Chapter 14: Christmas in Italy
To help ease the stress of the coming exams, the students at the Guardhouse agreed to host a holiday party for their friends. There was some early debate over whether it should be a "holiday" party or a "Christmas" party. Mikey Brittle was a strong believer that the biggest holiday at the end of term was Christmas, and Andy Yasui was a strong proponent that Duel Academy belonged to Japan and not to the US, so most of the traditions were, by technicality, un-American. Mikey argued that was a technicality; Andy countered that he just said that.
Their debate ended in a cancellation of the party, unfortunately. Dr. Aseel stepped in as faculty advisor and pointed out that their hidden dormitory lost a little bit of its "hidden" allure by inviting a large portion of the student body to visit. More than anything, security was diminished with larger crowds. By policy, it didn't matter if every student at Duel Academy visited the Guardhouse as long as they entered in small clusters.
In exchange, the Guardian Duelers were allowed to have a small, intimate gathering at the Guardhouse and Duel Academy would host a holiday/Christmas party for the whole school.
She warned them, "Last time we tried to hold a party before exams, six people showed up. I like where you're thinking, though."
As polite as she was about it, she was completely right about the party idea. So many people were focused on cramming for finals that the administrators ended up canceling the party for low anticipated attendance. Rumors circulated from unknown sources (i.e., Dave) that Dr. Aseel never actually put in for the party. She did alert the rest of the staff and they gauged interest throughout the student body, but her initial instinct was accurate that no one really wanted to party until after exams.
So the compromise was a small party, basically equal to one visitor per Guardian. Dave invited his cousin, Justin invited the most sarcastic person he could think of, Andy invited his girlfriend, and Lucy invited the sarcastic guy's best friend. As a courtesy, Erica invited Cary's roommate. Erica was also one of those students who wanted to spend her time studying, but she did agree to a half-hour break to hang out, at least so the numbers would even out by Dr. Aseel's standards.
Bryan got into the spirit of things by wearing the ugliest Christmas sweater he bothered to bring with him from home: It resembled tinsel sewn into the shape of a sweater, with a couple of ribbons and baubles attached to it.
"I hope you aren't expecting anyone to hug you," said Matt. "That thing looks worse than the beard you tried growing before Amber made you shave. It's like a pine cone got left in the gutter overnight before it flooded with rainwater and glitter."
Stunned silence followed while Bryan processed that. "Boy, you really paint a picture. You're not wrong, though. At least it's toasty. And at least I tried to get into the spirit."
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Matt's sweater had Christmas colors, but skulls and pumpkins adorned the space alongside what was pretty obviously a boogey man.
"It's not a Halloween party."
"Who wears a Halloween sweater, dude?"
"You did."
"Oh, yeah. Well, Nightmare Before Christmas doubles for both holidays—I don't care what Tim Burton says about it."
Bryan suddenly beamed at him as he realized the underlying theme of the sweater for the first time. "Oh, yeah. I see it now."
The others were slightly more toned-down in their season's greetings. Cary and Kasumi arrived wearing festive colors without clear decoration. Erica wore a red shirt underneath her green Guardian jacket. Andy and Wikolia wore a cheesy pair of sweaters, each with a polar bear facing opposite directions so that when they sat close together, the polar bears looked like they were kissing. Justin wore a Star Wars-themed sweater with Yoda's face and the phrase "The season to be jolly, it is." Lucy showed off her love for Matt Smith from Doctor Who with a sweater that read "Eleven Days of Christmas." Dave was the only one to wear blue and ignore the theme altogether.
The remainder of the Guardhouse took their half of the party elsewhere. Just like Erica, Gima and Yul wanted to spend their time studying for finals. Both planned to attend University before pursuing any full-time dueling careers, partially as a way of ensuring they were well educated in case they wanted to change careers in the future. Their respective parents may or may not have had strong hands in that decision. Meanwhile, Jade had agreed to join Mikey for a movie at the movie theater located in the main Duel Academy building. He swore that he wasn't about to hit on an underage girl, but Jade's shy personality didn't stop her eye from wandering.
"How are you spending your time off?" asked Lucy.
Bryan smiled. "Well, most of it is typical 'go home and don't study' stuff. But Matt and I also got invited to some place in Italy called Denkard. They're holding an international Yu-Gi-Oh! Gaming tournament."
"And you got tickets to watch?" quipped Justin.
Bryan made a pouty face, so Erica put her arm around him in a side-hug while he pretended to cry on her shoulder. "Harsh, Justin. Bryan's making great strides. Just wait until he graduates."
Now Matt jumped in. "You have more faith in Bryan than the professors do. He'll be lucky to pass Dr. Apple's biology course."
"Everyone is lucky to pass that class," said Wikolia. "His expectations of everyone are completely unrealistic. You didn't make the mistake of signing up for any more of his classes, did you?"
Bryan shook his head. "I don't think so."
Matt agreed. "No, Bryan gets one semester Apple-free. On the other hand, I have elected to take Chemistry with him. Make whatever jokes you like…" And Justin was raring to make one very immature. "…but this way I'll be able to knock out all of my math and science core classes in my first year. Bryan will have to continue dreading it for another year."
Lucy put a hand on Bryan's shoulder that wasn't touching Erica. "Science classes aren't that bad. I'm happy to help you out if you ever get stuck." She showed a face of disgust when Andy and Justin snorted.
Trying to turn Lucy's focus back on him, Matt asked, "Does that offer apply for me, too?"
She shot him a sly grin. "No amount of studying can help you with Dr. Apple. You're gonna suffer that one all by yourself."
"Apple's really not that bad," said Dave. "You have to study like mad and pay close attention in class, but it sounds really weird to hear you all say that like it's a bad thing. Just imagine you were studying to be a doctor. Would you be satisfied knowing only eighty-five percent of the material?"
"Still a little early for us to make that kind of life decision, don't you think?" said Wikolia. "I mean, what kind of doctor goes to Duel Academy, anyway? I'm thinking they get the tough side of the study requirements in this dichotomy."
Justin asked her, "You two finally going to get time to hit up those nude beaches that draw your attention?"
Andy clicked his tongue as if in disgust. But that description was inaccurate. "Man, you know we don't have time for that. We're part of the APAC Junior League Grand Prix. It's being held in Singapore this year."
Bryan perked up. "You're in a tournament, too?"
Wikolia explained, "Pretty much everyone tries to enroll in some sort of extracurricular dueling event over breaks. 'Cept maybe the Card Design or the Duel Programming majors. Even the Duel Theorists attend the events if they can't participate."
Erica expounded on the point for him. "Basically, your goal should always be to spend even more time learning about dueling. If you can get in a tournament and get the firsthand experience against people with a diverse range of skills, that's the best. But even if you can't, you should always want to attend the events and watch the duels, like with the School Duel Festival. You noticed how each school brought some students who never participated in the teams or the singles? Same concept."
"That makes sense," said Bryan, looking thoughtful. He tried to be quiet and ask, "What's APAC?"
"Asia-Pacific," said Wikolia, despite her giggling at his ignorance. "One of the business regions Kaiba Corp uses to categorize the world. Actually I think most businesses divide the world by region in basically the same way."
"I think you're right," said Dave.
Kasumi nudged Matt in the ribs. "Did you ever say what your tournament is?"
"It's called the DLT, which is either 'Deck Limitation Tournament' or 'Duelist Lobotomy Tank.' I can't remember which." The others chuckled while he elaborated. "Either way, it sounds like we'll have to figure out how to duel with only half a brain. In other words, Bryan will finally have the edge on everyone else."
Bryan faked a smile. "Yes, I'm a half-wit. That's very clever."
"Where did your invitations come from?" asked Justin.
"From being singles champ of the School Duel Festival," said Matt as if it were a matter of known fact. "Apparently the information got out and this organization holding the tournament wanted to get me in on the action. Maybe I'm their celebrity draw this year."
Dave said, "That's possible. A champion from Duel Academy is a pretty good way to bring interest."
"A good way to know is if they comp your trip," said Justin, using a word that's short for 'compensation.' "Are you paying for the hotel or anything?"
"Everything paid unless we leave the hotel," said Matt.
"Then yeah. You're definitely their dueling celebrity. Anything less and they'd just give you free registration and a goodie bag."
Bryan whined, "Oh. I want a goodie bag."
"Enough to pay for the hotel?" asked Lucy.
He sat back and returned his voice to normal. "Can't I have both? I mean, a goodie bag can't be that much extra." He opted not to tell everyone that the only reason they were going was that everything was free. Even if they only had to pay for their food, money would be too tight for either of them.
"How did you get invited?" Wikolia asked Bryan.
He motioned to Matt. "I'm his plus-one."
Suddenly everyone's eyes darted around the room suspiciously. "Plus-one?" Justin repeated. "I've never heard of that for a tournament. Unless maybe it was a tag-team tournament."
Matt shook his head. "I don't think so. At least that wasn't part of the invitation. It just said I was permitted to register one additional duelist and bring him along as my adjunct."
Kasumi smiled. "That's exciting. That way you and your best friend both get to participate." Her smile did not reflect in her eyes, and it faded quickly.
"You seem disappointed," said Matt.
"Hell, even I'm disappointed with you," said Justin. "You get to invite anybody to a luxury hotel without parental supervision and you choose another guy? What is wrong with you?" Almost everyone smirked at the underlying—not untrue—premise of Justin's comment.
Cary whistled. She was looking up the hotel on her phone. Bryan had done the same already and realized it was the very model of a luxury getaway place. "A free trip like that and even I'd have sex with you." She didn't blush in the slightest as she stared Matt down, daring him to challenge her willpower. Matt was only intrigued by the comment. Kasumi blushed enough for the both of them.
"My cousin, ladies and gentlemen," said Dave.
"Shut up. You're not invited, either."
The way Dave backed away and separated his hands made it clear that he knew it was none of his business and he had no desire to put such thoughts of his kin in mind. He quickly turned the subject back one notch. "So, Deck Limitations, huh? Any idea what that's about?" Wikolia rubbed his arm to help him relax, but he shied away from it. Dave generally was not a touchy person, plus the act probably reminded him what Cary had just said. And he had no desire to picture his younger cousin naked.
Justin stepped in. "Well, basically you take your deck and add limitations to what's in it."
Dave rolled his eyes. "I'm familiar with the concept, you goof."
"Well, you asked."
"Seriously, though," said Erica, "it's the same as the exercises we've done in deckbuilding class. The tournament administrators give you a restriction on your deck—something like 'you can't use field spells'—and then you and another person with the same restriction duel to see whose deck is stronger despite the limit."
Andy said, "It would be easy if all the limitations were as easy as 'no field spells.' Unfortunately the limitations usually include the most difficult restrictions you can think of."
"Like banning Polymerization?" asked Bryan.
Wikolia replied, "Not usually one specific card, but they might forbid you from using any spells. I think a popular activity is where you have to build a deck of only monsters, or one with no monsters at all."
Bryan frowned. "That sounds hard."
"Eh. It's not that bad once you remember that the other guy has the same restriction. Overall you should have fun with it."
"What's the prize?" asked Justin, getting finally to the real incentive for participating in any tournament.
"Fame, glory, and a plaster bust of Giuseppe Torelli," said Matt. He looked around in disappointment as no one recognized the reference. "Oh, come on! Italian violinist and composer? He developed the Baroque concerto and the concerto grosso. Nothing? You all need to turn off the Top 40 and listen to some classical music, even if Torelli's compositions aren't technically classical."
Kasumi rubbed Matt's knee. "You're so smart."
"You're such a nerd," Lucy countered.
Matt winked. "Maybe my biggest limitation will be that I lose 1000 Life Points every time I use sarcasm to mask my true feelings. Can you technically lose a duel if you end up starting with zero Life Points?"
Cary groaned and rolled her eyes heavily. "I definitely rescind any desire to fuck you even in that fancy-ass hotel. Bryan, you are easily the most patient person in the world."
"I'm a master juggler, too."
Cary just rolled her eyes, implying that maybe Bryan's talent wasn't patience so much as being secretly the same as Matt.
Bryan had never really left home except to go to Duel Academy, which was just a couple of buildings on an otherwise abandoned island. The only visit he ever made to big cities were brief visits to specific buildings. He'd seen the port in Domino where the cruise ship Philyra transported students between Academy Island and the mainland. There were a few football stadiums near his hometown where he'd gone with the team to compete in the playoffs. But that was all. In both situations, he never had a chance to explore the city beyond looking out at the horizon.
So he and Matt had arrived to the city of Florence, Italy a full day ahead of the dueling tournament. He wanted a chance to go see all the major sights. Driving in from Florence Airport, Peretola, he noticed a sea of similar buildings so much more colorful than back home. A few buildings really stood out among the population.
"What's that egg-shaped building?"
The driver flicked his gaze upward to catch Bryan's eyes in the rear view mirror. Dexter Word had been waiting for Bryan and Matt at the airport with one of those signs that had their names on it. It wasn't a piece of paper, either, but a tablet with fancy, legible font that looked super expensive. Dexter never started a conversation, but he didn't hesitate to answer questions. Bryan figured he was middle-aged—somewhere in his thirties—but he looked pretty fit and professional in his Italian suit.
Dexter said, "Good eye. That is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, also called Il Duomo. It is the crown jewel of this city, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. Do you plan to visit?"
"It's the crown jewel. How could we miss it?" said Matt. Despite his sarcasm, he did look taken with the scenery as much as Bryan did.
Dexter said, "If you're feeling adventurous, you might climb to the top of the dome."
Bryan's eyes popped wide open. "That's allowed?"
"Encouraged. You'll find the panoramic views of Florence rooftops, the Arno River, and the surrounding hills to be breathtaking. Few walk away from such a trip feeling less than enchanted."
"There are lots of sites in the city center," said Matt. He pointed out his window toward another towering building with a giant window at the top. "Palazzo Medici Riccardi down there. We'll be near Ponte Vecchio, too, I believe."
Dexter's eyes flicked in his direction. "You are familiar with Florence?"
Bryan rolled his eyes. "Matt probably memorized the guide book. Maybe a few internet travel blogs, too."
"Impressive," said Dexter. "Villa Serenella Denkard is not too far from Ponte Vecchio—almost two kilometers. Easy walking distance, though I am at your service all weekend should you prefer to be driven."
Matt said, "Except Ponte Vecchio. That bridge is pedestrian-only."
"Right you are."
Bryan nudged him. "Showoff."
"I'm surprised you didn't ask how far 'two kilometers' is," Matt chuckled.
"Dude, I was pretty decent at 400-meter sprints. That's a quarter mile. So we're looking at…" He paused for some mental math. "One and a quarter miles."
Matt smiled. "Not bad. Dexter, will we have much time this weekend for sight-seeing?"
"You have some free time this afternoon. Tournament check-in will start at four o'clock. Orientation begins promptly at seven o'clock."
Bryan was surprised. "Orientation? Is that mandatory?"
"It is where you will learn how the tournament operates. Technically you may skip the event while Mr. Luther attends as he is the invitation holder. However, I would encourage you to attend. Ms. Moxley will be pleased to meet you both."
When Dexter finally stopped the car, Bryan was in awe. He had thought they went well outside the city center, but even though there was plenty of greenery nearby, he hadn't realized that some of it was growing out of the hotel. Its walls were draped in willowy the branches of a huge tree sprouting from the roof of the hotel. The lobby walls were mostly glass, so at the correct angle, he was able to see straight through to a courtyard where a tree with a massive trunk grew in the middle of the building. Several gardens around the grounds were meticulously manicured.
Weird cover for a casino.
The hotel itself was huge, mostly in width—maybe six or seven floors high. The lobby had a massive fountain decorated by ornate sculptures of a woman with a winged shadow towering behind her. Bryan didn't get more than a minute to examine it before Matt had checked in virtually through his phone. There was no waiting in line and proving their identities and everything usually associated with check-in. Matt shared his room key with Bryan, who was pleased to find he could connect to the hotel's Wi-Fi network and avoid some seriously massive, international roaming charges.
"Will you be needing me?" asked Dexter.
Bryan said, "Definitely. We'll go drop our stuff in the room and then get started on sightseeing. Maybe grab a power nap. So meet us back here in thirty minutes?"
Dexter almost smirked, but only with his eyes. "Of course. Would you care for assistance?"
Matt only carried his backpack. Bryan used a duffel bag so he could fit a few additional clothes, but that was all the luggage between them. "I think we're good," said Bryan.
"Very well. You have my contact information on your confirmation email. Let me know when and where you need me."
As they reached the elevator, Bryan said, "Dexter's a good guy. I can't believe we have a personal butler all weekend."
"More of a steward," said Matt.
"Whatever. Did he look smug to you when I mentioned meeting up in twenty minutes?"
"Maybe he was hoping for a longer break."
"Oh, maybe. Well, we can always walk for a while and let him chill. Florence doesn't look all that big. Maybe twenty minutes to walk from one side to the other, if we power walk it."
All the way up to the sixth floor and in the back corner, Bryan was floored by the level of luxury in their assigned room. From the second he entered, the tiniest shoe closet gave way to a sitting room with a plush couch and glass coffee table up against a window and a writing desk facing into another. The view outside the desk-side window was amazing, gazing across the river into the city. He could even see Il Duomo from here. The couch-side window looked out into the widening river where the ferry boats carted people along smooth, scenic routes. The sitting room led to a kitchenette with a three-level fridge including a freezer drawer. There was even a dishwasher and a hot plate in lieu of a full stove. It looked like a small apartment—definitely nicer than anyplace Bryan had ever lived.
Opening into the next room, he found two queen beds in front of a big TV. Their luggage bags were positioned neatly beside the glossy dressers. The opposite wall was mostly a sliding glass door that opened onto the balcony where wicker chairs and a glass side table offered a place to sit and take in the fresh air. Well, it should be fresh if not for the fact that there was a restaurant on top of the hotel, and it smelled like they were cooking up some kind of fish. Bryan hated the fish smell and opted to keep the door closed.
Matt dropped his backpack, then headed straight for the bathroom. Bryan took a moment to lie down and starfish across the bed. A queen bed, all to himself! Even on football trips, he had to share the hotel room with at least three other guys.
This is the best, he said. He said it, right? Out loud?
Bryan had no idea what to expect when he reached the hotel lobby and found himself surrounded by people wearing suits that cost more than a full year's tuition to Duel Academy. He knew one thing for sure: This competition was way out of his league. He was simultaneously jealous and thrilled not to be competing.
But he was still grumpy. "I can't believe we slept for four hours. That was almost all of our sightseeing time."
"We still got to check out Santa Croce and Ponte Vecchio. And we'll have more time this weekend. No way a tournament can fill up three whole days and nights," said Matt. "Plus, we had that amazing pasta. Nothing back home ever tasted hat authentic. All those carbs really hit the spot. Dexter sure knows his audience."
Bryan couldn't deny that. Who knew pasta could be so tasty? His mom made her own pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes, garlic, and herbs that she grew in her small garden, but her recipe couldn't compare.
The tournament orientation was held in the hotel ballroom. It was almost the size of a basketball court, which was a wild footprint for a single room. Furniture was sparse to make room for the guests; there were tall tables scattered around for people to place their glasses and plates, but no chairs for sitting. A crystal chandelier hung in the middle of the ceiling. The walls were mostly blank, but every few yards there was either a sconce or a metal lantern to provide mood lighting, totally separate from the regular ceiling lights. Bars set up in the corners tended to be the most popular spots, although people weren't forced to go to the bar since nearly two dozen people walking around the room were wait staff, constantly collecting empty glasses and offering full ones. Bryan snagged one glass of champagne, took a swig, and promptly decided that he was not ready for alcohol. Matt wouldn't even try it.
In fact, Matt's gaze was stuck in one direction. "What are you staring at?" asked Bryan.
Matt motioned toward the wall right behind where Bryan stood. "Notice anything unusual about the wallpaper?"
It looked like the same gold-colored wallpaper he expected to see anywhere people had too much money for their own good.
"That whole wall is a monitor. Not just a screen on a wall, but the wall itself is the screen. Instead of a TV show or a movie, it's just showing us tacky wallpaper."
"And that's the most fascinating thing in the room to you?"
"Would you rather I fidget nervously and cover myself in sweat stains? I've never been part of an international tournament before, so I don't know the proper procedure."
Bryan didn't find being flippant so natural in this room. First of all, they were both under-dressed. There had to be 150 people of incredible diversity scattered around the ballroom. While everyone else was covered in fabrics that cost a hundred dollars a yard, the two Academy students wore polo shirts and clean khakis. That was as dressy as Matt could be convinced to wear. Bryan could swear the invitation had said the welcome event was business casual, but given the contents of this room had the same total value as a mid-sized country, he doubted his memory.
"Dexter didn't say anything about us being out of place here," said Bryan.
Matt laughed. "If you combined our net worth and the net worth of our parents, we still couldn't afford one of these door knobs." The hotel did have ridiculously ornate doorknobs. To make his point more explicit, he added, "We are out of place here. We might even be the only Americans."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because everyone is disgusted with how we look but no one is stepping up to tell us we don't belong here. They're all snooty, rich people, but they're polite about it. You just don't see that back home."
Bryan's turn to make a face. "Why do you sound like you miss it?"
"Just trying to make you laugh."
Finally Bryan saw something that relaxed him from head to toe and filled him with joy: the appetizer trays. The first one to drift by had a half-dozen types of cheese—all the fancy, expensive kinds that Bryan would never spend on himself but that he was happy to pop into the gullet for free.
"How are you still hungry?" asked Matt.
"How are you still asking that question after you've known me for five years?"
Matt muttered, "This hotel has a gym, right?"
"Shut up. I'm on vacation."
Now that he knew for a fact there was food wandering around the room, he caught sight of a charcuterie board with bite-size crackers and a variety of meats. Then he spotted the tiny sliders—yes, half-size versions of sandwiches that are already a fraction of regular sandwich size. Serving sizes are no joke in the US.
Bryan was stuffing his face full of appetizers when he was approached by the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had vibrant skin that belied the fact that she was pushing fifty years old. Her form-fitting, floor-length dress with lace frills gave definition to the word "elegance." She was fair-skinned but with enough color to make her genetics a challenge to determine. She had that sophisticated smile where her lips curved upward only in the corners and she didn't show her teeth. It matched her exotic look perfectly.
"Good evening, Mr. Bryan Knight." Even her accent was amazing. Not British or French or Italian… and Bryan wasn't sure he'd recognize other European accents unless someone told him what they were.
He was stunned for a moment. The first thing that popped into his mind was, "You have me at a disadvantage." Why would he say something like that? It had to be the air of stuffiness coming off the rich people making his head all loopy. Or he was still loopy from the unplanned nap.
"My name is Leona Moxley, proprietor of this hotel and hostess for the Deck Limitations Tournament. It's my pleasure to make my way through the ballroom and to personally greet each of my guests."
Bryan almost choked on the food crumbs still in his mouth as he brushed his hand across the top of his pants just in case he had more crumbs. A woman standing beside Leona produced a moist towelette, which Bryan used to wipe off his hand hastily. He still didn't feel clean, but if he waited any longer to take Leona's hand, he would make the situation even more awkward. He took her fingertips the same way he had done with Erica the first time they met, only this time he kissed her gloved knuckles.
"You're sweet," said Leona. She sounded amused by his behavior, which made him feel awkward, but at least he didn't offend her with his actions. "Thank you, Vidya," she said to the woman behind her. Vidya carried a large tablet device in addition to sanitizing wipes. She dressed the part of assistant, but her poise and carriage made Bryan think bodyguard.
Standing up and trying to will himself not the blush, Bryan asked, "How did you know who I am?"
Leona said, "Eidetic memory. Images tend to remain in my memory with great precision for extended periods after the images have passed. Your face, in this example, is a perfect match for the Duel Academy catalog."
Matt stepped in to say, "That explains why you would host a tournament in which people can't use their routine deck builds. As soon as you see their cards, you remember what they are, and that's boring. So you make a new rule and force everyone to change their decks in every round. Must be the only way you feel anticipation when watching a duel."
The way Leona beamed and reflected the sense of pride that Matt showed in himself, Bryan wondered if he should leave them alone. Bryan never felt normal watching Matt flirt with Kasumi or Lucy while he stood two feet away, but the awkwardness multiplied when the woman on the other end was middle-aged, no matter how gorgeous she was.
"You are Matthew Luther, without doubt."
"And you must be Monica Belluci, although I have some doubts."
Bryan tried to whisper "Leona Moxley" discreetly with his head facing away from Leona, but she heard anyway and chuckled.
"It is wonderful to have you both here. Duel Academy – Central Primus has the greatest reputation among the dueling schools. How are you liking it?"
Matt shrugged. "It's exciting. A little weird, still, to think we're putting so much effort into a card game. But I guess it's no worse than people who practice football six days a week." Bryan was pretty sure that was meant as two insults targeted specifically at him.
"Your school carries amazing stories with it. If it is not a difficult request, we must have an opportunity for you both to share your experiences." She looked legitimately interested in the stories a couple of fifteen-year-olds had to tell about just one semester in a new school. Bryan couldn't help thinking she was a corporate spy of some sort, trying to glean Kaiba Corp. secrets by chatting up Duel Academy students.
Bryan said, "We can do that."
"Perfect. The opening ceremony will take place in only a few minutes. Please stay long enough to hear the introduction to our tournament and then seek a good night's sleep." She practically glided as she walked away, her head never bobbing or dipping at all as she moved. Vidya remained her shadow.
Bryan noticed Matt staring, probably disappointed that her dress was so full and shiny that he couldn't get an accurate image of her butt. "She's really pretty."
Matt rolled his eyes. "Is that your major takeaway from that conversation?"
"It was the first thing I noticed. And the last thing." He saw Leona stop to greet a few more people among the crowd. "What was that word she used to describe herself? She has a photographic memory?" asked Bryan.
"There is no proof that a true photographic memory has ever existed. With the exception of TV scripts, everyone who ever claims to remember an event accurately enough to identify all the people, what they wore, and what they said decades later have been found to take some liberties with their descriptions."
"Really? So people are just lying about it?"
"No, not as such. Memory feels strong and consistent but it corrupts easily. Some people really can remember a lot of details, but sometimes what they think is memory is really just their subconscious guessing details to add on to the one clear memory they do have. Word choice easily influences the outcome. Remember that time I crushed Mitsuro in a duel during the placement exams?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"What was the final score?"
Bryan scoffed. "Man, how am I supposed to remember that?"
"Just guess based on what you do remember. Did I have more or fewer than six thousand LP when I stomped her?"
"I don't know." He tried to envision the duel with the vague recollection of Mitsuro looking stressed while Matt looked bored. "Probably more."
"I had fourteen hundred," he said. "I specifically used words that make it sound like I won by a lot just to influence your memory. What you think you remember is actually just taking the words I used and assembling a memory that matches the information I gave you. Get it?"
"Not really." But that feeling wasn't new. Matt often spoke above Bryan's level.
Just then another woman approached and Bryan nearly gasped. She didn't have the same glow as Leona, but this woman was striking in her own way. Could be the British accent. Bryan was always taken by them. "Excuse me. Did I overhear that you are students of Duel Academy?"
Matt smirked, probably stopping himself from saying something sarcastic about how "overhear" was just a polite word for "eavesdropping".
So Bryan spoke before Matt could. "Yes, we are. I'm Bryan, this is Matt."
"Darcy Purves," she said, both Rs silent. "I work in marketing with Cross-Platform Chemistry." Bryan knew about them. They were a gaming firm that worked with athletes in real sports like soccer and basketball as well as TV sports like bowling and Yu-Gi-Oh! Gaming. "My junior associate for this tournament is a Duel Academy graduate. Howard Urizar, do you know him?"
Bryan shook his head. "We're first years, so I don't know a lot of graduates."
"First years? Are you joking?"
Matt feigned offense. "How old do I look?"
She made a face. "You're all children, trust me. What I meant was: How did a first-year student receive invite to such a prestigious, international tournament? Is your father the president of Kaiba Corp.?"
Matt said, "I'm a foster kid. So maybe?"
Bryan laughed. "Wouldn't that be cool?"
"If it's not for connections…" She pulled out her phone. "You said your name was Matt."
"I said it," said Bryan.
"Matthew Luther?" she asked. "Aha. Winner of the School Duel solo competition. That is an impressive credential, if somewhat underwhelming to lead to a tournament invitation."
"Do you act like this when posting on your company's social media account?" asked Matt. Bryan was about to ask what he meant, but then he saw Matt holding his phone to Cross-Platform Chemistry's social media marketing page. "I can use Google, too."
Darcy sighed and forced a smile. "I apologize. Perhaps my disbelief got the better of me. You may not have an extensive CV at this stage, but you clearly impressed someone with your victory. I suppose you'll have the chance to prove yourself when the tournament begins."
"Will that be soon?" asked Bryan. He was kinda hoping to get through this orientation so they could do some nighttime sight-seeing and be done at a reasonable hour.
Leona made her way to the small stage set against the wall closest to the hotel's entrance. Everyone was present for tournament attendance. She didn't even have to speak to draw everyone's attention to her. Every set of eyes—man and woman—watched her, utterly rapt.
"To everyone here, welcome. We celebrate the collection of talent, skill, and creativity that all of you bring to the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! Gaming. For this Deck Limitations Tournament, you will demonstrate your ingenuity as the rules so well known in this industry are removed, tweaked, and turned upside-down.
"In each round of this tournament, you will be required to assemble a new deck that complies with unique rules. Limitations will typically not comply with the semiannual rules deployed by Kaiba Corp; however, unless otherwise stated, those cards which are forbidden, limited, or semi-limited by Kaiba Corp remain that way during this tournament. Your brain and your deck will need to be versatile and adaptive if you wish to succeed through the tournament. A winning deck in one duel might be completely illegal for the next.
"Remember to embrace the spirit of friendly competition and sportsmanship. Though every one of you seeks victory, take care to appreciate the relationships you will forge, the memories you will create, and the lessons you will learn. Respect your opponents, appreciate their skills, and celebrate their achievements. You are a part of the immense Yu-Gi-Oh! Gaming community which thrives on healthy competition and mutual support.
"Tonight, be certain that you have registered your mobile devices with the Denkard Dueling application. Otherwise, be down here again tomorrow morning at eight o'clock. That is the moment we will announce the deck limitation for Round 1. For this round and every subsequent round, you will have one hour to prepare your decks before the duels commence."
Bryan winced. To Matt, he whispered, "One hour is not a lot of time."
"It's plenty," said Matt. Bryan hoped he was right and not overconfident.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bryan realized the screen-wall was showing a point-by-point list of everything Leona talked about, in about ten different languages. He pointed out the wall to Matt, who just nodded. He had probably noticed it right away.
Leona concluded her speech. "Our staff is available at all times to assist should you need it. For this evening, you should relax, enjoy the hotel amenities, and join me for a cup of gelato."
"What's gelato?" asked Bryan. But Matt was already pulling him by the arm toward a corner of the ball room where an ice cream table had been set up. "Was this here the whole time?" he asked. How the hell did he miss that? Matt was utterly predictable, piling up the chocolate flavors in his cup. Bryan was more eclectic, choosing to combine the hazelnut and biscotto flavors. It tasted like have an Italian cookie in soft, sugary form.
"What's the difference between this and ice cream?" he asked.
"Less cream, more milk," said Matt as he sucked down another spoonful.
Bryan nodded. "That's why it tastes thinner. I love it."
Matt slapped his empty cup down on the table. "Let's go check out the casino." Before Bryan could complain, he added, "I know you're desperate to go sightseeing, but most of the places around here closed when orientation started. Might be a few shops still open, but since we're wandering without a destination in mind, there's a good chance even they'd be closed by the time we found them."
With a sigh, Bryan said, "Yeah, fine. But you gotta promise that we'll see a few more places before we leave."
"You're always welcome to skip the tournament."
Bryan made a face. "The tournament's the whole reason we're here. Besides, it's more fun to sightsee with a friend."
"Fantastic," said Matt. It's like he didn't even notice Bryan's disappointment.
The casino was packed. The overall space was much smaller than Matt had expected—he'd wanted to see arena-sized rooms with mirrored walls and dozens of game tables and hundreds of slot machines. But the space was overfilled with all the things Matt expected though in smaller quantities. Florence was a somewhat small city in a country where gambling wasn't favorable, so even though the Denkard was one of the largest casinos around, it still didn't compare to any movie set in Las Vegas.
"Mostly slots," said Matt, letting his disappointment show.
"Totally fine with that," said Bryan. His reaction was quite opposite as he explained how slot machines had a better chance of paying out than anything else they were likely to do. He searched a few rows, always poking his fingers in the money slot.
"They don't take US nickels, do they?" asked Matt.
Bryan shrugged. "It's fine. I didn't want to play anyway."
"No, because gambling is immortal."
He made a face. "Did you mean 'immoral'?"
Matt shrugged. "It works either way."
A voice called out, "Hey, Duel Academy." Matt followed the voice to a Blackjack table occupied by an eclectic group of people. He recognized Darcy Purves, but he didn't know the others. They all wore clothes more expensive than Matt's entire card deck. A stout man signaled for Matt to come closer. Curious, he followed instructions.
The stout man turned out to be Russian. Matt couldn't tell that by any features except his accent. "You are the boy from Duel Academy? Only one duel and you get invited?"
Matt shrugged. He hated the oversimplification, especially when there were plenty of decent duels involved with even reaching the School Duel Festival. So he piled on the sarcasm. "Oddly enough, that day was the first time I ever picked up a deck. Just got lucky."
"Some luck," said the Russian.
Darcy said, "This is Vladimir Dmitrovich, analyst for Aspekt."
Matt asked, "Is that a gaming company?"
"Bank," said Vladimir. He didn't have anything else to say about it, but Matt assumed that bank analysts must have the kind of intelligence that lends well to a complicated game such as dueling. Vladimir motioned behind himself toward the Blackjack table. "You always lucky?"
"Maybe. What's this game called?" Bryan chuckled.
The dealer said, "It's called 'no minors allowed'. Sorry."
"They're competitors in the Deck Limitations Tournament," said Darcy. "Isn't the gambling age eighteen?"
Bryan said, "We're twenty-one anyway." Everyone from the dealer to Darcy Purves to the nameless Russian and his two other friends made a face. "Yeah, fine. We're eighteen."
The dealer said, "For someone who is both twenty-one and eighteen, you don't even look sixteen yet." He was good at that game. Matt wondered what the correlation was between dealer intelligence and how often the house wins.
Matt said, "It's fine. I don't have much to gamble with anyway. Which game is this? The one where you have to avoid the Queen of Spades?"
Just as Vladimir began trying to bargain with the dealer, another man sat down at the table. He wore something that looked like if a red button-up shirt were long enough to be a dress. Based on the man's skin tone and dark hair, Matt assumed the outfit was Middle Eastern. The man had a cold look in his eyes as he glanced at the table. "May I join?"
"That's what the empty chairs are for," said the dealer. "Bets in." Vladimir and Darcy turned enough to see both the table and Matt at the same time. The dealer pulled cards from the automatic card shuffler and dealt one card face-up to each player before giving himself one face-down. Then he dealt everybody one card face-up.
Bryan asked, "Shouldn't everyone have one face-down card?"
Vladimir said, "Only for schoolyard games when the dealer changes. Here, we all play against the dealer, so it doesn't matter who can see the cards." He had an eight and a jack.
The new man at the table sighed. "This is a challenge. What would you recommend?" It took a beat for Matt to realize the man looked straight at him.
"Me? Well…" He looked at the man's cards to see a six and a nine. "Fifteen is okay. The dealer has a six, though, so if his face-down card is a ten, you'd lose."
The man said, "The dealer always hits unless he has a hard seventeen." He pointed to the plaque that probably stated exactly that rule but in Italian. "He won't stand on sixteen."
"So that means you're likely to win, right? If he has sixteen and he hits, he's likely to bust."
"So you'd stay?"
"Yeah, probably."
By the time the conversation was done, the other players had made their bets. The woman on the other end busted, Vladimir stayed with eighteen, and Darcy ended up with three cards for a count of twenty. The man waved his hand over his cards. The dealer flipped over his hidden queen. He dealt himself a four for a total of twenty. The dealer won every hand.
"Tough luck," said Matt.
Darcy asked, "Aren't you too young to gamble?"
Matt pointed to the man. "He's the one gambling by taking advice from a fifteen-year-old."
"Ash Staotar," said the man as he shook with Darcy and Vladimir. "Just in the mood for a little light gambling." He looked to the dealer, whose expression clearly noted that he didn't care about grown-ups losing their money at the table.
Vladimir said, "How about additional wager? Test of luck, you know?"
Matt asked, "Like what?"
"Depends. How lucky can you be?"
"How about winning two times out of three hands?"
Vladimir pursed his lips so hard they made a frown. "Okay. One thousand American."
Without a beat, Matt said, "I don't deal in human trafficking." Bryan whispered in his ear so Matt could say, "Oh, American dollars! That's much less human rights violationy. But uh…"
Ash said, "Done." Matt wasn't sure whether he meant that he was matching Vladimir's bet on his behalf or not. He should probably clarify, but then again, maybe it was bad luck to mention someone else's money out loud.
When the dealer laid out all the cards, Vladimir had twenty, but Ash had two fours. Matt asked, "Can't you do separate hands with that?" Ash looked to the dealer and held up two fingers in a peace sign. The dealer separated the fours and dealt another card on top of each one: a ten and a three. "Probably good to hit both of those, right?" he asked. Ash scratched the table twice without pause. A seven and another three.
"Great Poker hand," said Bryan.
Matt made a face. "Obviously, stand on the twenty-one. The other one is only ten, so hit that one." Ash waved his hand over the first trick and scratched the table next to the second. A jack. "Stand down." Ash waved his hand again.
When the dealer flipped his card, he had nineteen showing. By casino rules, he stood, and Ash won both his tricks.
With a sigh of relief, Matt said, "Alright. That was fun."
Vladimir said, "That's only one hand."
"But two wins," said Ash. "And I believe that was your wager." He looked to the dealer for validation, who gave it by handing over chips matching double Ash's bet.
Darcy laughed. "Very pedantic. How funny."
"So funny," said Vladimir with a scowl that was decidedly un-funny. He seemed particularly disappointed to hand over ten, hundred-dollar bills to Ash.
And even more shocked when Ash looked completely disinterested and handed the wad over to Matt. "Your victory," he said.
The dealer looked ready to burst. "Look, I might have to call the boss over if there's going to be much more skirting the rules so that underage blokes can gamble here."
Ash stood from the table. "I'm done for the night."
"Maybe we should be, too," said Bryan. No doubt he was thinking about all the souvenirs he could buy with a thousand extra dollars.
"Works for me," said Matt. He waved to the table. "It was a pleasure meeting all of you. But we have a dueling tournament in the morning, so we'd better rest up."
On the way out of the casino, Bryan asked, "Can I have some of that money?"
Matt handed him the wad. "Go rent your Dexter lookalike and do all the sightseeing I'm going to miss." Bryan practically drooled over the money.
In the hotel elevator, Bryan asked, "What happens if you lose in Round 1?"
Matt scoffed. "Who says I'll lose?"
Bryan sighed. "Fine." But obviously the hypothetical situation still bothered him, even though it's not like they're plane tickets would magically change just because the tournament ended a little early.
"According to the invitation, we're here for the tournament. Doesn't say anything about kicking out the losers. If those stuffed shirts are as smug as they looked, they're likely to kick themselves out for losing."
As they reached the room and opened the door, Matt yanked the polo shirt from his torso and whipped it to the ground like it had been a snake slowly choking him. "That's better. I don't know how people deal with such restrictive clothing."
"Yeah, polo shirts are one of the leading causes of choking deaths," joked Bryan. Maybe it was too much to ask for Matt to dress up any more than that. He'd probably attend his own wedding in a pair of khaki pants and a clean t-shirt. Maybe a pressed jacket, but that's it.
Matt didn't even need keen eyesight to notice a cardboard box on the floor right next to his shirt. "Was that always there?"
"I don't think so." Bryan stepped up to the box and lifted it. "About the size of a guitar case. A little heavier, though. Got any guesses what's inside?"
"Maybe a guitar," said Matt. "Or perhaps someone just gave us a Duel Disk."
"Duel Disk?" Bryan stared at the boxes like he could develop X-ray vision if he tried hard enough. "Why do you jump to that conclusion?"
"Just a hunch."
"Based on…?"
Matt smirked. "There are no duel stations anywhere in this hotel. There are, however, plenty of holographic projectors and a strong Wi-Fi signal."
Bryan tried to nod as if he knew exactly how Matt came to his conclusion. "Which means… Duel Disk environment." He sounded almost confident in that conclusion, but Bryan's only experience with a Duel Disk came from admiring everyone else's toys at school. "Is it like that at Duel Academy?"
"Same setup, yes. Tech everywhere, Wi-Fi to connect to it. The Duel Disks have their own portable projectors, but they're kinda weak. Daylight hurts the effect plus you need them positioned exactly right to get the best image. Better to use bigger tech if you're going to have a lot of duelists hanging around. Such a high-profile, international tournament."
The anticipation boiled over and Bryan lost his shit. He dropped the box onto the couch cushions. After he failed to defeat the piece of packing tape that could withstand the force of a space shuttle launch, Matt offered him a fork he had taken from the dining hall. Finally Bryan was able to break the tape and open the box.
Inside was a single unit shaped like a squashed C. It had a shiny steel frame surrounding prismatic card readers and a glass Life Point counter. Bryan tapped the power button and watched all the lights shine throughout. The Duel Disk was already fully assembled and charged. There was also a charging cable and power adapter inside the box. Brimming with giddiness, Bryan slowly slipped the device over his forearm and fastened the straps. When his eyes fluttered, Matt worried about his friend's health.
"Are you okay?" asked Matt. "You look like you just had an orgasm."
Bryan felt the front of his pants. "Not this time, but the feeling is not dissimilar. This is better than sex."
"Liar."
Matt checked the box and found only his name printed with the words "Merry Christmas". He checked the rest of the box and found nothing except a user guide for the Duel Disk. "This is no small gift. This is a classic Battle City model. They don't manufacture these anymore. No idea who my Secret Santa is, but he has to be loaded. I'm not even sure this is refurbished. It looks brand new and even has the user guide printed out. Who would go to such an expense on us?"
"On you," Bryan corrected him. He was likely correct. Matt was the contestant in this tournament. No doubt he needed a Duel Disk to even participate. But who would give him something so rare?
Bryan still played with the device even after acknowledging that it didn't belong to him. He activated the duel function, and the two sides snapped into place quickly and loudly. "Oh, damn! That was close. Pinched a few hairs on my arm there."
"Yeah, gotta be careful with that. Must be one of the first edition devices here. They replaced the coil with a retractable bar in later versions because that ended up being such a safety hazard. You'd be hard-pressed to find anything rarer or more valuable as a collector's item."
"Could probably do without the pinching." Bryan curled his bicep a couple times. "And it's heavier than I expected. Are you sure you'll be able to hold this through an entire duel?" He kept posing as if someone would actually take his picture.
"I'll wrap a sling around to take the weight off my elbow," said Matt. "And I guess we'll talk later about the ethical implications of accepting an expensive gift during a high-profile tournament. Easily the wildest Christmas gift I've ever received… if I ever get a chance to wear it."
"Absolutely!" said Bryan, probably not hearing that last part. He struck one last pose and shot Matt a confident leer. "Let's duel!"
"You're such a dork."
I'm finally back after 5 years (!) of not updating this story. Sometimes life takes over, and there have been so many other projects in that time, but I have every intention of finishing this story. Thank to you to anyone who actually bothers to continue reading, with special thanks to nickodom23, who DMed me about how much they enjoy the story, and to Guest who commented in 2020, wishing that one day I would complete this story. When the author start to lose track of time, little messages like that really do mean a lot.
I've updated my profile with a little blurb about my time off and my plans going forward. This arc has 8 chapters ready to go, and then I'll start on the next arc. With 7 arcs planned, I suspect the story might take a few more years to finish up, but I will see it through. 80)
(That's a sideways smiley face with round eyes and a big nose.)
