was impressed, including Tristan, who said, "I thought you were supposed to be unconscious," and even earning a laugh from the old man. Yugi just smiled and gestured to Amy. She waved unenthusiastically.
"Oh, well why didn't you just say so?"
Because the Pronoun Game was so [4filter] fun.
The next half hour consisted of picking out booster packs. Joey insisted he chose one, promising that it would hold only the best cards, which Amy agreed to if only to get him to shut up. Unsurprisingly it produced winners such as 'Soitsu,' 'Gigobyte,' and 'House of Adhesive Tape' and he was henceforth 'That Guy' banned from choosing anymore.
Amy tossed handful packages on the glass counter. Everyone picked one up to open. "I swear these cards better be made of solid, polished gold and be covered in rubies." she said with a sigh, "You know your grandpa's some highway robber, right Sport?"
"You only got them at half price," the blond interjected, ripping open the top of his pack. 'Monster Egg' was the first card peeking to peek out. Upon seeing this red flag, she snatched the booster out of his hands. "Nhey! What gives?"
The other two boys chuckled. "You just lost card pulling privileges," she said, deadpanned and serious.
"What for?!"
"Four words. House. Of. Adhesive. Tape."
"That's a good card!"
"If it's such a good card then trade me for it."
Joey, now cross arm and cross-legged, sat by the counter and grumbled to himself, "I'll show you who's bad luck," while everyone else placed their pulls across the surface. Greens, yellow, and purples littered the countertop. Four pairs of eyes looked down on them, heads in a circle, saying very little outside of their private thoughts. Until the pause in the room was disrupted with Tristan's heartfelt declaration, "I'm no expert at Duel Monsters, but this looks bad," he raised an eyebrow, "am I right Yugi?"
"Um, well…" Yugi's hesitation was all the confirmation Amy need. She buried her forehead in the case breathing an exhausted profanity.
It wasn't that the pull consisted of entirely weak cards. Yugi and Tristan managed to pull 'Doma the Angel of Silence' and 'Magician of Faith,' both strong monsters in either body or spirit. In a game of Duel Monsters, the Monsters battled each other for victory, Creature v. Creature style. Some with their high attack and defensive powers, and others with their latent abilities (or 'special effects' as the young kids called it). But they were nothing without Spell cards to offer support, and Trap cards to unravel the opponent.
Here in lie the problem.
Duel Monsters housed an impressive collection of Monster cards - that is if your definition of "impressive" means "ridiculous and unnecessary." Too many to ever hope to memorize. Go on, give it a shot. I'll wait.
Because of this, Duel Monster's creator, who goes by the appropriately flamboyant name of Maximillion Pegasus, thought to separate them into categories. By using elemental affinities, species types, level count, and eventually stupidly obscene letters such as X, Y, and Z, a whole new depth was added to the game. No longers did monsters merely brawl; they used their own natural mechanics to their advantage. Take 'Bound Wand,' for a humble example, was an excellent Equip Spell card that buffed and additional 100 attack points to a Spellcaster Type monster per its level.
Of course, that entailed having an offensive spellcaster to use with it, which Amy apparently did not. Although, as Joey so gleefully pointed out, she could always attach it to 'Magician of Faith' and bring her attack to a whopping 600 points. Oh boi.
"You kids give up too easily." Grandpa Muto reminded them, "This is what Duel Monsters is all about! When your cards don't work together, you trade with other duelists. What'da say, Yugi? Maybe there's something in there that can work for you, and some of your cards that can work for Amy."
Now that didn't sound like a scam at all.
Or at least, that's what she would have said under… different circumstances. Hell, if anyone was getting scammed by this suggestion, it was Yugi. Still, Amy nodded, even if she raised an eyebrow at Grandpa Muto first. "Oh sure, it'll give me something to do while I wait for people to start lining up to get their hands on this 'Soitsu.'"
Yugi, who was adjusting the display of a shelf, must have heard his name because his head perked in their direction. "Sure, I'd be happy to. My cards are upstairs. I'll show you."
Joey waved smugly, basking in the glory of the "I told you so" for a beautiful five seconds until Grandpa sprawled Joey's deck onto the counter.
It became apparent that 'upstairs' was not a part of the shop. The rack of shoes on the edge of the stairs and living room covered in photos of Yugi was a pretty good indication of that. Although the real seller was walking by a woman in her late thirties prancing around the kitchen in her slippers and singing. They reached a door that had the initials "YM," and "TG" scratched into two of its corners, which definitely isn't the dorkiest thing in the world, but pretty high up there. Right next to scribbling your crush's name in hearts on your notebooks. Yugi blushed and sidestepped the answer when Amy pointed it out.
When he flicked the lights on, she wasn't sure what to expect. Nerdy posters covering the walls? Piles of games and puzzles cluttering the desk? A closet full of nothing but Domino blazers? Which was all the more surprising when Yugi's bedroom was incredibly ordinary. If anything it was dull and underwhelming. Very little was out of place, his bed was made, the full body mirror next to it had no streaks, and absolutely zero dirty magazines peeking out from under it.
So the golden box sitting on an otherwise organized desk, catching the late afternoon sun through the skylight, stood out. Like how the Millennium Puzzle stood out on Yugi. He went straight to the box, offering the desk chair to Amy and bringing it to his bed. It took a minute, eyes glued to the box, for her to realize she was holding her breath in anticipation as Yugi slid the lid off. "I keep my extra cards in here. Grandpa's given me a few here and there, and while we were pulling, I got to thinking about a monster would work well for you."
"Oh." That was a little more anticlimactic than she expected. Along the box's edges were carvings. Amy squinted. They were hieroglyphs, for sure, not that she was an expert in Egyptology. But the distinctive symbols were something she recognized. "Can I take a look?"
"Of course."
"Not the card dummy, the box!"
"O-oh." Yugi took one more look at the container before handing it over. Reluctantly. A little too reluctantly. It's not like Amy was going to grab it under her arm and hook shot her way through the skylight, but, still, there were few people who touched its metal surface. Especially since he was it given eight years ago. Some people have a hard time giving their daughters away, and others musty old boxes. Tomato to-mato.
She looked at the handful of symbols, the weight making her wrists tense. It's warm reflection cast upon the edges of Amy's cheeks and chin. "The… one who solves me… shall gain the powers and knowledge of darkness," her voice creaked, clicking through the translation, "well [4filter]," and let out a raised eyebrow, "I would never have pegged you as the 'Satanic Black Magic' type."
"A wish! It's not the 'power of darkness,' it's a wish! Solving the puzzle granted a wish!"
"That's not what I read."
"Can you actually read ancient Egyptian?"
"No, but I know a guy. Can you read ancient Egyptian?"
Yugi paused, mulling over the thought. "N-no. But I'm sure that's what it says because that's what happened. I finished the puzzle, wished for friends, and now I've got the best."
The girl turned. A brutal gesture. It was clear that she didn't want him to see the exaggerated smugness of her expression, but that was precisely what made it so cruel. Yugi still knew that it was there. "I'm totally judging you."
He turned glorious shades of red. Amy couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, turning back around in the chair. To which, he let out a half smile. "Look, Sport," the girl began, what was once a serious train of thought now lighthearted, "whether it be dark powers, wish granting, or both, I wouldn't take that lightly." The slight smirk on her face seemed to melt away hesitantly, and the girl tried not to shift too much. To no avail. It was starting again, the burning sensation in her wrist. Her hand flexed at the discomfort until the sensation finally stopped. "You could attract a lot of the wrong people that way. I mean, dude, imagine if the school knew you were a closet occultist. The Cho-Nator would have a field day. I'd look like an honor student next to you."
Buried at first under cover of their laughter, a tiny, barely visible glow began in the room. Lost in the sun's rays as they came through the skylight, the puzzle around Yugi's neck started this soft, quiet, unseen hum. Yugi laid out his deck, and Amy her mess of cards, onto the floor. Cards were moved back and forth, paired together, tossed to the side. Strategizing was done. Arguments were had. F-bombs were dropped, along with snickers, eye rolls and arm punches, all in this unforeseen glow, until it diminished as quietly as it had come.
The entire walk to the dining room consisted of mostly of one word, "no." Sometimes in a different language. It was forwarded and finished by other phrases like "take it back, Yugi" and "it's fine, Amy," but in between that was several "no"s. Along with a blue card being shoved back and forth between their faces. But once the two hit the table, all debate ceased. All debate about Duel Monsters, at least. Partly because it appeared to be one of Mrs. Muto's household rules. Mostly, though, once Amy was handed her Flower-Topped Hamburger nothing else could come between her and it.
I mean, Flower-[4filter]-Topped Hamburgers. A [4filter] flower shaped egg on top a [4filter] burger. None of Domino High's lectures came close to peaking her interest so [4filter] fast. Somehow, Mrs. Muto had managed to get the eggs in perfect, clean shape, with the yolk sitting smack in the middle on all six plates. It actually looked like a daisy on a burger. Forget the Millennium Puzzle, and its ominous box, this [4filter] right here was the real anomaly.
Amy had to beg Yugi to dig up a camera so she could take a quick photo of it - even if the only one they had was an Impulse from the 80's - despite Joey and Tristan's moans about how Amy was holding the dinner hostage. The blond groan very loud about how he spent all afternoon under Grandpa's brutal dueling boot camp and all he wanted to do was eat. The poor neglected baby.
And that was all before she even tasted the thing. While the table was a No-Duel Monsters zone, Mrs. Muto didn't seem to have a problem with talking competitively and strategically about food. Especially when it came to discussing the smooth, savoriness of her gravy. She even leaned over to Yugi at one point and whispered, "Oh, I like her," before he shook his head with a small smile.
By the time Amy and the boys were ready to leave, every taste bud was coated in salty, juicy beef. At least for the people inside Kame. Outside, the taste buds of Domino's skyline was only coated in darkness. Much less impressive. The moonlight emitting through Kame's large glass door lit Amy's way as she toddled downstairs. The game shop seemed almost mystical at night. Mysterious even. Something in the way cracks of light bounced off the edges of the wood floor created an ambiance. Dust particles from old, unsold games could no longer be seen floating in the air. All was quiet without the boys' banter.
Also different than earlier was the Duel Monsters display case. Without the sun there was no glare on the glass, and nothing to make the flushed tones of the cards pop. Instead, the colors seemed to be set to muted hues, as if they too were slumbering. Amy could see each of them without her reflection bouncing itself into view.
'Bouncing,' get it? Like a bouncer, someone who prevents unwanted troublemakers from entering clubs and other such establishments. It also describes the motion of her reflection entering and exiting with her approach and descent. Get it?
It's a funny play on words.
...Laugh.
Amy squatted in front of 'Mystical Elf.' Now that she had some peace, she could finally take a real look at it. The card's color palette was cold, yet somehow softly gentle. Blonde hair, blue skin, and a flowing green gown, there wasn't a drop of red or orange to be found. In the quiet like this, something about the card cradled Amy's nerves into calm, clear waters. As if all the storms on the horizon were irrelevant. Perhaps it was in the way the elf folded her hands together in eternal meditation or prayer. Or her how her eyes closed with no sign of strain. Yet, a sense of urgency lingered in the blue and white wisps of the background. It felt like looking through the window to a world of danger and battle. The image had no swords, guns, or explosions to support this, yet the feeling lingered. Beauty. Elegance. Mystery. Firm unwavering faith in her own conviction.
Kame's overhead light came alive with a hum, and she was greeted with the reemergence her vile reflection. Grandpa Muto stood in the doorway, a lean in his stout posture, although he adorned neither a scowl or sneer. Still, she threw her hands up, "I was waiting for the guys. I didn't touch any of your stock."
"I wasn't about to imply you did." He strolled over to the counter, eyes connecting with the 'Elf' before Amy could part from it. His words and movements were incredibly nonchalant, almost as if he found humor in their situation. "You know Amy, my eyes may be old, but they're still sharp. Especially when it comes to Duel Monsters. Sharp as a tack."
For as overused as the phrase, 'sharp as a tack' is, the point stood surprisingly accurate. While the game shop featured a variety of titles, all of which Grandpa Muto could be presumably skilled at, none of them came quite as close to his Duel Monsters obsession. From the moment Industrial Illusions released the game, Solomon Muto and his greying beard began to collect. At first if for no reason other than Duel Monsters' explicit relation to his studies of Ancient Egypt.
Then, one fateful expedition caused his love for the game to truly blossom. One particularly unlucky day, Solomon and excavation his team found themselves at the mercy of a cave in. Trapped in a with only their decks and a swig of water to keep them company, his and his coworker dueled until nearly all the light had burned out: on their lamp and their lives. Since that day, the keen instincts that once fueled his career shifted in a different direction.
"Thanks for the tip, Confucius."
"I could tell right away you were interested in that card. Although, at first I thought you were encapsulated by its high defenses. But that's not the case - is it?"
Solomon began to see things as he dueled. Not 'see things' like he could look down at the field and derive three different strategies. Instead, what he saw was a spark. Some duelists had a glimmer in their eyes, a second of light that showed a tunnel deeper into his very heart. When he opened his shop, no longer Solomon the Adventurer but Grandpa the Senile-Old-Man, the spark would appear in some of the customers.
The humming stopped. Once, twice, the lights flickered reflecting in the girl's eyes before she closed them. Amy pinched the bridge of her nose with a grimace. "Wha - I - Ugh - Of course it's not the case! I told you that hours ago! I didn't, and still don't, have any interest in purchasing it. What kind of Mom and Pop Shop is this! You're never going to get very far flat ignoring your customers."
Grandpa let a howl bellow from his gut. Amy was a stomping foot short of a full tantrum, her arms splashing around the shop and face twisted in a pout. "What I meant to say is, it's not the value of the card that caught you, tactical or otherwise," he clarified, "rather, you and that monster have an unspoken bond."
"What?" her jaw dropped, "What are you even talking about? It's a piece of paper, not a person. You can't connect with an inanimate thing."
He took the key ring off his belt, and the dozens on it rattled like a wind chime. "Anything can be a conduit to a connection. Maybe you'll understand if I show you." Although, he went past the display case and instead opened the register. The girl leaned over slightly to catch a peak. He lifted the till very carefully and placed it on the counter, revealing a small brown box in the space below. Amy almost fell over at the sight of it. 'What's with this family and their sentimental boxes?'
Another key opened the box with a small clicking noise. From it, Grandpa revealed a monster card. At the bottom were the large, intimidating numbers 3000 and 2500 and in the middle was the image of a dragon. Rather than a million tiny scales hugging its body, this dragon appeared to be made out of sleek, sturdy armor. The folds of gleaming blue metal covered every inch of the dragon, making it not truly armor, but rather the impenetrable skin around the dragon's muscle and bones. A pink inner mouth was the only portion of the artwork that seemed organic in any way. There was no semblance of any other exposed flesh or weakness.
Ironically, despite the monster's blue tint, the top of the card read 'Blue Eyes White Dragon', which was a partially laughable misnomer. Only when light hit the dragon's shining exterior did it appear white by any means.
Perhaps you've known people who make fun of someone else's name. It's very easy to do. For example, you could roll your eyes at me for the absurd name "I Really, Really, Really Really [Really] Would Rather Be Anywhere Else Right Now Doing Literally Anything Else," and I could make fun of you for being called something basic like "Dan," "Mary," or "Ryan". I could insult you for having a truly ugly name, most likely something that ends with a 'y,' such as "Ashley." Or perhaps a long and unnecessarily borning name, like "Samantha." And if your name is "Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way," all cards are off the table. It's very easy make fun of because names are how we represent ourselves, and can create a picture of who we are. You could say, "Ashley is an ugly name, so Ashley must be an ugly girl" or "I Really, Really, Really Really [Really] Would Rather Be Anywhere Else Right Now Doing Literally Anything Else is a really [4filter] name, so I Really, Really, Really Really [Really] Would Rather Be Anywhere Else Right Now Doing Literally Anything Else is a really [4filter] person." These insults wouldn't necessarily be accurate, as Ashley, for example, could turn out to be the name of your attractive Jamaican bartender and not an ugly girl with unruly brown hair and glasses, but they're nonetheless easy and particularly cruel insults.
It's unlikely, however, that anyone ever looked at the 'Blue Eyes White Dragon' and said "Blue Eyes White Dragon is a stupid name for a blue dragon. Therefore the dragon must be stupid", because while 'White Dragon' is a stupid name for a blue dragon, at the end of the day it's still a dragon. It will do what Dan, Mary, Ryan, Ashley, Samantha, and I Really, Really, Really Really [Really] Would Rather Be Anywhere Else Right Now Doing Literally Anything Else won't do. It will eat you. I mean that figuratively, of course, it's a trading card. But with 3000 attack points, it will literally eat your monsters.
If Amy had been drinking anything, she probably would have done a cliche spit take and gagged, "What the hell, Gramps! You own a 'Blue Eyes'? Cheesus [4filter] Crust, there's only four of those in existence."
The old man held his monster proudly, "It's the most important card I own. But not because of its value or rarity. This card connects me to an old friend. It's a part of me and my memories. Wherever it is, I am. Even if it was in bad shape and financially worthless… I'd still keep it in this box."
'Marry the damn thing why don't you.' Amy cringed, glancing once again to see if she was on some Hallmark hidden camera show. Grandpa Muto all but kissed the [4filter] thing goodnight before tucking it back in. "Look, Gramps, if you're implying that a card from a shop I just visited for the first time has any sentimental value, you're livin la vida loca. And not the good 'I just turned twenty one' kind."
With the register was back together, Grandpa Muto unlocked the glass case and picked up 'Mystical Elf.' He held the monster out for her to take. "You don't have to believe me right now, but my gut still says you should take it. We'll call it… a bonus! For purchasing all those packs earlier."
To which, she held her hands up, a clench in her jaw. Amy's fingers twitched forward before relaxing into a fist. She let out a deep breath. "...I see you must have thrived in business school. Look. No. Dim. Nay. Nix. Go Fish. I'm not taking -"
"Amy! There you are!"
Yugi's head popped out from the doorway, causing her to freeze up. His smile was as broad as could be, and looking between the two caused Grandpa to laugh. "Sorry," Yugi continued, "I should have mentioned that when the shop's closed we go out the side door. Tristan and Joey are waiting outside."
It was Yugi's turn to absorb the situation. "Oh… Hi Grandpa? What are you doing down here."
Grandpa quietly slid 'Mystical Elf' back into the display case and locked it tight. "Amy and I were chatting. About Duel Monsters in fact."
"Oh… Okay. Were you not ready to go, Amy?"
She hustled towards the doorway, nearly pushing past Yugi to get through, "I've never been more ready in my life," before turning back to the old man one more time and saying, "Hearing Aids. Invest in."
In a few seconds they were outside, and it didn't take Joey long to start poking at Amy's absence. Naturally, he started off with the most intelligent, "Girls are always late" jokes before Tristan pointed out that Joey was, in fact, the one who held them up in the first place. While the two quarreled, Yugi turned back to Amy appearing particularly worried and displeased, "I hope my grandpa didn't say anything weird to you. He's a little overbearing, but good once you get to know him. Sort of like Joey."
"Mhm." Amy mulled. Her eyes were glued to her hand, clenching and unclenching. It had been so close to reaching over the counter and grabbing hold of 'Mystical Elf.' It knew - she knew - that the old man was up to his waxy ears in nonsense, yet for some reason, the temptation had still been there.
"What did, um, what were you guys talking about? You seemed pretty heated."
She paused. That's right; she was heated, heated because it was ridiculous. Regardless of the momentary lapse in judgment, Amy knew at her core that she stood firm against the old man's brazen theories. Surely he didn't mean any of it, that entire charade was an attempt to add one more late night sale to the books. A sigh of relief came from this realization before focusing on Yugi and pointing at her ears, "Hearing aids. Invest in." Amy then plowed forward, straight through Joey and Tristan to the front of the pack. Yugi was left to rub at his earlobes questionably.
The group walked in bright conversation through the dimly lit streets of Domino. They moved along the roads to an all but empty plaza accompanied by only a few street lights and a handful of trees. Although, Amy could tell that they weren't on public city soil anymore. There were no small pieces of garbage scattered through the ground, and the grass was cut to a reasonable length. If she wanted, she could have touched the ground and felt only healthy, lush, green grass, clearly breed for appearance. The street lights were round balls here, rather than the rectangular shapes. Trimmed hedges and carefully laid out brickwork were also subtle clues.
But perhaps the most subtle clue of all was that the plaza attached itself to two sets of stairs, and those stairs lead up to an abnormally sizeable white building proudly labeled DOMINO MUSEUM.
Domino, as with any city, certainly had its unsavory parts. There are places in town where you can buy a pair of shoes off of a shady dealer and then have that shady dealer - surprise - hire thugs to steal them back from you. But clearly, where Domino ignored patches of its city, it spoiled others. The museum, although privately own, was loved by the city who sold the property. Buildings were built to clear a path, making the white museum a gravitational center around the block of skyscrapers.
For presumably a good reason, considering the museum was huge. Which, I know has been said already but I cannot emphasize enough how ridiculously vast this building was. Even though Amy was a few sets of stairs away, she could feel the building looming over her. It was as large as Domino High School, one of three schools in the city that serviced hundreds of students.
It's grand columns made it clear that it wanted to be very important. Small windows were crafted in rows and spaced evenly throughout the front side if the building, only stopping to leave a home for two full windows at both ends. With just faint lights brightening up it's 'closed' state, the building could have passed for a haunted mansion if it wanted to.
And, of course, like every good museum, the group of teenagers walked right passed it without a blink. Instead, they continued their conversation about card games, ignoring the edge plaza and crossing onto the public sidewalk next to it. All except one.
Amy was caught. Not by the building. Even she couldn't have cared less of the boring boring of a museum of natural boring. Instead, it was a signboard in the plaza that caught her eye as the group walked the line between properties. Scattered on the surface were posters and flyers.
Although Amy had stopped to examine the board, Joey, Yugi, and Tristan appeared too engaged in their conversation to pause. Joey hopped over one of the bushes, if for no other reason to settle his energy, then back onto the street. "So `dat settles it! We all meet at Yug's for the Regional Championship. It'll be like a party! Your mom can cook for us, right?" the blond was practically drooling just imagining it. Good friends, good food, and good card games. What more could someone ask for? His friend nodded at the notion.
It was common to see some combination of the gang stop here in the late evening. It was the perfect distance between Kame, for Yugi to walk with his friends to the residential district. It was also the spot where Joey parted ways towards his apartment, and Tristan and Téa could catch the train to take them a few blocks down. If the Domino Museum's overnight security guard took the tours he was instructed to do, he'd often see some mesh of the group walking the property line. If is a strong word here.
They put distance between each other, making a trust triangle between them. Which is like a trust circle, only, ya know, wrong. "Well, this is where I get off," Tristan said with a wave. He searched around in his pocket and dug out a train pass, lovingly labeled 'Student'.
"Thanks for takin' us part way, buddy!" Joey gave Yugi a friendly pat on the back - if your definition of friendly means "with massive yet unintentional force." "You don't have to keep doin' this, ya' know that Yug."
The poor boy had to grit his teeth to hide the wince of pain that came with it. "Well, I mean, um, it gives me and my mom piece of mind."
Joey wrapped his arm around Tristan's shoulder - which earned him an unamused raised eyebrow - and grinned. "Tristan and I will be fine. We're used to the rowdy life, right Tristan?"
"Coming from the guy who always needed saving in middle school because he kept getting jumped." the brune peeled them apart and pushed significant space in between them, "Somehow, he does have a point. Walking home in that dark is nothing for us, but for a little guy like you - who knows what could happen. So don't stop for anything."
"I won't, don't worry." After being pushed back towards the direction of the game shop, Yugi waved goodbye as he walked, a nervous smile on his face, "See you guys at school tomorrow."
On the other side of the bushes still stood Amy, who was folding something up and patting it into her pocket. He watched this for a second. "Um… Amy? Were you heading home too?"
She nearly leaped onto her toes at the sound of him, "Cheesus [4filter] [4filter], Sport! Pop out of the trees like even more of a weirdo! See yourself get punched next time."
He put his hands up as a symbol of peace. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to bother you, honest. Joey and Tristan left, and I wasn't sure if you needed me to go the rest of the way with you."
The pages that littered the board were full of color. Some were apparently old, dating to museum exhibits released months before. There were also personal ads, one particularly laughable one posted for help with a film, but read "THE WORK IS PRO BONO BECAUSE I'M A POOR STUDENT." But the poster Amy stopped on, Yugi observed, was different than the others. It displayed two monsters along the edge, along with big, fun round text. Bright, exciting yellow splashed the background. Ugly. But eye-catching. Brutally ugly. But eye-catching nonetheless. The same one that had been hanging from Kame's walls - if nothing but a little smaller.
Amy peeled it off the board and held it in front of her face. "This is the regional championship you three have been babbling about?"
Yugi nodded, though unsure if she was avoiding the subject or simply paying little attention to him, "It's coming up quick, Joey's excited about it. You're welcome to join us, you know! I mean, if you want to."
"Politics." It was the one word weighing on his offer, on her mind. What she meant to say was "no," but instead another word spat out. "The lot of it, they're not trading cards, they're little three by five billboards." Amy's scowl was thoughtful but disheartening. Impatient thoughts once again bubbled to the tip of her tongue. "That's exactly what I told you, but no. Dueling is for fun. Amy's too cynical. Amy's gotta find her chill. But that's exactly what the stupid Regionals are. Poli-[4filter]-tics. And that's exactly I'm going to be using these stupid Duel Monsters cards for tomorrow - so I can get Domino's resident [4filter] off my back and onto my petition. Well Sport, where's the fun?"
Amy started towards the museum, eyes not on Yugi nor the picture, but the ground. She didn't take another look back at either of them. The page crumbled between her palms until it was an unrecognizable ball. Gods, how could things have spiraled to this. Amy threw it on the ground in frustration, then lifting her school case under her arms. While she should have been giddy to have her point proven, it wasn't nearly enough to overcome the fact that sixteen, eighteen hours from now, a children's card game was going to change fate. Whether it be hers or the schools.
"If that jerk and his comically [4filter] friends beat me tomorrow, no one will sign the petition." It's not peaceful. "But I beat them, it's still possible that no one will sign the petition." It's not sensible. "And even worse, if they do and things change, it won't be because the students think it should change, it'll be because we threw propaganda in front of them at the right time." It's not practical.
That was when Yugi said something surprising. Once again, causing her frustration to melt away into puzzlement. He picked up the poster and uncrumpled it, trying to smooth away the imperfections before rehanging. "I promise, it's not the politics that'll change their minds. It's reminding them of the good memories dueling together makes. You'll see.
"I think that must be why I suggested dueling in the first place. It's drawn out the good in people as no other game does." Yugi smiled so peacefully that in the end, she didn't have the heart to say the obvious words swimming around. Duel Monsters brings the good in people out like no other game can. But it also brings the bad.
Surely, anyone who's been on a train can attest to the fact that trains are boring. I'm sure if you wanted to you could probably argue that this statement is inaccurate. You could say, "I like to look out the window of the train and watch the houses next to the track, wondering about the people who live inside, so much so that I project my life onto a perfect couple who like to spend way too much time on their back porch, sometimes in arousing underwear, while drinking from the mini bar of nips in my purse until one of them goes missing and spirals a murder mystery". To which, I'd say watch a different movie. Or at least read the book.
I'd also say, you're on the wrong kind of train. You're on the type of train that travels across multiple cities. The train Tristan was headed to, as he starred boredly down at his Student Pass, was the much less impressive Domino Metro. He hadn't even left the museum property yet, and the very sight of the pass still made him groan.
Taking the metro was something he'd done more often in middle school. Those were the days when he and Joey were in hot water with opposing schools and their clad, bandaged gangs. Any day the two got into a fight, Tristan would go home by rail. Home was forty minutes away on foot, but only two stops from the museum. Two stops he could be assured not the run into that trouble that may or may not be out for revenge. Nowadays, he only used it when Téa also decided to join the group late at Yugi's. But those days were few and far between.
"Tristan and I will be fine. We're used to the rowdy life, right Tristan?" Joey wrapped his arm around his friend and leaned. Tristan could see the blond's goofy profile.
Today seemed like a special exception. Not just for the metro, rather, his whole day was one anomaly. Since meeting Yugi, Tristan's life had been fairly peaceful. He tried to think of the last time he got into a physical fight. It must have been the day Yugi and Joey became friends. How long ago had that been? Not too long? But boy did it feel like it.
He rolled his shoulder, still feeling the tension in it. Amy came and changed everything. It'd been so long since he was ready to spring like that on instinct alone. If Yugi hadn't stepped in, he would have fought that upperclassman for sure. And for what?
Tristan, without a second's hesitation, pushed the blonde off, making damn sure Joey saw the displeasure caused by invading his personal bubble, "Coming from the guy who always needed saving in middle school because he kept getting jumped. Somehow, he does have a point. Walking home in that dark is nothing for us, but for a little guy like you - who knows what could happen. So don't stop for anything."
"I won't, don't worry. See you guys at school tomorrow," with a shy wave goodbye, Yugi rounded the other side of the brush. Leaving Tristan to stare back at his student pass.
For a few solemn seconds. Joey quickly inserted his loudmouth back into the fray. "Tell me you're as hyped as I `am."
"I don't think it's humanly possible to be more excited than you."
"Gramps fixed my deck up with some good spell and trap cards," he pulled the deck out of his blazer triumphantly, "ya` know, I bet I could`a entered the Regionals, with this. And win it too! Like a Duel Monsters pro." There may have been no stars on the skyline, but there was more than enough in Joey's eyes to make up for it.
Tristan physically knocked on his friend's head to see if it would echo, not that there was any indication Joey could feel the knuckles. Not a wince of pain or discomfort, just annoyance at the inherent blasphemy. "You know you only just learned how to play the game, right? Remember that?"
"Ye`, so what? Next time this city sees a tournament, you watch. I'm gonna enter, and win too."
What Tristan wanted to say was something like, "Ignorance is indeed bliss," but one look into his friends beaming confidence make the insult slip away. Maybe it was his ultra blond hair, but something about Joey was just bright. As if Tristan was face to face with an eight year old. So, seeing that they were indeed alone, Tristan decided to give him just this one. "Sure, man. And when you do I'll be right behind you." It earned him a high five.
"`Dat's right, Team Joey Wheeler! You've got my back, I've got Yug's and tomorrow we've got to have Amy's back."
Those words made the high five turn into a low high five, which is the same thing as a high five only void of any enthusiasm. The two parted ways without speaking of it again, although it mentally overtook over Tristan's thoughts.
Which is why, as he passed the museum, he didn't see the bulking budge sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. Tristan's feet danced with the object, each step becoming further entangled until it, and the man of the hour himself, spilled allover the walkway. If you've ever fallen, you may have knocked your knee out of place or banged your head, both of which are extremely uncomfortable. Yet, somehow watching someone else fall down is hilarious. And although it's rude to laugh at someone who's not a comedian or clown for falling down, when the person looks down and sees that their feet are entangled in a lone pink blazer, exceptions can be made.
He almost immediately recognized the school case with the broken lock. After gathering up everything he could find - save for the one Rule Revision poster that rolled away, he poked his head around the building in hopes of finding its owner. Sure enough, crawling between the thin space behind the museum dumpster was Amy, fearless of the stench or grime that lingered near. On her hands and knees, she waited quietly and still, only occasionally creeping forward. She went as far as poking her head out the side, glancing, and retreating back. Tristan observed the charade for a few moments. He could feel the edges of his mouth twitch.
Domino Museum's loading dock was in the back, where the road and building met once again. Tucked away in the corner opposing the loading doors were large dumpsters, which sat out of the way of the truckers trying carefully to back in.
Tristan slid his way across the pavement. He slipped in, right behind Amy, crouching down. "You dropped this," he whispered, dropping the cluttered mess that was once a school case.
She nearly choked on her own spit, flipping around so fast he almost got a kick in the face because of it. Once her pupils regained form and her cheeks color, Amy pulled him so close to the ground he could have licked the smelly dirt. "[4filter]! What's wrong with your group of friends?! Haven't any of you heard of 'hello'?!" came in rapid whispers.
"You really think starting off with 'hello' would have worked any better?" he whispered back, "no matter how you greet someone who hiding, you're going to scare them. Especially if they're trespassing on private property. Which, you're doing by the way."
She rolled her eyes. "I know I'm trespassing. I'm not an idiot."
"Well, you have fun with that. I was just dropping off your stuff."
"Get that thing out of here! I left it for a reason, you dolt."
"Why?"
That was a loaded question if she ever heard one. After taking one more nervous peak towards the dock, Amy carefully reached into her pocket. She pulled out a messily folded paper, and as quietly as possible opened it up, revealing a poster. Yes, of course, pulling out a paper and pointing to it answers all the questions. It doesn't leave any vague uncertainties and makes her intentions completely clear.
Of course.
This action merely earned her a single raised eyebrow, as Tristan tended to do.
Typed across the poster was an advertisement for an upcoming exhibit at the museum titled 'EGYPT… AND THE ORIGINS OF DUEL MONSTERS'. This seemed to be a standard advertising campaign and wouldn't warrant attention. The Egyptian Archaeological Society was putting on an exhibit in the Domino Museum. Why that warranted a felony, he couldn't say.
After a moment of starring, Amy pointed to a specific line. It read "Sponsored by Industrial Illusions," with a picture of a silver-haired man next to it. Tristan's eyebrow remained raised, and she looked like she was about ready to strangle him for it. "Look! And for God's sake, take your blazer off! The last thing we want if for the cameras to catch our uniforms - because that'll be so helpful to my cause tomorrow." she blurted finally, now trying increasingly hard to keep her voice down. "Did you read the corner of the page? Can you read?" she moved her finger to the edge of the poster, "Industrial Illusions is flying in a preview exhibit before the real thing."
The phrase "So?" is such an amazing phrase because it does so much with so little. Alone, "so" simply implies the continuation of an idea. However, once you place a question mark next to it, becomes not just one question, but all the questions. And completely open to interpretation. Words like "when?" or "where?" limit to asking a few questions, such as "when do you need something?" or "where are we meeting." The phrase "why?", while it can infer an infinite number of questions, limits the answer to simply explaining why.
But when Tristan responded with "So?", he could have meant any number of things. 'So, what?', 'So, why do you care?', 'So, why are you hiding behind a dumpster?', 'So, that's the truck they'll be unloading the preview exhibit from?', or 'So, they're unloading an important artifact that a wealth company is baiting you with?' are all very valid question asked by a single word.
Instead of answering any of these, Amy shhhed him, going as far as to put her dirty hand over his mouth. Which, would have warranted a sneer of disgust had he not seen what Amy was gesturing to. A light in the building flicked on. Checking for either a guard or a loading crew, she crawled out from the dumpster and dashed the wall. Hugging it as tight as possible, she kept low and tiptoed towards the light. Tristan didn't have the luxury of being less than 5'5'', so he had to put an uncomfortable hunch in his step.
A large Iշ was imprinted on the side of the loading truck. They were so close, Amy could have traced the bottom edge of it with her arm. However, much to Tristan's surprise, she didn't check to see if the trailer was unlocked or open. Instead, she carefully walked around it and headed for the light.
The source of the light soon became evident. It was a window. As Tristan approached, he could see bars defending the outside, preventing any unwanted entrance. But apparently, breaking in wasn't on Amy's agenda either, because she made no attempt to turn around or investigate the bars. Instead, she simply squatted underneath it, back glued to the wall. At least Tristan could take solace in the fact that theft and breaking and entering were two felonies off the table.
"...offee, or tea. Water maybe?" a voice came from inside, so clear that Tristan presumed the glass must be open.
"No, thank you." answered another. The second man sounded stiff and professional as if he was neither excited or annoyed to be here.
Tristan shifted, daring a glance to the room. The first voice belonged to a pudgy man, probably in his mid-forties. Although he wore a hat, the line of hair peeking out from underneath made it clear he was well into his balding stage. Any hair from the top of his head apparently moved to his eyebrows and mustache. His fat sides were comfortably meshing into the chair handles, molding to his shape. The second looked about as imaginative as he sounded. A straight, clean-cut suit, a grey hair, and mustache groomed to perfection; the lean man took care in his professional appearance. Except for the sunglasses. Wearing them at night made him look slightly less like an advisor and more like an [4filter].
"I'm surprised, it's not often one of our donors sees to an exhibit this small personally. I wasn't expecting to meet the Industrial Illusions representative for a few weeks." the pudgy man actively sounded both eager, yet somehow disappointed, "Is the Archeological Society Director not joining us this evening?"
"Unfortunately, it appears Ms. Ishtar had some last minute complications. Mr. Pegasus requested I see to the preview pieces personally in her place."
"I see, Mr…"
"Croquet."
The museum owner extended his hand, although much less enthusiastically now that he knew the exotic Egyptian flower he'd been expecting wouldn't appear. "I heard a rumor that the Society was suffering from a series of thefts. It's a shame to discover that there may be some truth it. If Mr. Pegasus sent you out of concern for the exhibit's safety, assure him we've got the best security around." Amy couldn't help herself. She scoffed. No amount of speed could possibly slap her mouth fast enough to rectify the mistake. And believe you me, she tried.
Amy and Tristan froze, his sharp glare icing across their eyeline. They waited for the silence to fade to chaos, ready to spring at the sign of a chair pulling out.
Nothing came. Instead, the museum owner continued. "I should know, the rest of our famous Egypt exhibit was sponsored by yours truly, and I've never felt so safe in an investment. Have you seen the rest of the collection Mr. Coquet? It's absolutely priceless."
"I have not, sir." Croquet, hands behind his back, walked up to the window and looked out to the dark city. Amy tensed. The only thing that could make her flatter was if she physically morphed into a two-dimensional line.
They could hear a drawer open and the rustle of papers, "You must stop by before leaving the city, I insist. There's no collection around quite as valuable…! Aside from the Society's, of course. But you know what they say, adding greatness to greatness only makes them greater."
"A look at the display space would be of some value to my report. Mr. Pegasus's wish is that that the exhibit preview occupies a commanding, open area. He wants to make sure Domino's residence feel encouraged view it while they still have the opportunity to do so." Tristan could feel his heart pounding. Even worse, he could hear it. It was so loud he was afraid that the men could hear it. Finally, Croquet walked away from the window.
Holding back a spit take, the owner was apparently caught off guard. He seemed to fumble out of his chair. "R-right now? I-I mean, of course. It's still a little unfinished considering the preview was unexpected, but right this way - " the lights flicked off, followed shortly by the office door closing. In the darkness, Tristan couldn't look at Amy's hard, alerted stare, but he could see her arms gesturing him backward.
Urgently, the two scrambled. From under the window to around the corner, one quick pitter patter after another. Amy pushed him around the back so fast you'd think they were being chased by security. It wasn't until they reached the street, far away from the outline of the building, did they both finally both gasp for air.
Tristan leaned on the street lamp. Its bright light drew the students' shadows across the street. "Can you please explain what the hell that was all about."
Hunched over, Amy used her small knees as support to catch her breath. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think that she might hurl. There was undoubtedly both the position and expression for it. "You heard what they said! Do you really need a recap?"
"Who cares what they said. I'm asking why you had an impulsive need to sneak into the museum."
"I never snuck into the museum." she hissed back. Tristan's face turned to stone at the comment. With that vital detail cleared up, Amy begrudgingly continued, "Look, the guy in the grey suit, Croquet, he's Pegasus's top advisor. Practically his personal assistant! Doesn't that smell funny to you, sending your personal assistant across the world to run an errand?"
"No! Of course not. He the owner of a multi-million dollar corporation, if he wanted to send a herd rabbit to do his delivery, I'm sure he would."
"You heard him, Tristan! Pegasus wants to make sure people see those exhibit pieces before it's too late. He's planning something."
"Yeah, I'm sure he's planning for the exhibit to be sent to another museum soon. Because it's a limited preview. What's your problem?" he raised an eyebrow, "I'm not out to judge you, man, but you're leaving a lot open to the imagination. Why do you care what some random millionaire is planning."
Amy threw her arms out tensely in front of her like she was about to say something, but nothing came out. The way she launched her body forward made the Duel Monster's cards stick out of her blouse pocket like a growth. Then she did it again. Still nothing. On the third try she finally blurted, "When people with money have big plans, bad things happen, okay?! Everyone knows that! Don't you read the news? Nothing good comes from of someone with both a lot of time and a lot of money. And if that's not enough for you, well, then I currently cannot help you. Nos da!" Looking as if she desperately wanted to say more, she rubbed the sides of her head and marched away.
"Amy, wait! Hey!" Tristan called after her. She didn't pause, not even for a second, and disappeared into the cover of night. After waiting a moment in silence, he finally sighed. "What does 'nos da' mean? She could at least insult me in the same language." He reluctantly took his student pass back out and stared at it. Although this time, he was no longer thinking about how boring the metro was. Instead, those were replaced by other, more prominent concerns. Maybe nothing good comes out of someone with both a lot of time and a lot of money, but even worse can come out of someone with a lot of secrets.