John glanced once more at the clock… And it was time. "Alright girls, you can come out noMRPH!"

Temptation pulled his smaller body into her breasts as she hugged the dickens out of the boy! "Oh master you are so ADORABLE! Grace, Grace! Look at his little cheeks and those gorgeous eyes!"

The albino beauty was blushing up a storm! "SISTER! Put our Lord down THIS INSTANT!"

The demonic beauty snorted as she reached one hand down to 'support' her Master's lower body. "Nope, I called dibs! You're just going to have to wait your turn!"

Hey, watch the hands woman!

"...You girls know I'm still in the room, yes?"

Oh god, his sister was watching this. "Murphle..."

His dark angel sighed as she pulled them both onto the nearest hotel bed. "Nope, no orgies today. Just me and my Master sharing some skinship and cuddles."

If you just want cuddles then STOP MOVING THAT HAND! It's getting close to some DANGEROUS areas!

Then the bed sank as the other girl of his dreams climbed in to join them. "Move over, you hussie! I need time with my Lord too, you know!?"

He could barely hear his sister now that two well endowed and curvy women were burying him in cuddles. "...John, I'll be back in like, an hour or so. I'll just go pick up a few of those card booster packs so you can analyze them later, once we have a plan to open them without you accidentally conquering the planet or something."

The mess of chaos shifted as Temptation sort of leaned back, making it easier for John to see her excited expression. "Make it two! No, three hours at least!"

Then his vision was lost again as Grace took the opportunity to invade John-Land against the Temptation invasion.

Don't go, sis! John was NOT prepared for the consequences of being this tiny!

"...I'll be back in an hour. Godspeed, little brother: I will pray for your survival."

You traitor! Get back here! "Murphle!"

~~~Pocket System~~~

Jessica chuckled as she headed off to the card shop. "System, tell the girls to not take this too far, alright? At least, not until John is more comfortable with this level of interaction."

[[Confirmed.]]

Not like he couldn't easily 'escape' by just asking them to leave him alone, but she'd easily noticed how lonely John was looking during the girls' entire 'grounding' experience.

Also worth noting, her little brother KEPT the adorable but humiliating smaller Body just because he knew the girls would appreciate it, instead of trading it out for something more 'manly' or substantial.

Hopefully this would help settle down his issues… She had noticed that, despite being 'fine', her sibling had been twitching and shaking whenever she had to move too far away or if he was being left alone for too long.

It was clear the last trip had severely shaken him on a fundamental level, a bit of silly horseplay would hopefully help him find his center a bit.

…That being said, it hadn't stoped Jessica from giving Temptation a LIST of restrictions and rules. Warmth and comfort, silliness and cuddling? Fine. No further though, not until John recovered from this most recent scare.

Anyway, back to purpose: Cards. Soul fragments in card shape that she needed to buy from a shop so her Brother could empower their core existences, via card game. "This should be the place… 'Kame game', huh?"

It was a small but clearly beloved store, one that seemed to basically be a home with a store front built into it. A cheerful green roof and golden walls invited one to walk right on in… Well, let's see what there is to see. "Good morning!"

Jessica smiled as she entered the shop, seeing the simple room with shelving against the walls full of all SORTS of games and products… But the center focus was the display case at the back showing off presumably rare cards behind the glass and an old grandfather manning the register. "Welcome to Kame Game! My name is Solomon Muto, the owner of this fine establishment. How can I help you today?"

She walked in, glancing at the board games and other such products on each side. "Lovely to meet you, Solomon! I'm actually here today to buy some things for my little brother. I'll be honest, he's REALLY interested in 'Duel Monsters', and so I'm planning on picking up some booster packs and giving him a chance to try it out."

The short but energetic grandfather hummed as he stroked his beard. "A new Duelist, you say? Then perhaps one of these may be worth considering."

He moved to one side of the register, reaching under the counter and pulling out some odd deck boxes. "I'm still experimenting with the concept, but these are something I'm calling a starter deck!"

Hmm? She carefully picked one deck box up, opening it to see a bunch of cards in some plastic sleeves. "Tell me about them, then."

The man nodded, a smile on his face. "My grandson you see, he is quite the talented Duelist himself! But… It is not so much the same for all his friends. Not everyone understands how to choose a duel style best fitting for themselves, nor how to get started… So I decided to put together some very basic example decks that my grandson could share when teaching a new player."

Spreading out the cards, she examined each one as he continued. "Now obviously, I didn't simply construct these decks using the most expensive or powerful cards… Such things might help you win a duel or two, but would fail to teach a new player anything! No, these starter decks are constructed to encourage different styles of gameplay, even if only more basic Duel Monsters are used as a base."

He tapped one of the boxes after another. "This one focuses on using powerful monsters to win the duel, while that one attempts to win by using spells to control the game and damage the opponent… You understand the idea. There are several examples of these types available for your brother to get started with, and I'm sure he'll enjoy working with them and learning how to play the game."

His eyes glinted as he grinned at Jessica. "I'm also attempting to develop a starter deck that gains victory by helping your opponent to draw too many cards! But that is an ongoing project. You see, the more esoteric gimmick decks like that either require very expensive or powerful cards to support them, or they may be too complex or a bit much for a new Duelist to handle. Allow me to show you an example."

With loving care, the old man cautiously spread out cards from another deck, one that clearly wasn't for sale. "I admit my original purpose might have drifted a little making these, as the act of constructing one's deck is ALSO part of the gameplay that many Duelists get to enjoy… And I may spend a bit more time developing these test products than I originally intended. Would you care to see this personal project I've been working on?"

Jessica couldn't help but smile at the old guy's enthusiasm. "Yes, please!"

Solomon tapped a powerful looking card, one Jessica could see almost pulsing with power in some untouchable way. "The core of this deck focuses on this… One of my more rare Duel Monsters, 'Kuraz: The Light Monarch'. A powerful attacker with the ability to destroy the forces of your opponent, he also allows you both to draw new cards to both allow you to continue your plays and reduce the cards your opponent has to work with in their Deck."

Despite being cardstock, the image seemed to glisten and pulse with energy… "It looks amazing, honestly."

The grandfather sighed. "Yet the deck supporting Kuraz is still being workshopped. It generates risk, you see, due to him allowing your opponent to also draw cards for each foe he initially destroys on summon… If they listen to the Heart of the Cards, they may manage to counter Kuraz entirely within a single turn! Devising strategies to avoid that issue, including alternate win conditions to hopefully win despite being countered, finding supporting magic and monsters to enhance his effectiveness…"

The man carefully began regathering the collection of sleeved cards. "Well, needless to say the cost of each component to this personal project has reached unbelievable levels. Certainly something far beyond what most of my customers could consider playing with…"

His smile was full of memories. "But even if more convoluted gimmick decks like this may never be sold or turn out to be too dangerous to release, simply crafting an entirely new deck dueling style is fulfilling in its own way. It fulfills an aspect of Dueling that not everyone fully appreciates… This is why I feel I must emphasize: Should you purchase one of these starter decks over there for your little brother, encourage him to not simply use that collection alone."

Solomon raised a finger, his face stern. "Use it as a base, a starting point. Add, replace, and remove cards that feel like they add discord to your duel, choose other types or attributes entirely if other Duel Monsters resonate more closely with him…"

And his eyes were glittering again. "And should he find that one card that happens to speak to him, that seems to embody his growing passion for Dueling? Bring him to my shop! I'll introduce him to an entire world of new monsters and spells that are just waiting to work with him, to help his new deck grow into something astonishing!"

Jessica couldn't help but smile back at the man, so enthusiastic with every part of his career. "Well, you've certainly convinced ME, at least! Could you show me the starter decks you put together that are available for sale?"

The old guy chuckled. "Ah, let me get one of each type… Do you know if your sibling has any preferences that may help us narrow the process down? A love for dinosaurs or the ocean of some such."

Jessica blinked. Oops. "Actually, I plan on purchasing a good amount of cards and booster packs today… Give my brother the ability to just examine them all himself, you know?"

She got a blank look. "Oh? Well, we certainly have the supply I suppose… Would he like a dozen or so booster packs then, along with a starter deck?"

Uh. "Just a LITTLE bit more than that, actually…"

Did no one else simply buy out a store before? She should have asked John if people normally only bought a single booster pack or two at a time instead of an entire BOX of the things, but it was a bit late for that now.

In fact, while she was thinking about the topic… "On a slightly unrelated note, when does your next shipment of cards come in?"

The old man was now giving her a wry look. "You plan on buying a 'little bit more', you say?"

She coughed. "Yeah uh… Will that be an issue?"

He chuckled. "Dear, I doubt any shop owner will complain at an unexpected and bountiful sale… But perhaps you should reconsider."

The grandfather tapped one of the decks. "Buying entire shipments of cards will not automatically make someone win. It will not allow one to instantly purchase proficiency or avoid the journey to become the King of Games… In fact, attempting to use money to compensate for talent can cause detrimental effects in one's growth. Overcoming issues and growing one's deck with one's abilities, this is how your brother will grow as a Duelist!"

And now she felt embarrassed for some reason. "...But I can still buy them, yes?"

He sighed, chuckling. "Yes, yes you can." Concern still marked his face. "Perhaps you could bring your brother around later though? Let him meet with my grandson, and meet his friends who have all been growing as Duelists themselves. And of course, if he stumbles or has any issues attempting to build his OWN first few decks, using one of my starter decks as a base or not, please come visit anytime! I'm sure we can work something out."

What a nice guy. "We will do that."

Solomon nodded, somewhat relieved. "Very well… Now, let me describe each of these starter decks and explain how they are meant to be played and what win conditions they aim for, then we can see how many booster packs you feel like you need today."

Jessica felt slightly MORE awkward now, but still let him describe each individual Duel Deck one by one like a father boasting about his children. She had time.

Plus, considering that at the end of all this she was going to end up buying them ALL?

It felt best to let him have this moment to brag a little.