master-deckbuilder-retsu

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Rank B Support of the NarciLa agenda in which an ill-timed threat puts a slight wrench in efforts to flirt. C Support is here. I’ve achieved A on my game, but I’m going to try to get more familiar with both of their source material before I attempt to have them “share long and varied chats”. Soon... In the meantime, though,

Narcian couldn't help but laugh as he looked out on the mountains of the battlefield, trying to imagine from the tactician's description the forces waiting on the other side, the fear on their faces when he would descend on them.

"Ugh. Would you extinguish that sparkle in your eyes?" Ursula's voice was irritable as her horse plodded over to stand beside him. "Your wyvern may be able to cross hill and valley, but my horse can't follow- I can't keep up if you charge ahead like you always do."

"So you would hold me back then? Never!" He turned to face her, and when he did, he got an idea. "No, no, you WILL follow me..."

"And how do you suppose I'll do that? Do you think my magic can turn my horse into a pegasus?"

"I'm not suggesting anything so complicated; only that you switch mounts." As he said this, he pat his wyvern, and Ursula's eyes widened as she followed his movement.

"You're asking me to ride with you?"

"Like me, my steed is strong and dependable- he can certainly handle a relatively unarmored woman like yourself." He once again pat a spot on the wyvern's back behind him, but Ursula's eyes only narrowed on him warily. His eyes narrowed on her as well, but in the sense of a predator stalking its prey. "You know, like that hooded fellow, I consider myself a tactician." Narcian smirked as Ursula's eyes widened in interest. He was learning how to grab her attention, little by little. "Right! So I hope you'll realize that this plan of mine is more than an impulsive shenanigan- I am as wise as I am strong, a genius as well as a beauty!"

"Is that so? I guess I'll have to put your claims to the test again." Gingerly, she slipped off her mount, and Narcian offered her a hand as she climbed onto his, both of them smiling at the chivalrous gesture in the midst of the almost ridiculous situation. She leaned over to examine how he sat, and after a bit of hesitation pressed herself closer to him, wrapping one arm around his waist while the other held her spell book against her chest. Narcian gave her a nod of satisfaction, and then signaled to his steed, who started to lift into the air.

"Now, as someone who thinks herself worthy to be in the presence of perfection, I will hold you to a high standard." Ursula had to tighten her hold as the wyvern suddenly launched forward through the air. "Adjust quickly- if you fall, I will not stop for you."

"Very well."

"Good!" The wyvern reached the peak of the mountains, hovering there as Narcian took in the lay of the land. "I have high expectations for you, Crow. Together, lets wreak destruction on these fools who dared to stand against us!" 

Before she had a chance to respond, they turned into a dive, Ursula holding tight to avoid being thrown off as their wyvern turned up right before the ground, skimming low and fast as it flew through the ground army, turning and ducking away from weapons as Narcian swung his axe through their owners. At first, it was all Ursula could do to stay on, but as they continued to dive and weave across the battlefield, she began to understand the rhythm of the attacks. The wyvern reared up to dive past a line of foes, Narcian's axe taking their heads as they did, and when the faster ones ducked out of the way, Ursula turned back and unleashed a bolt from her tome. Narcian seemed pleased at her quick recovery, and soon he was calling out orders over the noise of battle, pointing out archers barring their path only for a blast of Bolting to clear the way. The motion of the wyvern, always changing and accelerating, was different from the smooth and steady run of Ursula's horse- her vision was a constant kaleidoscope of movement, dizzying but exhilarating, and she understood now why Narcian laughed as much as he did during battle- it was a rush, and at the speed they moved, every target felt like an risky shot, every hit becoming endlessly gratifying.

When at last the clearing was empty, Ursula fell forward against Narcian's back, her arms draped loosely around him as she laughed through the rest of her adrenaline. She was breathless, somehow, and most of the battle was a blur, but Narcian's smirk on her was satisfied, and he reached back to pet her head affectionately.

"You did well."

"Well, I am a crow; I suppose I wouldn't be worthy of my name if I wasn't of some use in flight." She moved to sit upright, though her body felt drained from constantly bracing to keep hold, her legs slightly raw where they'd pressed in against the wyvern's scales. "Deliver me back to my horse now, if you please."

“And if that doesn’t please me?”

She laughed, giving into her body’s fatigue as she hugged onto him affectionately, sliding her chin into the crevice of his neck so she could murmur into his ear, “Well, then I would have to do something horrible to make you want to be rid of me; and niether of us want that, do we?”

"Excuse me? Was that a threat?" She could feel Narcian tense under her, giving him away despite the steady humor in his voice, but Ursula only nestled herself in closer, her lips in a teasing grin against his neck.

"Mm, was it~?"

There was a short pause before the wyvern turned itself around, lifting into the air again and starting for the mountain range.

"Do not think I am being obedient, and certainly not that I am afraid of you. I am evicting you: no one threatens Narcian."

"Mm hm." The flight was smoother this time around, and Ursula didn’t move to correct her position, enjoying the feeling of tension from Narcian’s back as she hummed into his skin. "I hope it's not a permanent eviction, though; this was fun, Narcian."

“Hm. Well,” They slowly began to glide down towards where they'd started- towards the gate back to Askr, and the horse, "you were not completely useless to me today. I will consider it."

"That's all I ask."

They finally landed, and Narcian dismounted first so he could help Ursula down, perhaps noticing the pain in her legs as he also insisted on helping her back onto her horse. Before long they rode back through the gate to Askr, side by side. 

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Davide had told himself to forget him.

Kiri Hyoryu wasn't worth bothering with anymore; he wasn't even Kiri Hyoryu anymore, technically. He was Miserea, an Omni Lord, far from the self-conscious pushover Davide had originally manipulated into Disaster. He was a god, free of vulnerabilities he could use to bring him pain or bend him to his will. Even filling his head with millennia of loss and trauma hadn't broken him for long, he'd accepted it and become even more of a nuisance, even more vexing, and it wasn't often Davide pursued anything but an easy target, but he was such a challenge - yes, challenging him directly - but he didn't have time for that anymore. He was going to let him go.

He was just an impoverished middle schooler, doing whatever he had to to pull ahead. He didn't have the energy or the means to pursue a petty rivalry with a literal god.

That's what he told himself, at least.

Seeing the Grim Reaper on TV is what took him over the edge. He didn't know how he happened to catch Paruko's broadcast - he never did it on purpose, she just always seemed to be broadcasting - but something in him boiled over as soon as he saw the contenders. The Grim Reaper was one of his crowning achievements- he took the desperate, pathetic child and twisted his heart to his every whim, had him weak with gratitude to a fake friendship, corrupted the sweet boy Wolf and Gao's little gang loved so much. He made Kiri into something awful, jaded and cruel but still so naive, so dependent on the power that would allow him to feel independent. On screen, the Grim Reaper still smirked like he used to, condescending and smug, like he was having the time of his life watching his opponent struggle- and it was so cute when Davide knew he was ultimately the one being controlled, by the dark core and by Disaster and by him, but now it resembled Miserea too much - he actually did have all the power, all the control, and Miserea and the Grim Reaper were so alike but so maddeningly different and watching him be both at once filled Davide with the need to put him in his place. 

So he got himself to Cho-Hodaka, interrogated a weird old man that looked like a cloud, and eventually Miserea came for him - and it pissed him off that he would, that he did so with the face of someone greeting a dear friend, and without thinking he activated Disaster Force and charged at him with Evil Death Scythe. Miserea didn't even look surprised.

And that kind of thing somehow became normal, a routine. Whenever Davide was bored, or agitated, he would call for Miserea and they would duke it out. It wasn't like real buddyfighting- it was violent, and dangerous - even though he could tell Miserea was intentionally holding back with him, sometimes using his water powers to cushion the blows when he'd send Davide flying, he was fighting a god and he was fighting for keeps. Nearly every time it simply consisted of Miserea blocking all of Davide's attacks while barely moving, maybe making some snarky comment to get him off guard before completely overpowering him with one move. Both Davide's ego and body were usually sore by the end of it, but he kept doing it, and at some point he forgot why even as he wondered why Miserea kept humoring him.

"You know, Davide, you can just admit that you're lonely."

Miserea looked down on him from where Davide had fallen on the ground, too beaten down to move anymore. Davide hated the sight of it - him floating, clean and calm and powerful, while he lay defeated and absolutely none of those things.

"I am not lonely, and you're a monster."

It was true- even more than before, Miserea was embracing his Demon Lord status: he was changing, both in appearance and in the way he held himself, no longer hanging onto his manufactured humanity like he once had. He lived in Dungeon World now, and as far as Davide could tell, he was accumulating power- Davide wished he could believe it was going to corrupt him at some point, but somehow he couldn't make himself believe it.

"I may be a monster, but I'm still your friend."

"You are NOT my friend, and you never were! Any pretenses otherwise were just lies so I could use you!"

Miserea just smiled at him, and something in his expression said he wasn't going to believe him, Davide gritting his teeth in frustration as Miserea started to approach him. Davide wished from the depths of his black heart that he had the strength to get up and assault him again, but he'd already forced himself up "one last time" more times than he could handle that day, and he could do nothing but watch as Miserea knelt down beside him.

"Davide, I feel like taking a reward today, for defeating you."

"What could you possibly want from me? You're a god."

"There's one thing I'd like you to give me, that I doubt you'd ever relinquish willingly."

He helped Davide sit up, and then, Davide letting out an exaggerated groan, he forced him into a hug.

Davide would've preferred any kind of pain to this- his body was weak and worn down, desperate for comfort and powerless to resist, but worse was feeling how desperate it was for contact- he wouldn't have been able to refuse even if he had the strength, and knowing that was a fate worse than death. He felt deprived, and disguising, and so so much that he needed this - and maybe that's what Miserea was trying to tell him, that he preferred these all out brawls to card games because at least a kick to the ribs was some sort of physical contact, and he was alone enough that he hiked up these mountains in the middle of nowhere once or twice a week to get his ass kicked by a god.

Miserea's hold was gentle, affection oozing from his touch, and Davide could almost feel the satisfaction under it, hating it even as he pressed himself closer despite the pain.

He let out a cry as Miserea scooped him up, smiling down at him as Davide shot him a panicked look of confusion.

"You can rest in the inn- you can't very well make it home in your condition, and it'll give us a good opportunity to spend time together."

"I didn't ask for your help! Put me down right now, you demon!"

"Now now, I was the victor, after all - what I say, goes."

The ugly cloud geezer watched them as Miserea princess carried him into the inn, and Davide vowed then and there that next time he'd definitely win, and when he did, he would force Miserea to do something so unspeakably vile that he would never dare show his face on earth again in his lifetime. At least then, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone about the hours of cuddling in one of the inn beds.

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Fire Emblem Heroes has supports now, meaning my cross-game ship can finally be realized! I haven’t had much time to play since the feature coincided with the start of school, but here’s a C Rank support convo for Ursula and Narcian!  (Note, I haven’t played either fe6 or 7, so I’m going off feh + their wiki pages and some cutscenes I’ve watched... Hopefully they’re enjoyable for people who have played the games, I know it was enjoyable for me to write, and that’s what matters.)

“You're the Blue Crow, yes?" Narcian's wyvern descended neatly beside Ursula's horse, his dramatic entrance only feeling casually unplanned. "Rejoice! Today our summoner has decreed that you are to stay close to me, Narcian!"

"My apologies, I don't have patience for anyone less than perfect." 

She didn't even bother looking up at him, instead running her fingers through the mane of her horse, expression darkening at the imperfect feeling of knots.

 "What?! I am perfection!" He yanked at the horns of his steed, and it marched to stand in front of Ursula's horse, though the well-trained mount didn't rear up in fright like he thought it might. "And anyway, you are completely loyal to that summoner fellow, are you not? If that's the case, you have no right to refuse their orders!" He huffed, and she finally looked up at him, eyeing him over. 

"You're correct. I suppose that tactician must have some reason for me to follow you into battle... Very well, show me whether your talk of "perfection" is anything more than mere vanity." 

"That I shall!" He turned his wyvern around, staring ahead towards their enemies with a vindictive gleam in his eyes. "If you are so keen on flawlessness, then do not take your eyes off me for even a second!"

With that he charged ahead, leaping mountains to rain carnage onto his foes- he ripped into the enemy army with vengeance, his ears brimming with his own laughter, half exhilaration, half bravado, until no opposing forces stood before him. Satisfied, Narcian turned around, expecting Ursula to beg forgiveness for taunting him, to tremble and plead like many did after seeing his power. She wasn't doing any of those things, though. She was sitting very still, eyes on him and gleaming with a sinister satisfaction, her lips turned into a smile. She looked pleased. That wasn't a bad reaction.

"So? Have you had your fill of perfection?"

"Oh, I never do." Her horse moved forward so their mounts stood side by side, her gaze even more intense with the closed distance. "I don't know if I'd call you perfect, per say- you were a bit sloppy, after all... But that's nothing I can't take care of." Despite her critique, her smirk wasn't mocking, and in fact she seemed to look at him almost admiringly. "Confidence isn't an unattractive quality, and I see it isn't fully unearned. To fight cautiously is to know you're not invulnerable- so why should someone aspiring to perfection not treat the battlefield as a playground? No, I think I like that quality of yours." Her eyes met his, and Narcian returned her gaze and smirk equally. This also seemed to please her. "Yes. I don't think I'd mind staying by your side a little longer." She motioned her horse onward, past him, but he could still feel her eyes on him even as she disappeared out of sight. "I'll be watching you, so be sure not to let that perfect air of yours slip, or..."

"Hah! As if I’m capable of anything else!"

He sauntered off, pleased with his performance, with the exchange, and, as always, with himself. 

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

MDR back at it again with soft MagoRetsus, this time a soulmate au where people see in black and white until they see their soulmate.

This assumes that Retsu hadn’t been approached by Disaster before the ABC Cup, which is almost certainly false, but this is an au already, and do you really need to think about it that hard? Of course not. It’s MagoRetsu time, and Retsu is so much softer when he’s not wearing stupid hairspikes.

Of course, the deckbuilding forums blew up when a complete novice managed to beat buddycop boy wonder, Tasuku Ryuenji. There were heated debates on whether he threw the match, some concerns for public safety, but Retsu wasn't concerned about any of that. He was more interested in his deckbuilder. Baku.

The Aibo reporter was prolific, and Gao Mikado certainly picked big names for his first opponents - his next was the buddy of television star Demon Lord, Asmodai - making it easy to piece together the identity of his deckbuilder and analyst through simple observation.

Retsu wasn't impressed. Despite his big wins, the matches themselves were basic, with no inspired or brilliant plays from either side. Nonetheless, he knew his apprentice, knew he was capable of more than this, and so he begrudgingly tuned into that year's ABC Cup to see what improvements he could show. Retsu used to tune into local competitions quite often, in hopes of seeing an interesting deck build or clever play. After a few years of honing his skills, however, he saw more misplays than new ideas, and after moving away he'd had even less incentive to watch, finally stopping completely.

Most of the competition showed that he hadn't been missing much- the elementary branch of the tournament was more often than not just embarrassing, with the few standouts already apparent from the beginning. Of course, Baku's fighter was one of them, and while he had improved, sweeping through most opponents quite easily, Retsu couldn't bring himself to get too excited, listening more than watching as he multitasked it with his schoolwork. The transition to the middle-school half of the tournament just happened to begin when he was losing focus, and he turned his eyes to it as a way to procrastinate, reasoning he'd lose interest in it soon enough and be driven back to his books.

The screen, however, started to change as he looked at it. As one of the fighters was raised into view on one end of the fighting stage, Retsu's vision changed- everything becoming indescribably vivid and vibrant. He was captivated, unable to take his eyes of the program as every new angle revealed something he'd never seen before, each sight a kind of sensation he didn't even know how to describe- he didn't even pay attention to what was actually going on on the screen, transfixed on the undefinable sensation overwhelming his sense of sight. It wasn't until after the fight was over that he realized he must be seeing in color, looking up from his television to see that his the effects expanded beyond it, and after a shocked moment of realization, he scrambled to rewind the program, suddenly focused on the person who triggered it.

"Hitting the stage for the first time today, it's Aibo's student council president, Magoroku Shido!"

Retsu said a silent prayer of gratitude for the commentator's clear introductions as he replayed Shido's entrance to the fighting stage- he couldn't even form an opinion of the person who was supposedly his soulmate, too overwhelmed with the vibrancy of color whenever he looked at him to notice anything else. He was beautiful, the most magical thing he had ever seen, and every other beautiful thing he saw after this point was only because he'd seen him first. Even when he was supposed to be learning about him - his newly discovered soulmate, the person he was destined to spend his life with - he was too distracted by the color surrounding everything around him to learn anything. He was overwhelmed with curiosity, but at the same time, just visualizing was overwhelming enough to drive out inward thought.

Nearly stumbling from overstimulation, Retsu made his way down the stairs, gaping when he met eyes with his mother in the entryway. She was more vibrant than the calm colors of the halls and stairway, hair burning with deep red, eyes a contrasting bright and gentle green as she turned to look at him. Retsu wondered if he looked anything like that- wondered what his soulmate would see when he laid eyes on him, if he'd be as bold and striking as the woman in front of him. He never thought he'd envy his mother's appearance, and the thought froze whatever impulse had drove him out of his room, his mother simply staring at him in confusion. The awkward silence was just enough for him to catch the voice of the ABC Cup commentator through his open bedroom door announcing the pairings for the next round of the tournament, the name 'Magoroku Shido' sending him scrambling back up the stairs fast enough that he slipped down a step before gaining proper footing, room spinning as he raced back into his room.

"God, that's right, I knew he won his match- how could I leave when he has another round-!?"

He stopped as he realized he was seeing his room in color for the first time, gaze once again moving off his small TV to pass over the once familiar scenery. Most of what he owned was greyscale (such an adult word, he never thought he'd be using it to describe something so soon), the familiarity of it giving a welcome feeling of stability. 

Suddenly feeling exhausted, he fell back onto his bed, lazily rolling his head over in search of something out of place with his monotoned memories. The window by his desk caught his eye, just a sliver of the outside world visible from it- and god, he hadn't even seen outside yet. How many cheesy romance stories had he seen that tried to describe rainbows and sunsets and blue skies- he wondered if he'd seen blue yet. He'd barely taken his eyes off his tv, he hadn't ventured past the staircase outside his room yet. He'd already seen more than he could've previously imagined, yet he was realizing that there was so much he hadn't seen yet, the scope of it suddenly dizzying.

A familiar voice broke his thoughts, and it took him a moment to realize it was the voice of his soulmate, whose first fight he had watched twice now, yet somehow he'd managed to miss the first two turns of his second. He snapped his eyes back to the television, catching an eyeful of his soulmate that immediately filled him with the need to scream into his pillow. He was seeing his soulmate for the first time, but he couldn't even cheer him on in real time. He buried his face into his pillow as the camera switched to Shido's opponent, wishing he could have a few hours to process the new dimension to vision, wondering what it was like to have this moment with them in person instead of alone in his room. It was a lot easier to follow the fight with his eyes closed, face buried in the pillow as he listened to the fight commentator and the fighter's taunts. Shido felt more real as a voice- haughty and overconfident, brimming with superiority Retsu couldn't help but buy into since  just the sight of him had changed his life forever. He was visualizing the fight in his mind- the monsters, their gauge and life, and he realized that Shido alone hadn't existed in his mind before color, the mental image of him filling the plain greys of his imagination, taking a whole new life onto himself. Retsu heard his laugh through the television, imagined him smiling the way he had after his first victory- too dazzling at the time to even process, and just trying to recreate it in his mind seemed to blind him, bright color sending him reeling even inside the dark behind his eyelids.

He promised himself he'd rewatch all his fights once he'd gotten a handle on himself.

"Retsu, you're seeing color, aren't you?" Retsu froze, eyes stopping mid-way through a scan of the dining room, and his reaction seemed to be enough to satisfy his mother.  "I knew you were acting odd earlier. It's easy to tell, you know- you're looking at everything like it's your first time." Retsu shifted his gaze to match his mother's, feeling himself sink into the soft tint of her eyes as he once again filled with the discomfort of finding his mom beautiful. His mother only smiled, her expression shifting nostalgic as she reached a hand across the table to hold his. "I remember when I first saw them. We met at our high school's opening ceremony- we met eyes, and suddenly the cherry blossoms-" "-burst to life. I know, Mom, you've told me a thousand times." He rose his spare hand to his head, feeling exhausted despite accidently falling asleep after Shido's match. "Was it as.... Disorienting for you? It's so much, I feel like my head is spinning."

"That's normal." His mother took her hand back, starting back into her dinner. "They say you can always tell when someone meets their special someone because they're grades start dropping. But don't worry about it- before long, you'll be so used to it that your old memories will start coloring themselves in. Why, I can't even remember what it was like to live without color anymore." Retsu only groaned, closing his eyes as he went back to his own food. "... He made it to the second round of the ABC Cup. He's student council president too, apparently." "Ohh, sounds like you got lucky! Think he has a deckbuilder?" "Mom," he let out another groan, feeling his face start to burn with embarrassment. "Still, the ABC Cup is for Aibo students, right? Too bad we moved away, or you would've been in the same school..." Retsu risked opening his eyes again to catch the beginnings of a mischievous smile on his mother's face, his own frown deepening. "Hey, you're going to be too overwhelmed for school anyway- you should visit him!" "What- no."    "Why not! He hasn't seen you yet, right? You're actively depriving him of the experience!" While her voice was teasing, Retsu didn't like her choice of words, suddenly feeling guilt settle in his gut. "You'll be seeing a lot of firsts tomorrow- but trust me, it means more when you're both seeing something for the first time together." "... I'll think about it."

Night time was a refreshing change from the morning; darkness muted the still unfamiliar sensation of color, even the night sky an almost familiar shade. As much of a relief as it was, however, the lack of strain meant he had nothing to exhaust him like the morning had, the earlier nap coming back to haunt him as he lie awake, his head filled with nothing but meeting his soulmate. He supposed it was uncommon to first see your soulmate through the television, getting color so far ahead of the other person. He already knew his parents hadn't had to worry about how they'd introduce themselves- they didn't get to know ahead of time, had no anxious period of waiting. At the same time, it was a rare opportunity to plan- like the story his mom told over and over, he could set up the perfect scene, something bold and striking like when he saw his mom in the hallway (was that really his go to? He barely left his room all day, it was the strongest color he'd seen. He briefly wondered how his parents managed to get through their high school orientation when he was overwhelmed by something so little.) Trying to visualize their meeting only filled Retsu with the need to see him again, the soulmate he both couldn't keep his eyes off of and could barely handle looking at, and before long his smartphone was in his hands as he searched for the ABC Cup footage, the screen a bright reminder of his new dimension of sight in contrast with the stillness of the dark. He forced himself to really look at his smile this time, pausing as he attempted to burn it into his memory. Even as he'd slowly grown accustomed to seeing in color throughout the day, the sight of him brought those first moments back in full force, and as he stared at his phone screen he wondered if it was the color or just him that overwhelmed him with emotion.

When he woke up in the morning, it was almost normal- besides the burning in his eyes from looking at his phone screen all night. The previous day's relevation only hit him when he opened his closet to get his uniform, the clothes inside making him jump back. God. He hadn't even known what his clothes looked like.

His mother looked disappointed to see him with his school uniform and bag when he came down for breakfast, reminding him of what he'd already gone over in his head a million times last night, "it's a pretty long train ride from Fumiya Daini to Aibo, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to catch him if you go after school."

"I'm not skipping school."

"Uggh, who raised you to be so responsible!? It's your soulmate, go get him!"

Retsu just ignored her, grabbing his breakfast to go and heading out the door. The second he stepped out, he remembered his mother's words from last night about today holding "a lot of firsts", already coming to a halt as he craned his head upward. His first blue sky. It was a cliche he'd read a million times before, but experiencing it for himself... He wasn't sure why books even tried.

The farther he got along his usual route to school, the more he felt his guilt rise with his disorientation- he wished he could close his eyes to everything until he and Shido could properly meet, but he knew his plans were too perfect to scrap- and either way, it was Friday, and Shido deserved to keep his ability to focus through to the end of schoolweek, even if he became increasingly convinced he wouldn't have the same.

He was glad he'd planned everything out ahead of time, basically running on autopilot as he pushed through the heads of students pilling out of classrooms to the roof or cafeteria for lunch. Even with everyone wearing identical uniforms (or supposed to- it was hardly properly enforced), the school was filled with moving, shifting color: hair, posters (some were grayscale, but since people tended to find their soulmates around his age, there were plenty packed with too-bright color, as if testing the limits of their new senses)- it had been no different when he came to school that morning, his stomach churning with each new sensation. His mother had been right about focusing in class- Retsu couldn't even remember what they'd done that day, spending the last few hours swiveling his head in every direction to look at his classmates, out the window- everything had a new dimension to it, nothing familiar and everything captivating. He was pretty sure his teacher knew, and maybe most of the class as well by now, and he didn't bother telling anyone where he was going as he headed out the front entrance.

He had lied, actually- he was skipping school, but only the second half. Leaving the school grounds entirely, he headed straight home, thankful his mother was at work as he basically sprinted to his room as soon as he got through the door. He'd started tearing out of his uniform before making it up the stairs, but his speed stopped as he opened his closet for the second time that day. Mumbling an endless stream of worries to himself, he started to sort through his wardrobe, mind swimming in horror stories of kids trying to coordinate colors for the first time and failing horribly. He didn't want Shido's first impression of him to be garish- and he certainly didn't want mocking stares on him as he made his way to Aibo. His closet had a decent amount of greyscale, with a fair number of pinks- the same color as most of the rooms in the house, and obviously chosen by his mother. He tried one, it wasn't a good look on him (he thought. He certainly had no sense of how color was supposed to work yet.) After far too much indecision, he chose a maroon collared shirt (it reminded him of his mother's hair, damn it. He had the same hair color, when would he stop making this association?) and black pants. He was kind of disappointed to find very little to choose from color-wise for bottoms, but, remembering the horror stories, maybe that was a saving grace. Still felt kind of lame, though.

He had spent way too long choosing an outfit, and the sky was already starting to shift its hue by the time he got out of the house again. Retsu cursed under his breath as he looked at the time, realizing he wouldn't arrive before the ABC Cup finished- he had hoped to cheer Shido on, but ultimately, that wasn't where his plan was staged- this would work.

Retsu was running as soon as he got off the bus, already shaking with nervousness and a hundred of worried thoughts- what if he left school right away after the cup? What if they bumped into each other before he was ready? People were already crowding the escalators leading from the school's entrance, and Retsu tried to eavesdrop on their conversations to figure out what'd happened: supposedly Baku's fighter had won, which was surprising, since middle schoolers nearly always dominated the finals. Shido had apparently staged some sort of extra round, the specifics Retsu didn't catch, the sound of his name sending his mind far away from buddyfighting.

Nervous every second that Shido might be among the departing students, Retsu pushed his way into the school, almost immediately becoming lost. He knew he should be more level headed than this, but instead of looking at maps, he was scanning the shadows falling over the school's unfamiliar mint walls, craning his head to watch the colorful crowd departing with banners and headgear that caught his attention no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. He was in the middle of people watching and anxiously trying not to look at the sky when he bumped into someone, turning to face a girl with pale complexion.

"Oh, uh, sorry about that," she was already moving to walk away as he gathered himself, "actually, could you show me where the student council room is?"

She turned to look at him, eyes cold and uninterested.

"Da."

She turned and kept going the way she'd been walking, and Retsu, unsure whether her answer had been a no or a yes, uncertainly followed her. While she made no signs of noticing him, he was sure she must've, so, assuming she had actually understood him (she looked foreign) he took her silence to mean he wasn't mistaken.

"So, um, maybe I should've asked this first- do you know if the president is in the student council room right now? I know he was in the cup today, so,"

"He is in the council room." Oh, good, she did speak Japanese. "He is rewatching the footage and pouting about his losses." She turned to look at him, and he couldn't help but stare into her eyes, cold and icy, a deep blue that gave him shivers. "What business do you have with him?"

"Oh, um. I- actually, were you already headed there?"

"Da."

Retsu still had no idea what that meant.

"If you were, maybe, you could just give him a message for me." He hated how he was stuttering, her eyes boring holes into him as he struggled through his own nervousness and disorientation. "Tell him to meet me in front of the school. Alone. Can you do that?"

"... I doubt he'll listen." She looked impatient. She was starting to scare him.

"Please, tell him it's important."

"What business do you have?" He hesitated, a weird mixture of embarrassment and intimidation mixed with disorientation making him freeze. "What business do you have with President Shido?"

"That's- um, not important. Well, it is- just, don't tell him." Her eyes narrowed on him. He swallowed. "Fine, um, tell him I'm an admirer."

Her eyebrows rose, and something like amusement flickered across her face; a hint of a smirk, instantly dying to revert into an expressionless frown. Then she turned away.

"... He may listen."

She started walking again, and Retsu stopped, his mind struggling to keep up with the conversation.

"S-so you'll tell him?"

"Da."

"Um- thank you!"

He started sprinting in the other direction, hoping to god that 'da' meant 'yes', and that he'd be able to find his way back out of the school before Shido got there. 

Retsu was out of breath by the time he made it outside, taking a paranoid glance around the entrance before quickly finding cover. He took a guilty glance at the sky- it was nearly time. He spent the next few minutes hiding behind a tree in front of the school, experiencing his own miniature version of hell. What if the foreign girl didn't tell him? What if she did, but he decided not to listen? What if she did deliver his message, and he did come out, only for his first glimpse of his soulmate to be Retsu peeking nervously around a tree because he couldn't stop checking at the entrance- oh god, footsteps.

"What? No one's here! Ugh- when I'm already in a bad mood, was Sofia pranking me!?"

The familiar voice made his heart stop in his throat, thoughts of plans and rehearsed lines darting from his head. For a horrifying moment, he froze, panicking as he imagined Shido leaving right then and there. And then, he started to do just that, and new panic broke him out of his paralysis.

"She didn't!"

It came out less dignified than he had hoped, but his voice seemed to grab Shido's attention, the boy stopping half way through turning back inside. Taking a shaking breath, Retsu tried to collect himself, only to panic again as the footsteps started again, this time moving towards him.

"Stop!"

"Who are you!? Stop yelling at me!"

"Stand in the middle of the courtyard and close your eyes." There was a pause. Retsu didn't dare peek out and risk everything. "... Are you doing it?"

"I don't know why I should."

"I have something to show you. Please," oh god, he had not considered actually convincing him, "please do it. I swear you'll like it."

Another pause.

"Beg me a little more and I might."

Retsu could hear the grin in his voice. His face was burning, and he didn't know if it was from embarrassment with himself, indignation at the situation, or the mental image his voice gave him.

"I could leave right now and you will never get this. And I promise you don't want to lose it."

"Hey, that's a threat!"

God, Retsu, don't threaten your soul mate just because you're nervous. Great first impression. Nice argument behind a tree. A great memory to look back on for your whole fate-bound lives together. He'd just have to hope his plan worked well enough to cover the memory.

"All right, I'm sorry. Please, close your eyes for me... I'm begging you." Shido made an uncertain noise. "I will get on my knees afterwards if you want."

"... Deal."

After a moment, Retsu cautiously peeked out. Shido was standing in the middle of the courtyard, eyes closed. Retsu resisted the urge to just stare at him. God, he was real. He was beautiful. He was facing the wrong way.

"No peeking." Retsu slowly stepped out from his hiding place, walking over to Shido, pausing, and walking behind him before putting his hand on his shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

"Repositioning you, hold on." He lined his sight up with Shido's skull, turning him until he was facing directly into the sun- or more accurately, the sunset.

He stepped back around, backing a few paces away as he lined his shadow up with Shido. Perfect.

"Alright, you can open them."

Shido did, and immediately his eyes widened.

Retsu was grateful that Aibo was elevated, the entrance falling away to reveal an expansive view- most of Cho-Tokyo visible, and more importantly, an endless skyline. Shido's vision must've filled with color, the whole of Cho-Tokyo below them lit in gold light as the sky above them lifted into orange and pink and blue and purple. Retsu's outline would be burning with the backing sun, coloring him in the deep red of the horizon (he hoped so, at least- the color he was already so taken with, he hoped it would be Shido's favorite as well).

Shido could only gape as he took it all in, and Retsu could only watch- watch the way the light shone in his eyes as they saw color for the first time. And then Shido collapsed.

"Are you alright?" Retsu rushed over to pick him up, Shido flinching as he immediately looked back into the setting sun only to be blinded now that Retsu wasn't blocking the sun itself. Retsu turned to it as well, finally allowing himself to take it in in full now that Shido was with him. Their first sunset. It was cheesy, and cliched, but Retsu had slept through sunset the other day thanks to his exhaustion, and looking at it now, he was glad. It was the most vibrant thing he had seen so far- making him realize how disoriented Shido must be, his first experience with color being so much more overwhelming than the TV screen Retsu started with. "Here, let's move to the bench over there." He started to lift Shido off the ground, and Shido complied, the two of them walking over to a bench on the side of the courtyard.

"You... Who are you?"

"Shouldn't that be obvious?" Retsu couldn't help but grin now, keeping the arm he'd used to support Shido around him. "I'm Retsu Omori, your soulmate. It's great to finally meet you." Shido turned away from the sunset to focus on him for the first time, his gaze distracted even as he looked him over. "You don't have to push yourself to take everything in right now- sunset will come tomorrow too, and, well, I'm not going anywhere." He almost felt like he had an unfair disadvantage, watching Shido's dizzy unfocused expressions while he already over the immediate worst of the disorientation, able to think relatively clearly despite his own nervousness and overstimulated senses. He wasn't sure if Shido had noticed the discrepancy yet; probably not, and Retsu decided not to try to explain while he was obviously overwhelmed.

"Um, I'm Shido, Magoroku Shido."

"I know."

Confusion slid across Shido's features, but he probably couldn't have processed the reason, Retsu letting him watch him in perplexed silence.

"... Of course you do." Seeming to have come to his own conclusion, he leaned into Retsu's shoulder, turning back to the sunset. Retsu turned back to it as well, only to feel eyes on him as he looked down to see Shido's eyes lifted towards his face. "So it's you, huh..? Not really what I imagined."

Retsu felt himself smiling again at the feeling of Shido's eyes on him, even as he struggled to understand the meaning of the statement.

"... Well, this kind of thing is impossible to imagine beforehand, isn't it?"

"Mm."

Shido snuggled deeper into his shoulder, closing his eyes, and Retsu turned back to the rapidly setting sun. Sunsets really were short- while it was a comfort to know things would become easier to handle for Shido as night came, Retsu felt a pang of loneliness at the thought of the sky losing its color.

"... I can help walk you home once the sunset is over. You must be tired, right?"

"Mm hm."

He sounded like he might be asleep already. Retsu couldn't really blame him.

Most of the color had drained from the skyline by now, clouds once lined with pink now dark purples starting to turn black. That was okay. They'd have their whole fate-bound lives to watch sunsets.

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

"Jack, I'm coming-!"

"Tasuku, wait- there's nothing you can do without your deck!"

Tasuku paid no heed to the cries of the buddypolice officers behind him, feet pounding pavement before the sound had time to hit his ears. He'd long learned how to remain calm in dangerous situations, but even so, his head was a whirlwind of adrenaline and worry as he shoved through crowds, eyes constantly scanning ahead of him.

The criminal fighter's plan had been frustratingly simple: steal the deck of Boy Wonder Cop, Tasuku Ryuuenji, while he was being interviewed by the press. Hype over the interview had been building for a while, so the time and place was well known, and as long as he had Tasuku's deck, most of the buddypolice wouldn't be able to defeat him, meaning he could break out of buddypolice barriers.

Tasuku felt like an idiot- for not being more on guard, for letting the people and the cameras distract him enough that he let his deck, and his Jack with it, get stolen. He knew there was nothing he could do- he had no deck to fight with, no way to put up a barrier to stop him, but still, he had to /try/. He had to chase after Jack, just in case a way presented itself. Just in case some miracle-

"This way!"

A hand clasped tightly around his wrist, and Tasuku was dragged down an alleyway. Immediately he thought this must be some second phase of their plan, that he was being kidnapped, but as he struggled to break free, something was shoved into his hands. The hold was released, and Tasuku kept running, stopping only when he reached the end of the alley and came face to face with the criminal fighter.

"What?! How'd you cut me off!?"

Tasuku looked down into his hands- a deck case. The criminal was too shocked to run- now was his chance. If only he could activate a barrier-

"Barbed wire!"

He felt waves of power wash over him, and Tasuku shivered at the familiar feeling- a Disaster Force activation. In a moment, the alleyways they'd run through were blocked off by high walls of barbed wire, trapping them in. An anxious feeling building in his stomach, Tasuku checked the top cards of his deck.

He winced.

"Raise the flag!"

"I fight for Star Dragon World!"

The criminal looked tense as he luminized with Tasuku's deck, likely not expecting he'd have to use it against such a tough opponent so soon. Jack, from the buddy circle, looked desperately at Tasuku, his eyes asking what he could do.

Tasuku gripped the deck in his hands tighter, grinding his teeth.

"A binding pact made in the shadows! Arise, all knights of despair! Luminize!" As he shouted, the core deck case responded to him and transformed, wrapping around him and warping into thick, black armor. "Purgatory Knights Conviction!"

As the last words echoed through his heavy helm, Tasuku tried to ignore how Jack stared at him in terror. Lifting the helmet from his head, he placed it on the ground beside him. "Don't worry Jack, I'll definitely save you." His eyes rested on the familiar helmet on the ground, a thousand bitter memories rising to the surface of his mind. "... No matter what happens to me."

Behind him, he could feel the stare of Demios Sword Dragon staring into him, but when Tasuku didn't turn to greet him, he stayed silent.

"Before we begin, I have one question for you." He stared straight ahead, though he wasn't talking to the criminal fighter in front of him. "Did Kyoya send you?" The criminal fighter quickly shook his head, but Tasuku was unsatisfied. "You're still watching, aren't you? Show yourself!"

"Kyoya didn't send me."

Tasuku turned at the sound of footsteps behind him, just in time to watch Disaster's deckbuilder, Gremlin, step into view from behind the wall of barbed wire. "This is purely for my own benefit."

"And what benefit is that? What do you want from me?"

"That's simple," he stepped closer, one hand curling fingers around the crisscrossed wire that separated them, "with the addition of a single card, you once defeated two of my Darkness Dragon World decks simultaneously, and as the Purgatory Knight, you created a card that demonstrated a keen knowledge of the game. Your ability is undeniable." His eyes scanned the battle laid out before him, fingers tensing around the wire. "You cast aside the power that Disaster - that I - gave you, and returned to using your old buddy, your own decks. Because of that, I want to see how we compare: your masterpiece versus mine."

Tasuku couldn't help but grimace at the explanation- a test of pride only. Nonetheless, Tasuku couldn't forget the complete defeat he'd suffered at the hands of Kyoya's Dragon Ein that convinced him to join Disaster back then, nor the countless grueling battles he fought against the purgatory knights while he was training in dragon world, daunting enough to eventually force him to use gold ritter again. No, Gremlin's decks were powerful, and right now, it was his only hope of saving Jack- he'd have to have faith in his building, even if he didn't like it.

He finally turned to Demios, guilt and shame churning in his stomach as he met eyes with his former buddy.

"I'm sure after what I did, the last thing you want to do is help me rescue Jack. Still, I beg of you... will you help me?"

Demios stared down at him as he proudly held up the flag of Darkness Dragon World, narrow eyes hardened by years of bitter warfare.

"I can understand the feeling of becoming something you hate to protect something you love- I cannot judge you for your actions."

"Demios, I..." he wanted to apologize, but he didn't have the words. Instead, he turned away, his eyes lowering to his helmet again, slowly raising to the familiar warriors in his hand; then finally rising to fix on Jack, his gaze hardening with resolve. "Let's go to work."

Tasuku went first, and when he called his first monster to his center, it looked over the scene in front of it before looking back - not at Demios, but at Tasuku - and giving a disciplined nod.

“Command me as you will, Purgatory Knight.”

It turned back towards the enemy, sword readied, and hesitantly Tasuku nodded, voice faltering a moment before he ordered the attack.

The criminal’s turn began, and Tasuku grimaced as his familiar monsters appeared on the field across from him- including Jack, called to the center with cavalier in its soul, his expression pained at the thought of attacking his buddy.

Star Remnant appeared to his left as Jack crossinized with Dragonarms, Emergence, increasing his soul, and then they entered the attack phase. Jack looked miserable as he came at Tasuku’s center monster with penetrate, the knight leaving the field as Tasuku winced against Jack’s critical of 3. He managed to block Star Remnant’s attack, but he was already distracted as he looked to Jack blocking the criminal’s center.

“Combining crossinize with Jack’s soulguard to fortify his center is a good move- against any other deck, maybe. No matter how many cards he puts into his soul, it’s no use against Purgatory’s multiple attacks.”

Gremlin’s voice came from behind the wire barrier, its smug tone making Tasuku grit his teeth. He hated how Jack was being used as a living shield, how his deck was being used to treat Jack is disposable. Worse, he could feel his weakness being used against him: the criminal fighter was betting on Tasuku not being able to destroy his own buddy, and honestly, looking at Demios in his hand, Tasuku wasn’t sure he could. He didn’t want to hurt Jack. He didn’t want to see Demios prevail over Jack- to see the Purgatory Knights triumph over himself, like they had so many times in Dragon World. He didn’t want to prove Kyoya, or Gremlin, right- to prove that everything he’d learned since then about caring about others made him weak, that his darkness was still his greatest strength.

“If you want, you can forfeit right now” the criminal fighter sneered, flicking Tasuku’s star pulsar floating beside him. “Give up now and your precious buddy won’t come to any harm~”

“I can’t do that!”

Tasuku bared his teeth as he did his draw and charge and draw, forcing himself to think about winning- about apprehending the criminal in front of him and taking his deck back.

Tasuku called Gairahm Lance to his center, Crossbow Dragon to his left, and, hesitating only a moment, Demios to his right.

Demios jumped confidently from his spot in the buddycircle to the right position, and while both other knights saluted to their commander, they also looked back at Tasuku, Crossbow nodding while Gairahm lifted its lance in salute. Looking at them assembled in front of him, all looking determined to fight, Tasuku felt unexpectedly moved; he didn’t think he was sentimental about his time as Purgatory Knight, but looking at them now, he couldn’t help but remember how bravely they had all bared his lonely fate with him back then- even going so far as to sacrifice themselves for his sake.   He looked again at Demios, his wide armored shoulders turned from him as he faced their shared foe. Their foe…

Jack.

"Why do you hesitate?" It was the first time Demios had spoken since the battle had begun, and Tasuku turned to look at him. "Hesitation here could mean the loss of your buddy forever- is your resolve so weak that you'd risk that out of sentimentality?" Tasuku could only stare at him helplessly in response, and after a moment Demios seemed to give up on him, looking elsewhere. "Jackknife Dragon!" Jack, who had watched despondently as the Purgatory Knights assembled in front of him, acknowledged Demios gravely. "You are a dragon of honor. Will you give your life on his sword to further his mission?"

Staring him down, Jack nodded, before turning his eyes to Tasuku.

"It's okay, Tasuku. It's different this time."

“Jack...” Tasuku felt tears of gratitude stinging his eyes, and he struggled to hold them back as Demios turned towards him again.

"You've come this far to liberate your buddy, see that conviction through to the bitter end!"

Tasuku wiped his eyes, lifting his sword.

"Thank you, both of you." When he stared ahead, his eyes were steady, despite the red that ringed them. Taking a breath, Tasuku gestured outward with his gauntlet. "Demios, attack the center!"

With a nod, Demios surged forward, blade thrusting into Jack's chest with a splash of sparks that made Tasuku flinch. Still, he steeled his resolve when Demios returned to his side of the field, issuing his next attack. Jack braced himself as Gairahm took out his last soul card, leaving him panting with exhaustion. The sight made Tasuku hesitate, and Demios looked back at him.

“Gairahm Lance Dragon!” Tasuku was surprised that Demios addressed his center monster instead of him, but Gairahm gave a quick nod to its commander. “What do you think of the resolve Jackknife Dragon is showing us in this battle?”

Gairahm nodded thoughtfully, thinking carefully about its response.

“I think the Jackknife Dragon shows a spirit not unlike us Purgatory Knights. It takes a good measure of bravery to sacrifice yourself, even for a greater cause.”

“And are you ready to do the same, to honor his determination?”

Gairahm didn’t hesitate a moment to answer. “I am.”

“Then, are you?” Demios looked to Tasuku now, and his eyes widened, looking from Demios to Jack to Demios again. The two dragons looked at each other, and Demois nodded to Jack, who turned to Tasuku again, taking his attention.

“To the bitter end, Tasuku.”

“Right...” Tasuku looked at all the dragons in front of him, all of them watching him without a hint of fear in their eyes. After a moment, he nodded to Demios, and Demios nodded back, turning to Gairahm and summoning the flames of Purgatory. Tasuku watched the flames clear his center, lifting Purgatory Sword, Fatal at the ready. “Don’t worry, I won’t let your sacrifice go to waste. Not yours, or yours, Jack.” Jack’s eyes hardened on Tasuku’s, who held his gaze with new strength. “Jack... I'll see you when this is over.”

Demios dashed for the center with Tasuku’s shout of “Finish him, Demios!”, and finally Jack left the field as his sword pierced through him. Crossbow Dragon fired into the open center, almost immediately bursting into flames as Demios lifted his sword once again, slashing into the criminal fighter. Tasuku followed with Fatal only to hit against Proto-Barrier, gritting his teeth in frustration.

Returning to the fighter's circle, Demios glanced at Tasuku with concern, and his brief look all but confirmed the feelings Tasuku was struggling to hold back.

"You were right, Demios." Hanging his head, Tasuku stared into his reflection in the helmet at his feet. "When I put on the armor of the Purgatory Knight, I did feel like I was becoming something I hated." He winced as a tear hit his helmet, making him aware that he was crying again. "I hated who I was back then- how I let myself be used for evil, how I hurt my family and disappointed my friends. I thought that I could protect everyone by only relying on myself, but all I did was bring them pain." He sniffed, lifting his gauntlet to wipe his eyes again. "But I never hated you- I didn’t hate the Purgatory Knights!"

Demios stepped out of the right area to approach him, and Tasuku hid his face with his arm, lowering his voice.

"Even after what I did, everyone is fighting so bravely for my sake, and here I am hesitating. Even when Jack is on the line, even when everyone else is going through so much pain to support me-” his voice broke, and when it returned, it was in a whisper. “I was wrong to ever call myself the Purgatory Knight. I'm not strong, not noble like all of you are. I'm nothing like you-" he was cut off as his helmet was placed back on his head, Tasuku looking up in shock at Demios.

"You're not the one who gets to decide that." Demios only glanced sidelong at him, eyes leaving him to scan the empty field in front of them. "Did you see how our fellow knights acknowledged you? They count you as one of our own." He finally turned towards Tasuku, his expression taking on a gentle turn. "That isn't because of the name you once took, or the armor you wore. It's because they could see that you are a person willing to do anything for what he cherishes- to fight and struggle and die to protect what's important to you." To Tasuku's surprise, he smiled. "Being a Purgatory Knight isn't about standing alone- it's about giving yourself for others. Now, more than ever, you are a Purgatory Knight."

“Demios...” His voice, strained from holding back tears, echoed oddly in the helmet, and Demios gave it an affectionate pat before returning to his area of the field.

“Now isn’t the time for getting sentimental! Lead on, Purgatory Knight, and see this match to its proper conclusion!”

Tasuku nodded, and, looking impatient, his opponent began his turn, equipping Dragnapulse and, to Tasuku’s distress, calling Jack again to his right, crossinizing him with J Igniter. The sight of Jack’s pained expression when he was ordered to attack broke Tasuku’s heart, and only the sound of shouting behind him distracted him from their shared grief as Jack slashed away at Tasuku’s life.

"Pay attention! You have the means to block those attacks- don't leave yourself open for his impact!"

With everything that had been happening, Tasuku had almost forgotten Gremlin was still watching, the sight of him bringing him back to reality.

"His impact..." Tasuku's eyes widened, and he looked down at the cards in his hands. "Gremlin- how did you get these cards? I still have the original Purgatory Knights deck."

"What does that matter? Focus on the fight!"

"It matters! How did you build this deck?"

There was a pause, and an impatient air fell over the fight, emanating especially from the criminal fighter, who was still in the middle of his turn. Gremlin seemed to break under the pressure, his voice low.

"... Kyoya made sure that I would have access to all the cards I needed from Darkness Dragon World while I was building for Disaster. He hasn't been able to revoke that access."

"Still, even with all of Darkness Dragon World at your disposal, there's one card you couldn't replace, isn't there?" He turned to look over his shoulder, and after a moment, Gremlin gave a defeated nod.

"... You are correct. As much as I hate to say it- that deck is incomplete. It's missing the card that made it the most special- your custom impact, the counter final."

Tasuku turned back to his opponent, nervousness replaced with a daring smile. "You have one more attack, right?"

The criminal fighter nodded, hefting up Dragnapulse.

"You better enjoy it- it's the last you'll take!"

Tasuku nodded, bracing himself as the blast from his weapon brought him below four life.

"What are you doing?! Didn't you hear me- you have no way to block his impact!"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." He was grinning now, taking the shield he'd chosen not to use between his fingers. "You said this deck was incomplete. In that case, as thanks for bringing me this far, I'll help you complete it."

The card in his hand started to glow, but his opponent paid no attention to it- it was still his turn, and as they both thought, he declared final phase.

As the sparkling blade of his Brilliant Punisher began falling towards him, Tasuku looked down at the helmet at his feet, remembering all the hurt, all the responsibility and distrust that had weighed down the already heavy armor. He closed his eyes and thought of all the knights that had sacrificed themselves for him, fought at his side until the end even after he'd cast them all away along with the weakness that had drove him to Disaster.

"My despair, your hope- now, I'll crush all of it! Counter final!!"

The giant blade stopped, and for a moment everything was still, the air sparkling with golden light.

Then the light died, buried by the dark which bore a new blade- dark metal embossed with gold, just like the armor he wore. Time started again, and Brilliant Punisher shattered under the heavy blade, falling towards his opponent.

"Genocide Punisher!!!"

.

.

As he handcuffed the criminal fighter, Tasuku almost didn’t catch Retsu turning back down the alley, only realizing he was leaving as the barbed wire that had served as a improvised barrier disappeared.

"Gremlin- wait." Gremlin turned, reluctantly halting his retreat as Tasuku approached him. "Thank you, for helping me save Jack." He offered the borrowed deck case back to him, but Gremlin pushed it away.

"There's no need for that- as I said, this was for my own benefit." He looked at the purgatory knights deck still in Tasuku's hands, shaking his head. "The Purgatory Knights have accepted you as one of their own- that deck belongs to you now."

"What? I couldn't possibly..." he trailed off. Of course he didn't want to part with them after finally reuniting again, after finally becoming a real Purgatory Knight. Nonetheless, as he stared at the cards in his hands, something bothered him. "Gremlin, why did you have this with you? And what were you doing here?"

Gremlin grimaced, looking away.

"The Purgatory Knights deck is highly offensive, which makes it a good alternative against decks that Death Tallica would match poorly with. As for what I'm doing here..."

"... It was for the interview, wasn't it? You came to see me."

"That's-" Tasuku didn't let him finish his excuse, his conviction becoming stronger the more he spoke.

"You don't care about buddyfighting enough to always be prepared for a fight, let alone for different opponents. You planned to give this to me all along, didn't you?"

"That's- I didn't arrange for your deck to get stolen, if that's what you're thinking." Gremlin frowned, but it was with embarrassment, his gaze staying on the ground. "... I was going to give it to you normally, afterwards."

Slowly, Tasuku smiled, looking down at the deck in his hands. He slid the top card out from the case and ran his fingers affectionately across it, murmuring a quiet apology to Demios as returned it to its case and held it out to Gremlin again.

"... You don't want it, then?" Gremlin looked down at the deck held between them, his eyes failing to hide his disappointment. Tasuku shook his head, drawing Gremlin's eyes back to him.

"I added some new cards during that fight, so the balance is bound to be off, right? I don't have any cards to tune it with, so…” he watched Gremlin’s expression as he spoke, something slowly replacing the suspicion on his features. “Can I count on you?" Gremlin's eyes widened, and silently he took back the deck, giving a short nod. "Right. I have to finish dealing with things here, but I'll see you again when you're finished with that." He smiled, and Gremlin's eyes widened further as Tasuku's full motives became clear to him. Buddypolice were starting to arrive on the scene, and Tasuku turned away to debrief them when Gremlin stopped him, his voice coming out uncharacteristically nervous.

“Wait.” He pulled Demios out of the deck, holding him out to him. “I can use proxies while I’m building. Keep him with you.” Tasuku gratefully took the card from him, and Gremlin’s eyes fell away again, unable to make eye contact. “As insurance. It’ll annoy me, too, if the deck remains incomplete.”

“Thank you, Gremlin.” He paused, looking the deckbuilder over. “You’ve changed, haven’t you?”

“We all have.” He turned away, drawing the conversation to a close. “Disaster was a long time ago.” After a moment, Tasuku turned away as well, only to be stopped by Gremlin’s voice again.  

"It's Retsu, by the way. I don't go by Gremlin anymore."

Tasuku looked back one last time, but Retsu was already gone, disappearing into the shadows of the alleyway as mysteriously as he’d appeared.

.

.

Tasuku was surprised to see Retsu the next day, standing in the shadow of one of the trees outside Aibo’s entrance, obviously waiting.

“I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

“It doesn’t take long to replace a few cards.” He offered the now familiar case to Tasuku, who took it gratefully, immediately taking Demios from his pocket to slip him back inside.

As he glanced curiously through its contents, Retsu glanced around, looking anxious.

“Did you want to see Baku? I can take you to him, if you’d like.”

“No, that’s not-” he lowered his voice, forcing his composure, “that won’t be necessary.”

“Why not? He’s important to you, isn’t he?” Tasuku had been too troubled with his own problems to pay much attention to the other matches during the Gaen Cup, but he recalled Baku’s name coming up several times during Retsu’s fight with Gao, and the strength of Retsu’s reactions now seemed to confirm that’s what was on his mind.

“That’s- I’m not-” he frowned, and once again he failed to make eye contact. “I’m not ready yet.”

Tasuku let out a thoughtful hum, looking down at the cards in his hands. Nodding, he slipped them back into their case, not looking up from them as he spoke. “Well, since the deck’s just been modified, I guess I should try it out in a tuning match. Maybe I’ll try it out against Gao and Baku’s newest deck.” He glanced up at Retsu’s expression, unable to hold back a sly smile. “Would you like to watch? I’m sure you’re far more interested in how your building compares with them than with me.”

“You...” he was frowning, but he couldn’t hide the excitement in his eyes. “I might.”

“You should, you’ve come all this way, after all!” Tasuku’s smile grew, and he clapped his hands together as if another idea just occurred to him. “Oh! If you don’t want anyone to see you, you could watch from the buddypit! I never have anyone on my side, so it’ll be unoccupied.”

Retsu’s eyes narrowed on him suspiciously, but with none of the disdain it’d held in Disaster.

“... Why are you doing this for me?”

“For you? This is all for my benefit, isn’t it?” He grinned, and Retsu immediately looked away again.

“You already have the deck. You don’t need me.”

Something sad, almost vulnerable, leaked into his expression, and Tasuku felt his own soften.

“That may be true, but this deck is as much a result of your efforts as much as it is mine. We completed it together, so I feel like we should fight together, too.” For once, it was Retsu watching him as Tasuku averted his gaze. “... To be honest, I often find myself envying how Gao always has someone cheering for him during his fights.” He lifted his face, and Retsu seemed to stiffen as their eyes met. “I know it’s selfish of me, but just this once, will you indulge this one selfish request? ”

Retsu was frozen for a moment, but when he finally broke their gaze, it was to nod.

“Fine. I suppose I should, just in case the match reveals any more adjustments that need to be made.” He turned away, looking in the direction of Aibo’s fighting stage. “Bring them to the fighting stage. I’ll be waiting.”

Tasuku grinned, and after a moment he turned and ran back into the school, two small dragons trailing behind him.

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Uncovered this bdf fic I wrote maybe a year ago? Just cute antics between the aibou kids and Darkness Masterminds, with an emphasis on Baku and Gremlin’s friendship (and a scripted fight between them because Baku’s deck from the video game is still really cool).

Please enjoy Aibou kids on a fieldtrip!

Gao's face was plastered to the window of the school bus as it began to turn into their destination, his eyes shining as bright as the sun he took his name from.

"You've been so busy catching up on schoolwork since the buddypolice and all the tournaments, I'm glad you were able to come on the school trip!" Kuguru's voice was bright with excitement, just audible above Tetsuya's equally excited cheers from the back of the bus.

"I'm just suprised he wasn't late like he was to our last field trip." Baku spoke through a mouthful of food, shoving the last of his bus ride snack into his mouth as the bus began to slow. "Though given that, it's a bit of an ironic trip." Baku leaned in to glance through the window Gao was hogging, just barely catching a glimpse of the sign in front of the buddypolice headquarters.

Once a year, buddypolice HQ gave tours to local schools. Normally only Aibou's 9th graders went on the tour, but with three former buddypolice youth in Aibou's elementary division, Aibou's faculty thought they likely were invested enough to benefit from the tour and let them come as well. Aware it was a rare treat, the children in the bus could barely stay in their seats, with the final lecture about "their best behavior" and "representing the school" by Nitsuke-sensei feeling like it took a century.

As the bus doors finally opened and Gao jumped from his seat, Nitsuke caught him by the arm, giving him a grim smile. "And Gao, I look forward to talking to Commander I personally about your schoolwork!"

Gao already felt exhausted as he exited the bus, Baku and Kuguru following behind to pat him consolingly.

"Cheer up, Gao. Since you're not a buddypolice youth anymore, it's not like Commander I can really do anything, right?"

"Yeah, worst he can do is embarrass you during the tour, or send Tasuku to scold you."

Kuguru jolted as Gao deflated further, grabbing Baku by the ear.

"Stop, you're just making it worse-"

They stopped as a familiar voice emerged from a second Aibou bus, Genma's excited shouts seeming to shake the ground as the student council president's indignant shrieks could just barely be heard over them, begging for silence. 

"Both of those loud guys in the same class, being a 9th grader must be diffficult." Noboru had appeared behind them, watching as Aibou's 9th graders filed out of the bus, followed by Neginoyama. "I feel kinda bad for Neginoyama."

"Yeah, he does the 9th grade tour every year, but somehow I think this is going to be his most difficult one yet."

Noboru and Baku nodded as Nitsuke called the class into line, and the class quickly hurried into single file, eager to leave the parking lot and start their tour.

Gao was glad that Stella gave their tour instead of Commander I, relief soon giving way to a mixture of nostolgia and interest as she shared a few stories about the history of the buddyfight office even he hadn't known about. Stella seemed happy while giving the tour, pleasantly surpised by the number of questions the class had; though to be expected, most of them were about Captain Answer. The 9th grade class seemed to be the same: though their tour was seperate from theirs, they could sometimes hear Genma's voice booming through the halls, occassionally echoing the same question one of them had just asked and eliciting giggles from some of the students.

"And here is where our officers practice buddyfighting!" Stella gestured towards a room of fight tables, each equipped with a number of complicated-looking gadgets. "Our officers need to always be in top shape to make sure no criminal gets away, so they train here against other officers to tune their decks, or run simulations against criminal deck data." The whole classes' eyes sparkled as they looked at the tables, and Stella gave them a knowing smile. "Now, I know what you're all thinking- and the answer is yes! After lunch and a short film, you'll all have a chance to try fighting at our advanced fight tables and see what it's like to train like a real buddypolice officer!" Immediately a sea of hands rose up, and Stella gestured them down with an apologetic smile. "All your questions will be answered before you go in, so wait on those for now, the tour is almost over now!"

For lunch, everyone was let loose in the general Cho-Tokyo area. The buddyfight office was in the heart of the city, meaning there were plenty of places to eat out, and exiting the building, one could already see groups of kids grouping together to eat, and the park across the street was full of groups who had brought boxed lunches.

Baku had, of course, already eaten his boxed lunch, which meant their group were going out for lunch. Between Gao, Baku, Kuguru, Tetsuya, and Zanya, they had a pretty big group, but it was still obvious that this trip wasn't meant for their grade, with middle schoolers crowding all the restuarants. The lines were bad enough that they had to try multiple places if they wanted to have time to eat before they had to get back thanks to the fact that multiple schools came in for the tour on the same day, and they were poking into their third place when Baku froze.

"What? Does this have something you really want, or-?"

"No. Look over there, in that booth by the window."

Once he pointed it out, Gao didn't even have to squint to find what he was looking for: Davide and Gremlin, from the Disaster's Team Darkness Masterminds, sitting together eating fries.

"Get me whatever. I'm talking to them."

"Wait- Baku!"

Gao followed Baku through the crowded restuarant, squeezing between over-full booths from too large friend groups as he struggled to keep up. Both Disaster member's eyes were on Baku already when he stumbled over, just catching Baku's greeting.

"Hey, cus."

"... Baku."

The tension between them didn't mesh with the lively atmosphere around them, and Gao couldn't help but be distracted as he spotted Davide moving to swipe more of Gremlin's fries. Gremlin seemed to notice Gao, following his eyes before quickly turning and swatting Davide's hand away, giving a sigh.

"Looks like you came in a pretty large group. Would you mind if I joined you, so I could sit somewhere with no room for jackals?"

"What? You wanna sit at the kiddy table?" Davide tried to make another grab for the fries as he mocked him, but Retsu shielded the basket with his hand as he shifted it away from him. "Even if there's not room for me, I can still hover over your table and steal scraps."

"Why don't you just get your own food!?" Gao couldn't help but raise his voice, remembering all the dirty tricks Davide had used on him and his friends, but Davide only smirked at his outburst.

"Why bother, when there's about to be a whole table of elementary brats I could take it from?" He licked his lips, and the redhead beside him gave another sigh.

"Baku, I'm not really with him, he just hangs off me because no one else will tolerate him."

"Hah! That'd imply that you tolerate me."

"My mistake."

The others came over with their food, Kuguru's face giving away her surprise at the unexpectedly light atmosphere of the conversation. Gao only turned to her and shrugged, while Baku looked deep in thought.

"Look, are we going to sit down, or what? I'm carrying both of your guys' food, and it's heavy!" Noboru's voice cut through the renewed tension, and, making the decsion for them, he set his tray down in a booth across from them. After a moment, the others filed in, Gremlin standing up to follow them when a shout stopped him, his head turning to spot Shido standing up the aisle, holding his own tray.

"W-Wh-What are you doing here!?"

Davide poked his head out of the booth, grinning.

"Nevermind kiddos, I found my sucker."

"Oh. ...Nice to see you again, Shido."

In the end, Gao's group took all of one booth, while the Darkness Masterminds sat in the booth across, with Gremlin now moved opposite of Davide and Shido so he could talk to Baku across the aisle. 

"Good thing Tasuku decided to skip the trip, or this'd be kinda awkward, huh?" Kuguru's voice was low, their table thick with suspicion.

"There was no point in him taking the tour- he works there. Anyway, it's already awkward, isn't it?" Noboru was one of the few speaking at full volume, stubbornly focused on ignoring the booth beside them as he scarfed down his food.

"Why are you guys even here? I thought only 9th graders did the tour!" Shido’s question came out like a complaint as he once again shoved Davide’s hands away from his meal.

"Maybe in your school. Ours does it at 8th- older kids don't get a trip so they have more time to study for entrence exams." Davide sounded anything but pleased with the arrangement, making a face as he stole another handful of Shido's food.

"You go to... Fumiya Daini?" Baku was actually eating slowly enough to ask the question properly, another unnerving thing about the table situation.

"Correct." Gremlin had finished (or had finished for him) his food, and was turned into the aisle to face Baku.

"That's the same school Kiri used to go to..." Gao's hostility had waned since first spotting them, though he kept a leery eye on Davide, who was starting to make him feel bad for Shido beside him. Davide glanced up at Kiri's name, sneering in the Aibo table's direction.

"Yeah, too bad Mr. High and Mighty ain't here with ya, I'd love to have a few words with him again."

Gao was about to shout something back, but Baku spoke up first, ignoring Davide to continue talking to Gremlin.

"Actually, um, I was wondering if you'd fight me. You know, when all the schools get together in that room with the fight tables."

"Hm. I hadn't been planing on fighting, but I am interested in seeing your most recent creations."

"Well, that's the thing- there's only so many tables, so the former buddypolice youth have bowed out of using them. That's why I thought," Baku frowned, clenching his fist in his lap, "I thought it'd be like old times. Do you remember, when we'd have tuning fights sometimes?"

Both tables went silent as Gremlin nodded.

"Of course I do." He paused a moment, and Baku's anticipation was palpable. "Fine. I'll accept your challenge."

Baku's face absolutely lit up, and Gao couldn't help but feel happy for him, despite the suspicions he had about everyone at the table across from them. He just barely caught Gremlin turning to hide a smile,  picking up his tray as he stood up.

"Don't expect a simple tuning match, though. I only have one deck on me, and it's an updated version of the one that I used at the Gaen Cup." He turned to glare down at their table, his face returned to cold indifference. "Be ready."

With that he turned away, Shido stumbling after him with a shout of "Wait for me! I don't want to be left alone with Davide!"

Gao watched them go somewhat uncertainly, turning back to the rest of the table.

"I kind of feel bad for President Shido."

"Don't. He deserves it." Noboru stood up, holding his now empty tray.

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Davide had moved over to their table while they weren't looking, reaching over to grab some of Baku's food. Baku easily shoved his hand away, quickly stuffing his remaining food in his mouth as Davide watched him, looking at him with disguist before walking away defeated.

"Well, I guess no one gets in the way of Baku and his food!"

"I don't think he's even that good of a thief."

When they came back, students were already starting to file into the auditorum for the short film, though Gao recognised it as the stage where the buddypolice often did press releases after major incidents. He couldn't help but notice that Darkness Masterminds was together again, with Retsu and Shido sitting next to each other and Davide behind them, his feet propped up against the top of Shido's chair. Like everyone else, they were talking about fighting at the special tables after the film, the whole room buzzing with impatience.

"I wonder if we'll get a chance to fight Captain Answer!?"

"What makes you think you could?"

"He's here! He showed up during our tour! And it was the real Captain Answer this time, not some faker in a suit!"

"Ya mean from when you fell off the building? Hah! I wish I'd gotten to see that instead of Sofia."

"Shut up, Davide, it's wasn't funny! I was very badly scarred!"

"Was the guy leading your tour one of the guys that caught you and your pops?"

"... I don't want to talk about this anymore, when's the movie?" 

The movie was about what everyone expected: it was a PR video (narrated by Stella) talking about what the buddypolice did and why it was important and how the officers kept everyone safe. It used a lot of clips of Tasuku, which elicited a number of reactions from the Aibo students (mostly the girls), and part-way through Gao started wondering if Tasuku had seen the video, and if it was another reason he had skipped out on the field trip.

After the video, two school's worth of junior high students plus Gao's grade excitedly funneled towards the fight tables, before which was another role call  as each class's teacher took the oppritunity to give some last minute lectures. 

"Now class! We've been granted a special oppritunity today, and we don't want to make Aibo or the buddypolice regret it! Be extremely careful with the equipment inside, and show that you can be trusted to use it just like the middle schoolers here today!" The excitement of Gao's classmates was almost humming around him, and Gao once again wished that Zanya hadn't volunteered the former buddypolice youth to sit out on fighting. "With that said, this is also a rare oppritunity to try buddyfighting with older fighters, and kids from other schools, so don't let the age gap intimidate you and make the most of it!"

The doors were opened, and kids crowded into the large room, running to grab tables while others watched or waited to go next.

Gremlin found them almost immediately, this time alone.

"You won't have to worry about Davide- he's been given detention, so he's sitting out." Sure enough, Davide was sitting against a wall, a group of teachers standing watch next to him. "Our teacher's been looking for reasons to detain him the whole trip- he flipped her off during role call, and she finally found her reason."

The Aibo group just shrugged at each other, Kuguru offering "Perhaps it's better he doesn't learn about the mechanisms that will eventually arrest him." Gremlin gave Kuguru a look of awknowledgement, and Gao thought he might've almost smiled at her, opting to nod instead before turning to Baku. 

As they set down their cards, Shido once again wandered over, cautiously positioning himself near the center of the table. Gao must've looked skeptical when he looked over, because Shido provided the excuse "All the tables are full, so I decided to support my old teammate, that's all! That, and the cup was actually the only time I saw him play..."

Gremlin didn't react to Shido's arrival, and he and Baku both flipped over their flags. Gao found himself relating to Shido's interest, suddenly realizing he couldn't remember the last time Baku challenged someone as he spotted an unfamiliar card in the buddy zone.

"Whoa- Baku, are you playing Dragon Knights?!"

"Not just Dragon Knights- this deck is made of all Shinsengumi cards!" Gao looked over as Kuguru provided explanation, glancing between her and Baku. "I remember this deck, Baku! You were trying to think of ways to improve Gao's deck, but made a totally original Dragon World deck by mistake!"

"Yeah. You and Kiri encouraged me to try using it for myself, so I figured now was a good opportunity to actually play it."

"You know, looking at your buddy Dragon Knight, Soushi's ability, I think you're right! When you can automatically destroy a monster once per turn, Death Tallica becomes a lot less scary!"

"Are you sure you want to describe your entire strategy before the fight?" Gremlin crossed his arms across the table, waiting for them to finish introducing the deck.

"Whoa- sorry, cus! But you know, since we got to see your deck at the cup, it only seems fair to tell you a little about it, right?"

"Hmph. Well, your buddy's ability won't be of much use if you have to use it 9 times to mean anything." Baku went first, calling Dragon Knight, Kondou to his left and Dragon Knight, Nagakura to his center and attacking with Kondou, Gremlin blocking his attack with Black Dragon Shield. Gremlin retaliated by calling Black Dragon, Deathgaze Dragon to his left, Death Ruler, Gallows to his right, and Black Dragon, Needlefang to his center.  First Gallows attacked the closed center, bringing Gremlin to 12 life, then Needlefang took out Kondou while Deathgaze easily destroyed the powered up Nagakura in the center, dealing 2 damage with spectral strike. Baku smiled, doing his charge and draw before buddycalling  Dragon Knight, Soushi to his left and paying one life to equip Steel Fist, Dragoknuckle. 

"If you're going to use spectral strike and shadow dive, all I need to do is use items instead of monsters, right?"

He rested Soushi, destroying Gremlin's highly defensive center monster, before charging in with his Dragoknuckle.

"True, but that strategy means less attacks, which makes it easier to block." Gremlin cast Black Armor, reducing the damage to 0 and preventing Baku from gaining gauge. "With your 6 life to my 12, I wonder if your challenging me was misguided, Baku."

Gremlin was smirking with the end of Baku's turn, quickly performing his charge and draw. He called Hell Rapier to his center, sending him after Baku's open center and reducing him to 4 life. Baku held his ground, blocking Deathgaze's attack on Soushi with a Green Dragon Shield and Gallow's attempt on his center with a Blue Dragon Shield, Gremlin giving him an approving look for his tough defense.

"You put up quite the fight, but resistance is futile. Unless you can close the gap in life between us, you're only delaying the inevitable." "Well, we'll see what I can do for you, Coach! Since I'm at 5 life, I can cast Dragogenius!" Baku drew his two cards, thanking his lucky stars that both his shields last turn hadn't been Green Dragon Shields. He grinned at his draws, his eyes fixing on Gremlin, full of challenge. "All right, let's get that life of yours taken down a few pegs!" He rested Soushi to destroy Gremlin's center again, and then cast The Skies in your Hand, sending Soushi back to his hand and calling two Kondou's to his left and right, their combined effects putting them both at 4 critical. "Hey, Coach?" Baku was grinning even wider, and Gremlin returned the fire in his eyes, his own smile now grim. "You've already used two shields in just as many turns. What are the chances you have another saved?" "... Matters." Baku turned his weapon to attack, pointing to Gremlin's open center. "You regret telling me to close the gap?" "A bit, yes." 

Gremlin couldn't help but flinch as he took 10 damage from Baku's reckless blitz, the tables suddenly turned with the end of Baku's turn. Gremlin still had Deathgaze and Gallows on his left and right, but after Baku's sudden rush, he found himself retreating into the defensive strategies his deck was built for. He cast Devil Stigma on Gallows, putting it and the monster into the drop zone in exchange for gauge and life. Then he cast Accel End, his dropzone suddenly ballooning, priming the stage for his buddy call. "I pay 4 gauge to buddy call the Black Dragon of Demise, Death Tallica, and put 18 deep attribute cards in its soul!" Gremlin smirked, confidence returning. "It was a nice play, Baku, but your blitz strategy doesn't work if you can't open my center, and currently, nothing on you field can do it." Gao looked over Baku's field and realized Gremlin was right- while Death Tallica had an unimpressive 3000 defence, both Dragoknuckle and both Kondous had only 2000 attack. "Even if you exchange your monsters like before, you'll have to destroy my Death Tallica 7 times before you can scratch me again."

"Heh," the tables had turned once again, with Baku now the one looking grimly at the single card in his hand. "Well, last time it was a 7 life gap, now it's 7 Tallicas. I'll figure something out."

"Again with the useless struggling." Gremlin unleashed his buddy's double attack, knocking Baku down to 1 life. "Very well. Show me what you're capable of." Baku did his draw, frowned, and charged and drew, this time smiling at his result.

"Hey, Coach?"

"Oh no." Gremlin’s tone was teasing, still smiling as he warily watched Baku’s hand.

"I drew Dragogenius." Baku grinned, and Gremlin sighed, putting his face in his hand. "You ready, Coach? I'm betting it all on this draw!" Baku paid his last two gauge and drew, Gremlin's shoulders falling as Baku's face lit up. "Well, I lose."

"... What?" Gremlin looked up, but Baku's expression still didn't match his words.

"I lose. I can't get to my next turn with this hand, and I can't break through your center either." Gremlin waited, and Baku's grin grew back. "But, I'm still going to show you what I'm capable of!" Baku called Dragon Knight, Iwamoto to his center, retiring one of the Kondous to adjust for the size limit, and then called the Soushi he'd returned to his hand a few turns before, replacing the other Kondou. He rested them both, each removing 3 of Death Tallica's soul cards. "All right, now I cast Force Reurn!" Baku gained 1 life and returned both monsters to his hand, immediately recalling them on the sides and resting them both again to remove another 6 of Death Tallica's soul cards. "Alright, now imagine I had one more gauge so I could activate Dragoknuckle's 'Volcanic Burst'!" He grinned, and Gremlin shook his head, smiling fondly. "Then you'd've reduced Death Tallica to 3 cards in its soul. Certainly impressive, but still two destructions and 4 life short of defeating me." "Alright, but then imagine I placed Iwamoto in the center and had one more life. I'd've survived your turn!" "But you didn't." Gremlin started putting his cards away, Gao and the others gwawking as they didn't even bother to play the final turn. "And anyway, that's assuming I don't draw a size 0." "Okay, but what I'm saying is, it was close!" "Maybe with a little imagination it was." Gremlin walked around the table and pressed a fist into Baku's hair, Baku laughing at the playful gesture. "It was an interesting match, Baku."

While Gao and Kuguru laughed along with them, enjoying the moment between them, Shido and Noboru simultaneously lunged for either side of the unoccupied fight table, both grimacing as they saw each other at the other end.  The previous match had already drawn a slight crowd, and it only increased with this next as the table became roudy- Tetsuya and Gao's energy feeding off each other as they cheered and hollered for Noboru, drowning out Gremlin's somewhat impatient backseat buddyfighting from over Shido's shoulder, the game occasionally pausing for the two to get into arguments as Noboru took the chance to scold his cheering squad for distracting him.

Despite the unlikely combination of groups, the rest of the field trip went by peacefully, with new friends being made both within and across schools. Everyone was all smiles when they reluctantly climbed back into their buses (except maybe Shido, who was pluging his ears next to Genma, and Davide, who was put out from his earlier time out). Baku and Gremlin looked especially satisfied, waving to each other across the parking lot with a mutual warmth Gao would've never thought Disaster's deckbuilder capable of from his attitude at the cup.

"Baku, that deck you used before was seriously cool! Would you mind fighting me after we get back?"

Baku laughed as Gao turned around in his seat to talk to him, still tense with the excitement of all the fights.

"Not quite yet, bro- I think this deck's gonna need a little adjusting after that last battle." Baku grinned, and Gao returned his expression, extending a fist for Baku to pound against his own. 

"Alright, but when you're ready, we totally should! That was a totally awesome fight!" Baku thanked him, and Gao sat back down in his seat, looking through the window as the Buddypolice headquarters faded into the distance. He let out a laugh, pumping his fist. "Right! Buddyfight is a seriously fun game!"

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

You know what’s good? OS fic. Gaito and his sycthe by request.

Gaito waited until Abygale was asleep before picking up one of the cards he had laid out in front of him, quietly shuffling the rest back into his deck. Giving one last glance to his sleeping buddy, Gaito materialized Death Dragon Sickle, Gale Scythe in his hands, arms bowing slightly with its familiar weight.

It wasn’t that he was ashamed of what he was doing- he simply didn’t want Abygale to see him as some child fascinated by weapondry, or worse, to worry he materialized the weapon to fulfill some violent means. No, he had not taken out the scythe for the sake of battle, card based or otherwise. The nights when he silently held the weapon were special- times when he could focus only on its weight and its appearence, where he didn’t have to pretend that it only mattered to him as a weapon or an object.

Its jagged blade shined dully in the light of the fire he and Abygale rested around, the layered scales and protuding spikes of its handle familiar as he ran his fingers across them. To him, its non-standard shape was so entrancing, so interesting- and as it shone in the warm golden light he felt his breath catch, his chest tightening with feeling that he recognized but was only beginning to understand.

This scythe, which served him in his battles, which came to him when he needed it and allowed him to protect those he needed to protect- it which drew so much feeling from him while responding to his own, which vibrated and hummmed with its own strength and determination, filling him with the bravery to face any challenge...

He didn’t have the words yet. At least, he couldn’t wrap his mind around them, couldn’t quite fit them in his heart without the confusion and fear becoming uncomfortable. But the sycthe was special to him. It was important, it was... Precious.

He dragged his fingers over its curved blade, eyes following the thin designs traced in the metal, glowing in the firelight. He moved his fingers then over his own cheek, a tremor moving through him with an unintentional sigh. He trailed his fingers again over the handle, reluctantly, longingly, before allowing it to return it its card form. He thought for a long moment before deciding not to return it to his deck quite yet, pressing the card over his heart as he settled down to sleep.

He tried not to pay attention to the way his heart fluttered against the paper pressed against his chest. 

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

First HayesReese fic based on ideas for HayesReese fics that have yet to be written. Excuse plot is excuses.

Hayes had been nervously planning for the past week, sharing his ideas only in silent whispers with Mason when they were alone in the kitchen. Valentines Day, Hayes came in early with her to decorate, feeling nervousness squirm in his gut and embarrassment heat his cheeks as he handed half his pile of poems to Mason.

He'd written some 50 short poems, each scribbled on a heart shaped post-it note, to scatter around the cafe. He worried it looked a bit like showing off, but really, he just wanted to do something festive, and maybe do something to cheer up coworkers unable to go out on the romantic holiday.

Landry was the first to arrive after them, just a few notes early of finishing decorating, and his face lit up at the scattered hearts, endeared smile growing as he moved around to read them. It was easy for him to narrow down who was responsible, Hayes reddening as he explained that he didn't do it for anyone in particular. Reese arrived soon after, quiet but not upset at the surprise decoration, and after came Finley, absolutely ecstatic at the surprise, and equally enthusiastic about finding both the culprit and the target (Hayes eventually explained, though doing so was frightening, given her eagerness to draw out a hidden motive).

After the initial reaction from everyone, the notes became only a minor detail to the day. Traffic wasn't especially large even on the holiday, though Hayes did overhear one couple that came in reading the notes to each other, the sound of his poetry read aloud filling him with embarrassment. Whenever he came out from the kitchen, he snuck peeks at his own work, pondering with each one how mortified he should be to have displayed it publicly.

Reese volunteered for closing, but Hayes couldn't bring himself to leave, gut twisting with guilt at the thought of making someone else clean up the extra mess he'd made. When he finished cleaning the day's dishes and exited the kitchen, he found Reese sitting at a table, a pile of heart-shaped notes beside him.

"W-what are you doing w-with those?"

Reese looked up at him so quickly that Hayes flinched, instantly guilty for startling him. Reese looked just as guilty, gaze lowering to the floor.

"I didn't know if you didn't want them thrown away, so I was just collecting them, that's all."

"Oh... I mean, I don't really mind, I just felt bad for making you clean them up for me..."

He tried to read Reese's expression, but Reese lowered his face further, turning the brim of his cap so it covered his eyes. 

"If you don't care what happens to 'em, don't worry. I'll take care of them." This time he turned away completely, hand moving to spread the pile of sticky-notes across the table. "Though, since you're here... There really are a lot of these." His voice fell into almost a whisper for a moment, passing as he seemed to catch himself, though his voice teetered with an uncharacteristic awkwardness. "I guess, uh, I was wondering... what inspired you?"

"What inspi- oh." Hayes started fiddling with the end of his sleeve, gingerly stepping closer to look at the notes on the table. "I-I mean, I really didn't write them for anyone in particular. I just imagine, sometimes, what it might be like to be in love, and what kind of things I might like about them. But it's all make believe." His fingers moved across the pieces of paper, stopping on one. "I guess... as part of that, I did imagine what it'd be like to fall for the people here, so I wrote one based on each person." He felt Reese's eyes turn towards him, feeling himself freeze. "I mean!! Like I said, just as inspiration!! It's all imagination, and I took some creative liberties, so--!"

"... Which ones?"

Hayes felt his frown deepen, starting to worry about the sweat on his palms damping the paper even as his fingers started searching the pile for the poems, the urge to tell someone, to share this one creative secret, tempting him through his nervousness.

“For Landry:      A warm smile, An outstretched hand, I want to make your home, my home."

He felt his face heat up as Reese let out a surprised "whooaa!" "L-like I said, they're just- they're more like fantasies inspired off them, they're not confessions or anything!"

"Alright, alright, I get it. Another?"

Hayes hesitated, trying to weigh Reese's sincerity against his own mounting embarrassment. Nervously, he reached for another, each short poem evoking such strong imagery that he felt himself wanting to share the connection despite.

"For Finley, Your voice rings loud and bright Like church bells Making this room holy"

Reese restrained a short laugh, but he nodded also, Hayes uncertain, but too far to stop now.

"Mason, Braced against your strength I can weather any storm 

... I'm not sure if these even count as poems anymore. They're more like... Just phrases."

"I think they're plenty poetic." Reese fidgeted in his chair now, looking over the other scattered notes. "So uh, what did you write about me? Or uh, inspired by me?"

"W-wha-? T-that's a little embarrassing..."

"Aw come on, Landy's sounded like a marriage proposal, I've gotta know what you wrote about me."

"I guess, as long as you keep it in perspective..." his fingers searched the pile, freezing as his eyes spotted it first, words suddenly remembered. "Oh, um-!" Before he could ask Reese to change his mind, Reese snatched the note under his trembling fingers, holding it up to examine it.

"Is it this one?

 "Um, uh-" his eyes scanned the surrounding notes for a poem to replace it, but he was too panicked to tell if any would sound better than the truth.

"... Yes, it is."

"Alright then!" Reese cleared his throat with a flourish, holding the note aloft. "I've caught fire in your eyes  I've never been so glad to burn" His voice died off on the last two words, his mouth twisting. "That's um, kinda dark compared to most of these. Is this one really about me?"

"I-it's, uh, well it's not supposed to be dark, it's.... It's about being admired from afar."

Reese's face immediately tensed, cheeks practically glowing with blush.

"I-I-! I'm j-just supposed to watch everyone at work cus I'm assistant manager!"

"I-I k-know that, i-it's j-just inspired on it!" For all his defensiveness, Reese was more-so, Hayes regretting ever revealing any of the poems. There was an awkward silence, and then Reese swept his arm across the table, gathering all the notes and stuffing them into his jacket pocket. 

W-whatever! I've gotta finish closing!"

Hayes made himself scarce, pretending to leave out the back only to transform and sneak back in among the cats, anxiously watching Reese wash down the tables in search of a reaction. While he couldn't read him for sure, he knew at least that Reese never threw out the notes in his pocket. 

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

History will never see you die

Something I started half a year ago that takes place in the samurai period timeline seen in Kiri’s flashback in season two, based on thoughts about what happens if Miserea’s human body is killed in front of people. Vaugely DaviKiri because... History repeats itself.

Kiri lets out a gasp, body bucking as a blade pierces through his chest, the force of the harpoon throwing his limp body off his horse.

"Haha! Looks like we hit the mark this time- with no pesky Mikado to get in the way!"

Davide laughs as he emerges from his hiding spot to admire his kill, bending close as he yanks the weapon out of his body for reuse. "Ohh, don't worry, kid- we'll make sure to tell the history books you died the same way as your master. By me!"

He gives the corpse a satisfied smile, confident the deed was done as he admired the gaping hole in the child soldier's chest- right through the heart. His grin fell as the body let out a cough, quickly glancing up into the still clouded over eyes, gazing past him into the sky.

"It's such a beautiful day... It's a shame."

He hardly finishes speaking before Davide hears a scream behind him, barely recogizing the voice of one of his comrades through the shock. He's too paralyzed with confusion to move, but movement starts playing at the corner of his eyes- his ambush party running for safety, all quickly struck down by flashes of blue. "I think I'll take my time with you, Yamazaki."

Davide's eyes focus back onto what once was a corpse- still cold in his arms, but now very much alive. Kiri's eyes had locked onto him, sending a chill down his spine and distracting Davide from the rapidly closing wound in his chest. Kiri rose from Davide's arms, slow and gentle, the grim calm of his voice barely audible over the screams of the fallen around them. "Alright. I'll give you until the first drop of rain to live."

Davide leapt away to make distance between them, bloodied harpoon held tight in his grip as he tensed for battle. The little samurai had changed completely, bloodlust coming off him in waves, icy glare following Davide as he circled him, looking for an escape route. Instead, he only saw the bodies of his comrades, a scythe-armed buddymonster making quick work of the stragglers. His desperate scanning of his surroundings was nearly enough to kill him- instinct alone sending Davide diving out of the way as Kiri charged him, katana drawn. Still, the force of the charge made it difficult for him to change direction, and Davide quickly recovered his distance, more on guard now as the young soldier turned towards him. He had just begun to regain his calm- urgency pushing the shock of Kiri's revival to the back of his mind in favor of battle plans and escape tactics, and as Kiri charged again, he decided he had a chance against the mortally wounded warrior, his movements easy to read in the midst of his vengence fueled rage. He dodged again, moving to reload his harpoon gun at the same time, but when he reached for it, he realized it was gone. Eyes darting back to his opponent, he didn't see the blind rage he expected, Kiri's smile eerily calm as he held Davide's weapon. 

"No tricks, Yamazaki. This will be your last duel, after all- might as well make it an honorable one."

He threw the harpoon launcher behind him, and the blades of his buddymonster cut it to pieces before it even hit the ground, reminding Davide that he was outnumbered. Kiri charged him again, but this time he followed Davide through his dodge, grabbing him by the arm and spinning him around, digging the handle of his sword into Davide's back to send him scrambling forward. Panicking, Davide moved into a dash, arms low as he dived for the weapon of one of the fallen, but Kiri's foot was there first, kicking it just out of his reach. This wasn't right. He was too fast, too alert. Davide realized with a sense of dread that he was being toyed with, that he'd been meant to dodge the moves he'd made easy to read, that he was just killing time until- Until-

Davide lept away from Kiri, dashing out of his katana's reach as his gaze shot to the sky.

"W-what the hell? Wasn't it perfectly clear a minute ago?"

It didn't matter that he'd frozen in his tracks- Kiri was impossible to evade now, his movements as swift and smooth as water as he rounded on him, easily catching Davide's wrist as he turned to retailate and forcing him to the ground.

He can feel the blood of his companions soak into his clothes as his back hits the sodder, his sight filling with the heavy grey of rainclouds above him. Davide looks for triumph in his eyes- the satisfaction of revenge, the rage of having lost his master- but Davide sees none of it. If anything, Kiri's eyes are warm, and the sympathy on his face combined with the point of sharp nails against his throat sends a shiver through him.

"Did you live a happy life, Davide?"

He's done questioning, now. Soft droplets of rain are starting to fall, tiny pinpricks on his skin warning him of unhuman claws at his throat, of the boy who was supposed to be dead looking at Davide like he was already a corpse.

"What, do you want me to beg forgiveness? Do you want me to tell you that killing your master tortures me? It doesn't! I don't regret anything! This war is the best thing that ever happened to me! Guys like me get treated like heroes taking lives, and we're given free range to kill anyone as long as they pay alliegence to a different flag! The whole thing's been one big field day for me! Once it's over, my life will go back to what it was, and I'll just be another bloodthirsty lowlife. So go ahead. End it."

"As you wish." He brings his arm up, jet black claws prepared to thrust through him, but instead of bringing them down, he stops. "Davide... I hope both our next lives are happy ones." He slowly bends down and kisses him. Davide's eyes widen. Then, they dull, and Misera retracts his hand, now stained with blood.

.

.

"Joker, from an outside perspective- how important was this battle?"

Miserea stands in a field of corpses, the scene far too similar to many of his previous human memories, passing through his vision with calm indifference.

"It was a minor one, my lord. It will likely be overshadowed, or seen as an outcome, of the one before, where your side lost its leader... Or at least it would have, if not for the mysterious slaughter, and the darastic change in weather."

The rain was falling hard now, washing blood from the soil beneath them. Miserea closes his eyes a moment and imagines it mourning their deaths. Yes, this kind of slaughter simply couldn't happen on a sunny day. They deserve this much.

"It really is a shame, all these lives cut tragically short."

"Unfortunately, it was yours or theirs- and as an omni lord, your death is neither likely, nor desireable. Your ability to stay hidden would have been compromised if one of these men had seen you survive, so they all had to be eliminated."

"I know. Thank you for being so swift about it, Joker." He let out another sigh, discarding his broken armor. "Let's go. I want to forget all of this as soon as possible."

"I hope your next life is a peaceful one, my lord."

"As do I."

Joker's buddy skill activated, lifting him into the air and starting to guide him to his new resting place.

"Do you want me to wake you when peace comes?"

"... To ask that would be to assume that peace will not come within these men's lifetimes. No, Joker. The usual will be fine."

"As you wish."

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Gangrel sat slumped on the camp perimeter, idly hoping an assassin would off him on their way to infiltrate it as he plucked at the thin grass around him, grinding the dry plant growth between his long fingernails. He didn't bother to look up as a shadow fell over him, intent on avoiding eye contact with any patrols; but this one was different. They didn't move, simply standing there and looking at him, the feeling of judgmental eyes on him making the former king's skin crawl.

"Nothing to see here, get a move on."

"Certainly looks like nothing." Oh gods, it was Chrom. Gangrel felt the acid of regret churn in his stomach for his disrespectful tone, and then another douse for regretting. "Is this all you're capable of? Moping by yourself?"

Chrom let out a sigh, and Gangrel raised his head to look at him- ah, the king of Ylisse, standing over him scornfully with his hands on his hips. How utterly picturesque. How fitting.

"What, do you want me to go frolic with the rest of your army? As if. None of them trust me, least of all you."

"If that was true, I wouldn't be arming you and leaving you unattended with my best men, would I?"

"I'd say 'leaving me unattended' and 'with your best men' is an oxymoron..." He lowered his head again, returning to picking at the ground. "Fine. What would you propose I do, Your Highness? Your every wish is my command."

"Gods, would you stop with that?" Chrom failed to suppress the agitation in his voice, weight shifting uncomfortably as he forced himself to continue the conversation. "Looking at you now makes me embarrassed to have ever held any strong emotion towards you."

"Aw, how sweet." Gangrel's digging uncovered a worm, whose head he proceeded to chop off with his fingernail.

"Look, just make yourself useful. Volunteer for a patrol or something, just get involved." Gangrel turned his head to watch Chrom's feet- vigilantly fighting off the urge to leave him. He wished they would. "It brings me no joy to watch you wallow in your misery- all it's doing is depressing the whole camp."

"Should I volunteer to join your patrol, then? Take a leisurely stroll together, catch up?" He looked up just in time to catch the look of disgust on Chrom's face, his heart singing out a resounding 'told you so!' to drown out the wailing of his soul at the rightful rejection.

“I'd prefer you not."

"Well, you see my conundrum, then." He turned his gaze downwards again, unable to meet his eyes for longer than a few moments. Through his peripheral, he finally saw Chrom turn away from him, eyes following the Exalt's shadow as it slipped over him.

"You were once a capable man, I'm sure you'll figure out something."

Chrom's soft footsteps faded out of hearing long before the royal himself disappeared from view, Gangrel solemnly watching the worm he beheaded writhe beneath him.

-----------------------------------------------

Gangrel could hardly believe himself as he re-entered camp, frustration and embarrassment heating his cheeks in equal measure as he used his practiced stealth to dodge the prying eyes of the other (his fellow) Shepherds, skirting across the shaded alleys between tents as he hurried to his destination.

'Be useful, you're depressing the camp,' he said, so Gangrel, resourceful man that he was, thought to himself, 'what's something happy and cheerful? what sort of thing do those optimistic types enjoy?' and, looking at the wasteland of decimated plant life around him, his mind supplied: flowers.

So now here he was, darting through camp like a horde of risen was chasing after him, a small bouquet of wildflowers gripped in his murderous palms. Chrom likely came back from his patrol long before Gangrel found enough of the dreaded plants for his little ‘gift’, but he knew the man was almost always busy with one thing or another, and when he wasn't, the camp was near to bursting with his adoring subjects begging to hold conversation with him- in short, it was relatively likely that Chrom's tent was empty.

Nearly home free, Gangrel turned the final corner to Chrom's tent, only to come face to face with the precocious knight, Frederick, sneaking around the other side, a bouquet twice the size of Gangrel's clenched in his fist.

Well.

The knight's face went through a near instantaneous cycle of disgust, surprise, concern, and disgust again in the moments it took Gangrel to process the situation. Panicking, he shoved his paltry bunch of wildflowers at him, feeling his cheeks go red as his hair as he made a speedy retreat.

He spent the rest of the day avoiding the detection of the tactician, the only soul in camp who would bother to tell him if any unscrupulous rumors were floating around camp about him and the Exalt's babysitter. Ignorance is bliss, even if he didn't give a damn about what anyone thought of him.

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Sequel to this fic I wrote, this time inserting Davide into Dungeon World’s fantasy-verse (because it’s a crime he isn’t there already). Also with more MagoRetsu because. What else do I do.

“I wouldn’t take a step further, if I were you.” Gremlin heard the would-be thief swear under his breath as he froze, only the corners of his hair visible around the corner that would’ve led him into the Province Baron’s throne room. “That goes in either direction- I assure you, I am faster than you.”

“Relax, relax- we can talk this out, can’t we?” The intruder stepped into view with his hands up, gaze studying the mounds of treasure that surrounded the Baron’s throne. “Whew! That is some collection! That miserly baron is quite the collector.”

“Enjoy the sight of it while you can, because you won’t have anything else of it.”

“No need to be so aggressive!” He rose his hands a bit further above his head, his eyes still scanning the wealth in front of him. “I have a question, actually. You seem pretty knowledgeable, maybe you can help?” As he spoke, his eyes finally fell on Gremlin, running him up and down. “See, there was a huge statue I’ve had my eye on, but as soon as I find the means to transport it, it’s gone! It wouldn’t happen to be here, would it?”

“You would be looking at it.”

The thief only licked his lips at his answer, and Gremlin frowned, getting the sickening feeling that he somehow already knew.

“Are you? So I guess that dark power legend told of was some sort of familar!” The thief smiled, and then shook his head, starting to laugh. “Hah- as if! There’s no way that bumbling baron unleashed the statue’s power.” He cocked his head, raised hands moving into a shrug. “I mean, if he had, Dungeon World would’ve been thrown into chaos, right? With that kind of power, there’s no way things would be so peaceful around here!”

“Oh, do you need evidence, then? I can give you a taste, if you like- of my power.”

“Oh, I certainly would like that! But not directed at myself,” he lowered one of his arms horizontal in offering, “I’m Cunning Assassin, Davide. Join me, statue.”

“And why should I do that?” Gremlin kept his arms firmly crossed, ignoring the hand held out to him.

“Because a weapon as powerful as you deserved to be used! What, you were stuck as a rock for how long, and you’re finally freed only to be some rich brat’s butler?” He took a step forward, and  Gremlin could feel the strength of the darkness in his veins- he definitely had enough to sustain, even harness, his power. “This guy doesn’t think you’re worth any more than all the sparkling junk he has lying around here- he doesn’t appreciate your real value! But us little guys? We know what’s really important.” Gremlin took a step back as Davide reached towards him, fingers just skimming his cheek as he licked his lips. “Unlike this guy, I could really treasure you.”

A gust of wind pushed Davide back as Gremlin spread out his dark wings, one movement from them sending the thief flying back against the wall. “I’m going to take that as a no?”

“A definite no.” The demon idol leaned down, picking up one of the decorative swords on the floor as he stepped forward.

“Another question then: what does it take to turn you back into a statue?”

“To do that, you would have to kill me.”

“Alright then,” Davide staggered up from the wall, drawing a dagger, “in that case, I’ll just kill you, and then when I free you, you’ll be under my command!”

Gremlin tensed as the assassin lunged, but just as suddenly, he stopped, falling limply to the ground to reveal Shido standing behind him.

“Honestly, for a thief, he certainly does blab a lot.” Gremlin looked down just in time to catch him step fully out of the assassin’s shadow, turning his head and snapping irritably. “Guards, where the hell are you!? Throw this garbage out of my chambers!” Gremlin felt himself stiffen as Shido’s eyes turned to him, the baron lifting a critical eyebrow. “’Doesn’t appreciate your real value’, what rubbish...” He stepped over Davide’s limp body, stopping right in front of Gremlin. “If you’re supposed to be such a powerful weapon, why did I have to deal with the intruder while you just stood there and let him babble on in the middle my treasure room?” Gremlin couldn’t find a response, feeling a tinge of guilt as he recalled Davide’s traitorous words. Shido continued glaring at him, stomping one foot impatiently. “What are you doing!? Bow before me!” Pausing a moment, Gremlin obediently bowed his head. Shido stepped closer, one hand rising to carress his cheek as he leaned in to kiss the other, drawing away to speak into his ear “Remember, you’re mine forever.”

Gremlin felt his face heat under Shido’s touch, his voice coming in a relenting sigh. “... Yours forever.”

“Good boy.” Shido pat his head, and Gremlin once again rose to his full height, folding his dark wings back into his back. “Next time someone intrudes into my house, toss them out right away, got it?”

“Understood.”

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Wowsers, how long has it been since I used this blog?

Gremlin may not have a Dungeon World form, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get creative. Fic based on the new Tallica support. (Also, if it feels really cringingly edgy, it’s supposed to. Gremlin’s fantasy self deserves no less.)

The clattering of bones served as the Province Baron’s royal fanfare as his skeleton soldiers lowered his throne to the ground, jaws chattering as they stepped away.

“Are we finally here? Took you boneheads long enough!”

Province Baron, Shido rose from his seat, taking his first step onto the uneven ground of the ruined temple to which he’d been carried. Ahead of him rose the remains of a stone archway, with his prize just beyond it.

The roof of the temple had long since collapsed, and Shido’s newest treasure stood under the open sky at the center of a clearing ringed with stone rubble. It was a statue, large and ominous, of a stone gremlin perched on a pile of skulls, holding a stone that resembled an eye and glowed with an evil aura. That aura had probably been what kept petty thieves from stealing it, even Shido feeling a shiver go through him as he approached, despite his darkness attributes.

“Apparently, this is some relic from Darkness Dragon World. Anyone who offers their blood to it is supposed to receive some sort of awesome power!”

Shido hopped across the rubble to get closer, giving an approving nod to the base of the statue. Skulls were nice, very aesthetic. He could certainly find a place for this in his throne room, maybe beside the throne itself if he could relocate some of the other treasure he had piled around it. His smile dropped as he looked up towards the pointy fangs of the stone gremlin, beckoning him hungrily.

“Really, Darkness Dragon World is so brutish. A blood ritual, honestly?” He looked back at where his entourage of skeleton soldiers stood waiting, letting out a sigh. “Even if it didn’t need to be me specifically to get the power or whatever, I don’t suppose any of you’d be of much help, anyway.” He looked back to the statue, slowly raising his hand towards the gremlin’s mouth. “Leave the hard jobs to the guy in charge!”

He pressed his fingers in against the teeth of the statute, blood slowly dripping down to pool in the gremlin’s mouth, flowing down the sides and down between the bottom fangs of its smile. As soon as some fell on the eye-shaped stone, its glow intensified, the gremlin’s eyes beginning to glow as well before its mouth began to produce black smoke, Shido stumbling back to avoid a face full as the smoke engulfed the statue in full. For a moment it was still, and then black wings rose from the smoke, one flap sending the cloud spinning, gradually clearing to reveal what looked very much like a person.

“What the- the statue! It’s gone!” Shido ignored the stranger standing in front of him, trying to peer around him in search of his treasure. “Where is it? Where’s my gremlin statue?!”

“I am the gremlin.”

At his reply, Shido stopped moving to examine the stranger in front of him. He had red spiky hair with horns of the same color protruding from both sides of his head, and was decked out in black armor styled after dragon’s plating and wrapped with chains. Shido frowned, looking him up and down as he tried to figure out what it all meant.

“So… You’re mine, then?”

“It was your blood that released me, so my power is yours.”

“In other words, you’re mine.”

The gremlin curled his lip at his choice of words, but didn’t say anything to deny it.

“All right! Your look is a bit… tacky, for my tastes, but I suppose I can find room for you amongst the rest of my treasure. At least you’re easier to transport than a statue!”

Shido turned to march back towards his waiting soldiers, the whole group rattling in a voiceless cheer as their leader returned with his prize.

The gremlin sighed, plodding along reluctantly after him. Anything was better than sitting around as a statue.

Afterword: Province Baron, Shido and the gremlin live together and become somewhat reluctant (at least on Gremlin’s side) friends, and perform a variety of vaugely evil deeds as well as comedic antics. The gremlin eventually gets nicknamed to just Gremlin, and he spends most of his time doing chores for Shido or stealing old swords from his treasure piles to melt down into material for better swords. Crafting seems to be his hobby, and his works bare a striking resemblence to those of the renowned Craftsman, Baku. 

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

I drew my D&D characters, Doreen and Milian, for their character sheets! Doreen is a noble grey elf cleric who worships The Devourer. Milian is a noble grey elf bard, and Doreen’s master.

This will be my first comapign, so I’m really excited!

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Retsu had known the world was ending ever since the fighters representing Yamigedo and his Inverse Omni Lords had been revealed- since he’d spotted Davide and Shido among their ranks.

He’d long tried to tell himself that the fighter was meaningless to him- that they were worthless, mindless, interchangeable- but as soon as he gave one a deck, they because invincible to him. The second the deck left his hands, he could no longer imagine them losing, couldn’t see them in any state besides laughing in the triumph of victory.

So when he saw them, standing side-by-side with Yamigedo’s champions, he started counting his last moments. The opponents didn’t matter, the Omni Lords didn’t matter- not even the decks mattered. Davide and Shido would not lose.

He could barely pay attention to the matches being broadcast on his phone- he had never thought that the fights mattered, and now that his fighters (were they his? Could he call them that?) were among the opposition, there was even less point. His hands were shaking as his mind started listing his regrets- he’d been so shaken after the Gaen Cup that he’d gone into hiding, but he was finally starting to understand- understand that he wanted to have a relationship like Baku and Gao had, that he wanted to be able to trust the people he built for again, that he still gave a bit of himself to every fighter he built for and that he wanted to belong to them- as their deckbuilder, as their friend, as someone they fought beside; he wanted to be someone’s without worrying about being thrown away. He felt what it was like to trust again when Kyoya called him “friend”, and even though it hurt now, he knew he wanted it now. He’d stopped growing when he stopped thinking about the people he was building for- it was for that reason that Shido and Davide had fumbled in their matches with Balle Du Soleil, why Baku was able to unlock a potential in his building that Retsu never had even dreamed of.

He wanted to put it all into practice. He wanted to call Davide and Shido his fighters, those two impulsive and rotten players he’d been paired with by chance, and he wanted to do it right this time- make them champions, legendary bearers of the fabled Darkness Dragon World that others would whisper about for years to come. He wanted to make Baku proud of him, to win back the smile from his memories, to make up for the hurt he’d put in his eyes when they’d clashed in the Gaen Cup.

He wanted all of this, but instead he was curled up and trembling in an underground shelter under Cho-Tokyo with his phone clutched in his hands, fighting back tears because he was still so young and there was still so much he wanted to do and he still regretted so much, and he was certain that he was going to die today. He had to believe in the people he built for in his final moments, and because of that, he had to believe that Yamigedo would destroy the world.

Which is why he stopped when Shido was thrown into the darkness barrier with Gratos, felt himself focus when it was Gallows and not some Hundred Demon in the buddycircle. Shido was fighting against Yamigedo’s second-in-command. He didn’t understand what was happening, but for the first time he allowed himself to hope- hope that Yamigedo might be defeated and everyone might live to see tomorrow. Shido was using Darkness Dragon World, the deck Retsu had built for him, that he had utmost confidence in, and he allowed himself to hope.

And then, it was not the deck he built.

Panic went through him as Shido called unfamiliar monsters, Death Rulers replaced with new cards he’d never seen before. If it wasn’t the deck he built, he had no guarantee it could win. But as Shido kept fighting, kept winning, he realized it wasn’t a new deck.

It was the deck he’d built, but it had evolved.

Emotion washed over him as Retsu found himself analyzing every card Shido played, looking for the enhancements on his old design, watching Shido equip a weapon without hesitation and knowing the deck wasn’t the only thing that had evolved- and the sight of Shido’s confident smile on screen filled him with pride. The tears he’d been holding back finally broke when Shido won, but it was with relief, and as Paruko turned her camera elsewhere Retsu tabbed out of the stream to text him, words he typed without thinking and immediately forgot as he put his phone away and let himself sob, and eventually fall asleep as relief allowed him to feel the fatigue of the past few hours of exhausting fear.

He was too exhausted to notice that he still hadn’t gotten a reply.

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Scene from my Prince Shido au. The Prince reflects on his life.

“There you are.” Shido let out a yelp, Davide letting out a tsk as he turned around, grimacing as he met eyes with Retsu standing stiffly behind them. “Davide, just what do you think you’re doing here with the prince when he’s supposed to be in his lessons?”

“You guys have him on too tight a leash!” He put an arm around Shido’s shoulders, giving them a squeeze. “We were just having a little fun! Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

Shido gave a nervous nod, Retsu letting out a sigh before reaching down and dragging Shido to his feet.

“Come on, Sofia and I have been searching all over for you, and you’re late for your lesson.”

“Eek! Sofia was looking for me too!? She’ll kill me next time she sees me!”

“Then it’s a good thing your next lesson is with me, isn’t it? Now hurry, we have a lot to cover.”

“Good morning, Your Highness.” It had only been a few months ago that Shido had first spoken to Kyoya on his own, watching somewhat nervously as the charismatic merchant gave a deep bow.  “I’ve visited a number of times to speak with your father, but I believe this is our first time meeting. I’m Kyoya Gaen, and I’m here to help you.” Already things had started to change- the servants he was used to, who he’d grown up with, hadn’t greeted him that morning, and instead Kyoya alone stood in the greeting hall. “I know that your family, and many families like yours, have fallen on hard times of late, and I’ve decided to lend a helping hand to your father.” He turned to motion to the door, and a line of people Shido didn’t know filed out, lining up behind Kyoya to face him. “In order to do that, I needed to make a lot of changes around here, so I took the liberty of replacing your staff.”

“What-!? Those were my servants- they were mine! You can’t just take them from me!”

“Don’t be too upset. This is all to help make you, your whole family, successful.” He motioned to the people behind him, calm smile unwavering. “I’ve personally picked a number of my employees to serve you. They’re all around your age, too, so I hope you can be good friends.”

He hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye to his former servants, didn’t even know what happened to them, but before he knew it he’d fallen back into familiar patterns- lessons, parties, boring traditions-  his life had started to feel normal again, only the ocassional sight of Kyoya talking to his father reminding him that things were different.

“Uuugh, this is boring! Why do I have to learn this stuff?!”

“Because one day you may succeed your father, and then you’ll have to make these kinds of decisions about your estate.”

Shido groaned, folding his arms across his finance notes and resting his head on the table.

“But you help daddy with all that stuff now, right? Why can’t you just do it for me when I’m older?”

Retsu’s eyes widened slightly at his question, but he found his composure again almost instantly, taking some of his notes and hitting Shido over the head with them.

“These matters concern your possessions, so you should at least have some idea of how they work.”

Shido rolled his eyes, burying his face further in his arms. He hadn’t missed the “may” when Retsu spoke, wondering if the estate would still be his to run by the time he was old enough to run it. You might as well run all the financial stuff for me, since you’re not going to let me do what I want with it, anyway...

He kept his thoughts to himself, reluctantly lifting his head off the table and looking down at the text he’d been laying on. It was easier to pretend everything was normal- that one day he’d take his fathers estate and be king, easier to play around with Davide than think about the scent of blood on his clothes, easier to accept his new life than wonder where his former servants had gone and if they were okay.

It was easier, and everyone served him and called him Your Majesty and Your Highness, and he was happy.

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

When the door opened, both boys stopped in shock. Retsu wasn’t sure why he was suprised to see Gao Mikado answer the door, considering he had knocked on the door to his house, but his mind was focused on other people.

“Gremlin!?” His voice held less antagonism than he expected, considering his harsh words during their battle- instead expressing pure surprise to see his old enemy at his doorstep. Retsu cleared his throat, forcing down a measure of nervousness.

“Yes. I heard Baku was here.” Gao watched him with suspicion, something Retsu respected him for- his bond with Baku was still clear to see, something Retsu now envied. He bowed his head, trying to clear any impression of hostility. “I’m only here to talk. Deckbuilder’s word.”

Gao watched him a a few more moments, but after a moment of consideration he turned around and called for Baku from the doorway. The tone of Baku’s reply hurt him more than any guilt he had for the actions of Disaster- the cheerful, unguarded voice he hadn’t heard for years. Even after the hurt he’d inflicted, perhaps Baku was hoping the same thing he was. He hoped his visit would be good for him- for both of them.

.

After a moment, Retsu hesitantly stepped into the unfamiliar house, slipping off his shoes and giving a stiff bow. Baku’s posture changed when he realized Retsu planned to stay- unlike their previous meetings when he’d played cold and distant, ending their conversations after a single reply.

“Hey, coach.” There was uncertainty in his voice, and that was good, because it meant that he hadn’t decided they were enimies.

“Don’t call me that.” He watched Baku’s face fall, and his own heart twisted as he quickly added “I lost my right to that title when you bested me in our match. If anything, it’s you who should be coaching me.” His throat tightened with nervousness, swallowing to fight the dry feeling that threatened to stop his voice. “In fact, that’s why I came here.” Baku’s eyes widened as Retsu straightened, steeling his gaze to look solidly at his cousin. “You know that I’ve always strived for perfection in my deckbuilding- but after our match, I’ve realized I still have a long way to go as a deckbuilder. I want you to teach me what you think true deckbuilding is- to show me what you’ve learned on your own!”

For a moment, Baku only stared at him shocked, not sure what to do with the intensity of his request. When the moment ended, however, his face broke into a smile that was blindingly bright, all the energy of their childhood together shining at once.

“Sure, coa- I mean, cuz! Whatever you say!”

.

The atmosphere lightened considerably after that. Their deck analysist had come over to watch them (Kuguru, he would learn), and Retsu felt awkward but unthreatened as the three quickly incorperated him into their dynamic. Baku laughed when Retsu reluctantly told him how he’d gotten stuck in a twenty minute conversation with Baku’s mother while trying to find him, which eventually led him to directions to Gao’s doorstep. When they sat down, Retsu started to reach for his cards, but Baku stopped him with a shake of his head.

“There’s no need for that, cuz. I know you know how to put together a deck- what you need, is here.” Baku hit a fist against his chest, and Retsu resisted the urge to make a face. It still sounded idiotic to him, but Baku had proven in battle that by building in accordance to the fighter’s playstyle, one could achieve a greater degree of specialization than Retsu had ever dreamed- a deck capable of evolving. Still, Baku seemed to sense his reluctance, his smile falling. “Cuz, all that stuff you said about fighters, and about decks using people- why did you say that?”

“... Baku, most fighters aren’t like yours.” He felt Gao straighten at the reference to himself, Retsu’s eyes briefly shifting to him. “It’s obvious that he not only appreciates but respects the effort required in building a powerful deck, but the bond you two share is rare.” Retsu turned back to Baku, his eyes narrowing. “I meant to warn you back then, but to most fighters, a deckbuilder is only valuable until the deck leaves your hands- after that, you’re inconsequential. That’s why building for someone else’s sake is naive.”

“You mean, the reason you reacted so badly back then was-”

“I didn’t want you to get hurt!”

Retsu looked away, the whole room falling into a heavy silence. Finally, Baku broke it, getting up from the table to glare down at him.

“So you’re saying you can’t trust anyone? Or that you’ll never find someone you can believe in like me and Gao do?” Retsu flinched at his unsympathetic tone, head falling. “If you thought it was impossible, why’d you even come here?” There was another pause, until Retsu finally looked up to meet his cousin’s eyes, unable to give an answer. “... You’re a seriously good deckbuilder, cuz, but you’ll never be the best with an attitude like that!” Suddenly he broke into a grin, and Retsu felt himself rock backwards as Baku pushed his fist into his chest. “That’s why I’m saying that what you need is all in here!”

.

“When I first started building for Gao, we were far from perfect- both of us had to learn to understand and trust each other, and it’s because we kept at it that he can believe in the decks I build for him, and I can trust him to use them to the best of their ability! You just gotta find someone and give them all you got! Do that, and they’ll teach you everything you need to know about deckbuilding- trust me.”

.

“Hey, Gre- I mean, Retsu, before you leave,” Gao followed Retsu out the doorway, Retsu stopping to turn to him. “I just gotta ask, during our fight back then, what did you mean when you said that Baku wasn’t the person I thought he was?”

“Oh, that,” Retsu’s expression softened, head bowing slightly at the memory, “I wasn’t in my right mind when I said that. It wasn’t really directed at you,” Gao gave him a confused look, and Retsu closed his eyes, the once painful memory now nostolgic. “It was directed at myself.” When he opened his eyes, they were clear with understanding, watery green meeting Gao’s own calm gold. “I thought Baku that was a fool to trust you, that his belief was only possible because he was childish and naive.” Retsu shook his head, a sad smile forming on his face. “But I was wrong- Baku isn’t the child I thought he was. What I didn’t realize is how much he’d grown.” Gao grinned, and Retsu smiled back, reaching out to lightly ruffle the hair sticking out from under his cap. “The way you stood up for him back then impressed me. Baku is right to place his trust in you.” He gave a glance to the open doorway behind Gao, turing away again. “I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but tell Baku I’m proud of him.”

“Tell me yourself!”

Retsu stumbled as a weight at his back nearly knocked him over, arms wrapping themselves around him. “Honestly, did you think I was gonna let you go without at least one hug?”

Retsu couldn’t help but laugh, turning to gather Baku in his arms.

“I guess you haven’t grown up as much as I thought after all!”

“Aw, harsh, cuz!”

Baku laughed as well, and the sound of their voices laughing together chimed like bells in Retsu’s ears.

He wanted to grow- grow naive, grow childish, grow however he needed to to move forward again. And he felt like he could do it, with Baku by his side again.

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

I saw this

and I couldn’t resist. (This is really my first use of my new Little Witch and Little Hero designs??)