Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Here comes the next chapter! :D
They landed in the Beijing International Airport and after getting their bags, they went by private bus to their hotel, which was near the city center. All the guys got one suite, while the girls got another. Ryo watched as everyone settled in their rooms before they went out on the streets in their personal groups. She went with Kaiba and Bakura (Mokuba stayed in the room to take care of the twins) and (to Kaiba's annoyance) Marik and Atem followed them. Through Bakura's ears, she heard their conversation.
"How did you get your hair to do that?" Marik asked Atem, who'd styled his hair in a messy ponytail at the base of his skull.
"Simple: I didn't put any gel in it," Atem answered. "Did you really think my hair stood up that way naturally?"
"Actually, I did."
"You're still rather naïve to the ways of the world. My hair didn't even stand up naturally in the ancient past. We had products back then, even if they were rather disgusting, it gave the look that was desired."
"Oh."
Bakura rolled his eyes. /Moron.\\
They passed a group of Americans who were gaping and taking pictures. Ryo blinked when a camera flashed her way. She blinked and Bakura grumbled, /I hate cameras.\\
"H-hey, are you Ryo Bakura?"
Bakura turned and grinned. "Do I look like Ryo Bakura to you?" he asked in English.
They stared at his scarred face and tan skin, as the one who asked looked sheepish. "Sorry, dude. You look so much like him and this picture…well, my mistake."
Bakura nodded and walked on with the rest of the group. /I expect something in return for that favor.\\
/Okay, Bakura. What do you want?\
/When your child is born, I want to hold it while it still cries its birth screams.\\
/You're such a softy.\
/Say that again and I'll rearrange your insides.\\
/Sure you can, but Seto has to hold it first.\
/Being the father, of course that's what'll happen. He'd give me another black eye if I snatched up your third child before he could even touch it.\\
/You and he just don't get along, even if you scrap often.\
/I want to do more than just scrap with him…\\
/Like what?\
/Never you mind, Ryo. Kaiba's trying to talk to you, so you'd better pay attention.\\
Ryo looked up as Kaiba put a hand on her shoulder. She smiled and motioned that she was "listening". Kaiba signed, 'We're talking about going through every street to memorize the map of Beijing. Do you want me to get some better transportation so you don't strain yourself?'
She shook her head. 'I'll have to walk during the tournament anyways, so I need to see the streets with my own eyes. Did you think we would ride a motorcycle?'
'No, a Vespa. A motorcycle wouldn't be good for you, straddling such a thing while pregnant. Besides, you have no idea how large Beijing is.'
'It can't be bigger than Tokyo, and that city is enormous.'
'Wrong. Beijing's sixteen thousand, eight hundred and one square kilometers in area alone, Tokyo is merely eight hundred and forty-four square kilometers. In population, Beijing has over twenty million, while Tokyo has only over twelve million. The sheer size difference isn't any joke, Ryo.'
Ryo gaped at him in surprise. 'H…how could that be?'
'Let's compare how large China is in comparison to Japan, or can you figure that out? China is the most populous country in the world. This is why we've only reserved a small part of the downtown area for the tournament. We'd get lost or too spread out otherwise. Thousands of duelists from China wanted to be in this tournament. We could only spare a few hundred slots, just to make sure not to make this last weeks.'
'And here I thought we'd have the same amount as in Domino…'
'Japan's duelists? The ones who had the guts were a mere ten each for us finalists. That's why it only lasted a day. If we'd been fair, we would've given a thousand-to-one odds in their favor, if not more. We'd never finish the tournament here. Well, we're lucky no one else has even come to talk to us. I'm surprised with how our faces are on every building and billboard, announcing the tournament in a week, that no one's seen through our disguises. I'm sure most of the duelists are preparing their decks—'
At that time, a group of Chinese teenagers came up to them, bowing. The group bowed back (Bakura reluctantly) and each held out a notebook. Kaiba spoke to them in Chinese, the question in his expression obvious. A boy in front answered in excitement and Bakura muttered, /He obviously spoke too soon. We've only been walking around for half an hour.\\
/The fans asking for autographs. I wonder how long it took them to realize it was us.\
/Not too long. All they'd have to do is stare at the posters long enough, then at us.\\
One girl pranced up to Ryo and held out a poster, pointing to the picture of the girl herself. In rough Japanese, she requested, 'Bakura Ryo, sign…please.'
Ryo took the pen offered and signed her name. The girl smiled and bowed in thanks, before moving to Marik. A boy was next in line, only to hold out a picture that wasn't from the tournament. Ryo's eyes widened and she pointed to the photo, Bakura's eyes narrowing. He asked the kid a question in his simple Chinese (Ryo was only on her second year of that class), and the kid answered in glee.
/What'd he say?\
/He procured it from the Internet, so it could've come from anywhere. It even has the pharaoh and me in our new bodies. I'm sure some pictures have been taken, but of one with the whole group? I'm not sure who was able to do that, since we've been gathered only a few times.\\
Ryo signed on herself, and Bakura snatched away the pen to sign on himself. /That boy is the luckiest alive, since I'm sure during the course of the tournament, everyone will have signed it.\
/I'm sure it's worth hundreds of billions of yen, once it's signed by everyone. Anyone who's worth their salt as a duelist would want it.\\
Each teen got his/her autographs and left, chattering in delight. Ryo smiled at how much enthusiasm these people had for their celebrities and knew they'd get plenty more fans asking for autographs as the tournament came closer to starting.
Just a small in-between chapter!
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