EDIT 09.06.2022: Ruka and Rua do not look 145cm in the anime to me, so I'm going to use those as height measurements for the timeskip.
I'm standing in Martha's yard. Why am I back here? I was in Neo Domino before, wasn't I? I don't remember what I came here for, but the plush grass looks so inviting. Wind sweeps through the trees, stirring the branches and leaves. I look up to the bright blue sky, clear of stormclouds for miles and miles.
"Yusei!" I look down from the expanse of the sky. Pinoko is between the tree trunks, strolling toward me. She gets closer and grabs my hand, pulling me to the blanket of green below. The grass is even softer than it looks. "Yusei."
Laying on our backs, I turn my head to see her already looking at me. She's smiling, then her mouth is moving again. "Will you come back to me?"
"Always," I say, not sure why she's asking. I'm not going anywhere today and she's right next to me. Where do I need to come back from?
"Then wake up." Her voice isn't coming out of her mouth anymore, but from somewhere else. "Wake up." I'm staring at her lips that form those words, but they aren't from the Pinoko in front of me.
"Wake up, Yusei. Please wake up." I pry my eyelids apart through sheer willpower. For just a second, before I truly wake, I want to go back to that grassy yard with her, but I force myself to sober quickly. We crashed, that's the last thing I remember. "Yusei!" Her voice calls me, warbling. She's kneeling over me where I rest, my back to the cushion of a sofa. There's a blanket covering us up to the shoulders. Her shoulders sag at the sight of me, making me take in her ragged appearance.
Her clothes are rumpled, hair tousled, and bags under her eyes, but she's uninjured at first glance. The room we're in is gloomy, all beige and gray and styled with modern furniture. Pinoko sinks into my chest, my arms coil around her on instict. It's then that I realize the position we're in. Both of her knees are bent, squeezing againt the outside of my thighs, backside in the air. She has her face in the crook of my neck, half of her body laying on top of me. The heat of her breath rushes by my ear, tingling. I'm silently praying she doesn't lean against my bottom half. It's a normal part of waking up most days, but most days don't see me tangled up with my most beautiful friend before breakfast. The reaction of my body floods me with shame.
I'm disgusting, to be thinking about that kind of thing right now. It's clear how fearful she is under these circumstances. She needs comfort, not your dick.
"I'm so glad you're alright. I... I don't know w-where we are. I d-don't know how we got here. I just, woke up and we were both sleeping on this couch and-" She stops, forcing in a breath. "I'm afraid w-we... We might have been kidnapped." She says it quietly, as if putting it into words will make it true. The tent in my trousers is gone immediately, all fantasies of fooling around have been flushed down the drain now.
I see my deck and gauntlet on the coffee table. A voice rings out in the space when I reach for them. "You don't remember?" Pinoko stiffens in my lap. For her sake, I hope that her fears are unwarranted. Two small figures appear from what looks to be the kitchen. "You two were passed out downstairs last night." They approach the couch from behind. I've sat up now, watching them over the sofa's back with Pinoko pinned to my front. Regardless of how nice they seem, I need to know what they want from us before I can be at ease. Why did these kids bring us here?
"Who are you?" I question the children that stop between me and the low table. Pinoko is clearly not about to engage in a conversation, so I take the initiative myself.
"I'm Rua." The young boy points a thumb at his own chest, his green hair swaying as he moves. The girl beside him kneels on the ground and has nearly identical hair, styled in pigtails rather than a single ponytail. Her clothes follow the pattern, matching the other child's but in shades of pink instead of blue. They both wear the same white shorts and shortsleeved jacket. Even their shoes are the same, one pair in pink and one in blue. He waves an open hand to indicate the girl. "This is my younger sister Ruka. We're twins."
The fact that the children are treating us as equals is enough to calm my nerves a bit. I relax my hold on the woman from Satellite, just enough that she can pull away if needed. I reach again for the coffee table, grabbing my deck of cards from it's surface. It seems to be in order, no missing cards. The boy, Rua, speaks up again. "What are your names?"
"Yusei. This is Pinoko." I nod my head slightly at the Satellite woman. She's raised her head a bit now, looking over at the two. She extricates herself from my embrace cautiously.
"Y-yeah, I guess it's good to meet you? As long as you aren't kidnappers... You aren't, right?" She ventures dubiously.
Rua grins, bright as the Sun itself. "Right! No kidnapping here!" Pinoko lets out a long breath. The nervous energy she was radiating faded, letting her compose herself a bit.
I leave Pinoko on the sofa, standing. When she's involved, I find myself doing these odd things. Right now, I find that I'm standing between her and something she percieved as a threat. What am I doing? These are children... But I guess it doesn't matter what she's scared of, I'll stand in the way.
"Where are we?" I address the children again.
Rua waves his arm and the curtains part. "Our place!" The entire wall opens up into crystal clear windows, the skyline disrupted only by the rooftop's vivid flora reaching for the heavens. "This area is called the Tops, which is the highest area in Neo Domino City."
"So it was the Tops..." I mumble.
I shove my left boot onto the corresponding foot. I've calmed down enough now, bending over and tying the laces. Yusei has just finished tightening his arm guard into place.
The little boy we met had not calmed down at all yet. "Yusei, you're a duelist, right?" He wonders joyfully.
"Yes."
"I also duel. Will you duel me?" Rua points at himself again. "I always have to duel against Ruka, so it's boring."
"How rude," rebukes the girl. She sits on the couch next to my own seat. "You're weak too, Rua."
"I'm going to start getting more powerful! Yusei, are you powerful?"
"Ha!" The laugh is startled out of me. "Yusei is the most powerful duelist you'll ever meet. I've seen him do many incredible things."
Yusei looks off at something, zoning out of the conversation. There's a small figurine of Jack Atlas sitting on a side table. "That's my treasure," Rua says, looking proud of his belongings. "They're the King's merchandise. It's my dream to someday be the King."
"King of Games..." I remark, moving to where they stand. "Quite the illustrious title. You're willing to fight for it, I hope."
"Yeah! I'll fight for the industrious title! I also want to do riding duels!"
"She said it was an illustrious title," Ruka scolds from her place on the sofa. "Anyway, you can do riding duels even if you're not the King."
"Ruka, be quiet for a moment! Hey, do you like the King, Yusei?" It's weird how quickly the boy changes attitudes. Yusei is sending out vibes that he's uncomfortable with the topic, but answers to placate him.
"I'm not interested in him."
Rua turns away from the duelist, dejected. "Oh. Fine. But you do riding duels. What a waste."
"What gave you that idea?"
"Because that's a D-Wheel, right?" Rua points and sure enough, in one of the dim hallways sits the red and white D-Wheel. "If you're a D-Wheeler, aren't you supposed to admire the King?" Yusei is totally sidetracked from the kids, drawn to the machine.
"Sorry, Rua. I don't care much for the person in that position right now, but King of Games is a very admirable dream. I hope you succeed." I mollify the boy, worried that Yusei's inattentive manner may have hurt his confidence. Breaking eyesight with him, the blue eyed duelist is stood before me once again. I survey his flustered countenance. "W-what's wrong?"
"Your stuff got all over the place, in the compartment. Probably when we crashed all your... things came out of your bag." I don't quite know what to make of his answer. He isn't meeting my eyes, rather he's avoiding them.
"Okay, uh, I'll go take a look." I venture to the hallway that borders the kitchen counter on one side. It's not lit but the ambient sunlight streaming through the windows makes it easy to see what scared Yusei off. Red, pink, white, and black are the colors that decorate the storage of the D-Wheel. "Oh my stars."
Panties lay strewn about, one bra halfway in my purse. My deck box is askew on top of my purse. Several small screwdrivers of many shapes lay across the other items. This is so embarrassing. Worst of all, the photograph of my parents rests in the middle of the mess. Two of its corners have been bent and a single screwdriver pokes through the middle of the small sheet. Yusei must've seen it, but at least he has the trust required to let me bring it up in time. It gives me a tingling sort of feeling in my stomach, like I'm on a swing.
I fold the photo once, sliding it into the waistband of my skirt. I'd sewn an inner pocket there, just big enough to keep a Duel Monsters card. Everything else is hastily stuffed into my purse. It's a faux leather satchel, cool brown in color. Once everything is situated inside, I sling it across my chest.
In the living area, Yusei had been captured by Rua once more. He shoves a letter and envelope into Yusei's view. "Ta-da!" Yusei picks it up from the boy's hands.
"Duel of Fortune Cup?" Yusei reads, probing for more of an explaination.
Rua really looks like a child now, arms bunched up and hands fisted in excitement. It's adorable, really. "Yeah! Kaiba Corporation randomly selected people to participate in a tournament!" He starts to wave his limbs ecstatically. "And they chose Ruka! The winning duelist gets to duel the King!"
Ruka is nowhere near as happy about the invite as he is. "I don't feel like entering."
"Hear that? Ruka is always like this. Thats why I'm going to pretend to be Ruka and enter."
"It's impossible for Rua to impersonate me." She's an expert at pushing her brother's buttons. He runs over to her, starting a squabble with her like siblings sometimes do.
"For me and Ryuuga, it was... different." Yusei looks over at me. "He was my guardian so he didn't always get to be my brother. I miss bickering with him." Yusei's calm demeanor makes it feel normal to speak about my late brother. He doesn't ask any questions he knows I'm not ready to answer. He's good like that. He palms my elbow, giving me his silent kind of comfort.
"Thank you for telling me." The smile rises to my face unbidden.
"Ruka, you don't trust Yusei and Pinoko?" Rua's yelling draws our attention. "Yusei's a duelist that takes care of his cards and Pinoko is his girlfriend! I want to help them!" I go red at the assumption.
"Rua, you're talking too loud," his sister responds. She's correct, it's difficult not to overhear with his volume. When he looks over at us, Yusei is already replacing the invitation into the envelope.
"Thanks for hiding us. However, you shouldn't get involved with us." He tosses the envelope to land perfectly on the side table, as it had before it was moved.
Awed by the dextrous move, it takes a moment for Rua to comprehend his meaning. "You're leaving?"
I speak up in Yusei's favor. "We really don't want to bother you guys. It was awful nice of you, though, keeping us here." I don't really want to leave, but these are just kids. If they were to get mixed up with our business it could be dangerous.
"You're not bothering us! Oh yeah!" Rua shoots back, desperate to keep us around. It's cute, the way he's imprinted on the mechanic I've accompanied to the city. He peels off into a linen closet, searching through it. With all my things back where they should be, Yusei is free to rummage through his own personal effects now. He proceeds to do just that.
Rua returns with a brilliantly polished Duel Disk strapped to his forearm, shimmering in the hues of the ocean's deep and the golden sky above. "It's very shiny?" I say, confused at the presentation of the thing.
He looks past me to the other duelist. "Yusei, duel me!" The man pauses his movements. "If you're a duelist, you have to accept challenges!"
His sister remains at a distance. "Rua, aren't you the one who's bothering them?" He turns to face the girl.
"But Pinoko says Yusei is strong! I want to duel against strong people!" When he spins back around, there's a smile on his face. "Let's do it, Yusei! I want to duel against different people to increase my dueling skills!"
I can't help but smile back at him. "That's a very good goal. But if Yusei says no, you can't make him." I eye the blue eyed duelist. Too many people have already forced him to, in my opinion. Dueling should be...
"Dueling should be done for fun, Pinoko. Are you sure you're having fun playing with me?"
"Yes! No matter what we do, I always have fun with Nii-san!"
Rua, done with his plea, lifts his arms straight up. In result, the Duel Disk slips down his arm, clearly not sized for a child. "Ah! Stay on! That was embarrassing!" He tries to resecure the device.
"I understand. Let's do it." I knew Yusei wouldn't be able to refuse once he started speaking so earnestly. His pleas even tugged on my heartstrings a bit.
My eyes sparkle at the boy. "Oh my stars, you are adorable, kid! Your Duel Disk is too big. That is so cute!" I coo. His face turns beet red.
"I-I'm not cute! I'm cool! And don't call me kid, I'm almost as tall as you!" He's defensive, but it's normal for someone so young.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Though I'm giggling through the apology, I didn't mean to upset him. "I didn't mean to offend you, Rua."
"Well, okay. But only because you're so nice about it! I think I can see why Yusei chose you to be his girlfriend."
"He, he didn't! We're not-"
"She's not my-"
Yusei and I both protest the label, talking over each other unknowingly.
"You're not? You guys were all cuddled up when we found you, so I thought you were a couple."
"We aren't," Yusei repeats, turning around to retrieve his own Duel Disk. Take a hint, kiddo!
"Moment out," says the digitized voice of Yusei's D-Wheel. Yusei docks the disk on his arm guard, completing the transition as he has done many times before.
Rua's gotten excited again, seeing the machine work. "So that's how it works! Awesome!"
"Yusei's D-Wheel is a hybrid. That means the Duel Disk he uses for standing duels is the same as the one he uses for riding duels," I supply.
"So cool!" He looks at the man, mouth agape. "Come on! The door's this way!" He spins on his heel then, showing us the way to the rooftop pool.
Outside there's a wide staircase leading to the poolside. Beyond that lies a garden, bursting with life and yet carefully manicured. Rua's Duel Disk continues to slide this way and that. Yusei takes pity on him, using a length of scrap fabric to tie it in place.
When he's knelt in front of the boy, it reminds me of his interactions with Rally. The spritely young Satellite citizen was a ball of energy, just like Rua is. I can't count the number of times I'd caught him following Yusei around like a lost puppy, Rocky trailing behind them both.
"Is there anyone else here?" he asks them.
Rua's answer is succint. "It's just us on this floor."
His sister chooses to be more descriptive. "This is the very top of the hotel. It's just been the two of us since a long time ago. Our parents are away for work, and they only come back occasionally. It's a comfortable life." I'm astonished at her comfort with the situation. They're only children and they have to take care of themselves.
"We can do our homework on the internet, so we rarely go outside!" Rua carries on, smile stretching his lips.
"I see." Yusei ties the last knot. "All right. Now it's fine." Rua flaps his arm again to test the hold. It stays.
"You're right! Thank you, Yusei!"
Yusei rises. "Don't worry about it. Let's start. You can have the first turn," he says, turning away to take his place on one end of the pool.
Sitting on the bench by Ruka, I find myself chuckling at Rua's happy-go-lucky attitude. Both duelists have reached their positions, facing each other. "My deck is pretty incredible," the younger brags.
"Start anytime you'd like." Yusei is different from his normal style, particulary because he's not facing an enemy this time around. It's nice, to see him duel for a simple reason.
Even the way Rua draws his cards is eccentric. "I see he does his own sound effects," I remark to his sibling.
To begin, he summons a yellow robot to the field. "Yeah, he's embarrassing sometimes."
"It's so cool!" he cries at his own monster. "The monster effects of Deformer monsters change depending on whether they're in defense or attack position! When Mobaphon is in attack position, it dials a number between one and six, and I flip over that many cards. If that card is a level four or lower Deformer monster, then I can special summon it. Here I go! Dial..." He makes a large gesture with the Duel Disk, causing him to stumble. The weight of the device is clearly still an issue. His sister heaves a sigh.
"Hey," says Yusei quietly.
"It's a bit heavy." Rua rubs the back of his neck, looking embarrassed.
"Rua's duels are loud." His sister isn't taking his side on this either. It makes me giggle.
"Ruka, stop saying unnecessary things. It's a crucial moment right now! Dial on!" The boy rebuts her, but persists in his strategy.
"You know he may not seem like your brother, but Yusei is like that sometimes too."
"What do you mean? He shouts and talks about his monsters in a duel?"
"Well, it's not quite the same. But Yusei has had to duel for things that are really important to him, so of course he would be really passionate about winning. Even a serious person like him has his moments." I grin at the young girl. "Do you dislike dueling?" I ask.
"Well, I guess. I don't mind it but I don't like to do it myself."
"That's okay. I don't really enjoy dueling anymore either, but there are things I love about it still."
I've piqued her interest clearly, as she peeks up at me from under her fringe. "Really? What do you like about it, then?"
"I think it brings people together. I love my cards. And I love to watch the duels. Do you have any cards?"
"Yeah, I duel with Rua sometimes."
"Me too. I actually..." It's tough to talk to anyone who isn't Yusei about my brother, but I feel the situation warrants a bit of discomfort on my part. I would offer a little piece of myself to reach out to her, sympathize with her. Her love for Rua was evident even though she held it close. I know why she duels with him despite her own feelings. "I had a brother. I loved dueling with him, because he loved dueling. It was that simple, for me. I used to love the feeling that comes from enjoying a duel with someone I'm close to."
She's thoughtful. "I guess I've never thought about it that way before." She looks down at her clasped hands.
"My favorite cards are the cute ones. What about you?"
"I really like fairy type cards... They're really pretty." I'm delighted to see the genuine smile that spreads.
For a time, Rua's strategy gave him the advantage, but he was unable to adapt once it was in place. He should known Yusei would counter, though. That's how duels work.
Dueling is something many take years to master, so it's no wonder this young duelist hasn't reached his full potential yet. Indeed, there was very little chance he would win against Yusei for a very long time.
I felt guilty when he started up the water works. His sister quickly took to his side. "You always cry."
He wipes his free hand across his eyes. "I'm not crying!"
Yusei and I reach them at the same time. They're forced to look up at the taller of us when he speaks. "Your love of dueling has touched me. However, your dueling is a bit too self-centered." His advice only confuses the other duelist. "Weren't you satisfied when you gathered the four Deformer monsters? Deformers change their monster effects depending on the situation. However, you're also able to change that situation during a duel. If you can't anticipate my counterattacks and keep dueling in a self-centered manner, the road to the king will remain far away."
"He's right, Rua. And even though you didn't win this time, you sure showed me!" Yusei and I both have our own ways of cheering people up.
He sniffles, looking back down to my level. "I did?"
"Yeah, I had no idea you could be so cool! I take back everything I said earlier," I assure the young duelist.
Ruka put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Well, cheer up," she tells him. He wipes his tears a final time.
"Yusei, will you duel me again?"
"In time. Thanks for your hospitality." He turns and starts to leave, but Rua isn't ready to say goodbye.
"You can't leave!"
He looks back at Rua, pointing at his own cheek. "Look at these markers. If we stay with you, we'll cause you trouble."
"Why? I want to help you both!"
"There goes Rua's I-wanna-help-you-out-itis again..." Ruka breathes out. Her brother turns on her. "But shouldn't you at least rest for today?" Personally, I like them both and I don't love the idea of leaving again, but we can't stay with them forever.
I put on the most important puppy eyes I've ever used and turn them on the taller duelist. Looking up into his eyes, I daintily bat my lashes at him. "We could always leave tonight, right?"
He finally breaks.
"Fine, just one day."
A/N: I have decided on a name for Yusei and Pinoko. It's scrapironshipping. Scoopshipping is probably one of the only canon ships I've ever liked in any YGO series. I'm honestly more a puzzleshipper and a kingcrabshipper though. For Ushio/Saiga though all I've come up with is chaseshipping or tagshipping. Send your thoughts! Also what's your favorite ship in YGO? Any canon ships you actually like? But anyway, enough chatting. Hope you're excited for the next one!
