(59) Break Time! The Beach Episode… Kind Of
22/SEP/35MT
A week has passed since that event and the duels so far had been going way better.
Beginner Bracket. Open image in another tab to see better
Intermediary Bracket. Open image in another tab to see better
Advanced Bracket. Open image in another tab to see better.
Yup, things have been going alright. We haven’t even had a single drop from the tourney and, while I don’t want to Jinx it, if things keep going this way we might just sweep the whole thing. Obviously, for me, most duels here are duller than dishwater. I power through them by focusing on each part of my routine meticulously. Haruna, who has to actually pay attention to announcements, can’t do that and I don't envy her. ‘Guess it helps we win quickly most of the time…’
On a much more amusing note, the organizers have ejected the SPI cheer group from the tournament… That was surprising, considering none of the families of Haru, Nana or Neko have anything to do with dueling so I’m not sure why they’d fear angering them. Not that it mattered in the long term. The SPI dropped from the tournament not long after, for undisclosed reasons, and I’m pretty sure hiring another cheer squad wasn’t the problem. Technically, having an announcer isn’t even mandatory. While this was unexpected I'm sure Nanako, who's still in the hospital recovering, appreciates it.
Anyway, let’s forget about the tournament for today. My body seriously needed a break after the continuous routines we’ve had to do in every duel. Circus gymnastics is no joke. My arms and legs have been sore every single day after the matches and I don’t even want to think about doing another somersault right now.
Speaking about resting, I’m currently resting by a fountain in one of the shopping malls in the station, waiting for my two roommates to return from their impromptu shopping frenzy.
With this free time, I can let my mind wander about some things I still haven’t figured out. Like how the omnipresent mental block might not be limited to just extra deck summoning, even though it is the most obvious factor. ‘Like, how the hell can everyone understand Ritual Summoning but not fusion? They’re almost the same thing. You use a spell card and some monsters as materials to summon another monster! The only reasonable difference is the extra deck…’
Now the reasons for me thinking it’s not limited to extra deck summoning? Well… Just think about it! As much as the anime wanted to make the game seem complex and mysterious, it just isn’t! At most, someone dedicated enough and with a lot of time in their hands could learn the game in a day to a week at worse. And learning the newest meta deck isn’t exactly rocket science. Deck building isn’t the easiest thing to learn, but if you had an entire month to yourself, you’d be a capable of making a half decent meta deck without net decking at the very at least.
‘But here I am, in a dueling academy doing a five-year course to be declared competent at it… It just doesn’t make any sense!’
I massage my temples and try to put those thoughts in the back of my mind. ‘Ok that’s enough for today. I’m supposed to be relaxing for christ’s sake!’
Today is a break day from the tournament, meaning no matches, and we get to wear our own clothes. I argued with Haruna about just going out in my normal NWDA attire, but she insisted I needed to get out of that ‘Scruffy’ uniform once in a while. Of course, I had multiple of that uniform, so cleanliness wasn’t the issue, but I must admit, it was getting monotonous. Because of that, I broke into my gym bag to check what Yuumi had in there. I found nothing that drew my fancy in there, so we went shopping…
Consequently, I’m wearing a tight bra-less dark sports tube top with lots of support and detached sleeves running from below the shoulders to the wrists covering my arms, a pair of matching short-shorts tied with red laces at the sides, and sneakers paired with knee-high black stockings. I know this is a lot skimpier than my normal uniform, especially around the midriff area, but considering the station is kept at 28 degrees, I'm not wearing more than this if I can help it.
When Haruna and Naeko saw me dressed like this, they both pointed out I looked like a stereotypical tomboy. I shrugged at them, Yuumi was already a bit of tomboy and the addition of dude memories into the mix obviously won't make me any less of one.
I'm pleased to say that this outfit is eliciting me fewer stares than my cheerleading uniform, and the glares usually subside as soon as I make eye contact. ‘That probably has something to do with the duel disk on my hip… Or maybe it’s the dark mascara around my eyes? Honestly, I’m not sure…’
Obviously, I was aware precisely why people looked away, and it felt good to learn I could dress like whatever the hell I wanted, and the typical limp dick chode would be too scared to approach me. Let me be clear, I’m no misandrist, but I’m also not into men, so seeing guys who I would never even consider going on a date with approach me is something I want to minimize.
‘The price though… I feel like my pockets are a little emptier… And that doesn’t even make sense, considering nobody carries physical currency.’
My club mates finally arrive carrying two deep shopping bags each. I look at the shop they just came out of and ask myself. ‘How the hell did they buy so much stuff from a lingerie store? It’s underwear! Not something dense enough to fill a bag!’
I shake my head and greet them. “So, are we finally getting those swimsuits?”
Naeko insisted we go buy swimsuits immediately after we left for the mall. Don’t know why, there are pools, but if you don’t count the fancy hotels which block access to patrons only, you have a single communal pool, which I’m sure these two don’t even consider an option.
Haruna, who’s wearing a white summer dress paired with strappy sandals and cosmetic round-rim glasses, covers her mouth with a free hand and giggles. “Fufufufu, what? Didn’t you also get a pair of those crouch-less pan—”
“That’s none of your business!” I interrupt before she reveals the contents of the small shopping bag I have with me.
“Relax Yuumi, you look dashing anyway, though I can’t wait to see those on you tonight~.” Naeko teases. She’s wearing a sleeveless crimson T-shirt with a matching plated skirt and sneakers.
I blush hard, it’s true that ever since that night I’ve been getting… Well, let’s just say I’m not left wanting at night… Strangely they prefer ganging up on me and I still don’t know why, I’m almost getting worried they think I’m too inexperienced to return the favor. ‘I need to ask about that tonight.’
Still, I have to remind them of why we’re in the mall. “Seriously girls, I don’t mind going on a shopping trip, but I didn’t bring a big enough bag up here for that, and you said we would just be getting some swimsuits.”
Haruna sighs before suggesting. “Fine, we’ll get those swimsuits, but first, promise me we’ll go shopping together after returning home?”
I respond with a sigh of my own. “Ahhh. Sure, how does winter break sound for a meetup?”
“Delightful!” she exclaims, then turns to Naeko and asks. “Does that work for you as well, Neko?”
She’s rubbing her hands intensely, but Haruna’s question snaps her out of her daydreaming for a second. “Ah, yes. Hehehehehe. I’m going to pick Yuumi’s clothes~”
‘Right… I hope this wasn’t a mistake…’
With that decided, we walk along the wide shopping mall installed in the station, and finally reach a beach apparel store, which is strange when you consider we’re in a space station… Almost as strange as buying swimsuits in space station…
I asked that exact question before, but Naeko replied with a simple “You’ll see.” and when I asked Haruna, she told me that if Neako thought we needed them, then she was probably right.
‘Oh, well. Let’s just see where this takes me… I’ve been doing a lot of that lately, haven’t I?’
‘This is bananas… Holy shit, this is... ridiculous…’
Haruna notices my shocked expression and comments. “See, I told you Naeko knows her stuff, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, no shit… Hey can you scoot over? I’m running low on O2.”
Haruna nods and I stand up to go grab another tank.
Now, if you’re confused, don’t worry. I also didn’t understand why we were bringing bikinis and O2 tanks to an airlock. But that quickly got explained when the staff told us to turn on our duel disk’s personal defense shields…
You see, the personal defense barrier is what makes duel disks useful in fights, and I’m not talking against fist here. High caliber rounds and even tank shells get reflected off the barrier just fine. It also has environmental protection against temperature, radiation, pressure differences, and can hold on to a bubble of air for as long as it’s necessary while also filtering out specific elements like Co2 to maintain a breathable atmosphere. Couple that with a Nitrogen and Oxygen air mixture tank, and you can go on a spacewalk naked with a simple projected ankle strap working as the tether.
I grab a handheld dual air tank with a regulator reading ‘4400kPa’ on the oxygen part and ‘600kPa’ for the nitrogen. From what I understand, the internal mix of the air bubble leans towards nitrogen, but you don’t really consume it, just breathe it out, thus the disparity in the tank. I undo the strap around my thigh with the nearly empty tank on it and exchange it with the fresh one from the dispenser.
While I’m at it, I also grab a drink from a cocktail dispenser on top of the catering table, next to the equipment. Looking this way, I spot the communal space where non-duelists have to huddle close to each other beneath a large bubble. ‘Sure sucks to be you!’
Turning back to our private spot, I focus on Haruna and Naeko sun bathing - Yes, that’s what this is called - with a fading blue glow around them. Haruna is wearing a complex swimsuit, which looks like a mix of a bikini and one-piece, with the top of a strappy dark blue bikini connected by a single strap to the bottom while Naeko wears a normal red bikini. I myself am wearing a two-piece bikini with a two color black and purple triangle top and a matching thong-like string bottom myself. Honestly, it’s a little embarrassing that I’m the one with the skimpiest swimsuit out of the tree, but I picked it out because I liked how I looked in it and I’m trying to be more selfish with stuff like this. You know? The whole ‘Love yourself’ spiel?
With life support and drinks sorted out, I walk over the station exterior, with a thin transparent blue barrier between my bare feet and the scorching metal, to my two club mates and lay back down on a large projected towel between the two.
“Hey! Why did you only get drinks for yourself!?” I hear Haruna whine over the group call on my duel disk. Sound, of course, doesn’t travel without a medium.
Shrugging, I reply. “You had enough time to tell me what you wanted before I laid down. Now YOU get up if you want one.”
“Arrrg! FINE! Why do we have to set up so far from the catering table, anyway?” Haruna complains and stands up.
I share an amused smirk with Naeko before taking a sip of my drink. ‘Mmm, cold… That’s nice.’ After a lot of tinkering, I settled with having the interior of my bubble set to 36 degrees. I could also set the intensity of the sunlight that reached me along with the UV level. I’m not looking for a heavy tan, but I would appreciate a subtle bronze. So I was nice and warm while basking in the filtered sunlight.
With comfort and drinks sorted out, I grab my duel gazer from the disk, tied on an opposite thigh strap to the air tank, and put it on. I must admit the view is amazing, but considering the sun light blocks out most of the view, I’ll settle for something else. With the duel gazer, I bring up an AR display and go over to a global net video sharing site to find something to watch. Maybe I’ll even cave and buy a subscription on a streaming site… They have those, of course.
‘This is the good life everyone talks about, isn’t it? My god, I should’ve relaxed more in my previous life…’
The only thing I felt was missing was the sea. But I’m sunbathing on the exterior of a space station in a swimsuit, so I’ll cease my complaining and acknowledge this is just flexing on nature. I mean, when nature says humans were not made to survive in space, you not only make spaceships but also walk outside them half-naked just to prove a point.