[EFFECT ROOM] The Red Thread of Not-Quite-Fate

[hyperhero]

[This room is definitely one that you wouldn't expect to find in a school, considering that it appears to be a gigantic cafe. Plush carpets, cushioned chairs, a whole bunch of fancy drinks and snacks...

Someone put a dating cafe in the school!]

((OOC: Here's how it works! The room is based off the idea of the red string of fate from Japanese/Chinese legend. On stepping into the room, your character will find a thin but completely unbreakable red string tied to their pinkie, with the other end tied to someone else who's come into the room. The red string persists even if you try to leave, and won't disappear until a full day later. The thread itself will lengthen or shorten depending on the proximity of the two characters, but it won't let you get more than a room's length away from each other.

Here's the complication: the Gods are kind of sort of drunk off their asses, which means that the red string could tie you to literally anyone. Your worst enemy, your brother, your father, Old Man Jenkins... it's one of those things where you're lucky if you get your soulmate! Furthermore, the strings can (by player choice) actually swap around repeatedly, so your character could end up tied to one person all day or have to deal with being tied to five different ones through it!

For characters who don't know about the legend, there's a paper pinned to the wall by the door that explains it (at least, the actual legend, not the drunk-gods part). While the paper can be ripped up, it'll just regenerate a minute or two later.

And yes I purposefully picked the most inappropriate journal for this))

Comments

[fluffydeathdealer]

Oof-!

[A bundle of white and red hits the floor at the bottom of the stairs in a messed-up heap.]

[hyperhero]

Ow.... that hurt.

[Judai isn't even really sure which of them is on top or bottom or if they're just tangled in a really awkward position.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Heh... Forgot about the thread.

[It's a lie, but a casual one. Though disentangling himself from Judai is proving... diffcult.]

Jeez, this thread's even in my hair.

[hyperhero]

I thought it was a lot shorter than this...

[Just twist your leg like... OW OW okay, that did it. Separating from Bakura now!]

You okay?

[fluffydeathdealer]

It seems to grow longer when we're further apart. How weird...

[He picks himself up off the ground, awkwardly.]

Of course.

[And that's him off up the stairs again.]

[hyperhero]

[Wha--hey! No you don't!

Judai is right up the stairs after him. He's not losing if he can help it!]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[In much the same way, Bakura wasn't about to let Judai win easily. If he was going to, it'd be a challenge.

Up and up...

And out!

Who won?]

[hyperhero]

[It looks like...]

Aww, man!

[Bakura, but a head.]

Phoo! You got me!

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Bakura throws his head back and laughs. It isn't his usual sarcastic laugh, but a laugh of pure amusement. It's almost a happy laugh. Odd, isn't it? Seeing him happy.]

Too bad! But you know, I feel a lot better for it.

[hyperhero]

[Odd, maybe, but not a bad kind of odd. Judai flashes him a grin and a thumbs up.]

Heh! Maybe we should race around more!

[fluffydeathdealer]

[And he returns it, looking every inch an ordinary boy. It's only half an act. His mood has definitely lifted, despite the thread and the presence of Judai.]

Heh heh... I don't mind. But didn't you want to duel?

[hyperhero]

I meant after that, duh!

[Judai pushes himself up, stretching a little and grinning, holding up his duel disk.]

Let's do this Shadow Game thing!

[fluffydeathdealer]

Heh heh... Fine then!

[He lifts a hand, a flood of darkness covering the roof like a dome around them as the Duel Disk activates.]

Duel!

[hyperhero]

[Whoa. Well, there went the sun. Judai scratches his cheek a bit uncomfortably, but nods firmly, triggering his own disk.]

Duel! I'll go first!

[Six cards, and Judai scans his eyes over them. Hmm... not too bad a starting hand, but he could have done better.]

I'll set a couple reverse cards, then play a monster in defense! Your go!

[fluffydeathdealer]

[The lack of reaction astounds him. Even if Judai said he'd been in a game of darkness before, he has no Item to protect him. How, then, is he just tolerating this without a problem? The atmosphere alone should have earned more of a reaction than this.]

My turn! Draw card!

[Not terrible... He places a card face down.]

I'll set this reverse card! And also... I summon Zure, Knight of Dark World! I attack your facedown monster!

[hyperhero]

[Zure's attack flips Judai's monster... and Clayman catches the blade without a problem, booting the zombie in the face to make to back off.]

Sorry! You'll need someone tougher than that to get through Clayman!

[1800 ATK vs 2000 DEF. 200 damage to Bakura.]

Nice try, though!

[He grins, not even so much as sweating now.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Bakura grins back, though it's a more sharp grin.]

Too bad... turn end! Your turn, Judai!

[hyperhero]

[He doesn't seem to notice it, drawing another card and looking over what he has. Damn... not what he needed.]

I'll set this monster and end my turn there.

[Nothing to do but stall.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

My turn! Draw! I'll set this card in defense mode!

[His lips twitch into a smile.]

And...

[He plays a magic card.]

I activate Cursed Twin Dolls! Heh heh... Pick a box, Judai.

[hyperhero]

[Uh... what the hell kind of card is that?! Judai blinks, scratching his cheek and glancing between them. Uhhh...]

Sure?

[Winged Kuriboh peers from over Judai's shoulder and he glances to it, then looks back to the boxes.]

What do you think, partner? Which one?

[The spirit gives a worried chittering, looking between them and back to Judai, finally giving what sounds like a confirming noise.]

Got it! I'll take the black box!

[fluffydeathdealer]

Is that so...? This is one of my most precious cards... heh heh. Then I'll explain.

[The black box opens, Judai's half of the field becoming a mass of mist on the ground as well as the darkness above.]

The effect you choose is yours... the effect you didn't, becomes mine. The effect I gain is simply enough. The red box is a gift of life. Whenever a card is placed in either of our Graveyards, I'll gain 200 Life points.

But don't worry... Because you chose the box of 'death', you gained a good effect too! From now on, you have no graveyard, Judai Yuki! Your monsters can no longer pass on to the afterlife!

From now on, card effects can no longer kill your monsters, or remove your cards. Any monsters that die on your side will no longer be removed from the field. However, they will be unusable, save for counting as a monster you control. It's a curse of infinite existence...

Do you want me to explain a little more? Or should I show you the flaw in this curse by demonstration?

[hyperhero]

[Well that's... definitely an effect, yes it is. On the one hand, his monsters not being killed by effects and his cards not being able to be removed are good, but the fact that any he loses are unusable is very bad. Can he even revive them at all if they aren't gone?]

Uh. Explaining's good!

[Because for some reason he has a bad feeling about the whole thing.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

It's an interesting card, isn't it?

[A low chuckle.]

Without a graveyard to go to, the curse forces your dead monsters to stick around. While they cannot be targeted, attack or defend, they still count as monsters you control for any effects that require them. And since all of their effects are negated, and the effects of any spells, traps or card effects cannot target them, they're little more than dead weight. On top of that, since they no longer occupy a field zone, they'll be unable to protect you from direct attacks.

But, Judai... if you have the right cards, you can turn even that flaw into a victory. Consider it a challenge.

[hyperhero]

[The right cards, huh? Judai grins a little, the idea of a challenge smashing any of the confusion and unease he had at the idea of the card.]

Got it! I'll figure it out!

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Now, Judai Yuki... let me see how you handle this... With that thought, he returns the smile.]

Then, turn end!