Honda,
Jonouchi is going to be fine. Stop
worrying about it. I’m more worried about when you plan to tell him.
Robin,
Jonouchi is not fine, and what can I
tell him? You keep saying that. Check my translation? I think I’m missing
something.
Honda,
He will be fine, and what do you mean
what can you tell him? I’m not baring you from saying anything. You keep
messing up ‘to’ and ‘two’ and ‘too’. Two is the number 2, too means ‘as well or
‘including this’, to is a directional thing, Honda went to the hospital.
Robin
He’s going to think I’m crazy, I mean
where do I even start? Hey Jonouchi, your sister is pretty and by the way me
and Yugi are both possessed. That was a very unsubtle hint, I thought you said
Jonouchi was fine?
Honda
He is fine. He’s bored out of his
mind, but he’s fine. Talking of bored, I am too. Could we play chess?
Robin
You’re avoiding the question. What do
I tell Jonouchi? And how would that even work?
Honda
People do Chess by post all the time.
And I wouldn’t start with you think his sister is cute.
Why do you keep switching between
spelling conventions? Pick one and stick with it, you are making me cross-eyed.
Robin
Why Chess? How would you start?
I have no idea what you are talking
about.
Honda
It doesn’t have to be Chess. I just
know people play that game by post. It could be any two player turn based
strategy game. Something that doesn’t involve rolling dice or drawing cards. I
would probably start his hey Jonouchi, remember when I said I would tell you
what was bothering me later?
You keep stitching between English and
American spelling.
Robin
Like Shogi?
I didn’t know there was a difference.
Honda
What’s Shogi?
Right. See list included. Can you try
to be consistent at least?
Robin
Rules included, board set up, notation
set. P-7f
I never said that to Jonouchi. I think
I would remember.
English is confusing.
Honda
Interesting, I hope you realise I have
no idea how to play this game. And you might not have, but I did.
Yes, and then some. At least since
it’s your second language people won’t expect you to get it right all the time.
P-3d
Robin
I don’t want to tell him.
It just doesn’t make sense, why is
there two versions of the same language?
P-2f
Honda
Do you want me to tell him?
There isn’t 2 versions, there’s a
dozen or so, used to be more. The two I noted are just the most common. Do you
really want me to go into the history?
P-3e
Robin
I don’t want Jonouchi to know.
Not now.
S-4h
Honda
He’s going to find out. It’s just a
matter of when and how.
R-3b
Robin
You told Yugi’s Spirit, isn’t that
enough?
P-4f
Honda
It’s not like I can talk to him, he’s
gone back into hibernation. Speaking of, what would you pack for a camping
trip?
P-3f
Robin
And that’s another thing I don’t get.
You hang around all the time, where does he go when he’s not tripping up
creeps? And why? Where are we going?
Px3f
Honda
I don’t have a clue. He’s not as awake
as I am, he was trapped for an awfully long time, maybe he needs to recover?
And I don’t have anywhere in mind, I’m just preparing.
Rx3f
Robin
I don’t believe you. Why do we need to
prepare? What aren’t you telling me?
S-3g
Honda
You didn’t want to know when I tried
to tell you before, why is now different?
R-3d
Robin
It’s not. But you keep leaving all
these hints that Yugi is heading into trouble, so spill.
P*3f
Honda
My knowledge isn’t all that accurate,
I have an outline and a few points of interest along the way.
What do you think of Gatsby? As a name
for the scorpion.
G-3b
Robin
But you do know something. And no. Try
again.
G-7h
Honda
If I tell you, I want you to organise
a weekly game night with Yugi, Anzu and Jonouchi. I don’t care what you play,
but I can make a few suggestions if you want.
Neville?
K-6b
Robin
Done. Now spill.
Are you serious? Neville?
S-6h
Honda
It’s complicated. I don’t even know
where to start. Do you know anything
I’ll try to explain.
There’s a prophecy about the Puzzle
Yugi solved and the Spirit bound within it. I don’t know the exact phasing, and
that’s always important with these things, but the grapevine thinks he will
save the World.
I have been informed of Visions that
involve the Spirit of the Puzzle, now I know for a fact these visions were not
entirely accurate simply because most of the names were wrong. Yugi will face
Kaiba again, and again, and again. There will be many others. Never trust a
Vision unless you know the source and the reason why.
Then there are my premonitions. Those
I trust, but they are simply feelings about the shape of things to come.
K-7b
Robin
K-6i
Honda?
P-4d
I’m thinking.
P-5f
Right.
P-4e
Px4e
Bx8h+
Robin
Gx8h
How sure are you?
Honda
Even if nothing I know is true, the
Spirit of the Puzzle won’t be able to rest until he finds out who he is, and
why he was trapped in the Puzzle. He will look, and Yugi will help.
How about Sakura?
B*4g
Robin
And you think we will follow Yugi.
For a scorpion?
K-7h
Honda
Do you really believe you would let
him go alone if you knew Yugi was walking into danger?
You may have a point.
Bx5f+
Robin
That doesn’t mean I like it.
P*5g
Honda
I don’t expect you to. I just want to
be prepared. So I’m thinking I’ll look at the solid fuel camping stoves.
How was Kage?
+B-6e
Robin
Camping? Really? That’s your plan?
That could work.
G-7g
Honda
My plan is to follow Yugi. Everything
else is just details.
Ok, Kage it is.
N-3c
Robin
More details would be nice. You’re not
the only one who doesn’t like flying blind.
G-6f
Honda
Research Egypt.
It’s not like I know a whole lot of
details. What’s the point of telling you about everything I suspect might be
gunning for Yugi, the Puzzle, the Spirit, or Jonouchi.
+B-6d
Robin
That is unhelpful. I find it worrying
that you’ve listed Yugi three times on that list.
R-4h
Honda
Well I can’t exactly get the
information from the Horse’s mouth. The Spirit isn’t talking and I have yet to
meet any of the major players. Unless you count Kaiba. I do not count Kaiba.
Sleeping bags are rather bulky, any
ideas on that front?
Checked Game store catalogue, noted
some interesting prospects, money’s in the envelope.
P-5d
Robin
Considering last I heard he was still
mind shocked, neither do I. Anyone I should be on the lookout for?
Ground sheets? Sleeping mats?
Is there’s a reason you’ve marked
certain games with our initials?
B*1f
Honda
It’s not just that the names are
different, I couldn’t give a description that would make sense to you. I
suppose you could look out for a soft spoken transfer student, but looking at
all the differences I’ve seen so far I can’t even guess what he’ll be like.
Will look into those.
I thought you might want to pick up
some games you, Anzu or Jonouchi could win.
R-1d
Robin
So why are you so anxious to keep a
look out then? If you won’t recognise them, what is the point?
I suppose I don’t have to remind you
of simply things like matches?
There’s games Yugi won’t win at?
P-4d
Honda
I won’t recognise the people, I might
recognise patterns, or intent, or a dozen other things that you would assign no
importance to.
Have matches. Have a wash kit. Must
pack a towel for when Jonouchi decides to jump in the sea.
Yes, there’s games Yugi won’t win all
the time at, but mostly I tried to pick out games I think would suit your
talents and you might enjoy.
P*4b
Robin
Right, so no relaxing the guard.
Is Jonouchi jumping in water a theme
with you? He never used to.
So, he’s still going to win most the
time.
S-4f
Honda
Don’t be stupid, I’ve tried high
alertness, it doesn’t work for long, we can’t keep it up.
Jonouchi tends to leap before he
looks, normally because he’s so focused on the prize he doesn’t see anything
else. You know this.
He’s Yugi. Let me think a while, maybe
I can come up with something.
Rx4d
Robin
It would be a lot easier if you told
me what you were on the lookout for. Yugi gets into almost as much trouble as
Jonouchi. When do you plan to have that conversation about acceptable risks?
G-5f
Honda
Why don’t you try a co-op game? Might
stop Yugi from flattering you every week.
P-1d
Robin
Anything in mind? Jonouchi doesn’t
seem to mind, but Anzu is getting... difficult. Even with the games she likes.
N-3g
Honda
Contagion? 4player co-op, should be
interesting.
P-1e
Robin
We’ll give it a go.
So what’s up next? It’s been rather
quiet lately.
B-2g
Honda
I think Jonouchi suspicions are
aroused again.
Isn’t that Egyptian thing up soon?
Yugi was raving about it a few days ago.
R-2d
Robin
No. So we should be wary of anything
from Egypt? If the puzzle and Spirit is from Egypt, where are you from?
G-3h
Honda
England.
P-4c
Robin
And?
S-3e
Honda
And what?
R-1d
Robin
Saying you’re from England is like
saying I’m from Japan. Should we be on the lookout for mad Englishmen out for
revenge? All your focus is on the Spirit’s enemies.
L-1h
Honda
I hail from a large port city in the
South West of England. I doubt anyone noticed me enough to hate me. I was just
a face in the crowd.
S-4b
Robin
Right
N-4e
H
P-4d
R
Nx3c+
Honda
You’re going to be stubborn about
this, aren’t you?
Gx3c
Robin
You know everything about me.
P-2e
Honda
I’ve lost everything.
S-4c
Robin
N*2f
All my friends. All my family.
Everything I ever knew or loved.
Everything I lived for is now dust in
the wind.
Everything I considered important is
gone.
I want to cry, I want to scream, I
want to tear the Universe asunder.
I want to grieve Honda.
Yet here I am, stuck in the middle of
events that could destroy the World.
And if the World is destroyed,
everything I love will be gone.
So I can’t. I’m hanging on by my
finger nails, but I’m hanging on.
R-1b
Robin
P-6f
Honda
Let’s pretend you never asked?
R-4b
Robin
Thanks
Sx4d
Honda
Be careful.
Sx4d
Robin
I know
P*4e
Honda
Give up?
S-5e
The museum
was interesting, the displays different from a similar set up in England, although
I had to contain my annoyance that Honda rarely spent any time reading the
displays.
I
was surprised Yugi had handed the Puzzle over so easily, and just a little
worried what that meant for the Spirit.
Maybe
he should have made his presence known to Yugi. Maybe I should have pushed for
that.
I
mentally shook my head, and when would I have suggested that?
My
irritation at the Pharaoh hadn’t abated, and would poke it’s head up at odd
moments. I wanted to shake him, among other things but while I had dozens of
ideas about how I would react, or what I would say when I saw him again, I knew
it would depend on the situation I found him in.
Jonouchi
was easier to deal with, for all that I think my lecture was like water off a
duck’s back.
Telling
Yugi not to throw himself in harm’s way was even worse. He had agreed with me,
and yet I was sure as soon as something came up again, there he would be,
standing between us and the threat.
It
was an interesting day.
I
half expected we would get attacked, but nothing.
No
dire threats, no mysterious people suggesting terrible fates awaited, no hint
of shadow magic.
As
the group exited the museum I drifted off, glad that my paranoia had been
unnecessary in this case.
