[He wanders]

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

[Johan wanders around the island relatively carefree. Since the confrontation with the Judai who had been keeping him captive, which ended in, of all things, that one leaving him be, he's been thrilled just to be alive. Who might he meet in these wandererings? Well, people...that's entirely up to you. He goes anywhere and everywhere, his Gem Beasts with him of course. Do you meet him? Well? Do you?]

Comments

[nolongerunwise.livejournal.com]

For his part, Judai's footsteps are just as aimless, mostly because he wishes to thoroughly acquaint himself with this odd place. There's also the fact that staying cooped-up in the Osiris Red dorm isn't much of an option, given that it threatens to drive him crazy with old memories, of a time when he had felt almost as if he had a true home.

Grimacing and stubbornly swatting those thoughts away, he glances ahead -- only to see a Johan walking towards him from the other direction. With a small jolt, he thinks that this one is the boy to whom he had given that Deck.... but then realizes that he can't be. For one, this Johan clearly looks somewhat older. With another small grimace, he realizes that he had been told the truth -- this place does indeed bring doubles of any kind, just as Econtra had. Lovely.

When the two of them are closer to each other, he nods his head slightly, in the other's direction. He might not want to spend all that much time in the company of a Johan Andersen for very complicated reasons, but that doesn't mean that he'll be senselessly rude. It would bring him no benefits, other than unneeded aggravation and antagonism -- something that he should have thought about years earlier as well.

"Let me guess.... you have other doubles in this place, right?" he asks directly, on a faintly amused tone. If that idiot boy with the red hair wasn't lying, then this island apparently takes in more than two versions of the same individual. He's still not fully convinced of that, though.

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

Johan looks over at him and nods back. Being polite to Judais is second nature, after all. This one obviously isn't the one from his world, nor is it the one who recently held him captive for months. After all, that one knew him on sight from all the others, not to mention was younger than he was. This one looked to be out of his teens, at the very least.

"Two or three, at least. We don't really hang out that much. I've seen a few of you around, too."

[nolongerunwise.livejournal.com]

Oh, it just figures. If he still had as much of a penchant for the over-dramatic -- as was the case during his teenage years -- Judai would have quite likely struck his forehead with his palm at that. Econtra and its confusion and conflict with doubles had been bad enough -- now this place has to go and add on top of that!

Sometimes, he honestly thinks that the Universe has it in for him.

"I don't doubt it" he answers -- a darker note in his voice making it clear that Judai's not exactly enthused by the news. Still, as long as none of them is some twisted perversity like that thing in the other Johan's world, he'll let other oddities slide. "I seem to be something of a magnet for these kinds of things."

Those last words are spoken upon a somewhat ironic tone, coated with plenty of dry humor and some self-deprecation. After all, it certainly takes some skill to land in what essentially is an inter-dimensional prison twice, in an interval of six years.

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

Johan tilts his head a bit curiously. "Oh? Been to a place like this before?" This couldn't be the only one of its kind...could it? He wasn't sure if he wanted it to be or not.

Of course, the thought that Judai might be referring to some other place entirely hadn't (yet) crossed Johan's mind.

[nolongerunwise.livejournal.com]

"Yes" he answers wryly, looking back upon Econtra with a combination of fond memories (mostly due to Yubel and the few significant conversations he had carried out with the other Academia students stuck in that place) and cringe-inducing ones that he tries to not dwell upon all that much.

"Years ago. I can't say that I really miss it. At least this place has more of a sense of.... freedom it it, even if a fake one. I will always prefer the sea to a prison wall."

The last words are murmured mostly to himself, dark eyes moving from the grassy knoll on which both of them are standing, towards the deep-blue sea which stretches all the way towards the horizon, making it seem as if the lighter blue of the sky were merging with the water's more intense shade.

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

Johan nods a little at first, then as the words sink in, he freezes. Could it be...no...the age...but...

He swallows a bit nervously. "Yeah. It's really different." Should he say it? Did he...was he...if he wasn't, the word wouldn't mean anything to him. But if he was...

"Really different...from Econtra."

[nolongerunwise.livejournal.com]

For a second, he's tempted to offer Johan merely the smallest sign of acknowledgment, most of his attention still drawn to the vast ocean spreading outwards as far as the human eye can possibly see. It's not the warm, azure sea of that long-lost world and neither is it the Pacific Ocean surrounding Academia island... but there are enough similarities in order to awaken fond, melancholic feelings within him, the salty breeze caressing his cheek.

And then Judai hears that name -- something which causes a horridly cold jolt to race through him, as if he had been violently pierced with a metal rod straight through the top of the head. It isn't possible -- some part of him whispers, one that's not been utterly numbed by the shock. He can't know that name, he can't say it.... he can't be that particular Johan Andersen....

Dark, feverish eyes narrow dangerously and pin Johan under an intense stare -- seeming to burn straight through his skin, right down to the bones hidden beneath. There's an almost feral glint to them -- an impression augmented by this Judai's long, rather unkempt hair and gaunt cheeks, suggesting the lack of proper nourishment.



His tone is low, yet very controlled -- in stark contrast with his general appearance.

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

Yeah. This was him. Johan couldn't have forgotten that look in a million years, no matter how faded other memories had once been. He shifted away slightly; there were differences between this one and the one he knew so recently, but still...the look. That voice...

"I said Econtra." He could not help but pale a little as well, which made the scar on his face stand out a little more. What was he going to want now? Did he even remember that he had said he'd leave Johan alone? Though, the way that he'd said it had been...different.

[nolongerunwise.livejournal.com]

Judai's eyes immediately notice that scar.... and it serves to effectively crush all emerging hopes that perhaps this is merely a Johan from a universe which also experienced the entire Econtra debacle, albeit in a different form. The fact that the boy's emerging fear is almost palpable stands as another nail in the coffin of the theory that his mind had concocted in desperation.

Still, he wishes to be certain -- a grim desire, yes, but it's best to drink the bitter cup all the way to the bottom of the glass. He certainly doesn't deserve any sort of leniency in this respect.

"Where did you get that?" he murmurs, staring at Johan's pale scar. His voice is still low, hard and taut -- firm control hiding all of the maddened emotions which flow chaotically through Judai, spilling into each other and creating an unholy fusion of confusion, shock, guilt, anger, self-recrimination and even darker things that he had thought long-conquered.

Because watching people mistake his Stardust for a Duel Spirit never stops being funny to me ever

[kizunaprotector.livejournal.com]

[Yuusei has been rather restrained in his activities recently, as the migraines bothering him have finally given him incentive to seek asprin. When you find him, he'll be across from the store in the Satellite area where he bought said medication, popping a single pill as he sits on the decimated porch of the building, a computer of rather new quality laying in carefully taken apart pieces at his feet.

An odd-looking Stardust Dragon is curled up next to him, looking at him in concern. This Stardust looks rather different from your average one-seeming less monster-like and more like pieces of armor worn by some being made of pure energy.

Come talk? They could certainly use the distraction. Taking apart never-before seen technology, while a rather interesting endeavor, meant nothing to him if his headaches kept him from focusing.]

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

[Johan spies him and wanders over casually, looking at the 'Duel Spirit' curiously.] Hey, what are you doing? [He sounds only curious, looking at the taken apart computer. Not that he's a very tech oriented person, but he's really just...curious.]

[kizunaprotector.livejournal.com]

[Yuusei looks up briefly, his eyes flickering up to you in a sign of acknowledgment before focusing again on the scattered parts. You look like that other person, the one asking about an Academia...never got his name.

Sorry for the apparent rudeness, but Yuusei's never been an outright social person-any new person gets the same overall distant attitude at first.]

Taking this apart. I've never seen a computer like this. I'd like to get a gauge for how this works.

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

[Johan peers more closely at it. He's never been too much familiar with most tech stuff. His world has them, he just hasn't really interested himself in anything beyond his Duel Disk.]

I've never been much with computers myself.

[kizunaprotector.livejournal.com]

[Yuusei nods his head somewhat abruptly.]

Mmm. We all have occupations we prefer above others.

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

I'm more of a duelist myself. [He eyes Stardust some.] Do you duel? [He figures it's a yes. After all, there's the Duel spirit!]

[kizunaprotector.livejournal.com]

[Yuusei gives a somewhat ironic smile-he did duel, but not in the fashion Johan probably meant.]

Aaa, in a sense.

[thejewelergem.livejournal.com]

[Hey have a double! He's been wandering around for a couple of days now and is hopelessly lost . . . not to mention kind of hungry. The one shop he found took krone, which (other than being highly confusing since isn't this Japan?) helped as long as the sandwich lasted, but now he's out of money and doesn't know what he should do. He's looking around trying to figure out if anybody actually *lives* in any of these abandoned-looking buildings, petting Ruby absently as he does.]

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

[Johan spies a double. He's seen a few before but they don't often talk. He kind of misses the doubles he had in Econtra, really. Mmmm, Juudai sandwiches...ahem. He waves at this one casually, and at the Ruby on his shoulder. His own Ruby trills happily back at the counterpart.]

Hey. New around here?

[thejewelergem.livejournal.com]

[Still looking up at the buildings as he starts to address you, turning.] Yeah, I've been here for about two -

. . .

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand staring. Not attempting to get his mouth shut, either. All anybody's told him is that this place "isn't the Academia." Nobody ever mentioned he might run into the identical twin he doesn't actually have.]

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

[Johan can't help but snicker a little at that looks. He wonders if he looked like that the first time that he saw a double of himself.]

What? Never seen yourself before?

[thejewelergem.livejournal.com]

[Judging by that gape, no. Is that seriously . . . nah. Can't be. Apparently it hasn't occurred to this Johan yet that if there are other universes, there might be other hims, too.] I -


. . . . [Yeah, he's brainbroken. He's not even paying any attention to the Ruby on his shoulder sitting up and chittering at the Ruby on yours. You could do the kid a big favour by actually explaining this place, Johan.]

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

[He'll take the silent staring as a no. All right.]

This place not only brings people from different times and places, but more than one of that person. You'll see a few Juudais, a few Kaisers, a few of us. There are other people around too.

[thejewelergem.livejournal.com]

[Still totally staring. Although at least he can speak now. And is wondering a little if he should do something about that bit of hair that sticks up in the back of his head, it looks really awkward when he can actually *see* it . . . ] I -


--but how? How can you be in more than one place at once? Wouldn't that collapse the universe or something? [His entire highly dubious and theoretical education on this kind of thing has come from television: yes.]

[eightgemmaster.livejournal.com]

We're all from different universe, really, as far as I know. So we're all the same, but we're all different at the same time. I've even seen a female one of us around.

[thejewelergem.livejournal.com]

Female-- [Okay, yeah, back to being incoherent now.]


. . . . . ah - [He rubs the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. It seems particularly pointless to introduce himself at this point.]


. . . . . . . I guess you're . . . not new here?