Yu-gi-oh 5Ds: Rise of Darkness and Corruption (Athene/ImaginaryMuse & Razgriz)


Prior to Jun making his thoughts loud and clear - even going so far as to let Yuna hear them - she'd been mostly still. Right hand still pressed against the glass, yet it also remained stationary. Relaxed. Never moving nor making an effort to; simply staying in the same pose, very much looking like she was constantly trying to reach out to Hotsuma, trying to comfort him despite being separated from her comrade and ally.

That mindset, however, quickly changed when she heard Jun include her in the ongoings between Hotsuma and himself.

"Now, Hotsuma...There is a way to stop this. Release your power...It calls to you, let it out!"

.... Wait, what?! What the fuck is going on?! Oi, what are you doing to him?!

" .... How is she?" Aki asked the same tech-savvy individual Divine had been speaking with during these experiments. "What stage?"

"Beta, but barely," Aki, Jun, and Divine would hear.

Sure enough, a quick peek down at Yuna's chamber would show her eyes fighting against the anesthesia, trying to open as she literally was starting to work on waking herself up. Her formerly calm pose changed and as Aki saw her fists clench, her eyes narrowed.

... She did exactly as Aki expected and even while still trapped under the water and glass, Yuna began pounding on the prison. Pretty hard, considering water was perfectly capable of slowing the human body's movements and reactions. And the impacts were nothing to sneeze at, either.

In fact, they were becoming increasingly stronger with each failed attempt, which made Aki actually do something she hadn't had to in quite some time. Act.

"I've got this," she muttered, more to Divine than anyone else, as she put her hands down atop the chamber and began actually focusing.

No fair. Aren't we working with you?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US?!

Even with Aki's efforts, the struggles didn't stop. They continued, only seeming to get more desperate each time ... implying that maybe Yuna had started to beat Hotsuma in waking up. Potential wise, anyway, and even possibly conscious.

She's ... actually ... putting up quite the fight with me ... Aki relayed, omitting only Hotsuma and the scientist from the conversation. If she's anything similar to me, we may need to ... give her something. A restraint of sorts, like the one I have in my hair most of the time.

It was a precaution given to her by Divine himself. Without it ... well ... Aki's powers would be in a very dangerous state, all the time. And that could very well lead to an array of unfortunate circumstances. And in this very moment, that may even mean Yuna being forced into a comatose state, and that was if Aki managed to get a grip on herself. Otherwise, she would most likely die without the same restraint she'd spoken to Divine about. Simply because she was that strong and capable.

"Fuck," Aki growled, now panting slightly as Jun's torture shifted from Hotsuma to Yuna. "I ... don't think this is the best of ideas, Jun-san ... "

... But ... he'd already started. And given she was doing her absolute best to focus on keeping Yuna from breaking out and engaging any of the members in a fist fight, she couldn't stop Jun from using his abilities. It definitely wouldn't halt Aki from giving him an irked glare though.

NOOOOOOOOOO!

Even with the mercy Jun was including, he was still making the sensation happen. Which thus meant it still hurt, very much so.

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU?! Yuna added, actually whimpering.

"She's at Gamma brain wave stages!"

"Then increase her dosage!" Aki hissed.

"But ... "

"DO IT!" Aki demanded, added hastily, "I may not be Divine-sama, but I'm barely below him in rank! You will listen to me as if I were him! Increase her anesthesia dosage! NOW!"

"Understood," she finally heard, followed by some buttons quickly being pushed.

WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU ALL DOING?! STOP!

Finally, the pounding against the glass did begin to weaken. Simultaneously though, it would be noticed that some of the surface did now wear weak but easy to spot cracks. And even if she was physically strong enough to do so, it wasn't likely she'd used only her prowess. The faintest hints of what Psychic potential she did possess very likely snuck in, emerging subconsciously while she was being tortured and hearing it being performed on Hotsuma, manifesting in her fists.

M-My back ... the fuck are you doing? Why is it burning .... ??

That made Aki raise an eyebrow. That was a good question, one she wanted the answer to, as did the others likely.

First thing was first; the struggles needed to cease. Then and only after that would Aki remove her hands off the glass, eliciting labored breaths as she did so. The sight alone would be more than enough to give both Divine and Jun an idea of how strong Yuna would be.

Mind you, it hadn't been like Aki used even 10% of her power.

But the fact she used more than 1% was a feat in itself.

Holding a slightly shaky hand out towards Yuna, Aki lifted her via telekinesis up. Lo and behold, the answer regarding her back was found in the form of her own tattoo.

"They ... are both ready, it seems ... " Aki said in between breaths, working on regaining all of the oxygen she temporarily lost.
 
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Well, now, this was getting interesting.

As Jun might torture her, he could practically feel Yuna's mind going out of control; yes, she might be a tad dangerous. Especially if Aki herself felt the need to intervene; she'd always been quite good at gauging the potential of others. And even though Yuna might not be all that strong, he shared her sentiment about needing a restraint of some kind. Not so much to restrain the magnitude, but to restrain the widespread nature of her influence.

Then again, this was just their infancy in terms of becoming true Psychics. Who knew how strong they would become? As it stood, it seemed Yuna would far surpass Hotsuma, even though his awakening cracked the glass. But he was still unconscious, whereas Yuna was waking up through sheer force of will.

Too close to tell, really.

He simply watched on as Yuna's brainwaves reached the Gamma stage; well now, any farther and she might even beat Aki in terms of initial development. And with how his right-hand woman was all but demanding to increase the anesthesia, he couldn't help but be amused; yes, he definitely chose well with these two. Though hopefully the boy would wake from his state of self-pitying; maybe being exposed and awakened would at the very least help him see that he was giving them power.

And when things calmed down, Divine was silent for a long moment, seeming very pleased with everything that just happened. "Yes, indeed they are...To think she pushed you so far, Aki. An impressive feat, wouldn't you agree?" he then stated; of course, she'd still only used the faintest vestiges of her strength. Even so, the degree she was pushed to...Marvelous, that was the word. "Yuna, Hotsuma...I can't wait to see how you turn out." Divine mused gleefully; this hadn't turned out at all like he expected, and he was oh so curious to see how this would develop.

"Master...What shall we do now?" Jun then asked, smiling as he watched Hotsuma's still form; the tattoo on his chest signified such strength, and he wanted so badly to fight him again. "Hmm...Probably best we let them rest for a day or two. These developments were unexpected, and I would like to keep them under observation while their minds adjust." Still, something about those tattoos was off; none of the few others he'd tested this method showed such a thing appearing on them.

It was here that Divine himself intervened, using his abilities to help suppress the waking instincts of Hotsuma and Yuna further. "Let's move them to the downstairs isolation area; should be more comfortable for them. And I don't think the stress of the cells by this point will help speed their development." Truth be told, by this point such a thing could even be counter-productive....

*Some time later that day*

Instead of the cells that had been their home for the past day or two, Hotsuma and Yuna would be in a huge room with what appeared to be a giant energy barrier at all four sides. And instead of the matte concrete, the room itself was warmly lit and much more comforting, the walls that overlayed the energy barrier a radiant white. In fact, it was more like a small apartment here; one could only wonder why Divine would have such a room, but maybe its purpose was to adjust to living here.

Feeling safer amongst fellow Psychics.

Hotsuma's pounding headache was what woke him up, and unlike the mattress from before - hard and lumpy - this was one definitely softer. Far more forgiving on the body, one that he could easily fall back asleep on. However, he then shot up more as he realized he was awake and out of the tube...Only to find his current surroundings, and the fact that he was now unbound.

But he didn't find Yuna...Where was she? Where was this now? "Y-Yuna...Yuna?!" he called out, a genuine fear for her safety starting to overtake him. That bastard Jun had started to inflict pain on her, and all just to get a rise out of him. "And for what?! What the hell was all of this for?!" the Disciples boss roared out, even more agitated as he shot out of the bed and into the main observing area, seeing Divine standing behind the energy barrier. Itself like a wall of green light.

"You son of a bitch....I'll fucking murder you!" Hotsuma shouted before charging with reckless abandon...Only to have the energy barrier literally throw him hard backwards, a loud 'Ooomph' accompanying a gasp of pain as he landed hard on his back, his body ringing in agony as he tried to get up, only succeeding in doing so slowly. "Oh dear...You really should be more careful, Hotsuma. The experiment was a success, by the way...Take a look." A gloved hand from Divine then pointed down, Hotsuma's eyes following to see the strange mark on his chest.

"The hell is this...." he muttered, looking back at Divine furiously, the Arcadia leader snickering, "I have no clue myself; I've never seen anything like it. But the data shows you've definitely awakened...The question is now...How did it affect you?" His eyes focusing a little on the young man, adding in an excited voice "I'm so deathly curious to know!"
 

The moment Aki heard the words 'downstairs isolation chamber', she wasted little time in reacting. First, she opened Yuna's pod. Slowly, she removed the mask giving the young woman anesthesia, only to hoist her up, carrying the unconscious female bridal style. "Given the talk we recently had, I will be her watcher for the time being," Aki stated, walking out and heading to the proper destination with Yuna.

Of course, she wasn't at all amazed to walk by Takumo. She would have been more taken aback if he didn't try to rendezvous with her. For the briefest of moments, he looked ecstatic; though that was obviously before noting who was holding her. Disappointment quickly showed in his face as he elicited a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. "The fuck are you doing, hmm?"

"You are not in charge of her anymore," Aki simply relayed. "Even Divine-sama no longer trusts you. I don't know who you're trying to fool, but us? You're the only idiot if you think for one second that'll work."

The air quickly became tense as the two Arcadia members glared at one another. At least three minutes of silence would linger before Aki finally spoke again, "If you truly want to help out with her, prove you will behave. You can start ... by gathering her clothes. She will not be in that cell any longer. She and Hotsuma are being transferred."

"Where to?"

"Meet me here. I will wait. Alternatively, if you refuse to move, then I will do all of this on my own. But I'm not telling you which area they are being taken to."

" ... Bitch ... " Takumo growled, storming off with a very pissed off huff.
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When Yuna finally woke up, it would be at least an hour - maybe two - after Hotsuma. No doubt the extra anesthesia played a part as to why it took so long for her to regain her consciousness. Just like she had done so before, Yuna woke up ... alone, which made her whimper and grimace. "Goddamnit," she muttered, groaning as she began to slowly sit up, feeling dizzy and very light-headed. But ... at least comfortable. In fact, the most that she had been since arriving here. [/SIZE]

"Easy," Aki said, making Yuna's head turn to see her; masked and clad in the robe, but otherwise sitting in a chair beside the bed. "You're probably still feeling like crap, if I had to guess. It was, unfortunately, a necessary evil."

"Oh fuck off. The whole lot of you can!"

Yuna's legs started to leave the bed ... only to feel they couldn't quite do just that. Her head jerked as she saw herself dressed in more than just the lingerie - thank gods - but chained to the bed. At least they had slack, but they still existed nonetheless. "Oh!!! The fuck is this shit?!"

"A precaution. You actually fought off the anesthesia for a bit. To avoid ... well ... you repeating a similar pattern I did when my powers first began to wake up, these are going to remain on you. As you can see and feel, however, you aren't being kept right against the bed. I am giving you some leeway which I can say right now isn't a gift I offer many people. So be glad for what you do have."

"Leave me alone ... " Yuna whined, thinking for a bit she was going to get her wish as Aki turned around and left. Alas, her prayers were only temporarily heeded. She would find, though, that maybe this would be a rare time she'd actually tolerate Aki's presence, as she came back with a tray of food, setting it carefully down on Yuna's lap. "There is a shower within this room. I will let you use it after you eat and I'm convinced you will be civil towards me. Is that understood?"

" .... You gonna tell me your name? Or should I use something like 'bitch'?"

"No. You will use Aki."

Yuna stared down at the food, not immediately eating like Aki thought. Instead, she watched the raven-haired woman look back up to her and speak in the calmest tone she could muster, "Hotsuma ... where is he? I wanna be with him. Please."

" ... Not yet. He is a few doors down."

"God-fucking-damnit, please! I don't wanna be alone much longer! And don't you dare say I'm not! I am when it comes to being around 'good' company!"

"I'm not Takumo, who would have definitely said such a thing. I realize what you meant. All the same, that's another precaution. You have worked with him for so long, have you not? It's our way of ensuring you two won't try to plan anything and go against Divine-sama."

Yuna whimpered as she moved her head quickly from side to side, "I could care less about that right fucking now! Please just let me be with him again ... "

" ... No. Not yet."

"URGH!" Yuna tossed the tray off her lap, causing the dishes to break and the food to litter the floor. Aki sighed, shooting Yuna a glare before beginning to clean it up. " ... Alright. I'll come back in a few hours to check up on you. Be grateful I don't like Takumo very much. As such, he shouldn't try to come over and visit you; if he does, that isn't my or Divine's doing. Simply his own."

"FUCK OFF ALREADY!" Yuna screamed, hearing the door shutting - barely avoiding outright slamming - for a response. Trembling hands covered her face as Yuna hid herself and began to weakly cry.

This is fucking bullshit. Hotsuma? You okay?

... That other freak - Jun - had done some odd version of telepathy. Some ability that allowed her to hear his thoughts. So ... was that what the experiment had been for? Hopefully. All she knew is she needed something to help keep her sane. And if Yuna absolutely couldn't be with Hotsuma, somehow speaking to him would have to work.

Please tell me I'm doing this right. Please tell me you can hear this. .... I miss you. I'm scared. I wanna go home ...
 
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"You...motherfucker..." Hotsuma grumbled, slowly standing up as he glared the leader of this insane place, who still wore that stupid grin. Like he was in absolute control of everything.

Made it all worse when Hotsuma deep down knew that's exactly what it was. Divine had him and Yuna exactly where he wanted them: Under his watchful eyes, his and that stupid bitch in the mask. Like little guinea pigs for their stupid fucking tests.

"Well now...You were under a fairly large dose of anesthesia, so it's actually surprising to see you move so well. I figured you would be the more violent sort, but it seems you know when to knuckle under." Divine said, not resisting the urge to poke at Hotsuma's insecurity about the whole situation. "Yeah, well, don't get comfortable; I swear, if that redheaded bitch hurts Yuna..." Hotsuma started to rant, but Divine held up a hand, silencing Hotsuma almost instantly. "I detest that term, you know; Aki might not mind and I've tried my hardest not to be offended in her stead. But she is someone I respect dearly and I'll not have you use that word to talk about her."

Letting that sit for a moment, Divine lowered his hand back to his side, letting Hotsuma speak once more, "Never figured you one to play favorites." Divine smirked, "I won't lie; Aki is a very special woman, and I'm extremely fortunate to have someone like her by my side." Now then, as I was about to say...Aki has tended to Yuna herself; I know of Takumo's perverse thoughts and for a time I was content to let him enjoy himself. But now I've relinquished watch of her to Aki, and despite their exchanges earlier I know she'll not harm her."

And after another few moments, Hotsuma shot back, "What? You expect me to worship you or something? If that freak did do anything, I'll bury him just like that bastard Jun!" It seemed the time in the tube had revitalized him; what a way to start getting his spark back, Divine mused. "Oh no, I expect nothing less than you to oppose me for now; in fact, I feel it will greatly accelerate your development. But a thank you wouldn't hurt, would it?" the man then quipped playfully, Hotsuma snarling "Go to hell."

However, both of them would get an interruption, Hotsuma's body stiffening as he heard Yuna's voice in his head.

This is fucking bullshit. Hotsuma? You okay?

Hotsuma's eyes widened when he considered what this meant. "Yes, Hotsuma. Congratulations on that; not many achieve telepathy - sending or receiving - so quickly...Go on, answer her." then said Divine, smiling still as he instantly deducted the reason for the young man looking so surprised. It was still amusing, watching people's faces when they realized that this method of communication was freely available to them. Still, he figured now would be a good time to leave; best to let them reconnect. No doubt that Yuna would be somewhat relieved to see that her partner-in-crime was at least responsive.

Please tell me I'm doing this right. Please tell me you can hear this. .... I miss you. I'm scared. I wanna go home ...

God damn that was painful to hear; here Hotsuma had been pitying himself, not letting him be there for her when she needed to be strong. She had burdened his worries and her own...

"No more of that shit"

Taken out of context, it would sound awfully like Hotsuma criticizing her for crying; in truth, he wasn't going to let her face this by herself. Trying to deny it wouldn't make it go away...He was just pissed Yuna had to get this way for him to realize how much of a selfish dick he'd been.

"Yuna...I'm here, and I'm not doing that wallowing in my own shit anymore. I'm done with the pity train; I'm just sorry I couldn't be there for you as you were for me. I'm not doing that shit anymore, I'm not leaving a friend to face it alone; from here on out, we're getting through this as a team. And we will get out, even if it means I have to drag both of our broken, beaten and shot-up asses out myself."

He paused to let his thoughts stabilize, feeling their minds sort of mesh, unknowingly establishing a truly powerful psychic connection between the pair.

"But trust me...I ain't exactly holding up myself. Even so...We'll suffer through this together. And Yuna? Thank you...For not letting me fall away. I know I said I wasn't sure I could hold up...But I know that if you're here with me, I ain't falling down. Not unless I take Divine and that bitch Aki with me."

Hotsuma then looked down at his chest, seeing this strange tattoo; letting his thoughts travel to Yuna as he asked, "Yuna...I know with Takumo being a creepy fuck, you probably don't want to talk about your body...But I got this weird tattoo on my body, and I know I didn't have an inker put that shit on me. Did you get one too? What do you think this means?"

Divine of course, could hear everything that was going on between them; good, it seemed that things might just look up for these two. Hotsuma was looking more energetic, and finally talking to his friend again. Though Jun had to stifle a laugh as he insulted his own partner, verbally jabbing him "Oh dear...Takumo, it seems even Hotsuma finds you repulsive. Maybe that's a sign?"

Divine smirked as he ignored his two underlings, instead addressing his most trusted associate, "Well, Aki? What do you make of them? I could hear your thoughts on Yuna...But what do you make of Hotsuma?" He had his own indecisions about both of them, but he wanted to get input from her about the male. See if she foresaw any potential in him.
 

Yuna bit onto her lower lip, rolling on her side. Silence ... a sound she didn't used to mind so much. Now, she was hating it. The longer it lingered, the worse it was for Yuna. Her head fell back atop the pillow and for a few moments, falling back into a more normal sleep actually sounded like an amazing idea. She was so fucking tired, so exhausted of this 'being put under' shit. Slowly, her eyes began to close. Only to quickly open back up - and narrow - upon hearing Hotsuma's first reply.

... I'm going to pretend you were talking about something else - maybe even someone - just not me. Because ... that'd be pretty fucking heartless, given all we've had to endure. And you're smarter than that.

When she got a confirmation that was indeed the case, he'd hear her sigh in relief as she nodded, mainly to herself. Reaching down, Yuna pulled the covers over herself, more to keep warm than anything, and listened to his responses.

About damn time, boy. Geez. Welcome back though, on a more serious - and positive - note. But .... will we really be able to? What the fuck day is it? Three? Four? Too long .. it's already more than I thought, that's for sure. And ... that's making me ....

Her teeth latched back onto her lower lip as she tried to go over the days, looking for something - some memory or anything - that could imply there was indeed a sliver of hope they could get out. The only thing coming to her mind was the fact the seemed t awaken, at least to an extent. It wasn't much but from how people were reacting, it had actually happened. And it had done so with quite the start, from what she could gather.

... I'll just ... I'll feel better when we actually can, ya know? The whole 'seeing is believing' sorta thing. Right now? Another sigh resounded from Yuna before she confessed softly, I'm a wreck. I'm fucking trying not to be but ... Jesus, Hotsuma. This is beyond fucked up. I didn't think there was much worse than Sector out there. This is ... one fuck an eye-opening experience ...

This train of telepathic thoughts was interrupted as well, but not by an exasperated sigh. Instead, the sound of Yuna coughing would be heard.

.... I guess .... that dream wasn't much of a dream then? I remember hitting the door to those stupid chambers, inwardly screaming my head off. And ... I guess when I did that, I swallowed some of the water. A-anyway .... you're welcome. I'll give you the pendant probably pretty quickly, depending on if you an keep proving whether that's a good idea or not.

Though he couldn't see her from his room, Hotsuma could very likely feel Yuna rolling her eyes when he brought up the tattoos. Okay, first thing's first; I'm more than okay talking about my body. It's showing it off, or being forced to like with that ... that was not lingerie. That was way sluttier though ... the shade of blue was nice. Not gonna lie. But yeah; being forced into that sorta crap or being approached by said creep; those are things related to my body I'm not okay with. you too though? Yeah ... I think? I'm not sure. Near the end - before I passed out again - my back burned, like someone put a brand or a hot poker against it. Figures that mine would be on a crappy location. Tch.

Her eyes rolled again, though more at annoyance for not being able to confirm her answer or not.

... If Aki and Divine don't fucking mind giving us visiting rights soon, I'll let you check. Because ... I wanna know if there is something I didn't originally get on my body.

I already told you that answer, Aki interrupted, arriving at Divine's side. The mask was still on, but it didn't need to be off for Hotsuma to know she was very annoyed right then and there. Just like Jun had allowed both leaders to hear his thoughts, she was doing the same thing. Behave. Prove you deserve it and then you can stop being separated. Tossing your food towards me did anything but help you ...

.... Haven't you ever fucking been told it's rude to interrupt? Look here, Aki, we've been fucking cooperating. I don't know what more you want from us, but if it's to be a pet like you are to Divine, nope. Not happening. Sorry to disappoint ya.

... I've already gotten the green light to use force against Takumo. Don't make me consider allowing him to get close to you. Because I really would hate resorting to that. Or - even worse - don't make me want to receive the green light to use the same force that can be applied to him on you.

When the second option was heard, that made Yuna calm down and go silent.

.... Good. Glad to hear your intelligence is genuine, at least. You have a damn good head attached to your shoulders; it'd be a shame to be unable to use it in any form or fashion. Now then, I'll repeat myself once more, but that's it. I'll be back in an hour or two, with food. If after your meal and shower, I deem your behavior to be acceptable, you can join me. Really, it isn't that hard.

Yuna bit again on her lip, this time fighting the urge to let her thoughts be heard.

.... Fine. Now do you mind?

A noise somewhat similar to a phone being slammed down and the call getting disconnected echoed in both Hotsuma and Yuna's minds, though it was much worse with the latter. No doubt an easy way for Aki to get back at her while being merciful with how she did so.

"As he is right now? Hmmm." Aki leaned forward, silently studying Hotsuma before nodding. "It's probably subconscious, but it actually feels like he's trying to hide how strong he actually is. It's thus hard to get a decent read. The fact, though, that he can speak freely with Yuna so soon .... they're both on par, if I had to guess. I don't think either of them are superior to the other like most people we've seen. They're legitimately, equally matched for the most part. Even if Yuna did get a slight head start in waking up, he's very close behind. Being able to reply with telepathy indicates that much. In order to get the most accurate reading, however, we'll need to put them up to a real test."

The heavy emphasis on the word 'real' easily suggested one thing; if they thought everything they'd been through so far sucked, no. There was such a thing as worse. and whatever that may or may not be, they would have to endure 'it' soon enough.
 
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As comforting as it might have been to hear she was a wreck too - insofar that they were both in the same boat - he'd only wish this sort of crap on Sector. And even then he'd have some reservations about it; take away potentially giving them destructive Psychic abilities and he'd be all for it. Those assholes deserved to be the ones locked in cages, not them.

Hotsuma couldn't help smiling a little as she started to lecture him out about her body; OK, he might not have worded that the best way possible. He was just trying to tread carefully because a) He'd been assholishly self-centered as of late and b) he figured Takumo had talked enough about her body that she didn't want to talk about it at all anymore. "Alright, alright...I get it. But anyway...Maybe find a mirror or something? Or see if His Highness will be so kind as to step down from his pedestal and give you one?" he replied, making sure to let that Tops douche hear his every word.

Not like it mattered, as he knew damn well they would be monitored. If they could read their thoughts before they were 'awakened', there was no doubt they could see things crystal clear now. But when Takumo was brought up again, he paused; Divine himself even looked surprised at Aki's forwardness. Then again, he knew by now that she was the type to maintain order for Arcadia at any cost, even if it meant using less-than-humane methods of doing so. Even so, it still surprised him from time to time that she could be so delightfully direct.

Once their little back and forth was done, and the connections between Yuna and Hotsuma blocked, the latter recoiled a bit from the severance. "And don't worry, Hotsuma; we'll feed you too." Divine then called out; soon enough, Divine would be seen walking towards Hotsuma's cell with another platter of food - this time a fish and rice dish with sauteed vegetables and fresh fruit - while he had instructed Aki to bring Yuna her new meal of the same thing. Finding the Fiend doing pushups, likely to burn off the last of the anesthesia and work off the frustration he was feeling.

"Feeling spry, Hotsuma? Don't worry, I had Aki bring a small mirror with her; no doubt your friend is curious about the mark on her back. I know I would be" Divine said calmly, Hotsuma only leering in return. "You're being real hands-on now, dick. What gives?" Divine's smirk never faltered, "Come now, must you still be so distrusting? I already promised to keep your identity from Sector, the least you could do is not be so cold. Here, I've even brought a gift of good faith." The energy barrier seemed to part just enough for the tray to slide through, letting Hotsuma take the meal.

"Tch. This isn't anything about good faith, this is just so we don't keel over while you're analyzing us." the Disciples boss then retorted smartly, Divine replying "True, having either one of you die of starvation would not be a good thing at all. But I do hope you'll see that I am trying to help you. And don't worry about Aki's threat either; Takumo's already been warned about his behavior, and he knows very well the consequences of crossing either myself or her. She might be my underling, but she has just as much authority here as I do. Plus...Between you and I, I think she finds her attitude amusing, since as you've seen...She's got one herself." He meant that, of course in the best of ways towards; she wasn't a snob or anything, but neither did she tolerate any sign of disrespect or incompetence.

Hotsuma just sneered, "Won't do you much good if the little shit goes behind your back. Authority only covers what it sees." Divine just laughed, "And I suppose you would know that, given your reputation in Satellite. Always skirting around Sector, trying to avoid them...Or at the very least, hit them before they hit you. But trust me when I say Takumo isn't well liked." Taking some bites of his food while this asshole talked and talked, Hotsuma paused and then asked, "But let me guess, you keep him around because he has talents you can use?"

"Right again, boy...And one of those talents, much like his partner Jun, is getting to the roots of people's triggers. And despite his less-than-pure interest in Yuna, he will be instrumental in helping you both unlock your potentials. But...When push comes to shove, Hotsuma, it's really best that you don't hold back." Hotsuma's gaze hardened even more, "Trust me...If it's against you fucks, you can expect one hundred and ten percent." Instead of feeling threatened, Divine just nodded, "Excellent..Then I suggest you eat and rest up. And do try to behave; at the earliest, you and Yuna can probably mingle with the others and each other by the day after tomorrow." And without saying anything, he left the Fiend to his own devices...For then the real tests would begin tomorrow.



Forty-eight hours later, and soon enough, the two leaders in Satellite were going to be free to mingle for the first time since their 'incarceration' here at Arcadia. It would be damn nice to walk more than ten feet in a straight line, and plus...Hotsuma was pretty damned eager to actually see Yuna again.

Of course, the reprieve from the testing chambers had been nice; plus, they actually had the chance to shower and get their clothes cleaned. Given that he was back to his old self, he felt right at home in the clothes he had worn, jacket and all. His shirt now hid the mark that emblazoned his left pectoral; he still had no idea what it did, only that it was some key that identified his power.

The last two days of testing weren't even that bad; a lot of it was more questions and such, as well as some electrodes that were stuck to their heads to get more precise readings of brainwave information. Oh, and there was a physical...Thankfully it wasn't the kind that meant a greased finger or rubber glove for him, more it was a series of bloodwork and fitness tests. The latter of which actually surprised the techs; apparently there was an assumption that most people in Satellite were frail and decrepit from lack of available food. Something that led him to nearly punching out the on-site dentist that said Hotsuma had great teeth for a Satellite resident despite some cavities and mild gingivitis. Honestly...These uppity fucking dickheads could go drown and he wouldn't bat an eye.

"And now...You going to promise to behave, boy? If you do, you and your dear friend Yuna can actually see each other today." Jun then said, Divine having left him and Aki to deal with these two; he would observe their actions from afar and only intervene if absolutely necessary. "Only if you promise to keep your friend's hands off Yuna" Hotsuma grumbled, more than displeased to see this freak's face. "Aw, you speak so much about her that you must be in love with her." Jun teased, adding "Just remember what happened when we first dueled, Hotsuma..."

Hotsuma's eyes hardened, "So...Supposedly there are more tests? What, you gonna try and piss me off? Shouldn't be too hard...All I have to do is look at that ugly ass face of yours and I'm sure that whatever power I supposedly got will turn on no problem." Jun's grin never left, "Ah, I'm so glad you're back! But no...The tests today will indeed test how to manifest your ability, and there's only one way to do that. Now come come...We have much to do and so little time to do it in."

And just like, the energy barrier lowered...Hotsuma being allowed to walk out unrestrained, but under Jun's watchful gaze. But as if to entice him, Hotsuma would be treated today...
 

True to her word, Aki did walk back to Yuna's new room an hour and a half later. However, as opposed to immediately entering, she first whistled to get the other woman's attention before speaking up, "Is there a point to me coming in? Or should I just leave? I have a mirror to help you look at your back."

... The extra incentive hadn't been necessary, but it was a nice bonus. Mainly because Yuna was slowly starting to feel like she was actually being listened to, which made the way she looked at Divine and Aki improve. Granted, they were far away from being anything close to allies like Hotsuma was. But they were steadily getting more and more on her better side. It'd make her attitude more tolerable and thus any future interactions from Yuna more ... generous. Not perfect, but at least - if this kept up, that was - this would go smoother for almost everyone.

Obviously, there was still the rocky situation with Takumo but ... Yuna had been half serious when she told him she wasn't afraid of him.

... Doesn't matter ... she reminded herself, nodding as she sat up on her bed. "Please do come in."

The word 'please' made Aki raise an eyebrow slightly and even smirk as she walked in. Naturally, Divine's guess had been dead on. There weren't many women, and even less had any sort of fire in them. So yes, that was one reason she got as feisty as she did with Yuna; not out of hate, but seeing a kindred spirit of sorts within the raven-haired woman. "Interesting," Aki mused, "I didn't think you ... well, never mind. No sense in bringing up topics that don't matter, right?"

Slowly, the red-head walked beside Yuna and placed the tray down.

... And was pleasantly surprised when she saw Yuna prove her words hadn't been laced in deceit. Indeed, she started eating, barely avoiding going too fast lest she get a stomach ache.

"Much better," Aki muttered, sighing softly as she sat down in the same chair Yuna first saw her in. "I don't think we've had people quite like you and Hotsuma in a long while."

" ... What do you mean by that exactly?" Yuna quipped, keeping her tone civil if only because Aki had done so.

"Fighters. Literally and metaphorically. Even without the powers, you and your friend have ... proven yourselves quite a bit. You both do indeed make very formidable foes."

Yuna smirked, taking that as a compliment more than anything and nodded. "Well ... yeah. It's one of the few reasons we've been able to survive as decently as we have, after all. Hard to live in the Satellite and practice a pacifist-esque way of life. Pace doesn't really exist, as far as I'm concerned."

The rest of the meal was mostly quiet, save for the few times Aki had actual questions for Yuna; about her, her past, things of the like. As Aki took the tray, she handed the mirror over to Yuna, simultaneously making the chains vanish. "The bathroom's over there. Feel free to take as long as you need. I suggest getting as much rest and relaxation as you can, because once the period for your break ends, the real trials will begin."

" ... I understand .... " Yuna replied deciding to kill two birds with one stone. Keeping the mirror firmly held, she walked into the bathroom. Once the door closed behind her, she began stripping and found that there was indeed an odd mark on her back.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

Over the course of the next two days, Yuna took advantage of being able to use telepathy and 'spoke' with Hotsuma using that very method. It was the easiest way for her to cope with the separation crap they were being forced to endure. But now, finally, they could see one another. Disregarding all of the times they were led to the chamber room - and even the exercises done in the past 48 hours - it was hard to say Yuna really ever 'saw' or 'spoke' with Hotsuma outside of training.

Today, though, would be different and Yuna couldn't be any happier if she tried.

.... Well, that's not true but ... still.

Mind you, there were still the usual 'tests' she and Hotsuma had been subjected to doing the past near week since they started 'staying' at Arcadia. But with the promise of being able to freely see one another afterwards, it'd be worth it. Or so that was what Yuna kept telling herself.

To try to get back for not being able to perform the type of visits he actually wanted to have, Takumo had stopped by and replaced Yuna's normal shirt with ... something else. But, like the stubborn woman she was, she accepted the silent dare and was now clad in a new outfit, half of which had originally belonged to her. The jeans were definitely the same; however, it would be very easy to note the top was not something Yuna would usually wear. Certainly not in public, anyway.

"You know," Aki stated, waiting for Yuna to walk out of the bathroom and finish changing, "You don't have to humor Takumo if you don't want to. He's just --- "

"I think I get what he's trying to do. I know I don't owe that fucker shit. But I also know a few things. One, this top isn't too bad. Different but ... not the worst he culd have chosen."

"And two?"

Yuna chuckled, smirking proudly, "If he thinks he can get the best of me, so be it. I'll enjoy seeing his reaction when I can walk out in this."

"That's a bold and danagerous game you're playing."

"I don't care. I'm not afraid of him. I did mean that. Worse than him is .... the implication of forcing a child to be born in this world. Stupid son of a bitch doesn't clearly understand I wouldn't wanna force a kid to be alive. Especially when even being yourself nowadays is a crime. Maybe ... maybe later. When either Sector is gone or drastically weakened, I'll consider the thought more. But not before then."

With telepathy being a double-edged sword, it seemed the easier way to talk about Takumo without him knowing was with someone else. And while Aki wasn't someone she completely trusted, it was definitely much better than her faith in Takumo himself. Which was thus enough to confess a good part of the reason the threat of rape truly scared her, beside simply the act itself.

" ... I see. You would be a good mom."

"I know," Yuna replied in a slightly cocky tone. "And I wanna be one. Eventually." she repeated, heavily emphasizing on the last word. "But not yet. And definitely not to a random stranger."

"To Hotsuma?"

".... What?!" Yuna turned towards the door, shooting a glare over. "The fuck's that mean?!"

"You two clearly care about one another so much. I thought you were already an item?"

"You fucking kidding? No! After the stunt I pulled .... " Her head moved quickly from side to side, "I was lucky enough not to lose him as an ally. I ... don't know if he sees me that way. Hell, I'm ... lucky enough as it is to just have him as a friend still. I ... really wouldn't have blamed him if he turned his back on me. But ... I am glad he didn't."

Slowly, Yuna walked out in the corset and jeans outfit, straightening the top out subconsciously. Just as a precaution more than anything.

"... Not bad at all. Alright. Come on."

Naturally, Tokuma did rendezvous with Aki and Yuna, looking slightly irked but more amused that Yuna had managed to accept and go through with his dare.

Soon, the two arrived in the same room Divine, Jun, and Hotsuma were all in. Aside from the people, it was rather large and otherwise very empty. There were, however, two sets of items that would no doubt stand out. Laid out upon a table were Yuna and Hotsuma's decks and duel disks, looking untouched and undamaged.

Takumo would be the first to walk inside, followed by Aki - sans the mask, believe it or not - and finally ... Yuna. And when Yuna saw Hotsuma, no amount of acting could have tried to hide the smile that appeared the moment she saw her friend alive, well, and out of chains.
 
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Needless to say, Hotsuma was wary of this whole place: Everyone seemed happy to be here, happy to have a place to call a home. He supposed that he and Yuna were doing the same thing; though they certainly didn't fucking kidnap people and experiment on them! But whatever, these mooks didn't seem worse for wear. He even caught a few of them using their Duel Disks and not even Dueling...Just placing cards down and seeing the monsters appear.

"The fuck..." he muttered; how the hell were they able to do that? "Oh that's the easiest thing to do by far; you probably won't get it at first, but trust me...All will become clear once you awaken." There was that stupid term again, 'awaken'. Made it sound this was some stupid-ass prophecy or something, like they were destined to have this role. Obtain these so-called abilities.

What a load of crap, Hotsuma thought.

However, his negativity was put on hold once he saw someone very familiar and much missed. "Yuna..." he muttered, the pair allowed to approach; Hotsuma made the first move, much to the surprise of the others given it was Yuna who had reached out to him from the get go, his arms wrapping around her and hugging her tightly. "Man, it's good to see you...I'm really glad you're alright." he sighed; even though it hadn't been THAT long, it certainly felt like it. After a few moments of this, he pulled back and finally took note of what she was wearing.

In a moment, his eyes traveled over to a somewhat displeased Takumo, the stare intensifying before Jun stepped in "I'm afraid it's not like that; Takumo offered it to her, yes, but she chose to wear it of her own volition. And look how he seethes; I daresay your friend went and turned the tables on him." This kind of went over Hotsuma's head for a bit, until he realized what exactly they were referring to. He'd wanted a rise out of Yuna, but she didn't give it to him. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised...You always were a daredevil, even as Yukio."

He wanted to comment about how she pulled it off quite nicely, but also felt that doing so would probably get him slugged. Ah, what the hell, he thought. "Gotta say though...Looks good on you." he added on, keeping it as neutral as possible. He just gave Aki the cold shoulder, choosing instead to not even acknowledge her; mask or not, she pissed him off far too much and he wasn't about to blow this chance at freedom just for a chance to put a dent in her face. Cute as she might have been, her better-than-you persona and general dickery for the sake of her 'Master' made her unappealing to even regard.

"Alright then...Now that you two have had your moment, what's say we get to the fun, shall we?" then came Jun's voice; with Divine watching from afar, him, Takumo and Aki would be the 'masters of ceremony' for this little trial.

"If two would be so kind as pick up your Decks...I want you both to look through them. And really give each card proper attention...If you're lucky, you'll find a card that speaks to you. This is something we do with all Psychics as a means to help them manifest their ability: Every deck has a central card that surmises its purpose, and every card has its own 'character'." Jun then pulled out his own deck, searching through it and revealing a Monster: Cyber Commander. And after activating his Duel Disk, he placed the card on the field...The robotic warrior appearing in full form despite their being no active Duel and giving them a military-salute, the metal appendage clanging slightly as he stood at attention.

"This was the first one that awakened me: The catalyst to an even greater power, something I feel I serve the role of quite well around here." Jun then explained before taking the card away, the Monster disappearing as he placed it back into his deck. "Really, it's that simple...The question is though, which card will awaken you?"

And it was at this point the pair was allowed to take their respective Deck back; it felt good having his cards returned, that much was certain. He kind of wanted his pendant back...But he didn't know what to expect here, probably better that Yuna held onto it for the time being.

"Now then...Both of you, go through your decks. And take your time, there's no rush here. Find the card that speaks to you, the one that embodies the true spirit of your individual strategy."

Hotsuma then fanned his cards out and started looking through the Monsters; he kind of needed to trim his deck down a little, if he were honest. It was a little bulky and would allow for faster plays with some pruning. But he would take care of that later....

"Alright, first card..." he muttered, picking out Archfiend Soldier. The iconic frontline Archfiend, ever ready to fight. Fitting, but he didn't feel anything special about it. "So...How exactly will we know when we found...god help me...'the one'?" the Disciples boss asked, Jun snickering, "Oh, trust me...You'll know."

Figures you would say thought, Hotsuma thought begrudgingly before picking another card. Archfiend Giant...Nope.

Next came Trance Archfiend...Hell no. Way too ugly, even though he imagined the fun that could be had scaring people with this little devil. Archfiend Cavalry made him remember a time he was on the West Side, and he actually shouted out as he and the Disciples engaged Sector from terrorizing a family, "Don't you worry, the cavalry's here!" Ahh, good times.

"Let's seee....Archfiend...Empress." he muttered, pulling the card he had used against Jun. Powerful for sure, but nothing again. "Despite her clothing, I'd say she's a beautiful demon...Wonder what she looks like beneath that crown of hers." Jun then commented, making Hotsuma quirk a brow. "What? I can't be curious?" the robed freak playfully teased.

And then he pulled out Invader of Darkness, the beast-like demon covered in golden armor and wearing a hooded cloak...And felt a sudden surge that actually left him breathless for a moment, his chest suddenly tightening and burning a little. And it showed, Jun grinning "Oh-hoho, I believe he's found his winner. Poor boy looks like he's about to have a heart attack though." But as soon as the sensations came...They stopped, leaving Hotsuma with a bit of a cold sweat. "W-hehw..." he breathed shakily, still feeling his heart racing; the hell just happened?

"I--I think I picked the wrong one, haha." he tried to joke; standing up straighter once he caught his breath, he went right past Archfiend Emperor to see about Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning...Only to hear a sinister murmur in his head as his hand went over it. "The hell?" Hotsuma mused, his hand coming to rest over the card; was he hearing shit?

No, as the answer was; with his hand hovering over it, he could hear that strange incomprehensible muttering. It was...evil-sounding. Foreboding. And yet as his hand came to touch it, he could feel...Something. A power within it, maybe...Like the card was alive, and it wanted out. And right as his hand touched it completely, the reaction was near instantaneous: His chest began to burn even more hotly, the mark spreading and glowing with a black light, spreading out over his entire body like a bad plague.

"H-hey, the fuck is going on?!" Hotsuma cried out, definitely feeling panicked as he dropped his deck save for Archfiend Emperor; he could hear the murmurs getting louder in his head until it felt like there was a jet engine next to both ears, hands coming up to clasp over his ears even though no one was shouting at all.

And then came the weirdest part: His body spontaneously combusted, covered in black fire that seemed to burn and suck away the light. Hotsuma's chest was thrown out, his body hanging limply under it before what appeared to be silvery, demonic armor began materializing over him, a massive double-edged blade appearing in his left hand with red eyespots running down its length and a tattered brown cloak attached to his shoulders. Only after all this happened did the black flames vanish, leaving Hotsuma in a new state as he fell to all fours.

Jun's eyes were wide as sand dollars; before long, his already maniacal grin turned completely psychotic, "OH MY! HAHAHAHAHAAAAA! THIS IS GLORIOUS! WHAT A UNIQUE AND UNEXPECTED PLEASURE!" Hotsuma ignored him, feeling something blocking part of his vision; clangs could be heard as he tried to touch his face, armored hands poking at the helmet that now covered his head. "What the absolute fu..." he started to say; except after a few seconds, the strange appearance vanished in an instant...Showing Hotsuma as he was.

"OK...Someone want to tell me what the fuck that was about?" the Disciples' boss demanded, his voice shaking; naturally, he was definitely afraid...Deathly afraid.
 

It wasn't seeing Hotsuma close the gap that took Yuna aback the most. It was feeling him do what part of her had considered trying to, but fearing he'd shove her away. Yet, here she was, being held in an embrace, initiated by Hotsuma no less. A happy giggle lightly echoed in his ears as she reciprocated the gesture and wrapped her own arms around the other leader. As easy as it would have been to include a tease, she didn't dare. She would have looked like a major hypocrite and there was the even simpler answer that this really did feel nice. Sincere. It'd been far too long since anyone had done this to her, regardless of why, and Yuna hadn't realized prior till now how much she actually missed something like this.

"Man, it's good to see you...I'm really glad you're alright."

Her grin extended as Yuna nodded eagerly. "Yeah," she finally replied softly, "It definitely feels awesome to see you also. Especially without so many ... restrictions."

Yeah. That was a fair word to use. Nodding to herself, she giggled softly - simply because Yuna actually was feeling that happy at that moment - and allowed Hotsuma to pull away, blushing slightly as she realized he was taking her new appearance in.

"I'm afraid it's not like that; Takumo offered it to her, yes, but she chose to wear it of her own volition. And look how he seethes; I daresay your friend went and turned the tables on him."

.... There really was always something - or someone, in this case, that knew how to threaten to ruin a good mood, moment, both sometimes. Admittedly, it wasn't that much of a surprise to Yuna. It was Takumo's buddy, after all. Still, he seemed more ... smarter, at least compared to Takumo. So she'd hoped he would have kept silent and just let Hotsuma look at her.

.... You're putting too much faith in the very wrong person by doing that, unfortunately, she lamented, turning her head and shooting a 'shut the fuck up' glare at him.

"Well ... I had to be," she quipped, smirking as she turned to look back at Hotsuma, "Otherwise, the guise would be useless if I didn't take as many chances as I did. Quite frankly though, this is tame compared to all the years I pretended to be Yukio. And .... while it isn't my usual choice of a top to wear, it's not the worst, either."

When Hotsuma went on to compliment her appearance, Yuna's face turned just a bit more red, slowly but surely beginning to match Aki's hair color. "Thanks ... "

There definitely had been more that Yuna was going to add. But, again, Jun piped up and insisted their moment was over and they had to start the new exercise now.

"Tch, whatever," Yuna mumbled, scoffing and rolling her eyes, "You fuck tards don't get to interrupt us all the fucking time. Fuck and no. I'll go along with it now .... just because I don't feel like fighting. Next time, though, expect ... something to actually happen. But fuck you; we've been doing everything you've asked of us. Next time we earn a break, you're not gonna ruin or interrupt it. Hope you're hearing that loud and clear. Assholes ... "

Luckily, she was being serious, deathly so. Otherwise, she would have ran up and began assaulting Jun with punches, damning the consequences that would have no doubt found her. As tempted as she was to try something physical, she restrained herself; not out of fear of the people, per se. But she definitely didn't want to look like a hypocrite if it could be avoided.

Blah blah blah, awaken. Yada yada yada, powers. Ugh. These fuckers have a one-track mind, I swear ...

Yuna wasn't literally translating Jun's lecture on their 'trial' into those exact words; but it definitely didn't stop her from being very pissed off with the man, either.

Also, isn't this one of those things where it's a horrible idea to rush what you're trying to gain? I mean ... these are supposedly legit Psychic capabilities we've been talking about, yes? Isn't forcing them to wake up only going to lead to a chaotic beginning instead of a relatively calm one? .... Is that what they want? Well .... that'll be their funeral. Either way, better not bitch to us. We've been doing every fucking thing they've demanded so .... yep. I'm not gonna claim liability, responsibility, whatever you wanna call it ....

Pay attention! Aki growled, narrowing her eyes at Yuna. Goodness. I don't know if you're louder when you speak or when you're silent. Shut up and pay heed, lest you look like a fool in a few moments.

"Hmph," Yuna merely quipped with, moving forward after Jun finished giving his instructions. Even while she angrily cursed in her mind, she truthfully had been listening. She just .... pretended it all went much faster and was a lot less boring in her head.

" ... Alright. Fine. I guess ... I'll look for my 'chosen one' or whatever the hell we're calling it. But I feel stupider complying with these instructions than pretending I wasn't listening ... " she added under her breath, helping reassure Aki she had taken note of the instructions despite not sounding as if she had been doing just that.

Despite not saying anything, it was clear from her reaction that the moment she was able to hold her deck again, that was as satisfying as the hug she'd had with Hotsuma. Taking the time to set the spells and traps down - since supposedly they were only seeking a monster card - a new thought entered Yuna's mind.

... Am I just going to resume being a male again?

It'd be incredibly ironic, and a tad bit infuriating. Truthfully, Yuna had started adapting to being her true self. And even with having a creepy asshole openly speak of things like wanting her and shit, Yuna didn't otherwise hate her body. On the contrary, she liked it.

Not having to wear those bandages 24/7 is kinda nice ... she added, slowly beginning to scroll through the monster cards.

First was one of the cards Aki had fairly guessed a while back that Yuna did possess; the Marauding Captain. Although he easily helped her quickly build a battlefield, per se, there wasn't otherwise a 'special bond' with the card.

Yeah .... no. Feels fine to me ... I think?

Yuna kept holding onto the card for a few moments, ensuring she was making the right assumption before moving onto the next card.

Getsu Fhuma.

.... Right. I do have a few women here ...

It hadn't been something Yuna actively took note of. She did remember more of the cards were men than women but ... eh. Back when she made her deck, it was a thought that made sense. Even in the real world, there were typically more men than women, though not by as large of a margin as it could have been.

... Well ... could be much worse. At least you've done what may end up happening again.

Chuckling nervously at the irony and thoughts, she continued scrolling, stopping as a new voice entered her head; and it wasn't - for once - Aki's. Nor did it belong to Divine, Hotsuma, Jun, or especially not Takumo.

She knew that because it was another female voice.

"YOU BASTARDS! YOU TOOK MY FAMILY, MY KIN FROM ME!"

Yuna blinked, looking first around before finally shifting her gaze down. In her hand was Rose, the Warrior of Revenge.

"Is ... what the hell is ... ??"

It definitely wasn't her thoughts, because ... that wasn't true. If anything, she turned her back on her own family. But none of them had been 'stolen' in any form or fashion, be it by Death or something else. So .... were these Rose's screams?

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"

"Heh!" A new voice, a new male for sure, seemed to join in. This was sorta like watching a movie or play unfold but ... not seeing the actors or scenery or anything, really. "And what can you do? You're just a bratty adolescent."

"You'll see," Rose angrily quipped. "Time ... time will be my ally, as will others. Next we meet, you will not be sneering at me!"

Before she could stop herself, a fresh set of tears subconsciously began falling down her face.

These words ... they hurt. Almost literally. Why?

Aki leaned forward and whispered three words into Divine's ear, "Empathetic Psychic, Master?"

If that was the case ... then Yuna would be even more dangerous and stronger than either of them had originally thought. Aki herself may have been born with the powers. But to be able to feel the emotions of the card spirits? That was a power in its own right, one definitely not to sneeze at.

"Ohhh .... that's a nice look to you, Yuna," Takumo finally said, smirking as he now openly stared at Yuna.

"You fuck face, go to Hell already!" she growled.

"Oooooh. You should keep your hair that color. Suits your very colorful vocabulary."

" ... The fuck are you going on about?" As if on cue, a strand of fiery crimson hair fell in front of Yuna's face. Her eyes widened as she let out a shocked scream, quickly getting up to her feet. In the midst of her movements, she felt something bump against her. Looking over, she saw a sheathed sword. Upon pulling it out, it appeared to be long, likely a katana.

" .... Ooooookay, the fuck?! Umm .... what the hell's this? I failed to hear the part about literally becoming the card that's supposed to be our goddamn catalyst. Did you leave that out or something?!"

"No. He didn't," Aki calmly answered, "Not intentionally, rather. The truth is .... this has never happened before. So what is this, you ask? Even we don't know the answer to that question."
 
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Divine just nodded as Aki clued in on Yuna's ability, "Yes...It seems like she can feel the pain of her chosen monster. An interesting characteristic, one I wouldn't think possible of being developed. An interesting twist; I'm quite eager to test what they're made of." Grinning a little, "Hotsuma though...I'm surprised at the monster he manifested as. He doesn't strike me as the 'lordly' type.: Turning to look at the redhead, he then added, "Though maybe you were right and he's holding back; did you happen to feel what happened before he transformed? The surge, like he opened a near-limitless well of power? I'd say even you might have to try a little harder if he were to unlock his full potential." Of course, in Divine's mind, Aki's powers were akin to a god; try as either of these two might, there's no way they'd ever come close to matching her.

Hotsuma was still definitely shaken, and got even more so when he happened to catch Yuna transforming. His eyes widened when it finished, watching her stumble as she realized the extent of her change. "This can't be real..." Hotsuma thought himself, Jun instantly replying "Oh but it is, Hotsuma...I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself! Master was right in choosing you two! He said to expect something different, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would turn out like this!"

The pale-skinned man tapped his chin, "Though you'll really need to work on yours, my boy; your friend's already outdone you twice now." Ignoring that, Hotsuma just retorted, "Don't change the subject! She asked you a damn good question! The hell is going on?!" Jun just sighed, "As Aki and I both said, we don't know. This has never happened before...But I can bet we're going to get to examine every aspect of this that we can."

"Indeed we are" Divine finally addressed them, joining the little group shortly after the awakening. "As it's already been said, this was an unexpected but welcome development. Truth be told, I had suspected something different of you two after your trip to the old reactor building...But this surpassed even MY expectations" Hotsuma's eyes narrowed, "The hell does that have to do with this?" Divine just chuckled in that annoying 'I know something you don't' manner, "Oh right...Anyhow, I theorize it has more to do with the current situation than any of us understand."

Hotsuma was getting pissed, his fists clenching at their arrogance; he'd had enough of secrets, enough of not knowing why and it was starting to show. The black fire that had consumed earlier began to burn again, a spectral version of Archfiend Emperor beginning to appear around him. Threatening to resurrect the momentary glimpse of his newest alter ego...If one could even call it that. Divine just grinned all the way, "Oh...Someone's getting a little hot under the collar; trust me, Hotsuma, I do try to keep nothing hidden. To be honest, I don't really know what's hidden in that decrepit old building, but I do know that strange and foreign energies permeate the area around it. And you two happened to be exposed to a rather large quantity of it...That's what I mean by your visit to the reactor building."

Hotsuma huffed, the 'aura' of his newer self fading away once more, "Aside from the crater in the back? Just rusted scrap." Divine nodded, "Yes, I supposed as much." Of course, Divine knew exactly why the crater was what it was...But he didn't need these two poking around in it. And with his own protections of his mind, he was sure no one would hear or see the mental imagery of his discussions with Goodwin.

"In any event...I'm fortunate that you two were able to awaken as well as you did, given the unusual nature of your powers. I'm very curious to find out what exactly you're capable of. But how to test this...Hmm, we'll have to make something up. But of course, the both of you will have to learn to stabilize this ability, especially you Hotsuma."

Hotsuma just glared, "Fine...But only if you promise that Yuna and I don't have to share separate cells anymore." Now this made Divine pause and raise a brow; well, wasn't he getting demanding. "Why should I?" the man asked, to which Hotsuma replied, "Is the big bad leader of Arcadia scared of two freshly awakened newbies? Hah, whatever; guess all that talk about you being the King around here is a joke. You can read our minds, right? The hell are we gonna do, think you to death? Besides, you see how buddy-buddy me and Yuna are; think of it as us giving each other support. Might make us awaken and stabilize even quicker. Two heads are better than one, right?"

Divine had not expected that kind of response, at least not the second part. He was now appearing uncertain about whether to deny this man's request; true enough, he would be able to anticipate their moves and counter just about any strategy that they might come up with. Plus, powerful as Hotsuma could be...He was laughably far from achieving a stable form. Still, it seemed incredibly risky to be so careless about placement, especially given this was quite the unique experience.

"How about this..." Divine started to offer, Hotsuma starting to interrupt but Divine saying "Let me finish, I think you'll like my offer. I'll consider letting you reside together, once you've proven you can least transform and hold it for an hour. If you can do that, then I will be more willing to let you two reside in the same quarters. Besides, it's not like this will hurt you in any way, right?" Now it was Hotsuma's turn to think about it..Not like they had much of a choice. That red-haired woman, Aki, was still largely an enigma to them; only thing they did know was that she was very loyal to Divine.

"Damn it...Now what?" Hotsuma then asked to no one in particular; he had a feeling she could hold hers no problem, but...He also didn't want her to be upset, especially since Jun and Takumo loved butting into their conversations. And if anything, them being together was more likely to shut them out, if only so they could play the game until they found an opportunity to escape.

"Fine...We'll play it your way for now. But we're going to try something a little different...Aki, I want you to work with Yuna for today. See if you can't help her focus...Don't worry, I will watch over Hotsuma. Jun, Takumo...You're both excused for now." Jun started to protest, but a stern glance from Master shut him up. Letting out a defeated sigh, he then said, "Come on Takumo...Let's go see if anyone's gotten themselves into trouble." before walking off out of the room.

"Now then...Time for us to part ways; Yuna, if you would be so kind as to grab your Duel Disk. Hotsuma, you do the same...And collect your cards too, won't do you much good if they're on the floor." Once done, he and Hotsuma would go off to the opposite side of the room, leaving Aki and Yuna all by their lonesome.

"So...How exactly does this work? Like, say I didn't turn into a freak of nature but had your 'normal' ability...Must be at least something similar so neither of us has to be around each other any longer than we need to." Hotsuma asked, clearly not happy at being stuck with this asshole. Thankfully, Yuna wasn't out of sight; though this wasn't know, this was intentionally done by design. Though it was clear that they didn't trust anyone here at Arcadia, at the very least they were working with people that didn't constantly try and purposely get under their skin. And despite her less-than-ladylike tone with him, she and Aki actually seemed to form a sort of bond.

A fact he was using to get them to open a little; and with Jun and Takumo gone, there would be less aggravating factors to consider as he would try and work out the mechanism of this unknown ability. "Well, that's entirely up to you...Why don't you tell me what triggered it? What did you experience before you transformed?" Divine then asked, Hotsuma pausing for a moment before replying "I...I don't know what it was. Like it was...muttering, I couldn't understand a word of it. And it was loud. Then this surge ran through me, and next thing I know I'm covered in armor, still hearing that muttering..." Divine's brow quirked, thinking the description strange. But given this was the first experience, he shouldn't have doubted Hotsuma would be able to describe much.

"That's fine...But let's try some exercises, see if we can't recreate it." Divine then offered, taking a peek across the way to see how Yuna and Aki were faring.
 

"Kill them. At least the one with all the impure thoughts of you ... "

Any shock Yuna had been in was quickly snapped out of when the new voice resounded in her head again.

" ... Rose?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is ... is that really you?"

"Do it. He's too dangerous. Kill him."

"I ... do you even understand what you're asking of me?! I have literally no knowledge, no actual idea on how to use a blade! And even then, I --- "

"Let me guide you, Mistress! How can you be okay with him standing there?! Thinking such horrible things of you?!"

"Because .... "

Yuna's head tilted back, panting heavily as a few beads of sweat fell down her face. This was even weirder than when Aki actually had temporarily possessed her. She could feel Rose wasn't quite doing that, but she was definitely making an effort to try to control her. As such, it was taking as much will power for Yuna to keep a mental grip on herself.

"Because," she finally replied, "He's still following the old saying actions speak louder than words. As long as that keeps resuming .... "

"And what happens when he finally snaps? When he caves in and tries to steal your innocence? What then?"

Yuna looked around, trying to gauge if anyone else was hearing this.

"No, they can't. I'm blocking them all out. At best, they can tell something's happening, but nothing exact."

And, amazingly, that was indeed true. In fact, it alone was the very reason Aki had a grimace on her face; because even she - despite holding almost god-like powers - couldn't hear what was happening to Yuna.

"L-Look," Yuna stammered, her hands beginning to tremble as they continued firmly gripping the sword, "I'm sorry for any and everything that happened to you. And what you say is true. It would be a fair and very justified precaution to take. But ... even if I were still Yukio ... even if I were stronger than I am now ... I don't know if I could really do it."

"But you must! Mistress, please!"

Yuna's head quickly moved from side to side as she whimpered weakly. "Stop it," she muttered, her voice subconsciously raising, "LEAVE ME AND MY HEAD THE FUCK ALONE!"

With an angry thrust forward, Yuna shoved the sword back into its sheath, eyes widening as the connection broke off. First, the sword disappeared, as if vanishing into the very air itself. Slowly, her crimson strands turned back to its normal raven hue. The almost kunoichi-esque outfit turned back to the jeans and corset outfit, albeit now with a very distressed and disturbed looking Yuna. Her head looked around one last time as she felt her legs first give away and sank down on her knees.

"Hmmm .... " Aki mused, silently contemplating on Divine's inquiries. Truthfully, her focus was more on Yuna. Still, she hadn't forgotten her position as Divine's right-hand woman, and if only because of that, she now tried to gauge Hotsuma, remembering how his power had felt when it first emerged. "I wouldn't say he's holding back, necessarily," she answered, "But I do think he panicked and lost his concentration. It'll likely be easier to figure out once you're alone with him. There are too many additional auras around us, and it's making things difficult to understand, let alone properly judge."

"Did you fuckers really not know this would happen?" she asked in a barely audible voice, "Because if you're lying .... I never would have agreed to any of this!"

"You're sure about that?" Aki asked, tilting her head curiously, yet wearing a very knowing look. One that implied - somehow - Yuna still probably would have accepted the powers. Maybe with different incentives, yes, but she still would have undergone all of these trials nonetheless. "Regardless, we are being honest about that much. Bitch. Bastard. Fuckers, as you so elegantly put it. We may be all of those things and probably more. Liars? Never."

Yuna's head bowed. Any frustration that may have been trying to remain her eyes went away, replaced by defeat and pure exhaustion.

" ... Alright. Fine. Fair enough .... "

It wasn't exactly an apology, but it was clearly the closest they would get from Yuna. But ... that was good enough - at least for Aki - as she gave Yuna a firm nod of approval.

"At any rate, until you both get a better hold on this new ability, you're both dangerous in your own regards. The visit is over. We need to work more on your control."

The words had been spoken seconds prior to Divine speaking up. Only when Yuna heard it did the smallest tinges of wrath return, her head moving in disbelief. "No," she pleaded, "No more separation. Have we really not had enough of it?"

" .... It's for your own good. Now ... are you going to move on your own? Or am I going to have to make you?"

"... I'll do it," Yuna growled, nodding towards Divine, "But he better keep to his word about if Hotsuma can maintain his focus."

"Of course he will," Aki scolded, scoffing at the thought of her boss ever going against his vows. "It's Divine-sama you're speaking of. Name a time he's broken his promise to you."

" .... "

The silence was all that Aki needed to hear. The two began to walk away, though not before Yuna shot a concerned look towards Hotsuma.

"See?" Aki quipped, at least being generous to wait until they were out of ear shot and back in Yuna's room before doing so, "It's gestures like that which only make you appear as if you are indeed an item with Hotsuma."

Yuna's face immediately went red as she sat down on the bed.

" ... I normally wouldn't allow it. However, that .... whatever it was that happened ... seemed to take a lot out of you. So go on; regain your strength and breath. Mind telling me what happened? It almost looked like you zoned out. And I would have believed that were the case ... if I didn't hear you mumble under your breath. So, mind filling me in?"

"Well .... "

Yuna's brows furrowed; not at what was being asked of her, but rather, how to word the explanation.

" ... Would you believe me if I said Rose spoke to me?"

" ... Spoke to you? Yes. Made it impossible for me or the others to hear? Not as easily. However ... that is one of the few things even we haven't really studied. Duel spirits; how they .... work, for a lack of better wording. We've never really tried to determine just how truly strong they are. This confirmation, however, suggests we have a long ways to go before truly seeing all they are fully capable of. Don't worry," Aki quickly added, seeing Yuna's face pale slightly, "I won't do so on any of your cards. We have others who will gladly volunteer for that."

" .... Thank you ... "

Tapping her fingers lightly against her hip, Aki mulled over everything she just learned before pivoting and entering the bathroom. When Divine looked over, he'd see a very tired Yuna lying down, but feel Aki still in her room. Depending on how long he continued to look over, he would either see - or barely miss - Aki walking out with a cup of water in her hands.

Yuna slowly pushed herself up, bowing her head lightly in appreciation, before accepting and almost immediately downing the contents of the cup, gasping and eliciting a few more labored breaths.

"Now then .... " Aki started, allowing Yuna her reprieve, "I realize how crazy this may sound, but let's see if you can earn and maintain your control over that new form. More specifically, if you can .... compromise with Rose. Maybe allow her to speak with and in your mind but you can keep full actions of your body? If you can even start succeeding with this, you will quickly be able to catch up to - if not fully beat me - in power."

"W-What? Beat you?"

Aki merely nodded, "Yes. Even with my own capabilities being as good as they are, yours are .... new. Foreign. Something I didn't think possible or able to exist. But they do. And because of how they seem to function, you most definitely have the potential to surpass me."

Yuna thought about the words and bit slightly on her lower lip. "I don't care about the power aspect," she muttered.

"Then do it for what you do care about!" Aki hissed back. "You wanna make things in the Satellite better, yes?! Then do it for everyone living there .... for Yomi .... for Hotsuma as well as his own brother!"

" .... You're a real bitch, ya know?" Yuna merely retorted, sighing as she closed her eyes and took a few - but very much needed - deep breaths. "Alright. Fine. But no more guilt trips on me. I'm dealing with enough as it is. Feeling like I'm fucking up or turning my back on others isn't fucking needed, thank you very goddamn much."

"Deal. Start trying when you're ready."
 
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Had Divine bothered paying further attention to Aki's training, he would have been proud of how she utilized Yuna's desires to ensure she complied. Just like her, able to figure out a weakness so easily. He didn't fully understand the woman's power, but he also knew that should he try and instill instruction upon her it would likely be met with a deaf ear and a snarky mouth.

Best to let Aki, who had already a foot in the door, be the one to help her open it all the way. And though he didn't have that same level of relationship with Hotsuma...He would do his best to ensure the young man could in fact awaken it further.

"You said something about exercises, right? So...What do I do?" Hotsuma asked, Divine stating "You're so tense. Don't worry; if something doesn't feel quite right I'll shut it down...But this is just about trying to get you to release your power. So tell me more...Did you recall the muttering saying anything specific? Did it speak to you?"

Hotsuma could only shake his head, "No...It was just, garbled. But it felt...Wrong. Twisted." Divine's eyes narrowed a little; so, he felt the nature of whatever power was calling out to him. Interesting. "Twisted, you say? How so?" was the Arcadia leader's next question, the Disciples boss saying in a hushed tone, 'I don't know...I'm probably going to sound corny as hell, but I don't know any other way to describe it. It sounded...Evil, it felt evil."

Divine nodded; he could tell the boy wasn't lying...Which made Aki's supposition all the more plausible. If it felt as wrong as he was describing, there was little doubt it caused a bout of momentary terror and shattered his focus. "Well, that actually does help....But let's move on, yes? I need to have you thinking of something upsetting. Cliche as it is, it seems anger is in some part your trigger."

At this Hotsuma just chuckled, "You're going to have to be more specific; lot of things upset me, much as I try not to show it." Divine tapped his finger to his chin; this was true, the boy wore his heart on his sleeve more often than not. Snapping his fingers in an 'Aha' style, Divine spoke again, "Your brother....Think of him. Think about all the torture he suffered....All the beatings...Not just from guards either, but other Satellite residents locked up by Sector's cruel and unusual tactics."

Hotsuma's fists definitely clenched a little, pissed that he was dragging his brother back into this. "I thought I told you to leave him out of this..." the boy growled, Divine smirking, "Don't be mad at me; I didn't imprison him. I'm not the one who's probably dragging him out of his cell to solitary by his hair...And lord only knows whatever unspeakable atrocities they commit in that Facility of theirs." None of which were doing Hotsuma much good in calming down, the black flames soon accompanied by a wash of reviling energy as the Emperor returned. The boy seemed to tower over everything like this, the wicked blade in his left hand crying for the destruction of everything.

There was, after all, a reason why this monster was the First Lord of Horror and ruler of all Archfiends.

"Why does this worm command you, knave?"

That was the first thing Hotsuma heard in his head, and unlike Yuna...It was broadcasted loud and clear for anyone to hear. And its voice held a deep, chilling power. Like it commanded the very existence of life itself, able to grant and abolish however it saw fit. Even Divine seemed a little taken aback in surprise, a brow raised as he listened; the card was actually speaking to him...Like it was sentient.

"I asked you a question, boy! Do you dare mock my power by letting him call me whenever he sees fit?!"

"I...I don't know...Who the hell are you, anyway? I mean, I know who you are...But do you, have a name?" Hotsuma then asked, the other voice falling silent for a moment...But only a moment.

"My true name would render your pathetic mortal shell to a formless pulp. Besides, if you know my identity, then a name shouldn't matter. For I am the Emperor...Harbinger of the Darkness, destroyer of all. Now as for you, insignificant parasite...You saw fit as to awaken me, but neither your body nor mind are anywhere near ready enough to withstand my might. Not yet..."

"....You're so full of shit"

Now this made the Emperor pause for a moment, his voice starting "I'm sorry, but I must be hearing things. It sounded like you were trying to presu... but Hotsuma cut him off, "You heard right...I can handle you. Maybe not for long, but one way or another dammit I'm going to make you lend me your strength!"

Another pause was let to ring, the silence deafening as both King and 'Servant' locked down with each other. However, a sharp laugh would soon break it, the Emperor's voice slightly amused, "Goodness, I've not laughed like that in a while....You dare think YOU, boy, can hope to bind yourself to me?! You play with forces you don't fully comprehend, child. To take the Archfiend's Oath is no trivial matter, so you best learn to respect the power you're trying to command!" Hotsuma stopped himself, his fists clenching as he still managed to hold his form; though honestly, it was less than twenty minutes since doing so.

"I don't care...If it means finally being able to defend everything I care about, I'll send my own soul screaming down to Hell if need be! Every day I lose friends..I've already lost my family, and I'm sick of not being able to drive Sector back. Out of Satellite for good. So whatever I have to do, even if it means having to go in there and physically beat you into submission, I'm going to get it done!"

Again...Silence persisted, the Emperor's voice letting out an amused 'Hmph', "Alright, we'll try it your way....If you can handle the full brunt of my strength for even a few seconds, I might consider helping you learn refined control". Just then Hotsuma felt an enormous pressure envelop him, forcing him to his hands and knees and the floor beginning to crack from the sheer weight. Beneath the helmet, Hotsuma's teeth were grit, trying to force himself back up. "Already to your knees, whelp? Hah...I should have seen it more clearly...Clearly you are not worthy."

"Don't you fucking dare....I'm not out of this yet..." Hotsuma growled mentally, slowly but surely starting to fight back, now back to just his knees. Though admittedly, his body was feeling like it was about to give way; his joints ached, his head pounded like a war drum and he could only hear incomprehensible screaming in his ears. "Hmmm? Well, well...Maybe there's promise in you yet, you worthless worm" The Emperor's voice then called through the chaos of his mind, seeing this human starting to adjust to his weight.

Divine just stood by and watched all this unfold, eyes glinting with glee at this development. To think things would go this far! "Incredible....Do succeed, Hotsuma; I would hate for this unknown power to somehow consume you without fully understanding it yet." the Arcadia leader mused, that grin of his never leaving as the time trial went on.
 

Time steadily ticked away in Yuna's room, resulting in a very awkward silence to linger around herself and Aki. The raven-haired woman grimaced and frowned, realizing an unfortunate but honest truth. Simply put, she realized she had no idea how to begin trying to conjure Rose up again.

Hell, for all I know, she's pissed at me .... Yuna lamented slightly, crossing her arms over her chest.

When almost five minutes went by with Yuna staying seated on her bed, Aki cleared her throat to make the other girl look up. "Alright. Let's rewind a bit. What was going through your mind when you changed?"

Yuna slowly moved her head from side to side, "I ... I'm not sure. If it was anything about me, it was done in a subconscious manner. I just ... I remember holding onto Rose's card and hearing her cry out. She was angry. Upset. Absolutely livid. It ... sounded like I was hearing the day she lost ... her family, or at least someone close to her."

Aki nodded, acknowledging and noting the other woman's words. "Alright. Now then, heed her name. Not Rose, but the 'Warrior of Revenge' part. I hate asking this of you ... but it'll probably help bring her out again, for a lack of a better wording. Think back to a time when you wish you could have made something different happen. A display of injustice, or something similar enough. Basically, something that was just ... wrong. And therefore, a memory you'd give anything to somehow fix."

That was all the incentive she needed to hear, it seemed. Almost immediately afterwards, the distant flashbacks Yuna had felt so certain she erased returned from the darkest corners of her mind. They included a very broken, dysfunctional, and uncaring home. In said environment, however, were the real sources; her parents. Neither mom nor dad had given a shit. Even when she was younger, she had been all but ignored.

Well, for the most part, anyway.

Alas, it was the end that mattered which, for Yuna, came in the form of having to become an adult - in certain regards - as early as seven years old. And all because her parents were too busy fucking around, literally or otherwise.

Why was I even born?

It was a question that Yuna hadn't thought about for years. About ten, to be exact. But now that the images were very strongly flashing in her mind and the memories seemed even worse than before, it was making her react. And the response was a very strong one. Yuna's fists clenched tightly, her knuckles almost immediately turning a bright shade of white. Her teeth latched tightly onto her lower lip and even went so far as to draw a small amount of blood.

"Why does this worm command you, knave?"

Both women turned, with Aki sighing and losing her more neutral expression as the faintest of frowns mingled in on her face. "I do sometimes wish Divine-sama would think certain things out ... " she muttered, raising a hand and concentrating. "In this case, it seems you two should have been moved further away. At any rate, keep focusing on yourself!" she added, her hand staying in front of the door. Though Aki wasn't confessing what she was doing, it became obvious - should anyone use a bit of common sense. Aki was creating a sound proof barrier, keeping the cries and outbursts from Hotsuma's room from being heard anymore.

Luckily, the brief voice belonging to the Emperor didn't make Yuna forget what she was doing. In fact, the result was actually almost the exact opposite. It helped strengthen her resolve, as a new set of memories flooded the amateur Psychic's mind. This entire situation she and Hotsuma were stuck in. Even with being able to earn these powers, it had been executed in a very unfair and unjust manner.

And now .... Hotsuma was struggling to deal with his own literal demon.

All the while, what was Yuna doing?

Being forced to remain - again - away from her only comrade in this god-forsaken place.

It's not fair! I'm sick of these restrictions! I'M NOT A FUCKING CHILD!

With the last exclamation being the final push needed, Yuna shifted again. The red hair returned, as did the sword and new uniform. Despite this, though, Aki looked over at the changed Yuna calmly, not at all afraid ... which only implied how strong she truly was. Anyone else likely would have panicked, even if it was simply from seeing such a deadly weapon in such close range.

"You ... "

When the voice echoed throughout Yuna's room, Aki couldn't help but tilt her head. It was definitely Rose but ... she could hear Yuna as well. It was as if the two had merged almost and become one. The body and some of the voice were definitely Rose's, but it was easy to hear the Warrior of Revenge wasn't fully in control either. Yuna was trying to keep some of her speech and actions under her own restraint.

"Why do you allow Mistress to be around such dangerous men?! How can you live with yourself?! How can you sleep at night?!"

"Because," Aki answered in a very matter-of-fact tone, "I know I can handle myself."

"But what of her?!"

"Why do you think I'm trying to help Yuna-san?"

Rose's eyebrows furrowed as she gripped the hilt of her blade .... but didn't unsheathe it. "Why, Mistress?!" she exclaimed, confirming the thought that Aki wondered.

"Simple. Is it really not obvious? Surely, as a warrior, you possess bits of logic, do you not?"

Her eyes further narrowed, not even trying to hide the insulted reaction from Aki's words as she continued desperately trying to pull her blade out. "Of course I do!" she barked, "But how do I know you can be trusted?!"

" ... Is the fact Yuna does well enough not ample evidence for you?" Aki quipped. "Fine. What about the fact I've been doing everything to keep Takumo from laying so much as a finger upon her."

That made the grip on her katana loosen as Rose continued to stare at Aki.

" ... After you captured and tortured my Mistress, why do you even care about her at all?"

Aki rolled her eyes, scoffing slightly, "My abilities may not be human or anything similar to it. However, I do have emotions fitting for such species. Believe it or not, even with the slight sadistic side I do own, I wouldn't wish for something as dire as rape to happen. Not to her or anyone, be it a member of Arcadia or simply a resident of the Satellite or Tops. I'm not that cruel. It is somewhat true that, yes, acts like that would indeed ruin our reputation. However, it's not my primary fear. It just isn't right; that's all there is to it. I have my own sense of justice, even if I don't always act like I do."

The merged form of Yuna and Rose began to shake, barely fighting off a new set of tears. Instead, the katana was set down and placed atop the bed.

" ... Fine," Aki would hear after a bit of a pause, "You wanted me here, yes? What for?"

Aki smirked, knowing she had the full attention of the Duel Spirit. "You wish to protect your Mistress, yes?" After seeing the other female nod, Aki continued to explain herself. "Good. Then ... work on your power while in this form. You will both need to cooperate. One of you can be the voice while the other is the ... puppet master of sorts. The controller of the actions, per se. Divide your tasks up then begin acting and speaking as one. It ... is an odd thing to explain. But I can safely say that the moment you two detect a sense of resolve and harmony, that will be your cue you two have succeeded. But not before then. Until you two reach that point, you both will have a lot to work on. Now ... first and foremost, this form needs to be kept. Try to stay in this body for as long as possible, all while going about the rest of your day."

"You mean .... showering and stuff like that?"

The tone quickly shifted, easily revealing it to be Yuna speaking this time around.

"Exactly. Pretend I'm not here, if that helps. Do any and everything you were going to prior to me leading you here and giving this lesson to you."

By now, Aki's hand had lowered, returning beside her hip again. Whether she had purposely timed her action or it was pure coincidence was anyone's guess. But both women would be able to hear the last thoughts uttered by the Emperor himself.

"Hmmm? Well, well...Maybe there's promise in you yet, you worthless worm"

As the fused body turned their head towards the source, Aki's head tilted upon realizing an interesting thought. "So ... what do I call you, anyway? The body may be Rose's, yes. But given Yuna is in there and in some control, would it --- ??"

"Let us out! Let us help Hotsuma!"

Aki sighed softly, leaning against the wall behind her. "Even if I did, that would be practically suicidal. I'm not saying you haven't been against demons before, so don't assume that. However, have you gone against any as high up in ranks as an Emperor?"

"No, but -- !!"

"But, nothing! If you want to help him, ignore him for now and concentrate on working together!"

"Bitch," the voice growled, almost in perfect sync. A bit of each woman inside Rose's body could easily be detected.

"Hmph. Call me what you will, but I'm sure you both know I speak only the truth. As you two are, you're more likely to get killed than succeed in helping him."

With a defeated sigh and irked "Hmph", the combined body turned and headed towards the bathroom. Apparently, Aki had been right on her guess; Yuna had been ready to get a shower in. "I'm assuming you'll deal with dinner then?" Aki would hear, asked solely by Yuna this time.

"Mhm. But only when I can be sure you'll keep cooperating with me. Until then, I'm staying here and keeping an eye on you."

" .... "

Rather than hearing words, Aki was greeted with the sounds of the shower turning on and clothes being removed. Aki couldn't help but smirk and softly chuckle. If nothing else, Yuna was a very interesting woman, more so now that she was in a new form. So what Divine relayed to Hotsuma was very true; she gave Yuna lip because ... no one tended to challenge her like that. So it was a very nice and intriguing change of pace.

From here on out, it'll only keep getting better, Aki inwardly confirmed, staying planted against the wall as Yuna began to take her shower.
 
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It was indeed taking all of Hotsuma's might to try and stand, shoulders hunched and breathing labored from the sheer intensity of the aura. The screaming he heard in his head was so loud he could hardly think, something Divine had put on 'mute' - insofar as helping to suppress the intensity of the noise - so that any sensitive Psychics wouldn't get overwhelmed by it.

"Stand up, boy...Or are you just words and no will!?"

That was the harsh sentence spoken to him, Hotsuma now off one knee and still trying to raise himself higher. It honestly felt like he was trying to hold a falling skyscraper up with one hand behind his back, or at least this was what he imagined such feat would be like. His whole body shook, the nerve endings on fire with pain as the Emperor's influence began to infiltrate his very cells. And still, he grit his teeth and stopped himself from crying out, continuing more and more to stand...And after a few more minutes he was back on two feet, but still hunched over.

"Managed to stand did you? Impressive...But I can feel your body starting to fail you, and you'll be no use to me dead."

And in a matter of moments, the Emperor began to lessen his 'weight', Hotsuma able to breathe more easily now - albeit in short and heavy gasps, his face blanched and his body quaking beneath the metal armor. He felt he was about to keel over and as such drove his new blade into the ground to act as a support, doubled over as he tried to keep himself upright.

"The hell did you stop for....I didn't say I was done yet." Hotsuma grumbled mentally, the Emperor retorting "For a human, you have an exceptionally stubborn will. Regardless, for the moment I have decided to see how useful of a vessel you can be. And should you prove yourself worthy to receive my full power...Well, let's just say being an Emperor has its upsides, hehehe." This made the young man pause, only for the bastard Archfiend to continued "But as I said...You are useless to me if you're dead, and besides...Ruling over my kingdom has grown rather dull. Any Emperor worth his weight should always venture...And I've never tried having someone act as my medium. Consider it an honor, boy..."

Hotsuma's eyes rolled from beneath the helmet, a sharp sting on his forehead making him mutter 'Owthefuck...' before the Emperor clarified, "It is impolite to roll your eyes at those superior to you, braggart." A telltale 'clink' emanated as Hotsuma reflexively tried to rub it, only to find the metal made that rather difficult.

"Yeah, well, fuck you OK? I didn't exactly ask to have my body invaded by my own damn monster!" Hotsuma retaliated fiercely, the Emperor letting out a sigh "Since we're so close, I'll allow that one to go unpunished. But you had best learn to accept that we're bound now, however loosely that might be."

Of course...No one could sense this but the Emperor now, but Hotsuma was in fact quite an attractive specimen in many ways. The Emperor could feel the true intent of his mission in life, the real depths to which he would go to ensure the safety of those living in this so-called Satellite. Before, he kept himself in check...But now that someone versed in the dark shared his body, the possibilities were endless.

And the Emperor was just too eager to see what exactly he could do now that he'd been allowed access to this world.

And with this, the Emperor then said as he lifted the last of his cumbersome aura, leaving the Fiend to stand completely unfettered though still clutching to that sword like a badly needed cane, "Now, are you willing to listen to your captor? I know only so much about this binding business, and it would do us both well if you actually paid heed to his lessons." the Emperor then asked, Hotsuma grumbling aloud "Yeah, yeah...But only because I literally have no other choice now."

Hotsuma still felt this was bad news waiting to happen...But the feeling had lessened and instead a slight anticipation of the true extent of his strength now. What kind of shit could he pull off being an actual Duel Monster?

"Well, that's what we're about to find out, Hotsuma." Divine then said, startling the young man as he remembered this asshole could read his thoughts. "F---Damn it man, at least give me a warning first..." he breathed, taken by surprise. "But so far, you've done very well...And you seem to have at least reached an understanding with your manifestation. And based on what I overheard with Aki, Yuna's doing very well herself. Though she and Rose seem to have hit things off better than you and the Emperor.

"As far as we are concerned, we are both means to an end with each other..." Divine would hear the Emperor speak to him, adding "Let it be known, filth, that should you endanger my vessel's life needlessly I *will* find a way to end you. This body is mine, and you'll soon learn I don't care for others destroying my possessions."

Divine just snickered, "Your Highness, trust me I would *never* do anything to intentionally harm him; but surely you understand that he's lived his whole life as a rogue element. As such, making sure he doesn't lash out will require a firmer hand than usual." A mental 'Hmph' could be heard, "True enough; if he's courageous enough to talk to me the way he does, a sniveling pile of dung such as yourself has no chance of reining him in without force." The Arcadia seemed a bit lost for words, but only said, "Even still...I feel that you deserve a bit of a reprieve for your efforts. I want you to try and do whatever you can to hold this form of yours...I think you'll like the reward."

And after some time, the reprieve would be some supervised time with Yuna...Where she would see the new him. He seemed to have put on about a foot in height and was overall larger in body frame, his footsteps significantly heavier sounding as well. The eyes beneath the helmet grate a luminescent red as they stared down at both Divine's most trusted advisor and his own closest friend...And it would have been all well and fine until the Emperor felt it right to announce he was also present.

"The redhead on the left, she's the one with your captor, yes? I dislike how she looks at us...The Giant would have fun tearing her apart, or perhaps my daughters would turn her into a doll of sorts for their amusement." the Emperor then spoke, not bothering to hide his statements or the contempt for Aki...And to be honest, it was one Hotsuma shared despite everything she'd done for Yuna. Even so, Hotsuma just replied "Save it; the only opinion that matters to her is that of her master."
 

She has a point, you know?

As the first drops of water began to cascade down Rose's body, Yuna lifted her head; both to ensure her skin got completely cleaned and also out of instinct. As if she were trying to make eye contact with the card spirit ... and then that was when the realization hit her. She was in Rose's body. This wasn't even her own, on a very technical note. Slowly but surely, everything about these powers were beginning to hit Yuna, landing as gently as a ton of bricks would do so.

Meaning ... not at all in a generous manner. Quite the opposite, if anything.

"What do you mean, exactly?" Yuna muttered, grabbing a nearby wash cloth and beginning to lather it up with soap.

What name should we use?

Neither spoke, but both minds rapidly raced. What would usually be an easy task made Yuna grimace. Since both were thinking - let alone at the exact same time - she was starting to clearly see why Aki had given her this task. It was not as simple as she'd originally thought. Far from it. With the two women thinking simultaneously, there were times when the two fought for control on who was doing more contemplating.

"Fuck!" Yuna hissed through gritted teeth. "That fucking hurts! Careful!"

... Sorry, Mistress.

Yuna merely nodded her head, groaning as she raised her unwashed hand and massaged her forehead. "That's fine. Just ... agh, shit. We're supposed to work with one another, not kill one another, ya know? Anyway ... Yuse? How about that? The first two letters from my name, and the last two from yours."

Another moment of silence lingered before Yuna heard a rather content chuckle.

That's ... not too bad, actually. I like that. Thank you, Mistress.

" ... You do know you don't need to use that .... title for me, right? I hardly feel like such a thing."

It's not a bad thing though. Are you uncomfortable with me saying that?

"A bit," Yuna muttered, "I get it's probably ... used differently in your world and such. Here though? It .... tends to hold a lot of connotations, none of which I have even dared to explore. And really, I don't fit the definition of a 'Mistress'; not going off the way the term's used here, anyway."

Is it a bad thing? You're stammering.

"N-Not bad! Not necessarily, anyway! But ... a bit embarrassing, yes," Yuna added, closing her eyes as she let out a long, deep breath. These training sessions had been more tiring than Yuna had ever started to realize. Granted, she never thought they would be easy. Nothing close. But it hadn't sounded like having powers like this would be so exhausting, either.

... I see. I have a lot to learn, don't I?

"We both do," Yuna quickly responded, sighing yet again as she resumed with her shower.

Meanwhile, outside, Aki was continuing to rest against the wall. Despite wearing a calm expression, the thoughts and desires the Emperor was saying weren't being ignored. Hell, the demon was too loud and no doubt didn't care whether she heard him or not.

Sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness, but none of those things will happen to me. Not ever -- or at least not easily. I'm not as frail as I appear. And, unfortunately for you, your new vessel is correct. Even if you did get close to succeeding, Divine-sama would prevent you from fulfilling any of those wishes. Really though; we aren't against you. On the contrary, we're with you two, whether you want to believe it or not.

Knowing Aki had said and done all she could in regards to the two men, her head turned as the water finally shut off. Yuse - as she'd declared herself in this form - had walked out, wearing the same outfit as before. It was clean, after all.

If nothing else, you yourself are, Yuna inwardly added, sitting down on the bed.

"Good," Aki greeted, giving Yuna a nod of approval. "Seeing you successfully perform mundane tasks is actually a good thing, especially now that you're fused with a Duel Spirit. As promised, I'll be right back with your dinner. Fifteen minutes down, forty-five to go. After those pass by, you can have your promised reward." Pushing herself away from the wall, Aki started leaving, pausing only to sneak in one last quip. "If you have any ways to entice or incentives to offer him, I suggest you do so. You're a smart girl; I'm sure you can figure a few things out."

Leaving her to her thoughts - and in an embarrassed state, implying Yuna definitely caught the subtle suggestions that could have come with Aki's words - Divine's right-hand woman exited, leaving Yuna completely alone now.

.... Well, mostly, anyway.

" .... Tease," Yuse merely muttered. By now, the tone was mostly - if not completely - that of Yuna's. For now, it seemed, Rose was moving the body while Yuna was controlling the speech and most of the thoughts going through their head.

Thus, when Hotsuma and the demon heard a new voice, they - well, Hotsuma, at least - would identify it as being mainly Yuna talking. However, it was slightly ... mixed, allowing them to hear a bit of both voices.

How are you two holding up? You doing okay?
 
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Unlike Yuna and Rose, who seemed to achieve a synchronized mindset fairly early on, it was very clear the Emperor and Hotsuma were about as different as people could get. Both were strong and stubborn, sure, but the Emperor viewed everything and everyone beneath him as trash. If they weren't part of his empire, they were worthless to him. "Maybe not yet, wench, but I promise you your day will come" the Emperor retorted to Aki's comment; true, being bound like this meant his options for doing what he normally did were limited.

But if the boy could figure out how to summon and use his abilities, then this redhaired little tramp would be nothing more than an insect to squash beneath his heel. Still, the mention of it only being fifteen minutes shocked them both; there was no way it was just fifteen minutes! "You're a liar..." Hotsuma muttered as she walked past them, his voice a strange mix of the guttural nature of the Emperor's and the harshness of his own.

And with Aki leaving to check on their meals, Divine would stay and make sure these two didn't cause trouble; compliant as these two were, Divine wasn't stupid enough to think that they were trustworthy to be alone just yet. Besides, it would be interesting to see how they interacted now that they were both in their 'Duel Spirit' forms. Divine could only hope to glean as much information from this as possible; this would work perfectly for his own plans. If he could replicate this...

Hotsuma meanwhile, just stood in front of Yuna - to him this was still Yuna - and tried to make sense of this. "About as well as you can see; this idiot boy is still trying to fight what has happened. And as you might be able to discern...We don't exactly get along." the Emperor spoke in Hotsuma's steed, himself replying "Kind of hard to when I don't know the first thing about what exactly you plan to do."

"You see? Such distrust, even though my presence in his Deck has helped him win countless Duels. You would think having used my subjects for so long, he would be more trusting of them." the Emperor scoffed, Hotsuma starting to get a little agitated, "Really, you're going to guilt me now? I already said, I didn't want this crap! I never asked to awaken you, to have myself literally turn into a Duel Monster!"

"Alright, settle down you two." Divine finally spoke up, making them both stop. "Remember, this is to help you synchronize, Hotsuma. And the Emperor is quite right; if you keep fighting him, you'll never achieve a stable resonance." It was here that Hotsuma turned and faced the Arcadia leader, the hand on the massive blade gripping the weapon more tightly. "Maybe you would understand if you weren't safe in your own head..." Hotsuma spoke in that odd but spine-chilling tone, stating "Maybe you should try this on yourself, you damned coward!"

Divine smiled, "If I knew how this was achieved, I more than certainly would give it a shot. But getting upset at me isn't going to help things; think of this time as a way to get your life in order. To look deep within and ask 'What do I really want out of this life?' And though you've told me your own desires, I think there's more out there you don't realize you want yet. I get the feeling that if you both master these abilities, nothing will be beyond your reach."

Hotsuma just let out a 'Tch', turning away from Divine again; that little shit never let anything get under his skin.

"I guess he's not wrong, though; I don't trust this...At all. Yuna, you probably already know this, but we need to be careful. This is shit we've never dealt with before; hell, I didn't think these things even existed. And whatever good your friend has done for you, I'm glad she's keeping you safe so far..Just, keep an eye on her, alright? Don't let her get too crazy." he then said, more out of concern for Yuna's well-being than anything else.

"Aki already explained that to her, Hotsuma; besides, we have means to ensure that your new 'partners' don't act up too much." Divine then commented idly, making the Emperor/Hotsuma flinch in annoyance. Did this guy ever shut up for two seconds? "I believe that you were asked to not interrupt our conversations...Try it again and I will not hesitate to rip out your tongue.' Hotsuma's gravely new voice spoke harshly to Divine, still smirking as confidently as ever, "Someone's feeling hostile...Maybe you're hungry as well? Not any trouble, as it's nearly dinner time regardless. I'll have someone bring your food here, since it seems like you can at least hold out for an hour."

Divine then tapped his chin, "But I wonder...How do you plan on enjoying a meal with that gaudy helmet covering your face?"

This statement alone made Hotsuma stop; much as being an arrogant dickhead defined Divine's personality, he did make good points more often than not. "If it can disappear, I can remove it..." Hotsuma then said, laying down his own weapon against the wall of a cell as armor-covered hands came up to start removing the brainbucket.

"Hehehehe.....I wouldn't do that if I were you. Never know who might have a weak stomach."

Hotsuma just groaned and finally lifted the helmet off, revealing a rather disturbing face. Divine could only stare in utter confusion, not expecting at all what he was seeing. Talk about a face only a mother could love. "What? I told him not to...." the Emperor chuckled mentally, Hotsuma speaking aloud, "What? What the hell's wrong with you?"

Not seeing just how much his transformation had changed him; he didn't even feel his skin shift in the slightest, so he had no reason to suspect that something wasn't 'quite' right with his appearance aside from what was already obvious. "Hotsuma...I believe only a mirror could truly explain why I suddenly fell silent..." Divine then commented, still staring quite intently; to think, this had produced such a change and he didn't even notice it.
 

Though Aki said nothing about being accused of lying regarding how much of the hour had passed, anyone may - if they tried hard enough - could see her roll her eyes as she walked away.

Yuna, on the other hand, merely sighed.

"I believe she already said it once before to ... one of us. But she really doesn't lie. I did just get out of a shower, and that in itself took up some time so .... I'm pretty sure she's right about that much."

And in case Hotsuma may fear Aki had tried to coerce Yuna - or Yuse, technically - into standing up for the red-head, she held up some raven strands of her own hair, letting him see they were still slightly wet. Not to the point where the water would drip too often and threaten to ruin her clothes, no. But enough that he could see even from the distance separating them still.

When the Emperor relayed just how frustrating this was going for the two men, her head bowed slightly. Yuna's teeth rubbed along her lower lip, not quite latching onto it, but ready to if she got too nervous or annoyed and felt like resorting to her nervous habit.

... I hate to say it, but I can see and understand both sides of the coin. Err ... it is hard to immediately trust a fiend, an all but literal demon. And yet ... your Emperor is right. I know Divine just said that, which probably means nothing to you, Hotsuma. So think of it when I say this. Maybe not today nor overnight, but soon, you should muster up enough courage to begin trusting him. These forms chose us. I doubt it was random. I mean, hell, I had more men than women in my deck. And yet, I still manage to call one of the few females out? That proves - to me, anyway - this isn't all just a mere coincidence.

Part of it very well could have been, sure. But there was way too much that was suggesting some unseen force was wanting all of this to happen. Something, possibly, even stronger than Divine himself. Or, at the very least, something that was at least on par with Divine or Aki's power which, for now, would more than suffice. They'd need to obtain all the strength they could earn in order to get out.

Slowly, Yuna slumped onto the floor; though unlike the last few times he'd seen her do this, it wasn't from exhaustion or despair. It was simply wanting to move herself. Nothing more, nothing less.

A ghost of a smirk formed as Hotsuma went on to recommend being careful with Aki.

Oh, of couse. I had full intention to do just that. But do I trust her over Takumo? Fuck yes. She's most definitely better than him. That is a no-brainer, as is the belief I don't think she'll help him with his ... desires. In that regard, I truly do think she's being completely honest about how she feels.

While Yuna listened to Divine talking with Hotsuma and his spirit, she went silent. Not just because it was polite, going by 'proper' etiquette. But she noticed something. It made her head tilt.

... Rose? You okay?

"Yes, Mistress. Just observing."

The briefest of pauses lingered before Rose hesitantly added, "Is this how all talks between you and Hotsuma-kun go?"

"Sorta," Yuna muttered under her breath. "It definitely can be ... just as interesting. But we've never had these Psychic elements included before. Obviously."

Her head lifted, originally drawn to the sounds of footsteps approaching. Aki was making her way back, balancing two trays, one in each hand. "You both have about --- "

But that was when both Aki and Yuse noticed the helm had been removed, as well as what had been hiding underneath it. Yuna, thankfully, didn't have a weak stomach. But the expression on her face did suggest she hadn't expected that.

Though ... now that she thought about it, why not?

That's why you came up with the name Yuse; this is her body. So ... why wouldn't it be the same for him?

"Well .... Hotsuma? You're not exactly in your own skin," Yuna finally managed to say.

Should he not yet have pieced it all together, he would when Aki walked forward and set the tray with food down. Yet, there were some empty spaces that could act as mirrors and help him see exactly what Divine and Yuna had meant.

"Interesting change," Aki murmured, clearing her throat as she pivoted and gave Yuna her meal. "As I was about to say, you two have half an hour left to stay in those forms. After that, Divine-sama will keep his end of the deal. For now, enjoy."

While the encouragement had been nice, Yuna suddenly didn't feel nearly as hungry as she had been prior to seeing Hotsuma's new form.

But ... that wasn't fair.

It's still Hotsuma, she scolded. Which, to an extent, was true. It was and wasn't him. The body may not be, but the fact he was able to be heard with the Emperor suggested otherwise. So ... Yuna tried to view him as if he were still in his more human form. Which mean she needed to act somewhat normal. So, even if somewhat forced, Yuna began to eat, even if the main reason was now to make sure she had enough strength for tomorrow and the rest of the night.
 
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Hotsuma still didn't see what exactly everyone was looking at him so strangely for; he hadn't changed *that* much....Had he? No, he couldn't have; hell, even this bulky armor didn't feel all that heavy to him...Though thinking again, he realized that it probably should have. Bah, the hell...

When Aki was kind enough to set his food on the table nearby, he found himself looking into one of the emptier slots...And catching a glimpse of a rather hideous mug. He'd heard of being hit with the ugly stick, but good god it looked as if someone really went to town on his face with it!

"What the fuck, dude?!"

Those would be the words he shouted rather obscenely and loudly in his own mind, Diving suppressing a smile as the young man finally saw himself for who he was now. Yes, it seemed the changes were far more drastic, for both Yuna and Hotsuma, than anyone could have expected. Hell, Divine had no idea that there would be ANY aesthetic change at all; these two were growing more and more interesting by the second.

"I believe I did warn you not to look..." the Emperor commented idly, Hotsuma snarking "Yeah well, your face looks like someone stepped in dog shit and set it on fire...I feel bad for whoever you call the Empress if that's what she has to look at everyday." Again, Hotsuma felt that sting in his forehead though this time it was much stronger, noticeably wincing and cursing aloud again as the armored hand ran over the taut rough skin...If one could even call it that. "You had best learn to respect your superiors, boy; otherwise this transition will be VERY rough for you" Hotsuma heard the Emperor say again, this time letting a semi-lethal chill drip over his words.

"Hotsuma...Come now, you have less than half an hour. If nothing else, do it for your friend; she's put up with so much just to try and be reunited with you." Divine then commented; though anyone with half a brain would know that Divine didn't give a damn in the slightest if these two were actually better together. Right now, he was trying to leverage anything he could to get Hotsuma to hold his form for as long as possible; and it seemed to work, because Hotsuma then actually apologized!

"Damn it all...Sorry...It's just...I didn't ask for this. Any of this; it's going to take some time to get used to. Especially now that I have two more people I can't hide my mind from."

Divine smirked as the young man admitted fault, however begrudgingly it might have been. And at least for now, the Emperor seemed to be placated with such an apology...And then Hotsuma went for the food, his massive form dwarfing the smaller tray. And despite the lack of visible lips, he seemed to have no trouble eating; though it was more than a little strange to witness such a thing, even if Hotsuma was able to do this normal thing like he'd been this way his whole life.

"Good, good...At the very least, it seems neither of your transformations have hindered you to perform basic tasks." Divine commmented; tomorrow, he might try having them use their decks and Duel some of the others. Partly because he wanted to see if the manifestation ability the others possessed was had by them as well, but he also wanted to get an idea of their caliber as Duelists first-hand.

He'd heard the tales, read the reports on the skirmishes with Sector these two have had, and they would be definite assets should they prove to master this unforeseen yet interesting turn of events. Divine figured them both warrior types; though if he had to give an initial first impression, Hotsuma's capacity was up front. Personal. Hold the line single handed and all that.

Yuna was more the type operate from the shadows. Careful, deliberate and calculating. Strike when one's guard was lowered, hard and fast. And if he were being honest, he didn't know which was more dangerous.

Regardless, the hour soon came and went, Divine checking his watch and giving a small set of claps "Well done, you two...Not even a shudder from your forms. As agreed, you two will be allowed to share this room tonight, but try to keep any funny business to a minimum yes?" Of course, that statement could be taken a number of ways, something that the Arcadia leader did on purpose. "I have to admit, I'm impressed; granted, I've eased off how much I'm pressuring you, but I believe that yes...You'll be a more than suitable vessel for this little adventure of mine."

"Take care, you two...Come along, Aki. Best we let these two get their rest." he then said to the red-haired woman, cutting their little visit off at this point. And once Yuna and Hotsuma were alone, the young man's shoulders seemed to slump as a heavy sigh left his lips, "I thought he'd never leave...Fuck this place." Still, he was genuinely happy that he was here with an ally. Someone that he knew would have his back. Putting his helmet back on, if only to spare others the 'honor' of gazing upon the Emperor's face, he then turned and looked at the red-haired woman as he slowly began to change back to his original self, the power to hold on quickly waning, "Yuna...You holding up alright?" The last of his sentence finishing right as he had fully reverted back into his normal self...Something that he DID feel.

"Huh...Guess just over an hour is all I've got at the moment." he commented, looking down at his hands to see that his skin was normal again...and not covered in heavy metal plate. And now that he heard it, his voice was back to normal as well; in truth, he was torn. Divine was right, the possibilities were potentially limitless...But what unsettled him most was how this came to be, and what might come of it. He hated operating in uncertainty...Well, too much uncertainty to be precise, but uncertainty all the same.

"Anyway...Fun first day, right? But it looks like you and Rose got this nailed down...If I didn't know better, I might just think you're trying to purposely outdo me". And as he said, that familiar joking smirk was back, himself trying to use humor to uplift them both through this dire situation.
 

Gods, please shut up you two. Were you never taught any basic manners, Hotsuma? Don't argue at the table. Goodness.

He would hear more of Yuna's irked voice, though Rose was definitely able to be detected also.

Really though, not now, please. No arguing ...

There was already so much off that happening on a daily - if not hourly - basis. And it could be tiring. In fact, it was taking more of a toll on Yuna than remaining in this new form. And as someone who had relatively decent stamina all things considered, that was something to say. Nothing had threatened to make her so worn out that she was exhausted. Even being put in those chambers and coerced into a deep slumber with anesthesia didn't.

... Though to be fair, Yuna wasn't really counting those moments because they fucked with her systems. Including her immune, which was stronger without any sort of drug coursing through her blood.

Regardless, the point was the same. And it was something Hotsuma had known and everyone else here had seen during her forced stay at Arcadia.

"I know," Yuna replied, deciding to give her head a slight break by actually talking instead of relying on the telepathy. It was a nice gift and all but .... no. It'd likely be dangerous if she used it so often. Or ... was she over-thinking? Option B was always possible but ... her head shook. No point dwelling on something that may never happen. However, she'd ask Rose later. When time wasn't an issue. "But it's not like I'm used to this either. I'm just .... trying to adapt faster. But trust me, I'm not used to people literally being in my head."

And should Hotsuma want a much better incentive as to why he needed to shut up and behave, Yuna pulled it out.

The pendant he'd given her that she was still wearing. Still taking care of. All which held the very reason he'd allied with her in an effort to get rid of Sector.

" ... It's obvious you're still not ready yet."

The words were blunt and in a very matter-of-fact voice. And as Hotsuma would see Yuna tuck it back underneath the corset, it was even more obvious that he would literally have to try to yank that off from around her neck if he thought otherwise.

Of course, doing so would result in her fighting back to keep her promise to him.

But no one needed to be Psychic to know that much. Even when she'd been mostly stripped and chained, Yuna never ceased struggling. She just knew when to act and when not to. Exactly what Divine already noticed. She was indeed akin to a thief, maybe even an intelligent assassin. Intelligent meaning one that relied on tactics, not direct confrontations.

Yuna would finally relax when Hotsuma calmed down and began to join her in eating.

Aki, meanwhile, merely nodded, standing up and walking silently away. Indeed, these two had earned their reward. And even if Hotsuma and the Emperor refused to believe it, Yuna had been correct in her assumption. In certain aspects, she actually was on Yuna and Hotsuma's sides. Just not enough to back-stab Divine. Yet it was enough to not be a complete bitch and slam them both with a huge blast of psychic energy. She could have, without any hesitation or remorse. But it simply wasn't in her to do such things without a reason.

Hence why Yuna hadn't received any overly dire gestures from Aki since she briefly possessed her.

Soon, Aki strode away, walking in tow with Divine.

"Thank god indeed," she muttered, letting out her own long, heavy breath as the others walked away. In truth, Divine was worse than Aki. Ironically, it was for the same analysis the leader noticed about Yuna. He didn't voice his thoughts much, if at all. That actually made him relatively dangerous. Enough for Yuna to mentally note caution was certainly needed when around him.

The once crimson locks of hair changed back to their usual raven hue, the eyes and rest of Yuna's form returning within seconds.

"Hmph. Not purposely trying to outdo you, no. But you kinda make it easy, between your stubborn ass self and the deck you chose. Fiends ... well, they're easier to negotiate with through deals. You ... don't have to use that with fighters. Even something as simple as loyalty can work, or a common motive. But ... enough about that."

Yuna slowly stepped forward, having subconsciously - and quickly - finished her meal off rather eagerly. Anticipation and a sense of excitement had been swimming strongly through her. And now that she was alone, she was caving into the emotions.

So once she was close enough, she took her turn to stretch her arms out and wrap them around Hotsuma, shaking slightly as she hugged him.

"I'm fine," she reassured him, "Just ... fuck. That took more than I thought to stay in that form. It did at first, anyway. So I guess these would basically be the after-shocks of sorts."

Her head weakly pressed against the other leader's forehead. She was so close. Just like the first time he'd held her. It would be so easy to do anything. And if Yuna had to be honest, she did sort of want to just throw caution to the wind and listen to at least one of her inner cries.

... But ... that was maybe a bit too hasty.

For now, she'd just accept the reward as it was, knowing that no one would be able to bother them. Not without being bitched at, anyway. They could finally be left alone for the first time in .... four days? Was that really how long it'd been?

Definitely too long, that much is for damn sure ...
 
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"She's right, you know; the Archfiends in particular believe in exchanges quite religiously...Even if by your standards they seem one-sided."

And at this Hotsuma didn't argue; he knew the 'deal-maker' architecture of his own deck far too well. Commander, Emperor, even the Giant....All of them required a sacrifice or exchange, be it a monster or his own life points, to activate their effects and abilities. But that was how he felt he lived his life: Put it all on the line, and strike with everything he had. Was it reckless? Yes, by no small means. Was it dangerous? He would easily ask what wasn't in Satellite; if it wasn't Sector, they were other gangs to look out for. And if you wanted peace, well, he was a deal-maker and knew how to handle himself in that environment. And now that it was brought to light, he was starting to see just how much that was reflected in his deck choice.

Hotsuma knew what Yuna was getting at, but it still sucked that he felt...So lacking in control. His whole life ever since his brother had passed, he went through the same struggles as everyone else in Satellite: Wanting to control their own fate, and tell anyone that dared dictate them to politely fuck off. But now...With his recent challenges, he was feeling even less in control and even though he was starting to recover, it was clear that he wasn't ready. For any of this.

Made more evident when she pulled out the pendant...The only vestige of the happiest times in his life.

Truth be told, he did want to fight and get it back...But he remembered the promise she'd made, and he knew her well enough that she would gladly fight him tooth and nail if it meant keeping it. And he wasn't about to rough her up because of that; no, doing that would not only be counter-productive but socially suicidal. Much as she'd considered herself lucky for not losing him as an ally when she revealed her secret, he too considered himself lucky that she fought to bring him back when he felt lost.

And this was evidenced when she embraced him again, his own arms holding her tightly to himself. He definitely didn't want to let go, even though he knew deep down at some point he'd have to. But for now...He held on until she might pull away.

"You're lucky you're my type, Yuna...Otherwise I might just feel insulted at that comment." was yet another half-assed joke; he was feeling better, but he wondered how he would have held up if he'd had to go through this alone. Part of him felt the only reason he'd not completely fallen apart yet was because Yuna was there to help him...

Was it a sign of weakness? Or a comfort knowing that he still had allies he could count on? Maybe some combination of both, but he threw those notions aside and just focused on her. And truth be told, she was everything he found attractive in a woman...But did he want to risk it for one night of potential gratification? And in here of all places? Granted, he knew this wasn't exactly a fairy-tale life...But surely if they wanted to go that far with each other, they could a better place than some over-decorated prison cell?

And now that she was this close...Well, it was definitely safe to say the urge was there. But another part of him wanted to wait, have them be somewhere more familiar before trying to act on that particular earthly desire.

Letting another small sigh of relief leave him, Hotsuma then said, "I know I've been a drag these last few days, Yuna...But I promise that shit's all behind me. So just...Thanks. For not leaving me to rot. it really does mean a lot to me...I'll try my best to be here for you as well...Because damn it we're going to get out of here, and we're going to take this fight to Sector again. Hell, if we can figure out even a tenth of what we can do with these abilities...I'm sure we can kick those pigs' collective asses right out of Satellite."
 

Save for the one time Hotsuma's Emperor spoke up, Yuna heard little else. Even her own thoughts were being ignored. Blocked out. And, unfortunately, it meant doing so to Rose. But Yuna's duel spirit would at least feel it wasn't being done out of something cruel like spite. She really did want as much of a break as Hotsuma from all this mental, Psychic-related stuff. Step one was silencing any voices trying to echo in her head. Step two was keeping herself this way, even if only until she fell asleep. It was already such a nice change of pace.

Everything that was happening was.

... Even being so close to Hotsuma. Actually, especially being able to be alone. To hold him. To not have to worry about some hopeless pervert who openly revealed he wanted to rape her. And all the while, to know said other man could do absolutely nothing against her.

At least not right now, and that was what mattered. It was greatly aiding in her body staying stable. Otherwise, she would appear much more on edge than she was looking then and there.

"Me? Your type?" she repeated, chuckling softly. "I never really viewed myself as the right kind of woman for anyone. With or without ... scars. My attitude. And some other shit that may put me in a slightly dim, negative light."

Her hands slowly began travelling down the back of Hotsuma's top, tracing gently along his back and spine. It was originally meant to just be her way to reassure herself he was still there. That was truly her friend and not some illusion.

... When her fingers were in reach of the hem of his shirt though, Yuna fought off the urge to snake her hands under the fabric and rub his back. Namely because of the things going through her head that would have followed after she succeeded with that.

"Oi, Hotsuma?"

Her head buried into his nearest shoulder, muffling herself so only he could hear the next part of her confession.

" ... You're welcome and all but ... how are you feeling? I'm ... kinda ... weird. More so than usual. And I know what it is despite not having indulged but .... I guess what I'm trying to ask is ... "

Her head trembled as she lifted it and forced her eyes to look right into Hotsuma's.

"What do you want? Especially if it is just me feeling .... impulsive. And should that be the case, you can tell me to give you space or whatever. But I ... I have no idea if we'll ever be alone like this again. And I hate knowing I'm essentially on an invisible timer. Even with how strong we're getting and working on all of these abilities, it's not a total comfort. Especially knowing some prick several doors, floors, whatever the hell down ... well .... wants me and .... "

Somewhere in between the start of her explanation to the last few sentences, her voice began caving in. Yuna was speaking faster than usual, her voice even shaking slightly, as did her body, trying not to sound too scared but also continuing to fight of the urges that were growing that much more stronger.

Wouldn't it be better to give her first to someone she trusted over some bastard like Tokumo?

Oh definitely.

But .... it wasn't what Yuna usually resorted to. These sorts of topics and what felt like millions more were all of the topics now frantically running around in her mind.
 
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It was definitely a refreshing experience, to be able to just be with someone that he had long since considered a true ally. Wasn't exactly easy to find people like that these days, and he always hated it whenever one was lost. Probably why he didn't resist as Yuna would hug him more tightly, though he did find her hands wandering to his shoulders like they were a little strange for her. He never really considered her the 'huggy' type...But then, he never thought he would break down like he did, or get captured by anyone other than Sector.

And he certainly never thought he would be forcefully granted Psychic powers. Whatever the hell those might actually be aside from changing how he looked on the outside.

And though he was often thought as an idiot, he instantly picked up on what Yuna was trying to ask...Again, something he didn't expect. Did she, well, *want* him in that way? Lord only knew that were this any other circumstance, he'd jump on this - and her - in a heartbeat, but now...Especially with all the recent shit revolving around her and Jun's accomplice...he had to wonder how right that would be. Would certainly be hilarious to see his face sour when he realized that he wouldn't be getting her first time.

Even with that though...He couldn't bring himself to fully try and commit. Especially he knew all too well that they would be listening in from wherever they currently were. And that just made it...weird. Like, super weird, and he was the one that led a group of punks to attack a well-armed security force.

"Yuna..." he said at first, pressing a finger to her lips to help her stop jabbering for a moment. It wasn't long after that he pulled the digit away and stated, "If we weren't locked in this fucked-up place, I would probably have you on the ground right now" he teased, his hands slowly coming down to grip her pert butt, fingers squeezing and pushing their hips closer together. "Seriously though...If you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting...We should probably wait for that. I mean, you know, if you want me to do that to you. Doing it here...I dunno, just seems strange...Don'tcha think? Especially since we don't know if they're actually listening in to *everything* we do" he then added, his hands gently massaging the globes beneath her jeans.

"But I mean, even if we don't go all the way...If you want, maybe we could fool around a little...Lord only knows we could both use something to let off the steam." would be his next comment, his hands going so far as to slip under the beltline and grip her ass directly. Of course, he was expecting she might up and slap-slash-dickpunch him...But then again, he always had a motto: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
 

In truth, even Yuna wasn't sure if she wanted him in the same way Hotsuma was wondering. On one hand, yes. Most definitely, over any other bastard in this place. But if it was just to rub salt into an invisible wound ... that wasn't really fair for anyone. Of course, she was caring only about herself and Hotsuma, but that was enough to make her pause. Think carefully and very long about her offer. After all, he hadn't given her an official answer so it wasn't yet too late to take it back.

When Hotsuma gently pressed a finger against her lips, she sighed in relief. Relaxed.

Again, reacted in a way that he could fairly assume wasn't her usual preference. Pretty much anyone else would have been scolded - possibly even bitten at - with such a gesture.

... That was yet another reason, though, that she was feeling confident about giving herself to Hotsuma. He'd been the first and only person to make her feel ... how to word it. Human? Something like that. He treated her like an actual equal. It would have been laughably simple for him to turn his back on her after learning she had never been Yukio, but merely Yuna. Yet, he didn't. He stuck with her and it was because of his devotion that - although they were both in this hell hole - they were together.

Believe it or not, it could be worse if only one of them had become prisoner, and even more dire if Hotsuma had ended up breaking any ties they'd had.

If one took a minute or two to think about that, they'd realize just why Yuna shivered. She was feeling more and more lucky that if she had to be stuck here, it was actually in the best possible set of circumstances, not worst.

Her head slowly nodded, waiting for the finger to move away so she could grip her lower lip without accidentally hurting Hotsuma. Sure, it probably wouldn't hurt much, but that wasn't the point. She didn't want to risk hurting him in any form or fashion. Mentally, physically, emotionally.

... Which probably should have been a hint. A flag of some color, some type of symbol that he clearly was more than only a comrade to her.

"I understand," she whispered, gasping slightly as her rear suddenly got groped. Her head turned - mainly as a form of reassurance - and did indeed see one of Hotsuma's hands there. As she turned back around to face the other leader, her face was slightly red, fueled on from arousal and small tinges of embarrassment.

"W-Well, yeah but ... do I keep pushing my luck with that fucker around? Each second or day that goes by allows him more time, more chances to think. And as someone who comes up with plans best alone, I can safely say that's dangerous. But ... mmmh! ... you are right. Being too hasty would be just as dumb."

The softest of moans and combined sighs passed her lips as she felt Hotsuma's bare hand groping and fondling her.

" ... I'm sorry but ... yeah. I ... it's like you said. We both need this."

After repeating those last four minds firmly in her mind several times over, she pulled herself closer, scooting into Hotsuma's lap, with her crotch effectively placed over his clothed member. Yuna stared right into the light blue-grey orbs across from her before leaning forward and pressing her lips eagerly atop his, initiating a deep, sensual kiss. One hand immediately went to the destination it'd wanted to and lightly massaged Hotsuma's bare spine and back as it snuck under the fabric of his top.

Her right, meanwhile, moved in front and went down ... down even further ... then finally halted when it found what it'd been seeking; Hotsuma's cock. Even if covered by whatever boxers or clothes were under there, the warmth emitting from the bulge began to pulse throughout Yuna's own hand, making her moan as the kiss she started resumed. Making slow up and down motions, she began lightly jerking Hotsuma off; going slow partially so he could enjoy it to the fullest and also to ensure she was doing this right.

This would be Yuna's first time with everything and so, she technically didn't know completely what she was doing.

However, she hoped her ability to learn quickly would aid her out. Being naive was one thing. But stupid was another, and certainly something that Yuna definitely wasn't.
 
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Hotsuma was careful to not press too hard; though he was definitely pressing hard enough, the rough skin of his fingers serving to send light sensations of friction across the soft flesh of her butt. He was inwardly glad that she was feeling a bit pent-up herself; made himself feel like less of an asshole, especially since he knew all too well what that asshole Tokumo wanted to do to her.

But mostly, he was trying to help her like this because of him. To let her know that there were men that would treat her as she deserved to be treated. Not just as another piece of meat for the first hungry dog to sink his teeth into. And he knew where Yuna was coming from...But being *too* eager in that respect could be just as disastrous to their relationship.

"Yuna...If that shithead does try anything, know that I'll gladly kick his ass so hard he'll have to sit on his eyeballs."

That was all he would say though, since he didn't want her - or himself, for that matter - to dwell on that too much. This moment was about them, survivors in many senses of the word trying to keep each other company in an unknown yet unmistakably hostile environment. His hand continued to rub her backside, one starting to - try, at least - and undo the corset.

A small groan left him as her hand found his half-hard member, the size decent as it responded to her touches. The bulge enlarging as her palm caressed it, the heat growing more and more intense before it began to throb through the underwear, his breath catching as he muttered, "Yuna...That feels really good." All the while his hand continuing to undo her top. The hardest part was getting the first knot...But after that, it was like unwinding a coil, the restrictive garment loosening about her and with one last tug, falling to the ground.

And even though he had been with some others in the past, this experience would be a first for him as well. This was someone he deeply trusted, someone he was starting to consider as more than just an ally of convenience. This was a woman who had fought alongside him, who braved the same storms as he and stood alongside him unflinchingly against Sector. And so, even if he didn't say anything, he felt incredibly grateful and happy to be with her like this.

Something he tried to express by breaking the contact of their lips, his own touching along the curve of her jaw before traveling downward, getting closer and closer to her breasts. And after a few moments, she would feel his mouth capture a nipple, gentle suction and heat stimulating the bud while his free hand moved to gently tease her other one. His rough-skinned fingers cupping the mound while trapping that sensitive peak between them, keeping his touch light but with hopefully enough pressure that she would at least feel something.
 

"Mmmm ... "

Each squeeze and caress of her rear that Yuna felt was met with a moan and sigh of approval. Every now and again, she even moved back, causing her rear to bump against his hands and fingers, making his touches that much easier to perform. Yuna was loving this session. Maybe more than she should, but damn the consequences. She had been brutally honest about needed this, and she was feeling just how bad this seemed to be.

There was only one real down side to this whole grope/make-out moment they were having ... and it came in a simple but annoying urge to restrain herself from doing. Thinking. Just in case anyone she didn't want to hear her thoughts was still awake, Yuna was coercing herself to speak out loud as opposed to mentally or through telepathy.

While speaking about that prick wasn't exactly at the top of her to-do list, the reassurance from Hotsuma was nice all the same. "Heh. Alright. I'm .. mmh! ... keeping your word about that. Ohhh!"

Yuna swallowed, feeling her breath hitch in her throat as Hotsuma began working on her corset. Yet, she didn't try to stop him. She simply stared, looking torn between if she wanted him to eventually undo the top or not. Even though it wouldn't be the first time he'd see her chest, it would be the most intimate time. Before, she'd been scared about him leaving upon realizing whom she actually was.

Now, Yuna was terrified she wouldn't ... look good enough. Something like that.

In hopes of thinking about anything but being too embarrassed in front of Hotsuma, her hand began steadily going faster. Not too swift, but definitely quicker than it'd been moving along the clothed cock a few seconds ago. Something more akin to a medium-esque pace.

"Yuna...That feels really good."

"Y-You're welcome. Fuck, you too. You're making me hot ... w-wait!"

Her heart froze as the last tug was made, helping remove the corset fully.

"I -- I'm sorry," she muttered, unable to stop the words before they left her lips as he found himself gazing again at her modest chest. Bs, barely avoiding hitting C cups, were exposed before the light blue orbs belonging to Hotsuma. Not only did he have full access to Yuna's breasts, but all her scars and wounds she'd earned from many missions, including the more recent one which he extracted the bullets out of her flesh.

"Shit!" Yuna whined, gasping and groaning as a hand and Hotsuma's mouth began toying with her erect nipples. Her free hand raised, gripping a handful of Hotsuma's hair as she held him down. "More, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Her body bounced and bucked eagerly, rubbing against her other hand and the still concealed shaft.

A wet spot had formed in between her legs, dampening the area where her now moist sex was being hidden with her own pair of panties. Each downward movement from Yuna would allow Hotsuma to smell and feel how turned on she was getting, seeming to become more fragrant and damp with each motion from her.

"Ohhhhhhhh, shit! Yes, mmmhmmm!"

Yuna began to shudder and shake, whimpering and whining as the desire to climax grew stronger and stronger. But she held back -- at least for now. She wanted to make Hotsuma feel as good as he was doing with her. A mutual sorta thing. It only seemed right and fair. Plus, it'd be more erotic; or at least, that was what Yuna hoped. Regardless, there was one definite thing she was silently praying, and it would be that Hotsuma was feeling as amazing as she was so far.
 
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