week one

[airlockedmods]

Week 1

[After the initial introduction of the Overseers, the Champions were left to their own devices in investigating the part of the ship they have access to to their hearts' content. However, the doors that Blaze Dudely and Rox came through are locked tight and cannot be unlocked via PIP.

On Wednesday morning, the same voice that awakened them the previous morning chirps at them again from their PIPs at 7 am on the dot.



Enjoy your week, Champions.]

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Comments

[playthedamncard]

Only one of the most popular games to come out of the modern era. [Or, debatably, the ancient era!] I'm surprised you haven't heard of it. [To be fair, he's also surprised no one seems to have recognized him outright yet, too.]

[stillstands]

[... Wow. Someone really loves his card games.]

I'm not really into card games much. And even before... [--everything happened too much] I can't say the name rings a bell. Maybe we never got it in Megurigaoka.

[playthedamncard]

Before what? [What POSSIBLY could've happened that made her unable to recall the super mega awesome card game sensation sweeping the nation world?]

[stillstands]

[Uh. Hm.]

It's nothing. The main point is, I have no recollection of seeing that card game in my home city.

Maybe if you describe it, I might remember something?

[playthedamncard]

[Nothing. Sure. Right.]

There are televised events for championship tournaments. But if you aren't into watching card games, then it stands to reason it might not be forefront on your mind.

The backs of the cards are a brown background with something of a black vortex in the center, but the front of each card is a different type--a monster, a trap, or a magic card, all with different abilities and effects. [Does she know Magic, maybe? Someone has got to know Magic and call out DM for being Magic: the Monstering.] It's a strategic game of using various types of monsters in combination with other cards to whittle down the life points of your opponent.

[stillstands]

[ To be incredibly fair to her, she does seem to be listening to Kaiba's explanation quite intently. Listening for any similarities to card games she knows of, or may have heard of, or even might have spotted in the shops.

But the longer he goes on and on about it, the more bewildered her face becomes, going from intent to just confused. Monster cards? Magic cards? Life points?]

...

... So it's a children's card game?

[playthedamncard]

Technically, though there's no reason for everyone of all ages to play it.

[stillstands]

True. If you enjoy it, you should play it.

[Pause.]

You must enjoy it a lot, if you're looking for a deck this intently.

[playthedamncard]

It's important to me. I'm a top-rated player on the tournament scene, and plenty of the technology I've been developing has been to have a better experience with the game.

[stillstands]

Oh, so knowing it's successful is important for your business as well? I see.

[Pause.]

You could leave a message for the Overseers? They might know, and might answer. Otherwise I don't see how you can find out if it's available here otherwise.

[playthedamncard]

I'll know it when I see it. I could even work with a pathetically weak deck if I had to, or packs of random cards to throw something together, but if there was any way I could get access to my deck of cards, I'd appreciate it.

[With a thoughtful noise, then a huffed sigh.] Though I don't suppose it'd do me any good if I didn't have an opponent to duel against.

[stillstands]

[Wow. SOMEONE is very serious about his children's card game.]

... No, I don't suppose it would. But if you somehow get two decks you could always teach someone to play?

[playthedamncard]

[don't judge him]

I haven't had to teach someone the rules in some time. It might be interesting.

There's a story [and it must be a story, no matter what Pegasus or Ishizu say] that the inspiration for the cards come from ancient Egyptian carvings and art, that a game very similar to Duel Monsters was played thousands of years ago. Even chess isn't that old.

[stillstands]

[she is judging him a little, in secret. maybe a little more when he starts claiming his card game is thousands of years old.]

It might be. You seem enthusiastic about it, after all.

... There are stories, but no proof of it being played back then?

[playthedamncard]

Stone carvings and tablets depicting the battles, but then again, they also claim to be magic. That instead of cards, the monsters were locked away in stone, to be summoned by the priests of the pharaoh.

I think it's nonsense, of course, but if nothing else, the game was inspired by these stories and depictions. Some cards even have ancient script on them that needs deciphered first to be used effectively. All for show, I'm sure. [He's still nnnnnot touching the fact that he could read ancient Egyptian script on Ra's card without needing the computers to fully translate it. That doesn't bother him at all.]

[stillstands]

[She's just kinda. Openly staring now.]

Oh, so they were really into accuracy with these cards. I would have suggested seeing if you could re-create them in the art room, but ancient Egyptian scripts probably aren't easy to draw from memory...

[playthedamncard]

What, just try to recreate physical copies from memory? That's...

[Time-consuming. Pointless for the number of cards there are in the game. A waste of his efforts and energies. Sentimental.]

...Something to consider, at least.

[stillstands]

[What else are you going to do here, Kaiba? Without your cards or your swishy coat (yet)?]

Right. If they can't give you a copy of your deck, make one anyway.

[playthedamncard]

I do know my decks and strategies inside and out. [He's got a really good idea about Yuugi's deck, too. You'd think he'd make an anti-Dark Magician deck one of these days.]

It just doesn't seem productive. ...Then again, neither does specifically looking for game cards, does it. [He can call himself out. On rare occasion.]

[stillstands]

[But that would be logical, Kaiba. And then would you really be beating your crush on the merit of your own skill, or because your nerfed his deck.... moral dilemmas, moral dilemmas.]

If you know they're not here, then no. Not really. But we're not exactly hurting for free time here.

[playthedamncard]

There's only so much we can do here. Before we get into wastes of time. Only so many books, only so many theories we can come up with, only so many times we can give a nasty glare into one of the cameras. Do they expect us to get so bored that we start killing each other?

[stillstands]

... Maybe? I don't know how their minds work. That, or they're relying on someone ... [Ah... right this is a little close to home.]

... losing their mind from the stress of the situation and snapping, maybe?

[playthedamncard]

I could see that happening with this group, unfortunately. For being a bunch of 'champions', few here seem particularly stable.

[stillstands]

Can you blame them? Us?

Nothing about this situation is good. Isolation, constant fear and threat of death, it all plays on your mind.

[playthedamncard]

Which is why we have to overcome those baser instincts. Be stronger than the average, weaker person.