"Ne, hey Ryou. Do you think my Big Brother will let me see the semi finals in the tournament?" Mokuba asked... He had 'that' tone of voice. It was the tone not associated with kids, that pragmatic tone that suggested he had a thought, processed it, took it and put it to the light. Shook his head, looked it over 'again' then decided, 'welp this won't end well'.

Thus asking for confirmation.

"Why wouldn't he?" Ryou asked dutifully while internally bracing himself for whatever madness the kid had reasoned. Mai was talking to those who were also observing the duel, for which she won hers quite handily. He and Mokuba were the only two really hanging back, while the others went to celebrate her victory.

"Well, if both Mai and Wong win their necessary follow up duels they'll be in the semi finals." Mokuba explained and let the sentence hang for the older teen/reincarnated tomb robbing adult.

Ryou's head dropped into his hands, he clutched at it as his fingers raked his bangs to find a place for themselves. "Mokuba."

"You know what's going to happen. The rating for this duel might actually go 'up' and America is weird about having kids my age around." Mokuba sounded like he was this mid 20 something year old man discussing logistics.

Spent far and away too much time around his big brother.

"True..." Ryou really didn't want to agree to the point Mokuba was making... But Mai and Vivian? Especially 'after' Jounouchi's little reveal of what Wong has also done in her career. "But they can't. I can't see your brother agreeing or allowing such a thing to happen." Admittedly they didn't have to be 'overt' about what they were saying. Coy was another word for it. Behave like functioning ADULTS. 'Oh Go... Ok Yugi what are you planning regarding this? Sure they can do whatever, but you've been getting streaks of mischief in that mane of yours.'

He waited for something, maybe an answer, or just a chuckle. Ryou even began eyeing the environment for any possible signs from 'on high in the hotel on the amusement park grounds'. But nothing.

"No, you're right, but now with big brother Yugi being... You know..." Mokuba pointed out.

"I hope moral decency on any scale still exists in him. I know he's aware of the depths of human depravity but..."

"But big brother Mahaado could just make an illusion showing all us kids something else and the tournament gets adult." Mokuba finished...

"Or it could be completely normal save a few choice words..." Ryou offered futilely. He felt Mokuba's smaller hand pat him on the elbow but he didn't bother to lift his head back up.

"It might be nice if Mai and Valon join us though. I like Valon, he's like Jounouchi, just not that dumb." Mokuba remarked. "I think once Big Brother meets him as well, he'll approve. Jounouchi's so full of bluster it rubs Big Brother the wrong way. But Valon, as rough around the edges as Jounouchi, he's been interesting. He's been mindful, he's not tried to show up or off, I think he'll fit in fine with us."

"Jounouchi isn't that bad..." Ryou began, but the boy wasn't talking about himself rather his older brother... And Kaiba never liked bluster without the skill to back it up...

"I guess, but also Big Brother is more friendly with Isis and Rashid, Valons about their ages. So maybe he needs grown up friends not teenager friends like you guys." Mokuba pointed out earning a nod as Ryou began to return from his hiding spot of his hands.

Taking charge, Ryou started walking to rejoin the rest of the group with Mokuba in tow. "You're probably right," Ryou agreed, well aware that Isis and Rashid were also, essentially, Kaiba's old coworkers. Mokuba grasped the idea. But maybe it was just easier for him to not always think of his brother as a reincarnation. 'He shouldn't have to either actually. Given what he's been through recently let the kid think and do as he will.' The former thief thought to himself as the crowd began to disperse from Mai and the others.

"So the idea is that Yugi is going to officially step down as the 'King of Games'?" Mai asked quietly as she walked with the teens, Valon by her side and interest in her voice.

"Yes and no, he's retiring the world champion title so others can vie for it. Since well, things have happened," Anzu confided, her voice also low. "Besides we don't know when that group could strike again, they had no problem blowing up a shop. Attacking a hospital, you get the idea." 'He's GOD, there's another thing we need to let you in on...'

"I remember what it was like," Mai recalled. "When my parents died and my family abandoned me."

Anzu didn't exactly freeze, but her ears perked up sharp, while Malik wanted a shovel to bury himself in shame.

"Holidays were filled with all these happy families and I was alone, you get stories about extended family events. Just sitting there wondering what I did that was so wrong that my extended family didn't want me. The slurs about being only half a person..." She ran her fingers through her hair, while the floor was a little more washed out beyond her fingers.

Japanese name, non Japanese looks. No one had thought to ask her what her 'other half' was, they just took her full name and her fluid use of Japanese as her being Japanese.

"We know how that feels," Mokuba piped up from Ryou's side, causing everyone to look down at the boy. "When our dad died and the families dumped us in the orphanage. Well. I say 'families' but I don't know if mom ever 'had' any living family or if they could or knew about us. Big Brother never spoke of it, so maybe they don't. But we know what its like," with that the child walked over and grabbed onto Mai's hand.

With that one touch color began to blossom back into the world around Mai and she was able to redirect her attention to the earnest eyes staring up at her.

"But I have Big Brother, I don't want to imagine what it was like being an only kid."

And lo, Malik found the molten center of the planet!

"Well you're not alone anymore, you have us!" Anzu replied resolute and stubborn in tone and function. "You're only alone if you push people away!"

"Or you're a complete jerk who decides that he's going to dump..." Ryou began in Ancient Egyptian and Malik was having none of it, grabbing the guy and dragging him away.

"Are those two always like that?" Valon finally asked as Ryou could be seen struggling and Malik heard saying stuff that Valon couldn't follow.

"Yeah," Anzu and Mokuba answered in unison.

"So bomb nasty stuff that. I suppose that would make for concern regarding here. I mean those loons were bold enough to blow up a shop and attack a hospital. What's to say they won't come after the tournament?" Valon asked...

"Literal divine intervention," Mokuba answered, his voice flat almost to the point where he didn't believe it himself.

"Valons got a point," Mai, her mood relightened by the comfort of having Mokuba's hand in hers, chided gently.

"We know, and its fair," Anzu admitted. 'Yugi's said we're safe here, but the rest of the world is still on its own...'

"Well, if you're going to continue fixating on the safety of the people here then Seto should be fine." Mahaado noted his voice coming from out of nowhere and scaring the whole party. They jumped a fair foot off the ground, looking around in confusion before the magician manifested. "It is his power that protects, if you wish for others to be safe and protected, he will provide. Begrudgingly perhaps but it is becoming second nature for him and it is not as though he needs to be even aware. He will look after the park so long as you know to think of the safety of the people here."

"How can Kaiba do that?" Mai asked as she looked at the young man, though Mokuba's hand suddenly stiffened around her fingers. Not in a bad way per say just...

"Well lets just say for now, that we found Kaiba's ego limit and its actually lower than we originally expected," Ryou offered smartly as they rejoined the group.

Mai's response was a raised eyebrow, "so what exactly happened since the last time I saw you guys?"

The group exchanged glances, unable to really say. "We didn't, its more like just Yugi and Kaiba 'changed'," Anzu offered with a faint shrug. Though in the back of her mind she recalled just how Ryou was 'technically' now in charge of them. How he was a reincarnation as well and the guy who killed Mahaado originally and a victim of Yugi's uncle in the ancient past!

'Its not the same though, Ryou is a reincarnated tomb robber and he clearly doesn't want to be linked to that. Even if he's gotten skills that came from those time and the spirits of the village who died that day. While Yugi and Kaiba get to be 'gods',' she thought privately.

"So we staying on the grounds since I got my win or do we want to take a tour of Florida while we're here?" Mai asked when they finally reached and exited the large building.

"Is Florida really different from California?" Malik asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"Given they are opposite extremes of America," Ryou began thoughtfully. "Maybe a tour would be nice..."

"If we had a tour guide," Anzu pointed out... "And we're not really set up for such a thing, beyond just maybe asking Mahaado very nicely to teleport us to a location and letting us look around. But that's a bad idea."

Mai cocked her head thoughtfully to the side, her arms starting to cross her chest as she thought on that. 'Why would that be a bad idea? Oh! Oh wait.'

"We can go back to your rooms so you can get your visas if that's what you're worried about. Though I don't know why."

Ryou's expression shifted to rueful acknowledgment, "we, didn't arrive here legally."

"We kinda just popped up," Anzu explained, "magically if you will," she offered with a faint apologetic smile.

Mai's expression got startled and highly amused as she leaned back and looked over everyone again. Calculating their presence more shrewdly while Mokuba merely shrugged.

"Big brother Yugi was supposed to ride with my Big Brother and me, but having been shot. Big Brother tried to keep Yugi in Japan instead... Guess who just appeared at the airport," Mokuba explained with this impish smile as he thought about it.

"While Mahaado apparently made a magical object for Ryou, Malik, and Jounouchi so they could go to California. It requires three people though and Jounouchi had to work so here I am," Anzu explained while now Mai and Valon were staring in increased disbelief.

"I shouldn't be as surprised as I am," Mai began but couldn't really... "You have a magic item that lets you teleport to where ever in groups of three?"

Anzu began to answer, but then realized she didn't really 'know', Mahaado made the item.

"We were investigating things and it was a useful tool," Ryou explained. There were crowds that were still moving about and anxiety began to form in the pit of his stomach from all this talk of 'magic' and 'teleporting'. There was no reason to stand out beyond his bushy white hair, Maliks' blond and Mahaado's appearing and disappearing acts.

Mai's eyebrow arched up at that and he could only shrug before lightly tilting his head. As though to tell her 'look around, we're talking weird stuff'.

"We could just speak Japanese," Mai pointed out doing so, "I mean Valon can't follow, but I can recount it to him when we're alone."

"Language will be a thing won't it?" Malik noted thoughtfully. "Mahaado can do something about it..."

"He's not a first aid kit to all our problems though," Anzu pointed out, rather swiftly as well. 'I don't want to push him. I'm starting to think that behind that 'Maha' veneer he has with Yugi he's scary under it.'

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'I can't believe they're in Florida without us!' Jounouchi thought in irritation while he and Honda were walking along the street. The early afternoon sun warmed them in a way that it hadn't since the game shop had been destroyed. Somehow, since that day the sun was just 'there' as a source of light. But the violent loss of the shop, the death the constant reminder with Honda with his cane and the notebook... How could the sun possibly warm them after that?

Now Honda walked as he did before, the notebook was gone...

"Hey lets swing by the Game Shop," Jounouchi, suddenly inspired, suggested. "I haven't been there really since the start of this and... shit you ok with going there?" He asked turning to look at Honda.

The teen just shrugged, "doesn't bother me, and its nice to have a nice, peaceful several days. If I just disappeared for several days my parents would panic. Not like I can explain about Mahaado's teleporting spells."

"Yeah, your parents would notice, mom would, dad wouldn't so long as he's got his booze and gambling money," Jounouchi agreed with a disgruntled sigh. His gaze lifted up and he watched as the clouds drifted across the sky. He brought his hands behind his head and just let himself enjoy the soft breeze and warm air. His work clothes were thick and covered him, for his own safety, but his face could enjoy the breeze.

"And its a park meant really for orphans and children. We'd probably have to speak more English and if you start swearing..." Honda joked with a knowing nod of his head.

"I could control it!" Jounouchi argued out of instinct, "but work would be a problem. They want more hours now that school is nearly done. Hiei is getting married and that will take a person out of the garage for a while."

"Hiei?" Honda repeated the name trying to remember who out of Jounouchi's coworkers that was... "The angry fellow? He managed to get a girlfriend?"

"I know, with his temper," Jounouchi agreed as they turned past a building towards the empty lot that used to house the Turtle Game Shop.

Perhaps it was his time with Yugi. But the sight of this random guy standing near the lot looking at it? It felt wrong, there was this black haired guy that felt wrong being there.

His clothes weren't typical Japanese clothes, not school uniforms or work clothes... Sure there were clouds in the sky, but the shadow he was casting shouldn't have made his skin look that dark...

"Honda anything about that guy, strike you as odd?" Jounouchi asked giving a slight tilt of the head towards the stranger.

Honda blinked and looked over to investigate the front of the lot as well. "Yeah... he looks kinda... he makes me think of the Ishtars..."

"Huh..." Jounouchi was a little startled but he focused his gaze and gave a growing nod. "Yeah, you're right... Think its one of their tribes' members looking around the city for them?"

"If so shouldn't we greet him and bring him along?" Honda suggested taking a step towards the shop when Jounouchi held him back.

"But why the game shop? I don't feel right about him being there... I don't know its just I feel like its a bad call..." Jounouchi confessed with distrust in his voice. "Shouldn't his tribe know Malik is stationed on a boat in the harbor? Why here?"

"... You got a point," Honda agreed, "let me go ring Isis and ask if she knows anything about this..." Honda offered. Jounouchi agreed and they approached a phone booth while he kept watch.

Honda took his eyes off the guy long enough to start dialing the number to the Ishtars' boat when the sound of an explosion tore through the ear piece of the phone! It startled Honda enough that PTSD made him throw himself back right into Jounouchi in horror. Fire and agony as the bomb sent him flying backwards...!