estoria | ( semi-open )

Entry tags:

( semi-open )

Who: Kurosaki Shun (

raidraptors) & o p e n, later Shun & Yuto (

darkduelist)
When: IC: 12/10 - 12/11, probably
Where: Some coffee shop and the Shadiest Rooftop TM the Entertainment District has to offer
What: Shun ignores the carnival, and spends his time with finally completing the deck he's been working on for the past two weeks instead. Also, his BFF revives from the dead(!?), so tearful(!!???) reunions ensue. ~~Alternately Shun may just call him an idiot, because he questions Yuto's life choices 5ever.~~
Rating/Warning: Cardgames, Arc V spoilers up to Ep45-ish maybe, except not really, but otherwise this should be tame. Probably?

[ A - Shopping District | 12/10 – ~3-5pm | O P E N ]

[It's taken a little until Shun had stopped feeling on edge with the crowds and busyness of this district – the brightly flashing lights, the chattering of people, the sheer normality of everything... it's so much (too much) alike the Heartland of his childhood (the thought aches with bitterness, but also with longing – even destroyed as it is now, Shun misses his hometown).

By now he is much more relaxed – for his own standard anyway – enough to feel at ease laying claim of one of the tables of one of the coffee shops for an hour or three. Beside the steaming cup (#3) and half-finished slice of toast, there is a fair number of cards spread across the table. Most of them are green and purple, though there are already two neat stacks with orange and black cards at the top.

He is pretty sure that he has all that he needs to finish this deck – he knows near certain that the Tellarknights will run stable – even if they aren't nearly as aggressive, nearly as merciless as his Raid Raptors.

(But that is not the point of this deck, not at all. This deck is back-up, is what he'll say aloud if asked, but deep down he knows it's a tribute to people lost, people fallen, to the potential of things that could have been. Heartland once shone as brightly as the stars after all.)

It's just the question of what spells and traps to use, how to balance search and summon support with defensive measures. He knows, in the end he can only make guesses – over long or short, only playing the deck will tell what adjustment he has to make, and who knows if he'll ever need to resort to that as long as he also holds the Raid Raptors.

Still, there is definitely no harm in doing this now, while he doesn't have to fear being ambushed by Academia. He reaches for his cup, sipping at the coffee as he rearranges the green and purple card clusters, frowning faintly while he sets down the cup again.

He hasn't quite yet noticed that the motion has caused one of the cards to slip off the table. Help him out?]

[ B - Entertainment District | whenever Yuto arrived | closed to darkduelist ]

[Shun doesn't quite know what to think of Sakaki's stream, of the revelation that Yuto has somehow been trapped within his code, of that 'Shadow Game' and the duel that follows. Just like that night over a month ago, he's forced to watch and do nothing, hands clenching, he tenses right until the moment Yuto's awareness returns, when his reactions confirm that it's him and not just a puppet of CERES or another bad dream.

One month worth tension bleeds right out of him for good just as he watches the public post – Yuto is alive, is here and Shun is not trapped alone any longer – and he sighs as he leans back into the concrete wall of the rooftop corner that is one of his sleep spots. One month since he's arrived here and in some ways it's been much more exhausting than one week of working with Akaba.

(Akaba gets things done after all, for all that he's secretive, for all that his approach is much too passive for Shun's liking. That is much more than he can say about CERES.)

The lack of an actual enemy to fight, of anything to do but to live through the same routine of training, playing ViViD and watching the Research Building has been wearing on him, has given him too much time at hands to think about Ruri and Yuto, about Resistance and home; especially after he had gotten the truth of that night out of Sakaki, the combination of all above is frustrating to the point of tiring and at this point it's Shun's sheer stubborn refusal to be broken that has kept him from faltering.

Maybe, he thinks as he sends the other a text with his location, with Yuto now here, they'll get more done. They'll figure it out once Yuto is done dealing with Sakaki and possibly Hiiragi from the sound of it and actually gets here... whenever that may be. It doesn't really matter – time is the one thing they have in abundance right now.

Shun closes his eyes once he's sent the text, not really expecting an answer. He is too drained and exhausted to feel anything but muted relief about Yuto's (revival?) arrival and sleep is precious. Two minutes later, Shun has already drifted into dreamless oblivion as he waits.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

_{[After receiving the message, Yuto hurries to the place of the meeting as fast as he can. He doesn't even waste time on replying. Shun probably isn't expecting an answer anyway.

It's strange, really. It feels like the last time they saw each other was just a few days ago, but the truth of how much time has actually passed makes Yuto feel a pang of guilt. Yuto doesn't regret saving Yuya, he doesn't regret any of the choices he made that night. The only thing he regrets is that because of him Shun was left all alone.

When the dark duelist finally reaches the rooftop where they are suppose to meet, he quickly spots Shun. He also notices that his friend seems to be asleep.

Moving almost soundlessly, Yuto approaches Shun and for a moment considers whether to wake him up or not.]}

...Shun.

[For Shun, it's been a month and some change – which is probably the longest he's gone without seeing anything of Yuto since the last summer vacation before that day. Not that the passage of time really is the worst of it – it's the worrying, the uncertainty and then later the confirmation, the thought that Yuto is not just disappeared, but dead.

Well, that and the fact that for the first time in years, Shun has had the time to linger too much, to think too much instead of focusing on the here and now, because everything else will absolutely get him killed.

None of that matters now anymore; Yuto is back, and for the time's being at least they are both more or less safe. Safer than they have been in years, anyway.

He wakes the moment Yuto steps onto the rooftop, tensing ever so faintly until he picks up the quiet steps that are so very familiar and only actually opens his eyes once Yuto says his name. Habit and the worries of the last month have him watch his friend first, checking for any sign of exhaustion and injury before he rolls onto his feet and straightens.]

...You are an idiot.

[To not fight all-out against the pawn, to allow Sakaki to meddle... hell, even holding back against the brat while knowing that nobody of Academia would understand that as as the sign of kindness that it is... Yuto is just that special kind of stupid that makes Shun wants to reach and shake him or to tell him to step back and let him fight instead at least. Not that it had been an option that night, not with Akaba refusing to let him leave, but... No doubt that the pawn hadn't held back which why now they know exactly what happens when Yuto fights someone like that with one hand tied behind his back.

Even so, there is no heat or anger to his words; he is too drained to work that up right now. Too relieved to see his best friend safe.]

Edited 2015-03-30 15:10 (UTC)

_{[It's not like he didn't expect Shun to call him that, but it still makes him avert his gaze from his friend and feel like he isn't quite sure what to say now. Should he apologize? Or maybe explain himself? He can imagine what Shun was thinking whole this time. He can imagine how worried he was and thinking about it makes Yuto feel guilty.

Perhaps he does deserve to be called an idiot.

But then again, Yuto believes firmly that he made his choices that night weren’t wrong. Yes, he lost the duel and paid the price for the loss, but if he won, if Yuya didn't stop him back then... Yuto doesn't want to think what would have happened. At that time he wasn't himself. Something was controlling him again, making him want nothing more but destruction.

It scared him. He doesn't want to fight, he doesn't want to hurt anyone, he doesn't want hatred and anger to control him. That's why he's always trying to hold back. That's why he tried to convince Shiunin Sora to surrender.

He isn't holding back in hopes that somebody would recognize it as an act of kindness. People from Academia probably never see it as such, but to him it doesn't matter. He is just doing what he thinks is right. But of course, he knows that he can't always avoid fighting or hurting someone.

He's a member of the Resistance and they will not stop fighting until Academia is defeated. Yuto has never even for a moment forgot about that, but he also doesn’t want to forget that dueling isn’t only about anger. He wants to remember the happy times and wish for the peaceful future.

And so there is no "I'm sorry" as he looks at his friend again.]}

I believe I did the right thing.

_{[That's all what he has to say. The look he gives Shun soon changes, becoming somewhat apologetic though, because Yuto still feels bad for making his friend worry.]}

[It's deserved, no doubt, but in the end it's also what's to be expected, Shun supposes. Yuto sees hope, where Shun only sees bleak reality, sees a future for them all while Shun can't look beyond the present. In that sense, he's the best of them all, with maybe exception of Ruri.]

Of course.

[It's not sarcasm or judgment passing – Shun duels with little regret and even less concern for the people he faces; he can't spare either. Not anymore. That Yuuto still has the compassion for both is not something Shun can truly fault, not with Yuto, even knowing the costs.

Anyway.]

How much did they tell you?

[About Cerealia, ViViD and CERES, about Shiunin Sora's previous presence and disappearance – what did Sakaki and Hiiragi cover beyond the standard presentation and how many holes does Shun have to fill?

That's a priority for now.]

_{[Yuto guesses there is nothing more to say here, so he focuses on Shun's question instead. He thinks about it for a moment, before replying.]}

I asked Yuya about the enemy.

_{[He doesn't like the fact that there is not much they can do here and they haven't even seen the enemy.]}

He also told me his friend disappeared, but neither he nor Yuzu know why.

_{[But Yuya failed to mention which one of his friend it was. Yuto assumed it was someone he doesn't know.]}

...I also heard some basic information about this place, but that would be it.

_{[To be honest, so many things has happened today that he didn't get enough time to think what else he has to know or what question he is supposed to ask. Not too mention that the explanation of what happened was a lot to take in.]}

[There really isn't, is there? Shun slowly falling apart over it, isn't really worth talking about, really. Anyway.]

That friend was Shiunin Sora.

[Just mentioning that in case Sakaki left it out in some ill-thought attempt to keep peace or something.

The brat is gone now, isn't a threat (and wouldn't be much of one, even if he was still around), but the fact that CERES has considered one of Academia suitable for their cause once already is definitely relevant. Being stuck here doesn't make Academia any less an enemy.]

I don't now what Sakaki told you, but as things stand those Flamines are likely a farce. It's been over a month and I've yet to see a hair of them. CERES claims that they want us to fight, but up to now they've neither shared any of their intel nor offered opportunity to strike or any proof of their existence beyond their own word.

[Shun turns towards the edge of the roof, taking a step towards it as he lets his gaze drift across the city.]

This place is too quiet. It's not a battlefield.

[It makes Shun uneasy and restless, to be honest.]

Edited 2015-04-24 16:56 (UTC)

Shiunin Sora?

_{[It's obvious this is the first time Yuto hears about that. He doesn't blame Yuya for not telling him, though. Yuto didn't ask, assuming that friend was someone he doesn't know.

But he agrees with Shun. This is important, because it shows that Academia can get here, too.]}

...Yuya told me they haven't seen them. _{[His gaze follows Shun.]} And from what I've heard so far everything about this place seems surprises.

_{[He frowns as he also looks at the scenery before him. This wasn't a place for neither Shun nor Yuto. They are members of the Resistance. They belong on the battlefield. They have to keep on fighting. And now they are told that they have to stay here and do nothing?]}

For now, we can't do much but just keep an open eye out and look for information, right?

_{[He wishes there was something else they could do. He sighs a little and grabs his own wrist with his other hand. It feels strange to not have a duel disk anymore.]}

...And I have to get a new duel disk.

[Indeed. Academia might not have a presence right now, but that can change with every newcomer entering this place. When that happens, they need to be ready.

Well, they have been brought here under the claim to fight, but that essentially doing nothing is what it's boiled down to so far. They are definitely limited in what they can do; Shun has been doing his best on his own so far, but to Yuto he'll freely admit that it hasn't amounted to much.]

There is not a lot to go on. I've been keeping an eye on the Research Center, but their security is even tighter than that of LDS.

[Which is definitely impressive – Shun would know. He's watched LDS' security from the outside, has gotten an even better idea of it from the inside while working for Akaba. Security and Surveillance are definitely the two things that Akaba isn't halfway about. In any case, unless something changes, they are unlikely to get anything of use that way.]

About a week ago, there was some figure making noise about "worthiness" and some proposal they wanted to make, but so far that appears to be just more hot air.

[His hands clench due anger and frustration alike – he really, really hates this situation and the fact that there really isn't anything they can do to change it.

When Yuto notes his lack of duel disk, Shun's head snaps up to regard him unguarded surprise – given that Yuto had arrived via dueling Sakaki, he wouldn't have thought it missing. Yuto is right though, that's definitely a concern.]

...What about your deck?

[Please tell him that CERES left you at least that much. Though even if not...]

Getting one won't be much trouble. This place has plenty excess of resources.

[Food, water, places to sleep, even dueling supplies, cards and duel disks alike... all the things they would have to worry about in Heartland – or even to some extend in Standard – don't need take much consideration on Tellus. It's not much of a comfort for Shun. Not while Ruri is still in the hands of Academia and the rest of Resistance at least a dimension away.]

_{[Yuto merely nods at all of this. He doesn't like the sound of it at all, but there really isn't much they can do. But with both of them here maybe they'll figure something out eventually. Once Yuto sees everything for himself and gets a better idea of how this place works.

He would feel much better if he still had his duel disk, but as Shun said he can get a new one, so the situation isn't all that bad.]}

Yuya said that, too, so for now I guess I'll focus on rebuilding my deck and getting a new duel disk.

_{[That will at least give him something to do for now. It's not much, but it's better than just sitting around and doing nothing.

Yuto falls silent and after a moment he takes out the only card he has now - Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon.]}

[He'll have more than enough time for that at least.

Shun nods to himself, earlier question answered – he'll help where he can. He's got plenty time and ViViD experience and from what he's seen points can be transferred. Between the two of them, it won't take long. His eyes linger on the card Yuto pulls out; even without looking he knows what it has to be, that it has to be the one card that has made it to this dimension before his best friend.

He's glad that Sakaki has returned it to where it belongs. Seeing Dark Rebellion in anyone's hands but Yuto's doesn't feel right, even knowing that Yuto himself had passed the card on.

Everything else will need time, but there is something he can do right now to help with Yuto's missing deck at least. He pulls the additional deck case with the Tellarknight deck from his belt, offering it to Yuto.]

Take this until you got yours back together.

[Better to have a deck, rather than no deck at all. It's even a warrior deck, even if they aren't DARK attribute like the Phantom Knights or the Raid Raptors.]

_{[For a moment Yuto just looks at the deck that is offered to him. At first he wants to ask if it's really okay if he takes it, then he realizes that he already knows the answer.]}

Thanks.

_{[And with that he takes the deck. It isn't what he's used to, but he knows that any deck would be better than having no deck at all. He briefly wonders if he'll have to duel anyone in here anytime soon.]}

I'll return it to you once I get my own.

_{[It'll probably take a while, but it's okay. They have time.]}

[Shun wouldn't have offered if it wasn't okay. Somehow, Yuto know holding this deck is a little ironic actually – Shun built it with the memory of their home on his mind and the grief of thinking his best friend lost weighting his heart. It's a tribute to both in the end, created the only way Shun knows how to in this place, the only way that connects to all of it.

Which is even more ironic, considering that dueling is what got them where they are in first place and that Shun hasn't played one duel simply for the enjoyment of it ever since that day.

He just nods at that promise – Yuto can hold onto that deck as long as it takes, as long as is needed. They have the time and the resources for it. It's not what's on his mind when he clenches his hands and voices what he has been thinking all along, the one reason why Yuto's disappearance had weighted even worse on him than it would have anyway.]

...I should have been there.

[He should have backed Yuto, he had wanted to and yet made the call not to. He could have gone regardless of what Akaba had ordered him – fought his way out of LDS if that's what it took. He hadn't though, had trusted Yuto's skills despite knowing...

It doesn't matter now, there is no going back to change what happened and Shun isn't usually one to get hung up on the what ifs, but... There's been too much time to think in the last month. Too little of everything that should take his full attention and too much time to doubt the decisions he's made. It really hasn't been a good month.]

_{[When Shun says that, Yuto looks at him, frowns and shakes his head.]}

It's not your fault.

_{[His reply is quick. Shun really shouldn't feel guilty for what happened that night. He couldn't be there. Who would've thought that the Pawn of Fusion was going to appear so suddenly in Maiami anyway?

And besides, even if Shun appeared there he wouldn't be able to help Yuto. The Pawn wanted to fight Yuto and only Yuto.]}

It was my duel.

_{[Even if he lost it, it was still his duel and he doubts the synchro duelist would allow anyone to interfere.]}

[ Rasu doesn't really know a lot about card games. He never played them when he was alive, and in the afterlife he tended to be a bit distracted by his job as the school nurse's assistant. And here? Well, there had been the time when every other person had gotten affected by tarot cards, but he had luckily escaped that... kind of. If you don't count that his vice principal and roommate got affected and ended up tying him up. Who knows what would have happened had the clock not struck midnight before they got too far.

But when he picks the card up, he does notice that it's not either a tarot card or a regular deck that's used for all those human games he's heard of. He does know what a deck looks like, at least.

But where did it come from? He hasn't really payed attention to the other people in there, but now he looks up and tries to find the owner of the strange card. ]

Um. Excuse me. Is this. Someone's?

[Sounds like Rasu has already learned all he'll ever need to know about Cardgames: They ruin everything.

Shun meanwhile has started frowning at the cards on his table – he's missing one of the countertraps and so far a quick glance to beneath the table hasn't yielded anything. Just before he's about to get up and start looking properly, he hears the question from behind him, eyes narrowing faintly when he sees the other holding up the card.]

It's mine.

[So, that's where it went.]

[ He stands up, card in a hand covered by the sleeve of his too-big doctor's coat. His shoulders are a bit tight. The stranger looks a bit scary, and the look on his face doesn't seem very friendly either.

He takes a small step closer, unsure, than he comes over to hand it back to him. ]

Here you. Go.

[There is just a second of assessment, a moment spent judging attire, voice and body language before Shun labels the other a non-threat. War habits are hard to break and he isn't exactly trying. They have kept him alive for too long for him to discard them carelessly just because there isn't any danger here. (Yet.)

He holds out his hand to take the card, sending a short nod of wordless acknowledgment.]

[ Oh he's a non-threat alright. The only scary part about him is his face. He does know a little bit about war though, but only because he died during one. He kind of escaped having to actually be involved, but it turned out to be a lose-lose situation anyway.

Back to the present; he puts the card in his hand. Hopefully it doesn't snag on the sleeve. ]

[Overall, Shun's probably seen scarier faces.

Shun accepts the card with a two finger grip. Weird as holding it between fore and middle finger might look, the grip should be tight enough to keep it there, even if it does snag on the sleeve for a second. He sets it down on the table, turning back to mulling over how to combine it with the rest of his cards.]

[ When he takes it back, Rasu's hands drop down to in front of him and he fiddles with his sleeves as he looks around. Now what? He was supposed to go somewhere, wasn't he? And now that the conversation has stopped (not that it ever started), he should probably go. ]

Um. We-well then, good. Bye.

[As soon as he walks in, Mizael feels out of place. He's only here because he's tired and hungry and someone on the street suggested that this might be a good place to deal with that. But he has no idea what to do from there, and he's not about to awkwardly muddle through anything.

Not for the first time since waking up here, he wishes he could lean on Alit or Gilag and their hands on knowledge of the human world--and then quickly shoves that thought aside. The last thing he wants to think about right now is his fallen companions.

Speaking of fallen...Mizael pauses in looking around the room when he spots a card lying the floor, and then after a moment, walks over to lean down and pick it up. It's not an archetype he recognizes (although that's probably true of most of them), but that's not important. After that stupid presentation, he thought he might not see another card that wasn't his for a long time. it's a small piece of home and just holding the card is relaxing.

But it no doubt has an owner and it's not like he can use it--and sure enough, there's a table with more cards and the boy they belong to. No wonder he lost one if he's trying to build a deck and doesn't have the space for it.

Although before he can give it back...Mizael spends a couple minutes looking over the other cards on the table, and then sets the trap card down in the middle of a cluster he thinks it would work well with.]

Here.

[Shun tenses at the intrusion of his thoughts, eyes faintly narrowed as he turns his head to assess Mizael, to look for any distinguishing mark. It takes just a second to make certain, he doesn't know this style of clothing or the makings on the other's face; doesn't recognize it as anything near an Academia design, and he already relaxes just a little again at the certainty of that.

Still, the cluster that Mizael placed that card with, is undeniably defensive, speaks of certain skills and knowledge.]

...You are a duelist.

[Someone beyond himself, Sakaki and Hiiragi? CERES must be bringing in new people again then, he supposes. There's just the question of which dimension the other was pulled from...]

[Mizael doesn't quite smile at the recognition, but he does relax a bit more. It's not like he's relieved there are other duelists around or anything, but he could see it getting very boring and frustrating very quickly being the only one.]

Yes, I am.

[He take a moment to look over the cards again, and then pulls up a chair and sits down across from Shun. What is being friendly and polite, he sure doesn't know, but he can maybe try. a little bit.]

My name is Mizael. I'm a dragon user.

[If Mizael hopes to find examples of 'friendly' and 'polite' to study and takes notes of with Shun, he'll find quick that's at the way wrong address.

Actually replicating the introduction is about as far as it goes.]

Kurosaki Shun.

[Generally Winged-Beast user, but that's not something he outright advertises until he faces off in duel. Element of surprise and anyway, if someone can't tell as much from his name that's their problem.

Anyway, whether Mizael minds or not, he has a deck to finish building.]

[Mizael stares at him, waiting for a little more than that, and frowns when it seems that's all he's getting. Even though there isn't much reason for Shun to give him more than that, most of the humans mizael has met have been much more friendly--or, at least, more talkative.

But it isn't enough for Mizael to feel like leaving, mostly because now that he's sitting, he doesn't really want to get up again (and Shun didn't object when he sat down, so it's probably fine). Not to mention, he's not sure what to do now that he's here. Mizael sighs irritably and rests his chin in his hand, elbow on the table; it's going to take a few minutes of looking around and watching the humans to figure it out.

Watching the humans is boring, though, so it isn't long before Mizael is watching Shun and what he's doing more than he's watching anyone else. And making faint noises of interest or disapproval every so often when Shun moves a card around.]

[Funny thing about humans, huh? Shun doesn't concern himself much with Mizael's presence – he's not particularly happy about it, but well, as long as the other keeps quiet, chasing him off isn't worth the bother either.

He appears fairly successful in tuning out Mizael once he starts taking interest in his work again, focusing on putting together his spell set-up instead. Though, by the third time it happens Shun sets down the card he's picked out and regards Mizael with a mix of irritation and annoyance.]

Do you attempt backseat-deckbuilding for every stranger you come across?

[Talk about really rude duelist habits.]

[...and here he was hoping it hadn't been noticed, or that he didn't care. Mizael immediately goes back to observing everyone else, although that also the only sign he shows of being sorry at all (since he's...not. not really).]

You're the only one who's had their deck out in the open.

[And usually he's just passing through and only gets to make one unsolicited observation, if any.]

I'll stop.

[...Mizael, you need to work on your subtlety.

Anyway, Shun has selected the last card for his set up and is stacking together his spells and traps before reaching for the monsters and start shuffling his new deck.]

If you are so invested, you can help me test the deck.

[Is that Shun's backwards way of issuing a challenge? Why yes, it might be!]

[Subtlety is for ~~Vectors~~ losers.

...Yeah, okay, so maybe he was still watching Shun a bit out of the corner of his eye, because he straightens up and smirks before Shun is finished speaking. Normally, he wouldn't be nearly as interested helping anyone test their deck, much less a human, but right now he really wouldn't mind a low key duel to relax a bit.]

All right. I could use a distraction.

[And obviously they can't do this in here (since who plays cards on a table?), so up he gets to start heading back toward the door.]

[Funnily enough, Shun absolutely agrees with this.

It takes a moment for Shun to follow – he needs to gather up and put away the cards that haven't made the cut for the deck and takes the second he needs to down the remains of his coffee (part habit really, it'd be a waste of resources), then put down some money before he leaves as well.

He catches up with Mizael on the outside, quickly brushing past the other. He'd prefer to choose the site of their duel somewhere private, in a place that he can change gears and even run if there turns out to be a need. The other doesn't look like someone from Academia, but that doesn't make him trustworthy.]

Follow me.

[Hope you don't mind climbing a fire escape or three in order to get to the roof top that Shun has in mind, Mizael.]

[Hmm, he would have been fine doing it right here, but whatever. Going elsewhere, somewhere chosen specifically just to duel, does appeal to his need for the dramatic. And even if it's because Shun actually has less than noble intentions, it's not like Mizael can't defend himself. So he follows after without protest.

At least until Shun starts climbing up ladders. Not that Mizael has any problem with heading somewhere higher up for this, but he has no interest in climbing anything if he doesn't have to. So once Shun is high enough, Mizael just starts jumping up after him instead, like he jumps up the sides of buildings everyday.

Because that's definitely how non-Academia human people get around.]

Edited (sorry i had the wrong jumping image) 2015-04-26 20:49 (UTC)

[Well. The jumping certainly doesn't make Shun any less wary than he already is.

He frowns to himself as he slips over the last railing and onto the rooftop, reading his duel disk and exchanging decks. Even if it turns out, he's ended up challenging an enemy, he's confident enough that it will hold him out; even on the unlikely chance that he's driven into a corner.

He glances over at Mizael once he is done slating the deck in and activating the disk. They better get on with this.]

[Mizael vaults over the last railing and lands lightly on the roof, but he does restrain himself enough after that to walk over to his position instead of just teleporting there. Walking seems a little more dramatic right now anyway.

~~Dramatic like how he summons his duel disk~~ Shun's getting right down to business, he likes that. Mizael summons forth his own duel disk and his D-Gazer and stands ready for everything to start.

But instead of the tell-tale sign of code falling into place, there's...nothing. Mizael frowns and slowly blinks his eyes, turning his D-Gazer on and off a couple times, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. So he frowns over at Shun instead, because he's definitely the problem. His duel disk isn't anything like Mizael has seen before...but more importantly, he didn't pull out a D-Gazer of any kind, physical or not.

Well that's...not how it usually works...]

...You don't have a D-Gazer?

[Who would ever want to miss any chance for more dramatics, right?

Shun's frown deepens into confusion when there is no twin-hum of the activation of Solid Vision from the other's duel disk – the whole shape is foreign (where is his energy blade), and he has absolutely no idea why his left eye keeps changing eye color.

...Or what exactly that question is about.]

What the hell is a D-Gazer?

[Whatever it is, that's... not how it usually works...]

Edited 2015-05-02 21:25 (UTC)

[He doesn't even know what it is? No wonder he doesn't have one. Mizael gestures at his red eye and then let his arm drop to his side.]

It's to use AR Vision. To duel. It's usually a small device that covers one of your eyes...

[But he doesn't even one. So now Mizael's frowning at Shun's duel disk instead. He had been willing to write it off as some fancy model, since it wasn't like he hadn't seen his share of those, but obviously that wasn't the case.]

How does that work?

[For someone who just brought their twin back into reality and has been more or less trying to keep a close eye on them over the past couple of days, Yuya's decided to pull away from Yuzu and Yuto to take a moment to find a place of solitude where he can just think. It's funny how much he misses not living by the coast. Or his usual railing that he's occupied many times in the past to swing his pendulum and look out towards the stadium past the waterway. So it's not very surprising when he finds himself gravitating towards the CERES gardens, with their many waterfalls and bodies of water. Yuya sticks out like a sore-thumb, red hair and white coat against a blue and green landscape, but that's okay. He's got his goggles on to partially block out the world while he's flopped over on the grass while swinging the pendulum above him.

...Pretty much everyone who walks by is giving his strange looks because what is this? Some sort of hypnotism thing? Weird kid.]

[Shun has gotten quite his share of solitude in the past month, but it's not something he's actually used to, not truly, for all that his attitude might suggest otherwise sometimes. All his life there's been Ruri at his side, his younger sibling to annoy and tease and later to hold close and try to protect best that he can (not that it's much, not in the world they live in, but he tried) – until suddenly she wasn't (taken by the pawn that shares Yuto's face). Not quite all his life, but still for a great part of it there's been Yuto to laugh with and to challenge, to rely and lean on in privacy during later days – until suddenly he wasn't (gonegonegone without a trace, leaving Shun to guess and worry and despair deep in unfriendly territory where he can't show that weakness).

In the past year, there's been Resistance – his comrades, the people he will always, always carry in his heart as he fights, because even if he can't protect them, even if they are taken from him, he will do whatever it takes to get them back – but they are at least a dimension away, far far out of Shun's reach (maybe fallen to CERES or the Flamines or Academia in the worst of cases and Shun refuses to think of it. He doesn't do well with helplessness).

This past month he's been alone; nobody to trust, nobody to lean on, not even an enemy to focus on fighting and it's left him off balance and on edge. He's calmer now though, is not feeling as though any second the world might crumble beneath his feet and leave him in free fall down the abyss. Yuto is here. He's not alone anymore.

It's not his actions that have lead to that, there is nothing he could have said or done to take Yuto back, he knows that now. It's been Sakaki all along, the one who's at least partly to fault for Yuto's disappearance but also the one who singlehandedly made sure to bring him here, the one who risked himself, who put himself at CERES mercies just for the faint hope of getting Yuto back.

Shun knows all there is to know about desperate plans – has learned all their shades in the past three years, had launched his very own in his assault against LDS. There's a reason why he hadn't told Yuto the details of it until it was too late to do anything but to pull through with it. Still, that's different.

It was for the sake of getting Ruri back after all.

Sakaki can't claim that kind of connection, can't claim to have known Yuto, not really, and still he didn't hesitate.

Shun didn't wonder about it while he is forced to sit back and watch the stream of that Shadow Duel, or even later when he sent Yuto that text. Now that he's almost (figuratively) stumbling over Sakaki, he can't help but to question, a faint frown curling his lips as he lets his shadow fall right over the other.]

...Why do you care?

[Why risk himself, why put himself on line in a place like this for someone that he has never shared much more with than the look of his face, a ten minute conversation and a card passed down?

That is, in fact, a lie Shun knows deep down, because sometimes when he looks at Yuya he sees the Yuto of their childhood days. Deep down Shun knows that if not for Academia, Yuya might not have introduced Yuto as his cousin, but as his twin and nobody would have ever thought to doubt it.]

[When Shun's shadow falls over him, Yuya doesn't seem to react initially. His eyes are concealed behind his orange goggles, and the pendulum continues to swing, albeit losing its momentum each time. Really, he's considering Shun and his question. The older teen doesn't know how much he's been thinking of his darker counterpart, especially after their first real meeting and discussion of Yuto's disappearance. It's unlikely that anyone could understand what they both went through that night, and the guilt that's been plaguing him since. It may have been the briefest of interactions, but Yuto had shielded him from the battle and entrusted his wishes with his card to Yuya. Shame, gratitude, curiosity... And the theories he's talked about with Arthur-- alternate dimensions and thus a very real possibility that Yuto's his alternate self. Not that that has really taken hold of his thoughts. They may share the same face and other similarities, but Yuya can't see Yuto as anything more than his own person. They barely know each other, but there's this very obvious yet incredibly vague connection that he doubts he'll completely understand (although he'll appreciate it every second). Likely has to do with the fact that they were merged together on their coding level...It makes it easy for him to mentally adopt Yuto on a familial level, surprisingly. (Still a work in progress though.)]

That's a weird question. Why should I not care?

[He doesn't bother lifting his goggles, but even the good-natured smile he puts on is a tad exasperated. Yuya already knows the type of responses that could follow his question. His hand lets go of his pendant so that it drops onto his chest and allows him to fold his arms beneath his head, trying to look relaxed.]

Why do you have to question it? Isn't it easier for you to just be happy he's back?

[It's not a weird question, not really, not from Shun's point of view. Yuto is a stranger to Sakaki after all, just like Shun. They are not comrades or friends. They are not even allies, even in the remotest of senses. Shun has to question, has to worry, because trust is precious and never to be given freely or easily. Trust has to be earned and Shun has no reason to trust Sakaki Yuya.

None at all.

In fact, there are so many reasons for him to be wary; given what he knows of the pawn who nearly killed Yuto, who was somehow involved in Ruri's kidnapping, given Sakaki's connection to the Academia brat, given everything Shun knows about his attitude towards the battle field.

It's easy to claim that duels aren't meant for conflict when it's not fact of the reality you live in. It's easy to say that duels are for smiles and entertainment when your home wasn't the one ripped apart into pieces.

Considering that, maybe he should have expected this kind of answer.]

Forget that I asked.

[He shouldn't have bothered in first place.]

[There's more or less an annoyed sound being wrangled out of him because god that's such a Shun answer. And he barely knows him, so it says a lot.]

You know, maybe you'd understand if you had someone who looked just like you and apparently is a part of your very existence! [A tad snippy? Aw yeah. Because he just wanted some peace and quiet for a moment without being badgered about why why why.

Except he inhales deep, and that temporary outburst seems to deflate as quickly as it had arrived.]

...But fine, I'll forget it. [He picks up his pendant again and sits up so his back is facing the older teen.]

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