Mina thought she would not be able to manipulate Rin to her liking. [color=0054a6]"Well of course, that is why we are all here. But what got you into duelling?"[/color] She asked, now leaning forwards a little more. [i]"You are not going to get anything from this girl, she's a brick wall."[/i] Her spirit partner spoke up, rolling his eyes. "It's... fun." Mina took a deep sigh as the girl gave her another one-worded answer. [color=0054a6]"Okay, well, you must be really good if you got into Ra Yellow. Wanna have a little duel? nothing too high-stakes of course."[/color] She said, getting off her bed and brandishing her duel disk. "Okay." The two left for the Ra Yellow lounge, which was big and open enough that they’d have room to duel, albeit with a lot of spectators. Mina shuffled her deck, placed it within her duel disk, and pulled out 5 cards from the top as her starting hand. She stared at her hand, thinking of what her next move would be. Mina vs. Rin [hider=Rin's theme][youtube]https://youtu.be/mvJIG0bm8ks[/youtube][/hider] [color=0054a6]"After you."[/color] Rin wordlessly drew her hand, before silently placing a card from her hand onto the field: Gift Exchange. Without explaining it, she started going through her deck before banishing a card in it face-down. She then pushed the card hologram across the field with a simple gesture so that Mina could read the text on it herself, instead of explaining what it did out loud in a dramatic fashion, like a normal person. Mina clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth, picking a card from her deck to be banished. [hider=Gift Exchange][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/2/29/GiftExchange-AC18-EN-SR-1E.png/300px-GiftExchange-AC18-EN-SR-1E.png[/img][/hider] Then, for the first time, Rin spoke a complete sentence. "I hope you gave me something good, roommate-chan." It was slightly jarring to hear her be so talkative, even if it was just one sentence, but Mina couldn’t help but focus on another detail. [i]Roommate-chan?[/i] [color=0054a6]"Call me Mina, Rin-chan."[/color] Rin simply nods as she sets a monster and two face-downs in the back row, then gestures to Mina, indicating the end of her turn. The gifts from Gift Exchange arrive: Rin receives Vampire Kingdom, while Mina receives another Gift Exchange. [hider=Gift Exchange][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/e/e9/VampireKingdom-GFP2-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-VampireKingdom-GFP2-EN-UR-1E.png[/img][/hider] "It's the gift that keeps on giving. You'll play it for me, won't you?" Mina scoffs. She’ll probably just get another Gift Exchange. [color=0054a6]"I set one card in the back row and play Vampire lady in attack mode. Now, Vampire Lady attacks your face down monster."[/color] Vampire Lady - 1550/1550 [hider=Vampire Lady][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/7/70/VampireLady-LCJW-EN-C-1E.png/300px-VampireLady-LCJW-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider] The monster flips face-up to reveal Mimicking Man-Eater Bug. Although Vampire Lady brings her heel down on it with great force, the bug doesn’t falter, but instead grabs Vampire Lady and begins eating her alive, with very little apparent chewing. As it finishes gulping Vampire Lady down, its color changes, it sprouts a pair of bat wings, and its attack rises to 2000. Mimicking Man-Eater Bug - [color=green]2000[/color]/600 [hider=Mimicking Man-Eater Bug][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/d/d9/MimickingManEaterBug-MP22-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-MimickingManEaterBug-MP22-EN-UR-1E.png[/img][/hider] [color=0054a6]"Tch. I end my turn."[/color] "Don’t want to exchange more gifts with me? I'm hurt." Rin activates the Vampire Kingdom she received from Gift Exchange and changes Mimicking Man-Eater Bug to attack. “I must say, I really like what you’ve done with your deck. It’s very stylish.” She continues playing non-verbally, pointing to Mina to direct Mimicking Man-Eater Bug as it attacks directly. Its attack rises to 2500 for damage calculation due to the effect of Vampire Kingdom before returning to 2000. [8000 LP > 5500 LP] Rin gestures again, passing the turn over to Mina. Despite a full hand, her options remain rather limited. She sets one monster face-down. “Your turn.” Rin draws, and a smile lights up her face. She places the card directly on her duel disk. It’s another Gift Exchange. They each banish another card before Rin points again, attacking the face-down with Mimicking Man-Eater Bug. It flips to reveal Vampire Sorcerer, who blows up under the giant bug’s claws. Its effect activates in turn. [hider=Vampire Sorcerer][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/7/7f/VampireSorcerer-GFP2-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-VampireSorcerer-GFP2-EN-UR-1E.png[/img][/hider] [color=0054a6]“I add Vampire Red Baron to my hand.”[/color] [hider=Vampire Red Baron][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/c/ca/VampireRedBaron-MP19-EN-C-1E.png/300px-VampireRedBaron-MP19-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider] Rin ends her turn. Gift exchange activates. Rin receives Vampire Familiar, while Mina receives Griggle. [hider=Vampire Familiar, Griggle][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/8/80/VampireFamiliar-MP19-EN-C-1E.png/300px-VampireFamiliar-MP19-EN-C-1E.png[/img] [img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/7/75/Griggle-DB1-EN-C-UE.jpg/300px-Griggle-DB1-EN-C-UE.jpg[/img][/hider] Mina had to do a double-take when she received it. [i]What trash is this?[/i] Rin catches her eye from across the Ra Yellow lounge and gives her a smile. [i]The audacity.[/i] [color=0054a6]“I banish Vampire Sorcerer from my graveyard to normal summon my Vampire Red Baron without tribute, in attack mode. His attack is also increased during battle, thanks to your gifted card. Now, go! squish that bug!”[/color] Vampire Red Baron - 2400/1000 Vampire Red Baron attacks Mimicking Man-Eater Bug. Vampire Kingdom increases the attack of both of them, to 2900 and 2500 respectively. Rin takes 400 damage, but Mimicking Man-Eater Bug cannot be destroyed by battle. [8000 LP > 7600 LP] “Consider me squished.” Mina grit her teeth. [color=0054a6]“...I end my turn.”[/color] Her hand had 7 cards in it at this point. She could have avoided discarding a card by setting Gift Exchange or something, but she’d rather toss Griggle with extreme prejudice. Rin notices as she draws. "Spurning my gifts? How cruel." She places the card she just drew, activating Brain Control. Rin pays 800 LP and points at Vampire Red Baron as large ghoulish hands emerge from the card, reaching over to grab Vampire Red Baron. [hider=Brain Control][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/0/01/BrainControl-EGO1-EN-C-1E.png/300px-BrainControl-EGO1-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider] [7600 LP > 6800 LP] [color=0054a6]“I activate my trap card, Vampire Domination, to negate Brain Control.”[/color] [hider=Vampire Domination][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/1/16/VampireDomination-GFP2-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-VampireDomination-GFP2-EN-UR-1E.png[/img][/hider] “Very well. Unfortunately for you, I don’t give up so easily.” Rin puts down the second card she got from Gift Exchange: Vampire Familiar, in face-up attack position. Vampire Familiar - 500/0 [hider=Vampire Familiar][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/8/80/VampireFamiliar-MP19-EN-C-1E.png/300px-VampireFamiliar-MP19-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider] She then activates Creature Swap from her hand, giving Mina her Vampire Familiar back and taking Vampire Red Baron in exchange. Mina can’t help but feel a bit speechless. Wasn’t stealing monsters supposed to be [i]her[/i] thing? “Battle. Go, Vampire Red Baron.” Rin points to Vampire Familiar, and Vampire Red Baron charges at it, impaling it on its spear. As before, Vampire Kingdom boosts both sides, cancelling out the difference. [5500 LP > 3600 LP] She points at Mina again, and Mimicking Man-Eater Bug attacks accordingly. [3600 LP > 1100 LP] “Now, since he was destroyed by Vampire Red Baron, he comes back, doesn’t he, Mina-chan?” [color=0054a6]”...”[/color] The effect of Vampire Red Baron activates, and Vampire Familiar is summoned to Rin’s side of the field in face-up defence position. She sets a [i]third[/i] face-down in the spell/trap zone, then ends her turn with the usual gesture. Mina draws. It’s something useful this time, but too little, too late. She begins to sweat as she activates Gift Exchange, banishing a copy of her spirit partner, Vampire Retainer, in a desperate attempt to receive something, [i]anything[/i], to pull her out of her current situation. [hider=Vampire Retainer][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/3/39/VampireRetainer-MP19-EN-C-1E.png/300px-VampireRetainer-MP19-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider] She has nothing to summon, and so simply ends her turn right after. The gifts come down, and she sees that Rin has deigned to gift her… … [hider=What was the gift?][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/a/a2/Ameba-DB1-EN-C-UE.jpg/300px-Ameba-DB1-EN-C-UE.jpg[/img][/hider] …Is …Is that what Rin thinks of her? Mina looks to Rin, who already seems to be smiling at her. “Thank you. I’ll… cherish him” For just a moment, she seems to go back to being the quiet girl who can’t speak in complete sentences. At least, until she summons it, changes Vampire Familiar to attack position, then attacks directly with it. “Go, Vampire Familiar.” Mina pulls out her last resort: a bluff. [color=0054a6]“I special summon Vampire Fraulein in defence. Her effect also lets me boost her attack and defence when attacked.”[/color] Vampire Fraulein - 600/2000 [hider=Vampire Fraulein][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/f/fa/VampireFraulein-MP19-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-VampireFraulein-MP19-EN-UR-1E.png[/img][/hider] “Oh? How cool. Why don’t you show me?” [color=0054a6]“...”[/color] “Mimicking Man-Eater Bug, go.” It surges forward, and as her last hope is about to be eaten alive by a giant Vampire Bug, she decides it’s pointless to activate its effect. If she does, she’ll just steal it with Vampire Red Baron anyway, since she doesn’t have the life points to use her effect twice. It’s disrespectful enough that she’s being beaten by her own monsters, no need to add insult to injury. “Oh? Not going to prolong the inevitable? That's good. I do so hate to [i]drrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaag thiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnngssssssssss oooooooooouuuuuuuuuut[/i]” The peanut gallery laughs at her joke. Laughs at her. They all must think she’s a joke, losing like this. What an awful duelist. Despite her words, instead of finishing her off right away with Vampire Red Baron, Rin attacks first with Vampire Familiar. [1100 LP > 100 LP] She then makes her spirit partner, Vampire Retainer, deal the finishing blow. [100 LP > 0 LP] The duel comes to a close. The hologram system carries Ameba and Mina’s cards back to their original owners automatically. Mina takes them, looking at them, her hand, and her deck. She unites them before silently walking out of the dorm. As she makes it outside, away from most of the students, she’s unable to keep herself from crying as her pathetic loss sinks in. She begins punching herself as hard as she can. [i]Stupid! Damned idiot! Fucking loser![/i] She walks into the tree line, looking for a quiet place she can be alone. Back at Ra Yellow, Rin smiles warmly, keeping her eyes on the ground as the spectators cheer for her win. It was… really embarrassing, actually. She couldn’t handle attention like this. She looked up, looking for Mina, a point of familiarity. She wanted to compliment her. It was really fun being Mina, and her Vampire deck was really cool. However, Mina seems to have already left when Rin wasn’t paying attention. She looked around the room, but Mina was nowhere to be seen. She was about to walk back to her room to see if Mina was there, when someone walked in through the front, asking why there was a girl crying and hurting herself outside. Rin didn’t think it was Mina. Mina was the type of girl that oozed confidence. There’s no way it could be Mina. Still, empathy and curiosity got the better of her, and she walked outside just in time to see Mina walk into the tree line, out of sight. Huh. Okay. Where’s the crying girl, though? Rin scanned the area, but there was no one overtly sad around. Maybe they already left? Rin looked back to the forest. For a while, she just stared at it, thinking. She eventually walks towards it and into the treeline.