• Our software update is now concluded. You will need to reset your password to log in. In order to do this, you will have to click "Log in" in the top right corner and then "Forgot your password?".
  • Welcome to PokéCommunity! Register now and join one of the best fan communities on the 'net to talk Pokémon and more! We are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or Nintendo.
    Register

CARD GAMES

Status
Not open for further replies.

Phanima

That servant of the evil one
    • 1,567
    Posts
    18
    Years
    • Seen Oct 11, 2011
    It was far from his intention of duelling so soon after returning to the competition, especially after arriving back in New York and at the very end of the first round nonetheless, but from seeing his opponent all raring to hit the decks, the inner conflict between his lack of enthusiasm and desire to crush anyone who opposed him was decided. Reinforcing his decision, his opponent had declared the duel to be unofficial and the result to be struck from the records. Seriously, what kind of a joke duellist was this kid? He had neither tact nor spine to back up his challenge. Consequently, it was all just a waste of his time.

    Without a word to the younger duellist, the teenager walked away ignoring the persistent boy's existence. An unofficial duel in the early hours of the morning wasn't something the teenager was in the mood for...ever. Besides, he had more important matters to deal with, matters that involved the last two original members of team seven. He had also gotten word of the withdrawal of Pepper, another insignificant loss, but a loss all the same. The team was falling apart. Of course, his own absence hadn't helped the situation, but he remained confident in the fact that he was indeed the strongest duellist out of his shamble of a team. The notice informing the inclusion of Yuki Judai and Majoume Jun to the group was also sudden but unsurprising. Even during his absence, he made sure he remained up to date with the proceedings of the tournament, as well as the ventures of his original teammates. It was during such observations that he discovered the existence of the Shadow Duellists and further linked their presence to the two newcomers, Yuki and Majoume. Now it was all just a matter of returning to the group before the second round commenced. The motives of the two new Japanese duellists would reveal themselves later, especially since the Shadow Duellists have made it abundantly clear that their target was someone on his team, finding out who was only a matter of time.

    Of course, being the sole heir to a multimillion dollar engineering corporation, as well as holding the prestigious title of vice president, the teenager had access to quite a number of sources, so keeping tabs and obtaining information was nothing more than child's play. Despite his pure influence over such a company, there were those who also had similar powers and operated in a manner that went against his ideals, which was something he did not appreciate. Such an obstacle existed in the form of an eighteen year old engineer, the heir to his own family's company, Kwok Wares.

    Thinking about such a character brought up mixed emotions for the teenager. Once competitive friends and now the best of enemies, he now harboured nothing more than hatred for said person. He did however, empathize with his rival on the lone fact that they had once been friends and had helped one another become the people they were today. It wasn't the greatest of friendships, but it got them to where they wanted to be. The nostalgia he was experiencing was one of the few pleasant memories he still had, but he also knew that if he wanted to succeed he would have to overcome the obstacle known as Dogolas Kwok.

    But as dedicated as he was, Kwok wasn't the only target in his sights. The tournament had provided several new business 'opportunities' in the forms of Edgeworth, Crawford and Kaiba that he just couldn't ignore. Taking everything into consideration, his success in the business world relied on his success in the tournament and at that moment, he was in a comparatively favourable position, but his team, not so much. His current objective was simple; find his two remaining teammates, indentify the two newcomers and last but not least, win.

    Despite this, he had no intentions of meeting up so soon, he would surely cross paths with both Edgeworth and Smith during the flight or at least when they arrive in Domino City, but until then, he still needed some time to straighten things out. There were also a number of potential threats that had to be factored into the equation and without proper preparation, his plan could come undone.

    The teenager concluded his thoughts as he secured his belongings, just as a blaring voice sounded throughout the terminal.

    "ATTENTION, DUELISTS! WILL EVERYONE PLEASE MOVE TO THE NEAREST AIRPLANE! YOUR FLIGHT TO JAPAN WILL BEGIN SHORTLY! THANK YOU!"

    Following the announcement, while turning to the crowd around him, the teenager eyed two casually dressed duellists who both acknowledged his gaze with brief eye contact before returning to their own devices. Heaving a quiet sigh, the teenager returned his attention to more trivial matters, allowing his clockwork mind to take a brief yet rare break. The few minutes of peace he allowed himself to have were a rare treat, but after the crowd of eager duellists began to disperse through the gates, his priorities soon returned to his attention.
     
    Last edited:

    Alter Ego

    that evil mod from hell
    • 5,751
    Posts
    18
    Years
    Tacey barely lifted her eyes from the handheld as Achan first addressed her. The boy seemed nervous...quite genuinely so. That was a start, Tacey supposed, but then again that was expected after something like last night's incident so she wasn't about to give any forgiveness for that. What followed, however, was a different matter...

    Practiced discipline was the only thing that maintained the indifferent expression on Tacey's face. It was an apology, a real apology, bow and all. The slight hesitance about meaning it was a small letdown, but given the circumstances it was still a lot more than she had ever expected Achan Smith to be capable of. The boy was about to top himself, however, in a manner that the rich girl hadn't expected at all.

    "Yellow looks better on you then black."

    The words had come completely out of the blue, and it was all Tacey could do to contain her inner mirth as Achan stuffed his foot deeper and deeper into his mouth with each sentence following them. Slowly, the mask of casual indifference on her face began to crack, and before she knew it, the millionaire heiress bore a bemused smile on her face.

    "Yes, yes you are." she concurred with Achan's last statement, "But at least you're not being a rude idiot this time. And I guess..." she took a deep breath of her own, "...I guess I'd like things to be like they were too, you know..." the mirth in her expression was momentarily lessened at the memory, "...before 'The Duelists'. Alright, Smith, I can't believe I'm saying this, but you are forgiven. And...thank you, for trying to say something nice." she couldn't help a small chuckle, "One of these days, I'm going to have to teach you a thing or two about speaking to girls, though; it looks like your cheeks have endured more than enough for one tournament."

    Oh, for goodness' sakes, now she really needed to get a hold of herself. The relief and happiness over how well things had worked out had caught Tacey off guard, but she forced it down out of fear that the carefully layered make-up would be tarnished. Crying was out of the question, regardless of why you were doing it.

    Just as Tacey was pondering how to get out of the awkward predicament, salvation arrived from the most unlikely source: an abnormally violent announcement from the loudspeakers that forced the millionaire heiress and everyone else within hearing range to shield their ears. The rich girl didn't like these announcements, not one bit, but right now it was a welcome change of subject.

    "If he worked for me, I would fire him." Tacey concurred with Achan's complaint, casually shutting her handheld and depositing it in her bag, a contented little smile still on her face as she rose from her seat, "Come on. We don't want to be late for the plane. Oh, and Arma?" she added over her shoulder, not even turning to address her rival CEO-to-be, "If you're done eavesdropping on other people's private conversations, I'd suggest you do the same."
     

    Phanima

    That servant of the evil one
    • 1,567
    Posts
    18
    Years
    • Seen Oct 11, 2011
    Her greeting couldn't have surprised him more, although he made damn sure that his expression remained indifferent to his thoughts. With these two on board, despite their current armistice, any hope he had for thinking things through in peace had quickly dispersed. So much for peace and quiet...

    "Thanks for the reminder, Edgeworth, it's good to see you too," he mocked teasingly, feigning a smile before acknowledging his other teammate's presence, "and you too, Smith."

    He waved off the casual insult, taking up a more passive approach would undoubtedly cause him less personal conflict, something he sure didn't need at that moment. Besides, insulting one another had always been how they warmed up to one another, it was natural instinct. But they were acting, dare he say it...more mature than they had been before his leave and less like children playing card games just for the fun of it. It was impressive and worth acknowledging, but he wouldn't go so far as to praise them outright. He still had his reputation to uphold and since his brief absence, he had personally undergone no change. Of course that wasn't exactly true, the subtle differences in his personality would make themselves apparant sooner or later, so it was simply a matter of having the other two notice them.

    Seeing their crowd slowly progressing through the nearest gate, he decided to begin moving off. Securing his shoulder bag against his front and ensuring that he his belongings were still intact, he turned towards his teammates to finish his introduction before going on board.

    "I'll be going ahead then," he said in an uncharacteristically polite tone, and finishing off with an even more uncharacteristic gesture, "the company paid for five seats in business class, take them if you want."

    It was true that the tournament sponsored all major travelling expenses, but that didn't include business and first class accommodations and unfortunately for him, that was all he would accept. Whether or not Smith and Edgeworth would accept his offer was up to them, plus there were still the other two duellists he had yet to meet, Yuki and Majoume, and any appreciation to his efforts would hopefully be favourable to his position.

    "And Edgeworth, it may not be first class, something I'm sure you're accustomed to," he started as he walked towards the gate, "but I suggest you accept my offer, it might be the only one you can afford...plus, I'm sure Smith would enjoy getting used to such luxury every once in a while." Smiling as he received his ticket from the usher at the gate, he continued making his way on board.

    OOC: Oh noes! There's been a glitch in the system! Just kidding. :P But I thought I'd just point out that the two duellists Michel spotted weren't Achan and Tacey. Since I had them making eye contact, I would've been power-playing, which is bad. X3 So that attention was meant for my two NPCs, sorry for any confusion. I wrote around it regardless, so everything is a-okay.
     
    Last edited:

    Alter Ego

    that evil mod from hell
    • 5,751
    Posts
    18
    Years
    OOC: Actually, I never hinged this on him having spotted Achan and Tacey. (Tacey never directly said that it was their conversation he was eavesdropping on either) It's just very much in Tacey's character to try making Michel look bad through small things like that. Besides, it's completely natural for her to think that he was eavesdropping even if he wasn't. ;D

    So yeah, the only assumption I really made for that post was that they were in the same general area. :3

    IC:

    At Michel's offer, Tacey couldn't help raising an eyebrow in suspicion. They were rivals in business, right? Right-at-each-other's-throats rivals by the time they both rose to their respective positions, no doubt, so where was the catch? He had an ulterior motive, she was positive of it.

    And sure enough, the upstart's words betrayed him.

    "Afford?" Tacey echoed, now thoroughly slighted, "If second-rate is all your company can afford in travel accommodations, Arma, then you should be the one worried about affording things." much to her annoyance, Michel was already making his way into the plane.

    An expression of sheer annoyance crossed the rich girl's face, her foot stamping the floor beneath it out of sheer instinct, "The nerve..." she muttered, "Who does that uppity little boy think he is, anyway?"

    Noting that there was no argument to be made here, Tacey turned to examining her options. She had a reservation for fist class, of course, and normally she wouldn't have thought twice about using it, but...her glance traveled to Achan, what if that was what Arma was counting on? What if he was trying to form some kind of pact with Achan behind her back? She seriously doubted that the starfish-haired teenager would turn on her just like that, but then he wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, and there was no telling what Arma might tempt him with.

    Yes, that was the whole of it. It wasn't like she considered the company in this second option a benefit, of course not! She just needed to keep an eye on them to make sure that there was no trickery. But what if Achan chose not to pick up on the offer and she'd end up sharing second-class with her arch-nemesis for no reason at all? That would be just plain silly. For a moment, Tacey stood there in awkward indecision. Embarrassing though it was, her decision was now hinged on his. There was no helping it, then: even at the risk of horrible misunderstandings and vulgar passions she'd have to ask.

    "Smith?" there was a slight hint of apprehension in her voice, "Are you going? To business class, I mean, only I thought that it might be good to keep the team in one place. In case...something happens."
     
    Last edited:

    Scarlet Weather

    The Game is Afoot!
    • 1,823
    Posts
    17
    Years
    Achan stared at Michel as the CEO-to-be walked away, having delivered what appeared on the surface to be a harmless invitation to fly business-class. The teenager was suspicious of Michel, but only slightly. So Michel had a company that was in competition with Tacey's, eh? No wonder they didn't like each other. Achan was still considering whether or not to take Michel's offer. On the one hand, flying business class seemed extremely tempting. On the other, he had just made peace with Tacey and it seemed to be against his best interest to do anything that might make her think he was attempting to conspire against her. The temptations flew about his head like ghastly spirits, whispering in his ear. Come on, Achan.... what's the harm... you've never flown in any class higher than coach before... come on, Achan, hurry up and follow the guy in the blazer... hurry... He attempted to resist, but the thought of not being forced to sit wedged between a pair of obese men with custom duel disks was extremely appealing to him. But would Tacey understand? He prepared to voice his decision in the matter when Tacey suddenly broke across his thoughts, asking him whether he was accepting Michel's offer. Struggling to disguise the relief in his voice, Achan replied "Yes, sure, sounds like a good plan to me. I mean, can't be too careful when there are people running around with deadly playing cards."

    "ATTENTION DUELISTS! IF YOU AREN'T ON YOUR FLIGHT IN FIFTEEN SECONDS, MY HAIR WILL BE EXTREMELY ANGRY AT YOU! MY HAIR SAYS THAT WE WILL BE EXPERIENCING LIFTOFF IN TWELVE MINUTES! THANK YOU!"

    "Man, that guy sure likes talking about his hair," Achan groaned. "What is it with him, anyway? If anyone has the right to talk about their hair, it's me, and that's only because I feel obligated to give an excuse as to why it looks like a starfish crawled up there and fossilized." Suddenly, he remembered something. "Oh, that's right! Tacey, did you get an E-Mail from Pegasus last night? That freaky guy who talks about his hair sent me one to my private E-Mail address, and I don't even want to think how he found out about that. Er... anyway, we'd better be going. It's probably better that we discuss this after the flight."

    "ATTENTION, DUELISTS! THE FLIGHT IS-"

    "WE GET THE POINT ALREADY, SO SHUT UP!" An angry pedestrian yelled before grabbing the unfortunate security guard by his jacket lapels and hurling him bodily into a trashcan.

    "Ah! It's dark and smelly in here! My hair is claustrophobic! Get me out! Yechh!!!!"

    Off we go... into the wild blue yonder...​

    Achan sat wedged firmly on his business class seat. He had to admit, he was glad that he had chosen to accept Michel's offer. He only wished he knew why Judai and Manjoume had chosen to sit on either side of him. Wedged between the two older duelists, he felt extremely intimidated. Brilliant. And just when he thought that life was getting better...

    Just then, a beeping noise interrupted Achan's thoughts. Reaching into his pocket, he brought out the PDA that Pegasus had gifted him with earlier. Upon opening it, he discovered that he apparently "Had video mail". Curious, he pressed the button, causing the screen to immediately become filled with Pegasus's smiling face.

    "Greetings, Tournament participators! I trust that if you're watching this, you've made it past the fabulous first round! I must say, this round has been extremely entertaining for me and I trust that you'll make the next one just as fun! In fact, I don't think the next round could become any more fabulous if I invited the Spice Girls to come and perform!"

    "Get on with it.... this is annoying..." Achan muttered, gritting his teeth.

    "Ah, yes. Where was I? Oh, right, the rules for the second round. Well, I hope you've still got your PDA, because they are crucial to this round. Each one of you will be receiving one piece of a map in the form of an image file. Each time you duel a member of an opposing team and defeat them, all of their map pieces will be transferred to you. Collect all six, and you'll be able to piece together a map showing the location of the secret duel spot. Everyone who manages to gather there within the space of one week will move on to the next round. All others will be immediately disqualified. Fabulous set-up, isn't it? Well, ta-ta!"

    The screen went blank as Achan immediately snapped off the device's power. "Oh, brother..."

    "It could be worse," Judai replied.

    Curious, Achan responded. "How?"

    "He could have switched your PDA's default language to Japanese."

    "Oh, brother..."

    Welcome to the Land of the Rising Sun. This way to the anime district. *SHOT'ED*​

    Achan stared at the Japanese airport. "Jeez... this is even more clogged than it was in New York!"

    He didn't see the pair of eyes watching his every move..

    OOC: Yeah, sorry it's hard on you, but I'm trying to get the formalities out of the way ASAP so this round can start and AE can get his NPC plot out of the way.
     

    Alter Ego

    that evil mod from hell
    • 5,751
    Posts
    18
    Years
    "Not as clogged as that plane was." Tacey remarked at Achan's comment, falling into step with the teenager while her guards spread out around the group to create a small, traveling circle of space for the millionaire heiress and her team, "I swear, my legs shall ache for a week after that ordeal."

    She was not in too good a mood, partly because of the complain she had voiced, but moreso about the lack of discussion on the plane ride. The rich girl had hoped to question her teammate about the message he had mentioned, but the seating arrangements -- while Tacey would have been about the last person to demand a seat next to Achan -- had made that impossible. Whatever the contents of the message, she certainly didn't want those two to hear about it. The moment that they had gotten through the chaos of customs, however, all discontentment seemed to have washed off Tacey's face.

    "Look sharp, Smith." she whispered to her teammate, "My fanclub will be waiting for us right ahead." she nodded towards the crowded terminal ahead of them, where numerous happy reunions were already taking place, "As part of my tournament team, you have to look at least presentable. And whatever you do, please don't create a scene."

    With that, she increased her pace a little, taking point of the group. They would greet her the moment she stepped into their sight, they'd be swarming around her, she knew. Out of all her fans, the Japanese wing of the club was the most well organized. Why they even had a special welcoming committee, which, incidentally, was precisely what she knew she would find, right there, in the far right corner of the room, waiting for her banners in tow.

    'Alright...' taking a deep breath, Tacey shut her eyes for a moment as she gathered up the whole of her public persona, 'It's show time.'

    It was then, stepping out to directly face the committee's regular corner, that Tacey faced her biggest shock for the day.

    It was empty, completely empty.

    "But..." the rich girl looked absolutely nonplussed, staring intently at the empty group of sofas as if waiting for someone to step out and declare that it was all a big joke, cue the festivities, but when no such thing occurred, she eventually took a few hesitant steps forward, "That's...not right."

    "That's life." Manjoume remarked tartly, "Fans come and go, Edgeworth; you need more than a cheap gimmick to be a real celebrity."

    Tacey's voice was nothing short of venomous as she hissed out her retort, "Look who's talking...Ojamanjoume."

    "That was just a phase!" the black-blazered duelist protested, his cheeks reddening considerably at the memory, "At least I grew out of that stage!"

    "Well I never went into it in the first place, and my fans would never-!"

    "Edgeworth-san! Edgeworth-saaaan! Is that really you?!" the shrill, feminine voice, its accent somewhere halfway between Queen's English and Japanese, was almost as loud as Tacey's, effectively cutting over the din of the crowd.

    "Of course it's her!" retorted a slightly harsher and less painfully accented voice, "How can you call yourself a fan when you can't distinguish Edgeworth-san's melodious voice from that of a common plebeian?! Baka Chikako-chan. Okaerinasai, Edgeworth-san!"

    "Emiko-chaaaan!" the first voice whined, "You're so mean! Besides, this was my turn to say that! Okaerinasai, Edgeworth-san!"

    Tacey knew the identities of these two long before they had elbowed their way through the crowd, doing their best to elbow each other back in the process while making it look like they were just aiming at the crowd. There were fans and then there were Fans, people whose sheer obsessiveness cried for CAPITAL LETTERS, people who memorized your habits and mannerisms to the point where you started to suspect that they didn't just admire you but actively strove towards stealing your identity, people who you knew would agree with you on everything and who always looked like they had just pillaged your closet.

    These two were definitely Fans with a capital 'F' and if there had been any justice in grammar the word would have been in capitals right down to the last letter. Much like Tacey, they both seemed to be in their early teens and to compound the confusion of the casual onlooker, both seemed to have imitated Tacey's outfit from the American leg of the tournament to the best of their ability, though there were slight variations between them if one looked close enough.

    "Edgeworth-san!" trilled the falsetto girl, somewhat tawnier than her idol, the shade of purple in her Tacey-mimicry hair quite obviously dyed, and her light brown eyes wide with amazement, "I heard all about what happened with that horrible stalker person who was after you! That must have been soooo scary!"

    "Only for scaredy-cats like you, baka." snorted her slightly shorter but more well-rounded complement, who -- unlike the other -- had made no attempt to conceal the natural color of her short, black hair, a confident smile on her face as she turned to address Tacey, "I heard you beat him good, Edgeworth-san. Serves him right for challenging someone way above his class."

    "I'm not a scaredy-cat!" Chikako protested, her voice threatening a rise to an unladylikely shrill level, only to calm when she found what she seemed to think of as a good angle, "I was just concerned about Edgeworth-san's well being, like any good fan would."

    "Well, I wasn't concerned because I had confidence in Edgeworth-san's peerless dueling skills," Emiko retorted, "...like any real fan would. That's a very beautiful dress, by the way, Edgeworth-san."

    "Way prettier than Emiko's." her ganglier complement chimed in.

    "You mean the one you tried to copy?"

    Tacey couldn't help cracking a genuine smile at the sight of their bickering. That was right, no matter what happened, there were at least two fans of hers who wouldn't be deserting in a hurry.

    Two...

    The rich girl paused, a realization suddenly striking her.

    "Where are Katsuro and the others?"

    The moment Tacey spoke up, both fans ceased their arguing, exchanging concerned glances.

    "I was just getting to that, Edgeworth-san." Emiko said at last, "But then Chikako-chan interrupted me, and-"

    "I did no such thing!" the shrill-voiced girl protested before turning a pleading glance to her idol, "I was just getting to that, but then Emiko-chan interrupted me and-"

    "Look, I don't care who was going to do it." the slight hint of annoyance in the rich girl's enough caused both of the others to silence themselves once more, seeming -- for a moment -- to contemplate whether they should try to shift blame for this onto the other but then seeming to think the better of it, "I just want one of you to actually do it, alright?"

    After a brief moment of silence, Emiko finally stepped up to the plate.

    "There's...this new duelist, a genki girl who calls herself Haru-haru, arrived just a few days before you but everyone seems to think she's oh-so cute."

    "She's not half as cute as you, though, Edgeworth-san!" Chikako chirped, offering another round of puppy dog eyes.

    "Right." Emiko said, giving her partner a glare which suggested that certain things would be discussed later on, "You see, we didn't think much of her at the time, but...she's been stealing our membership, right from the start."

    "Say what?!"

    "It was horrible!" Chikako concurred, noting the indignation in Tacey's voice, "More and more people just started leaving, and then all these nasty rumors about you..."

    "All faked, of course." Emiko filled in

    "...started popping up. And...well, you know how Katsuro gets."

    Tacey nodded solemnly, knowing all too well how diligent the first ever male head of her fanclub was...and how strongly he valued club honor, "What happened next?"

    "He challenged the upstart." Emiko said, "But her manager insisted that he should taken him on first."

    "Really creepy guy." her lanky counterpart remarked, giving a small shudder, "All tall, and handsome, but...that eyepatch, and those cards..." she shuddered again.

    "Katsuro-san never knew what hit him." the taller girl said bitterly, "Truth to be told, neither do we...right after the duel, he-" she paused, trembling slightly at the memory, and for a moment Tacey thought that she noticed the signs of tear suppression, "You...you should really see it for yourself, Edgeworth-san." the fangirl said at last,"He's...at the hospital."

    "Hospital?" Tacey echoed, barely able to avoid shuddering herself as a chilling suspicion crept on her, "Over a card game?"

    "It's true, I swear!" Chikako pleaded, her wide, puppy dog eyes watering pitifully.

    "We'd never joke about something like this, Edgeworth-san!" Emiko chimed in, "He's been out cold ever since the duel, and without Katusro-san, the club's falling to pieces. There's...only us in the welcoming committee now. Everybody else is at the hospital; we're going to have an emergency meet there. You...you'll come, right?"

    "Of course." Tacey replied, diplomatically placing a comforting hand on each girl's shoulder, "Of course I will." there was a slight tremble in her voice, but she soon steadied it, "Rufus, Ewans, go get us a cab. I'll meet you outside in five minutes."

    "Arigatou, Edgeworth-san!" Emiko said, wiping the moisture from her eyes, "I knew you wouldn't let us down."

    "Arigatougozaimasu, Edgeworth-san!" Chikako joined in, purposefully making her thanks a bit more thorough than her partner's, "We'll go on ahead and let everyone know you're coming!"

    Tacey's expression was nothing short of troubled as she watched her two would-be dopplegangers disappear into the crowd, soon followed by two of her suits.

    "I'm going." she said at last, not turning to face her team, "I don't know what's going on here, but this...is personal." her dainty little hands were clenched into fists, but she seemed to dispel the gesture the moment she noticed it, "Go ahead with the tournament if you like, but I'm getting to the bottom of this. I'll join up with you again once I've sorted this out."


    OOC: Whew, long IC, but the subplot has now officially been kicked off. Oh, and for the sake of clarity: Katsuro is suffering from loss of duel energy, not any shadow game soul stealing. It's part of how eyepatch guy's Parasite Demon spirits work. ;3
     
    Last edited:

    Phanima

    That servant of the evil one
    • 1,567
    Posts
    18
    Years
    • Seen Oct 11, 2011
    It had been quite some time since he had travelled aboard an aircraft but the moment he slid into his seat, the familiarity of flying rushed back to him. It was a somewhat...joyous feeling, despite how brief it lasted. He of course, had no intention of slacking off, especially with his boss surveying his every action. This was business and just as quickly as it had come, the nostalgic feeling fled.

    "Is there anything I can get you before takeoff, sir?" spoke one of the stewards catering to the first class cabin, as he approached the bleached haired passenger.

    "Ah no, I'm fine, thank you," he replied shortly, but with a sincere smile.

    The vested servant gave a slight bow before moving off to greet the final entourage of passengers accommodating first class. The bleached haired teenager realigned his thoughts and returned his full attention to his immediate task.

    ~

    Business class was something else. The seats in economy provided nothing close to the sleep-ability the business seats boasted and he was incredibly grateful for the upgrade. Of course, he also had a task to carry out, but unbeknownst to his superior, his previous night's preparation didn't exactly go as planned. Instead, his preparation involved hitting the clubs hard as well as a few too many drink, so getting up early to catch a ride to Domino City wasn't exactly something he was looking forward to.

    However, where there was a will, there was always a way. His trademark sunset tinged sunglasses provided the perfect cover, plus it made him that more easy on the eyes. So, as long as he remained indifferent to his boss' existence and followed his orders, he wouldn't have to worry about sneaking in a few Z's here and there throughout the trip.

    Despite such a flawless plan, having his superior keeping such a close eye over him was always unnerving, especially since his boss, despite how indirect or unresponsive he may act, would always have his mind set and focused on what he had to do. But he supposed that was what made him such a good boss.

    Tipping his shaded glasses a fraction of an inch, the second business classed teen, cast a swift look to his side, where a teenager with dark hair entered the cabin. Readjusting his glasses and diverting his gaze, the teen returned his attention to his pounding headache and thoughts of a numb sleep.

    ~

    For the most part, the ride had been as eventful as a game of solitary Duel Monsters, which admittedly, was something he had often found himself doing in his rare moments of free time. Of course, the lack of conversation wasn't something he had exactly planned for, due to some unwanted guests, but his team's acceptance would be enough for now.

    Before long, he had arrived at their destination and with the four other duellists making up Team Seven, two of which he had become acquainted to during the ride, made their way into the terminal, where a rather odd development unfolded, and it wasn't the abnormally large crowds of people either.

    Following the troupe to a rather vacant arrangement of seats, they were greeted by two girls, who apparently worshipped the cold ground Edgeworth walked on. Far be it for her to actually have fans, but these two were something else. The way they spoke and bickered over such a person was cringing, plus the amount of moe-ism the two exuberated would cause even the most obsessed otaku to keel over.

    Interjecting was something he was profoundly well adapted to and just as he was about to put his masterful skills to good use, the mood of the conversation suddenly nosedived. He watched the two fans immediately withdraw as their subject for fandom questioned the discussion of a person known as Katsuro. It was soon apparent that this leader of Edgeworth's fan club had gotten into a situation similar to that of Daniels and Ritham's case during the first round, and that wasn't good.

    To the plea of the two girls, Edgeworth conceded to visiting her fallen supporter, showing a rare moment of selflessness, and despite his hope of keeping an eye over his rival, her reply seemed genuine and he had no intention of prying into unnecessary matters.

    Of course, that didn't mean Smith would agree to such a decision, since leaving her to face such a situation might not be the best of ideas, especially with the recent threat of two-bit hackers known as Shadow Duellists surfacing throughout the tournament. But whatever the red haired tourist decided was up to him, his current objective was passing the second round and nothing else.

    "Fine," he said, waving the heiress off as he again took the lead in exiting the terminal. "Just make sure you don't end up like your friends, Edgeworth, I have no intentions of picking up after you...and Smith," he continued, his attention now on the red haired duellist and the two newcomers collectively, "do what you like, I'll gather these maps myself."
     
    Last edited:

    Scarlet Weather

    The Game is Afoot!
    • 1,823
    Posts
    17
    Years
    Achan had been surprised by the conspicuous lack of Tacey's fans as well, after all, she was a fairly well-known proffessional duelist on the European circuit and from something she had said earlier on the Asian one as well. It would make sense that she'd have some sort of a fan club. The absence of a horde of screaming groupies was both a surprise and a relief to Achan. If a group of screaming teenagers, some of them most likely pubescent males, charged the group he would be feeling quite cramped and probably looking for an escape route. These two girls, while a little bubbly for Achan's taste, were at least fun to watch. As she talked with them, Achan nudged Judai. Normally he wouldn't talk to the red-blazered duelist since the previous day's events were fresh in his mind, but something Tacey had said piqued his interest. "Ojamanjoume?"

    Judai shook his head. "Trust me, if you don't know already then you don't want to hear it. That was probably the most embarassing phase of Manjoume's life." His voice dropped to a whisper as he conspiritorially murmured "I still have the Ojama suit to prove it-"

    "Ojama suit?"

    Just as Achan said this, Tacey's fans reached their explanation as to why the leaders of the fanclub were absent. Apparently there was a new duelist out there stealing the scene and muscling in on Tacey's admiring fans. A duelist who had hospitalized her fan club's leader after defeating him. This sounded suspiciously like... Achan could already see the anger in Judai's eyes, the same anger he had shown when he had condemned the Shadow Actors. He was probably going along for the ride to make sure that Tacey didn't get hurt, or that the other duelist did. Sure enough, Judai stepped alongside of Tacey and announced, "I'm going with Edgeworth-san. She's going to need assistance." His eyes made contact with Achan's. "Sumisu-kun, I'm going to have to ask you to stay here. If this is a shadow duel you'll only-"

    "Get in the way? Is that it? You know what, I'm tired of people thinking I'm useless and good-for-nothing. If anything, I'll be extremely useful in a Shadow Dueling environment because I don't have a spirit to absorb. If that guy beats me, what's gonna do, point at me and laugh? I'm used to that." Achan's growling reply took Judai aback, and Achan decided to press his advantage. "Besides, we should all go. As members of the team, it's in our best interest to make sure that at least one of us takes these two down. If they're pros, they are probably in the running for the title, which means that they'll have map cards. If we run around looking for random opponents, we'll get nowhere fast."

    "We don't need all five of us to be there, and we've got a new team member who's supposedly joining us here to look for," Judai countered.

    Achan had simmered down somewhat, but he was still irate. "Look, Mr. Supreme King, just let us come! What harm could it do?" He turned to Michel angrily. "Anyway, if you're so adamant about winning this tournament the least you could do is watch Tacey's duel. You've never seen her play in person that I know of." He stepped alongside Tacey and Judai. "I don't care if you say I can't come, I'm coming anyway!" He sounded like a defiant toddler now, but at least he was going along with them.

    Judai took a good, long look at Achan and smiled. "It seems I was right about you two," he muttered.

    "I heard that, and I don't know what you're talking about." Achan muttered back.
     

    Alter Ego

    that evil mod from hell
    • 5,751
    Posts
    18
    Years
    "Hey! Just a moment!" Tacey protested at Judai's decision, "This is my problem! I never said you could-"

    Achan, however, had no intention of letting others get a word in edgewise at that moment "I don't care if you say I can't come, I'm coming anyway!"

    "Don't be reckless, Smith!" the rich girl scolded, "You could end up hospitalized just like Katsuro did and besides-"

    "You leave me no choice, do you?" Manjoume scoffed at the conversation, having gone conveniently deaf to Tacey's interjections, an expression of pure martyrdom on his face, "Alright, fine, Manjoume sanda is on the case. You'll need an actually reliable duelist anyway."

    "Is anyone even listening to me?!" it was now officially Tacey's turn to play the martyr, and she didn't shy away from doing just that, placing a hand on her own forehead and giving a sigh, "You'll be coming along no matter what I say, won't you?" she asked rhetorically, "Alright, if you all insist on getting yourselves involved in this then alright. But this is still my show, so I'm calling the shots here. And Judai, I'm afraid that I went conveniently deaf just now so whatever you said went right past me, but I'm certain it was nothing of importance so please don't repeat it. Now, I've got some things to discuss with my escorts so please wait here until I give you a sign to come in."

    With that, the rich girl strode towards the airport exit, duly gesturing for one of her grunts to hold the door open for her, "Oh, and for my first decree?" she cast a glance at Manjoume, an impish little grin on her face, "You're wearing that Ojama suit."

    "Say WHAT?!"

    There was distinctly bemused little grin on Tacey's face as she strode into the cab, handing her instructions to the driver, just as her suits were preparing to file inside like usual, the rich girl raised a hand in interposition, however.

    "Not this time."

    "But...miss Edgeworth!" Rufus protested, "This is way too dangerous to let you go on your own."

    "But I'm not going alone now, am I?" Tacey countered, her voice sounding -- for a change -- genuinely affectionate as she cast a glance at the figures behind the exit door, Manjoume still trying to drive a persistent case for 'I don't really have to do that, right?', much like the rich girl had anticipated him to. Those two were creepy, but they were also her best bet of making it through this, she knew, "Besides, this..." she bit her lip, trying to find the words to explain what she wasn't quite ready to even believe herself, "...it's hard to explain, but this...isn't something you can protect me against." her glance rested absently on her duel disc, "Just step out of this one."

    "Afraid not, miss."

    "I'm telling you, this is dangerous!" Tacey snapped, glaring in annoyance at the spiky-haired bodyguard, "These people already hospitalized someone without even laying a hand on them for goodness' sake!"

    "All the more reason for us to come." Rufus persisted.

    "An undefeated foe is only someone who has avoided his betters thus far." Ewans concurred sagely.

    "AND PROBABLY SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER HAD A GOOD FLOGGING!" boomed Raymond, his enthusiasm kindled by this display of loyal insubordinance.

    "Just give us a chance miss."

    Tacey stared in disbelief at the determined suits, "You're...all going with this, even when I told you that it was too dangerous and said no?" receiving a set of nods in return, the millionaire heiress looked slightly taken aback, "I see..." she replied at last, "I guess I have no choice but to...FIRE YOU!"

    "But miss!" Ewans protested.

    "Five years of service..." Rufus mumbled, shock evident in his expression, "Miss Edgeworth, are you going to fire us for looking out for your best interest?"

    "PLEASE NOT, MISS!" Raymond pleaded, "I'LL EVEN GIVE UP FLOGGING, I SWEAR!"

    "I'm sorry, but my decision is final." Tacey replied, returning to her usual cold persona, "You four are hereby officially relieved of your duties as my bodyguards."

    "But-"

    "That can't-"

    "Surely-"

    "MISS-"

    "And hired as my official aides."

    "Aides?" the combined confusion on their faces was nothing short of priceless, and Tacey couldn't help a small smile.

    "As my aides, you no longer have any say in matters concerning my security, save if I see fit to consult you on them, and you duties primarily consist of running arrangements and errands which I would simply be too busy to deal with myself. Work hours and times may vary, but I'd say...oh, about two to three hours less than your current job, on average? Furthermore, while this would normally entail a significantly lower pay, I'm willing to make an exception. After all, this is a position of trust and given the difficulty in finding truly competent employees, let alone ones with your excellent credentials, I would say that your previous level of pay is a fair compromise, wouldn't you agree?" the revelation spread over their faces like a sunrise over a mountain ridge, "So...do we have an agreement, gentlemen?"

    "Yes, miss!"

    "Most generous."

    "Thank you, miss."

    "BY MY FLOGGING EQUIPMENT!"

    "Good." Tacey replied, making sure to avoid giving a sap face, "Then here's your first assignment: go to our residence and let mother know that I will come and visit her as soon as I can. I've just got some...business to sort out."

    "Yes, miss!"

    "It will be done without fail."

    "AND WITHOUT FLOGGING, UNLESS OF COURSE IT BECOMES NECESSARY, MISS!"

    Rufus, unlike his companions, merely gave a nod in acknowledgment, lagging behind the others just a bit. Before Tacey could voice an objection, however, he had already spoken up, "Take care then, miss Edgeworth."

    Tacey didn't quite know what to make of the message, but for some inexplicable reason, she was having distinct trouble holding back the familiar moisture from before. She soon braced herself, however, reminding herself what a serious situation she still was in.

    "Alright, you can come now!" she called to her companions, giving them a dignified little wave, "Orderly and polite but still quick, please."
     
    Last edited:

    Scarlet Weather

    The Game is Afoot!
    • 1,823
    Posts
    17
    Years
    OOC: Urgh, thanks for making it hard for me to write a post with any length in it. Now what am I supposed to do? Phanima, I'm dragging you into this because I'm an impatient little GM. Just post quickly so we can get the sub-plot moving.

    Achan smiled as Tacey proceeded to perform probably the nicest act he had seen her do this entire tournament. She really did care about her employees. "I knew she wasn't bad. I knew it all along," he joked calmly with nobody in particular.

    "Sumisu-kun, get in the car already! We're leaving!" Judai announced.

    "Okay, okay! Just hold on a- YEARGH!" Achan fell sprawling to the ground as he attempted to run to the vehicle. Leaping to his feet, he angrily glared at the surroundings. "Okay, who tripped me!"

    "That would be me, Achan Smith of Warrenton, Virginia."

    Achan turned to stare at the youth beside him. It was the black-haired kid, the one who had given him the cards he had used to modify his Wandering deck. "How do you know my name?" he demanded.

    The boy flicked back a lock of black hair. "Your driver's permit was in your wallet," he stated nonchalantly. Immediately after he completed this statement, Achan's fist slammed into his face.

    "You little... I knew I was forgetting something..." Achan muttered as he hauled the boy to his feet. "You've got some nerve, punk. Stealing my wallet, tracking me to Japan, and then tripping me? Who are you, and what do you want with me?"

    "I want to know about that deck of yours. I understand you've got a few Wandering monsters in your possession. I'm here to take them back." The boy pulled himself to his feet, apparently disregarding his pain, and held out his expectant hand.

    Achan stared at him. "You're kidding me, right? I designed the Wandering monsters, so I received them. You're not getting them from me."

    "Oh, that's really rich. Claiming my invention as your own. Come on, cut the crap and give me my cards back!" the other boy demanded.

    "They're my cards! Look, you sure we're talking about the same Wandering monsters? Take a look at this!" Achan fished into his deck and removed Wandering Hero, flashing it to his opponent. "Didn't create this, right?"

    The other boy was flabbergasted, stepping back in surprise. "Wait. I didn't create that monster..."

    "Of course not. I invented the Wanderers. Beast, Mage, Healer, Dragon, Hero, Rogue, and Ninja. That's all there are."

    The other boy was even more confused. "Something's wrong here. I don't remember any of those," he admitted. "Where did you get them?"

    "I told you, I designed them," Achan said impatiently. "Now out of my way, I have a cab to catch!"

    "But-"

    Anything the other boy could have said was cut off as Achan slipped into the cab. "Michel, you may as well come with us. At least this way, you'll be able to find an opponent quickly!" he called.
     

    Alter Ego

    that evil mod from hell
    • 5,751
    Posts
    18
    Years
    OOC: Sorry, it's just that I realized that if I went ahead with the other without any interjection it would be sort of...overwhelming- x.O Sadly, it may end that way anyway because this is my last day at this so I have to wrap it all up before it's even been properly unraveled. >0<

    Oh, and for clarity's sake: the quotes with the italics here are translated Japanese since I couldn't write full sentences in jap to save my life but Tacey's technically supposed to know a bit of the language. :3

    IC:

    Tacey raised an eyebrow at the scene outside of the cab. Talk about the irony of life, the moment she had sent her suits away from the line of fire, Achan had managed to get himself tangled into a situation that would have been perfect for suit intervention. Fortunately, he seemed to be holding his own against the bizarre black-haired punk who had come there to...fight over his cards? Tacey raised an eyebrow. Sure, she had run into a number of people who had requested that she should 'donate' her Royal cards, but most of them had settled for sorting it out through a card game rather than a fist fight.

    Well, technically it wasn't much of a fight since Achan was the only one hitting people. There was a distinctly disapproving expression on Tacey's face as the teenager finally joined the rest of them, a small ice bag flying at him from the general direction of the millionaire heiress.

    "For your hand, Captain America." the rich girl elaborated tartly, "That was the dumbest thing you've done for the whole of this tournament. Did you even consider how easy it is to get bruises or even hairline fractures if you just swing your unprotected fists about like that? Or what could have happened if that boy had actually fought back? What if he had been armed? One incident like that is all it takes to be out of dueling condition for a week, or worse, and the last thing we need on this team is an invalid. What was with that punch anyway? Is it some kind of macho thing? 'I'll punch anyone who makes me look silly'? Sheez, why do you boys all have to be such idiots?" folding her arms, she turned her attention to the cab driver, "And what are you waiting for? To the hospital, my good man, and don't even think about trying to drag me down the tourist route. I live here."

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

    Normally, Tacey would not have been in such a hurry. She would have taken it slowly and traveled in the posh family car, gazed out of the window for the benefit of the commoners and maybe even taken a look at how the town had been her home for the last few years was doing. This time, however, she was firmly retaining her offended posture to make it clear that she didn't approve of what had just happened. With the admonition for Achan's reckless behavior duly given, not a word crossed her lips, a rare state of affairs all in itself, and though she had both make-up and a diverted gaze to keep it concealed, there was a distinct undertone of concern in her sulking.

    'Katsuro, you idiot...what did you get yourself into?'

    Still not speaking, she passed over the payment for the ride without argument, for once not waiting for anyone else to open the door for her as she strode into Domino City hospital. It was...well, pretty much like any other hospital lobby, really, though their rather colorful collection of people attracted a few quizzical stares. Tacey, however, was too focused on her task to bother, heading inside with a determined stride. Much to her surprise, however, Chikako and Emiko were nowhere to be seen. This only served to alarm her further. Ditzy tendencies or no, those two never passed up on an excuse to tail their leader.

    "This isn't good." she said to no-one in particular, walking over to the receptionist.

    "Excuse me?" Tacey would have been the first to admit that her conversational Japanese could do with improvements, though her fans had of course praised it to the skies. Still, the receptionist lady's attention seemed to have been caught, so she pressed on, "Could you tell me how to find..." a grimace of concentration overcame her face as she attempted to find the right expression "...the room which Hikaru Katsuro resides in, please? I'm Tacey Edgeworth, his...ummm..."

    "Ah, you're Katsuro-kun's lady friend?"

    Tacey blinked at the woman's response. She had misunderstood, right? This person hadn't seriously suggested that she was dating her fanclub leader, right? That wasn't a sympathetic smile she had just been given, was it? Thick layers of insulating dignity and a realization that there was room for an even worse misunderstanding if she started arguing about it

    "Yes, I was told that you'd come. Terrible thing to happen..." the receptionist continued, tapping through the computer-based database, "...and to such a well-mannered young man too. Ahh...here it is. Hikaru Katsuro-kun, room 267. Third floor. He's still unconscious, and I know this must be hard for you, but..." Tacey felt like screaming, that was definitely an expression of maternal sympathy she was getting, "...I'm sure Katsuro-kun would appreciate your presence. He's been mumbling your name in his sleep, you know, and he was always going Edgeworth-san this and that when he came around here before the incident, I really think that-"

    "Yes, thank you." Tacey interrupted, determined not to let the receptionist lady finish that particular thought as she strode back to her team, her cheeks now bearing a slightly rosy shade, "I've got the room number." she informed them, her tone of voice making it quite clear that the rest of what she had gotten was nothing to be discussed, "Third floor, room 267. Let's not waste any time, shall we?"

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

    Given the general trend of things, Tacey should probably have expected it, but even so, she couldn't help feeling a sensation of shock as she stepped into hospital room 267, third floor.

    "No way!" she called out in indignation, rushing inside.

    The room was empty, completely empty, in fact, save for the unmovable cupboards and the nightstand, the white curtains fluttering in the breeze from a still open window, a single, tealish drape splitting the room into two.

    "This place looks pretty deserted to me." Manjoume remarked, casting a glance at the interior of the place, "Are you sure this is the right place?"

    "Of course I am!" Tacey retorted, "Something must have happened! Otherwise, Chikako or Emiko would at least have-"

    "Been waiting for you?"

    "Exactly." Tacey said, noticing only moments later that the voice didn't sound familiar at all, "Hey, who said-"

    "Neko-Neko-chan was expecting someone, maybe?"

    As a second voice, this one bright and girly, struck her ears, Tacey finally turned around, just in time to spot the two figures in the doorway opposite to them. And slumped onto the beds behind them...

    "Chikako! Emiko!"

    "Calm." remarked the male figure, raising a hand in front of him. The blue hair and eyepatch, together with his impassive expression and rather considerable height, gave him a somewhat imposing appearance, quite the feat considering the rather non-villainous dark purple tennis shirt and blue trousers that constituted his attire, "They are in no danger."

    "Yeah." chirped his younger complement. Even on her own, her sugary sweet and hyper countenance, complete with the glint in her bright yellow eyes -- well, at least the one not covered by the fringe of her purple hair -- would have been enough to make all but the most devout otaku gag, but next to her stone-faced companion she seemed to reach an all new level of hyperness. Her very existence was like an ear-piercing shout, "They are just sleepy-sleepy, so shh..." she put a finger to her lips, meaningfully lowering her voice, "...no shouting, Neko-Neko-chan. It's their nappy-nappy time."

    "You mean like it was for Katsuro?!" Tacey growled, feeling a very strong urge to commit an act of most uncontrolled violence, "You're that Haru-Haru upstart and her manager, aren't you?! Just what kind of scheme are you trying to pull here?!"

    "Part of your 'Master's' plans, I presume?" Manjoume joined in, taking a step forward and sizing the duo up, "I'll warn you, we've already defeated a number of your fellow Shadow Duelists, and unless you'd like to join them, I'd suggest that you two return the souls you've stolen right this instant."

    "Souls? Shadow duels?" the male gave a reproachful scoff, "I have no interest in such things, nor do I serve any master. Serge is the name I go by, though I'm sure it means nothing to you, and this is my partner, Haruko. We're merely traveling duelists among many others."

    "Yeah, Jou-Jou-kun, now you're just being silly!" the girl chimed in, giggling, "Kei-Kei-chan and I don't need any souls, silly." she smiled in complete innocence, tilting her head to the side, "We just like playing card games."

    "And you expect us to buy that?!" Tacey retorted, "Abduction, people falling unconscious?! Do you expect us to believe that that's what happens in regular card games?!"

    "I never said they were regular games." Serge replied calmly, "I simply maintained that they have nothing to do with shadow games, and that is the truth. What happened to your friend is...unfortunate, but in the end it is the weakness of his heart that hurt him so. I warned him that he was taking on too much, but weighed down by his own pride and stubbornness he pushed himself beyond his limits regardless. Play with fire and you get burned...as they say."

    "Why, you-"

    "Temper, temper, Neko-Neko-chan!" Haruko scolded in a would-be serious voice, wagging her finger at her, "We just want to play, didn't mean any harm."

    "Beyond what was necessary to catch your attention, of course." her creepier complement filled in, giving the group a knowing look, "We could just have asked, of course, but dare I say that your group is...rather elusive? With all these distractions, we needed to add a little....weight to the situation to ensure your participation."

    Tacey couldn't believe what she was hearing, "So...this assault on my fanclub, usurping my position, the things you did to Katsuro and the others...you did it all just so you could play a children's card game?!"

    "Not just a card game, Neko-Neko-chan!" Haruko corrected her, "A super special awesome tournament!"

    "The format is open challenge, one on one." Serge informed them, "If you defeat either of us, I will return the duel energy your friends lost and we will leave quietly, if you lose..." there was a decidedly creepy edge to his expression, "Well, in that case you may very well join them. However, given the circumstances and the fact that all you need is for one of your whole group to win, I would say that our terms are more than fair." with that, he turned around, nonchalantly wandering towards the elevator, adding over his shoulder, "We will be waiting at the roof...if you're interested, that is."

    "Last one up is a rotten Mystic Tomato!" Haruko chirped, giving them all one, last sugary smile before skipping after her partner and into the elevator just before the doors shut, leaving the group by the hospital room with the sizable number of unconscious youths.

    "I don't have much choice, do I?" Tacey asked, her expression darkening considerably at the sight, "The rest of you can still back out if you want, but I'm going. It's about time I reminded these people who they're dealing with."
     
    Last edited:

    Scarlet Weather

    The Game is Afoot!
    • 1,823
    Posts
    17
    Years
    OOC: "Jou-jou-kun?" What is that? *Shot'ed* Anyway, this post is just going to be an incredibly drawn out way of saying "Achan got on the roof." Well, good luck in the military. Don't let the drill sergeant get to you. He's not really evil. Just insane. Yeah, sorry I couldn't do this post earlier but today was a busy day for me.

    Achan groaned as Tacey bandaged his hand. "You know, I'm not a flower Tacey. My delicate petals don't get damaged at the slightest oppurtunity. Anyway, my school back in the states is an all-boy academy so I've got some experience smashing my fist into people's faces when they steal my cards. As for the whole 'Macho' thing... he stole my wallet. What was I supposed to do, smile and say 'that's alright'?"

    "Pipe down! This cab is moving, and I want silence!" The driver shouted.

    "What did he say?"

    Judai laughed at Achan's bewilderment. "Try checking your phrasebook, Sumisu-kun!" His laughter was cut short as Achan's foot contacted his shins.

    Achan smiled at Tacey. "The whole 'guys fight each other' thing is a primordial instinct. It's the one way we plebeians know that shuts each other up for sure," He joked.

    Cue the Pokemon Center Theme...​

    Achan rolled his eyes at the duelists who opposed Tacey who had just challenged the group to a duel on the rooftops. "Alright, deal. I'll warm up with the old man and move on to the annoying girl. Presuming that Tacey doesn't beat them first," he muttered. Turning to the debutante, he rolled his eyes. "Hey, Tacey, why is it that these duels always take place on the roof?"

    "It's a homage to 'clerks'," Judai stated abruptly.

    "A what?"

    "Nevermind, let's just go. I'm curious to know how these two hospitalized people if they're really ordinary duelists," Judai countered.
     

    Phanima

    That servant of the evil one
    • 1,567
    Posts
    18
    Years
    • Seen Oct 11, 2011
    OOC: Ah, gomen, gomen. I'm sorry for taking so long but I went out for a day, it being the holidays and everything, plus it's summer here, so a trip to the beach is compulsory for me if I want to survive through this season. XP Oh and just a heads up, this is one pessimistic post following, so be warned, the amount of stubborness is almost insulting in itself. :3

    IC: Two good points in one day, Smith was on a role. The promised revelation of the contents of Edgeworth's deck and the opportunity to unburden the responsibility of holding one of tournament's prized map pieces from some unfortunate hobbyist, were two opportunities too good to pass up, despite their source. Grudgingly acknowledging the red nut's arguments against him soloing the second round, Michel soon found himself in the cramped confines of a public Japanese cab, followed by a brief stop outside the destined hospital for some much needed air, and then to room two-hundred and sixty-seven, where he and his team were greeted by the perpetrators of Edgeworth's recent fan club fiasco.

    The two challengers took on the forms of a towering, blue haired, eye-patched and casually dressed young man who was accompanied by a bright eyed, lavender haired and high pitched girl, who despite themselves, complemented one another's appearance quite well. They certainly didn't dress like the typical antagonists who wrought their opposing ideals on the unknowing public, but admittedly, the whole removal of duel spirits from bystanders didn't exactly put them on Santa's nice list. What's more, was that despite declining any interest in souls and Shadow Games, the existence of such things seemed acceptable to them nonetheless.

    Stealing souls and Shadow Games were ridiculous and unsupported notions that any sane person would wave off as simple superstitions. But what bothered him the most was that Edgeworth, despite her attitude, was the one person he believed to not believe in such claims. She was the heiress to Edgeworth Electronics, a multimillion dollar company that specialised in facts, numbers and household appliances among other goods. The occult had no place in the business world, at least not in the world he envisioned, yet here Edgeworth stood opposing her challengers and their lies. It was somewhat...disappointing.

    Throughout all the commotion of discovering her fan club's disappearance, the drained enthusiasm of Chikako and Emiko and the challenge of two hobby obsessed duellists, a definitive decision seemed to have fallen over the team after little deliberation. Despite his moral and logical objection, Michel conceded in following the other four in participating in the two strangers' perverse notion of a simple card game. He just hoped that these con artists had a couple of map pieces on them, to help add a little logical backing for them accepting such a ridiculous challenge, aside from the whole rescuing Edgeworth's fan club and whatever.
     
    Last edited:

    Alter Ego

    that evil mod from hell
    • 5,751
    Posts
    18
    Years
    OOC: Just a random demeaning nickname drawn from his name. ;D

    Anyways, super special awesome subplot tie-up IC go!

    IC:

    "I honestly don't care." Tacey deadpanned, preparing to make a move towards the elevator. Just as she did so, however, a quiet mumble caught her ears.

    "Edgeworth-san...must..."

    "Katsuro?" the girl raised an eyebrow, quickly making her way back to the ward. The speaker wasn't hard to find. He was a rather lanky boy, even more challenged in the height department than Achan, his short, black hair in a semi-ruffled state and his skin looking even paler than Tacey's. Clad in the hospital's pajamas like he was, he looked even more tawny and frail than usual, his lips slowly moving on their own accord, even as his eyes remained firmly shut.

    "...must...tell Edgeworth-san..."

    "I'm here." the rich girl whispered, taking a seat by her fallen fanclub leader, "I'm here damn it, tell me."

    "...must...tell..." the figure feebly reached out his hand, its fingers curled around a small, rectangular object in a cramp-like manner, "...his...weakness..."

    "Weakness?" Tacey cast a quizzical glance at the crumpled object, managing to disentangle it from the other's grasp after a small amount of struggle. It was a card, a spell card to be specific, "This...is his weakness?" she cast a sceptical glance at the object, but her adherent offered little in the way of elaboration, merely repeating the words over and over again, his fingers now clutching thin air. For a few moments, Tacey's glance wandered back and forth between the silly little piece of cardboard in her hand and the raving figure in the bed, her mind equally torn between years of dueling experience that told her any random last-minute additions to her deck would be disastrous and pity for the still mumbling figure on the bed which told her that not accepting something the other had labored so hard to get to her would be inexcusable.

    "Alright." she whispered at last, gently grasping the hand, its fingers still curled around an object that was no longer there, and placing it on Katsuro's chest, "Don't worry...I'll, I'll find out what you meant." promptly turning on her heels, the millionaire heiress walked straight past her teammates with a casual nod, "Let's go."

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

    By the time they had made their way to the roof, a powerful breeze was already at work, adding a dramatic touch to the scene as team seven stared down their mystery opponents, located on their respective sides of the roof, duel discs at the ready.

    "Yatta! You finally ca-a-a-me!" Haruko trilled, bouncing on the spot out of pure hyperness, "Alright, Neko-Neko-chaaan, duel me-e-e-e-e!"

    "Serge, was it?"

    The male barely quirked an eyebrow in response, even as Tacey's tone was more glacial than the ragnarok, her lips forming one, simple sentence.

    "Let's duel."

    Serge gave her a lightly quizzical glance, "You want to duel me?" though his manner was very close to the usual neutral, there seemed to be a slight tinge of curiosity in his expression, but after a few moments, he returned to his previous indifferent state, "No, never mind. I can tell from that expression that you've probably got personal motives you think are larger than life itself, but I really don't care." even the way he raised his duel disc - this one, Tacey noted, silvery with a decidedly old-fashioned design, years of wear and tear mixed with half-hearted maintenance evident on its surface - spoke of laziness more than anything else, but at this point the girl's anger compelled her to raise her own one with considerable vigor nonetheless.

    "Heeey! No fair!" Haruko whined, placing her hands on her hips as she pouted at the two, "You said I could duel her, Kei-kei-chan! Me-e-e-e! It was a pinky swear!"

    Serge merely rolled his eyes in response, "The format is open challenge, Haruko." he explained wearily, "I would have expected her to challenge you for the title we usurped, but..." the tiniest hint of a smile played on his lips as his gaze turned to the , "...it would seem I misjudged you, miss Edgeworth. I do hope the same applies to your dueling." he raised his disc arm to a slightly less slack position, "Games are no fun when the opponent is too...predictable."

    "Oh, don't you worry." Tacey retorted, "This deck is not like anything I've played before, trust me. Challenger's lead, no?" upon receiving a noncommittal shrug in response, she proceeded to do as much, noting - much to her increasing annoyance - that even this action was done rather passively.

    Duelist: Tacey
    Life Points: 8000
    Hand: Marshmallon, Creature Swap, Royal Legacy, Royal Paige, Shrink
    Draw Phase: Royal Magician

    "Alright." the rich girl began, taking a deep breath to calm herself before examining her hand, "I'll start by summoning Royal Paige in Attack Position."

    At her command, a lithe, male figure appeared on the field. He was clad in a tailor-made silk tunic with matching, long a trousers, a single scroll tucked beneath his arm, bearing the silly hat with the single feather on it with the same pride as the royal insignia on his clothes.

    "And with my Paige's effect..." Tacey continued, "I can add any level four or lower royal monster I please from my deck to my hand, just by summoning him. And I choose, Royal Emissary."

    Effect Addition: Royal Emissary

    "It won't be around for long, though." she continued, flicking the card into her graveyard slot, "I discard my Emissary to add Court of Nobles to my hand. A card which I'll also activate."

    Effect Addition: Court of Nobles

    With a familiar rumble, the castle courtyard with its decorative vegetation and fountain came into view. Haruko squealed in delight at the sight, immediately declaring the fountain decorations 'kawaii', while Serge looked mostly bored.

    "I set a card and end my turn."

    Her opponent merely nodded, "My draw."

    Duelist: Tacey
    Life Points: 8000
    Hand: Marshmallon, Creature Swap, Shrink, Royal Magician
    Field: Royal Paige (1500 / 800), Court of Nobles (face-up), Royal Legacy (Face-down)
    Graveyard: Royal Emissary

    Duelist: Serge
    Life Points: 8000
    Hand: 6 cards

    The blue-haired duelist took a brief moment to examine his cards before he spoke up, "I tribute one monster to summon-"

    "Tribute?" Tacey echoed, "You don't have any monsters yet."

    "True." Serge replied, the tiniest hint of a smile on his face, "But you do, miss Edgeworth. I tribute Royal Paige, to summon Parasite Demon Saadat!"

    Before the rich girl could give a response, the messenger-like creature on her field had vanished. In its place, a far less aesthetically pleasing monster appeared. The body shape brought a nightcrawler to mind, with its multitude of small, scuttly legs, but the bright red eyes, gangly, demonic wings and variety of sharp appendages on its body made it, if possible, even less appealing.

    "Since I summoned a Parasite Demon, I can not play any other monster cards this turn." the male continued, "I play three cards face-down and end my turn."

    "Alright..." Tacey replied, casting a vary glance at the disgusting creature she had been saddled with. Parasite Demon? She had never even heard of such a set, but even so she realized that when you were just handed a big monster like that, there had to be a catch somewhere. Besides, the 'parasite' bit was something of a giveaway. "I draw."

    Duelist: Tacey
    Life Points: 8000
    Hand: Marshmallon, Creature Swap, Shrink, Royal Magician
    Field: Parasite Demon Saadat (2450 / 1850), Court of Nobles (face-up), Royal Legacy(Face-down)
    Graveyard: Royal Emissary

    Duelist: Serge
    Life Points: 8000
    Hand: 2 cards
    Field: 3 x Spell or Trap (face-down)

    Draw Phase: Fissure

    "Monster effect activate."

    'As expected.' Tacey replied in her mind as her opponent elaborated.

    "During each Standby Phase, if Saadat's controller is holding more than three cards, they must discard until they have only three. You are holding five."

    Effect discard: Marshmallon, Shrink

    "I see." Tacey replied, slipping two cards from her hand into the graveyard slot, "Is there anything else that I should know about my little gift horse here?"

    "Only that he can not be offered as tribute."

    Tacey nodded in response. In a way, this didn't bother her much. All she had to do was keep her hand count down and this troublesome little eyesore on her field would serve as a penalty-free fighter. Her familiar grin of confidence slowly began taking over. Maybe, just maybe this Serge had made a fatal mistake here, "Alright then." she declared, "I summon Royal Magician."

    With another blur of hologram projection software, a tall, gaunt individual clad in a midnight blue robe -- decorate by silver stars -- appeared on the field, twirling the obligatory staff in his hand as he surveyed the scene in front of him.

    Tacey paused, she knew that this was probably what was being expected, but right now she really had no choice but to go for the kill, "Now then...Saadat, direct attack!"

    With a gutural growl, the demon lunged forward, threateningly brandishing its sharp, blade-like appendages at its original owner who, unsurprisingly, seemed incapable of caring any less. Just as the attack was about to make contact, however, a tall, statuesque silhouette even more imposing than that of Tacey's newly acquired fiend intercepted the attack. Though obscured by a veil of haze, the creature's sheer size, multiple vicious-looking appendages and the three, luminous slits of bright red that apparently constituted its eyes gave it an imposing look. As soon as the attack was parried, however, the figure vanished, leaving the now revealed face of a purple-bordered card on Serge's field.

    "Demon Symbiosis." he said flatly, "By discarding one parasite demon from my deck, I can negate the attack of any monster on the field."

    "It figures." Tacey replied with a nod, "Only a rank amateur would hand a strong monster to their opponent without having the means to neutralize that monster. Royal Magician, direct attack!"

    "Parasite Demon Nishruu to the graveyard." at Serge's words, another, if less imposing, silhouette parried the blast of energy from Tacey's magician before joining its predecessor, "Futile." he remarked with a hint of scorn, "Do you truly intend to fight your way through every monster in my deck?"

    "Of course not." Tacey replied, "I was simply checking to see whether or not that trap of yours worked multiple times in a turn, and seeing as how it does..." she demonstratively held up the Fissure spell card in her hand for inspection, "I activate the effect of Royal Magician. By sending one spell card to the graveyard, I can destroy any spell or trap card on the field. Royal Magician, destroy Demon Symbiosis."

    Serge's face was nothing short of apathetic as a blue nimbus of energy surrounded both magician and trap card, merely flicking his hand towards the second holographic card back on his field, "Reveal face-down, Parasite Fusion. By sending one Parasite from my hand or deck to the grave, I can merge it with any monster of the same level, and Zeptiemus, as it so happens, is level four." he nodded at Tacey's magician as the creature doubled over, grasping his abdomen with a pained expression on his face as a pair of blueish-hued wings sprouted from his back, his fingers contorting into claws and a maddened glint appearing in his eyes, "By the effect of my Parasite Fusion spell card." the older duelist continued, "Your monster has now been taken over by the parasite I sacrificed, adopting both its name and special ability. In the process, his original ability is nullified."

    Tacey grit her teeth, "Turn end." she muttered.

    "Not quite yet, miss Edgeworth." her opponent interrupted, "I activate Gift Card. By this effect, you gain 3000 life points. However..." he nodded towards Tacey's deformed magician as an eerily contorted version of the previous energy appeared around it, wrapping itself around the girl, "...by the effect of Parasite Demon Zeptiemus, those life points are deducted from you instead."

    Tacey staggered as the blue aura from her deformed creature enveloped her, and before she knew it, a shrill scream had escaped her lips as the point were deducted from her counter.

    "No...no way..." she gasped, slowly regaining her composure, "I felt that. I actually felt that."

    "A regrettable side-effect." her opponent conceded, "As you should know, a duel spirit can only sustain itself in our world by feeding on the energy of a duelist. Some spirits, however, require more...substantial payment."

    Tacey looked practically livid, "Substantial payment?!" she snapped, "You mean you're giving human sacrifices for the sake of a card game?!"

    "Incorrect." her opponent replied, "The only thing these spirits do is tap into the duel energy of their controller, much like their more benevolent counterparts do. I have sacrificed no-one, merely...incapacitated."

    "Yeah!" Haruko chimed in, glaring defensively at Tacey, "Kei-kei-chan would never ever do something mean like that! It's not his fault that everyone gets sleepy-sleepy!"

    "Oh yes it is!" the rich girl retorted, "You're the one sheltering these horrible things! This is a game! I don't understand how you can-"

    "I don't expect you to." Serge replied evenly, "This game is...serious to me." his gaze hardened, locking with Tacey's, "Dead serious."

    "You're mad."

    "So I've been told." the male replied, "My turn, miss Edgeworth."

    Duelist: Tacey
    Life Points: 5000
    Hand: Creature Swap
    Field: Parasite Demon Saadat (2450 / 1850), Royal Magician (1800 / 700) Court of Nobles (face-up), Royal Legacy(Face-down)
    Graveyard: Royal Emissary, Fissure, Shrink, Marshmallon

    Duelist: Serge
    Life Points: 8000
    Hand: 3 cards
    Field: Demon Symbiosis (face-up)
    Graveyard: Parasite Demon Zeptiemus, Parasite Demon Karashah, Parasite Demon Nishruu, Parasite Fusion

    "On my Standby Phase, I give 500 Life Points to maintain Demon Symbiosis. Next, I activate the spell card Upstart Goblin to draw a card. In exchange, you gain 1000 Life Points...or lose, as the case may be."

    Serge didn't even look up as Tacey winced in pain once more, "And now, I summon Parasite Demon Karasu to your field."

    At his words, a small, leech-like creature appeared on Tacey's field, giving the rich girl a bleary-eyed glance.

    "You will not get to enjoy her company for long, however." Serge continued calmly, "With three differently named parasites on your field, I can remove all three of them from play to summon Mother Parasite - Empyrea in Attack Position."

    With a distinct slurping sound, the three monsters on Tacey's field drew together, twisting and reshaping until they had formed into a large, bloated, roach-like form, though this one had a multitude of different colors, overlapping pieces of flesh crossing each other and odd, deficient-looking claws and appendages poking out from various sides of its steadily pulsating body.

    "I end my turn. Do try to keep up, miss Edgeworth." he added in his opponent's direction, "If...you truly value what's at stake, that is."

    "Yeah, Neko-Neko-chan." Haruko chimed in, "Now you're just being booooring. Even sleepy-sleepy-kun downstairs is getting tired."

    "Don't...count me out just yet." Tacey hissed back, "My draw."

    Duelist: Tacey
    Life Points: 4000
    Hand: Creature Swap
    Field: Mother Parasite - Empyrea (2600/ 2300), Court of Nobles (face-up), Royal Legacy(Face-down)
    Graveyard: Royal Emissary, Fissure, Shrink, Marshmallon
    Removed from play: Royal Magician

    Duelist: Serge
    Life Points: 7500
    Hand: 3 cards
    Field: Demon Symbiosis (face-up)
    Graveyard: Parasite Demon Zeptiemus, Parasite Demon Karashah, Parasite Demon Nishruu, Parasite Fusion
    Removed from play: Parasite Demon Saadat, Parasite Demon Karasu

    Draw Phase: Mystical Space Typhoon

    "Empyrea's monster effect." Serge remarked, "Each turn, you must summon a parasite demon monster from either player's graveyard if any are available."

    "With pleasure." Tacey replied, "I choose, Parasite Demon Karashah!"

    At her command, a large, imposing creature spawned on the field, towering over a less-than-intimidated Serge. Unlike the others, this one was bipedal and clearly demonic, flexing its six wings in a threatening way.

    "How reckless." Serge remarked, sounding a tiny bit pleased despite his words, "Karashah claims two cards or a thousand life points each turn."

    "Then I suppose I shall have to cut down on the number of turns." Tacey countered, "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your little trap." as spell card and card slot made contact, a miniature typhoon formed on the field, sweeping over to Serge's face-up card and shattering it into tiny holographic fragments, "And with that gone..." she gave a wicked grin, "Karashah, Empyrea, attack him directly!"

    Even as the two creatures lunged at him with their respective attacks, claiming the better part of his life points in the process, Serge didn't give as much as a flinch, "Is that it?" he inquired.

    "For now." Tacey replied, "Turn end."

    Duelist: Tacey
    Life Points: 4000
    Hand: Creature Swap
    Field: Mother Parasite - Empyrea (2600/ 2300, Parasite Demon Karashah (3600 /2800) Court of Nobles (face-up), Royal Legacy(Face-down)
    Graveyard: Royal Emissary, Fissure, Shrink, Marshmallon, Mystical Space Typhoon
    Removed from play: Royal Magician

    Duelist: Serge
    Life Points: 1300
    Hand: 3 cards
    Field: N/A
    Graveyard: Parasite Fusion, Demon Symbiosis, Parasite Demon Zeptiemus, Parasite Demon Nishruu
    Removed from play: Parasite Demon Saadat, Parasite Demon Karasu

    "In that case, miss Edgeworth, your game is over. I activate Cleansing Seal."

    At his words, the castle walls around them vanished in an instant, replaced by a circle of pure white from which a number of lines quickly spouted, criss-crossing over the field, countless tendrils latching onto the two parasites and forcing them into prone positions.

    "By the effect of my seal, all Parasite Demons are bound and unable to move. Furthermore, their power is reduced by half. But that's not all..." smiling lightly, he placed a card in his monster card zone, "I summon Seal Preserver then set a card and end my turn."

    Compared to the other monsters, this creature seemed surprisingly...serene. It had a decidedly angelic touch to it, even though its hair was a simple white and the skin equally pale. It bore no clothes, but the pale, yellow feathers its four wings consisted of reached across its body, protecting its modesty, a design similar to that of the seal imprinted on its forehead in vivid blue, "By the effect of this monster, my seal can not be removed from the field. You know what this means, do you not? "

    Tacey grit her teeth. Oh yes, she knew what that meant, all too well. With each passing turn, her life points and field presence would be ground down while the repulsive, organ-like creature on her field would keep churning out more pests to harm her. She had a few turns' worth of breathing space, but unless she got that seal off the field fast, she was done for, and with that monster safeguarding the aforementioned card, that was easier said than done. This called for lucky topdecks...in large amounts.

    "I draw."

    Duelist: Tacey
    Life Points: 4000
    Hand: Creature Swap
    Field: Mother Parasite - Empyrea (2600/ 2300, Parasite Demon Karashah (3600 /2800), Royal Legacy(Face-down)
    Graveyard: Royal Emissary, Fissure, Shrink, Marshmallon, Mystical Space Typhoon, Court of Nobles
    Removed from play: Royal Magician

    Duelist: Serge
    Life Points: 1300
    Hand: N/A
    Field: Cleansing Seal (face-up), Seal Preserver (2000 Atk / 800 Def), 1x Spell or Trap (face-down)
    Graveyard: Demon Symbiosis, Parasite Fusion, Parasite Demon Zeptiemus, Parasite Demon Nishruu
    Removed from play: Parasite Demon Saadat, Parasite Demon Karasu

    Draw Phase: Hereditary Title

    "And with that." Serge joined in, "Karashah claims your face-down card." he nodded towards the vanishing card back on Tacey's field, "Furthermore, thanks to Empyrea, you may add another parasite to your field." he cast a meaningful glance at his own face-down, "Which do you choose?"

    Tacey gave no response, merely examining the monsters. Zeptiemus seemed like the obvious choice, in not being able to inflict any damage on its own, but then...if that face-down was another gift card she'd just be digging her own grave. On the other hand, she had no idea what this Nishruu could do, so claiming that monster could easily be just as foolish.

    "I..." annoyed by her own indecisiveness, the millionaire heiress braced herself, finally reaching a decision, "I choose Parasite Demon Nishruu."

    With a strange, clicking kind of cry, a lime-colored creature resemblant of a locust spawned on her field, lazily bringing its scythe-like forelegs to bear.

    "Once again, you have made an interesting choice." Serge said with a nod of slight approval, "For every spell card you play, Nishruu claims 600 of your life points. Quite risky, I should say."

    "Isn't risk and unpredictability what you were looking for?" Tacey countered, "I play a card face-down and end."

    "Not quite yet." Serge replied, "I activate the trap card Parasitic Virus. By this effect, we pay 400 life points for each parasite we control. and unless I miscounted, miss Edgeworth, you have three."

    "Quite." the millionaire heiress replied frostily, another 1200 points deducting themselves from her counter.

    Duelist: Tacey
    Life Points: 2800
    Hand: Creature Swap
    Field: Mother Parasite - Empyrea (2600/ 2300, Parasite Demon Karashah (3600 /2800), Parasite Demon Nishruu (2500 Atk / 1200 Def), Hereditary Title (Face-down)
    Graveyard: Royal Emissary, Fissure, Shrink, Marshmallon, Mystical Space Typhoon, Court of Nobles, Royal Legacy
    Removed from play: Royal Magician

    Duelist: Serge
    Life Points: 1300
    Hand: 1 card
    Field: Cleansing Seal (face-up), Seal Preserver (2000 Atk / 800 Def), Parasitic Virus (face-up)
    Graveyard: Demon Symbiosis, Parasite Fusion, Parasite Demon Zeptiemus
    Removed from play: Parasite Demon Saadat, Parasite Demon Karasu

    "How boring." Serge remarked, examining the card in his hand, "It would seem like I need not do anything at all. Turn end. And with that..." he gave a meaningful nod towards his trap card as it worked its effect once more, causing the rich girl to stagger and nearly lose her balance, "...well, you only have one turn to go before my trap card depletes your life points. This calls for a miraculous topdeck, don't you think?" he gave her a light, taunting smile, "Too bad you don't believe in such things."

    This gesture was, if possible, even more offensive than what Serge had already committed. Speaking so callously about the losses of Katsuro and the others, bringing such dangerous things into a children's card game for no other reason than to satiate his own ego, that was one thing, but that kind of sloppy turn? Acting like she was even worth playing against properly? A decidedly unladylike growl escaped Tacey's throat as she rose to her full height, her eyes glowing with newfound hatred for her opponent.

    "Don't..." even the murderous hiss from his now visibly trembling opponent evoked little more than a casually inquisitive glance from her opponent, "...don't you dare take me lightly! I may be in a bad position right now, my chances of winning might not look good, but I won't lose to you. No, I can't lose to you!" her eyes were ablaze with righteous indignation as he gave her little tirade. Perhaps it was just her imagination - no, it had to be her imagination - but as her trembling fingers reached the deck, the card back felt different somehow, organic, warm, almost...alive, comforting. She could win this. She didn't know how, but right now it felt completely possible. No, not just that, it felt like the only possibility, "I refuse to lose like this!"

    The moment she drew out the card, a dramatic gust of wind followed her hand, extending her long, curly locks to the full extent of their glory, "My draw!"

    Duelist: Tacey
    Life Points: 1600
    Hand: Creature Swap
    Field: Mother Parasite - Empyrea (2600/ 2300, Parasite Demon Karashah (3600 /2800), Parasite Demon Nishruu (2500 Atk / 1200 Def), Hereditary Title (Face-down)
    Graveyard: Royal Emissary, Fissure, Shrink, Marshmallon, Mystical Space Typhoon, Court of Nobles, Royal Legacy
    Removed from play: Royal Magician

    Duelist: Serge
    Life Points: 1300
    Hand: 1 card
    Field: Cleansing Seal (face-up), Seal Preserver (2000 Atk / 800 Def), Parasitic Virus (face-up)
    Graveyard: Demon Symbiosis, Parasite Fusion, Parasite Demon Zeptiemus
    Removed from play: Parasite Demon Saadat, Parasite Demon Karasu

    Draw Phase: Unity of Family

    And just like that, the sensation passed, the adrenaline still singing in Tacey's head as she watched the piece of cardboard in her hand. It was...so improbable. To draw the single card in her deck that could help her, just at the last turn she needed it. It...well, she supposed that even that had to happen sometimes, but still...

    "I surrender."

    Tacey paused, completely nonplussed, "Come again?"

    "I said I surrender." the male repeated calmly, exchanging meaningful glances with her enthusiastically nodding companion before scooping up his deck, the holograms vanishing on queue, "After all...the card you're holding would win you this duel...no? Unity of Family, Quick-Play Spell, combined with the Normal Spell Card Creature Swap to switch control of all parasites to me, thus causing Parasitic Virus to reduce my life points to zero."

    "But..." Tacey persisted, "How did you-?"

    "It's not worth explaining." Serge interrupted, already turning his back to the rich girl and turning to walk away, "The bottom line is that your little fanclub is free to go; isn't that what you wanted?"

    "Well, yes, but-"

    "Neko-neko-chan is going to miss us, maybe?" Haruko filled in, tilting her head and giving her a sickeningly sweet smile, "Don't worry! We'll come and visit reaaaaally soon! Then I'll get to play with you, Neko-Neko-chan, and maybe Kumo-Kumo-chan and Make-Make-kun and Jou-Jou-kun and-hey!" she paused as her taller complement slipped out of view at the far end of the roof, "Kei-kei-chaaaan! Wait for me-e-e-e-e-eee!"

    Breaking off into a run, long sweater sleeves flapping behind her, the peculiar little girl flashed one last, radiant smile at the group, waving one of her hands in goodbye, "Bye-bye! Play with you again soon, okay?! I wanna' see that miracle draw thingie again!" giggling for herself, she too slipped out of view, leaving Tacey to stand there, staring dumbly at the cards still held in her hand.

    "Miracle...draw?" she repeated, trying in vain to analyze the recent sensation. She soon caught herself, however, shaking her head angrily, "Nonsense." the millionaire heiress muttered for herself, brushing off a microscopic bit of dirt from her outfit before turning to face her teammates, "Well, looks like that takes care of that." she remarked matter-of-factly, even as her face remained abnormally pale - even for her - and her posture held just a hint of swaying to it, "I'm going to go check up on everyone. Excuse me."

    With that, Tacey strode past the others and back into the elevator, uniting the excess cards with her deck. Duel energy, shadow games, miracle draw...such utter silliness! To even think that any of that could be true...she had obviously been around Judai and Manjoume too long.
     
    Last edited:

    Scarlet Weather

    The Game is Afoot!
    • 1,823
    Posts
    17
    Years
    Achan was awestruck. He had known Tacey was up against a skilled opponent, but that deck and his ability to deal damage that way... it was almost inhuman. And Tacey had felt the attacks. Achan remembered something about Tacey's fan club now. The comatose expressions did bear a certain similarity to the expressions of the duelists who had been supposed to accompany Achan, though by contrast they looked less like something had been forcibly ripped from their body and more like someone had gradually drained their energy away. Those Parasite Demons were unreal, unlike anything he had ever seen. The strategy that worked on other monsters wouldn't do a thing against them. Only a quick heavy storm in a time of need would be able to pull off a victory, he reasoned. Breathlessly he watched as Tacey managed a quick turnaround of the duel only to witness the apparent "trump card" of his opponent's deck- a field spell that completely neutralized all of the Parasite Demons and left Tacey without a leg to stand on, for want of a better expression. In her position Achan felt that he would have long before given up.

    But Tacey, apparently, was made of sterner stuff. And the way she drew... it was improbable that a random gust of wind would pick up and maximise the dramatic tension. Certainly they were on an exposed rooftop, but the timing was just about as insanely coincidental as it could get and Tacey's apparent show of resolve almost seemed as if it had been a factor in causing the draw to turn out the way it did. It was improbable to the max. In fact, Achan went so far as to call it impossible. Dimly he remembered hearing about this... something about drawing. Miracle Draw? Was this that thing they called miracle draw? It wasn't possible. Tacey Edgeworth couldn't have just influenced the draw just because she wanted to win... could she? It was insane. And it bothered Achan that he had watched as Tacey Edgeworth, Tacey, who thought that punching someone could cause a hairline fracture, had just shown an iron will that could have quite possibly been the deciding factor in the duel. Could he, in that same situation, have pulled through? Gone the one extra turn needed? Or would he have stepped back and given some kind of "oh crud, well, up to you now guys because I'm about to become a vegetable" speech?

    No contest. Probably option number two. There was no way he could have won in a situation like that. As much as it pained him to admit it... he had picked the wrong person to consider his rival. Tacey played at a level far above his own. Even if he could build perfect decks, knew how to tech in sixteen different cards, and ran twelve different strategies in one deck while still maintaining a strong build it didn't matter. Tacey had just showed herself emotionally capable of doing something that Achan would never have done. And she had done it right in front of him. There was something stinging in that. Achan envied her at that moment. He had envied her from the start, he realized. That envy was mostly immaturity speaking, though, and easily shoved aside and forgotten. This envy was deeper. She had shown something in herself that Achan didn't have. And he could tell that it wasn't something you were just 'born' with. Maybe that was the essence of Miracle Draw- the ability to hold on for just one more turn. If that was what it took to become a great duelist.... a fire started burning somewhere deep within Achan. This tournament wasn't just a trip out with a new deck. From now on he dueled using his Wandering monsters for the express purpose of becoming strong enough to challenge Tacey in the finals as an equal. No more sitting around and dueling low-level duelists. No, from now on he would duel the toughest opponents he could find.

    And he would start with that annoying girl. He remembered that Kumoshidite or some similar word meant "starfish" in Japanese. "Kumo-kumo-chan". Two and two made four. That girl was dead as soon as Achan dueled her. But for now..

    Grinning wryly, Achan walked up beside Tacey. "You okay?" He asked, surprising himself slightly by the tone of concern in his voice. "That was really impressive. I mean, I knew you could build a good deck, but..." he swallowed his pride and admitted it, "You just showed more tenacity by standing there then I've ever had in a duel. I can see why that Katsuro guy and those other two want to be like you." But don't expect me to fall down as a Tacey worshipper. I'm in this to beat you, not to become your vassal or something, Achan's brain whispered.
     

    Phanima

    That servant of the evil one
    • 1,567
    Posts
    18
    Years
    • Seen Oct 11, 2011
    Despite not wanting to admit it, he had to admire Edgeworth's determination and persistence. Her duel with the con was, how could he say it...well, it was alright. But after seeing Serge dominating the duel, even from the very beginning, it was almost cringing to see Edgeworth so off put and surprised, it was definitely an unnatural look that didn't sit well with the heiress. Of course, a part of him had himself contemplating the outcome resulting in the brat's loss. What would have happened to her if Serge had won? Since it was clear that this duel was fought at a much higher calibur than their usual array of opponents, his curiosity perked the question of whether or not the result would be the same as previous cases involving comatose duellists. Had Edgeworth have lost, it was more than likely that she would end up no better than her fan club. He also had to admit, that the notion of Edgeworth lying out of commission was enticing, but would inevitably put his motives in jeopardy. So for now, acknowledging her victory would be enough.

    Replaying the match in his mind, Michel realised that such duels were not his forte and he often showed little to no interest in such complexity in strategies. Sure, strategy was important, but in the way he perceived it, Duel Monsters was a lot like poker, where even with a bad hand, a player could turn the tables on his opponent with sheer will and confidence alone. One's attitude was what determined the outcome of a battle, not the tools they used to fight it. Edgeworth nearly learnt that the hard way, but despite himself, her victory was impressive, and surprising and was a victory that was worthy of praise...at the most.

    What happened next however, was even more surprising; Smith was genuinely congratulating Edgeworth. It was a gutsy compliment on his behalf, since Edgeworth could now, more than ever, shoot down his pride. But he knew that the two had gotten closer, something he acknowledged to be the reason why the red-head would even consider making such a statement. It was a bond, or truce in the most part, that they had developed during his absence. Realizing this, a twinge of jealousy couldn't help but overwhelm him, but just for a moment, as he then began to rationalized such a relationship. It was true that certain bonds were advantageous, but in the business world, there was no such thing as friendship. Collateral and loyalties were the main reasons why any and all corporate businesses succeed. Anything more than that was unnecessary.

    "I suppose I should congratulate you too," he shot casually, following Smith's rambling praise, "I'll admit that you had me worried. It was...impressive."

    Almost choking on the words that his brain had grinded to produce, Michel turned and looked absent-mindedly into the distance. "So, I suppose you'll want to take down the girl as well Smith? Or can we finally start this damn round?"
     

    Scarlet Weather

    The Game is Afoot!
    • 1,823
    Posts
    17
    Years
    Achan was astounded at Michel's words. "Take her down? No way! We've got bigger fish to fry. Getting off of this roof, for example. It's getting a little drafty," he replied, puzzled that Michel had picked up on his dislike for Haruko. Yes, he wanted to make that little kid pay for teasing him. No, now was not the time. If he wanted to beat her, he'd have to go back and learn a few things about pro dueling. What was in line now was more research. If anything, he needed to do some more playing around with his laptop. Besides, more pressing concerns were present, such as the person he'd met at the airport. Actually... now would be a good time to ask a question. Achan refocused his attentions on Tacey. "Oh yeah... forgot something. Tacey, did you get an E-Mail from Pegasus or something? I found a message in my inbox earlier. I don't know how Pegasus got my personal address, but he sent us an invitation to Duelist Kingdom, provided we make it through this round." Achan was careful not to mention the 'new Wandering monsters', figuring that would be a problem for another day. Right now, he was curious. It was probably a bit off-topic, but something had occurred to him. Why had Pegasus showed such an interest in this team? Why hadn't he simply disqualified them, as opposed to swapping new members on and off? He had even assigned Manjyome and Judai to the group. What was the point of all that? The thought was making him curious, and if Tacey was also receiving some sort of special "deck upgrade"... well, that would be interesting indeed.

    ----------------------​

    "So you understand your assignment?"

    The voice was thin and reedy, suggesting an aged and feeble owner. There was nothing feeble, however, about the malice it contained.

    Nicholas knelt at the foot of the monolith in front of him, respectfully averting his eyes from the figure sitting on the throne at its crown. "Yes, Master," he responded dutifully.

    "Good..." the old man stated before casually tossing a set of cards to his servant. As Nicholas picked up the cards and began leafing through them with apparent interest, the old man intoned the rest of his orders. "You will fly to Japan soon, under the alias I have provided for you. I want you to ignore Yuki Judai for now. Instead, destroy his team mates. I want you to make sure that he has reason to come after us. And then..."

    "Then he will be destroyed," Nicholas finished, his eyes brimming with hatred.

    "Good..." The 'Master" relaxed in his throne slightly. "I have lived for many years, and shall survive for many more... now go, Nicholas, and remember: anyone with a spirit is an enemy."

    "Yes, Master."

    The boy left, still grimacing.
     

    Phanima

    That servant of the evil one
    • 1,567
    Posts
    18
    Years
    • Seen Oct 11, 2011
    "Take her down? No way! We've got bigger fish to fry. Getting off of this roof, for example. It's getting a little drafty."

    Michel was happy to hear that Smith was finally prioritising what was really important, and was looking forward to ditching these con artists as well, since all they managed to accomplish was to talk a big game and then end up being beaten by Edgeworth anyway. They didn't even have any map cards on them, which was absurd, considering the time they wasted confronting them.

    Of course, that didn't mean that this chance encounter wasn't at all productive. Considering he was able to finally witness Edgeworth's deck and strategy in action, proved to be more than worth the time and effort in following the strangers' facade.

    The redhead's attention quickly detered as he went to inspect Edgeworth before questioning her about the receiving of an e-mail from Crawford. If Smith didn't want to continue confronting the cons, then neither did he, besides, Edgeworth was able to rescue her entourage and that was the only reason he had followed. Now seeing it as a good opportunity to leave, Michel turned and broke away from the group, heading back through the hospital and onto the bustling streets of Domino City.

    ~

    Watching the hospital's entrance from across the street, a rather casually dressed businessman, stood waiting in the passing crowds. Slightly out of place from the usual public attire, the onlooking teen stood confidently in place, eyeing the front of the hospital, behind tinted sunglasses. The occassional passing school girl diverted his attention every now and then, but his target soon made himself present as he emerged from the building's front doors.

    "Finally..." he muttered to himself as he began to weave his way behind his spiky haired target, "what took you so long, eh..."

    Gripping the stack of fourty plus cards in his hand, the pursuing teen slid his deck into the Duel Disk sitting across his forearm, before approaching the spiky haired teen from behind and grabbing him by the shoulder.

    "We've got a settle to score, buddy," the pursuing teen started with a furrowed smirk, "and by the way, nice haircut..."

    ~

    Stepping into the street, Michel glanced a look over his shoulder as a commotion broke amidst the crowd. Seeing the surrounding spectators forming a thin elipse around the two opponents, the situation became immediately clear.

    It was a duel, one the first official duels of the second round.

    "Well this should be interesting..."

    OOC: Not too sure what's going on now, but I'm gonna assume it's time for some free-roam-beating-the-snot-out-of randoms-time! XP If it's not, just send Michel a PM and he'll see what he can do.

    EDITZ: Aww man, I was hoping of getting a few more posts in for Michel, since he hasn't even duelled yet. DX But uni's starting in about a week and I've got a lot of crap to do to prepare. Sorry about this ACC, but I think I'll drop out, since I'm already in another RP and I think one's all I can handle. No offence of course, it just seems this one's kinda dead. ^^; I'll edit this into the OOC thread too, just in case you miss it.
     
    Last edited:

    Scarlet Weather

    The Game is Afoot!
    • 1,823
    Posts
    17
    Years
    Judai smiled at the gathering crowd. He'd taken the oppurtunity to slip away after Edgeworth's duel in hopes of getting to know this Michel person better. Achan and Tacey were probably going to distance themselves from him from now on, so it was time that he attempted to see about forming an alliance in his new group. Michel didn't seem to be the type to believe in shadow duels, but perhaps if Judai gave him a demonstration, he'd be willing to help keep tabs on the situation. After all, Michel was older then the other two. Maybe he would understand the situation a little better then they did.

    The sounds of a duel beggining greeted the duelist almost before he was out of the building, which was fairly impressive since the hospital doors were designed to keep out noise. Apparently a duelist with some sort of beef with Michel had pulled him over, and the two seemed to be preparing to duel it out. Judai was slightly downcast- he had planned to break the ice with Michel through a duel, and let things move on from there. Still, it would be nice to know what his potential new ally was capable of, and if there was one thing nearly as fun as dueling, it was watching other people duel. Judai crossed to a nearby bench and sat down. To the casual observer, he would appear half asleep. Inside however he was taking notes as quickly as possible, memorizing each and every detail of the duel for future reference, a habit formed during his days in the pro leagues. If Michel was a duelist capable of taking on a gang of shadow-possessed creepshows, now was his time to show it.
     

    Alter Ego

    that evil mod from hell
    • 5,751
    Posts
    18
    Years
    OOC: Gone?

    Whaddaya' mean my super special awesome IC is just gone?!

    Inexcusable, for this outrage the in-character wrath of Tacey shall be visited upon this RP once more, now in greater length. In your face, database! xP

    IC:

    Tacey frowned.

    Were it not for the intense self-control she was exerting over herself, she would have done a lot more than that. Her head had already been feeling rather heavy from the lack of sleep and timelag of the plane trip, but now the vague, fuzzy throbbing had grown into a splitting headache, one which was only intensified by the debate raging within her mind.

    "Fine." she replied tersely to Achan's inquiry, noticing how hostile it had sounded and elaborating in a softer tone, "I'm fine. Just...just a little faint, that's all." well, it was technically true, though 'just an inch from fainting' would probably have been closer to the mark. Oh, the love she currently felt for the mask of make-up burying the countless little micro-signals her face was undoubtedly attempting to send out. The last thing she wanted to do was lose face in such an undignified manner just after the louts she was forced to cooperate with were starting to give some recognition of her obviously superior skills.

    Superior.

    At the thought of the word, a bitter taste entered her mouth unbidden, her teammates' fawning flowing in through one ear and out the other, barely brushing her mind in between. Impressive. She felt like letting out a score of mirthless laughter at the remark. Yes, there had been some impressive plays in that duel, but what galled her was that none of them were hers. All the way to that last round, Serge had been in complete control of the duel, outplaying her at every turn. And what did she have to come with? A lucky topdeck! A foolhardy, sentimental gamble that had - against all odds - paid off. Technically, she kept telling herself, this made no difference. The fact remained that Serge had surrendered and Tacey Edgeworth had pulled off another dueling victory, all the witnesses were duly impressed and the public would come to remember this as nothing more than one victory under countless others, more proof of her playing skill, but in her mind she knew that that wasn't what mattered.

    A trained ape could win at a card game; what counted was how you won. Had that single topdeck been different, had the game been played again, Tacey knew that the creepy stranger would most likely have come out as the victor. This clumsy stumble into victory, the almost pitying forfeit, all they proved was the existence of what the millionaire heiress had always dreaded the most: a duelist who was truly and utterly better than her.
    The thought repulsed her, but the alternative, the only alternative, was even more revolting. Miracle draw, this piece of gibberish that every deranged card player they came across seemed intent on spouting where simple mathematics would have done the job. Was she really prepared to buy into that, will herself to believe that she had somehow determined that particular draw, just to avoid conceding that there might have been someone better at this game than her? While her teammates chattered away, the millionaire heiress allowed her gaze to wander to the streets below, to the point where this duo that had so easily managed to shake her very perception of the world around her had jumped off. No ladders, of course, nor any other conceivable method of exit. There weren't even any windows at this particular patch of wall. Nothing but solid hospital wall.

    Somehow, Tacey had a feeling that she would have been more shocked to find that this wasn't the case.

    "Tacey, did you get an E-Mail from Pegasus or something?"

    Achan's sudden question snapped the girl away from her musings, her head turning with a bit more speed than was dignified. She felt like slapping herself. Mail from Pegasus indeed. She had completely forgotten about that in the midst all this commotion, the eccentric millionaire had mentioned a surprise for this round too, hadn't he? Could these two had been what he was talking about?

    "Yes, I got a letter from him, actually." she replied, pushing aside the complaints of her aching head as she started measuring her words, looking for the best way to reveal as little as possible while fishing out all she needed to know about Smith's piece of the puzzle. Teammates or no, this would still be a one-on-one competition in the end, and after her time on the pro circuit Tacey was well aware of how even a seemingly trivial slip of the tongue could crack even the most ingenious strategies wide open, "He had one of his people deliver it to my room last night. An invitation, much like yours, I suppose. Oh, and he mentioned something about a little surprise you might know something about?" Tacey took great care to keep the tone of her voice from betraying anything but casual interest mixed with a hint of harmless curiosity, adding in an innocent-looking little tilt of her head, which - unfortunately - nearly disbalanced her as another jab of pain ran through her head. She quickly regained her composure, however, acting as if the little slip-up had never occurred, "Did this e-mail of yours say anything about that?"

    She had quite purposefully eschewed the little bit about the new royal cards, along with the one about the promised 'extras'. It was, she reasoned, only polite, seeing as how Achan apparently hadn't been promised any new cards of his own. Some got these things and some didn't; there was no need to rub it in.

    At least...that was how she'd explain it when - no, if - she'd ever find herself needing to do so.

    Not that she really owed Smith an excuse or anything, of course.
     
    Status
    Not open for further replies.
    Back
    Top