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[kingofferrets]

Upon the kid asking of his name, Nathan thought, 'Likely would be dangerous to use my actual name. Might as well use the name I signed up with.'  He answered, "My name is John.  John Franklin."

'May want to stop by Vincent's sometime soon.' Nathan thought to himself.  'I've been using this one for quite awhile.  A changeover is due.'

She nodded. Remembering that she was supposed to be nice around strangers, she tried to put on a happier face. It only mostly worked, and she was still grumbly and impatient inside.

"Right. I'm Belle Hooks! I'm here to win."

[FelixSparks]

Marin looked at Sol, her head tilted slightly to one side as though trying to think, but mentally, she was pretty sure she'd already placed him.  Goggles was what she had called him; she didn't know his actual name, but that distinctive headgear was pretty apparent.  She'd seen him once or twice in the lower slums, running errands for some legit business or another, some noble's brat with stars in his eyes and his head in the clouds.  "I dunno.  I've never been up this close to the main city before," she said with a ditzy expression and a slightly puzzled tone.  "I'm Dina, but y'can call me Dee."

"Mmmm. Nice to meet you Dee. Call me Sol." His real name, of course. He had no need for a false one. But this girl... She was lying. That thoughtful look in her eyes told him so. He'd keep it under his hat for now, but this girl was a clever one, someone difficult to mess with. "What kind of deck do you use? I've got a Satellarknight deck myself."

[Culise]

"Mmmm. Nice to meet you Dee. Call me Sol." His real name, of course. He had no need for a false one. But this girl... She was lying. That thoughtful look in her eyes told him so. He'd keep it under his hat for now, but this girl was a clever one, someone difficult to mess with. "What kind of deck do you use? I've got a Satellarknight deck myself."

She smiled shyly.  "Just a little synchro deck, nothin' too fancy.  I hope I'll be OK here; I had to do a bunch of scraping around to get some cards, but I only have two cards in my main deck that are over 1400 attack."

[FelixSparks]

She smiled shyly.  "Just a little synchro deck, nothin' too fancy.  I hope I'll be OK here; I had to do a bunch of scraping around to get some cards, but I only have two cards in my main deck that are over 1400 attack."

He holds out his hand. "I'm decent at this... If I can take a look at your deck, I should be able to tell you if you'll do alright. And as a return gesture, I'll let you see my deck as well. Wouldn't be fair if I knew your deck and you didn't know mine, right?"

[Culise]

He holds out his hand. "I'm decent at this... If I can take a look at your deck, I should be able to tell you if you'll do alright. And as a return gesture, I'll let you see my deck as well. Wouldn't be fair if I knew your deck and you didn't know mine, right?"

She turned away slightly, still with the same smile.  "Thanks, but y'know, I kinda wanna see how far I can get with what I have.  It's probably a little silly of me, don't you think?"

[FelixSparks]

She turned away slightly, still with the same smile.  "Thanks, but y'know, I kinda wanna see how far I can get with what I have.  It's probably a little silly of me, don't you think?"

He chuckles, shaking his head. "No, not at all... But thanks for confirming my suspicions."

[Culise]

Her expression become slightly quizzical, her head slightly cocked again.  "Oh?  Not sure I quite get ya there, but I suppose if I helped with something, that's alright."  She smiles again at him.  "Any rate, good luck to ya in the tournament."

[FelixSparks]

He grins, tapping her duel disk lightly. "You have faith in your deck. That'll get you farther than you think." He grinned and turned, waving as he vanished into the crowd. Once he was out of her sight, his grin vanished. He got a feeling from her... Something... He couldn't place it, but it wasn't bad. He'd let her be for now, and if their paths crossed again, so be it.

[Culise]

As Marin watched him go, she didn't let the smile waver for a second.  Satellarknights...swarm Light cards which are...synchro or xyz heavy, I think.  If he wasn't lying, those cards in my side deck should be enough to deal with him quickly if need be.  The smile finally flickered briefly.  I mustn't show my hand by going all-out too early, but if he knows too much, I can't let him expose me.  She couldn't quite shake the unease around it, though; was that decision the right one?  He didn't seem malicious, but if she had learned one thing, it was simply that everyone lied, in some way.

[Zanzetkuken The Great]

"Right. I'm Belle Hooks! I'm here to win."

Nathan glanced over to the ten year old, and asked, "You related to the Hooks that own one one of the only sources of decent food outside the influence of the corp.?"  He remembered bringing a few things around to the owners over a few runs about six to seven years back.  Nothing technically illegal, just stuff that wasn't sold in the slums and was too high of a price to afford, after including the price of going through all of the security checkpoints between the slums and main city along the official route, of course.  The tasks, like most around that time, paid low due to their lower risk nature.  He never went as far as to go for any of the high risks, which tended to involve stuff that was illegal before the corporation took over.  He saw what that stuff did to people.

Well, except for that one recent bout, for Marin and her group.  He had come into contact with them roughly three-quarters of a year ago, managed to become one of the few people that he was in contact with regularly.  If things had stayed their course, he might have wound up marrying one of them at some point.  In fact, there was one he might have asked in a few years.  But the whole thing fell apart.  As he remembered, his outward appearance remained stoic, but he inwardly winced.  'I hope they survived, but I pray to Ra I never see her or the rest of them again.  The didn't see me during or after but...Dammit, why did I let Sam convince me to drink a few beers before that damn run.  If I had been fully sober, I may not have been spotted (though at least they didn't see anything substantial enough to form a description on).  I know if I still had been I definitely would have avoided that are-...Oh fuck.'

His eyes widened slightly for a second as he noticed Marin in the crowd.  'This could be bad,' he thought to himself, mentally praying she didn't see him.

[kingofferrets]

That did it - Belle legitimately smiled. She was pretty proud of her parents - they seemed to do lots of awesome things, and everyone loved them because they made the best delicious sweets! And then gave some of them to her sometimes, which was awesome.

"Yup! Mommy and Daddy are the best bakers in the lower city, and they wanna become the best bakers in the upper city, too!"

[Kansa]

A while later a voice called out for silence across the hall, the room slowly descended into silence as the chatter died away. A moment later a man walked across the stage, from the look of him he was in his late thirties. His black hair was cut short and his eyes were a bright sapphire, he was wearing a formal suit and carried himself with the air of someone who was used to being obeyed. He smiled down at the contestants but despite this a few people in the crowd glared back at him, this did not seem to bother him in the slightest however. The company man gave a small cough and then began to speak.

”Welcome one and all to the 35th grand Coerelia  tournament, it is pleasure to see so many up and coming duelists who wish to try their hand at this great tradition. As you all know the prizes in this tournament are great, any one of you could become a rich person after this though for some of you this might not matter.” for a moment it looked as if his eyes went to a tall woman in the crowd, if anyone was looking closely they would see his smile widen for a second ”Some of you might just want to increase your own reputation and even maybe find a place in this grand organisation of ours. ”


”I am sure each of you is impatient to find out whether or not you have made the cut, if you haven't please do not be discouraged. Next year is another chance and the rewards will be the same.” he paused for a moment as a screen lowered from down behind him ”Each one of you applications has been looked over carefully and we have selected the best from among you. The names will appear on the screen behind me, I wish you all the best of luck. The first rounds of the tournament will start tomorrow in the stadium in the inner city, I hope to see the chosen ones there.” with those final words he walked off of the stage.

The screen flickered into life as he left, names popping up one by one on the screen until 32 were on there, these were not all of the contestants however everyone knew that there was an equal amount from the richer areas of the city too. Sol Aruka, Belle Hooks, John Franklin, Jacob Thornton and  Dina Argo were all on there.

[FelixSparks]

Sol did a little fistpump of victory to himself as he caught his name on the list. That was one hurdle out of the way... now to duel! He checked the roster to see who he'd be playing in the first round, a little worried. Anyone who knew him or knew of him knew exactly what kind of deck he was running... so he needed a stranger.

[kingofferrets]

Belle grinned and hopped up joyfully at seeing her name on the screen. "Yes! I get to duel!"

...And then she realized what the important-looking man in the suit had just said.

"...tomorrow. Aww..." She looked down with a pout, kicking her feet sadly.

[Zanzetkuken The Great]

Belle grinned and hopped up joyfully at seeing her name on the screen. "Yes! I get to duel!"

...And then she realized what the important-looking man in the suit had just said.

"...tomorrow. Aww..." She looked down with a pout, kicking her feet sadly.

"Still got in.  That's more than most people in general can say.  In fact, you might be the youngest ever accepted," Nathan replied, thinking to himself, 'Well, it looks like she knows I'm here.'