Yu-Gi-Oh! ReReborn [IC/On Hiatus]

[JessicaMuddy]

 

 

 

As the sun lowered gently over the horizon, the city of Seadown descended into darkness. However, being dark doesn’t mean being quiet. In the centre of the coastal city, a large crowd gathered on uncomfortable plastic seats to watch the enticing duel happening before them. The stadium glowed brightly, its light extending outwards and brightening the illuminating area around it.

“My turn, draw!” An almost valiant figure stood before its foe, its pale blue-eyes staring down the opponent. He glanced at the card in his card, and laughed heartily, something you wouldn’t expect to hear from his slim figure. “I activate Dark Hole, the card that destroys all monsters on the field.” A black vortex appeared between Tendra Thunderham and his opponent, and sucked in the four creatures between them. “With this, your field is open!”
“Does that matter? You’ve only got one card in your hand, and your field is open too!”
“Not quite, because White-Lightning Striker’s effect activates!” The crowd roared with excitement to the game-ending play they knew so well.

 

Tendra’s LP: 2400

Challenger’s LP: 6300

 

Once more the crowd cheered, this time turning it into a chant, one that they loved to scream in every one of Tendra’s duel. “THIS DUEL’S OVER!” A flurry of claps. “THIS DUEL’S OVER!” More claps. As the claps and chants continued, a bolt of lightning struck the field, and an enormous silver and blue dragon appeared in the same place as the electric shock, screeching as it was freed from its containment in the card Tendra possessed. The beast owned two wings each coloured a deep oceanic blue, and the majority of the creature’s body followed a similar scheme, except its silver-bellied torso, and two rod-like horns, which were a sun-like yellow.

“As you may know, Gateway Dragon’s effect is as follows. When I Special Summon it from the Extra Deck, its ability allows me to banish two Thunder-Type monsters from my Graveyard. Doing this grants my beast an extra attack this turn! I banish White-Lightning Striker and Thunderclap Skywolf, and give my dragon one more strike!” As Tendra declared this, the dragon began flapping its wings, and slowly lifted off the ground, its blue appendage wrapped solidly in equally blue lightning. It flew higher and higher into the air, until its commander pointed at his enemy, focused on making sure he ended this. “This duel’s gone on long enough! Thunderclap Gateway Dragon, Electric Jet Storm!”

 

The dragon suddenly snapped its head down, and began nose-diving towards its target at a rapid speed. The man taking the attack didn’t stand still however, and leapt from his position onto a bright pink platform, which slowly began to fade out of view, and existence, at that. The man then jumped onto another identical platform only a couple of metres away from the first, and as he dive rolled to land, picked up a card with a fancy “A” on the back. “Sorry, Duel Champion, but this duel is over, next turn, I’ll wipe out your remaining Life Points, and it’s all thanks to this Action Card!” The man kissed the card before placing it into his Duel Disk, and dropped back down to solid ground as he stood upright, hands on hips.

The awesome dragon before the man suddenly stopped mid-flight, and roared in anger – just as the crowd did – as it attempted to zap its enemy with lightning, only for the electricity to fizzle away just inches from the man’s face. “Action Magic: Close Call negates an attack that would wipe out my LP.”
“Talk about cheap.”
“Eh? What is that, champ? You end your turn?” The opponent cackled after taunting his foe.
“Quite the opposite, my challenger!” Tendra said in a way that was threatening, yet as polite as possible. “I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Thunderclap Stormburst Rampage! This card can be used when a Thunderclap monster attacks or is attacked, and increases its attack points by 500 during this battle!” The Duel Champion smiled with intensity as his dragon moved ever so slightly closer to his opponent.
“That still does nothing, ‘O great one, because if you recall, I negated the attack entirely.”
“I know you did, that’s why I’m using this card. The secondary effect of Stormburst Rampage negates the effects of all your Spell and Trap cards!”

And before Tendra’s opponent even had the chance to mutter a “Wha?!” he was flat on the ground, with Thunderclap Dragon circling around him high in the sky. The crowd cheered, whistled, and clapped, the sounds getting louder and louder as Tendra walked over to his opponent, head held high, one fist up in the air. However, the duel was not over. Looking down on his opponent, he smiled, a hint of warmth in his expression.

“Care to give up yet?”
“Just finish me off! I get it, you’re the champion, and you always will be, blah blah blah! I’ll take losing over giving up to someone like you.”
“Very well. Prepare to say goodbye, Dillon Jackson.”

Before making his last move, Tendra looked up at the crowd of thousands upon thousands cheering for him, and spoke. “Ladies, gentlemen, and all duelists alike! I give you the man that is, and always will be the Duel Champion of Seadown City! The one, the only-” The victor didn’t need to finish this sentence, but rather just smiled as he let the two words wash over him from all sides like a tidal wave.

“TENDRA THUNDERHAM!”

 

 

“Just hours after the victory of the Duel Champion, Tendra Thunderham, in his latest exhibition match, there was some more big news. This time, however, it was uncovered several hundred metres underground. The ancient kingdom of Calisdo has been a mystery for hundreds of years, and even though we live right on top of it, we know almost nothing about it. However, at approximately two this morning, Seadown archaeologists found a rare piece of literature deep in the coal mines. How rare? Well, there’s only one copy of it.” The reporter stood in what appeared to be a library, people going about their daily business behind her. She walked to her right, the camera panning across to follow her, and stopping when an elderly man came into view, holding a very clearly old, brown book. It looked so old that anyone who was watching the morning news could smell its awful scent through their televisions.

 

The man delicately turned through the pages, attempting to make it look as if he hadn’t been studying it for the last 5 hours, and had only just picked it up. “It’s uh… Remarkable, really, the things that they speak of in this book.” The man said. His voice was dry and quiet, making it hard to make out the words he muttered through his cracked lips. “Judging by the content it uh, may even be the journal of the uh, the king of the… former kingdom which Seadown City’s foundations were built upon.” The constant pauses didn’t faze the woman beside him, who only got even more curious.

“Is that so? Who knew that even centuries after the fall of the kingdom, we’d still be finding possessions of the king.”
“Well, it’s only a theory that this was the king’s, and uh… this theory has little evidence supporting it. If that was the case, it would uh… we would need to find out why it was so far underground.” The man closed the book, and after nodding at the reporter, left the frame of the camera.

 

 

 

Hayato stepped out of his father’s suburban house, smiled a wide-mouthed smile, and looked up into the sky. There was a large blimp many metres above the boy, and on it a large monitor displayed bolts of deep blue lightning, before a large flash, and a blonde-haired man stood in front of those bolts, arms crossed. Below him, some text appeared.

 

“THE DUEL CHAMPION, TENDRA THUNDERHAM”

 

The text remained like this for a while, and Hayato began to look away, but his attention was quickly brought back by another flash on the monitor and more text.

 

“CHALLENGE HIM BY ENTERING THE CALISDO KING TOURNAMENT”

 

This quickly brought back the boy’s smile, and he fist pumped the air. “I can’t believe I actually have the opportunity to duel the best of the best!” The boy began walking down the street with glee, but was quickly stopped as he saw a familiar face on the other side of the street. The rather… gigantic being slouched over as he walked down the street, but stopped just as Hayato did when he saw the puny boy. Then again, anyone was puny when they were compared to Big Ben. The giant lazily glanced both ways before crossing the street, and Hayato could do nothing but stand in fear and the straight-F student approached him.

“Oi, kid, were you seriously looking at that blimp? You idiot. Everyone knows I’m bringing home the crown after I’m through with that scrawny champion everyone always talks about.” Ben gave a wicked smile as he began to look through his Deck. Everything about the guy invoked fear in Hayato.

“I-I don’t know, Ben, Tendra is p-pretty powerful. Last night, he took out one of the best Action Duelists without even moving from his starting position.” Hayato tried to avoid looking the curly-haired beast in the eye.

“Oh, shut up, will you?” Ben then pulled out a card from his Deck, and shoved it in Hayato’s face. “You see this guy? Overlord of the Underworld will crush that uptight a-hole, and if you even think of entering, it’ll crush you just as easily. I bet no-one in that stupid tournament will have a card whose attack points are even close to my Overlord’s. Sorry twerp, but it’s useless to fight against me.” And with those being his parting words, Big Ben exited just as he had entered.

 

 

[spoiler=OOC (Please Read)]

Heck yes! Finally, we're back and ready for this thing.

So, like last time, the blimp is flying around the city, and your character can notice it and decide they're going to join or whatever.

BUT, I would really like you do refrain from getting into any duels at the moment, as it is unnecessary at this point in time. The first posts of your characters should give a basic outline of them, and give us a little bit of slice-of-life insight into their lives.

 

Have fun guys!

 

 

[Wind Rider]

Akira was enjoying his day on the roof of his apartment, it would've been peaceful if not for the giant blimp hovering above the city.

 

“THE DUEL CHAMPION, TENDRA THUNDERHAM”

 

Akira let out a small laugh as the blimp passed overhead. "That Tendra... He's really full of himself." Akira was about to turn his music back up when the blimp made another announcement.

 

“CHALLENGE HIM BY ENTERING THE CALISDO KING TOURNAMENT”

 

That peaked Akira's interest. "Calisdo King Tournament huh? Sounds like a good opportunity." Akira stood up and stretched a bit before hopping back through the open window that he used to get onto the roof. His room wasn't too much of a mess, but he did have to do a bit of cleaning after he got back, mainly his bed as it seemed more like a pile of clothes than a bed.

 

Akira grabbed his duel disc, a newer looking model with a black body and a red music note pattern on it, a music disc with all his favorite songs on it, and his deck. Before he left he looked upon a photo on his dresser, it was of Akira smiling with a girl in a wheelchair. "I'll come visit in a bit Nia..." he mumbled as he left his apartment room.

[Sluggaholic]

Maxing and Chillaxing

 

 

In the dirty orange shade of a swinging lampshade, a young man in a white, collared shirt with a hint of red underneath sat with a glass of steely tasting bronze liquid, ice clinking together softly as in the background, the faintest hints of live music played. His eyes were so low you'd have thought he were asleep, if it weren't for the cards on the table he was clearly counting. Running his fingers over each and every one, his mind flashed back to earlier that morning, on his flight to Seadown...

 

"Monsieur." An elderly man-- Dextrio-- spoke up, a white cloth on his suit's black sleeve. "We will be arriving within the hour. I hope this ride has been to your utmost pleasure." Nodding, both as confirmation, and into sleep, Heidt's eyes already low eyes somehow lowered even more. However, he snapped his head back quickly, when he felt his deck of precious cards slipping from his grasp. In a gasp of sudden worry, he chased after the few that'd escaped his grasp, and onto the floor of his private jet ride. Quick to gather all the cards he could find, Heidt counted through them slowly, before coming to the realization that one was missing...

 

"Monsieur. I believe you have dropped this." Dextrio again appeared by Heidt's side, replacing the missing card upon his deck. Its glittering yellow form contrasted beautifully against the card's black background, its ferocious fangs and majesty making for a truly backwards, yet beautiful creature. A favourite of Heidt's.

 

"You appear ready to duel. My assumption is you're to participate in the Calisdo Tournament, held soon in Seadown...?"

 

"...Thirty-nine... fourty... fourty-one... perfect." Heidt croaked, his throat tired from staying up late, joking with pals over the phone. He was tired, but that's what his drink was for. Coughing as he choked the bronze down, his classic-- infectious-- grin lit up his face once again.

 

"You know I'm ready. Plan's already in motion, to boot. Fun Times Ahead, Part One, red-2-go!"

[0PxPz0]

 

__________________________________________________________________________

 

Sota was in his office, directly off of his classroom where he could here his students should they break they're study time in an attempt to begin a duel. The silver haired man was fiddling with a motherboard, muttering to himself about certain properties and fiel limitations when he heard a familiar sound, his students were neglecting their work again, this had been the third time in two weeks and he thought he knew who the culprits were. Sota burst into the room, paying no attention to the gathering of students excitedly talking and pointing at something outside the classroom window "For the last time, just because I leave the room doesn't mean this is not class time!" one of his more promising students looked over from the window "Sorry Mr. Ito, it's just, well come look." Not particularly caring about whatever excuse they offered Sota calmly made his way to the crowd which parted to let him through "If you wanted to spend time chatting and looking out windows you all could have just as easily taken a free period." As he approached the window he saw what they were all so excited about, a blimp advertising the Calisdo King Tournament "A duel tournament, with a chance to beat the champion himself no less, interesting." Sota walked towards the front of the room and addressed his students, now giving him complete attention "I cannot blame you for your excitement, however i can blame you for your lack of self control, I expected better from some of you but i suppose you could have been wasting time dueling. As punishment this weekend you will all create a duel simulation, a deck of your choice against the champion your all so excited about, and don't you dare think you can do the bare minimum and get away with it or partner up, I expect each of you to make your own completely from scratch." the class let out a collective groan as Sota returned to his office to continue his work "Maybe it's time I entered a tournament, it could give me a chance to show of my prototype."

[~Faytl~]

 

The school day was getting underway, or had already started for some, but Houki wouldn't be found near any schoolhouse today. She was sitting in her room, curled up in her bay window as she gazed out through the glass at the sky beyond. Her violet eyes zoomed in on the blimp as it coasted across her view. 

 

“THE DUEL CHAMPION, TENDRA THUNDERHAM. CHALLENGE HIM BY ENTERING THE CALISDO KING TOURNAMENT”

 

She looked down at the deck she was holding in one of her hands, contemplatively shuffling it, slowly. The Calisdo Tournament was something she had always wanted to join, but this was the first year she would be entering. It was all she had looked forward to for years.

 

But she couldn't help feeling a ball of nervous energy in her belly, a writhing knot of discomfort. She had seen Tendra's match the night before. He had turned an impossible situation into a victory, wiping out his opponent with ultimately minimal effort. Houki had watched with wide eyes, filtering out the conversation of her parents in the background. They hadn't been around afterward, when Houki had spent the night sortign through her deck. 

 

They had cut out in the middle of the night, hurriedly calling to Houki about "something in the coal mines" and "a marvelous book, we'll be home soon, honey!" The two had been gone since three o'clock that morning, and still hadn't returned.

 

Houki couldn't stop thinking about Tendra's match. She wanted to be able to do that. To pull victory from thin air, to excite the crowd and finally earn praise for her dueling. Something her parents weren't interested in, to be sure. They just cared about her being in school.

 

She huffed irritably, jumping out of the bay window seat and pulling on her boots, grabbing her Duel Disk as she headed out of her room. Seconds later she was on the street, her blonde hair fluttering behind her in the wind, exposing the purple streaks as her eyes stayed fixed on the blimp abover her. She was pointed towards the stadium. She was going to register now, damn whatever her parents said to her.

 

"I'll beat you, Tendra," she swore. "I have to. I HAVE to do it. It's all I HAVE."

 

- - - - - - - 

 

Shota groaned as he craned his neck to try to get a look thrugh the window at the mysterious book that had apparently been located just that morning. He had been out here for several hours now, trying vainly to gain access to it, to get a peek at its contents. He was merely curious, sure, but also hopeful.

 

"Sachio, is what you found in that book?" he asked the air, before trying once again to asail and plead with yet another historian entering the building. He was hurriedly shrugged off, left kneeling on the steps of the museum in despair. "I just want to READ IT!" he yelled dramatically, slamming his hands down on the steps. "Don't you guys appreciate LEARNING?!?"

[Tojin]

As the sun just began to rise, signaling a bright beginning to a newly-minted day, it also outlined a figure hunched over a piano in her cramped, yet airy room. Frenetic chords filled the room, as the room's sole occupant hammered on the piano's keys like a madwoman, trying desperately to match the notes she played with the song in her head. As the last few moments of the song approached, the musician played with even greater intensity, before finally allowing herself to stop and rest as the final note faded away into the air. She lifted her hands in the air in a silent celebration, and flopped over onto the bed behind her.

 

Esther grinned, satisfied. She had been trying to get that damn song right for Allah only knew how long, and now she had finally done it. Never mind that she had gotten up ridiculously early in the morning to even start practicing it again, or that she had probably woken up everyone in a five-mile radius with her ridiculous mashing: it was done, and she could play it properly. That was all that mattered. Her jubilant smile temporarily inverted, as she considered the fact that she had been so wrapped in playing that she had forgotten to pray that morning. Doubtless her parents would be on her about that, as always. Eh, whatever, she thought. It's not like missing one prayer on one day is gonna kill me. Esther's frown turned into a wry smile. Despite what Ami and Baba might tell me, anyway.

 

Esther's lazy gaze slid over to her window, which happened to be right behind her piano, and noticed a blimp going by outside. She sat up, intrigued, and watched as the screen showed a picture of Tendra Thunderham, the reigning Calisdo King with a subtitle identifying him as such. "Oh, yeah, the championship tournament was yesterday. Guess good ol' Thunder Thighs won again." Esther hadn't stuck around to see the end of the match; too much homework and too little time. The words on the blimp shifted, this time saying “CHALLENGE HIM BY ENTERING THE CALISDO KING TOURNAMENT!” At that, Esther perked up. The thought of challenging Tendra Thunderham to a duel was attractive on its own, but potentially knocking him off his perch? That appealed to Esther more than anything. In her not-so-humble opinion, Tendra - or Thunder Thighs, as she preferred to call him - had gotten a bit too big for his britches. It was at least somewhat warranted, of course, given that he had defended his title for years upon years now, but still. Esther would have loved to see Tendra finally get his little ego deflated for once, and the prospect of being able to do it herself - combined with actually being able to enter the tournament this year, no thanks to her parents -  was an especially exciting one for her. "Plus, who knows? It might even be fun." Esther said with a chuckle.

 

Her chuckle soon morphed into a yawn, as the hours spent playing her piano caught up with her. Fortunately, Esther's high school offered free periods in the morning, which Esther had taken as many of as she could. She glanced at the clock, which showed that it was still relatively early in the morning. Without any hesitation, Esther got back into bed, having neglected to change out of her pajamas earlier. Challenging the Calisdo King was gonna be fun and all, but right now, what Esther wanted most was to go back to bed. One arm snaked out from under the covers and grabbed her phone, setting a timer that would wake her up in an hour or so. Suitably prepared for sleep, Esther got herself comfortable and proceeded to drop off. The last thing she saw was her deck, resting atop her piano, with Lightwave Lucitan staring back at her. The card seemed to radiate readiness, and Esther found herself smiling sleepily as she fell into dreams.

[Alaina]

The light of day had flooded the rooms of one of the more modest hotels that had been around in Seadown City. Sitting by the window was a girl, illuminated the sun's rays and looking to the outside as something had caught her eye. Though her glasses were off, she did not need them for what it was that had her attention. For outside, there was a large blimp drifting through the sky, with what it was advertising proudly displayed across the entirety of it. A reminder, showcasing the current man who held the title of Duel King, a rather wonderful fellow who must have had skills beyond anything that the girl could possibly imagine having. What a wonderful being he must have been to not only have but hold such a title. And then after the display of the King had finished, it was soon replaced by that of a notice. A notice to all those who wished to challenge said king, and duel them. A notice for the upcoming tournament. With a soft smile on her face, the girl took a sip from the mug in her hand and looked to her friend, another girl about her age that she had come alongside with.

 

Placing the mug down on a small table in the room, the girl then said, "well Junko it looks like we should get going." Standing up from where she sat, the girl started to and get herself ready. Tying up her loose hair into a ponytail, she continued, "the signs up for the tournament are upon us and I can only imagine the flood of people that wish to sign up for it as well." Getting on her glasses next, the girl then went to get her tie on. "Though it really is a bother that I must sign up as well, though I guess there are always those who get 'free wins' within these events." With her tie fastened, the girl finally adorned her jacket over her shirt and looked at her friend, her smile only growing as she let out a slight sigh. "You know the rest of my family is no where around us so don't need to wear your standard outfit." She found her friend's sense of duty and fashion sense admirable, though was also oddly fascinated by it at the same time. Nevertheless, were that what she wished to wear in their time spent in Seadown, then she felt no need to tell her to change it regardless.

[ChampionZero]

Seadown City.

 

Elijah looked over it with a strange sense of belonging. After five years of travelling, he'd forgotten how much he loved the place. The skyline, the noise, even the advertising blimps flying--

 

THE BLIMPS!

 

Lightning ran down Elijah's spine and he looked up at the screen. The Tournament! He was barely in time for the tournament! Then something else registered. Tendra Thunderham? Someone else beat Jackie Fortissimo? His skull felt like it was simmering. This dirty blonde punk was about to get BURNED for that! Elijah goes out for five years to train, and meanwhile Tender Lightningbacon was swiping his crown!

 

Elijah cracked his knuckles, fire in his eyes, and he rushed down into the city, taking back alleys he'd known since he was a kid to go sign up. He was taking that crown if he had to trample every duelist in Seadown to do it!

 

He was going to WAR.

[Dova]

---

The noise of the blimp that was moving further and further away from the stadium would’ve not normally been heard at Steven Dalavan’s house. At this time his parent’s were out working, and he was normally passed out on his bed after a night of either studying or dueling, most likely the latter, however the rumor that there might be some news regarding the Calisdo King Tournament today had caused Steven to break his normal schedule in order to be ready to hear more about it.

He wasn’t normally the type to enter a Tournament, even one as relatively small as this, however the combination of encouragement from his friends and a small nagging curiosity within his mind had caused him to make an exception this time round. And so, here he was, sitting at his computer and glancing out his window every few minutes.

Steven wheeled on his chair around as the telltale sound of the advertisement grew louder, and pushed himself towards the nearby window. He looked out at the flashy blimp as it drew overhead, and caught sight of the words written on it.
 

“THE DUEL CHAMPION, TENDRA THUNDERHAM”

 

And then, a bit later:
 

“CHALLENGE HIM BY ENTERING THE CALISDO KING TOURNAMENT”

 

So, it was going to involve the Duel Champion himself. Steven had been afraid that it would be a simple regional tournament, as was done quite often if a bit smaller within Seadown City, but at least Tendra was offering up his position in exchange for a good duel. That was, of course, if Steven could overcome him. He smiled. Regardless, it would try and it make enjoyable for both of them.

Shaking his head, Steven realized how far ahead he was thinking. This was all assuming he could actually get that far in the tournaments. Regardless of what he thought of his skills, to think that he could make it to Tendra with ease was fanciful. Best to keep his head out of the clouds, at least for now.

And what better thing to do to focus than to practice for the upcoming occasion? Steven pushed himself away from the window back to his desk, facing his computer. Pressing a few keys, he activated a dueling A.I., placed on some headphones, and began to play.

---

 

[Yui]

---

Morning had come, and with it, the light of day spread across Seadown City. Junko had to admit, having only herself and Kagami in the modest hotel room made for a much quieter, less hectic morning than with all the Saito family's members and servants running around. She couldn't let herself get used to the relaxed pace, however; a beautiful city though it may have been, they weren't here for a vacation! Junko had plans to dethrone the Calisdo King, Tendra Thunderham, and use the fame and fortune she'd earn from such an event as the first step on a gold-paved road to a life of stardom. The vast riches, people begging for her autograph, the roar of the fans...

 

Scratch that last one.

 

On to more important matters, the very person Junko was specifically sworn to serve had something to say. Junko, as always, listened intently to every word Kagami had to say.

 

"Well Junko it looks like we should get going. The signs up for the tournament are upon us and I can only imagine the flood of people that wish to sign up for it as well. Though it really is a bother that I must sign up as well, though I guess there are always those who get 'free wins' within these events."

 

"I'm sorry to have to inconvenience you with this," Junko responded. She didn't feel good about forcing Kagami to sign up then, and she still wasn't entirely pleased with the necessity of it now. Junko then turned, and gave the maid a smile and a light sigh.

 

"You know the rest of my family is no where around us so don't need to wear your standard outfit."

 

"Of course I do," Junko smiled back. "I'm still your maid, after all." Indeed, as the conversation would imply, Junko was dressed today - as with all days - in a maid outfit. Because, well, that was her job. However, one thing was different about her getup today, just a bit. A new accessory had nestled itself around the back of Junko's neck. Tournaments were far from quiet events, and to help keep herself calm during this one, Junko had made sure to pick up a pair of quality earmuffs once in Seadown. The last thing she needed was to have a panic attack just as she got to the stage where her ascension to celebrity status would begin.

 

"Whenever you're ready, we can start heading out." The smile didn't leave Junko's face for even an instant.

The Calisdo King Tournament...

 

Meanwhile, in a more run-down motel elsewhere in the city, one girl was placing a pair of colored contacts over her eyes. Hiro Yamato had come to this city, aiming to become Calisdo Queen before using the money to travel in style for the next year or so before coming back to defend her title. She'd then repeat the process ad mortem. To her, the plan was pretty solid. Once the contacts were in her eyes, the transformation was complete. She was no longer looking at Yuuko Musashibo in the mirror, but Hiro Yamato, traveling duelist and one really cool girl.

 

Grabbing her Duel Disk, Hiro darted out the door. She'd asked for directions to the stadium just yesterday when she arrived, and made a point to memorize them. And so, Hiro took off, ready to claim her prize, and just that certain that she'd get it without dispute.

[JessicaMuddy]

 

"SOOOOO CUUUUUTE!" The sight of a fangirl was common around the southern shopping district, and that was because Sam, the 25-year old woman, was fawning over a chibi of one of her favourite monsters, Dark Magician Girl's most recent "Super Girl Mode". The model donned a blackened version of the original DMG's outfit, with the back of the torso piece extending like a cape, down to her feet.

 

As the eager girl slammed the model's containment on the front desk, a rather soulless looking man scanned the barcode on the back of the box, and held out his hand. Rather boringly, he said:
"That'll be 29.99, please."

"Are you kidding me?!" The girl started. She hadn't even pulled out her wallet, and already knew something was wrong. "That's all you say?! This new mode hasn't even appeared in the anime yet! It's only existed in black and white in the manga, but now that you've got a sneak peek of it at your store, all you have to say it how much it costs?! This is special! A relic! You disappoint me, good sir." After finding the correct amount of change, Sam let it drop into the glass bench top, took her Magician Girl, and left.
 

After returning to the crammed apartment she happily called home, Sam flopped onto the couch, and tore open the box, then placed the Magician Girl on her stomach. She reached her hand into the box once more, and pulled out a flat plastic wrapper, and looked at one of the cards inside. Suddenly, a brown-haired girl stepped out into the lounge room.

"You got the new one?" The girl was Alice, Sam's roommate. Both were massive anime nerds, but that was the number one reason their relationship was still intact.

"Yeah, but the stupid dub called the new Super Magician Girl a Heroine Magician Girl again. At least the promo cards are good. It's always nice to have another Heroine's Crest."

"Man, localization sucks. What'd the dub call it?"

Sam unwrapped the plastic, and held up the Effect Monster that was inside. "Heroine Magician Girl Incredible Illusionist."

 

[Sluggaholic]

Someday Morning

 

 

After a short jog to shake off his tiredness, Heidt's preppy attitude was back in full swing. Though, the scenery had changed in the time he'd been jogging. Instead of a low-lit, grungy room on some side alley, he was in a pristine, sunny hotel room, with soft golden light peppering through the drawn shades. A computer hummed somewhere in the background, and on Heidt's neatly made bed, was a stack of Duel Monster's cards. A singular card sat with its face-up on top: a card with a black background. The same one he was admiring on the plane: his ace.

 

Heidt himself soon bustled into the room, fumbling with his towel. Fading from the background noise of chirping birds and chattering people below his window was the sound of water splattering on ceramic: the shower. Heidt grabbed his face towel, and ran it over his angular, handsome face, before ruffling his golden locks. Though he didn't have a high opinion of his father, who made him a bastard, he had to appreciate and thank him for his natural good looks. Though, his mother, he respected just as much, as thanks to her, his naturally jovial face was complete with a pair of golden eyes, though most of the time they looked to be shut thanks to his luscious eyelashes.

 

He wasn't particularly well muscled, about average for a man of his age. Then again, he was a little bigger-- to carry around that armor of his almost all the time when he dueled took a lot more manpower than normal. Speaking of, a glittering set of steel greaves and a pair of gauntlets sat on the window sill, their reflections peeping in on Heidt as he changed. Soon enough, he was ready: having switched into a white polo with a small, golden dragon symbol on the breast pocket. He had a pair of regular blue jeans on as well, with a tan belt finishing it off. White sneakers as a final touch. Slipping on a light grey baseball cap he bought in Berlin, Heidt was ready to head out.

 

"...WAIT." Spinning on his toes just as he stepped out the door, Heidt dashed in, grabbing a large sports bag. He'd already packed everything else-- how could he almost forget his get-up! Duel Disk, armor, all of it! Geez, he was going casual today, yeah, but he still had to apply at that tourny!

 

Speaking of, mixing in with the chirps of the birds and the chatter of the people below, though that was dying down now, was the static-y blaring of an announcer from a blimp far above his temporary abode.

 

“THE DUEL CHAMPION, TENDRA THUNDERHAM! CHALLENGE HIM BY ENTERING THE CALISDO KING TOURNAMENT”

 

"Hah! You know I am!" Heidt declared, that glittering announcer's grin spreading across his face. "After all, why else pickup a deck other than to break it out in a good ol' duel! Tendra, just you wait--" Snapping his finger, Heidt bombastically strutted out of his room. "--I'll make sure to make the crowd as hype as possible when I trounce you for good!"

[вєgσттєη ιηѕαηιту]

---

 

Their blades were serrated and whooshed loudly through the air as they slashed towards Kyoko's face. She stumbled as she tried to turn and run away, landing backwards onto her bottom. with a wince she frantically scooted herself backwards, away from her pursuers, away from three boys she once considered brothers.

Their jeans were splattered lightly with blood, she couldn't remember whose it belonged to. With each push her legs slipped further and further out away from her, making it difficult to keep her distance from the boys who grinned menacingly at her.

They were toying with her, keeping their distance and slashing their blades only enough to leave her with minor cuts. She screamed-

An abrasive tapping woke Kyoko from her nightmare. Her clothes were damp with sweat, regardless of the fact that the linoleum underneath her was nearly freezing. She wiped the drool off of her cheek and pushed herself to a sitting position.

"Hey! Whoever is in there get out before I call security!"

Kyoko shook her head, she was still groggy from a rough sleep. The bathroom was not by any means clean. There was trash and grime littered all across the bathroom floor and she could feel something sticky on her cheek.

"Yeah, yeah... One more minute," she called out to the aggressive man on the other side of the door. It took only two minutes for her to collect her things into her backpack and splash water on herself. Her hair was tousled, and her eyes had deep dark spots underneath them, but she was alive. That was what mattered.

She unlocked the door to the single person bathroom and brushed passed the man who grunted something obscene about disrespectful teens. There were nearly a hundred people crowding the inadequately sized subway station. The brick and concrete architecture informed her that the building had been built many years before she was even conceived, possibly even before her mother. It was a relic among the advanced technology that surrounded her and distracted many of the patrons.

If it weren't for all of the glowing screens the hollow room would feel like a cellar. A dark, cold, and moist room filled with useless junk that no one knew what to do with. This room, unlike a cellar, was full of life and that life was bustling to get out to the real world. As she walked trough the crowd aimlessly Kyoko heard people talking about the Calisdo King Tournament and how they were ready to take on the current champion Tendra Thunderham.

It only took a moment of consideration before Kyoko decided she was going to compete. She needed to observe the most powerful duelists possible and learn from them. She needed to know true power.

The crowd moved slowly, much too slowly for the amount of energy that the other presumed entrants were spouting. Kyoko kept her head down and flowed with the crowd until she was greeted with a bright, blinding sun that flared up a migraine in the back of her head. It took a while for her headache to settle but once it had she heard a soft jingle off in the distance that was slowly growing louder.

A large blimp with a holographic screen was approaching high up in the air and many people around her groaned as the sound grew louder. She on the other hand found the tune to be rather amusing, almost quaint and calming.

The blimp read "The duel champion,Tendra Thunderham! Challenge him tonight, by entering the Calisdo King Tournament!" in bright flashing colors overlaying the persona of a rather handsome (but abhorrently cocky) male whom she assumed to be Tendra Thunderham. The sight of the current champion only furthered the excitement building within those around her.

 

She couldn't wait to get inside the coliseum and away from the dense crowds.

---

[JessicaMuddy]

Ignoring the roaring of many fans outside, Tendra returned from the bar, a tall wine glass in hand, and sat at on a stiff leather chair before a coffee table. After taking a sip of the sparkling alcoholic drink, he placed the glass on the table, and reclined into his chair, waiting to be called out. He didn’t like these promos, but they were part of the job.

 

 

 

Later on in the afternoon, after the pair of Alice and Sam finished the newest episode of “Magician Girls Next”, they agreed to go out for a late lunch.

Now that they were out on the town, Sam noticed there was unusual amount of hustle and bustle along the sidewalks. Packs of kids dragging their parents were rushing to the centre of Seadown, to its most recognizable attraction. Alice quickly put the pieces together.

“Since the Calisdo Tourney is just around a corner, it would only make sense that Tendra would want to build some hype, right?”

“Yeah, or else it would be a boring event.” Sam replied.

“Well, that,” Alice pointed at the kids pulling their parents like dogs on leashes “Is a result of the hype. Something must be happening soon.”

Sam nodded in response to Alice’s theory, then began one of her own. “Well, since they’re headed to the Duel Arena, that means there has to be a duel. Screw lunch, let’s see the champ in action!”

 

As the pair arrived at the arena, they noticed a long line that wasn’t headed for the entrance, but rather for a big sign reading “CALISDO KING TOURNAMENT SIGN-UPS.”

 

“Ooh, there’s a tournament happening?” Sam asked her friend.

“Duh, you big dummy! It’s THE tournament. You know? The one that crowns the next Calisdo King or Queen.” Alice tapped Sam on the back of the head, then began to walk to the crammed line full of people going to see the show. “Are you coming?” Alice look over to where her friend was, but she was no longer there. Instead, she stood several metres away, now in the ever-growing line of people signing up for the tournament.

“I’ll see you in a bit Alice!” Alice could only hear her voice and see a hand wave at her from the line of people. Alice sighed, and returned to the crowd-going line.

 

 

Inside the arena, as well as across many televisions all around the world, footage began of a short man with a moustache that zig-zagged across his upper lip. “Alright-ah, ladies and gents-ah! It’s almost time ta begin tonight’s special-ah exhibition match!” The man stood in the centre of a half-filled arena, with hundreds of people piling in by the minute.

 

 

[spoiler=OOC (Please Read)]

So, sorry for not posting earlier, but hey, it's finally here! So, Sam is at the sign-ups for the tournament, and now your characters can too.

 

Tendra's going to be doing a duel soon, and there's a chance you can join in too. If you do, hit me up on PM or Skype (Though I won't be on Skype for a few hours after this is posted).

 

Also, the announcer is back :D

 

 

[The Frost King]

 

Michael Anderson was laying by the pool at his parents penthouse. “There is nothing to do” His parents were gone, acting in another big-time movie, so he was alone. Michael let out a sigh. “Well I guess I should at least stop laying around and think of something to do.” Michael walked over to the railing of the penthouse and looked out at Seadown City. It was a beautiful city, and yet Michael had seen and done almost everything it had to offer. He felt like there was something happening today but he could not remember what it was.
 
Suddenly, a loud screech pierced the air and a hawk swoops down, landing on the rail besides him. “Hey Razor, how are you?” Razor, Michael’s pet hawk, screeches in response.  Michael reaches out and pets Razor.  “Have you seen anything big happening today, Razor?” Razor looks behind him and screeches. Michael turns around and sees a blimp flying by. On the blimp is a huge monitor showing the face of a person that he despised; Tendra Thunderham. Michael never liked Tendra because he was a bit stuck up and always thinks that he is the greatest duelist around.  
 
Below the face of Tendra is some text. ‘THE DUEL CHAMPION, TENDRA THUNDERHAM. CHALLENGE HIM BY ENTERING THE CALISDO KING TOURANMENT.’   A smile spreads across Michael's face.  This day just went from complete boredom to complete excitement.  “That’s what was happening today, The Calisdo King Touranment, how could I forget!” Michael dashes to his room, with Razor following behind.

 

His room has posters of previous Calisdo Kings and Queens, along with a huge 72 inch screen TV. He runs to the dresser by his bed and opens each drawer until he finds his deck and duel disk. Razor watches all this from Michael’s bed. “Razor, lets go” Razor flies forward and lands on Michael's shoulder. Michael walks into the penthouse elevator and presses the button for the bottom floor. “Watch out Tendra, I’m coming for your crown.” The elevator doors shut.


[spoiler=OOC]I am a bit late to the party but here is my first post

 

[Alaina]

Kagami could only sigh at her friend's assertion that even here, she was still her maid. She thought that such a thing would not be befitting for a girl such as her, yet her devotion to her job and loyalty to it as well only made her all the more admirable. With Junko stating that they were ready to leave the premises, Kagami looked around to make sure she wasn't missing anything before saying, "very well then." With a smile on her face and her tone seeming to be a bit more uplifted, the girl simply said, "then let's get going." With that, she opened the door to the room and had left, exiting the hotel.

 

Walking around the town of Seadown, the girl seemed to have an absolutely ecstatic look about her face. Despite Seadown being a place known mostly for its dueling, she could not help but look on with some wonder on her face as her eyes darted from place to place. It wasn't as though she had lived a completely sheltered life, though the times she had left the house and given freedom to move about on her own were few and far between growing up. As such, even the small things such as the hustling and bustling crowd, no doubt going to sign up themselves for the tournament, had filled Kagami with joy. Nevertheless, she was singular in focus. That focus, however, was not to sign up for the upcoming tournament. Instead, she turned over to Junko and had asked, "while we're here, was there anything else you wanted to do? We don't get moments like this often after all."

[Sluggaholic]

Seadown

 

 

Stepping out of a sunlit cafe, that confident strut in his step that was beloved by many led Heidt to the street to join the ever growing crowd that hustled and bustled noisily towards a distant, lit stadium. Even from here, he could hear the fanfare resonating from the humongous stadium. Any closer, and Heidt was sure that he'd feel the vibrations from the bass running through the ground. Of course, this wasn't a complaint on his part. Taking a long drink from his coffee, steam practically rising out of his ears and off of his tongue, Heidt whooped, and began to slide in an out of spaces between the slowly growing crowd. He couldn't believe how packed this place already was. It seemed like just today that the Tournament was announced, and already THIS many people were absolutely ecstatic to see their beloved Tendra thrash some up-and-coming duelists good.

 

Of course, of those, Heidt was sure he would stand the champ. He didn't-- in his mind-- have any reason to doubt himself: his experience may have been lacking compared to quite a few others that were no doubt entering, but his years as an announcer had made him more than knowledgeable about plenty of cards, and how they worked; that was wherein his confidence lay. So, without a shadow of a doubt, Heidt continued slipping his way through the crowd, eager to find his place in line. Many a time nearly dropping his beloved black ichor.

 

- - - - -

 

Though he was nowhere near the front of the line, Heidt still grinned happily, having finally found his place in the Registery and Applications line. His gaze slid left and right, as he took in the duelists all around him. Most of them weren't all that impressive, but a few here and there stood out. For... obvious reasons, most of the time. Most notably the woman a few people ahead of him in the cat-eared hoodie. What a weird get-up... she can't actually be wearing her costume out-of-duel, can she...? If she isn't... wow. Some fashion sense she has. All of this and more ran though his head as he snickered staring at the back of the woman's head. His own dress was pretty normal, he figured. All the better for simply amazing his opponents when the time was extra ripe. Gripping the sports bag at his side, Heidt could barely contain himself, and stop his signature grin from spreading across his face. He was famous, sure, but dressed as he was, especially with his cap and overly plain clothes...

 

He was practically invisible to the media! Sure, he knew the instant he took center stage, he'd be brodcasting himself all across the world... But who was he to give up on some fun just because a little "danger"?

 

[Wind Rider]

Akira made his way down to the stadium, he was quietly listening to his music on the way there but it soon got drowned out by the sound of the large crowd in front of the stadium. "Heh... That many huh? And i bet half of these people are duelists... Well, this'll be interesting..." He turned his music higher and got into the huge line.

 

"Tch... At this rate it'll take forever... Probably won't get a spot in with there being so many duelists..." he mumbled to himself. He decided to take a look at the other duelists here. Some were interesting to say the least, one looked like a maid, another had this kind of cat hoodie on them. "This will be an... Interesting tournament..." he said to himself going back to his music.

[The Frost King]

 

Sitting in the back seat of a black SUV, Michael Anderson was on his way to the dueling stadium. In the front seats were his 2 bodyguards, which followed him wherever he went. “Are you sure you want to enter in that dueling touranment?” Says the bodyguard who’s driving. “Of course I want to enter! I love the attention.”  He looks out the window, and sees that there is less traffic and people than there usually is. Well of course there is, most of the people are at the dueling stadium. And soon He would be there soon. The closer they got to the stadium, the denser the traffic got and soon the SUV was at a complete stop.

 

Michael could see the stadium in the distance and thought of Tendra Thunderham. He was the person that he needed to beat to become the Calisdo King. Michael picked up his deck and looked at one of the cards, Raidraptor- Ultimate Falcon. This was going to be the card that was going to beat Tendra, and any duelist who stood in his way would regret it. Suddenly Razor, who is on Michael’s shoulder, screeches loudly. “Ow! That hurt my ears! Why did you screech like that?” He says while looking at the pet hawk with a mean look. Razor looks from Michael to the front of the SUV and back again. He looks out the front window and realizes something; the SUV has not moved an inch since he last checked.

 

“With this traffic, the tournament will be started by the time I get there!” The only way to get to the stadium is by foot. Before the bodyguards could react, He jumps out of the SUV and starts running to the stadium. The body guard on the passenger side jumps out and runs after him. A few minutes later, Michael runs up to the stadium parking lot and waits for the bodyguard, who’s clearly out of breath when he gets there. “Oh good you’re here, I’m going to go register now.” He walks a few steps before the bodyguard grabs him by the shoulder. “Don’t……ever…..do that again, alright?” Michael looks over his shoulder. “Don’t worry I won’t, Now let’s go!”

 

He walks towards the registration line and notices all the people in it. “I don’t have time to wait in this line!” So with bodyguard in tow, he walks besides the line of people until he gets to the front. There is a man at a table who has just finished signing someone up. “Next!” the man says, and before the next person in line can move forward, Michael cuts in front of him. “Hey, you can’t just cut in front of the line like that! If you want to be in the tournament then get to the back of the line!” The man at the table says. Michael slams his left hand down on the table. “What are you talking about? I’ve been in this line all day!” He gestures towards his left hand which has a hundred dollar bill poking out. The man looks at it for a few seconds before responding. “Oh, my mistake” The man says while taking the dollar, “Here, let me sign you up.” Michael smiled. He did not care that much about money, but it sure did help in many situations.

[ChampionZero]

As he walks away from the counter, registered for the tournament just in time, Elijah felt a deep sense of satisfaction. An immense sigh spilled from his lungs as he memorized his contestant number.

 

I've got a long way to go, but I'm so close I can taste it...

...

Wait, that's a caramel stuck in my teeth.

 

Awkwardly, Elijah attempts to pry the piece of candy off his molar with his tongue, but then decides to just eat another caramel and hope it comes off that way. As he chews on the candy, he produces his Deck and sifts through it until he finds a particular monster. A flame-decorated king in simple but elegant golden armor, carrying a red lance and a blue shield. He swallows the toffee and murmurs "Semper Ad Meliora," remembering the last thing he'd said to his family when he was last here. "I'd go see them, but I promised that the next time they saw me, it'd be on TV, going for the crown of Calisdo with everything I've got."

 

Running a hand through his hair, Elijah abruptly realizes that he is absolutely filthy, from his head to his shoes and he chuckles. "Ha! I should probably go find somewhere to take a shower, eh Solaris?" He chuckles, placing the king of flames on the bottom of his deck so the picture was visible. "Can't get crowned as a king of rags now can I?" He puts his Deck away like he's holstering a gun and takes off with his duffel bag in hand.

[0PxPz0]

Sota had been waiting in line for sometime and had seen several of his potential competition, some kid that cut the line which, while infuriating, did give Sota an idea on his personality, "Brash and impatient, most likely using a quick deck that deals large amounts of damage." Then there were these two strange girls a few people apart in line, one wearing a cat eared hoodie, the other a maids outfit, "With the assumption that they are cosplayers it's likely they have decks themed around popular but not necessarily powerful cards." he thought. a few other seemingly insignificant duelists reached the table until Sota could finally sign up, before the man at the table could ask he jotted down his signature and stepped out of line, assessing any opponents that may be a threat.

[Yui]

---

"Very well then. Then let's get going." And thus, the duo of maid and mistress left the hotel, aiming to join the Calisdo King Tournament.

The small journey through Seadown was a refreshing experience, for Kagami even more than Junko. The Saito child seemed ecstatic to get to just go about town like this, and Junko didn't blame her. Never mind the fact that it was a lovely city, the two didn't often get the chance to just wander about like this. Similar to Kagami, although Junko was happy to look around and see the sights, she kept her main focus on the prize ahead. Her focus was different from Kagami's, however. The tournament. Her focus wavered a bit when Kagami presented her with a question.

 

"While we're here, was there anything else you wanted to do? We don't get moments like this often after all."

 

"Nothing that comes to mind," Junko tensely answered, waiting in line to sign up for the tournament. The chatter of the crowded people around them was tolerable, but Junko didn't trust a crowd of this size to stay relatively quiet for long. "Once we're signed up, would you like to go out somewhere to eat while we wait for the tournament to start?"

[Tojin]

Almost as soon as the school day ended, Esther rushed out of class to the parking lot, eager to go and sign up for the tournament. Her parents had, after much pleading and cajoling, allowed her to enter, on the condition that her entry into the tournament didn't make her slack off on her studies. Simple enough, really. There's nothing much going on in any of my classes, so balancing school and dueling should be a breeze. The faint memory of her English teacher talking about an essay that was due flashed in her mind as Esther reached her car, but she dismissed it. "Pffft. It'll be fine. I'll be fine!" CLUNK "Oww!" Muttering curses in Arabic, Esther sat down in the driver's seat, massaging the spot on her head where it had collided with the roof of her car. "Anyway..." Esther turned the car on and drove straight out of the school parking lot, nearly trampling another student in her haste to get to the stadium.

 

The traffic near the arena was ridiculous, but Esther managed to find a good parking spot eventually. The queue for the arena was tortuously long, so Esther amused herself by people-watching, which was very rewarding. There was the girl with the cat hoodie, the girl in a maid's outfit, Esther's Computer Science teacher, the guy with a pair of bodyguards and a trained hawk on his shoulder... (Hawk Guy also ended up cutting the line by bribing the attendant, which made Esther immediately dislike him. Wait your turn like the rest of us, ya dick.) Hopefully the line would start moving faster soon; otherwise, Esther thought that she may die of boredom.

[Dova]

---

Steven’s face fell at the sight of the huge queue just outside of the Seadown Arena.

It’s not like he hadn’t been aware of the hype surrounding the Calisdo Tournament, or sheer number of people it would involve, but he had just managed to avoid thinking about the implications of so many people signing up for event. And so Steven hadn't made a huge effort to arrive early to the signing up, or even prepared himself mentally for the long wait he would now have to endure.

He sighed and stepped forward, joining the sea of people that seemed to stretch on forever, with only the occasional shuffle to break the illusion that no progress was being made. The constant hubbub made it difficult to focus, but then again Steven had little to concentrate on as he waited. He glanced around, trying to get a grasp at the capabilities of other participants. A few with headphones and/or hoodies, nothing too surprising, but as his eyes swept the crowd he caught sight of a girl in some animal form of hoodie. Perhaps a cat? And...was that a hawk on someone’s shoulder? Steven shook his head, smiling. He couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but either way, it was certainly interesting.

The distraction over, he decided to look through his deck for the third time that day. Anything to keep himself from falling asleep from boredom. He pulled the cards out from his pocket, shuffled them briefly, then began to reformulate strategies.

 

---

“Who else is super hyped for this?”

The question hung in the air, remaining unanswered despite the massive amount of people in the vicinity. A few people glanced briefly at the speaker, before returning to whatever they were doing before the new arrival had so rudely interrupted,

Takei was unperturbed. There were so many people around, and quite a few were bound to be interested in socializing. He had obviously just stumbled onto the wrong part of the crowd at first. After all, what better place to meet some new people than a large gathering like this? It had been that fact combined with his enjoyment of Duel Monsters that had led him to the Tournament, and there was no way he was letting his hopes down yet.

 

Adjusting his glasses, he scanned the rest of the crowd, trying to find a more friendly face. There were certainly some interesting ones, with someone dressed in a maid outfit, and another who liked someone out of a medieval fantasy world, complete with a bird perched next to his head. Not anyone who looked particularly keen, but no matter. It shouldn’t be hard to make a friend, regardless of initial feelings.

A blonde-haired girl with a red highlight in her hair caught his eye. There was something interesting about her expression, so he sidled over to her, and decided to begin with some idle chat.

“Hey there! I’m Takei, pleased to meet you!”

 

---

[~Faytl~]

 

Houki had been waiting in line for some time, having been one of the earliest at the arena. She had been staying quiet, huddled in her own little bubble without speaking to the throngs of people around her. They had all made her nervous. All of these people were potential opponents between her and Tendra... Could she really match up to them? 

 

She had thought Tendra was a force to be reckoned with... Now she had all of these guys on her plate as well. Great. Just great.

 

SHe was shaken from her stupor by the interruption of someone cutting in the line... A boy with a bodyguard? And a HAWK. What the hell was this? 

 

Regardless of the wierd amalgamation of crap this guy had, Houki knew he had made a bad decision... Because he had chosen to cut in front of her. She scowled, rejoining the world as she reached out, grabbing the shoulder that wasn't occupied by a goddamn trained BIRD, of all things, and spun him around roughly, grabbing him by his shirt front and glaring into his eyes with withering anger.

 

"What the hell is your problem, Richie Rich?" she asked sharply and loudly. Many of the other tournament hopefuls turned their heads at the sound of her voice. "You think you can cut in front of me just because you have some dumb muscle and some cash?"

 

"Please let's keep this civil," the person at the desk said nervously, hurriedly hiding the money in their sock as Houki briefly glared at them, before returning her attention to Michael.

 

"I've been waiting to duel in this tournament for years," she growled. "What gives you the right to cut in front of me on your little rich kid lark, huh?"