ʏᴜɢɪ ᴍᴜᴛᴏᴜ ⌈武藤遊戯⌋ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
inheritedpuzzle) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
synthneon2021-08-04 11:27 pm
inheritedpuzzle) wrote in synthneon2021-08-04 11:27 pm
Entry tags:
YGO PSL | ❝ because i now understand the meaning of the promise we exchanged. ❞
BEACH
🎵 ambient / mood music
( and now we just jump a whole bunch into the future. post-ceremonial duel by a year, but a year before dsod! probably will throw tie-ins with what's going on in kingsglaive, ho ho ho. )
[ Life moves forward.
Graduation came and went. Their adventures in the Memory World escalated to a resolution the soul of the Pharaoh had to reach. A duel to determine the fate of the Pharaoh... then the passing of his best friend. Their group went their separate ways and moved forward. They all keep in touch, just like Atem said they would. It's just not the same.
It feels like Yugi Muto is the only one that can't move on like the rest of them. He still lives with is Grandpa and his mother in the house attached to the game shop. He still helps out, knowing that his Grandpa won't be able to keep the shop open much longer. He is still in the same room, decorated the same. Except it's only him in the room and no ancient item strapped to his neck to give him company. He put away his cards and his deck until now. What is the point? There is nothing he really wanted out of tournaments -- he doesn't even want to be famous really.
Except, this is different. This tournament is Battle City V2. He feels obligated to participate in it. Not because he did in the first one, but, because he and his best friend earned the title of Duel King together. Yugi may not feel the need to duel in competitive spaces, but, it feels like it would be a disservice to what he and Atem achieved if he doesn't defend their title. Someone will eventually beat him and take that title; change is inevitable. He'll make it a fight though. Even if his heart isn't in the fight as much as it could be.
His eyes are tilted downwards as he looks over the messages on his phone. The group chat is filled with messages of well wishes and encouragement from his closest friends. They couldn't be there in person in Battle City V2. Joey has Serenity, Tristan has taken to touring Japan's northern islands, Anzu is in America, and Bakura is tied down working at the museum for his father. It still matters to him that they've all reached out to wish him on though. It's better than being alone entirely. His eyebrows lift at the notification that scrolls at the top.
I pray that you will find the outcome you look for in your tournament, Yugi-sama. Please, keep me informed of your time there. Best of wishes.
Yugi smiles faintly at the message. Lunafreya still lives in Japan, and still looks over him. She is the ones that sees him the most. He can tell she's changed since the Ceremonial Duel. They were the ones the most affected by the outcome of it, so maybe it makes sense they would be the ones to stay closet one another. Of course, she's still who she is, and she has to travel far away. He figures if she didn't have to then she would of come to Okinawa to support him.
Texts will have to do for now.
He's so preoccupied with his thoughts - even once he's put the phone away - that he isn't watching where he's going. It's all too late when he realizes he's bumped into someone by the second pair of shoes in his vision. Yugi takes a step back and raises his eyes to see who he has probably offended. ]
I'm-I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going.
no subject
How much of the world really knows what the card game is based on? How much magic is just really left in the world? Yugi thought that magic was waning. Maybe it was just the magic he knew then.
If she's as observant as he thinks she is? Then, well, she has already called his bluff. She probably already knows he's trying to ask questions around the ones he really wants to. ]
You don't tell just any tourist this sort of thing. Isn't that right, Yuna? [ Yugi looks forward, with his head tilted slightly so his bangs obscure some of his face. ] You would probably just say that your local folklore said that your ancestors could commune with spirits native to the islands. They could summon them to help them fight off danger. But, it's the faith in traditions that keeps things like your temple going.
...or something along those lines. [ A huff of a laugh comes from him then. ] It means that you already think I'm going to believe that what you're saying is real. That people here still act as summoners and bring the spirits of the Duel Monsters to life. You probably live in harmony with them too, but, most people have forgotten and moved on. Maybe they never really knew and the tournament is a good way to teach everyone their heritage. Even if it's only in the context of a card game.
What I don't understand is why you think I'm going to believe it. Why are you telling me any of it?
no subject
She can manage some of the expectations, but that's one that she's never quite managed to. ]
No, you're right; I don't. [ She tilts her head to one side, a curious sort of smile coming to her face as she surveys him once again. They have not been speaking very long, but she is already finding herself intrigued by him. ]
And you are also right in that I have said versions of that to visitors to the temple. There are those who have minds that are open and eyes unclouded, but all people have that potential, whether they realize it or not.
[ And sadly, some never do, which is a thing that saddens her very much. ]
Perhaps I'm only telling you this because I have a fool's hope that you'll accept what I say as truth and not a fantasy.
[ She forms a steeple with her fingers as she continues to watch him and any changes in his expression. ]
You don't have to believe any of it, you know. [ It won't be the first time that her words have been dismissed as folly. ]
no subject
So much of who he is now is because of the Pharaoh. That includes a title that really only Lunafreya acknowledges. He beat the Pharaoh in a duel. Whatever would be left of Atem in the world of the living he's inherited. He supposed that means dealing with the world of Duel Monsters as how they really are... not just the card game.
Yugi lowers his hand again before turning and properly looking at Yuna. There's a quiet resolve in him, despite the fact that there's a melancholy he can never shake. Mourning takes time they say. Still, there's a time and a place for it. Atem would voice his disapproval if Yugi turned this moment down. ]
Why does it matter if I accept it? What about the other duelists here for the tournament? [ He seems to stand taller for the moment. ] Show me.
no subject
And yet she finds herself still refraining, but her resolve to do so is gradually lessening the longer this conversation continues. ]
I could speak to each duelist here, in hopes that they would also accept it, but- [ She has to admit that she can't tell simply by looking at a person how receptive they are. All she has is her gut instinct and her intuition, and they haven't steered her wrong too many times. ]
From what I understand, you've already seen a lot and experienced even more, so that suggests that your horizons might be broader than some of these other duelists.
[ She nods, because showing him has been her intention all along. ]
Come with me to the temple, and then you'll see.
no subject
[ Duel King. Yugi doesn't really see himself as the sole owner of the title. He and Atem shared it. Both of them together beat Marik's darker half. The Orichalcos God. The KC Grand Prix. All he's really doing is standing in for it and defending it. He figures someone will take it from him eventually. They'll have to work for it though. He won't make it easy.
He wonders if she can tell that he's had supernatural experiences - ones with magic. Maybe it's obvious to people who have been around it so much.
Still, regardless of the emotions going on inside, that gentle resolution remains. He walks along side her with her guidance to the Temple. It's larger than he thought, but, pictures honestly don't seem to do it justice. There are people walking around the outside in traditional garb of the island. He has the feeling it isn't just for show.
A few of them bow to Yuna, and even call out her name: 'Lady Yuna!'
Lady? ]
You're popular, Yuna.
no subject
As they make their way along, she remains mostly silent, at least for the remainder of the journey, because part of her wants Yugi to be able to take in his first journey to the temple and to form his own impressions. Of course, she can hardly help the way the others address her, and she merely smiles, nods, and sometimes waves a hand in greeting.
When Yugi makes his comment about her popularity, she laughs quietly and shakes her head. ]
I'm not certain that popular is the word I would use.
[ Is she being modest? Perhaps. There might even be the smallest hint of red on the back of her neck, but she tries to pay that no mind. ]
The entrance is this way.
no subject
Popular isn't the right word? Then, it must be out of respect. Maybe she has risen the ranks of the Temple and is a high priestess? Then again, maybe not. She did say summoner. Maybe that in itself is something that is not easily achieved. If it's like being the Oracle...
Yugi follows her inside the Temple quietly, eyes widening at the sight of it inside. He was expecting something traditional, but, he realizes that was the wrong assumption to make. This is tradition to Okinawa and the other islands, not the mainland... ]
no subject
What do you think?
[ So many people come to see the temple and end up staring in complete amazement. Few actually see the temple as more than a tourist attraction.
She wants to believe that Yugi has the eyes to see past all of that. ]
I know it's a lot to take in, at least at first.
no subject
He thinks it's massive.
It's nothing like he thought it would be. His mind had conjured some idea that it might be similar to that of a Shinto shrine - simply altered to the aesthetic of the local area. Instead it's a curtained stone area with pillars that reach high above them as statues adorn them. Other statues stand at the foot of stairs and pillars, but he has no idea who they are.
He has seen Ancient Egypt as Atem remembered it and then its ruins. He has seen the left overs of what Lunafreya's family held in their decorations and customs. This? It's honestly nothing like either of them. There are two doors either side of the grand staircase that he presumes leads to offices or maybe even home for the priests that wander about and bow to Yuna as they see her.
Yugi finally turns his gaze to look up at her. ]
What is this a temple of...?
[ Summoners can speak with the spirits of the duel monsters from what he can gather from their conversation. What does that have to do with the temple? ]
no subject
I suppose the best way to introduce you to it is to explain what the fayth are, as well as what aeons are. The work that summoners do involves both of those.
Simply put, fayth are souls that have been removed from their earthly forms and sealed inside stone tablets. Aeons, on the other hand, are the physical form of the fayth itself. Most often, aeons bring to life the strongest emotion that the fayth has, whatever that may be.
It's here in the temple that the summoner- that I commune with the fayth through prayer.
[ She imagines that Yugi will only have more questions for her after this. ]
no subject
Part of him would ask why he keeps finding these things. He reminds himself that it's a part of his life - who he is. He is the one who defeated the Pharaoh. He is the one that inherited a title and responsibility. Which means he has to deal with things like this if they ever come to him. Just like Lunafreya has to. He might not have magic or a magical item, but, he is the one with the knowledge of it all. He has just as much of a responsibility to it all.
Yugi turns to look at Yuna. If she thinks he'd look confused, overwhelmed, or unnerved? None of those feelings are present on his face. Instead, there is a confidence he seemed to be lacking the rest of their conversation. His eyes narrow. ]
So, which one of the two are the Duel Monsters spirits? The Fayth or the Aeon?
no subject
She also imagines that it's not looking at the temple itself that's causing the expression he's currently wearing. She did just drop a bombshell of sorts on him, and she imagines he needs time to process that as well.
Naturally, she can't know about his history with the Pharaoh and how he defeated him at the end of everything, or the responsibility that seems to rest on his shoulders. But she can guess that something is weighing on him, and she wonders what that might be.
When he turns to look at her, she meets his gaze squarely, not looking away or blinking. ]
They are intertwined, and one ends where the other begins. [ She pauses to correct herself: ] It's more of a circular type of relationship rather than one with an ending and a beginning.
I suppose that you might think of it this way: the spirits are the Fayth and the Aeons are their physical manifestations. Within the realm of Duel Monsters, the Aeon is closest to what you are most familiar with.
no subject
[ Different terminology for different cultures. The spirit of the Duel Monster is inside their stone, and they just call the summoned creature something different. It's just like what the Egyptians did. Except it seems to be a part of their religion and culture here.
Yugi gives a small sheepish shrug. ]
I've seen it before. Pegasus told us what inspired Duel Monsters.
[ More like they read his personal diary. Not that Yuna really needs to know how he and his friends went snooping around Duelist Kingdom. It probably doesn't really matter to her anyways. Egypt is half a world away and nothing would tie her to it except similarities. Ancient Egypt's culture and traditions died off thousands of years ago while hers are still breathing. ]
So, why do you do it? Summoning. People don't believe magic exists anymore. It looks like not many people come here outside of paying tribute to ... them. [ he nods politely to the statues around them. Are they previous summoners? ] Most duelists wouldn't believe anything you're saying.
no subject
[ She could never hope to be as well versed in Duel Monsters as he is, but she thinks she knows what he's referring to. ]
I suppose that all things have their similarities, and of course, things in life are far more connected than people like to believe. Your world and mine may have their differences, but they may not be as pronounced as one would imagine.
[ And that might be one reason why she's continuing to speak with him, because there might be some common ground between them, along with what she thinks is a need on his part to form other connections. ]
Did he? [ She's heard the name, of course, and she knows a little bit about him, but it's all secondhand information. ] What did he tell you, if I might ask?
[ It's true that ancient Egypt's culture and traditions are somewhat far removed from what she knows and how she lives, but that doesn't stop her from being curious. ]
Why? I was meant to do it. Raised to it, from when I was young, you might say.
[ She offers him a small smile. ]
As long as even the smallest handful believes, magic remains alive. And I still believe in it. [ In case there was any doubt about that.
A shadow briefly passes over her face, but it's gone as quickly as it came. ] Not many people visit here to pay their respects, but some still come when they are able.
[ Perhaps this place and its traditions and customs will one day cease to exist as time and people move forward and new advances and discoveries are made, but for now, Yuna intends to do her part to keep it alive. ] Most people don't believe anything I say.
[ Which is one reason why she doesn't approach people as she has with Yugi. In a way, it's something of a self-fulfilling prophecy: as time moves on and those who either live in or still believe in the temple and what it represents keep more and more to themselves, the more places like this fade out of the public's awareness. ]
I suppose that one day, this place will have been completely forgotten about.
no subject
[ Her culture has developed things differently, but, the premise is the same. He wonders then if there are more cultures that work like Yuna's. How many can still talk to the spirits without needing a card game? He is certain Lunafreya would like to meet Yuna based on that circumstance alone. Though, what's the point in that? He really doubts he'll see Yuna more as the tournament continues.
Then, a nod. ]
It was the prize for winning Duelist Kingdom. [ Not really. They are just details that don't really matter. Yugi takes a few steps forward to look up at one of the statues that crowns the pillars. A woman stretching her hand out to meet the man on the opposite pillar. ] He traveled to Egypt at one point. He found carvings of Duel Monsters from ancient times and surmised they must have used magic to summon them to duel with. It inspired him to make some of the monsters into cards... and then he made the card game.
[ His gaze drops as a sad smile takes his face then. It feels so long ago. Though, when he thinks about it? Duelist Kingdom was only four years ago. So much happened in that span of time.
Completely forgotten.
That part of what she says stings--it aches. He knows things are never really forgotten. Memories and traditions are in their hearts, and if they're lucky enough, it can be unlocked for others to share. He saw it first hand. The world may not know what Ancient Egypt was like... but he and his friends know. They were there in a way. They walked the streets, saw the people, learned the smells.
As long as someone finds a temple like this? The memories will go on and be restored some day. ]
Nothing is completely forgotten. Sometimes, it just takes someone else to bring the memories back to life. [ Yugi blinks once, twice, then looks back up at the statues. Then, he turns to look back at Yuna. ] It'd be disrespectful of me to not pay my respects while I'm here. So... how do I?
no subject
Do you?
[ In a way, she isn't surprised. Yugi strikes her as the perceptive type, as someone who can deduce things about people easily enough. And that perceptiveness most likely carries over to other things too. Of course, there's also the fact that their worlds really aren't all that different. The premise is very much the same.
She listens carefully as Yugi begins talking about how Duel Monsters was created, finding it more than a little fascinating to hear how its creator was inspired by elements from another culture. ]
That must have taken some time for him to do. [ She smiles. ] Time, dedication, and determination, I imagine.
[ But then her smile turns just a little bit sad. ] Yes, you're right, but what happens when everyone who had those memories has- has passed on? Stories can be passed down, of course, but even stories become faded over time, don't they?
[ She shrugs her shoulders. ] I suppose even then, that's better than not remembering the stories at all. [ She watches as Yugi looks at the statues, and her smile, happier now, returns. ]
That would be very nice, yes. Here, let me show you what to do.
[ First, she points to a sort of trough containing water with a ladle standing nearby. She proceeds to pour a little of the water on each hand, and then with her left hand, she brings some of the water up to her lips. And once that's done, she pours more of the water onto her left hand to rinse it. With the water that remains, she allows it to run down the handle of the ladle before she sets it down and nods at Yugi, as if to say that it's his turn now. ]
no subject
I think it did... but when you're really inspired to do something? Time doesn't really matter.
[ His smile remains sad at her question. ] There was no one who remembered the duel monster carvings and what they meant... yet, Pegasus found them anyways. Nothing really stays lost forever.
[ Yugi follows after her and watches each step. He raises his hands and mimics what she does at first to make sure that he has done it right. Once Yuna has finished, Yugi takes her place and follows through. It's close enough to Shinto that he can do it easily enough. He just hopes the former summoners see he means well and it isn't just to make them happy. ]
no subject
I agree. [ And she can relate to that. Becoming a summoner was something she felt inspired to do, and although it took some time to achieve, the time itself didn't seem to matter. ] I absolutely agree with that.
[ Rather than insist that she's certain summoners and their way of life, and this very temple, will eventually fade into mere memory, she just nods and smiles a little sadly in return. ]
Very good. Now you may approach any one of the four statues that you see here and say a prayer or put forward a request, or merely bow and pay your respects. Either way, you might find yourself receiving a blessing or another gift.
[ She folds her hands in front of her then, so that she might follow her own instructions and pay her respects to the likenesses of the gods of both past and present. It's something she does twice a day upon entering and leaving, but she does it once more for Yugi's benefit. ]
no subject
Some bounds might not last for eternity.
Yugi snaps out of his thoughts the moment Yuna starts instructing him again. He raises his eyes to the four statues that stand around the temple, then the two statues that loom over head. Eventually, he does settle on one statue. Little known to him that it is the statue of High Summoner Braska, Yuna's father. He simply can feel there's something special about that particular statue. Everyone seems to regard it more than the others.
He makes his way over to stand in front of it. A prayer. He's not sure any of the four departed souls that might be listening could find a way to grant his request. One more time to talk with the person he called 'the other me' for so long. Just the chance to tell him what their friendship and bond meant to him... stead of a wordless good-bye that he gave. A chance to apologize for separating him from the person he loved and all their friends. It was Yugi's duty as the holder of the Millennium Puzzle. He had to do it. As time has gone by, he's only had the feeling of remorse and regret build up.
Yugi closes his eyes and simply bows to the particular statue he has stopped in front of. He can't ask for what he wants. It's impossible, and, Atem resides in an afterlife they surely don't share. It'll be enough to show Yuna he respects her customs.
And, of course, replace her shaved ice.
He returns to standing even if his eyes are cast downwards. ]
You said you can summon duel monsters from a stone you have here.
[ Yugi reaches into his deck holder and pulls out the set of cards he ha. Most of them are his own. Only one or two remain in the deck from Atem. It feels wrong to use the cards the Pharaoh relied on without him here. He looks at the cards in his hands, remembering the first time he met Lunafreya. Not that he expects Yuna to summon someone from his deck. He just wonders if she can tell the different spirits inside and sense their thoughts and feelings.
He holds his deck out for her to take. ]
Do any of mine stand out?