Yugioh - Designer Souls

[Viktoff Samson]

May 10th
-
Morning of the Mid-May Invitational Duel Monsters Tournament.​

A dazed Kaden had been on a train that was heading to the center of Domino City. With the view from the train windows, he could absently adore the city as the sunrise slowly began to crest over they skyline far away. It may have been very early, but Kaden was haunted by nightmares and he just couldn't manage to find some sleep. The chances of the men who were hunting him actually finding him were slim given that he was a totally different person now and on the other side of the planet. What was he afraid of? Even though he was a duelist who participated in the open contests each month, he just didn't perform well enough to be invited to participate in this invite-only contest today. He'd imagine that everyone who was had already received a letter of some sort and they were going to be there at some printed time.

As the train came to it's stop in a mostly empty plaza, the black coated and jeans wearing young man had worked his way through the nearest door and down some stairs. The darkness beneath his eyes and the hazy cloud of snoozing brain cells hadn't helped him much in his trek down the plaza that opened into the Stadium for the contest. While Kaden wasn't invited, he knew that he could probably pay for tickets to enjoy the contest from the stands. And with his luck, there were black suited men at the front of the building as they were preparing patrol perimeters.

The social phobias that mechanically constructed themselves inside Kaden had began to flare up as he approached these men casually. The fear of lying to them and being caught doing so when he just couldn't help it, it was always so overwhelming. The black coated man couldn't bring himself to make the final step. Guilt and embarrassment swallowed his poorly cobbled confidence as he turned and began to walk away before the suited security gentlemen even noticed he was there.

In his head, Kaden cursed himself as he rounded the building. If he couldn't work past this grief and guilt in his chest, then he'd never get any farther into building a life for himself here, in the city. Who would respect a dueling star or idol that couldn't tell their fans the truth? Nobody. Just as he grew closer to a suspiciously open door along the backside of the Stadium, Kaden paused and raised an eyebrow.

"Enter the door." A woman's whisper tickled at his ears. His messy hair covered them, and no one else was around, but the voice was clearly there. No compulsion forced his body to sneak around the open door and into the building. He simply dropped his feeble will power and carried through with the action calmly.

"Why are you asking me to do this?" He asked aloud, his voice matching his handsome body features, but mirroring his dark bags beneath his eyes and lazy sleepy posture. No response. Without fear, Kaden found himself traveling further into the side of the stadium as the hallway behind the door extended deeper than he imagined.

"You're alone. Sick and tired of a world you were never allowed to participate in properly from the beginning." The voice returned, softer and somehow longing as though they were physically close and yet Kaden remained the only person in the hallway.

"How do you know that?" Kaden weakly responded as his eyes traveled over the nearby doors for a sign of what might be going on. To his perception, there wasn't any evidence that this was some sort of prank. "What's going on here?"

"Follow your beaten and useless heart, Kaden. Find me and I'll gladly rob you of that guilt and give you the life you've been dying for all these years." The woman's voice grew slower and Kaden knew that to normal people, this whole event would be far too creepy or unbelievable. Other people would laugh or run off in terror at the sound of a voice in their head. Kaden continued walking deeper into the hallway. His dirty sneakers traveling along the cheap red rug of the floor as he passed numerous black doors on a white wall. This hallway had been almost hypnotically simple to his slow and aching eyes.

Before long, the door to an office slid open. There was a couch off to the right and the carpet of the floor had been a significantly higher quality. Slowly, Kaden entered the room and shut the door behind him. A busty blonde woman sat behind a giant wooden desk on the opposite side of the room. Her skin was hauntingly perfect and pale as her pantsuit, while hiding some of her curves, did little to hide her cleavage. Kaden couldn't think much further as he knew he was miles beyond his comfort zone.

"How about you lie down over there?" The woman asked, her voice clearly being the source that had echoed into his head, but sweeter and more human now. With a nod, The baggy-clothed Kaden stumbled to the cough and plopped onto his back. He didn't even blink as the tall woman entered his frame of view in an instant, which was jarring even as he couldn't imagine that she moved that fast. The woman's hand took to his chest as he looked up into her eyes. "I can make you better. No more pain. Don't you want that?" She asked as though she were speaking to a child.

Clearly Kaden didn't mind as he nodded slowly, his bangs partly covering his heavy drooping eye-lids. He free hand moved to adjust his bangs and hold his head. Her plush red lips curled upward on both ends now, she had these poor excuse of a man in her grasp now. "All you need to do is forfeit that pesky, whiny soul of yours. Can you do that for me, Kaden?" Her voice grew sweeter now, as it didn't matter and she knew she had him now. With another nod, Kaden let his eyes close completely as the woman's hand unfastened his coat and pulled up his white t-shirt to rest over his beating heart. His chest had been fit, and on the skinny side as her skin met his.

The struggling, silent duelist had lost his ability to remain tethered to reality as his eyes shut and his mind drifted into a welcoming and warm dream state. He wasn't awake at all as the woman somehow pulled what looked like a trading card from his chest. In this single action, all of Kaden that fought himself to keep others out of harm's way had left his body in that card. His 'soul' was gone, and good riddance.

 

[Kaybee]

Satsuki Ryuka

May 10th, 6:30 AM, Ryuka Residence


Satsuki punched a pillow, then scowled and wished she could punch something a little more resisting, wished she could ground herself somehow to keep the room from twisting around her. This didn't happen to her, this wasn't... She wasn't... "Argh!" She threw up her hands, glancing over at the desk where the folded paper of the letter rested against the surface and then wishing she hadn't as the very sight of it made the spinning return with a vengeance. 'We find you to be a duelist of great calibre...' She shook her head, closing her eyes as though to shut out the reminders. A Tournament Invitation... They sent me a tournament invitation!" This sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen! Not to a struggling nobody duelist with a deck of castoffs and throwaways. She'd tried to make the best of it, she'd even done well at the last local tournament (third place, enough to pick up a few new cards) but this?!

'We find you to be a duelist of calibre... ...Worthy of a position in the starting bracket of the city-wide tournament...' City Tournament! A City Tournament! She threw herself onto her bed and muffled a scream of frustration with a pillow. A prank, a stupid joke, how could this be anything else? The answer was in the open box by her door, a corner of gleaming metal poking from it, a duel disk, her own duel disk. She'd never owned one before, you didn't need fancy holograms and shit for dueling at local level and tournament hosts often supplied loaner disks for the smaller tournaments anyways but larger tournaments required duelists to own their duel disks, partially to prevent tampering, partially because organizing disks for every duelist in the tournament at that sort of scale was prohibitively complicated to organize at the best of times in the smallest of cities, let alone Domino.

She'd thrown that thing back into the box like it was a venomous snake when she'd first pulled it out, but the more she'd paced and fretted and made her ever-more-vehement denials to herself since the courier had arrived at her door with the package the more it had dawned on her that this wasn't some stupid prank or idiot rumor. Satsuki was widely known as an ambitious girl, always seeking ever higher despite the limitations of her starter block so far behind the pack, and it wouldn't have been the first time someone had made a mockery of that, but one didn't simply purchase a brand-new duel disk or forge official signatures for a prank.

This was real, and if anything that idea scared her even more than the possibility it could all be a lie.

A City Tournament, a gathering of the best, and they'd invited her, the foolish peasant girl with the Red Eyes...

She swallowed hard, and brought her face away from the pillow, looking over to the box once more, then swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and stepping towards it. For a moment, she told herself she was just testing, just making sure it wasn't a trick still, but as she rolled up one baggy sleeve and slipped the disk over her bare arm to let it verify the proper user it chimed in affirmation.

No mistake, no trick, no lies.

It was hers.


[Welcome User: Ryuka, Satsuki]
[Register Deck Now?]

Her hands shook as she took the cards from their case on her bedside table and flipped them over, thumbing through them with shaking hands. Verifying that each card was there, not a one of them out of place.

Then she slid them home in the machine and it chimed again, her heart jumping with every little beep and whirr as it scanned her cards.

[Deck Verified] It flashed with a final chiming sound, powering down into standby mode.

Back straight, feet planted, facing down the other end of her room like it was an opposing duelist, like they always did on TV at the finals, two fingers on the top card, swinging a hand out. "Draw!"

Her dragon stared back at her from the face of the card, and she grinned, a fearless grin. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon..."

Then she remembered that she was in her room, in her pyjamas, at... She glanced at the clock.

6:45 in the morning. A few hours before the opening ceremonies still.

She should probably get dressed first...

And maybe eat breakfast...

Which of course meant she would have to take the duel disk off.

Damnit.

 

[Razgriz]

Hotsuma Oboro

The Slums, Satellite, May 10 06:45am
​

With the union of the Tops and Satellite, the former decrepit island now bustled with activity and life. Shops and houses sprung up like weeds, many of the older 'project' buildings renovated to house the new residents that wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the former Tops. Especially given the news about the Mid-May Invitational, an event that had all the recently-opened card shops practically bustling with activity as those that received their acceptance letters vied to get those last few cards needed to make sure their decks were completed.

And though the first few rounds likely wouldn't include Turbo Duels, many still visited Runner repair shops to get new parts and have mechanics look over their bikes to ensure everything was up to par. And for those that lived there longer, they even offered under-the-table services to have Duel Runners modified to still be technically tournament-legal but giving the riders a bit of an edge in their competition.

However...For one young Duelist, his journey wouldn't even start at the opening ceremony.

"Now...Be a good little peasant and hand over your Disk...And throw in your invitation letter."

Said a young man, face contorted into a wicked grin, the short black hair shaggy and falling in front of his eyes...Eyes that seemed to possess a distinct red glow to them. Like the eyes of someone possessed....And before him, his unlucky victim. Another young man, no older than sixteen, curly blonde hair mussed and the green jacket he wore scuffed with dirt as he tried to crawl from this madman, face covered in bruises and his breathing harsh from the beating he'd taken.

With a slight yelp, the kid could only take off his Duel Disk and throw to the man's feet, squealing "Please stop! Here, just take it! But I don't see how you're going to get in! That letter's for me and they'll see you're not me!" The elder male's eyes drifted downward to the discarded device, grinning malevolently before stepping over it and towering over the cowering youth.

"Heh, fool. Did you honestly think this would be that easy? You know *who* I am, right? All this laughing, pretending people are friends, surely hasn't erased the memory of me...Has it? As for how I'll get in...I have my means."

Those were his next words, his voice hollow and possessing a slight echo-like quality, his chest starting to glow a little; if one focused, one could see a faint mark beginning to appear through the fabric of the deep-blue shirt he was wearing.

"Y-you're the Fiend, Hotsuma Oboro...People said you were locked up or something! That you just disappeared!" the young man shouted, Hotsuma chuckling "Yes, I suppose I did go off the radar for a while. But YOU - Tenchi Yachirobi, Son of Kakuza Yachirobi, Sector Sergeant - I'm so glad I ran into you. The things your father did. The people he hurt. If you felt fear now, you should hear the atrocities he committed. At the very least, I made sure he paid in part for the victims whose dignity he stole." The mark on Hotsuma's chest glowed a little brighter, the air beginning to hum.

"W-wait, how do you...No...No, YOU DIDN'T!" Tenchi shouted, tears beginning to stream down his face as Hotsuma just kept that wicked grin, "Yes...That news report about him getting into an accident was a complete fabrication. And now, it falls to you to atone for the rest of his sins. Such is your duty as the son." Hotsuma then hold out an arm, the red glow of his eyes rising just as the mark on his chest did, the extended limb covered in writhing black tendrils that shot out and instantly ensnared Tenchi, the boy having no chance to even let out a scream of desperation before he was swallowed whole.

"Fall down into the abyss...Serve your new Lord and Master."

And right as that sentence was spoken, the tendrils fell away....And showing Tenchi transformed into a hideous demonic beast. "What is thy will, my Lord?" then said the creature, instantly kneeling before Hotsuma. And when Hotsuma would respond, it would no longer be his voice at all: It would be darker, ominous, and ancient...Powerfully ancient.

"Go to the Palabyrinth and await instructions...With this tournament about to begin, now is the time for us to announce our presence. Where all will see who will reign supreme. You will know when it is time."

And with only a curt nod, the beast was swallowed by the same tendrils that had transformed him...Leaving Hotsuma alone and still grinning.

"You enjoyed that...Who would have thought you had fought so hard to control me?"

Those were the words the same demonic voice spoke to Hotsuma in his mind, the boy laughing as he replied "Son of a traitor is still a traitor...He deserved it. Besides, I just added another little pawn to your army. Don't tell me you're getting soft in your old age?"

This in return earned a chuckled, "I suppose I should thank you...And besides, as I said, this tournament is the perfect opportunity. We will show them our might...The might of the Archfiends, and the Emperor who controls them.."

Hotsuma turned around and bent down, holding the disk before him as black fire began to consume him...Before long, his alter-ego making itself known. Standing now at well over seven feet tall, a tattered green-black cloak billowed behind him as it affixed itself to his shoulders, the entirety of his armor a living testament to the Archfiend's Oath. Slung across his back stood a blade only six inches shorter than himself, the length covered in swathes of blood-red rust.

"Question...How WILL we make this thing recognize us? They are keyed to a Duelist, after all..." Hotsuma then asked, the Emperor snickered, "Boy, you underestimate the weight of my influence. Man or machine, nothing is beyond MY control." Holding the Duel Disk in one hand, the demon raised the other and had those same black tendrils wrap around it... The screen showing lines of code before displaying a series of messages.

Error: Unauthorized modification to core data...
Virus intrusion detected, beginning lockdown....
Override accepted, user reassignment acknowledged
Welcome, User: Oboro, Hotsuma


And after that, the tendrils then began to reform the disk...Disassembling it and then reconfiguring the design to have it be a more natural extension of the armor. The fields on which the cards were played now held a scythe-blade appearance, the end tapered to a lethal point, the color scheme gone and now holding the same coloration as the armor that adorned Hotsuma's new body. And before long, Hotsuma's deck was slid into the receiver, the Duel Disk acknowledging the deck as valid after scanning the cards.

And before the boy could question it, the Emperor took up Tenchi's acceptance letter and held it in his now-free left hand. Fire consumed the paper for a second or two before disappearing, the names changed to reflect Hotsuma Oboro as the accepted candidate of the tournament.

"Very nice...Now that we have THAT squared away... Hotsuma began, the Emperor speaking aloud, starting to walk, his footsteps heavy like rolling thunder as he stepped from the shadows of the alley where Hotsuma had cornered the boy, the early morning sun rising and casting its light upon the Lord's massive figure.

"Let us show these peasants that the Archfiends shall rise again."

 

[wiki234]

Izumi sighed as she woke up a bit into the afternoon, not being to really wake up at all accept with the fact that she did have a strange letter that came saying they wanted her to be a part of something that big which she did not care much about but not expected as well. " they want the trickster to duel in their little show? Really? Wonder why anyway....." talking to herself as she raised her deck she had picked up from the table in the middle of her room. " my kingdom of fun and pranks, weird that I could say I would be playing a cute deck full of basically tv monsters...." laughing at the weird thought then laying down three of her monsters down as she searched through the deck. " you guys made this damn thing work so damn well and with this....you can't even die how does that even work?" Asking herself as she looked through pulling her toon kingdom card.

With that odd conversation with herself done Izumi stretched and went over to slip her own disk on, taking the deck and putting it into the holder, " get ready for some old school fun, cause these little guys don't play nice..." smirking as that was her mostly her catchphrase that most people knew she said when she would duel sometimes. Soon the disc itself had completed the process of her deck registration as the voice started " user:Izumi kagame status: accepted" with that she changed and left taking her case and her small backpack, deciding to wear her disc and finally leaving to go off and find somewhere to eat before everything would start.

 

[lilithsboy]

Darell was finishing up the 8th practice duel with his younger brother... the excitement was simply too much he actually had made it to an invitational!!! This could be it he might start getting fans and maybe even a sponsor what if he actually won the prize money alone could keep his family going for a year how cool would that be? Darell was off in dream land again and while he was imagining that prize money he missed a crucial play losing for the 7th time that night.

Damn it I will never win if I keep that up.

Darell! Language!

SORRY MOM *whispers* you little shit you are taking advantage of my distraction, but thanks, I gotta keep my head in the game today. Now I am going to try to sleep because if I don't I won't be worth anything tomorrow and I'll get my ass handed to me.

He messes up the air of his brother and goes to the room all his brothers share. he catches a look out the window the huddled masses around burning garbage bins the sick and homeless littering the street.... At least his family was not out there but he wanted them out of this slum and he wanted to be the one to get them out. Sleep has a hard time coming and when it does he dreams all night of the glory of winning, and the consequences of embarrassing himself utterly.

Getting up early the next day he starts the hours-long journey to get to the stadium. As he walks the miles clutching his deck and invitation least someone steals either he goes over his strategies one last time and tries to think if he should have traded for different cards. No this is the best he could do given what's available and obviously, he is starting to get attention otherwise he would not even be going to this tournament.

As the hovels of the slums turn to apartment buildings, turn to houses, turn to high rises, Darell imagines his family living in each one how much better their life might one day be how much longer they can keep going at the current rate if he fails.... He won't though he will make everyone proud of him.

Finally, he makes it to the Stadium winded and exhausted, the guards begin to give him a hard time telling him that only contestants are allowed in the area's he tries to access it takes a good half hour for them to verify and finally believe that the dirty boy in front of them is competing and reluctantly let him in. He registers his deck and goes to sit down in a prep room to gather his thoughts and try to calm down.... But he has finally made it!!!!

 

[Zeth]

Galan has literally stepped off the train and was now in Domino city. He began to take in the sites and sounds of Domino city. "Finally, I made it to Japan. Now I may study the sword and become a true samurai," said Galan mostly to himself. "What? Way of the sword? That is so old hat. Now a days Japan is all about card games on motorcycles," a boy at the train station told him. Surely the boy must be pulling his leg. But Galan looked up to the big screen on a nearby billboard. In it a 'turbo duel' was happening. "Holy crap! It is card games on motorcycles! I thought you made that up!" exclaimed the blonde haired Russian. All his time at the university studying to come to Japan did not prepare him for this. It was flashy, dangerous, and bat crap crazy. In short this had Galan's name all over it. "Now to learn to drive a motorcycle!" he exclaimed. A new duelist is born.

 

[Viktoff Samson]

Dream Field Stadium, New Domino City, May 10 6:50 am

(As borrowed from Raz. It's a nice little format.)​

Kaden's eyes floated open. Lights overpowered him as he could barely make out his own shape in a mirror before him. The lean-mean-dueling machine had been transferred from that couch to this black chair in his sleep. "You've got yourself some nice hair here." A smooth voice tickled into Kaden's ears. This had to be someone who was used to talking to themselves, or a real socialite.

As his senses gradually renewed themselves, Kaden could make out the nimble fingers that ran through his hair and tickled his scalp. He couldn't tell if he was being taken care of by a woman or a man as the voice was ambiguous, but it felt nice all the same. His eyes made their way down to the draped barber cloak which didn't have any hair clung to it. As he wasn't looking for a hair cut, that was a relieving note. However, on closer inspection, the black cloak had glistened with some substance that dripped onto it from before he woke up. Add to that the fact that he felt some tight outfit wrapping his body that he's never worn before, and this whole situation was rather disconcerting.

And yet, Kaden didn't feel strange or worried. The pit of guilt that cursed him had left behind a giant empty hole of nothing. Absence, though normally a negative, had been a welcomed bliss. "Unfortunately, I don't take well enough care of it." Kaden summoned a coherent mumble. To this, his flamboyant attendee made a cute little noise.

The fingers that massaged his hair slowed to a stop. "So, is my sleeping handsome finally awake?" The voice was clearer now that Kaden wrestled himself fully awake. Unmistakably, his attendee was male. A curious turn of events, not that this was unusual. Without answering immediately, Kaden let his eyes fall over the desk in front of him which sat beneath the window which displayed the only two people in this small room. Hair dresser supplies, of course, a deck and a small toy mouse which sat upon it. These listed items had been neatly organized on the small desk, aside from the deck and toy mouse which were closer to Kaden.

"Yeah, but, what are you doing?"

Another little noise escaped the man behind Kaden. It was clear now, the man had a penchant for sounding cute. For Kaden, it was working. He could clearly see the man behind him with their mirror reflection. Aqua-green hair paired with a thin choker and immaculate skin had been the boldest qualities of the young man no older than Kaden himself. "I'm doing my job for the Misses. Just the usual. Cleaning up filthy men like yourself." With one swift motion, the feminine male behind Kaden had pulled the cloak from him to reveal the rest of Kaden's new outfit. "It's only for turbo duels, really. How do you like it?" The tight red outfit had a certain flare to it, and with the glow coming Kaden's refreshed face and hair, he looked like a charming new man.

"I guess you can wear a coat over it, maybe some jeans for when you're not turbo dueling." This time, the flamboyant male spoke just over his breath as he remembered today's tournament wasn't a turbo duel competition.

 

[Kaybee]

Satsuki Ryuka

Stadium Entrance, Neo Domino City, May 10th, 7:55 AM
​

Considering that by most rankings she was just a talented amateur Satsuki had neither the money to purchase nor the technological means of making a D-Wheeler but even if owning one of those vaunted machines was little more than a distant dream it was one that motivated no few of her current habits, particularly her love of cycling.

Okay so it was a bicycle rather than a proper motorcycle but even while she'd long since grown out of pretending the pedal-powered vehicle could ever really compare to those sleek machines she had to admit she loved it anyways. It was fast without being costly, deft enough to weave around the cars that crowded the outer district streets, and riding it day after day for years on end had left her with toned legs that she was proud to have on display, sheathed from the ankle up in tight dark thigh-high socks and covered from the hip down by a dark blue skirt to just below the mid-thigh. Long enough not to be scandalous, but short enough to show off just a little skin between the two.

Her feet were wrapped in serviceably worn flat-soled black shoes and above the waist she had dressed herself into her school-day best, a clean white shirt under an unfastened plain black jacket, her dark blue hair done up in a high ponytail at the back of her skull, it's tips waving in the passing breeze as she pedaled. At first she'd kept the Duel Disk secured to her arm but the way it unbalanced her cycling there unnerved Satsuki and so she'd grudgingly taken it off and secured it into a messenger bag that was currently slung across her back. Her tournament invitation on the other hand was safely ensconced into the zipped-up breast pocket of her jacket.

She'd eaten breakfast as quickly as she dared, showered, dressed, and taken off as quickly as possible. The tournament venue (some sort of stadium with an attached hotel) was a fair ways away and with her speed limited by her chosen transportation she didn't want to be late but as it was she was currently a little more on the early side, having covered the distance in just under 45 minutes of pedaling.

Satsuki swung one leg over the bike seat, standing on one pedal as she coasted to a halt and hopped down, taking a few quick steps to bleed off the last of her momentum before settling into a sedate walk towards a corner of the parking area, propping the bike up on its kickstand and engaging the wheel locks so that no one could ride off with it. She looked up at the complex with wide eyes, unable to keep a smile from corners of her lips. The whole situation was sinking in all over again as she hefted the weight of the Duel Disk in her bag and pulled it out, sliding it on over the sleeves of her shirt and jacket. As it sealed it onto her arm, she held out the invitation, scanning it one last time.

Satsuki squared her shoulders.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Fail to suppress a faint giddy squeal of excitement.

And set off towards the glass doors with a smile, her invitation at the ready.

 

[Letrixia]

Stadium Entrance, Neo Domino City, May 10th,7:56 AM​

Kiro woke up at the sound of her mother knocking on the door, “Kiro dear you have a letter from that waste of time card game of yours”. Rolling his eyes he picked up the card and opened it and instantly a grin appeared on his face, “Waste of time huh? I just got invited to a big ass tournament”. She nodded not really caring about such stuff making Kiro roll his eyes, 'Who knows... perhaps I can get some good cards in that tournament'. Nodding to himself he stood up and quickly got a bath and got dressed before putting on his usual coat and placed deck on his pocket before grabbing his duel disk and skate and began making his way towards to tournament grounds.

He tried to run as fast as he could towards the grounds and finally he saw the tournament place which made him smile. Running towards the entrance he showed his invitation and then registered his deck as quickly as he could before being granted entrance. Once everything was done and he could relax he just sat on a corner and got himself a bottle of water from the local store place. Humming to himself he finished up the bottle quickly before throwing it on the trash can, 'annnd scoree'.

Looking around he noticed one face he did recognized Satsuki. With a smirk on his face he approached her from behind and gently tapped his shoulder. “I did not knew you were qualified to be here, that is great at least I know someone here” he scratched the back of his head before bowing to her friend. “Long time no see Satsuki-san” smiling he looked at her duel disk and nodded. “Do you know anything about this tournament? I mean prizes or whatever I sure could use some cash to get myself some new cards, playing with old cards is getting... old”. Everybody knew that Kiro could make the best out of the most crappy cards out there reason why his deck was mostly made out of common and uncommon cards almost no rares at all.

 

[Razgriz]

Hotsuma Oboro - Emperor of the Archfiends

Stadium Entrance, Neo Domino City, May 10th, 08:00AM
​

By this point, the stadium was starting to fill up; contestants and spectators alike began to crowd to the stadium. A new piece of flippant Tops architecture that made all these silver-spoon trust-fund babies feel better about themselves. Something that made them forget all too easily the events of the past, and how their hubris nearly got them all killed.

Even so, it would make quite the stage for who was going to arrive.

From an alleyway that happened to be across the street from the giant arena, Hotsuma's massive armored figured seem to rise from the shadows, eyes glowering across the street as the youngsters squealed and ran about in delight, some even engaging in Duels just outside the walls to practice. Others still simply meandered in through the doorway to where they would present their invitation letter and be officially registered for the tournament.

"Seems like we'll have the perfect audience."

Those were the words that Hotsuma as the Emperor spoke to himself, slowly stepping from the alley to let the sun wash over him again. Needless to say his appearance did not go unnoticed; many passerby stopped completely as he walked out on the sidewalk, unsure of what this person's deal was to dress in what they thought was an extremely realistic costume.

'Mommy, look at that'

'Must be a promotional stunt for the tournament'

'Man, kudos to you, pal...You put some serious effort into that'

Those were some of the things Hotsuma heard as he stood looking at the stadium, ignoring further comments as he began to cross the street....Right in the middle of deadlocked traffic. "Hm. Yes, yes this will do splendidly." he mused; right as he stepped foot off the curb, a strangely-dressed individual - again passerby assuming this was someone dressed as a Duel Monster, one pointing out it was Archfiend Soldier - stepped out of the same alley he did...Followed by another, and another, soon enough a veritable army of nearly three dozen identically dressed 'people' following behind, traveling in front and flanking Hotsuma's sides...Like they were guarding him. And though traffic was stopped, people still stared and some even took out their phones and began recording.

Even still, Hotsuma was undeterred; though he could hear the Emperor chuckling in his head "Look at how they gawk and stare...You'd think they had never seen a King before." Hotsuma snorted derisively, "You're the one who wanted an audience; most of these morons think we're just play actors in costumes. Don't worry though; our first Duel will be your big debut. And we'll show them we're not playing around."

By the time Hotsuma finished crossing the street, he had a veritable throng of onlookers snapping pictures and taking video of his entering the doorway for the contestants. Made even stranger by the fact that two of his 'guards' opened the door and stood crisply with a strange salute - one arm raised to the sky at an angle, palm facing down - as the towering man passed through the doorway, entourage following suit.

And before Hotsuma stood a massive entryway, tables upon tables that had lines of people registering for the stadium competition. And again, those who were busy waiting or chatting might look and pause in whatever they were doing. Sure, there were 'theme Duelists' that had registered for the tournament...But no one could expect something like this. Especially not someone surrounded by a group that seemed to be perfect clones of each other. "Next over....here?" a voice called out, the auditory belonging to a young lithe woman with short red hair and dressed in a grey blazer and skirt, platinum hair drawn into a bun.

Hotsuma approached, the two in front of doing the smart thing and instantly moving aside, several of the Soldiers glaring them down and making them do a hasty retreat. "N-name, please?" the woman asked, clearly unsettled by the ominous figure standing before her. "Hotsuma Oboro." he replied simply, the Emperor's voice making chills run down her spine as she then asked "I-invitation letter, please...?" And with a snap of his metallic fingers, the Soldier directly to his left presented the rolled-up invitational, bowing down on one knee as it was taken and given to the woman. Needless to say she wasn't keen on being around him, and just said, "Very-good-now-please-go-join-the-others-in-the-waiting-room!" A hand slapped over her mouth as she realized she just shouted at a contestant, Hotsuma just giving an amused chuckle and walking away, the woman letting out a shaky breath as he went into the main gathering room; she'd seen some shady characters but that one was one of the few that actually felt...Dangerous.

And alone he stood - aside from the guards at every side forming a literal wall to prevent those deemed inferior from getting near him - arms crossed over his massive armored chest as the glowing red hues beneath the helmet seemed to scan over the number of people here. Some seemed to pay him no mind, but others still couldn't take their eyes off of him.

"Hmph, I'm beginning to wonder if I'll truly have a chance to exercise my might here. Hardly anyone seems to be worth the effort." the Emperor then spoke again, dismissing almost everyone else as insignificant. "Funny, you said the same about me...And last I recall, I'm still here. Don't bitch so much, we'll find someone worthwhile to crush...And if things go well, you might just be able to drag another few souls down to join your legions." At this the Emperor chuckled, "Whether they're worthwhile or not matters little; all will come to the understand the true power of the Darkness. Speaking of which, I've heard we were to be granted a room to stay in...Where is that" Hotsuma laughed, "According to the letter, ours is on the top floor at the end. A good-sized room at the end of the hall too, but I'm the neighbors won't mind if we 'borrow' theirs; the King's Suite should be the grandest after all. But don't go too crazy, alright? Just the first or second ones on each side. We can see about taking this hotel as a whole later, because I know that's what you want to do." The Emperor's fingers stroked his chin thoughtfully, before long ordering a detachment of his soldiers to find and 'liberate' occupants of the neighboring rooms of their visitation rights, as well as make the changes necessary...His vessel was right, he should have a residence befitting his status as ruler.

 

[Zeth]

Stadium Entrance, Neo Domino City, May 10th,7:56 AM​

Kiro woke up at the sound of her mother knocking on the door, “Kiro dear you have a letter from that waste of time card game of yours”. Rolling his eyes he picked up the card and opened it and instantly a grin appeared on his face, “Waste of time huh? I just got invited to a big ass tournament”. She nodded not really caring about such stuff making Kiro roll his eyes, 'Who knows... perhaps I can get some good cards in that tournament'. Nodding to himself he stood up and quickly got a bath and got dressed before putting on his usual coat and placed deck on his pocket before grabbing his duel disk and skate and began making his way towards to tournament grounds.

He tried to run as fast as he could towards the grounds and finally he saw the tournament place which made him smile. Running towards the entrance he showed his invitation and then registered his deck as quickly as he could before being granted entrance. Once everything was done and he could relax he just sat on a corner and got himself a bottle of water from the local store place. Humming to himself he finished up the bottle quickly before throwing it on the trash can, 'annnd scoree'.

Looking around he noticed one face he did recognized Satsuki. With a smirk on his face he approached her from behind and gently tapped his shoulder. “I did not knew you were qualified to be here, that is great at least I know someone here” he scratched the back of his head before bowing to her friend. “Long time no see Satsuki-san” smiling he looked at her duel disk and nodded. “Do you know anything about this tournament? I mean prizes or whatever I sure could use some cash to get myself some new cards, playing with old cards is getting... old”. Everybody knew that Kiro could make the best out of the most crappy cards out there reason why his deck was mostly made out of common and uncommon cards almost no rares at all.

The Russian university student turned wannabe samurai, turned budding duelist enters the Stadium. He had hoped to jump right into this 'turbo dueling' that he saw on the the big screen. But the officials insisted he played some regular dueling and understand the game first. Galan played a practice game or two with the store owner and bought both his deck of cards and duel disk. For Galan was from one of those obscenely wealthy Russian families and could actually afford to pay his way to live in Japan as he tried to study the sword.

Though money can buy many things, it can not buy talent or experience. He was invited to the tournament because one person had a last minute cancellation and they needed to fill the spot. Galan looked good on camera and could afford his own equipment, so they talked him into dueling in the first round and told him beginner's luck might prevail. Of course Galan knew he would probably lose, but the experience of dueling a professional in a tournament woulds be a huge learning experience. Plus any chance to be on television, Galan could not turn down.

The blonde haired Russian approached Satsuki and Kiro. "Greetings my fellow duelists. I am Galan from Russia. I have come to this exotic nation to hone my skills at dueling and display my Genuine Force! Are either of you Kaden? They are my first opponent. The officials say I must get experience here before allowed to turbo duel. Though the tournament champion may win a disk cycle. So I figured why not feed two birds with one scone? I'll get some experience and a free disk cycle," said Galan. Rule one of any sort of competition 'Never let them see you sweat.' He kept up his poker face.

 

[Kaybee]

Satsuki Ryuka

Stadium Entrance, Neo Domino City, May 10th, 8:00 AM
​

"Oh, Hibiki-san!" Satsuki's smile broadened, "I wouldn't have expected you to be here either but it's good to see you made it here too!" She came to a halt in front to the duelist, a classmate and friend of several years as well as a fellow enthusiast of the game, teeth showing in a happy grin. The grin faded into an uncertain furrowing of her brow at the question of prizes however, she'd only read far enough to know she was invited, she hadn't been paying much attention to the mention of what the prizes would be. "Huh... I'm not actually su-Ack!"

Satsuki's thoughtful tone swung upwards into a squawk of surprise as a blonde boy invaded the conversation with bombast in thickly russian-accented japanese that seemed to spout non-stop as he posed and preened before them, eagerly glancing from one to the other. Her eyes darted left and right, first seeking an escape, then wondering if perhaps there was a camera nearby recording this ridiculousness. At the conclusion of the speech however, Satsuki's mouth dropped open.

"W-wait what? A D-Wheel?! You're kidding me!" She accused. This man was some sort of russian fop, a joke! And yet... "Ah-um... I mean... Are you sure uh... Galan-san? She was amazed at herself for having managed to catch his name in that verbal torrent. He seemed awfully confident despite everything, and to get invited as a foreigner from outside Domino he must be well known right? Maybe she should watch his match during the first round just to make sure...

Then of course there was the matter of the prize... "A D-Wheel..." On one hand, those were worth a ridiculous amount of money for the generic one, and as a tournament prize it was probably custom. On the other hand, the thought of having her own Disk-Cycle... Satsuki chewed at her inner lip with a frown, torn between the thought of an updated deck and payment for some high tournament entry fees versus the possibility of just keeping the machine for herself. Maybe get it painted black with some red-highlights to match her beloved dragon...

"Hehee... That would be something all right..."

 

[wiki234]

Stadium Entrance, Neo Domino City, May 10th, 8:05 AM
​

Finally she had arrived, crossing her arms as she could see of course many other people around her. It seemed the young girl didn't know anyone for now which she really didn't care about making friends and more that if it happens well it happens. Pulling out her own invitation, izumi walked through, pulling out her deck and deciding to look over it, leaning against the wall idly not really seeing anything much to do now.

 

[Letrixia]

“No we are no Kaden... I am Kiro and she is Satsuki, pleasure to meet you Galan-san” he bowed and gave the person a soft smile. “May I ask next time not to sneak into a persons conversations you might get into trouble, no harm done here but something to keep in mind next time” he stepped between the two of them but not enough to block them from interacting just so he could act in case Galan tried anything against his friend. When the conversation went to the D-Wheel he shrugged, “I figured that it could be either cash or something like that either way both things I can use”.

His mind began racing about the uses he could give to the D-wheel. He could alter it with his father and make it faster and easier to control which was perfect by him. He went back to reality as he began talking about dueling for the first time and winning a D-Wheel thing that he doubt the person could archive. “Just remember every card has its uses, even the ones you think are worthless” he took his deck out of his disk and smirked while looking at it before putting it back on his pocket.

 

[Viktoff Samson]

Dream Field Stadium, New Domino City, May 10 6:50 am (Cont)
​

The Kaden who sat in the mirror and looked back to him just wasn't the same. The darkness beneath his eyes that once signified his disgraceful lack of sleep had been negotiated away by the feminine male during Kaden's short nap. And yet, beyond that point, something was really missing from the once-beaten and depressed duelist. He looked like a whole new man. "Did you dye the tips of my hair red?" Kaden managed another question, this time he picked up a small clasp of his hair to scan over the tips in his reflection. Before his male attendee could respond, Kaden smiled and tilted his head. "Not half bad."

The aqua-green haired male behind him admired his work and used his facial features to show his appreciation for the remark. "Alright, Mister Duelist. Time for my question." Came the sweet voice behind Kaden, a long index finger poking to the soulless man's cheek from the left. "So tell me, hmm. If you duelists are so tough, why do you get all scared when those holograms attack you? I mean, they're only lights, right? Nothing's really slamming into your firm chest." The green haired male that dressed Kaden up and cleaned/dyed his hair had been rather coy with this question, almost patronizing in his mannerisms and the way he drew a circle into Kaden's cheek with his finger tip.

With just a brief moment of pause with his eye brows pulled just a little closer, Kaden discovered the small button-tail on the toy mouse that sat on the deck in front of him. After he picked it up, he flashed the tiny red light from it's nose into the mirror and he aimed for the green haired man's left eye. With an annoyed groan, the quirky barber covered his eye. "Oh, what's wrong, friend?" Kaden smiled wider. "That shouldn't hurt. It's just a light, right?"

Rubbing his eye and blinking it open, the green haired male frowned before he pinched Kaden's cheek. "That was awfully cruel. Well, I guess you have a point." He sighed, releasing Kaden's cheek before resting both of his hands on Kaden's shoulders. "The Misses also wanted me to show you how to use this deck she let me borrow. It was a favor for how well I do my job, after all."

Kaden furrowed his brow and stopped his smile, clearly not bothered by the hands on his shoulders. "Why would she ask you to do that? I have a deck." His response was bold, and the confusion was mild.

"You're not the same. After your deal, you need a clean break from the past and that includes your deck. Besides, the Gishkis are fun. These broad shoulders don't refuse the challenge, do they?"

See more

Dream Field Stadium(Waiting Lobby), New Domino City, May 10 7:55 am
​

The Lobby room was quite large, casting a shade over any other room of a similar purpose as it possessed a great deal of open space along with numerous pieces of priceless furniture. In the center, an ice sculpture blasted a spout of water as a water fountain display. Four couches face this fountain with a coffee table and reclining chair accompanying each. There were more places to sit and traditional table/chair combinations all over this fantasy-derived lobby room. As this room was resigned for duelists who are to participate and their guests, a catering service set up four long tables with white clothes and thousands of diverse dishes from around the world. Large fine plates and silverware were provided at the end of each table as a variety of bottled beverages sat beside crystal-like glass cups.

Kaden was the first duelist to enter this lobby as the 'Misses' had her security detail deliver him directly there and gather his food for him. The golden eyed and soulless man felt a little too pampered, but nothing seemed to stick to him as he couldn't stay focused enough to complain. The Lobby room was gorgeous and the food the burly(and sharp suited) men brought him had almost all of his attention. These men made their way to the door directly opposite of this room's entrance, which put them on the path to standing outside and guarding the back door again.

With a new deck sitting near his plate, a standard tournament duel disk in the middle of his coffee table, and a whole couch to lounge on, Kaden was very inclined to relax and wait for the others to arrive. Surely, he'd be able to pick out the others from their popularity and achievements. He wouldn't be too surprised if his remarkably handsome features were familiar for a number of the other duelists as well. A popular underdog, Kaden's been to a number of competitions prior. But, he wasn't much of a winner and had more than a fair handful of runner-up prizes under his belt.

 

[Zeth]

When Kiro bowed, Galan returned the bow. Though his bow was a tad deeper sine he was the guest in this country. When Kiro said Galan was being rude and that Neither of them was Kaden, he looked at Kiro then Satsuki, then back to Kiro. The man blushed slightly and said,"Sorry to intrude. I'll just excuse myself then." The Russian excused himself. Clearly he had interrupted something. Maybe Kiro was going to put the moves on Satsuki and Galan inadvertently cock blocked him? The world will never know.

As Galan moved away he caught sight of "Hotsuma Oboro." The man gave off the aura of pure malice... and something else. Galan's first instinct was to draw his sword and cut him down. The samurai took a breath to steady his nerves and told himself he was imagining things. Instead he strode up to 'The Emperor' with the confidence of a lion. "It would be a shame if you lost before we met in the tournament. Don't get beat before we have a match," Said Galan to Hotsuma Oboro. Before he could say anymore an announcement on the PA system was heard. "Match 1. Satsuki Ryuka vs. Galan. Duelist please report to the staging area to prepare." was the announcement. The Russian blinked and started to head to the area together ready for the first match.

 

[Kaybee]

Satsuki Ryuka

Stadium Lobby, Neo Domino City, May 10th, 8:15 AM
​

Satsuki blinked at the young man's back as he strode away. "Wasn't that a little rude Hibiki-san? I mean, so was he, but you don't accomplish anything by stooping to the same level, and I don't think he even really knew any better." The heavy dark form the archfiend emperor caught the corner of her eye and for a moment she wondered if someone had started dueling in the lobby before she realized that it wasn't a construct. "Woah... Hey... Hey Hibiki-san, look at that costume." Of course it was a costume after all, duel monsters might seem real, but they didn't just wander around like that. "And he's even got guards too... That's sorta awesome and creepy at the same time...

The sound of her name announced over the speakers snapped her attention away before she could examine the archfiend emperor any more closely though, and Satsuki's brow furrowed again. "Wait... Didn't that weird guys say his name was Galan? I thought he said he was up against someone else... 'Kaden' or something?" Then she blinked, "oh and they're calling me! I better go, good luck Hibiki-san! Cheer for me okay?"

With that, Satsuki fled for the staging area, grateful for the signs pointing the way and wondering as she ran. That guy was pretty confident... If I'm gonna be facing him... I wonder what his deck is like?

 

[Razgriz]

Hotsuma Oboro - Emperor of the Archfiends

Arena Floor, Neo Domino City, May 10th, 08:40AM
​

Hotsuma just continued to watch the room, eyes glaring out across the crowds; he'd noticed some of the others had already started grouping up. Likely to discuss pleasantries and such other foolish mortal things, things that hardly registered on the Emperor's radar. "Why do we wait...This tournament is bound to start soon, all the eyes will be on the first match." Hotsuma heard the Emperor say in an impatient tone, the lad replying "Calm down; trust me, people cream their pants for this sort of thing. Even if it just to be a spectator; no one's going anywhere. Besides, we go out there guns blazing now, all you're going to do is make yourself look like an idiot. You wanna make an impression, you play by the rules for now...And ruthlessly crush whoever our opponent's going to be. THAT...is how you get acknowledgment here. That is how your power is shown."

The Emperor was silent for a moment; it seemed how festivities were carried out in the Palabyrinth were far different than they were carried out here. The entrance ceremony itself was something all his subjects enjoyed, knowing their King had decided to grace them with his presence. But..Then again, he wasn't in his kingdom at the moment.

However, his thoughts were distracted as a blonde-haired young man so audaciously approached him, his numerous guards already starting to converge and draw their own blades, but then the boy's name was called and he just sauntered off after his remark. And with a wave of his hand, his guards stood down. "I do hope I fight him first...I will enjoy grinding him to dust beneath my heel." the Emperor growled in that gravely voice of his, Hotsuma mentally laughing, "Seriously? You're going to let someone like that rile you? He's garbage, leave him alone...Though admitted watching him get stomped would be amusing. Let's go watch the Duel...See how it goes. Maybe this 'Satsuki' will prove something more entertaining."

Truth be told, the room was getting stuffy...And seeing some of the slack-jawed stares made the Emperor grow more irritated and decided air would be the best thing; without a word, he pushed through the crowds of Duelists that decided to remain in the lobby and watch from ringside. Naturally those that dared speak earned either a threatening gesture from one of the many guards or a stern glare from the Emperor himself. "Whatever happened to not announcing ourselves?" asked the Emperor, Hotsuma replying "We're not; sure, people might notice us, but they'll be more focused on the Duel than some spectators."

And as they made their way through the halls leading outside, they would soon be confronted by a guard overlooking the side entrance...All by his lonesome self. "Hey, you! Ringside's off-limts from here; you wanna watch, the box seats are three floors up!" the guard then shouted sarcastically, getting a hand on his radio to call for back-up; however, the small hand-held device soon flew out of his hand and into Hotsuma's outstretched palm. "I don't think so...No peon commands an Emperor...." his voice seemed to call out hauntingly, iron fingers crushing the radio like paper.

"You're no soldier...But I know a role you can better serve..." Hotsuma/Emperor spoke harshly, the black tendrils erupting from his limb and ensnaring the skinny lone guard, his form now surrounded in a writing black mass that muffled all noise from within. "Know the true meaning of madness...Stare into the abyss and serve unto me..." were those next fated words, the pulsing dark falling away to reveal the guard transfigured into some horrific goblin-like creature. Unlike the impressively bulky soldiers, these demons were small...frail, but had their uses. The skin like leather and covered in warts, his eyes now seemed far too big for his head and were blood-red throughout, the only clothing a tattered loincloth as his tiny near-useless wings flapped feebly.

"M-master...Forgive my insolence..." the pathetic vermin begged, the Emperor stating "Silence, worm" before simply strolling past him, his entourage following closely before they reached the end of the passage. "I believe I see what you mean...Yes, few will see us here. Now then, let us see how these two perform. Perhaps the victor I will grant the honor of becoming a General; if not, the Giants can always use a new plaything." spoke the Emperor maliciously, arms crossed as he waited just at the edge of the tunnel, the shadows helping to conceal most of his form from view. Though if either of the Duelists happened to look, they might get a good glimpse of him.

 

[Zeth]

Galan walked into the room and prepared his deck. He saw Satsuki enter the room to be his opponent. Once the cameras were on Galan went full hero mode on her. You could almost see fire blazing in his eyes and an aura of flame around him. " Though this is not CATRD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLES I shall defeat you. I will not hold back and fight my hardest, even if my opponent is a charming woman. For the sleeping lion has awakened, Prepare to witness my Genuine force!" Exclaimed Galan in a rather long winded and hammy pre-match banter. Maybe he missed his calling as a Pro wrestler.

 

[Princess_Kaylin]

[img=300x400]http://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/5942273/800full-ayase-shinomiya.jpg[/img][img=300x400]http://static.zerochan.net/Kawai.Shizuka.full.1143234.jpg[/img][Spoiler='D-Cycle][img=300x400]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9azOLCbxYM/VKJWD7m9jrI/AAAAAAAAAFM/AFcbrS5Bm4g/s1600/Zeitgeist%2Bon%2BA%2BTron%2BBike.jpg[/img][/spoiler]

A duel cycle can be heard from inside the arena as a dark magician girl comes driving out with blinking braces on her legs. The cycle does a few rounds along the outskirt of the arena as she pushes on the breaks handle making it come to a stop before slowly placing out a wheelchair folded on its side to the ground.

The rider removes her helmet as she waves a bit to the crowd and long brown hair flows out from it. She reaches for the side compartment of the bike and takes out a headset connected to the loudspeakers.

A man in the control room watching the event gets rather furious, "Who told miss Yamaha to enter like that....Just cause she is a Yamaha does not mean she gets special privileges!"

Gadget flips the switch as she takes a deep breath before speaking. "HELLO VIEWERS AND CONTESTANTS I AM ONE OF YOUR MANY MASCOTS AND HOSTESSES. PLURAL NOT SINGLE....I AM ONE OF MANY. MY NAME IS GADGET REMEMBER PHOTOGRAPHY IS ALLOWED BUT PLEASE DO NOT RECORD VIDEO AT THE EVENT...WE HAVE LIVE STREAMS AND PROVIDE FREE DOWNLOAD LINKS FOR ALL THE BATTLES THAT TAKE PLACE." She turns the sides of her legs on to full as they shoot out magical looking holograms as if she is sliding on magic while it glides her towards the center. "PLEASE REFRAIN FROM JUMPING OVER THE RAILINGS AS THAT WILL BE A NO WARNING DISMISSAL FOR THE ONE WHO BREAKS THIS RULE!....SPEAKING OF RULES LET US LOOK UP AT THE SCREEN TO HEAR THEM FROM OUR VERY OWN LITTLE KURIBO!"

A fluffy kuribo shows up on the screen dancing around as he starts yammering. "Hello friends and konichiwa.....remember there is no outside food or drinks...if you want one place an order on the control to the left of your chair's arm. If you wish to cheer by all means go ahead but there is no alcohol allowed. Smoking is a killer please leave it to the holograms and vapors, There shall be no stripping of thy neighbor no..."

As the rule monster goes on and on, Gadget takes her headset off and walks over towards the contestants, "Alright look I just figured I would give everyone a breather before you all wind up trying to kill each other over some card game. Please let me know if any of you have any medical conditions and please be proper." She speaks it while looking directly at Galan and back to the Satsuki "No matter what rank you are in society I expect to see all of you treating each other as equals....is that understood?"

As she speaks she slowly fixes her dark magician outfit before taking a container out of the bike and bringing it over, "Here....I do apologize for being so rough...I have coupons for three free snacks and drinks on the house from the Yamaha corporation..."

 

[Kaybee]

Satsuki Ryuka

Dream Field Arena Floor, Neo Domino City, May 10th, 8:30 AM
​

Hot-Blooded isn't he~ Satsuki wasn't honestly sure what to think of the boisterous young man who was now standing across the dueling field from her, his voice carrying through the speakers. He acted the showman, and that made her uneasy. Has he done this before? He acts like the pros on TV when they're trying to get the crowd going... Satsuki's teeth ground together, her brow furrowed as she raised her duel disk and activated it, the scrolling numbers on the display settling on the initial 8000-Point life total as she drew her opening hand-!

And stopped in shock as the roar of an engine filled the stadium, a sleek black D-wheel roaring into the space between them "The hell-?!" She wasn't sure she could have drowned out the cheerful girl's voice resounding through the space and wasn't sure she wanted to try anyways as the young woman ran through what sounded like some planned speech about the tournament, then turned the whole thing over to a holographic Kuriboh who rattled off a series of rules. Satsuki didn't know whether she ought to be impressed at the entrance, D-Wheeler, and the Dark Magician Girl cosplay or annoyed at the interruption just as she was about to get into the match ahead, but she stayed quiet, having caught on to the words 'Mascots and Hostesses' and guessing that interrupting would probably be a bad idea.

"Ah uhm..." She shook her head, no medical conditions that she knew of, and nothing that she thought would make a difference here... "Er... Thank you?" Satsuki offered somewhat lamely as she accepted the coupons, holding them uncertainly for a moment before she stuffed them into the pocket of her coat. "Shall... Shall we start then?"

The field was cleared, and then they faced off again. If anything, Satsuki found herself a little grateful in hindsight. After the interruption she felt oddly a little more calm, prepared to face Galan down. Steady Satsuki... Just play the best you can...

"Duel!"

It wasn't a bad opening hand, not perfect, but certainly not terrible. "You'd better not go easy on me just because I'm a girl, understand?" It was weird to hear her own voice echoing slightly as it sounded through the speakers, making her feel -if anything- even more out of her element than before, looking around for the source of the echo before she realized what was going on. "Rrh... I'll play Foolish Burial!, sending Red Eyes Black Dragon from my deck straight to the graveyard." Satsuki's resolve faded slightly and she took a step back as she sudden saw a gravestone appear on the field, an open pit created by the holograms into which the card she'd designated fell, even as she drew it from her deck to place it into the 'graveyard' on the disk itself. "N-next..."

Satsuki hesitated a moment, swallowed, and focused again, narrowing her eyes. "Next I'll play this card face up in attack position! Red Eyes Black Wyvern! Come Forth!" A flare of dark fire appeared, coalescing into the form of the monster, a smaller vision of the majestic dragon she'd cast to her graveyard not a moment ago. Even smaller and less impressive though, it was still amazing to see, and it took a lot for Satuski to hold on to her composure, though at least the mental reminder that squealing like a giddy schoolgirl in here would be audible through the speakers, and she didn't want that. She nodded at Galan. "I'll set one card face down and end my turn." Attacking on the first turn was against the rules, so she would have to wait, but she was somewhat confident. Her dragons may be weak alone, but like any underdog, they could always come out on top if they worked hard enough.

-----

Yuki Kayona

Dream Field Arena - Duelist Waiting Room, Neo Domino City, May 10th, 8:30 AM
​

She hadn't dealt well with crowds, not now and not ever, and even the mere sixteen invited duelists constituted enough crowd that Yuki stayed back near the wall, fiddling with her deck as her eyes flicked between the three interesting sights in the room. The first was cards in front of her as she absentmindedly shuffled them, draw five, play out an imaginary opener, then shuffled them all together again and repeat the process. It was soothing, a distraction from the milling mass of humanity around her.

The second was the duel just starting to play out on the stadium stage. Yuki had heard of Satsuki through the dueling community being that they were both around the same age but she'd never really met the other girl, a little bit afraid to challenge those Red Eyes despite the fact that they were supposed to be considered weaker than most. At least a Blue Eyes looked like it could be at home defending her ocean! (Not that she liked facing down the white dragons any more than the black ones if she had to.) Even the sight of the wyvern made her shiver a little bit as she watched, black and spiky and menacing as it stared down the field at the girl's opponent, a blonde russian man judging by the accent, and boisterous enough that while Yuki got an impression of friendliness from him, she didn't think she would want to spend too much time in the same room as him.

And then there was the third, the handsome duelist waiting nearby. Yuki felt herself flush every time her eyes came back to him and looked away quickly, but despite every embarrassment she kept looking. He looked pretty but his gaze, his stance, everything about him told Yuki that he was way too intense. She shouldn't even be thinking about this anyways, he was probably older than her too.

And yet, every once in a while, her eyes would drift back...

 

[Letrixia]

Kiro looked at Satsuki and shook his head, "Nah don't worry about it... I will make sure to apologize when I see him". He looked back at the huge construct and grinned before nodding, "Yeah they are going all out for this one". However once her name was spoken he looked at her and nodded, "Good luck, go beat them over and over again like only you can". He nodded before watching her run off to the stage. "Yeah..." rolling his eyes he began walking towards the spectators area he was going to see that match for sure she sure worked hard for it. He walked over to a free seat and sat down while looking at the first move coming from her. "Good one..." he nodded and knew the move on the second turn she was going to have a rather large beast on the field which was very good.

 

[Razgriz]

Keith Summers

Dream Field Arena - Duelist Waiting Room, Neo Domino City, May 10th, 8:30 AM
​

Despite the hustle and bustle of the waiting room - never mind the fact that some asshole decided to bring his own self-importance into the room by means of a massive mob - everything soon seemed to settle after the Duel started. Even more so once others decided to go wait in one of the rooms on the upper floors of the hotel where the Duelists got to wait. Keith Summers, a proud red-blooded American, almost considered doing that himself...But the couch he was laying on was just so damn comfortable.

A bandana in the form of an American flag was wrapped around his left arm, its surface pristine despite the grease-stains on his clothes and smudges of oil on his face; despite being a mechanic by heart, one should expect a Duelist to show up to a Duel somewhat clean. But his boss was a slave-driver; he had gotten permission to go into this tournament and take the time off to do so, but the man made him work like a dog until the very end of his shift. And disregard the fact that some of these snootier snoots did little to actually take care of their machines, something he found downright distasteful. From cracked cooling hoses to a faulty processor and even some moron that managed to wreck the thing altogether, he definitely earned his daily bread.

And he was almost too late to register; the crowds were so thick at the entrance to get in and watch that he had to push his way past most people just to reach the registration table in time. And though he was a chill person most of the time, he definitely didn't seem it when he registered: From forgetting that he had his letter in his back left pocket to almost dropping his Duel Disk on the ground, it seemed the rush was making him go crazy.

But now he was here, and could just chill. "Only in Japan..." he muttered with a slight grin, sitting up more now that the first Duel opened up...Though he couldn't help giving a slight whistle at the Dark Magician Girl cosplay on the screen; she pulled that off quite well, if he did say so himself.

The D-wheeler she was riding was damn fine itself and the girl playing Red-Eyes, he soon found, wasn't all that bad looking either; this tourney definitely had some cute ones in it. Still nothing like the hotties back in the Big Apple, but hey...A nine-point-nine out of ten was still more than alright in his eyes. Though he would know better than to compare them to girls in the States aloud.

'Red Eyes Black Dragon...Totally needs Metalmorph to make it badass..." he commented bemusedly, his love of machines coming through as he watched the duel commence. A quick look around showed him that some young lass in the back was fiddling with her deck; and for whatever reason, she seemed to be blushing. Well, she seemed nice if reserved; a quick trip to the restroom later and his faces and hands were clean, the dirty work gloves shoved into his back. Not much he could about the clothes without a laundromat, but that was alright; it was mostly on his tank-top anyway. Something that showed off his muscular physique quite nicely as he went ahead and approached her.

"Hey there...Tournament should be fun, right?" he then said, holding out a hand - left one, more accurately, letting the girl see the American flag bandana around his bicep - as he introduced himself, "Keith Summers, machine duelist and mechanic extraordinaire. What's your name, doll?"

 

[Zeth]

Galan
Dream Field Arena Floor, Neo Domino City, May 10th, 8:30 AM


Well Fey Yamaha's entrance just took the wind out of Galan's sails. All the effort he put in to set the mood was lost. Then he was handed coupons. "Thank you Yamaha-san," Galan said accepting the coupons and pocketing them. Granted he did not need such things, but this was the host extending hospitality to him. To decline them would to be rude, especially on television.

Galan glanced over to the 'Emperor' watching the duel. "We are being scouted by the competition," he whispered to Satsuki and gestured with his head ever so subtly.

"Duel!"

"Then You better not go easy on me just because I'm a boy," Galan said with a grin. He cracked a joke to ease the tension a little. Though upon Satsuki's first move his smile vanished. This was bad. Galan had a Six Samurai deck. Individually they were weak, but the monsters buffed each other. They call it a Swarm Deck. For all his posturing, this was Galan's first ever actual duel and it showed. He made rookie mistakes. For example there was a round each side had only one monsters of exact same strength. Galan attack so both monsters were destroyed, then Satsuki simply summoned a monster and attacked his life points directly. He did manage to deal some damage to her, so it was not a complete shut out. But the experience difference was quite clear.

After losing Galan said simply,"If this was a turbo duel I would of beaten you Satsuki-san. I demand a rematch in a Turbo duel. If you do not own a Disk cycle I will provide you with one and give you a week to train. Do you accept?" After her answer he exited the field. Once off camera he addresses Hotsuma Oboro. "You lucked out today, and our paths will not cross yet. But I'd expect a turbo duel from you as well. That is f you can do anything without an entourage of flunkies," Galan stated. Something in his heroic personality called out to him to fight 'the emperor' like a moth drawn to a flame. He couldn't explain it himself. With that said he excused himself back to the waiting area to spend those coupons.

 

[Princess_Kaylin]

Gadget smiled as she let out a bit of a girlish squeak, "Your welcome Galansan....may honor be bestowed upon you in battle." She walked over towards her bike as she could hear the slight beeping from her legs. She got over to the cycle as she turned to head off down one of the tunnels and paused as she almost rode into some strange man in the shadows. The girl quickly hit her emergency break switch and came to a halt barely heard over the viewers. She went to get off her bike as the legs gave a bit, "What are you doing here......this is not viewing grounds sir...please come out of the shadows now before I report it to security."

She took a deep breath using the bike for her support as the battery finally died in her legs and she pulled the fake prostetics up over the bike locking them in place. She hit a switch to let her wheelchair come out as she slowly tried to lower herself, "Excuse me....I am talking to you....You do know who I am right?"