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kiibx · 7 years

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What’s that? Completely break my own heart? WHY SURE- :D So while I can add in a hyper pupper without much issue, a depressed pupper is a bit harder… And I kindda dialed it back on his replies because I honestly have no idea how he’d really react to this, or what he’d say, or if he’d pick up on what she’s hiding. I mean, part of me feels like he’d stop fighting her and trying to distance himself so much from her after this but I’m not sure? @w@ Anyway ONTO THE HEARTACHE-

~~~~~~

“Go back to the dorms, Aoi.”

“Mm-mm. My place is right here beside you.”

“Why stay? It’s my fault… It’s better if you just go back, before you get hurt, too.”

Aoi lifted her face from her knees, peering over them at the teen fishing not more than five feet away from her. She couldn’t admit that his words had stung… What good would telling him that do? He was already emotionally distant, only letting her stay close by because she’d fought him on the matter; telling him how badly his request for her to leave his side stung was jut something that’d make him feel worse, and that was the last thing she wanted.

But she also couldn’t make herself scoot forward and snuggle into his side like usual, either. It hadn’t been that long since his battle with Yubel had resolved, a nasty fight that’d claimed the lives of nearly everyone, and especially those he held close to his heart. Just thinking of dying again terrified her… Going down calling out for him, reaching out, hoping he’d save her…

The familiar nightmares crept into the back of her mind, prompting the raven to shake her head quickly, pigtails flying with the movement. Thinking of those wasn’t going to help Jaden either!

So what would?

Aoi refocused her gaze on her best friend’s back, studying his hair, his form, everything she could about him for the umpteenth time since their return to their own dimension. His shoulders were slumped more than usual, fishing pole slightly visible from where she sat. His hair was even longer now; she still remembered the bubbly, happy boy all too well, letting her play with the then shorter strands because she’d been stressed out and kept fiddling with both it and his uniform jacket in an attempt to relax herself. Not that she minded longer hair on him, but that was neither here nor there.

This wasn’t her best friend. The Jaden she knew was a hyperactive puppy, always pulling her around the campus and through their various adventures by the hand. Winning her over with a simple smile that always left her more than willing to jump on board with anything he had in mind. A brave, impulsive kid who’d do anything for his friends-

Only… This was her pup now, wasn’t it? He’d done some horrible things, even she knew that. Things that would weigh on anybody’s soul. Not a single one of their group had come back from the other dimension unscathed, but it was Jaden who’d lost almost everything. Seen his friends die, found out who he truly was, killed others and couldn’t stop himself… She couldn’t blame him for breaking apart. Even the hardest heart would crumble under everything he’d lived through there.

So why did she stay? Even Chazz took the distance in stride; she was the only one to actively stick beside him as much as he’d allow her to, smiling like nothing had happened. She’d thought maybe acting like they used to might help… But in reality, she wasn’t the same Aoi anymore, either. She missed the adventures and the fun they’d had, but there was so much more to life now- so much more they had on the line every day. Three years ago, she’d only been interested in dueling, fashion, and getting closer to her best friends, but now…

Scooting across the rocky cliff, Aoi settled in beside him, keeping her eyes focused on the sea around their temporary home of the Academy’s island. Surprisingly, he didn’t pull away, but a glance from the corner of her eyes confirmed he wasn’t looking at her either… Fine by her. He didn’t need to be looking for this, just keep his ears open. “I wonder what kind of fish we have around here. I caught one two years ago, remember? I still don’t know what it was.”

No reply, the charmer duelist biting the tip of her tongue. This might be harder than she thought… How could she.. Ah, right-!

After a bit of reaching and fussing, she stuck a card underneath her friend’s nose, right in his line of sight and winning a confused blink. So he was listening – Good! “You gave me this, remember? Neos Alius- I’ve treasured him ever since you did.”

“…I’m not in the mood to duel, Aoi. Don’t… Don’t show me that.”

“I don’t want to duel you.” Good gods, no – Not after the hell he’d been forced to live through. But though she understood, she refused to stop, reaching behind him to flip open his own deck case and pluck another familiar card from it to show him, holding it side by side with Neos Alius. “Eria, the Water Charmer. Even if you don’t play her, she’s in your deck. A card I gave you, right?”

“Aoi-”

Finally, those familiar honey eyes glanced to her, though he barely lifted his head. The agony and distance in them killed her; just how far had he fallen while she’d tried to figure herself, and their new lives, out? “You asked me why I stay, Jay. Can’t you see my reason? It’s right here. You’ve treasured Eria as much as I treasure Neos Alius. I gave you Eria because I wanted to be beside you, supporting you, even if it wasn’t physically, though I never expected you to put her in your deck- The fact you did…”

“…Do you have to talk about dueling?”

“That’s not my point. I stay because… Because you’re my best friend. Because you mean the world to me. Because I’ll never let you fall – I swear to you, I’m always going to be right here beside you. I always have been through Eria. I don’t care if I get hurt-”

“I do!”

His grip tightened on the pole, tone briefly turning harsh, full of pain and fear. This time, she wasn’t about to shy away, slowly reaching a hand out to lay it atop his, lips curling into a soft smile. “I know you do. And I won’t get hurt, Jaden. But I’m also not going to leave you. For the last three years, you’ve been my sun, making my every day and my entire world brighter. I never expected to make such a wonderful friend here… And in three years, I got to know you. The Jaden in here - “ a pause to scoot forward slightly, just enough to press the fingertips of her other hand to his chest, over his heart, cards set down on her lap, “-and I got to know him really well. You let me in deep, Pup. So deep I stopped looking for the exit a long time ago. What happened there, everything you did… It wasn’t you. It wasn’t your fault.”

Another pause, his gaze turning down to their hands with it. “So there’s no way I’m going to step aside and leave you alone. As deep as you let me into your heart, you’re as much, if not deeper, into mine. You make my life complete, Jaden Yuki. You’re my closest friend. The only one I understand more than myself.”

Lifting her hand from his chest, she slipped it under his chin, gently guiding his head up and to the side, so she could meet his eyes with a warm gaze of her own. “If you fall, I will catch you. If I can’t stop you, I’ll cushion the blow, so you never hit rock bottom. If you crack, I’ll be here to fill it in. If you want silence, I’ll give you silence. But above all else, I will never leave you alone, do you hear me? I don’t care how long and twisted the road you walk is, I am going to walk it with you. You will never, ever be alone again, I vow that here and now on my very soul. No matter what happens I’m with you.”

“…Why do this?”

“Because you’re my best friend, and you mean the world to me.”

Because I love you. Four words that went completely unsaid, but no longer made the raven nervous. No longer did she feel that flustered need to bury the odd, growing feeling she had towards him, though she knew better than to say anything, especially when she was sure it was leaking into her words. But in love with him or not, it didn’t matter; she absolutely refused to leave the side of a man who’d never left hers and made her every day worthwhile.

Instead, she tilted her head, gently bumping her forehead against his. She loved him. He was in no place to hear it, and she doubted he ever would be, though she couldn’t deny it… But could drag a rock over it and leave it buried for the time being. As long as he let her stand beside him, she’d be content. “Like Eria to Neos Alius, I’ll always be at your side, for the good and the bad.”

Forever.

#【𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌】{Elementshipping}#{{This still hurts but I still love it ;;#submission #Getyouraoion

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getyouraoion · 6 years

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🍊 🍌

Munday meme~

🍊 - What are your favourite genres of threads? Fluff? Angst? Etc

I’m a sucker for fluff, of course XD It doesn’t have to be romantic fluff- *eyes Elementshipping* I mean- XD But no, all kidding aside there, I love fluff of all kinds, from romantic to just two friends having a good time, like Aoi’s threads with Yuya and Yugo. Thanks to @kiibx and @riseofthephoenixfallofdestiny, I’m down for a really good angst thread, too, and even have a couple of verses based for/in it (Wings Made to Fly has become a huge angst and pain fest, Into The Darkness exists for the off-chance Aoi ever meets a Haou/Supreme King, Water Power is set up for a ton of it….).

I love things like a good confrontation though if it comes to angst, like confronting Aster and the current Aoi protecting Yuya thread. But I do absolutely suck at fight scenes- XD Lighthearted things are more where my skills lay, with a dash of serious and ow. XD And none of this made a lick of sense, did it? XD

🍌 - What drew you into the fandom in the first place?

More like WHO I say as a song from my Elementshipping playlist comes on Pandora, hello irony as deep. I used to rp with specifically someone still very close to me before that, tho, in DM- But last summer, @kiibx‘s mun, My Twin and a very dear and close friend, came to me and declared “I might be picking up a Jaden muse”.

Now I’d already been messing a little in the fandom with @blackthvnder, as well as her Yuma muse with one of the muses on my main (Sera), but when my Twin mentioned Jaden the two of them dragged me down into GX hell, with @riseofthephoenixfallofdestiny joining them in that shortly after. XD I’d already loved GX, but I never finished it - I got up to the Shadow Riders before things irl started going downhill, an then a few episodes here and there. Thanks to them, I fell in love with GX all over again and I’ve not been able to get out since. XD All of this, how Aoi’s grown to the surprising relationships she has, is because of them.

It’s also because of them I’ve been dragged into ARC-V, too XD I love all three of them for this

#seamtorn #ooc #Out of Charm #I might blame them for dragging me in but man do I love it to death XD #This is one of my favorite blogs to be on <3 #Everything that's happened here; all these bonds Aoi's formed-#They stun me every day <3 And I love it so much <3

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toastnekohime · 6 years

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Part seven of a 2018 Camp NaNoWriMo Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Elementshipping novel. Based on rp’s between myself ( @getyouraoion ) and my amazing, precious Twin’s Jaden ( @kiibx ), By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat tells the story of how Aoi and Jaden met at Duel Academy and formed their incredibly tight friendship, eventually falling into a relationship, and how they handle the various threats thrown at them over their three years of schooling.

There are currently no triggers, but should any arise, they will be tagged.

STILL IN PROGRESS. Please forgive any typos you may find~

Tagging @starisia, as this wouldn’t exist without my wonderful Twin <3

Summary:

Duel Academy is the place to be, the dream school for many kids. Be it through intense studying, duel prep schools, scholarships, or being rich enough to buy their way in, most kids have had their sights set on it for a long time, knowing it to be the perfect place to start towards a career as a professional duelist. Someone has to Dethrone Yugi and take the title of King of Games, and everyone wants a shot!

Except that is, for Aoi Sakazaki.

Falling in love with Duel Monsters when her father bought her several cards in her childhood, she makes the choice to try her hand at the entrance exams, despite having no idea what she wants to do with her life… And just barely squeaks her way in. Her poor exams scores, combined with even poorer grades, land her a solid spot in the Academy’s Slifer Red dorm - The lowest of the low, where students are almost expected to drop out if they don’t advance to Ra Yellow or Obelisk Blue, first.

The rank comes with the rest of the school looking down on them, as well as the worst lodging the furthest distance from the main campus and fewest privileges compared to the other dorms. But it also brings a surprise friend in fellow Slifer student Jaden Yuki, who seems to have absolutely no problem with the hand they’ve been dealt.

It’s not long before Aoi and Jaden find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of an adventure, dealing with exams, classes, ‘evil’ teachers, and somehow still finding enough time to explore the island they now call home. But living on Academy Island isn’t all fun and games; shortly after their schooling begins, things around their home begin to change, and rarely for the better.

Neither friend has any idea what lies in wait for them in the next three years… But is it an adventure they’ll be able to tackle together, or will it end their time at the school - and them - before it’s even begun?

It’s time to put their skills where their mouths are and find out!

By the time Aoi returned to her dorm room, curfew had long since come and gone. Honestly, she hadn't even known they had a curfew until Banner had stuck his head into Jaden's room to point it out, kind enough to not get angry at them for breaking a dorm rule, though still stern enough to remind them they were breaking it regardless. How were they supposed to know being in each others' room between 10:30 at night and 6 in the morning was off limits? She'd never cared about it before, let alone had a male friend!

Though she'd not expected her roommates to still be up, an attempt to quietly slip into her room bringing a stare of blue and grey from the top bunk. A stare that made her jump once she'd turned around, the two boy-crazy duelists reminding her more of lions stalking their prey than actual teenage girls with the way the peered at her from the edge of Kassidy's bunk. “You're back late. Did you find something interesting to do?”

“...Kindda.” She wasn't about to tell them of her new friendship with Jaden or the fact she'd spent the day with him, tucking her binder under her arm as she reached down to undo the straps on her boots and kick them off. The last thing he needed was the two of them all over him like white on rice! “Had a duel, went f' a walk. It's nice out here – Quiet an' got some good scenery.”

“With your cards?”

She glanced down to the binder in question. Not a bit of it was a lie; she had dueled Jaden, and they had gone for a walk after dinner, mostly just circling around the dorm while chatting They'd just gone back to his room to talk and play a game afterwards while his roommates were still out, enjoying the afternoon and evening to themselves. Of course, between Syrus and their other roommate, Chumley, returning and Banner's reminder of curfew, she'd been uneasy enough to leave.. But at least it'd been fun, right?

Stepping around the corner, Aoi tugged open the door to their closet, drawer following so she could slide the thick and stuffed book into it. With her bunk in the middle, she didn't exactly have an 'under the bed' to keep her collection, and under her pillow just made it lumpy. “S' what? I dueled a friend. We traded.” That was a lie.

And it was a lie her roommates picked up on rather quickly, sharing a glance before Mia sat up, giving her a better look at the curlers in her auburn hair. “A male friend? Because I'm not seeing new cards. I'm seeing a glow- you're happy. Something more happened.”

The matter-of-fact tone had Aoi fighting the urge to roll her eyes. “I told y', I dueled a friend an' traded some cards.”

“Male friend.”

“Mia. Includin' us, there's six girls in this dorm. Dunno how many in Ra, an' dozens in Obelisk. Kindda goes without sayin' it's a boy.” Sighing she shrugged out of her vest and grabbed a hanger to slide it onto. “An' n', I'm n' introducin' y'.”

That was the breaking point, it seemed, a huff following her refusal. Honestly, what was it with these two and wanting dates? “Hey... What kindda decks y' two play, anyway? Y' never talk 'bout classes.” It was always boys and makeup, and while she could stand the makeup talk, they were in a school for duelists. They hadn't needed to enroll if all they wanted was a date with a student.

“Prince charming,” came Kassidy's reply a second later, the blonde rolling onto her back and lifting a hand to examine her nails. If there was one thing she'd learned, it was that Kassidy was practically obsessed with her nails, changing their polish and design every few days and constantly admiring it while checking for chips and scuffs. This had to be the thousandth time since they'd arrived days earlier, though Aoi bit the tip of her tongue and tugged her shirt up and over her head, instead, swapping it out for the pale pink tanktop draped over the edge of her bunk.

By the time she'd switched from capris to shorts, Kassidy had examined all of two nails, rubbing out an invisible smudge from the third. She loved a good manicure as much as the next girl, but this was ridiculous! “Prince... Charmin'? Really?”

“Frogs.”

Her forehead connected with the edge of her bunk before she could stop herself, the light thud cocking Mia's eyebrow as she made her way down the ladder. “Frogs. Lemme guess- Y' kiss 'em, they're princes? C'mon, we're here t' duel!”

“And what, exactly, do you play that's so much better?” A petite hand reached out in passing, flicking the ends of one pigtail. The action won a small smile at least, her eyes following her roommate until she'd crawled into her own bed.

“Charmers.” She hadn't meant to let the pride she had in her new deck slip out, though to her relief, it wasn't much. Despite her loss to Jaden, she already loved the setup, tugging the belt free of her pants before tossing them aside. Sliding the attached deck case off, she slipped it under her pillow and tossed the belt aside next, briefly watching it sail through the air. “I run charmers. S' much better than frogs.”

One more, Mia huffed, though this time she couldn't see the other girl. Instead, she focused on untying the ribbons in her hair, the silky pink fabric easily slipping free of its bows. Setting each on her deck, she undid the clasp on the back of her matching choker, draping it over the light colored wood. As much as she loved her hairstyle, it felt surprisingly nice to have her hair down, a quick pass of her hairbrush through the raven locks further easing a light headache she'd barely noticed. Maybe the duel after spending yesterday adventuring was a little too much...

“Hand me that stick on my desk.”

“Orange stick, yeah?” Grabbing the small stick in question, Aoi pulled herself up to the top bunk, carefully balancing herself on the edge of Mia's to pass it to Kassidy. “What shade's that polish? Kindda looks like th' night sky.” A rich, deep amethyst shade, it caught the light and sparkled with embedded iridescent glitter, though not obnoxiously so. Every twist and turn of her hand made her nails sparkle more, obscured only by her other hand and the pointed stick she'd started using to clean out the space underneath them.

Without even looking at her, Kassidy rose both brows. “You know what this is called?”

“Mhm. I like getting' m' nails done. Usually did 'em with m' mom, an' nothin' really fancy, b' I d' like getting' spoiled, t'.”

“....Dark Magic. From the LeFaye line. If you want, I could do your nails for you. I'm sure you'd look good with small hearts on them-”

“E-Er... I'm good on that front, thanks.” Dark Magic... She'd have to see if she couldn't find a bottle next time she was in Domino, or at least write about it in her next letter home. For the time being, she was just happy to crawl into her bed, sliding underneath the already mussed blankets to curl up. When had the old mattress gotten so comfortable?

“You can borrow it, then.”

“Thanks. I've got a pretty blue y' might like in return.”

“You know who likes blue? Aki.”

Mia's chirp from bellow normally would've startled her, coming out of completely nowhere, though she was thankful for the wave of tiredness crashing into her. Jaden made everything more fun and exciting, but also exhausting; she'd sleep well for the first time since they'd started classes! “Mhm...”

“Aki's in yellow. Why would he like blue?”

“It's his favorite. He's so dreamy, Kas! That voice, those eyes-!”

“Dreamy is that upperclassman out on the pier- Right Aoi? Which one's dreamier?”

Groaning heavily, the raven shoved her head inside her pillow case. She didn't care who was 'dreamier', all she wanted was to sleep before her morning classes! Why did this have to be going on now?!

“See? The third year obelisk boy!”

“Aki!”

“Pillow, why aren't y' soundproof...” Why couldn't she just sleep on the roof-?!

#By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat #kiibx #starisia #blackthvnder #part seven #Elementshipping #More with the roommates-#Mia and Kassidy as such dorks #Aoi's already done with them tho XD

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toastnekohime · 6 years

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By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat

Part six of a 2018 Camp NaNoWriMo Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Elementshipping novel. Based on rp’s between myself ( @getyouraoion ) and my amazing, precious Twin’s Jaden ( @kiibx ), By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat tells the story of how Aoi and Jaden met at Duel Academy and formed their incredibly tight friendship, eventually falling into a relationship, and how they handle the various threats thrown at them over their three years of schooling.

There are currently no triggers, but should any arise, they will be tagged.

STILL IN PROGRESS. Please forgive any typos you may find~

Tagging @starisia, as this wouldn’t exist without my wonderful Twin <3

Summary:

Except that is, for Aoi Sakazaki.

It’s time to put their skills where their mouths are and find out!

Or be miserably left behind in the dust, that was, her legs still sore when she ducked out of her room and made her way down the balcony the following afternoon. It hurt to even walk, though there was no way she was missing this meeting, only releasing her iron grip on the thick binder hugged to her chest to knock on the door at the end.

The previous day's race had brought them to a stretch of beach on the island's southeastern side, water crystal clear and waves far more gentle than what usually hit the rocky cliff behind the Red dorm. With just about everyone exhausted after their first half a week of classes, they'd had the beach mostly to themselves... And like a couple of kids, settled for building a sandcastle until Syrus had caught up.

Sandcastles, jumping around in the surf, checking out the surf shack, nudging each other into waves, crab catching... By the time night had fallen, they'd done it all, Aoi and Jaden dripping wet from impromptu 'swims' in front of a campfire while Syrus took to scolding them and reminding if they got sick from swimming in the middle of October, they were on their own!

But it was a dose of normalcy, of happiness, she'd needed since coming to the academy. It'd been impossible to get too close to her roommates, and there was no way she could talk to Chazz the way she did Jaden, either. Even Syrus she was still guarded towards, keeping a fair bit of distance between them at all times, though he didn't seem to mind despite it all.

Jaden... There was something about him that just seemed to make it all melt away. All the stress, all the worries, her defensiveness and desire to keep her distance – Around him, she couldn't help but laugh and relax. His enthusiasm and grin made the day brighter, for sure, and in a place so determined and full of competition as Duel Academy, it was a breath of fresh air she hadn't known she'd needed until it'd nearly mowed her down – Litteraly.

Even when he opened the door, she could feel the tension melting off her shoulders, tight grip on her binder loosening slightly at the sight of that grin. Whatever it was about him, she didn't want it to ever change.”I though y' would b' out today, honestly.”

Jaden chuckled, stepping aside to let her in. “Nah. I can't feel my legs.” Closing the door behind her, he crossed the room to drop into a desk chair, a hand burying itself in his hair for a gentle scratch. Her laughter wasn't enough to make his grin fade, though it did get him to look up as she came closer after kicking off her shoes, pulling out another chair and setting her binder down on his desk. “What?”

“I can't feel mine either,” she managed out between laughs, sinking into her seat far slower than he had. “Calves, mostly. Y' run t' fast.”

“Need to stay quick on my feet. Can't avoid friends and waves otherwise, y'know.” His eyes practically sparkled, the tease enough to get her to reach out and ever so gently push at his knee. Touching him of her own free will was still slow going; nudges and pushes had been as far as she'd gone, still wary of being too physical with him.

Still, it wouldn't stop her from taking out her deck and flipping open the binder she'd brought. “This is m' entire collection, mister speedyfeet. I'm n' good with homework an' m' grades're 'bout as good as yours, b' I try an' keep this organized th' best I can.” Her fingers ran over the clear plastic sheets, cards set into each of the nine slots. “Monsters, spells, traps. In that order.”

“And a page of charmers,” he pointed out, lifting several of the pages for a look at what lie beneath. “Wait... Is this all of them?! You've got them all?!”

Aoi laughed, flipping over the pages herself. “Mhm. M' charmers are m' favorite. All it takes is one little flip, an' y' can grab a monster off y' opponent's field n' problem. An' then once y' got that, y' tribute 'em both f' th' next form, th' familiar-possesed charmers. They work out a lot better then.”

“Mm, still level fours.” Placing a finger one a copy of Raging Eria, he reached over for the deck set down nearby with his other hand, spreading it out on the desk and nudging out both Eria the Water Charmer and Familiar-Possesed Eria. “See? You don't need the tribute.”

She laid a hand over his, gently guiding the pointing finger to Familiar-Possesed Aussa, letting it rest over the effect text there. “Look again. I don't need it, n', b' doin' it that way? There's extra damage t' b' dealt. Th' tribute grants them piercing damage. An' with an 1850 attack... Could d' some good damage.”

He nodded, glancing between the binder and spread out deck. Though he was still smiling, the look in his eyes had changed; he was more serious, focused, so much unlike the boy she saw in class. As if there was something that just clicked mentally whenever he looked at their cards. “I've never seen 'em myself, but I've heard of the charmers. Attack's good... Your favorites?”

“They are. See-” She paused, the hand still holding his lifting so she could flip the page, “they have three forms, matchin' traps, an' three of 'em have familiars t' match their second form: Jigabyte, Inari Fire, an'...” A groan. “Nefarious Archfiend Eater of Nefariousness.”

The returned laughter brought her grin back. It wasn't her fault Aussa had a weirdly named familiar! “That's why they're all here. Er.. Except f' Eria. She's m' favorite above 'em all.”

“Then we keep Eria.” The moment she released his hand, he set about sliding several other charmers free, pushing them and the water magician up higher on the desk. “Here- It's your deck. What do ya wanna save from this one?”

“Eria... An' this...”

“You sure? What about this one?”

“Mmm... Nah, that one. N' Jigabyte, either. I have an idea. What about this one? Think it could work?”

“Pfft- It could- You've got a better idea going now, huh?”

“Yep- All 'cause y' pointed it out.”

An idea, that was, that would take them both the majority of the afternoon to execute. The sun had begun to set by the time Aoi leaned back in her chair, hugging her new deck to her chest; why hadn't they done this sooner?! “It's perfect! Ah, Jay, y' th' best f' this!”

Both teens paused, sharing a surprised glance. Had.. She just called him Jay? The hours hadn't been just deck talk either, jokes and vague stories of their pasts worked in between cards. He knew her father worked for the power company back home and had bought her Eria, and she knew he'd spent a lot of time dueling with the neighborhood kids in his hometown... And with little, smaller tidbits added in, it'd clearly led to... What, exactly?

Jaden's lips spread into a slow forming but broad grin first. “Hey, no worries- It's a cool nickname! But y'know what would be even cooler?”

“I'm gonna read y' mind an' say a duel.” She laughed, flipping the cover of her binder closed. “Depends. What time is it? 'cause I'm getting' hungry an' Professor Banner's cookin' is amazin'. M' stomach beats out a duel any day.”

As her deck found its way to her lap, his PDA came up from the pouch on his belt, the hem of his shirt tugged aside enough that she could see it. Her own was usually shoved in her pocket; maybe the school's store would have something similar? A holder would certainly come in handy rather than sitting on it every day! “...Six-thirty. Could probably get one in – Though I'm with you! Never miss a meal around here!”

“Tell m' 'bout it.” The tease was soft and gentle, widening her own smile at the sight of his nonchalant shrug. “What can I say, I'm a growing boy-”

“Y' got th' same endless stomach I d' is what y' are.”

“Heeey, no fair-”

“Wanna get back at m'? Get y' duel disk an' let's g'! I jus' gotta grab mine from m' room- Meet y' b' th' stairs?”

“Deal.”

All but bouncing out of her chair, Aoi sipped her deck back into it's case; while it wouldn't stay there for long, it was better than accidentally dropping it while she tugged her boots on, making it a point to do so while leaning against the wall by the sink. The angle gave her a chance to watch him prepare, too, shrugging out of his uniform jacket and tying it around his waist. She'd never seen him without the blazer before...

Making sure the colored tongues of her shoes were straight, she stuck her tongue out at him and ducked out the door. She could always go back for her binder later, but for now she needed to get past her roommates and ignore the challenge called out by her friend for teasing him. She'd already agreed, what was the point of a formal challenge, anyway? If she'd agreed, it wasn't needed – Except for the dramatics of it, which she was quickly learning came easily in their newfound friendship.

Thankfully, it took all of three seconds to sneak past Kassidy and Mia and grab her duel disk from beside the sink before she was out again, sliding the device onto her arm. The familiar feeling of the wide metal band slowly tightening around her arm was almost comforting, relaxing; why was it just the idea of a duel of late eased a lot of tension? Taking her deck from the case and sliding it into the disk's slot ranked up there with it, the click of the band settling into place and deck held tight in the device's grip bringing a smile to her lips.

“Having fun without me?” Jaden questioned, stepping out of his room with a quick tug to close the creaky door behind him. Blazer still tied around his waist, he'd donned his own disk, deck already set and a wide grin on his lips. If she didn't know better, she'd think him a three year old on his way to the candy store, not a 15 year old headed out to duel!

She waited until he'd joined her to turn, the pair making their way down the balcony together. It was amazing how much more comfortable it was to have someone to talk to! “N' way. Y'know... Nothin' on this island's as fun as y' make it. Y' even made a walk t' th' beach fun.”

He bowed his head with a broad grin, gesturing to let her down the stairs first, to which she bowed in return with a laugh. “You've never had fun at the beach before? C'mon, Aoi, you make it sound like nothing's fun here!”

“It's n'. All th' studyin' an' th' homework... I fell asleep on that Spell Theories paper we had t' write. Pretty sure drool doesn't count as a theory.”

“...We had a paper?”

“Jaden!”

His grin faded into a sheepish smile, then a laugh shared between them, honey meeting green-blue. Settling his hands behind his head, he took up the lead, guiding her down the slope towards the cliff bellow. The red dorm had the fewest privileges of all the dorms, students even looked down on to the point of being expected to drop out, yet they had the best place to duel – a small, rocky bit of cliff the waves constantly crashed against, and this afternoon was no different.

“Gotta admit, this view's the best on the island,” Jaden blurted after a few moments, stopping by the line of large rocks making up a bit of a barrier on the cliff's edge. The breeze ruffled his hair, hands finally coming out from behind his head, smile falling to one of contentment and peace. “'Specially from our dorm. Yellow and blue don't get anything like this, I bet.”

Aoi sighed, biting the tip of her tongue right after. There it was, the reason he kept dragging people in; his boyish charm and optimism knew absolutely no bounds, the desire to see others happy and smiling as wide as he did harder to stop than a cockroach. He could bring in even the coldest, hardest soul and make them smile, of that she had no doubt... And she now suspected that smile had caught her a month earlier, when she'd first seen him at the exams.

“I wouldn't doubt it. They're nowhere near th' sea like we are – I mean, blue's got th' lake, right? They... would... Jay?” Just mention of the lake had turned his sunkissed cheeks a pale shade of red, stance shifting to reflect his sudden sheepishness. What in the world could've been wrong with mentioning the lake? It wasn't that far away and- Oh, for goodness sake, it was a lake! “Y' got issues with th' lake? I know y' can swim, s' what's wrong?”

All he did was shake his head, pressing his lips tightly together. The gesture was enough to make her laugh, but not eliminate her concern; what could've happened between him and the lake that would result in this? Everyone on the island already knew how he'd happily tell a story if it meant getting a smile or helping someone out, but this was a little on the ridiculous side, wasn't it?

A second later, he turned to face her, arm raised to show off his duel disk. “It's nothin', I promise. We came out here for a duel, right? Time to get your game on, Aoi!”

“M' game's always on, Jay, jus' y' wait!” A quick movement of her arm to match his activated both duel disks, the electronics starting up enough to get her even more excited than she had been before. Several large steps put a decent amount of space between them, fingers all too used to the routine quickly drawing their starting hands, plus an extra for the barely quicker raven. “Ladies first- M' draw!”

This was already going to be easier said than done, and she knew it. She'd at least drawn a monster she wanted in her first go, but the rest wasn't quite as helpful... Pulling a card from her hand, she set it down on the disk, grinning at the charmer that appeared. “Aussa th' Earth Charmer, in attack mode! An' I'll set a face down,” a pause, sliding another card into the spell and trap zone, the hologram of the set card appearing between her and the brunette monster, “an' it's y' g', Jay!”

Aussa's 500 attack wouldn't get her too far, a thought that hit her harder than an 18-wheeler once her friend grinned at his hand. She knew his deck; full of elemental heroes, it was a challenge to anyone who faced it, with him being currently unbeaten on the island. Just like she knew he'd get rid of her face down – a tactic confirmed a second later when he held out a spell to show her before sliding it into his disk, the larger hologram easier to see.

“Mystical Space Typhoon destroys your face down! I helped you build that, I'm not risking it!” His chuckle was the only thing she could hear over the winds, sharp gusts forcing her arms up to shield herself and cutting through her set spell. That wasn't good... Book of Taiyou's effect would've needed some specific timing, but she'd hoped to protect Aussa by using it to flip his monster face down. Without it, she was defenseless, waiting for the gusts to ease before removing the card and sliding it into her disk's graveyard, with Jaden following suit a second later.

And he wasn't done, either, slapping a monster down before she could even try to guess what he held. “Elemental Hero Burstinatrix! Sorry, but I've gotta take down that charmer of yours – Attack Aussa with Flare Storm!”

She barely had a chance to shield herself from the heroine's flames, focusing instead on the life point counter on her disk ticking down. The drop to 3300 was one she could easily say she'd expected, mumbling an apology to Aussa while sending her card to the grave. It was still a new deck, one she was still learning, and things like that were going to happen, especially against the top duelist of the Slifer Red dorm. “Y' n' gonna get away with that one!”

Still completely at ease, her friend shrugged his shoulders, practically beaming. “Then c'mon, it's your draw! Show me what you've got!”

Why was he so bright and happy? Just like when they'd been building her deck, the spark in his eyes was less 'Slifer Slacker' and slightly more serious, focused – and overall like a kid with a brand new bunch of balloons. She couldn't say it wasn't cute, either, his clear excitement putting her at ease with her next draw. “Y' got it! I hope y' ready f' this one!”

Her eyes widened a fracture at the sight of her drawn card; if he wanted to see her best, he was about to get it! “I'm settin' two cards and throwin' down a monster in defense mode. Y' might have helped m' build this, b' I don't think y' gonna guess what I have in store f' y'!”

“Why would I want to?” He paused, two fingers set on his deck. “This duel's a blast! If I knew what was coming it wouldn't be any fun!”

“...Y' th' biggest dork I know.”

“I'm gonna take that as a compliment-”

“It was one, s' good.”

Any confusion he'd shown melted away with his draw. His stance shifted just slightly, showing more confidence than before, though she wasn't quite sure how that was even possible – Either he'd drawn something good or he was bluffing to throw her off... And worse, she was ready to believe a bluff that good!

“I'll throw down a face down myself, and summon Elemental Hero Avian!” The winds whipped up again with the hero's appearance on the field, but it was the face down card that appeared seconds before him that had her attention. For all she knew it was Polymerazation, though if it was, wouldn't he have used it already? To be fair, with a spell and trap left in her hand, she should've played her own, and.. Hmm...

So lost in her thoughts, she nearly missed the movement of his arm, a dramatic sweep to point at her face down monster. “Go, Brustinatrix! Attack that face down!”

In return, she lifted her own, one of her cards raising with it to reveal her trap. “An' I'm activatin' Unpossessed in return! On top that...” Aoi grinned; he'd fallen into her trap, the hologram of her monster flipping in reply to Burtinatrix's attack and bringing with it another charmer, hiding behind her staff and deflecting the fire thrown at her. It couldn't have worked out any more perfect! “Meet Hiita th' Fire Charmer! Her 1500 defense beats out Burstinatix's 1200 attack, s' y' get 300 damage from it!”

It wasn't the grand attack she'd wanted to, but there was something about seeing him take the hit that did wonders for her confidence. She'd actually dealt damage to their dorm's ace – and it she had her way, it wasn't the only damage he'd take, either! “An' that's n' all, Jay – Flippin' Hiita activates her effect! She grabs Burstinatrix from y' field and brings her over t' mine!”

Even with the distance between them, she could tell his eyes were on her rather than Hiita's grin, or Burstinatrix switching sides, slowly floating down to a stop beside the spellcaster. That feeling of being watched sent a shiver down her spine, but... Were his lips moving? Was he talking to himself? They were the only ones there - “My turn's over, then. That's a pretty good move there.”

“Thanks. Y' b' amazed what y' learn from listenin' t' y' friend durin' deck buildin'.” Whatever that had been, she wasn't going to question it, drawing her next card... And bursting out into laughter right after. “Remember when I first got t' y' room? An' I had t' tell y' 'bout th' charmers?”

His expression fell, shoulders sagging some. “You didn't-”

“I did! I'm tributin' Burstinatrix an' Hiita t' special summon her more powerful form, Familiar-Possesed Hiita! An' t' top that off, I'm activatin' m' other face down, Brain Control! This lets m' take y' Avian, t', f' this turn only!” With the continued slumping of her friend's shoulders, Burtinatrix faded from the field, leaving behind a rush of flames to consume the charmer. By the time Avian had switched sides, the fire had rolled away to reveal the far more powerful Hiita, twirling her staff around as an entrance. The perfect entrance, in her opinion, stifling a giggle with a lightly closed fist at his clear pout.

Like before, he was back to grinning and confident in no more than a heartbeat. “Attack?”

“Attack, definitely! Hiita, Inferno Rage! An' Avian, follow it up!” But this time, the attack was less satisfying, even if it did still give another confidence boost. Watching him shield himself from Avian's quills was one thing, but Hiita never held anything back, launching an oversized ball of fire at him. The connection forced him down to one knee, rubbing at the chest where the brunt of it hit in a reminder that though they were just holograms, the technology had advanced enough since the days of the Battle City tournament years ago, now coming just solid enough for the duelists to feel some of the damage they took.

And it didn't matter if Jaden was her opponent for the time being, he was still her friend. Hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do, concern hitting her hard at the sight of his shoulders trembling. “Hey- Y' okay? Didn't t' hard, did it?”

With the end of her turn, Avian returned to his side of the field, bringing with him the faint sound of laughter. Well, that explained the shaking shoulders... “I'm fine! Didn't expect that- This duel just got a lot more fun!”

Nuts. The kid was nuts.

His next draw had her shaking her head, more than amused; was there anything that could bring down the energetic boy before her? Even down to 850 life points compared to her 3300, he didn't seem fazed in the least-

“Now you're gonna meet one of my best heroes! I'm activating Polymerazation, fusing the Sparkman and Clayman in my hand!”

Though that could be why, Aoi realized, turning her attention from the brunette to the clouds and thunder rolling in above them. If that wasn't enough to make her nervous, the giant that descended from the storm was, the sparks coming off his hands and body the perfect match for Jaden's brilliant smile. “Aoi, meet Elemental Hero Thunder Giant! Hiita, too- 'Cause when he's summoned, his effect activates! It destroys one monster on the field whose original attack points are lower than his! Thunder Giant, blow Hiita away with Static Blast!”

“Kindda good thing I'm n' afraid of thunderstorms, huh?” Enough so that she only flinched with the loss of Hiita, Thunder Giant's electricity zapping the spellcaster like a lightning bolt in the midst of a real storm. “B' y' forgot 'bout m' trap!”

“What about it?”

“B' destroyin' one of m' monsters, once per turn I can replace 'em with a spellcaster from m' deck, s' long as it's of a different attribute an' has 1500 or less defense! An' since all I can d' is play defensively, I'm gonna summon out Gemini Elf in defense!”

As if on command, the requested card popped out from her deck, letting her switch Hiita for her replacement. The twins weren't exactly the sight she wanted to see, but at least they were a shield between herself and Thunder Giant-

“Avian, attack Gemini Elf! Thunder Giant's Voltic Thunder's coming right for ya, next!”

Not for long, anyway, her elf gone mere seconds before the lightning followed. That she could do without in the future, the attack reminding her just how hard the monsters could actually hit – and how realistic it could feel in some cases, knocking the wind from her and leaving her knees trembling. It was a reaction that passed rather quickly, but it was still frustrating none the less, especially knowing it'd dropped her down to 900, just 50 points higher than Jaden.

Pulling another card from her deck, she barely gave it a glance before throwing it down on her disk, following it up with another spell. “Last ditch effort- I'm summonin' m' favorite, Familiar-Possesed Eria! An' with her is Magician's Right Hand- as long as this's in play an' I have a spellcaster on m' field, y' can't use spells! Eria, attack Avian!”

“Sorry, can't let you! My face down activates- Hero Barrier!”

How had she forgotten about that? Eria's wave formed from the tip of her staff, spreading and growing as it raced across the field, just to disperse on hitting the barrier protecting Avian. She'd been banking on his face down being a spell, not something that could protect his heroes from attack. And as long as she only had her one monster, she couldn't even try again, waving a hand to Jaden with a slight bow. “Then it's y' move. An' speakin' of moves, that was a good one.”

“Thanks, I try.”

Their shared laugh at least made things even better, her eyes drifting closed. “'M sorry, Eria. I kindda failed y' this time.” And it meant she didn't have to see Thunder Giant destroying her favorite monster on his duelist's call, or watch Avian follow it with his attack, though not knowing when the quills would hit made the sting that much worse. Letting the pain roll off as fast as it'd hit, Aoi sunk to the ground, sighing softly and turning her gaze back up to her companion just in time to see him point with two fingers and grin, lips parting for the now familiar call of “That's game~!”

Slowly, her duel disk deactivated, the cards sitting in the graveyard ejected and carefully removed before the disk itself returned to standby mode. A loss was to be expected when testing a new deck, sure, but... A loss was still, and always would be, a bummer.

“You okay? Here.”

Jaden's voice pulled her attention away from her deck, cards returned to it, just to stare at his by now familiar red boots. Green-blue followed the curve of them to his jeans, then further up to his wast, stomach, chest... And finally the warm smile he wore, hand extended to help her up. “That was a seriously sweet match! We've gotta do that again!”

This time, placing her hand in his lacked the usual awkwardness she normally felt, replacing itself with warmth. Warmth from a friend, from his smile, the easy and careful way he helped her up, having an opponent who respected her, knowing he meant every word of his praise – she couldn't find the source of it, but it was by far nicer than the wariness she'd always felt around others. “Y' want a rematch? M' charmers're n' match f' y' heroes, y'know.”

“You kidding? I thought you had me with Hiita! I just got lucky with Polymerazation-” He paused, his stomach growling just loud enough to interrupt him and make her fight to hold back laughter. “Maybe we can get that rematch after dinner.”

“I'd say y' thinkin' with y' stomach, b' t' b' honest, I am t'. Dueling really makes y' hungry, huh?” She gave his hand a little tug before releasing it, turning for the slope they'd taken earlier. As adorable as his pale pink tinted cheeks were, she didn't feel the need to comment on it, especially not when they were both clearly starving! “C'mon. Let's get some food in y'.”

In a heartbeat, the brunette was right beside her, sniffing at the air. Gods above, did he ever remind her of a puppy sometimes! “I think I smell soy sauce- And fish! There's always fish! Er.. No wait, it's pineapple- ...Peas?”

“...Fried rice?”

“Nah. Banner's specialty is fish. I think.”

“Right now I'd probably eat a horse.”

“Not alone you're not! I'm hungry too!”

“An' y' sniffin' th' air like a dog! I can tell y' are!”

Jaden laughed, nudging her side with an elbow. “Pigs don't do that?” he teased, running ahead to avoid the playful swat she aimed at his head. “Gotta try harder than that! C'mon, Aoi, we've gotta get our dinner on!”

She shook her head, pace picking up to a jog. He had a point, and dinner did smell good, so... “What're we bein' s' slow f'? Dinner waits f' n' puppy!”

#By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat #starisia #kiibx #blackthvnder #elementshipping #Part Six #I don't like writing out duels #They're too long and difficult to make interesting #But a longish part with one regardless!#And a bunch of cute dork friends #Because Aoi and Jay are adorkable seriously <3

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toastnekohime · 6 years

Text

By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat

Part five of a 2018 Camp NaNoWriMo Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Elementshipping novel. Based on rp’s between myself ( @getyouraoion ) and my amazing, precious Twin’s Jaden ( @kiibx ), By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat tells the story of how Aoi and Jaden met at Duel Academy and formed their incredibly tight friendship, eventually falling into a relationship, and how they handle the various threats thrown at them over their three years of schooling.

There are currently no triggers, but should any arise, they will be tagged.

STILL IN PROGRESS. Please forgive any typos you may find~

Tagging @starisia, as this wouldn’t exist without my wonderful Twin <3

Summary:

Except that is, for Aoi Sakazaki.

It’s time to put their skills where their mouths are and find out!

It took a day longer than she'd expected to finish her new uniform, but by the third day of classes, she'd swapped out her red skirt for the more familiar comfort of capris, blazer cut into a comfortable vest over a lighter shirt. As nice as her boots had been, it felt so much better to be out of those heels and into a different, flatter pair of calf-high boots. And though the outfit had gotten some stares and mumbles, it, thankfully, hadn't yet gotten her in trouble.

And yet, it wasn't worry of possible trouble that had Aoi outside her room the morning of their first saturday on the island, but the need for air and peace. Her room still stunk of the perfume Mia had used the night before... For such a petite girl, she wore an awful lot of perfume – Enough to drown a cow, never mind the slender teen. It wouldn't have been so bad if the scent was lighter, kinder to the nose, but a heavy dose of lilac and 'sunshine' definitely didn't help.

At least being outside helped ease the headache, the slight breeze coming off the sea more than refreshing. And it was quiet, to boot. Why was it a dorm with so few people still managed to be so loud? Music helped, although there was only so much it could do when the noise tried to drown it out in return.

Birds and waves crashing into the cliff behind the dorm was better for the time being, though she had to admit, she still missed her music—

Wait… That made no sense. Why was it so quiet?

“Last one there's a rotten fish!”

Pushing off the railing, Aoi tilted her head... Just to press herself back against it half a second later with a squeak of surprise, just barely avoiding a collision with a red blur that wasn't so lucky, stumbling over its own boots before finally catching itself. “Hey- Watch where y' go-”

“Hey sorry, I-”

Both comments came to a screeching halt, green-blue meeting long since familiar honey brown. She'd known he had a room on the second floor, but not that it was so close, or that he was even in it as often as it seemed he was... And for that matter, she couldn't even begin to remember where her voice had gone, or why she'd even stopped in the first place. “Y' couldda run m' over.”

Jaden gave a sheepish chuckle in return, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Didn't think there was anyone out here. Aren't ya usually in your room?”

“I'm n' sure how y' know that, b' n' today. Smells like a flower exploded.”

“...Flowers can explode?”

“Sniff m' door an' tell m', 'cause I'm pretty sure it's a scracth n' sniff card.”

To her surprise, the brunette laughed, relaxing as quickly as he'd barreled out of his room. Just hearing him laugh helped her relax as well, but the second he actually did step closer and jokingly scratch at the door, she'd taken an even larger step of her own back and away from him – and that was all it took to make him pause and give her a look like she'd just grown another head. “...Did I step on you or somethin'?”

“...N'. Jus'...” Just what? How did she explain she was uncomfortable with strangers? Or even more so with guys, and that he fell into both categories? The better question, though, was why she felt like she could tell him, shooting Syrus a glance as he finally joined them on the balcony. Maybe it was the fact he was still leaning over and inches from sniffing her door, or the dozens of times in the last few days they'd run into each other...

Whatever it was, it was enough to make her shake her head and tug at the tie of one of her pigtails. “I ah... Don't d' good with strangers. Or guys. Or any combination of 'em,”, she finally admitted, watching his confusion turn into a broad grin. Like always, his bright and sunny outlook seemed to make things easier, tugging slowing until she could finally bring her hands down and shove them into her pockets. “Sorry.”

“Hey, I'm not a stranger, I'm a Jaden! Jaden Yuki.”

“...Aoi Sakazaki.”

“See? No strangers here! We're goin' to check out the surf shop on the beach. Up for coming with?”

On one hand, she wanted to tell him no. Despite the introductions, he was still, technically, a stranger, and she had little interest in being any closer.

And yet on the other, there was something about his grin she couldn't say no to. His cheer was infectious, bringing back her smile in just seconds. It had to be better than sitting by a scratch and sniff door she swore was absorbing every bit of the perfume smell as it was, right? “I'm... N' sure...”

This time it was Syrus who smiled, slipping past her – careful not to get too close, something she'd later have to thank him for – and Jaden both for the steps. “It's gonna be an adventure! There's supposed to be a nice beach and the tide's out!”

“S' we could find some crabs?” The words were out before she could stop them, and by the time she realized she was even moving, she was halfway down the staircase, Jaden laughing behind her with his hands behind his head. “I haven't seen any yet. Have y'?”

“Heard frogs,” the brunette chirped, chuckling at the snort he got in reply as he came up to walk beside her, Syrus leading the trio towards the beach. “Nah. We've been all over, but haven't seen crabs yet. Why, you like crabs?”

“Jay... Girls don't like crabs...”

Aoi shook her head, though she knew Syrus couldn't see it or her smile for trying to derail the conversation, lest it get uncomfortable. “Small ones're cute, b' n' my favorites. That's pigs.”

The blunette tripped over his feet, Jaden slapping a hand over his mouth to try and hide the sputters before he broke down laughing. Was it really so surprising she'd like pigs? “Look here, they're cute an' like t' b' pet.”

“That's dogs, Aoi.”

“Pigs t'! Back home we've got a petting zoo with a big potbellied pig. He loves it when people pat him on th' head. Hair kindda reminds m' of another student's, t'...” She had to bite her tongue before Chazz's name came out. In the last few days, she'd run into the Obelisk four or five more times, each meeting falling into nothing but pure insults and sarcasm flung at one another. She'd come to find it fun, even, getting the chance to be as creative as possible while he kept coming back with the reminder she was nothing more than a 'Slifer Slacker'.

But if either of the boys wanted to ask, they made no indication of it, Jaden even catching her attention again with the most nonchalant shrug. “They're not bad. You don't play a pig deck, do ya? Though I bet that'd be somethin' to watch. A farm duel!”

Her next snort quickly turned into a laugh, winning her a look of surprise from both boys. Maybe these boys weren't so bad after all...? “Mm-mm. N' pig decks. I've got... Don't even have a theme, n' that I think 'bout it. Jus' m' favorite an' some backup.”

“Sounds like something fun to duel with! Hey, wanna see how your favorite is against my heroes?” he questioned, surprise quickly fading back into a smile, as always. She wasn't sure there was a second he could be anything but a ball of sunshine – And had they met for real at the exams, she was sure his cheeriness would've driven her crazy. Probably.

But even that wasn't enough to make her agree, head shaking as they followed the well-worn path towards the other side of the island. So he played a hero deck... “N' way, Jaden. Y' would cream m' in a second. I barely made it through th' entrance exams, an' definitely n' interested in getting' beat jus' yet.”

He seemed to take the rejection well, though she didn't miss the glimmer of disappointment in his eyes, hidden behind his usual grin. He was the kid who beat Dr. Crowler, famous among the school for that feat, or so she'd heard; why would she want to let Eria stretch her legs if all that awaited her was a hero punch to the face? And why did she feel the urge to say yes anyway when she knew he'd win in a single turn against her deck?

The brunette rolled his shoulders, the disappointment gone so fast she wondered if she'd imagined it. Either the idea of adventuring around the beach was enough to bring him back from it, or the sunlight was playing tricks on her... Whatever it was, she couldn't stop her own smile from pulling at her lips. “Maybe after I d' some tweakin'...?”

“Now you're talking my language! Need any help with it?”

“Considerin' I wouldn't know where t' start.... B' y' don't hafta.”

“Nah, it's totally fine. What's in your deck now?”

Her footsteps slowed, reaching behind her to flip open the case on her belt and pull her deck free. No more than half a second later, Jaden stopped with her, neither noticing Syrus continuing ahead without them. “Like I said, m' favorite,” she explained, passing the stack of cards to him as they came to a stop. “Eria th' Water Charmer an' Familiar-Possesed Eria. B' th' rest is jus' backup.”

And by the way he practically became the sun while he flipped through them, she could only imagine the plans he had in mind. “You've got a Luster Dragon in here? I've never seen one in person-! And there's an Aussa... Interested in help?”

“Y' really don't hafta-”

“Nope, I don't. But I want to. What's a friend for, right?”

Friend. They'd met all of possibly half an hour ago, and he already saw her a friend. Despite the fact she shouldn't have been surprised, she was, feeling her cheeks flush a bit. Again, if he noticed he didn't make any mention of it, rearranging her cards with Eria on top. “...Y' jus' met m'. How.. How can y' call m' a friend s' easily?”

“What, you need to know people forever to be friends?” His tone was light, lined with the barest hints of laughter. And when he gently took her hand, pressing her deck back into her palm, she couldn't find any reason to jump away from him. The defensive shell usually present whenever she was around others had melted off, leaving her to watch him run ahead a moment later, stop, and wave at her. “C'mon! Sy's already gone ahead!”

He had a point. What harm would there be in trusting him? He'd not given her a reason to keep her distance – yet, anyway – and even offered help... Her urge to keep away from him physically seemed to have fled, too, especially with how she was running ahead with a laugh to nudge his side. “Last one there's a rotten Mystic Tomato?”

Any surprise he'd had in her touch melted into a wicked grin, waiting for her to slide her deck into its case before replying. “More like does the others' homework for a day- and I'm gonna win that bet!” And in a flash he was off, Aoi giving a whine before following suit, quickly blowing past a startled Syrus. “Cheater!”

“Gotta keep up!”

“I plan on it!” she called back, barely three steps behind him with a laugh. Maybe having a friend in the boy wouldn't be so bad- Though she'd have to get used to his excitement, her gaze drifting to the ground under his feet. Jaden Yuki... Oh, how wrong she'd been at the exams. There was nothing weak about him- though he was easy to lose track of, raven ducking under a branch as their race hit the forest.

“Still back there?”

“Trust m', I'm gonna keep up with y' if it's th' last thing I d'!”

#By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat #starisia #kiibx #blackthvnder #Elementshipping #Part Five #Aoi and Jay finally meet for real <3 #I swear they're dorks agh #Precious butts XD #And a massive thank you to masqueradeandalice for helping with this part's proofing TwT <3 I owe you #<3 <3 <3 <3

0 notes

toastnekohime · 6 years

Text

By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat

Part four of a 2018 Camp NaNoWriMo Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Elementshipping novel. Based on rp’s between myself ( @getyouraoion ) and my amazing, precious Twin’s Jaden ( @kiibx ), By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat tells the story of how Aoi and Jaden met at Duel Academy and formed their incredibly tight friendship, eventually falling into a relationship, and how they handle the various threats thrown at them over their three years of schooling.

There are currently no triggers, but should any arise, they will be tagged.

STILL IN PROGRESS. Please forgive any typos you may find~

Tagging @starisia, as this wouldn’t exist without my wonderful Twin <3

Summary:

Except that is, for Aoi Sakazaki.

It’s time to put their skills where their mouths are and find out!

All it took was a minute of being inside the school itself to realize Kaiba had gone all out with his funding. The lobby was one grand room, elaborate and beautiful in nature. And containing nature, to boot, small gardens and even trees planted in raised flower beds underneath sections of the roof turned into skylights. Benches sat around each, students dotting the room and the less elaborate halls.

Without classes beginning for another day, the classrooms had proven to be empty- Save one, that was, containing the students who'd been on the helicopter, as well as a few others. All decked out in their uniforms, Aoi couldn't help but feel like a duclking waiting for the mother duck to show up on the massive screen on the wall, displaying the school's logo.

Leaning back, she took a glance at the line students behind her; aside from her, there were only two other girls, one in blue, the other yellow. Even among the boys, there were few who wore red; was it some kind of fashion statement or something? Why were the yellow and blue uniforms so popular? Even better, why were the boy's blue uniform blazers so fancy?

At least Syrus wore red, she noticed, facing front and finally spotting the boy in the front row. A slight lean to the left showed Jaden in a matching red blazer, head bowed and posture slumped, though she couldn't tell why from two rows behind them. They'd had a long flight... Maybe tired? Even if he'd slept through more than half of it, from what she could tell, skimming the rest of the group to find Bastion off to the other side in the row before her.

The screen finally flickered to life, the smiling face displayed one she instantly recognized from a picture in the lobby, prompting her to straighten up just a little more as his lips parted. “Good morning and welcome, my students! I'm Chancellor Sheppard, the headmaster here, and you are the best and brightest young duelists in the world.”

The sound of snoring caught her attention, the barest bit of a lean showing her a still slumped Jaden. Was... Was he actually asleep?!

“Now please, get yourselves settled in at your assigned dorms. I think you'll find them quite comfortable- Depending on how well you ranked, of course!” The laughter that followed had her pouting; what did he mean by 'ranked'? Whatever it was, the chancellor at least seemed kind, easing just a few more of her nerves. “Remember to pick up your PDAs on your way out, as well. They'll be your lifeline- You don't want to lose that!”

The dismissal right after was brief before the feed cut out, Aoi taking the chance to rub her temples while Syrus nudged at Jaden's side. These were her classmates... Confusing ones, too, given Jaden's ability to bolt by her at a dead run within just seconds of waking and being told what to do next. Still, it was hard not to smile, turning on her heel to follow after him once Syrus had passed by, too. Definitely wouldn't be routine schooling with them around, that was for sure.

The steps up to the doors would take some getting used to, reminding her of the university classrooms her father had told her about. For a moment, she caught herself wondering what his university had been like; was it as strict as Duel Academy? Uniforms? Where was it? She'd have to ask the next time they spoke, barely hearing the aide outside the classroom door ask for her name before handing her a PDA.

The bit of electronics had a decent weight in her hand, feeling much like the portable game console she'd packed away in one of her suitcases. Silvery grey in color, it had a stylus tucked into a slot at the top and a clear plastic panel serving as a cover. A cover she wouldn't open until she'd found her way out the school's front doors, either, not wanting to get lost on her first day.

Figuring out the menus meant she barely cast Bastion a glance when he passed by, slowly working out where to find her dorm assignment. Slifer Red... It explained the red of her uniform, at least, but then why was Bastion in yellow? Or the other kids in blue? Or Syrus sitting against one of the decorative stone carvings of duel monsters- Wait. If he was there, she doubted Jaden was far behind, though she could still muster her courage and try asking him for an explanation.

“Well now, let's see here... Yellow sleeves, yellow buttons... I don't think so,” Bastion remarked, his voice stopping her in her tracks. From where she stood, she could see a leg shift into view from the other side of the stone, clad in light grey pants; how had she known Jaden wouldn't be far from Syrus?

“So what?! Ever think I'm colorblind?”

“Well no, actually, I didn't. Are you colorblind?”

“Haha- Nah, but I couldda been.”

Yet again, she felt the need to rub her temples, barely managing to hide a smile. It figured that the bright sun that seemed to be Jaden couldn't stay irritated for long, waving at Bastion's back as he started to walk away. But his sense of humor... Cheesy, silly and something else all wrapped into one, she wasn't sure if she should laugh or groan, and instead turned her attention back to her PDA... Until the yellow clad male jerked a thumb over his shoulder, commenting on the direction their dorm was in.

So colors meant different buildings... That figured, too, though she had no interest in following the boys just yet. The deck case shoved underneath the back of her shirt had been digging into her skin since before the introduction, and all she wanted was to get her bag and stick it back in there until a better solution came up.

But a step down the walkway with her eyes still pinned on the PDA, searching for where her bag would be, came with very nearly colliding with another. Barely catching a glimpse of blue, she forced herself to a sudden stop, head lifting to find herself far too close and face to face with a raven-haired male flanked by two other students. Her surprise lasted for all of a moment before the defensive feeling jumped into its place, the red-clad teen quick to back off and put some space between them. “Watch where y' goin'. Or d' y' always run int' distracted girls?”

She hadn't meant to snap, but with the way he smirked, she had a feeling it didn't matter. “Look here, fresh Slacker meat, fresh off the boat. Get over yourself- If you think I even care about touching a Slifer Slacker, you've got another thing comin'.”

“Cocky. Mama raised y' real polite, huh?”

“I didn't say you could speak to me!”

“Didn't hafta. As long as I can move m' lips an' produce a sound, y' can deal with m'. N' why don't y' get over yourself?”

Dark eyes narrowed, his smirk going from cocky and sarcastic to downright furious. If he was trying to hide it, it wasn't working, she wanted to note, retreating into her own defensive 'shell' and readying herself for another onslaught of 'insults'. This was the kind of person she didn't really mind snarking at, especially when he snapped back and added fuel to the fire – reasons why she couldn't stand strangers.

“You've got a big mouth for a nothing. You wanna try that again?” His arms lifted, crossing over his chest. “Not worth my time.”

She could say the same for him, though bit her tongue on that one, grip tightening on her PDA. “Jerk-”

“Awww, is the widdle red upset? Gonna go cry to mommy 'cause the better man won?”

“At least m' hair doesn't look like a buzzsaw.”

His friends were on him in a heartbeat, holding him back and pleading with 'the Chazz' to take it easy as his insults in return became nothing more than a sputtering, angry mess. Taking that as her cue, Aoi stuck her tongue out, making a mental note of the name they were calling him and ducking around the three to flee. She'd thought things would be crazy with just Jaden... To be fair, though, if she never saw Chazz again, it'd be too soon!

Finally locating the pile of bags with the aid of the device in her hand, the new Slifer gabbed hers up and headed in the direction Bastion had earlier pointed out. The walk was quiet, at least once she'd left the main campus, and finally gave her a chance to breathe. So much had happened already, and it'd only been a few hours... Duel Academy was already nothing like she'd imagined it.

Tucking the PDA into her bag's front pocket beside her book, she slung it over her shoulder, studying the scenery around her. The island really was beautiful... She'd honestly thought the school would be somewhere else, accessible by car, or walking, and definitely not as colorful as it was. Instead, she got a sea of students in yellow, blue, and red, an island with the most mild weather ever for the middle of October, and a lot of red clothing coming her way, no doubt.

But it wasn't that bad, especially if she ignored Chazz. The Chancellor seemed nice, as did many of the staff members she'd either met or passed by already. And being a Slifer Red meant she'd be sharing a dorm with a kid who honestly reminded her of the sun rising in the morning, eager and bright and lighting up everything around him. Every time she thought he'd be somewhere else and unseen for the rest of the year, he kept getting placed right back in her path... And she wasn't really willing to fight it anymore. Besides, he made her smile – And nobody said they needed to be friends, after all.

Lost in her thoughts, the dorm came up faster than she'd expected for such a long walk, though the building was anything but what she'd though of. Bearing the red roof she'd seen from the harbor, she could spot every instance of peeling paint from where she stood, the entire exterior worn and in desperate need of a bit of TLC. “Kindda looks like a treehouse someone forgot 'bout,” she muttered, pulling her bag around her just long enough to check her PDA for her room number. Maybe it looked better on the inside...

Quickly realizing her room was on the second level, she took the steps two at a time, even pausing when one gave a creak darker and deeper than just being an old, creaky staircase. No wonder there were so few of them that she'd seen; nobody else would want to live in a place like this!

Thankfully, the steps held out without a problem, leaving her to make her way past two doors. The middle room, huh... Not a problem, though the doorknob squeaked a little when she turned it, a match for the equally as vocal door the second it started moving. 'A bit of TLC' might've been an understatement if even the doors complained.

The scent of nail polish hit her nose first and foremost,a familiar smell that gave rise to a pang of homesickness. She'd always loved it when her mother had helped her with her nails, making a big 'manicure day' of it, though she doubted what was going on was anything like that. And when a pair of blue eyes glanced up at her from one of the three connected desks lining the right wall, that thought was proven absolutely true.

She'd not expected roommates, though that had been stupid on her part. The other girl seemed harmless enough; light, almost ashy blonde hair pulled back into a high ponytail, pale skin, watching her while blowing on her nails.. Oh yeah. Definitely harmless, but it still wouldn't lower her urge to be defensive, anyway. “Sorry. Shouldda knocked- I'm y' roommate.”

The girl simply blew on her nails once more before leaning back in her chair. “Hey Mia, the third bunk's getting filled up after all.”

A second girl stuck her head around the ladder from the bottom bunk faster than anything, Aoi biting her tongue to keep from laughing at the thought of her as a meerkat, popping up out of nowhere-

“...6. Dated hairstyle, nails aren't done, uniform's not showing off enough.”

Though it was a desire that quickly faded, expression falling. Really? They were rating her appearance? Was this beauty school or Duel Academy? “...I'm fine jus' th' way I am, thanks. Name's Aoi.”

Mia crawled out from her bunk, tugging at her uniform once she was on her feet to fix what Aoi could only imagine were imaginary wrinkles. The only creases visible were from the fabric being folded, considering her own still bore the same. “I'm Mia, she's Kassidy.” She waved a hand at the blonde now blowing on the nails of her other hand, using the first to give a half-hearted attempt of a wave. “The middle bunk's open. You can have that one... Do you really wear your hair in pigtails like that all the time?”

She swallowed the urge to ask if Mia kept her auburn hair tied up in curlers all night for the light wave and curls she had going on like her grandmother usually did, choosing instead to close the door behind her and remove her backpack from her shoulder. “Mhm. I like m' pigtails,” she managed out, kicking off her boots and stepping fully into the room. It wasn't all that large, the beds and desks taking up most of the space, but it'd be enough for the three of them to live comfortably and not be constantly running into each other, at least.

Shoving her bag onto the middle bunk, she looked back to the door, ignoring the quick flash of by now familiar brunette hair passing by its small window. They had a sink and small stove, already decked out with a kettle and one cup, though she assumed there'd be more in the cabinets underneath. The doors to the right of it had been opened, too, one side containing a closet, complete with small drawers and just barely enough room for her clothes among those already hung up, the other nothing more than a toilet. At least they didn't need an outhouse for a middle of the night 'nature' run...

Only then did she realize Mia'd lost interest in her, turning to find the petite and pretty girl leaning against one of the desks, watching Kassidy carefully brush a layer of clear over her nails. “Did you see that Obelisk boy earlier? I think his name was Hideki...”

“The black haired one by the big tree? C'mon, Mia, everyone saw him. He's absolutely dreamy – nobody would want to look away. I didn't.”

“I wouldn't mind even five minutes alone with him~! I hear his father owns his own company. Cute and rich!”

By the time they'd both looked back to her, Aoi had taken to simply staring at them with a blank look. Just the thought of going on a date was unsettling... Not as much as actually being that close to a guy for 'fluffy' reasons, but unsettling all the same.

“What about you, Aoi? Anyone here catch your eye yet~?”

The question snapped her from her daze, unable to stop a slight shudder. “N' way. N' interested in a romance. I'm here t' duel, n' get close t' boys.” Lifting the back of her shirt some, she slipped her deck case out from where it'd been pressed into her back. If they wanted boys, that was their thing, but she had more important things to worry about.

“Oh, c'mon. There's gotta be someone. This island's filled with cute boys! So many dates to be had!”

Another shudder slipped free, though she covered that one with pulling a belt from her backpack and loosely wrapping it around her hips. The case slipped onto it, thin belt sliding through the loop on the back, and in no more than a few seconds, she had the buckle done up and case pushed behind her, where it belonged. Having her deck just made things feel a little.. Better, kindda. “Why d' I hafta b' interested? I'm n'. I'm workin' towards bein' a duelist.”

Thankfully, the girls shared a glance and a shrug just as she spotted her suitcases near the closet. Another quick root through her bag produced a small music player and earbuds, quick to pop the headphones into her ears and hit first the power button, then play. Her PDA had made mention of a welcome dinner for the dorm, but it wasn't for another two hours- just enough time to get unpacked and ignore the conversation at hand!

Or rather, enough time for her to completely forget the meaning of unpacking,one of two suitcases done while the second lay on the floor,half unpacked and the remaining contents a complete mess. Armed with a needle and thread from a travel sewing kit, Aoi had taken instead to cutting off the sleeves of the blazer left for her as promised, carefully hemming the arm holes to make a vest from it. She'd brought three sweatshirts of her own; it wasn't like she'd be cold.

A pair of black boots sat beside her while she worked, red magic marker resting on top of them while the freshly colored tongues dried. This idea would probably get her into trouble, but if Jaden could wear a t-shirt and light grey jeans with an open blazer when everyone else was mostly uniform with turtlenecks and dark pants, why couldn't she change up her uniform, too? As long as she wore her dorm's color, what was the problem? She had the sewing skills; it wasn't like she was going to look horrible with it!

She'd barely finished one arm hole when Kassidy plucked one of the small purple buds from her ear. “Hey. That dumb welcome dinner's starting in a few minutes. You coming?”

A glance at her PDA and the window said the other was right; the sun had nearly set in her distraction, 7 in the evening no more than a couple minutes away. And there was no way she was missing dinner when none of her group on the helicopter had gotten lunch, either, though she did lean away from Kassidy once she realized how close the other teen was. “Er.. Yeah. Never had lunch...”

“Great way to work on your figure-”

“N' really.” Setting aside her work, Aoi forced herself to her feet, ignoring the aches of having sat in one position for far too long. She'd had the perfect platform to work on between her lap and suitcase, though instantly regretted it on the first step towards her red boots by the door. “I'm starvin'. Wonder how th' food is.”

Her roommate shrugged. “Dunno. Didn't want to try it for lunch. I've been here since this morning- Mia was here sooner. Went ahead, too.”

That explained why they were the only ones in the room, at least. Her boots were a quick slip on, and in less than 30 seconds she'd gotten the creaking door open and body back outside. The weather had cooled with the setting sun, albeit it to just barely a chill. Compared to the already freezing weather back home, this was paradise!

But Kassidy didn't seem to think the same, crossing her arms over her chest and making a grand show of shivering once she was outside. “I'm gonna g' ahead,” she managed out, quickly making her way down the balcony and connected stairs, lest the blonde notice the incredibly hard roll of her eyes she couldn't hold back. The school was worth dealing with her boy-crazy roommates.

Spotting several boys headed to the other side of the relatively small dorm, she followed after, not at all surprised to find their cafeteria set against the main building. But that said nothing for the shock of finding it to be hardly larger than two or three of the dorm rooms put together, tables pressed to the walls to make two rows with four stools to each, two on each side and a tray for each seat. It was crowded, for sure, but so long as nobody touched her, she could deal with it, just like everything else.

Grabbing the first seat she saw, she cast a smile to the three boys already at her table, careful to adjust her skirt so it wouldn't ride up. There was no way she was wearing that thing for an entire year-! Though... On a quick look around, there were only three girls aside from herself and her roommates, the rest of the small group made up of boys making faces at the trays set out. Not surprising; dueling had always been ruled by men, even she knew that... Though she'd never seen anyone make a face at their food-

Or lack thereof, she realized, finally looking down to her own tray. 'Meager' didn't begin to explain the few small fish and rice, and.. What even was that with it? This was their welcome dinner?

“Check out our headmaster- It's a cat!”

She snorted, leaning towards the table and propping her head up on her hand, elbow set by her tray. “Story of m' life... An' definitely par f' th' course.” Figured her bad luck would follow her to the academy... “B' th' cat's cute.”

The boy sitting across from her matched her snort with one of his own, waving a hand. “'Least we won't have much homework,” he joked, winning a grin from the pigtailed teen before the the kitchen emptied itself, admitting a new, far older face to the room with a broad smile.

“Hello, children! I'm Professor Banner. Now, before we eat, I'd like you each to tell us something about your-”

“Mm, this stuff's good!”

Aoi sighed, turning on her stool for a glimpse of Jaden several tables back, already shoving food in his face. Somehow, she'd expected that, stifling a giggle with a lightly clenched fist. If the one thing he had to say about himself was that he was starving on Syrus's note, then she knew all she needed to about the brunette!

It was even harder to hide her giggles as Banner passed by, resorting to biting her finger to hopefully stop them. But it was the announcement they could just dig in that finally broke her, the student's silence further broken by her own quick cry of “finally!” and Jaden's resulting laugh as she grabbed a fish to shove in her mouth. The stares from the boys around her did little in the way of bothering her; how could they when they finally had food!? And good food, to boot!

Maybe this academy wouldn't be so bad after all!

#By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat #starisia #kiibx #blackthvnder #Elementshipping #Pom Does Nano #Part four #These parts are long? @w@' Sorry for that #But another 'hey this is what happened during timeskips in episode 2' part #More of the introduction ceremony that wasn't- XD #And some new 'friends' >w>#ENTER THE CHAZZ-#And Aoi's roommates XD

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toastnekohime · 6 years

Text

By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat

Part three of a 2018 Camp NaNoWriMo Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Elementshipping novel. Based on rp’s between myself ( @getyouraoion ) and my amazing, precious Twin’s Jaden ( @kiibx ), By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat tells the story of how Aoi and Jaden met at Duel Academy and formed their incredibly tight friendship, eventually falling into a relationship, and how they handle the various threats thrown at them over their three years of schooling.

There are currently no triggers, but should any arise, they will be tagged.

STILL IN PROGRESS. Please forgive any typos you may find~

Tagging @starisia, as this wouldn’t exist without my wonderful Twin <3

Summary:

Except that is, for Aoi Sakazaki.

It’s time to put their skills where their mouths are and find out!

Days quickly turned into weeks, flying by faster than it ever had before. It felt like she'd barely blinked by the time she was on what turned out to be an oversized and somewhat luxurious helicopter rather than a plane, unable to do much more than fidget in her seat. It didn't help she was surrounded by boys – had she been the only girl to pass in the Domino entrance exams? - but so long as they kept to themselves, most of them just as excited and happy to look out the window, she could bury her unease at having any of them so close and try to focus on a book she'd brought with her.

Within an hour, it was becoming more and more clear she couldn't keep her mind on the pages, quickly realizing she'd read the same panel of her comic at least five times over by then. Reading anything aside from a comic book or an action-based novel had always been difficult and boring, but the excitement now kept her from even that... All around her, boys chattered away, occasionally leaning over to look out the window at the ocean below, at one point a pointed out school of dolphins catching everyone's attention. Focusing on anything was going to be difficult, anyway.

Setting the book down on her uniform skirt covered knee, Aoi glanced around at the others in the helicopter with her. Wearing all different sorts of uniforms, they seemingly came from places even outside Domino City, one of the boys she could see from her seat even wearing the uniform of Dice City, half an hour from her hometown by train. Many of the likely came from duel prep schools, others wearing the uniform of her own school, Jaden in his black uniform, another in blue-

Jaden?

Green-blue eyes focused on the bit she could see of the other teen several rows across and in front of her, nudging and joking with whoever sat beside him. He'd won his duel... Then the cheering she'd heard that day... He'd won? Well, obviously, if he was there, but still! How could he have won? And the better question, why was she smiling at seeing him?

'It's because he's so excitable, that's all.' The thought was a quick one, but likely right, too. While most of the soon to be students around her were excited, he still displayed the incredible enthusiasm and upbeat attitude he'd had at the exam, occasionally leaning into the aisle while seeming to be play 'fighting' with the boy that had the window seat. Even she had to admit, someone like him was a breath of fresh air among so many 'polite' teens.

But as the hours wore on, excitement turned to boredom, the Yuki boy even stopping his horsing around and relaxing, if the sight of black clad elbows poking up over the top of his seat was any indication. The boy beside her had taken to staring out the window at the horizon, head propped up in his hand, while Bastion, whom she'd noticed just a short time earlier, still seemed the same cool, calm, and collected guy he'd been right along. And she'd lost any and all interest in her book, still on the same page as she sighed and closed it, setting it down on her lap. They could've offered an in-flight movie or something... Was it so much to ask they didn't bore them to death before-

“Hey, check it out!”

The cry from somewhere in the cabin was all it took for nearly everyone to lean in close to the windows, trying to get a glimpse of the island quickly coming closer. Even Aoi, for all her dislike of strangers, pulled herself up from her seat, leaning over the kid next to her for a better look. Covered in trees with one of the largest buildings she'd ever seen, it almost looked like a tropical paradise rather than an island, sunlight glinting off the dome-shaped roof of the central building.

“Attention new Duel Academy students. If you look outside your windows, you'll see your new home away from home.”

The pilot's voice barely registered in her head, surprise blending with a new wave of excitement. That was Duel Academy?! They'd be staying on an island like that for the next three years of their lives?! It was all she could do to drop back into her seat and stare at the headrest in front of her; they got to live on a tropical paradise and go to school there, and- And-!

“Now now, I know you're excited, but don't shove. Quite a sight, eh? Now then, fasten your seat belts and set your seats back to an upright position- We're going in to land. Next stop: Academy Island.”

Suddenly shaking hands shoved her book behind her back before tightening her seat belt, having been loosened hours earlier for the sake of comfort. A glance ahead told her Jaden hadn't moved, elbows still poking up from his seat; wasn't he excited, too? They'd finally arrived and he was sleeping? He wasn't just easily excitable, he was insane!

With her seat belt done up once more and seat checked to make sure it was fully upright, Aoi pulled her book back out and hugged it to her chest. Every little turn of the copter took her stomach with it, a sudden rush of nerves released a flood of butterflies. She'd been so happy when they'd left Domino, but to be descending to land on the island for real... It was still exciting, but she couldn't help but worry on what life would be like once they arrived. There was so much bound to start happening the moment they landed, and for the first time, she couldn't even begin to imagine how it'd go despite daydreaming dozens of different scenarios for weeks. And-

...Was that a volcano?

The sight of smoke as they turned a bit more caught her attention, wide eyes following it from her window to those of the boys on the other side. An active- This school sat at the base of an active volcano?! Were they insane?!

In all her wonder, she hadn't even noticed those elbows vanishing from sight until they were long gone, wriggling boy giving her the briefest glimpse of dual-toned brown hair. He was awake... And they were seconds from landing, the raven swallowing hard. She had enough to worry about without Jaden and those monsters of his constantly creeping back into her mind. With her luck, they'd likely never see each other during the year, anyway.

The helicopter gave an metallic creak as it touched down, the blades above them slowing their rotation until the noise ceased to exist. With the pilot's announcement it was safe, the click of multiple seat belts being undone echoed through the cabin along with eager chatter, doors opening just a moment later. Unsurprisingly, Jaden was the first to launch himself from his seat and all but fly outside, leaving Aoi to slowly rise from her seat and snort. If she saw him at all during the year, he certainly promised to make it interesting.

She shrugged out of her sweatshirt and slipped out after Bastion, tying the thick fabric around her waist. Perfect timing, too; Academy Island definitely lived up to its 'tropical' appearance, relatively mild weather greeting them once they'd stepped off their ride. It was even more beautiful now that she had her feet on solid ground, breaking into a wide grin and slipping past the calm male to spin around and get a better look at their new home.

The helipad they stood on seemed to be on top of another building, albeit one fairly short, in the midst of a harbor. Up a little higher on the horizon, she could see a building with a red roof, the harbor and sea to the right, even the giant domed roof peeking out from the treeline, a pointed column poking up with it... The view this island had was amazing, and while she suspected she'd soon grow used to the sight, for now it was one of the best things she'd ever seen!

But it was the sound of someone clearing their throat that caught her attention next, spinning stopping in favor of looking in the direction of the sound. All around her, whispers started up once more at the mere sight of one of the examiners from the entrance exams, looking between them and a clipboard in hand; was he really a teacher? Couldn't be... Could he?

“My name is Lioside, and I'm part of the staff here at Duel Academy.” Just like at the exams, nobody could see his eyes, Aoi's glance to the side meeting the honey colored gaze of Jaden for but a second. Somehow, she knew he was thinking the same thing she was; did they ever take those sunglasses off, or were they permenantly attached to his face? “When I call your name, you're to get your bag and go inside. Once there, you'll be given your uniform to change into – leave your belongings with the staff there. You'll see them again after your introduction ceremony.”

She had to take a slow, deep breath to calm her nerves. They'd not been on the island for even half an hour, and things were already underway, names called at a relatively quick pace and boys disappearing behind the door to the staircase leading inside. No doubt they'd have more of the uniform given to them later, but for now, she had to focus on keeping herself relaxed. It'd do nobody any good if she let her emotions have control.

“Syrus Truesdale.”

Jaden's laugh once more had her looking in his direction, the small bluenette that'd been with him at the entrance exam nearly tripping over his feet with the shoulder pat he was given. Syrus... He looked even more nervous than she felt, every few, uneasy steps coming with a bit of a stumble until he, too, vanished behind the door with a more than audiable gulp.

“Bastion Misawa.”

It was only minutes before Bastion nodded behind her, meeting her gaze when she turned to watch him go. From what she'd heard among the chatter during their flight, he'd gotten the highest score on the exams, the lifting of his bag coming along with the sound of books moving about inside. A studious type, huh? At some point, she wanted to know how he could read a normal book without falling asleep, though for the moment let him go in silence.

“Jaden Yuki.”

“Heh- Thought I'd never get called!”

Holding her book behind her back with both hands, Aoi turned to look at the grinning boy. There was just something so bright about him, be it his enthusiasm or smile... Or even just simply in the little chuckle he let out on grabbing his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. Where she and the remaining boys seemed and looked tense with nerves, he was the perfect picture of a little kid on a vacation to a theme park, leisurely making his way across the helipad.

Or he could've lost his mind during the flight, she reminded herself, fingertips digging into her book. As soon as he'd hidden away behind the door like all the others, she couldn't help but forcibly remind herself of just how big the island was with a quick glance around. If she saw him again, she doubted it'd be from much more than a distance, and that was fine by her. Doubly so if she never had to get too close to any of these boys again.

“Aoi Sakazaki.”

The minutes had almost seemed to drag on after Jaden's departure, so to hear her name was a relief. So few of them remained on the roof, but at least she'd be able to leave, crossing over to pull her backpack from the remaining bags, shoving her book into the unzipped front pocket. The moment she'd gotten it on her shoulder, she nodded to Lioside, quickly passing him for the door and, ultimately, the staircase behind it.

Finally alone in the stairwell, Aoi heaved a sigh of relief; why was it keeping herself together was so much harder right now? She could deal with strangers, but... Maybe it was knowing she was likely hundreds of miles from home and dealing with everything utterly alone that was doing it. As it was, she had to stop after a single step and compose herself, lest her knees shake more than they already were and send her crashing down the dimly lit flight of steps. She was a 15 year old Domino native, one of the more famous cities thanks to Yugi Motou. If she could survive Domino, she could survive boarding school.

Thankfully, her knees held at least somewhat strong, letting her down the steps without incident. A right turn from there led into a large garage, sectioned off into booths by metal racks and curtains, with a long table close to the stairwell holding more boxes and papers than she'd ever seen. Somewhere behind those boxes sat several staff members, both male and female, in varying versions and colors of the same uniform Lioside had been wearing, some filling out paperwork while others sorted through boxes and others yet set the bags the student had brought in off to the side.

Tearing her gaze away from the sight of Jaden's bag, she stepped up to the table, forcing her best smile. “I was called in- Aoi Sakazaki?”

One of the women pushed a paper across the table, other hand holding out a pen, with a matching smile “Just sign here, dear. We'll be giving you your first set of your uniform here to change into, and the rest will be sent to your dorm room. Aside from the girl's uniform, you'll also get a single one of the boy's blazers, to cover up in cooler weather.”

“S'... It's gonna b' sleeveless?” she questioned, plucking the pen from her hand and leaning over to sign. If the sleeveless top the elder wore was anything like the uniform the girls got, then she could see why they'd cave and just offer the girls a blazer, too.

“It is, yes. Sometimes things get drafty, and we had extras of the blazers this year. If we don't use them, they get stored away until someone in the right size comes along. We thought it best to go this route, instead.”

Made even more sense, she figured. It cost money to make clothes, and if they couldn't be put to use, wasn't that just a waste of the school's funds? She'd studied enough fashion in her down time to know that much, sliding the paper back. “If it's drafty at night, n' doubt it's gonna g' t' good use, s'... All signed.”

“Ah, good. If you'll leave your bag here, Miss Sakazaki, we'll make sure it's safe until after the ceremony and you can change in one of our booths here.” With the paper collected and slipped into a folder, the woman lifted a bag from a box on the floor beside her, holding it out. All it took was a brief glance to find 'A. Sakazaki' on a label attached to the bag; so this was why they'd wanted clothing sizes at registration!

Trading her own backpack for it, she bowed her head in thanks and ducked into the closest booth. They'd a least left a chair and mirror in there, though otherwise, the curtains did little to make it feel like anything less than a garage. And as she untied the sweatshirt from around her waist, she swore she could smell oil, albeit incredibly faintly. They'd tried to clean it up, it seemed, and she could at least appreciate the effort.

Unbuttoning her old uniform's blouse, she tugged open the plastic bag. Red and white fabric greeted her upon peeking; it wasn't purple or navy or even plum, like those of most of the faculty they'd seen, but at least it was something. And the top was white, to boot, set aside so she could tug off her knee-length skirt with one hand and pull out the folded bit of red, next.

Red that made her nose scrunch up in distaste, too. The skirt seemed short when she unfolded it, holding it up in front of her. Well... At least it wasn't the pleated mess she would've had at Domino High, a mental reminder that nudged her into putting the skirt on. A bad choice, since it seemed even shorter on than it had in her hands, but if this was the uniform, what could she do?

A minute later, she'd pulled on and zipped up the top as well, fastening the button on the collar with a sigh. She'd have to find a shirt she could work with later to wear under it... The fit wasn't bad, almost seeming to be tailored to fit her body just right while hugging each and every curve. For the first time, she was glad she was relatively thin, glancing over herself in the mirror; the size was still just a bit big on her, keeping the fabric from being too clingy and too irritating, though she still hated the feeling of the cotton against her torso. Who'd thought the snug fit look was a good idea, anyway?

At the least the colors were nice shades, red skirt falling no longer than mid-thighs, offset by a white sleeveless top she figured could've been a vest with few minor edits. The buttons on the wide red bands around the neckline and the bottom of the top would ensure it wouldn't come open, at least, finally steady fingers tracing the red lines running a good quarter of the way down her chest before moving inward to meet at the middle. Had to be her favorite part, honestly, though it didn't make up for the skirt.

Another peek and reach into the bag produced a pair of red fingerless gloves and heeled short boots. Those she could come to like, the sneakers she'd been wearing kicked off and dropped into the bag with the rest of her old uniform. Just like her new outfit, the boots were a comfortable fit, the wide top folded over just below her calves. The gloves matched, running halfway up her forearm, though flaring out a quarter of the way from the top for a decorative design.

All in all, the look wasn't a bad one, Aoi decided, glancing into the mirror one last time and adjusting the ribbons serving as the ties in her pigtails. She hated the slightly snug fit and short skirt – it definitely wasn't her – but still not bad. And with everything perfect and the bag closed up with her old clothes inside and in hand, she stepped out of the booth, smiling to the woman who'd given her the bag in the first place. “What d' I d' with this?”

The woman quickly rose from her seat, walking around the table to take it from her. “It'll be sent to your dorm room, as well. Does the uniform fit all right?”

“Jus' barely t' big, b' it's roomy. Can't stand t' snug of a fit.”

“Ahh, good. Now if you'll take your deck and step out that door over there, you'll be escorted to your introduction ceremony.”

She tilted her head, looking to the pointed out door on the other side of the garage as she took her deck case from the woman. So that was the way out... Bowing her head again and ignoring the fact they'd had to remove the case from her bag themselves, she stepped away, trying her hardest to ignore the click of her heels against the floor. That was going to get really annoying, really fast. “Gotcha. Thank y'!” But it'd have to be ignored for the time being, raven jogging across the room to slip outside.

She'd barely gotten in a deep breath, loving the scent of the harbor in general, when another man in sunglasses approached. It took everything in her to not roll her eyes – What was with the examiners in this school and their sunglasses? And why were they all the exact same pair? “T' th' ceremony?”

Another step closer from him had her stepping back, making sure to keep him just out of touching range. She could force herself to deal with and even be nice to strangers, especially those who worked for her new school, but it didn't mean she had to let them close enough to touch, distracting her own hands with locating a spot on the waistband of the back of her skirt to awkwardly set her deck case. It was built for belts, not waistbands, though she was still able to secure it by tugging her top down over it, pressing the case into her back.

He seemed to understand, at least, giving a small nod of his head and a step back of his own. “My name is Dean, a proctor for the academy. May I be the first to say welcome to Duel Academy, ma'am. Now if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the school.”

Dean didn't give her a chance to reply, long, quick strides taking him away from the garage and helipad before she even knew what was going on. Everyone in this school seemed to be in such a rush-! “H-hey, wait up!” How was this the start of her time at the academy-?!

#By The Pulse Of A Heartbeat #kiibx #starisia #blackthvnder #Elementshipping #Part Three #Pom Does Nano #Kind of a long part #But welcome to the academy get your uniform?#Kindda technical stuff #And Jaden being an adorable Puppy XD #Like always~

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getyouraoion · 6 years

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MEET THE MUSE

LEGAL NAME: Aoi Sakazaki

NICKNAME[S]: Pig/Piggy (matches her habit of calling Jaden ‘Pup’), Slacker (she claims it counts)

DATE OF BIRTH: --

GENDER | SPECIES: Female, Human

PLACE OF BIRTH: Domino City

CURRENT LIVING CONDITIONS: Semi-verse dependant; mainly the Slifer Red dorm in Duel Academy, but from Waiting For Light (age 18) onwards, in her own house in Domino City. In the Rose of Fate verse, she’s currently staying with Johan in Oslo, Norway.

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English and Japanese

EDUCATION: Semi-verse dependant- Either a student in DUel Academy, or graduated from it

OCCUPATION: Student, Fashion designer after graduation and a minor face in the rookie leagues as a duelist

CRIMINAL RECORD: None

DRINK | SMOKE | DRUGS: Rarely | No | No

LIKE[S]: Pigs, her friends, Puppies, fashion, dueling, sewing, music, dancing, adventure, overall having a good time

DISLIKE[S]: Most people upon meeting, Crowler, classes, Being forced to sit still, acting her age, being stuck with no way out, darkness

FEAR[S]: Pitch-black darkness, losing Jaden, Yubel, being forced to settle down and give up her desire to adventure, being alone, being trapped in another dimension a second time

PERSONALITY TRAITS: Kind, stubborn, bright, argumentative, loyal, friendly, protective, compassionate, cautious

{ P H Y S I C A L I N F O R M A T I O N }

HAIR COLOR: Raven black, generally kept up in pigtails

EYE COLOR: Green-Blue

HEIGHT: 5′3"

WEIGHT: 135lbs

TATTOOS: None

PIERCINGS: Just one, in each earlobe

{ F A M I L Y I N F O R M A T I O N }

SIBLING[S]: None

PARENT[S]: Kotomi and Hideyo Sakazaki

CHILDREN: None

PETS[S]: Unless Chazz counts, none

{ R E L A T I O N S H I P I N F O R M A T I O N }

SEXUAL PREFERENCE: Straight

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: verse/partner dependant- Single in her main, but also dating Aster Phoenix (Dorkshipping/Asoi)/crushing hard and falling for Jaden (Elementshipping/Joi)/unaware of exactly what her feelings are for Johan and being slapped in the face by them while pretending to be his fiancee (Destinedshipping/Aohan, Rose of Fate verse). (All ships take place with their respective rp partners, otherwise and unless mentioned, Single applies)

SINCE WHEN: Single as a main, and always. Dorkshipping, for about a couple of months? Elementshipping, for about a year or two, and Destinedshipping, give or take forming for four to six years, only just now being confronted.

Tagging: Anyone who wants this~

#Headcanons #About Aoi #ooc #Out of Charm #Had this sitting around so I thought I'd do it? owo #As far as shipping goes those ships take place only with the partners they've been formed with #Otherwise Aoi is a single duck and staying that way #At least as far as she's concerned #Unless mentioned otherwise that is - Like Whisper is aware Aoi has it bad for Jaden #But outside of Whisper and Kiibx's Jaden He's just her best friend #Multiship~ *confetti* XD

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kiibx · 7 years

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I’ve had such a need for fluff today. x.x’ One part of that meme I reblogged was “My muse’s reaction to yours kissing them” and I just… I couldn’t help it? @w@“’ Not.. Quite the fluffy I needed, but it helps a bit-

Set after Jay gets his spark back in season 4, after the tag duel with Alexis. Aoi’s never left his side- Stubborn pup or not, you think a stubborn piggy’s gonna run off when he needs a net to fall into? <3

~~~~~

Things had started fairly normal; Aoi was more than used to wandering into Jaden’s room rather than her own, crawling into his bunk and laying there while the other did things about his dorm room, per usual. Working on his deck, flipping through his cards, sleep on his homework, write emails – whatever it was, she was content just being there to support him, given everything he’d been through and the struggle he’d had coming back from the darkness and finding his love of dueling once more.

So when he’d joined her on the bed, she’d thought nothing of it, happily sitting up and scooting closer to lay against him, thankful for his warm, familiar hold. Even fused with Yubel, he was still the same Jaden she was still falling for, her best friend of the last three years. Everything he’d done, everything he’d been forced to live through, what they’d all been through – the only thing it told her was he was strong, both in heart and soul, and though he was no longer the pure, bright light she’d met in their freshman year, he was still Jaden. Strong, loyal, and true, someone she’d stand by and protect with everything she had.

It took several minutes before she realized he was watching her, the attention catching hers and prompting her to look up at him. Had his eyes always been so warm and soft? And his smile – had it always been so sweet and bright? She’d seen this look on him before, a couple of times in the past, but she’d never given it much thought before… Until now.

Whatever it was, it had her wondering and thinking… Until she realized he was tilting his head, leaning closer until his lips first brushed hers, then, after a moment of simply watching one another’s eyes, pressed against them a bit more solidly. Still, it took her a second to realize what was actually happening, heart thudding against her ribs; how long had she wanted this? Tried to convince herself it’d likely never happen, even put it aside and burying it in favor of being by his side when he needed her the most?

Finally, after what seemed like forever, she returned the gesture in kind, a hand reaching up to bury in the hair behind his head. It wasn’t how she’d imagined their first kiss would go – she’d always assumed it’d be a surprise thing, where one of them wasn’t paying attention and kissed the other before taking off for one reason or another – but it was warmer, sweeter than she ever thought it would be. Full of mutual affection that made her want to revert to her usual personality and practically sing, though she thankfully held that back as they parted, breathing slightly labored and the barest hints of a smile on their lips.

“Three years,” Aoi whispered, a faint giggle leaving her lips while he bumped his forehead against hers. “Three years of friendship… Three years I’ve been…”

For the first time, she felt like she didn’t need to finish her sentence, Jaden’s soft, almost breathy chuckle matching her giggle. They didn’t need words when their hearts were bound together, contently resuming their usual cuddling. No matter what the future held for them, be it together or separately, he’d never stand alone again.

She’d make sure of it.

#【𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌】{Elementshipping}#Getyouraoion #{{These two are too precious they still slay me help ;;#submission

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kiibx · 7 years

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Why exactly am I allowed to write again? XD WHy did we think Joi was a good idea? WHY DO WE SHIP THIS?! XD

Right, because the precious perfection <3

HAVE SOME MAMA!AOI <3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blue-green focused on the pile of mud in her doorway, trying her hardest to contain not only her laughter, but a sigh and a reminder this… This was actually fairly normal. So were the globs that trailed behind it, and the two bits that reached up to her, expecting her to pick it up and hug it. Oh good god, the memories that brought back of her academy days…. “Didn’t you just have a bath?”

“Uh-huh.” The mud pile fidgeted, peeling part of itself off to reveal a torso of dirty tanned skin. “But I found a froggy! It hopped around, Mama- Like this! Ribbit, ribbit-” And before she could remind him they were indoors, she was watching her oldest child hop around the once clean bathroom, splattering globs of mud across the tile and pulling a laugh from her lips. At least with every glob of mud she could see more of him, a matching pair of eyes turning to look up with her a moment later in pure glee.

“Frogs usually do come out as night around here,” Aoi commented, peeling Amai’s mud-caked clothing off and scooping him up into her arms. At least she’d gotten Hoshino through her bath and out to watch tv in the living room before he’d come back in, though she didn’t relish the idea of sending muddy pajamas through a wash while she slept and hoping they came clean. Then again, had she not grown up alongside her husband during their time at the academy, she knew she’d have been out there with him, hopping around in the mud without a care in the world.

Carefully balancing – when had he gotten so big?! - she nudged the faucet for the tub with her knee, re-filling the moderately sized porcelain container with warm water. “Did I ever tell you about the froggies your Daddy and I once found?”

A gasp rose from her hip, where Amai had taken to drawing on her shirt in mud. Even for a six year old, he had some talent, accurately managing to recreate a kuriboh on her shoulder before her question caught his attention. “I like froggies- Were they BIG froggies?!”

“Mhm! The biggest! We caught two and hid them under Uncle Chazz’s bed,” she paused, lowering Amai into the tub and leaning over to turn the water off, kneeling beside the white porcelain, “and then we kept bringing bits of our lunch to the others for a few months! One of them was big and brown and covered in little bumps- We named him Crowler.”

“What’s a Crowlie?”

“Crowler, my little snowflake. He was one of the meanest teachers we ever had when we were kids. Daddy once got him hit with a baseball- Uncle Bastion hit it, but your Daddy threw it. And one time, he even made me run laps around the school because I told him his lipstick was done wrong.”

Amai laughed, letting his mother gently rinse the mud from his small form with a cup and multiple scoops of water.”Like Mrs. Mazaki! She said I can’t bring Pip to class anymore an’ made me leave him outside in the cold!”

For a moment, Aoi thought of the lizard in question; no more than a tiny green anole, it’d taken to following Amai to and from school after he’d fed it a few insects he’d found. She’d been initially against it – they didn’t have money for a pet, and he loved his lizard friend far too much for it to be anything else – but the more they’d established a set routine and the reptile even became a class favorite, she’d relented. It wasn’t like Pip himself could cause much trouble.

Or so she’d thought; it’d only been a few months before she’d gotten messages from the school of Pip being left on the teacher’s desk, climbing all over Amai and distracting him from his lessons- effectively being the partner in crime she and Jaden had been to each other, and still were. Then again, how could she not laugh? They were in their late twenties and the parents of a six and four and a half year olds, yet they still often reverted to their ‘let’s do things we shouldn’t’ modes and left frogs in Chazz’s house and bags, played pranks on Bastion and Atticus and even Zane, often even teased their own kids, who would counter with teasing of their own and new games for them all to play. Hard not to expect their son wouldn’t be the same, really.

Carefully, Aoi rinsed the mud from his hair, grabbing for a bottle of shampoo with her other hand. “Maybe it’s best if Pip doesn’t follow you inside anymore. Figure out which window is your classroom’s, then set him on it to wait while you’re in there.”

“But what if he gets lost?!”

She laughed, letting her ‘troublemaker’ mentality rise. With the shampoo bottle in one hand and the other gently lathering up his honey brown hair, the elder jabbed at the air, using the bottle as a makeshift sword with a wide grin. “Then he’ll have to become Sir Pip, Knight of the Yuki family! He’ll fight his way back an’ find you again- He can’t leave his charge unattended! You’re Prince Amai- He needs to be with you!”

But her excitement deflated rather quickly while Amai cheered and bounced, rinsing his own hair after a minute. Prince Amai… Any mention of royalty reminded her of their third year at the academy, when Jaden had found out who he was, and Yubel’s reign of terror. By all technicalities, Amai could be a prince – His father had been the supreme king, even if they fought to forget that and move on with their lives. It was difficult to, though, especially when the nightmares still persisted over ten years later, and Yubel was constantly with them as part of his soul.

As it was, she had that familiar tingle down her spine that usually came with the monster watching them, prompting her smile to return rather quickly. Though Yubel’s presence still occasionally made her nervous, she’d come to terms long ago with her being a part of her husband. She’d always be there, watching over, protecting, and helping him, and honestly, Aoi was thankful for that – Yubel was a terrifying being, powerful and protective, but she also only had his best interests at heart. Even she couldn’t fault her for that.

Aoi tilted her head, checking her son over for any remaining traces of dirt and mud. Aside from a few traces under his nails, he was dirt free, the water he sat in nearly completely brown from it all. “And now we just have to get you dried off and into bed. It’s getting late, snowflake.”

“But I want a story! Daddy tells good ones!” Amai argued, climbing out of the tub and forcing her to quickly grab a nearby towel to wrap him up in, lest he track dirty water into dried mud and need a third bath. She already wasn’t looking forward to the cleanup when she’d had a long day herself, trying to fill orders and take measurements between household chores and taking care of Jaden while he lay in bed with a cold.

But per the usual, she refused to complain, gently running the towel over his hair and skin to dry him off. “Daddy’s in bed already, honey. He’s still sick- no stories tonight. Maybe tomorrow.”

“Not even 'bout puppies?”

“Mm-mm. I’ll tell you what. When Daddy’s all better, then we’ll surprise him with breakfast and he’ll read you all the stories in the world, okay?”

“….Okay! Ones 'bout lizards, too!”

“Any story you want. Promise.”

She could’ve sworn Yubel laughed at that, though chalked it up to her imagination. And with Amai dry and wrapped up once again, Aoi scooped him back into her arms and shuffled into the hall, fully expecting to find a mess of mud…

And found nothing but a spotless hall instead, the tv even off and living room dark.

For a moment, it set the woman’s nerves on edge; she’d fancied herself her pup’s protector ever since he’d fused with Yubel, and unless he’d used those powers he’d gained then, there was no way things should be this quiet. She would’ve heard Neos, too, or Yubel, even Kuriboh – something had gone horribly off.

“Mommy?”

“It’s all right, love,” she managed to get out, somehow keeping her tone light and sweet despite her nerves being on high alert. “But Mommy does need to go check on Daddy and Hoshino, so let’s get you into bed, kay?”

Amai nodded, freeing a hand from his towel to rub at his eye. “B’ I’m not tired,” he countered, his argument punctuated with a yawn that made even his mother giggle. Knowing he couldn’t win, he laid his head against her shoulder, allowing her to carry him into his bedroom and set him on the bed so she could get a change of pajamas.

Within minutes, she had the six year old changed, towel dropped into the laundry, and tucked in, a kiss to his forehead matched with a tight hug and one to her cheek in return. And though it made her heart melt, even to see him snuggle up under his blankets and drift off to sleep, her on-edge nerves had her quickly flicking the lights off and slipping out, for once welcoming the tingle along her spine that signaled Yubel’s presence. If something really was going wrong, she had backup – though how much the monster could do as a spirit was beyond her.

A peek into her daughter’s room eased a bit of her worries; Hoshino lay in her bed fast asleep, tucked in and clutching the plush kuriboh Aoi knew all too well. She’d given Jaden that when they were only 16… He’d turned around and given it to their daughter in turn, declaring it a fairly heirloom. Honestly, she wasn’t sure if wonderful described her family anymore…

Shuffling down the hall, Aoi undid the wide clip holding her hair back, blue-green gaze darting every which way for any sign of intruders. The door was locked, everything cleaned up, a muddy cloth in the sink, upside down plush on the couch-

Wait.

The tension eased from her body at that, a smile replacing it and sending her not only into her own bedroom, but crawling into bed to place a gentle kiss to her husband’s cheek. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in bed, Mr. Yuki? You’re not going to get healthy again cleaning up after our son.”

Jaden chuckled, rolling onto his back and gently tugging her down to lay beside him. “Can’t let you deal with everything alone. Mud would’ve kept you up for hours.”

“And yet in half an hour you not only cleaned it all up, but locked up shop and put Hoshino to bed.”

“Hey. After years of cleaning up mud from Chazz throwing frogs at us-”

She laughed, draping an arm over his middle and nuzzling her face into his shoulder. That was a memory that often crept into her mind whenever their friend or frogs came up in conversation, retaliation for trying to 'ribbit’ him out of his room as a harmless prank. “And we wonder why he doesn’t visit often.”

“Probably thinks we have more.” Still chuckling, he tilted his head, nuzzling his nose into her hair and peppering the raven locks with little kisses. His hold on her tightened just slightly, and for a moment, she could forget she was fully dressed and he was sick – they were back in the early days of their relationship, curled up in his bunk in the Slifer Red dorm and just basking in the fact they were alive and together. A pair of teens thankful for everything they had, and then some.

Lifting her head, she caught his lips in a soft kiss, body snuggling closer to his. It’d been at least ten years since their relationship had started, closer to thirteen since they’d met… And still, she couldn’t think of any other path she’d want her life to take. Even with all the pain and heartache, they’d done it together, survived together – And they were stronger for it. Stronger and by far happier, settled into a life they both loved.

“What was that for?” he whispered upon parting, lips quirked into a smile. “I’m still sick, y'know. Trying to get yourself sick and bed-bound, too?”

“Mm-mm. Just wanted to make sure you knew I love you. More than anything.”

She couldn’t change a thing in a life that led her to him.

#【𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌】{Elementshipping}#getyouraoion #{{still dying over the cute #submission

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getyouraoion · 6 years

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Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog. REPOST. Don’t reblog.

WHAT’S YOUR OTP FOR YOUR MUSE?:

I love ALL my ships for Aoi, but her main (and inching out on top so I guess the OTP?) is Elementshipping/Joi, with Jaden.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO RP WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING?:

Pretty much anything as long as it doesn’t really leak into toxic territory. I don’t mind some roughness; I have a new ship now that’s... Pretty rough at first (and they know who they are since the dash hasn’t gotten there yet), but there’s a limit to that roughness. Basically, if I’m uncomfortable or won’t go there, I’ll tell you in the plotting stages.

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?:

On my main blog, the gap doesn’t go past 10 years with ONE exception (said exception being a god and a mortal). As far as Aoi’s concerned tho, I’d like to keep the gap at five years max or so. Pretty much stick within her age range - That’s about where I feel comfortable for her.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?:

Slightly so - I firmly believe that as long as there’s even a 0.0000!% chance of a ship happening between the muses, I won’t shut out the chance unless my partner is totally uninterested or the muses themselves refuse the option. But it’s the same with rp’ing in general; the muses pick their path, and if it doesn’t seem like it could work out I’ll say so. Generally like to keep options open?

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY’RE CONSIDERED NSFW?:

Are clothes coming off? Is touching going to unmentionable areas? Do you look at it and think “Geeze, I’d hate for someone to see ME like this” or “I’d hate for someone to walk in on this”? It’s NSFW. Hit the readmores or fade to black.

WHO ARE OTHER MUSES YOU SHIP YOUR MUSE WITH?:

Jaden ( @kiibx ), Aster ( @riseofthephoenixfallofdestiny ), Johan ( @nordic-duelist ), and Ryo ( @cyberstyled ), currently

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?:

I do like to talk about it? I mean I talk a lot ANYWAY, but I like talking about it so I or my partner isn’t seeing a ship where there isn’t one. otherwise, i generally like to let chemistry run its course and build up to a ship between the muses, let it come naturally. If it’s obvious both muses want it and it’s been adequately built up to, then nah. No need to ask unless you want to be doubly sure, especially if we’re laughing/joking about it behind the scenes anyway.

If it doesn’t seem mutual, then ask. Doublechecking? Ask away. Jumping into a new thread when there’s been nothing previously and wanting to test the waters? Ask. That’s generally the only time I’d like to be asked - no build up, no going from friends to shipping without development or asking if it’s okay.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU LIKE TO SHIP?:

It’s not my priority. I do love to ship, but I also love friendships. I love families, I love sibling relationships, I love it all~! If a romantic ship comes of it, then it comes of it, but I don’t go into an interaction seeking out that romantic aspect. So... I guess I can say whenever it happens?

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?:

I am~!

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?:

If it happens, it happens. <3

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?:

Elementshipping <3 It’s seriously pure and sweet and kills me every time. XD

I don’t.. Really have any canon ships, so? XD

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU? :

Let it happen. Seriously, just let the muses roll along on their own - If it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen in time. Make friends with Aoi. Get to know her. Break down her defenses. Let chemistry run its course. Talk to me about it. Just let it happen. <3

tagged by: Stole from my main/redone from the past <3

tagging: Steal it if you want~

#ooc #Out of Charm #About the mun #I've done this in the past #Like... Back when I started this blog past #But since there's over 50 of ya'll now #I thought it was tie to update this <3

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getyouraoion · 6 years

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Elementshipping

Send me a Ship and I’ll Break Them DOWN

Considering on the dash stuff hasn’t quite reached their ship yet, will be replied to with a mix of on dash, behind the scenes, headcanons, and drabbling

How did they they meet? Jaden legit nearly mowed her down. XD Her room is a couple doors down from his (the boys have the end, Aoi’s more in the middle), and she was outside and leaning against the balcony railing when he barreled out of his room with Syrus in tow. Totally nearly took her out. XD They may also have seen each other at entrance exams, but that doesn’t count, really- Two words to each other does not a meeting make-

Who developed romantic feelings first? The true answer to this is unknown, as they’re both dense dorks. It’s thought Aoi did first, but she’s also the one who recognized it first - there’ no saying how long they’d had feelings for each other before then.

Who is their biggest “shipper?” Probably Syrus? Hard to say when everyone and their uncle assumes they’ve been going out since they met. XD

When did they have their first kiss and under what circumstances? Depends on the kiss- As far as non-romantic, on the cheek/tip of the nose/forehead/etc kisses go, the first was a kiss to the forehead as a ‘good luck’ gesture mere hours before he went to duel Camula himself. Aoi’d been fussing over him and he wouldn’t back down, so she caved and figured he needed a lucky charm - something more than the medalion. They’ve also had a couple small, really chaste kisses here and there on the lips, but nothing big. For romantic, real kisses, likely when she confessed, while Jay was still coming back from the events of the other dimension- a pure moment of needing comfort and the desire to.

Who confessed their feelings first? As far as is known now, Aoi. Unsurprisingly for them, they’ve been semi-showing their feelings for one another right along - it’s kindda obvious in how he tries to protect her and keep her safe, and she tries to protect and care for him. Of course… Dense dorks don’t even catch on until way later.

What was their first official date? They… Never really have one? Jaden leaves to travel not long after they start their relationship/graduate, and they’re not really the types to get all dressed up and hang out in some high class, fancy resturaunt. Aoi would probably say it’s the first walk they took together after they got together around the dorm.

How do they feel about double dates/group dates? Considering their friend group? Have absolutely zero problems with it. XD Knowing them they’ve probably ~crashed~ doubled with Chazz and Alexis a few times. XD

What do they do in their down time? Cuddle, duel, play games, talk, fuss over their decks, adventure, more cuddling, take a nap…

What was the first meeting of parents as an official couple like? No idea on Jay’s, considering his relationship with them, but Aoi’s parents love him from the get-go. She’d taken him (and Aster, and Syrus, and Hassleberry) to see her parents during the school trip to Domino, since she’s a Domino native, so he already knows them by the time they start dating. When she later brings him back to meet them as a real couple, Jay’s still a bit awkward (Again, because of his relationship with his own parents, he’s not used to her hands-on, tight-knit family), but they welcome him in with no questions asked. All in all, it went pretty well

What was their first fight over and how did they get past it? They have a couple little arguments here and there, usually over one of them doing something stupid or each other’s safety, but their first really big thing is probably during their respective recoveries after Yubel. With Jay distancing himself from everyone and Aoi refusing to let him shut her out completely, their relationship seriously took a major hit. It really took Jay beginning to recover his love of dueling and the both of them to realize things aren’t, and will never again be, the same again for them to truly start to recover.. And step into a romantic relationship with it, knowing they’re bound together in every way possible and neither will ever let the other fall again.

Which one is more easily made jealous? Aoi is - She never quite understands why, and it’s not too often, but she feels it more than Jay.

What is their favourite thing to get to eat? Fried shrimp! They’ll both eat nearly anything you put in front of them, but when they go out to eat, it’s usually for burgers. Or ice cream. Or, while at the academy, fried shrimp nights and the junk food her parents send.

Who’s the cuddly one? What their favourite cuddling position? They’re both incredibly cuddly - in fact, they’ve been cuddling since a few weeks after they met - and do so often. As in, whenever they have down time and they’re not dueling or adventuring often. They don’t really have a favorite position, per say; they end up flopped on each other in whatever way is most comfortable for them at the time. They do tend to often end up laying together with her snuggled into his side and partially flopped on him, tho-

Are they hand holders? DEFINITELY. They run around hand in hand so often it’s a wonder their hands aren’t glued to each other’s-

How long do they wait before sleeping together for the first time? What’s the circumstances? The true answer to this is unknown, because we as muns haven’t figured this out yet. There’s a very strong possibility their first time is while they’re still in the academy, before graduation - possibly to go along with their confessions, while emotions are running high, but nobody’s sure. Though they’ve been technically sleeping together since.. Give or take a month, month a half after meeting? It’s just easier to sleep when they’re together, and they cuddle into each other. Nothing happens, they just… Sleep.

Who tops? They switch. More often than not tho, Jaden.

What’s the worst first they’ve ever gotten into? Oooh god- First shadow game, maybe? Aoi’s been present for a good 95%, at least, of the stuff Jay goes through at the academy, they’re so glued to each other at the hip. That means she’s there for the majority of his shadow games, too - enough so it eventually becomes common for the bad guys to know that if you want Jay, just threaten the girl. Or maybe first detention… They’ve had a lot of bad firsts.

Who does the shopping and the cooking? They both do! When they finally settle down together, it’s in a home Aoi rents. They split everything down the middle and often take on each other’s chores, and shopping is a tag-team effort - meaning whether they’re being lazy or need to rush, they have a tactic for doing it together. Cooking is either all on her or done together, too, because you really don’t want to see Jaden left alone in the kitchen-

Which one is more organized and prone to tidiness? AHAHAHAHAHA- Ahhh, that’s funny- Aside from their card collections, neither of them are particularly tidy. Aoi might keep her studio as a fashion designer a bit tidier than anything else, but that’s out of nesecity - The only time they make that extend to the rest of the house is when they have company coming or they have kids.

Who proposes? Another up in the air >w> Can’t answer if we have no idea yet~

Do they have joined Bachelor/Bacheloette parties or separate? They start out seperate, but end up merged by the end of the night. Aoi knows so few girls they just end up joining the boys.

Who is the best man/maid of honour? Any other groomsmen or bridesmaids? Probably a toss-up between Johan/Jesse, Chazz, and Syrus for best man, and Aoi might have Blair for a maid of honor - Again, it’s up in the air. It’s safe to say that the majority of their friends would have a part in the wedding, tho.

Big Ceremony or Small? Moderate? Again, not a clue, but her parents wouldn’t just let them have a tiny, out of the way ceremony, nope.

Do they have a honeymoon? If so, where? Oh definitely - Between Jaden’s wanderlust and Aoi having the urge to get out and see things whenever given the chance, they’d probably end up in some really out of the way inn out in the middle of nowhere somewhere. Someplace they can be as lazy as they want, but still be able to explore as they please and spend the evenings cuddling.

Do they have children? How many? They do

#anon #Star of My Heart [Joi]#kiibx #Ffft this was fun <3

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