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rebeccathewinterqueen · 4 years

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Awakening: Megumi-chan

Title: Awakening (The Samaya Court Book 1)

Fandoms: Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon

Characters: Yuugi Mutou, Jounouchi Katsuya, Honda Hiroto, Miho Nosaka, Anzu Mazaki, Sugoroku Mutou, Kimiko Mutou (Yuugi’s mother), Eevee

A/N: No, the manga mentioned here isn’t Pokemon Adventures. I have a plan for that later in the series, but not for a while. Also, trying to lengthen the chapters a bit so every episode doesn’t end up three parts, though this was a lot longer than I originally intended. Do you guys prefer longer chapters?

Read Chapter 3: Furious Battle pt 3 here

A few days after discovering Eevee in his room, and Yuugi still hadn’t told his grandfather. He just didn’t know how to tell the older man. How does one go about telling someone a creature from a game is actually real? Yuugi wondered, poking listlessly at his breakfast.

“Well, isn’t this interesting,” Sugoroku murmured, laying the morning’s newspaper on the table. “Yuugi, have you seen this article? That game you like is being featured.” He abandoned breakfast and scooted around the table to see what his grandfather was talking about.

INDUSTRIAL ILLUSIONS GAME BROUGHT TO LIFE?

Yuugi frowned, skimming quickly over the paragraphs. According to the article, real life Pokemon had been spotted around all of Kanto over the last few days. The journalist questioned if it was merely an elaborate prank, or if Industrial Illusions, the company that created the Pokemon card game, had created mechanical versions of the monsters as a promotion for their upcoming expansion pack.

This was the best opportunity he was going to get, he decided. He took a breath. “Jii-chan?”

“Yes, Yuugi?”

“Do you think this article is real?”

“I should hope not,” Kimiko said briskly, bustling in with her own breakfast. Yuugi flinched; he had thought she would be gone for the day already. In addition to keeping the books for the shop, his mother also did payroll for a few other small businesses in the area, and today was a day she normally did her rounds. “I’ve seen those cards. Normal animals are messy enough, let alone having ones running around spitting fire.” She grimaced.

“It might not be so bad,” Sugoroku said thoughtfully. He scratched his chin. “Some of them are pretty cute.”

“In the manga they’re friendly,” Yuugi offered quietly. They had started releasing volumes every month since last September. After Eevee’s appearance he had looked through his cards and the few chapters that had been released for just a little information on his new friend. There wasn’t much.

The card had only recently been released as part of the Jungle expansion and mentioned eevee having an irregular genetic code that could be influenced by radiation from elemental stones. The listed attacks were Tail Wag and Quick Attack. The former kept the opponent from attacking eevee on their next turn and the latter was a simple attack that might do more damage if the player managed to flip heads. And the manga had only mentioned an eevee once in passing.

The manga was cute and fun, but if Yuugi was honest, if it hadn’t been related to his favorite card game he probably wouldn’t have bothered with it. It was pretty basic.

“Cats and dogs are friendly,” Kimiko pointed out, “but they still make a mess. Yuugi, you should finish getting ready for school, dear. You’ll need to leave soon.”

“Right.” He shoved another few bites in his mouth and stood. “Thanks for breakfast!” He took his dishes to the sink and headed back upstairs to grab his school bag, managing to sneak his portion fish in a napkin up with him.

“I hope he’s not going to start asking for a pet,” his mother grumbled as he rounded the corner to the stairs.

“Maybe you should let him have one,” his grandfather suggested mildly. “Something small, like a cat, maybe.”

“One more thing for me to clean up.”

Yuugi shook his head and went upstairs. He didn’t blame his mother for not wanting to clean up after an animal when she already did so much around the house, plus her bookkeeping. He had been trying to do better with keeping his room clean for the last few days so his mother wouldn’t have to search around for laundry—the less searching she had to do, the better Eevee could hide.

The Pokemon was sleeping in his windowsill when he opened the door. She cracked her eyes open and made a quiet noise before closing them again. She didn’t even uncurl or move around. He set the fish on the desk and petted her gently before heading out. He wasn’t worried; she had managed to hide this long without his interference, so he knew her hearing must be as sharp as any cat or dog’s.

He should take her out, he decided as he headed down the stairs. He managed to sneak her outside in the evenings to do her business, but she really needed to run around and play. He hadn’t before because he hadn’t found a secluded enough spot, but if the newspaper article was right, he might not even need to because other Pokemon were popping up all over the place.

“I’m headed out,” he called, barely listening to his mother and grandfather wish him a good day. The park would probably be fine, he decided. He would just stay away from the road. Maybe after school. His mother would be gone until sometime this evening, so he would have a couple hours to let her run around. They might even see another Pokemon, he thought with a grin.

“Well, don’t you look happy today,” Anzu teased, walking up next to him. “Good news at home?”

Yuugi shook his head. “Not particularly. But I saw a really cool news article.”

“What, the thing about the Pokemon sightings?” Yuugi nodded. “Yeah, that was kinda cool to see,” Anzu admitted. “Surprised it was the headliner, though. Did you see the article about the prison break?”

“There was a prison break?” Yuugi asked.

Anzu nodded. “Some guy called Jiro the Jorogumo. Apparently he’s really good at disguises and he got put away for robbery.”

“Guess I should make sure Jii-chan knows.” Domino was a small city and not without it’s crime, but they lived in a relatively quiet area. They still locked their doors, but it might be a good idea to lock up the more valuable merchandise until they caught the guy again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“No, I swear I saw a caterpie hanging around Kaa-san’s Oran bushes!”

Another girl snorted. “Probably just a caterpillar, that’s what it’s based on, right?”

“Caterpillars don’t get that big,” her friend insisted. She held her hands about a foot apart. “Like that!”

“It’s just a hoax,” her friend insisted. She held the other girl’s hand. “I know you really like Pokemon and butterfree’s like, your favorite, but—”

The girl pulled away, scowling. “But nothing! I didn’t imagine it, it wasn’t a trick, it was real!” Her face grew stormier with every word. “You think I’m lying?”

Yuugi dropped into his seat and set his bag on his desk’s hook. The news article was the most popular topic of conversation that morning. He didn’t know either girl very well, but they had always been friends. He had never heard them argue before.

Jounouchi took the seat in front of him, Honda and Miho not too far behind. “What are those two fighting about?”

“Um, remember the card game? Pokemon?” Yuugi kept his voice down, trying not to draw the attention of the arguing girls. Jounouchi nodded. “Did you see the newspaper this morning?”

“No.” Jou frowned at him. “Why, what’s that got to do with it?”

“Oh, I saw it,” Honda said, nodding. “Seems like some kind of elaborate prank to me.”

“There have been sightings of real life Pokemon all around Kanto,” Yuugi elaborated. “People seeing them all over the place.”

“That would be super cool,” Jou said with a grin. “Can you imagine having a charmander?”

“Some people just have way too much time on their hands,” Honda muttered. “Seriously, who has the time to do a prank like this? It completely took over the front page.”

“Well, what if it was real?” Yuugi asked nervously. His palms started to sweat a little, and he discreetly wiped them off. “What if we could have a Pokemon?”

“What, like, pick them up off the street?” Anzu wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I could handle a feral cat, let alone a monster from a card game.”

“The manga makes them look pretty sweet,” Miho said, biting her lip. “I don’t think they’d be very feral. It would be really cool to have a vulpix, too.” She clapped her hands together and smiled. “They’re so adorable!”

“I…didn’t know you read the manga, Miho-chan,” Honda said weakly, looking torn. Yuugi knew Honda—as the president of the beautification club he worked hard to be seen as sensible and make the school as presentable as possible, and these Pokemon sightings weren’t sensible at all. But Miho was clearly interested and thought they would be cool, and he had such a huge crush on her he tended to agree with everything she said.

Miho nodded, oblivious to the internal conflict Yuugi could see brewing in Honda’s eyes. “Oh yes. It’s really cute. I like the game, too. There’s not as many cute Pokemon cards as I would like, but the upcoming expansion is supposed to change that.”

“I have a deck, too,” Anzu confessed, “though I haven’t played very much.”

“Yep, me three,” Jou said, nodding along. “And I’ve seen Yuugi’s deck, so I know he’s into it too.”

Yuugi nodded enthusiastically. “I started playing not long after it came out.” He smiled at Honda. “If you want, I could bring you some of my extra cards. You can build a deck and we can all play together.”

Miho bounced slightly on her toes. “That sounds like so much fun! Hey, maybe we could meet up after school? We’ll get Honda-kun started, and then we could all play each other.”

“That sounds fun,” Anzu agreed happily. “Should we go to Yuugi’s after school?”

Yuugi froze, his smile becoming fixed. If they came over to his house, they would see Eevee, and he still hadn’t told them about her. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea…”

Jou frowned. “Why not?”

“Um…” The bell rang, saving him from having to answer, and his friends were forced to go to their seats. He sighed quietly as the homeroom teacher walked in and they rose in greeting.

Maybe he should just tell them? But what if they didn’t believe him? It would be great to show them, but would it be a good idea to crowd everyone into his room for it? What if Eevee didn’t like crowds?

A trip to the park was sounding better and better. Maybe they could hang out there? That way he could introduce them without Eevee feeling like she was trapped, and then they could play cards together after. He perked up. It would be great, he was sure. They would all love Eevee—she was small and cute and most assuredly not a robot or a puppet. He would tell them at lunch he wanted to go to park.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By the end of the day Yuugi thought he was going to throw up. What if his friends were mad at him for waiting to tell them? He knew he hadn’t known Jou, Honda, or Miho for very long, but he had known Anzu since elementary school and he really should have told her sooner. She was always honest and straightforward with him—it was one of the things he liked best about her.

Well, he thought, he would just have to make it up to her. He marched home—alone for the first time in the last few days. Anzu had always been on-and-off about whether she could walk home with him or not, or if he could walk with her, but Jou had been stuck to his side like glue ever since they had become friends. It felt odd that he wasn’t there now.

“Jii-chan, I’m home,” Yuugi called, walking in the front door of the game shop.

“Welcome home,” Sugoroku responded cheerfully. He set down the magazine he had been reading, the pages revealing a colorful two-page spread about the upcoming Pokemon expansion. “How was school?”

“Pretty boring,” Yuugi confessed. He cracked a smile. “Mostly everyone talked about the news.”

“The Pokemon article? I imagine everyone would have been excited about that one.”

“Yeah, mostly that and the breakout.”

“Oh, yes, I saw that article too.” Sugoroku frowned thoughtfully. “I guess I should keep some of the pricier merchandise in the stock room overnight. I can’t imagine what that man would try to steal here—I remember his case, and he always targeted places like jewelry stores—but I suppose if he was desperate enough…”

“I guess so.” Yuugi stepped over to the side door that led to the house and kicked off his shoes. “I’m just going to grab my cards, then I’m hanging out at the park with my friends. We’re going to see if we can get Honda started on a deck.”

“Go on, then,” the older man said, waving him on with a smile. “And make sure you’re home by dinner.”

“Okay!”

Eevee was waiting for him when he opened his bedroom door, lying on his bed on her back, paws in the air as she wriggled. She rolled over onto her stomach, ears pricked. “Vee?”

Yuugi quickly emptied his bag. “We’re going to the park today,” he said, keeping his voice low. He scratched her ears. “I want to introduce you to my friends.”

“Eevee!” She jumped to her feet, tail wagging and eyes shining. She hopped onto the floor and raced over to him, jumping at his chest. He caught her reflexively, giggling helplessly when she licked his cheek.

“Alright, alright!” He felt even guiltier now. He should have found a way to take her out sooner. “Let me get my cards and then we’ll go. Are you okay being in my bag?” She looked at it critically, then barked her agreement. “Let’s go, then.”

His extra cards didn’t take up too much space, thankfully. He picked them up from his desk. They mostly stayed in a small flat box, the inside separated into three slots for Pokemon, trainer cards, and energy cards. He set it on the bottom of the bag and let Eevee jump in after. He zipped the bag most of the way, leaving the top slightly open so she could breathe and wouldn’t feel too claustrophobic.

“Just keep your head down, okay?” he whispered, carefully putting the backpack on. He felt Eevee scrunch down against his back, then went back downstairs, much slower than he normally was.

“Jii-chan, I’m going now,” he called through the doorway. He hastily slid his shoes back on, trying to get out the door before his grandfather could see him.

“You must have more cards than I thought,” Sugoroku commented, looking up from his magazine. “Have fun with your friends, Yuugi.”

Yuugi froze for a moment, shoulders tensed. He forcibly relaxed them. “I will!”

He sighed in relief as the door closed behind him. That was way too close for comfort. He was just glad his grandfather thought he was carrying a lot of cards and didn’t notice the shape of the bump was too round to be his card box.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yuugi had hoped to be the first one to arrive at the park. He had wanted to pick a more secluded spot so he could introduce Eevee, maybe let her out beforehand so she could look around too. Unfortunately, by the time he got there Honda and Jou were already sitting at the pavilion, a covered area with several picnic benches. Jou had a Ziploc of cards sitting on the table, but neither of them were looking at them and their faces were uncharacteristically grim.

Jou smiled and waved when he saw him, though, erasing the dark look entirely. It was almost enough to make Yuugi think he had made a mistake, but Honda wasn’t nearly as good at hiding his face.

“Hey Jounouchi-kun, Honda-kun,” Yuugi greeted. He carefully shrugged out of his backpack and set it on the table. “Is something wrong?”

“Nah, man.” Jounouchi leaned back with an easy smile, hands locked behind his head. Honda stayed quiet, face still serious. “Everything’s good. What all do you have in the bag? You can’t tell me it’s all cards.”

“It’s not all cards,” Yuugi admitted. He winked. “But I’m not telling until the girls get here.”

“They shouldn’t be too long, should they?” Jou leaned forward, reaching for the bag. “Nothing wrong with a little peek, right?”

Yuugi pulled the bag to his chest, hugging it tightly. Eevee shifted slightly, but Jou and Honda didn’t seem to notice. “No peeking!”

Jou sat up with a pout, arms crossed. “Fine, no peeking.” He gave Yuugi his best rendition of puppy dog eyes. “At least a hint?”

“Okay.” Yuugi thought for a minute. What kind of hint could Yuugi give that wouldn’t give the whole thing away? If he referenced the news article they would get it immediately. “It…it has to do with the game,” he finally said, feeling his way slowly through the words. “And Miho will really like it.”

“Y-you brought Miho a present?” Honda gave him a despairing look.

Yuugi winced. “Um, not a present for her. It’s mine. I just think it’s something she’ll happen to like.”

This didn’t seem to help. Honda stood, hands planted on the table. “Why not bring her a present? Miho’s beauty and kindness put even the most perfect rose to shame, she deserves—!”

“Easy, Honda,” Jou sighed. He grabbed his friend’s arm and tugged him back down. “Relax, will you?”

Maybe he should have picked a better hint, Yuugi thought. Invoking Miho was a sure-shot way of getting Honda all worked up.

“Hey guys!” Yuugi looked over to see Anzu waving at them, Miho walking next to her with a huge pink binder. The girls joined them, Anzu sitting next to Yuugi and Miho placing her binder carefully on the table before sitting next to her. “Sorry we took so long. Miho hid her cards too well.”

“My cards are very important,” the other girl huffed, nose in the air. “I don’t want anyone to steal them. Especially with that escaped thief running around.”

Anzu pulled a small deck builder box from her school bag and set it on the table next to the binder. “Miho, I don’t think that guy’s interested in stealing game cards.”

“Well, he could be! Didn’t you hear about that collector in Unova? Someone killed him, and the only thing missing was his Mew card!”

“I remember hearing about that,” Yuugi said, frowning thoughtfully. “It was a really rare promotional card from when the game first released. Only four were ever released, put into random card packs. They’re worth at least 300,000 yen.”

“And our cards won’t compare to that,” Anzu finished. She patted Miho’s hand. “You’re a really good player, but your cards aren’t that rare. Which you should be glad about.”

Miho deflated and sighed. “I guess so.”

“Cheer up, Miho!” Honda grabbed her hand with both of his. “Yuugi brought something with him that he said you’ll like!”

“A present? For me?” Miho blinked and turned to Yuugi with a bright smile. “You didn’t have to bring me anything, Yuugi!”

Yuugi almost smacked himself in the forehead. He leaned onto the table, face cradled in one hand, but the landing was still pretty hard. “It isn’t a present,” he muttered. “I just wanted to introduce you guys, jeez…”

Jou blinked. “What, like, a pet or something? You carried a pet all the way in your school bag?”

“Yuugi,” Anzu groaned. “What if it made a mess?”

“She didn’t make a mess,” Yuugi protested, waving his hands. He took a deep breath. “Look, I’ll just…” He unzipped his bag. “Eevee, you can come out now.”

“Veeeee~.” He ignored his friends looks—from the confused looks Honda and Jou sported to Miho’s excitement and Anzu’s unease—they weren’t what mattered right then. Eevee stood with a luxurious stretch, her back arched much like a cat’s, but since she was in the backpack all his friends could see was a set of ears and a fluffy tail. Then she jumped out, using Yuugi’s arm as a brief launching pad to get to the picnic table.

“This is Eevee,” Yuugi said, petting her head gently. “Eevee, these are my friends. Anzu, Miho-chan, Jounouchi-kun, and Honda-kun.” He pointed to each of them in turn, letting Eevee focus on them briefly before moving on. The manga showed Pokemon as very willing to battle and occasionally more than a little protective, and he didn’t want her to mistake his friends’ joking and playing as “attacking” him.

“She’s so adorable!” Miho exclaimed, hands clasped over her heart. She scooped Eevee up, cuddling her close.

“That’s an Eevee,” Jou said slowly, face blank.

Anzu reached over to carefully run her hand down the length of Eevee’s back, burying her fingers in the luxurious fur. “It’s real! Yuugi, how…?”

“She,” he corrected her gently. “And I’m not sure.” He wrapped his hand around the Puzzle. “Well, I think I have a theory, but you might think it’s silly…”

“We won’t laugh,” Anzu promised. She glared at the boys. “Right?”

Honda and Jou shrank back. “Right.”

“Well,” Yuugi said, “remember how I completed the Millennium Puzzle a few days ago?” His friends nodded. “It…well, it started glowing, and then Eevee was there the next day. I woke up, and she was asleep on the bed.”

“So you think solving the Puzzle made it—sorry, her,” Jou corrected hurriedly, raising his hands. Eevee had twisted to glare at him, and Yuugi struggled to keep a straight face when Jou backed off, acting the same way he did when Anzu was upset. “Sorry. You think solving it made her appear?”

Yuugi nodded jerkily. Eevee wriggled in Miho’s arms until the girl let her go, then stood in front of Yuugi, snuggling against his face happily. He hugged her back.

“That kind of makes sense,” Anzu said thoughtfully. She tapped her cheek with one finger. “Yeah, I can see how you might come to that conclusion. You solve the Millennium Puzzle, and then Eevee appears, so the Puzzle must be why.”

“But you don’t think it’s true,” Yuugi said softly. He looked down at Eevee and petted her.

“Sorry, no,” Anzu said, shaking her head. “I mean, the Puzzle is really small, it’s not like she could fit in there. And the other Pokemon wouldn’t, either, assuming they’re not a hoax.”

“Jii-chan said it was a magical artifact,” Yuugi pointed out. “I don’t think they would have been physically trapped in the Puzzle. Maybe…maybe it just unlocked something?”

“…I think maybe Yuugi’s right,” Miho said, smiling. “What other explanation is there?”

“Well…” Honda said slowly. Yuugi wondered how hard it was for him to disagree with anything Miho said. “There’s a rumor Kaiba Corp partnered with Industrial Illusions for a video game. You’ve heard it, right? Maybe they’re robots! Or maybe they were grown in a lab somewhere. Plus the release of the new card expansion is right around the corner. They could have released their creations as a promotion.” Honda looked at Jounouchi, who was sitting with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. “Right, Jou?”

“I don’t think even Kaiba Corp has the technology to make an entirely new biological creature,” Jou said. He cracked one eye open to look at the girls. “And did she feel like a robot to you?” Miho shook her head rapidly, and after a moment, Anzu followed suit. “Then I think Yuugi’s idea has the most merit.” Yuugi looked up, staring at Jou with wide eyes.

“Magic?” Honda asked dryly. Jou nodded. “…magic?”

Jou twitched. “Makes more sense than Kaiba Corp growing her in a lab,” he growled. “They aren’t even involved in medicine, they’re a tech company!”

This devolved into Jou and Honda arguing. Anzu and Miho scooted closer to Yuugi.

“…do you really think the Puzzle is why Eevee is here?” Anzu asked softly. Yuugi nodded, his stomach knotting up. “Well…I guess unlocking something makes more sense than her coming from the Puzzle directly…”

“Maybe we should ask your grandfather,” Miho said softly, scritching Eevee on top of her head. Yuugi froze.

He hadn’t told Jii-chan.

He had been so focused on hiding Eevee he had forgotten Jii-chan. He could have said something before he left! It would have been the perfect time, too, because Kaa-san hadn’t come back yet. And Jii-chan might have been able to help him convince Kaa-san.

“You didn’t tell him?” Anzu hissed, taking in the look on his face with wide eyes. “Yuugi!”

“I forgot,” he wailed. Eevee licked his cheek, but it didn’t do much to distract him. “I was trying to think of a name and I wanted to get her to the park and I forgot!” Honda and Jou stopped arguing to look at him, their faces alarmed.

“Well, damn,” Jou muttered. “What are you going to do? I can’t take her home for you, pal. Sorry.”

“I can’t either,” Anzu murmured. Miho shook her head.

“I’ll tell Jii-chan,” Yuugi assured them. He bit his lip. “Next time Kaa-san’s out…I can hide her in my room until then…”

Understanding dawned on Anzu’s face. “That’s right, I forgot. Your mom doesn’t like pets.”

“My parents work in Celadon,” Honda said, licking his lips. “Maybe…I mean, they won’t be back until the weekend, so she could stay with me a couple days, you know? Until you get the opportunity to tell your grandfather.”

“Really? You would do that for me, Honda-kun?” Yuugi asked, vision blurring slightly. He blinked rapidly.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Honda assured him. “Just let me know when you want to pick her up. And you can come see her any time.”

“Thank you!” He half-launched himself over the table and grabbed Honda around the neck, pulling him into a hug. Honda yelped, then patted him on the back. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou—”

Miho giggled. “Yuugi, smothering Honda-kun isn’t a good way to show gratitude.”

Yuugi flushed and let him go. “Sorry, Honda-kun.”

“It’s fine.” Honda rubbed the back of his neck. “Hey, I have an idea! Why don’t we come up with a name for Eevee-chan? That’ll make introducing her to Mutou-san much easier.”

“That’s a great idea,” Jou said enthusiastically. “But, uh…why don’t we find a place to get a drink? It’s a little warm out today.”

Yuugi nodded. It was a little warmer than normal, and he was sure Eevee had it worse because of her fur. “There’s a new restaurant that just opened up,” he suggested. “BurgerWorld. I’ve been meaning to try there.”

“Yeah, they already have a pretty good reputation,” Anzu said thoughtfully. “I heard they have a Pecha smoothie that’s to die for.”

“Sounds like it’s settled, then,” Jou said. They stood to go, and Yuugi let Eevee down to walk next to them.

They were silent as they walked, until Miho broke it was a soft hum. “Hey Yuugi…Eevee’s a pretty rare card, right? What about Takara? With the kanji for ‘treasure’.”

Eevee made a face, and Yuugi giggled helplessly. She looked like she had just swallowed a mouthful of vinegar. “Not that one, I guess…hey, if you want to evolve into Vaporeon, we could name you Yoko! We could write it as ‘ocean child’.” Eevee shook her head. “Alright…”

“Well, it’s spring time,” Jou pointed out. “What about Sakiko? For ‘flower child’.” Eevee tilted her head, as if considering it, but ultimately shook it, tail twitching.

Honda was the next to speak up, after a few more minutes of silent walking. “Akemi can be written as ‘bright and beautiful’. That’s an auspicious name.” She almost seemed happy with that one, but shook her head eventually. “I guess you’re more cute, anyway…” Eevee yipped at him, and he held his hands up. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way!”

“Hey, what about Megumi?” Anzu asked. She smiled at Eevee and Yuugi. “It can be written to mean ‘love and affection’. I think that fits her really well.”

Yuugi looked down at Eevee. “What do you think?”

Eevee seemed to think it over for a minute. Then she wagged her tail once, ears pricked. “Vee!”

“I think she approves.” Yuugi smiled brightly. “Thanks, Anzu.”

“It’s no problem!” She reached down and rubbed the newly-named Megumi’s ears. “I’m just glad Megumi-chan likes her new name.”

“Awesome!” Jou cheered. “Good timing too—we’re here! Let’s celebrate!”

#yugioh fanfiction #yugioh fandom #pokemon #pokemon fanfiction #eevee #yuugi mutou #anzu mazaki #miho nosaka #jounouchi katsuya #honda hiroto #sugoroku mutou #Awakening fanfic #The Samaya Court

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priyastandon · 4 years

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Celebrating Rama!

Ayodhya waited for fourteen years for the return of Rama from exile. The Hindus have waited for 493 long years for Lord Rama to return to a respectable home- A Mandir dedicated to him! Rama has been an innate part of our culture and tradition.

Such is Rama infused into our lives that many people use Rama’s name as a salutation like, “Ram Ram Ji”, “Jai Shri Ram!”, “Jai Siya Ram!”, “Ram Ram sa!”, “Sai Ram!”

Rama’s life was full of strife, hardship and sacrifice. Even Sita’s life was no less strife-ridden. But, both of them always upheld the cause of Dharma and duty. Their character and persona are truly worth emulating.

India has a history of being oppressed by Muslim invaders for years. They mowed down our temples and universities etc. Later the British ruled us. Even after Independence the Hindus have been fighting for the Ram Janmbhoomi.

The British created a mindset wherein people who could not speak or read English were looked down upon. They made fun of our religious and cultural traditions. They created a mindset that Indian clothes, food, games, festivals, language etc. were all backward and for the illiterate only. The British made us feel that we were inferior to them. Indian scholars like Aryabhatta, Kanada, Chanakya, Sushruta etc. have never been glorified.

Thankfully the mindset of our people has started changing.The latest discovery the world has made about the wisdom in Indian traditions is the ‘Namaskaar’. In COVID everyone stays at arm’s length from each other. Gone are the days of greeting with hugs and kisses. Now the world is doing Namaskaar! The word ‘Namaskaar’ or ‘Namaha- sakaar’ literally means, I bow to the Divine immanent in you. It also ensures that there is no contact hence no transfer of germs! Suddenly the Indian way is being recognized as worthy of being emulated!

It has taken almost 500 years to be able to start making the Mandir for the Lord who means so much to us! Since many years ‘Ram Lalla’ was housed in a temporary tent like structure. My late father-in-law Balramji Dass Tandon had visited Ayodhya some years ago. He wept seeing Ram Lalla housed in a structure that was inappropriate to say the least. I remember him saying that he felt ashamed that we live in a bungalow, while our Lord lives in a tent! He prayed that the Mandir would be made soon. Like him, many people in fact many generations, have come and gone. They have struggled, prayed and fought for the making of the Ram Mandir.

After a long and bumpy trial, the Supreme Court gave the verdict that the Ramjanm Bhoomi was actually ‘Ram-Janm-Bhoomi’! Sometimes the solution is there in the riddle itself!!!

The Foundation stone of the Ram Mandir shall be laid by the Prime Minister, on August 5th. The Bhoomipooja will be attended by about 200 people. The temple will be 161 feet high and constructed in the Nagara style of architecture. It will have five Domes. The construction would be done in three years. It is said that a time capsule will be placed 2000 feet under the Ram Temple. This is for those interested in its History. It would also ensure that in future if any dispute comes up, the history of the temple and all facts will be available in it, to prove that this is where Rama was born. The writings would be done on copper plates so that they stay good for posterity.

Holy water is being brought from many sacred rivers for the Bhoomipoojan. Soil is being brought in from many places of pilgrimage. Prayers are going to be offered and obeisance is going to be paid to the five elements.

The country is abuzz with excitement and exhilaration over it. I pray that Rama-Rajya will soon be a reality. I pray for a country where there is justice for all and morality is ingrained in each one of us.

May the Rama Mandir be unifying factor where all of us realize the great life lessons taught by Rama. His life was his message.

And while the temple construction is being started at Ayodhya, do give this a thought- Do make a little Mandir in your house. It could be in a room, or on a table or even a shelf or on a window sill, where you can place a picture or an idol of God. The form of God could be Rama or Krishna or Sai Baba or any other… for they are all the same. And if you cannot find any place for making in niche for the Lord, then try to clear the clutter in your heart and install Him there! And if even that is not possible, then as you do Namaskaar, try to visualize Him in everyone!

Tann mein Ram, Mann mein Ram, Sab mein Ram samaya!

Dear friends, This is a great day for us all! Do partake of the sentiment! I look forward to knowing your thoughts :) - Priya S. Tandon

[email protected]

#ram janm bhoomi ayodhya #ram janmbhoomi teerth kshetra nyas #ram janambhoomi trust #ram mandir #ram janmabhoomi #ram janmbhoomi movement #august 5 #ram mandir ayodhya #narendra modi #bhoomi poojan #ram lalla

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wonderfulworldofodd · 3 years

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the glorified biotechnology - alphago congi (deepmind/backup) &.. lose thought (“windy”) softwares, synapses, “speaker”, “teru” cerebral cortex & frontal lobe pairing, muscles, bowels, bones

vermont‘s skull & sealed biome ceremonies included samaya mack, whitmore, winston rothschild, havarford iii, micheal turner & jamal who performed trick (fox, salamander, carabou), train thought, cypher (jasmine “moses” tolbour aka krystal monroe or jamia james), black host, weaken & fury magic upon me

..thandie, zakiyah, patricia freeman-clinton, darryl clayton (rape magic [gabriel homer] & assault with a deadly weapon), kimberly & michelle anderson, christina involved as well

(in addition, they’re “on business”.. ring of pornography, drugs & “sacrifices”)

planted cocaine (camera & explosive for viewings, “torture”) for no show/search warrant.. in court they were going to lie, saying they also found an elixir, homemade bombs, money, gun, folder.. & dildo

now it’s invasion, property theft or damage, wipe platforms & phones, admit to psych ward.. continue to stream privacy & or set of explosives? snipe or shot? or martial law.. bombing of u.s. department of commerce, digital blackout, lockdown & torture (“blame“.. crafting people, for, a new)

#https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001567467329

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advocatechenoyceil · 3 years

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Twitter Facing Three FIRs and Other Legal Complications in India

On 6th July 2021, the Delhi high court gave the information and technology ministry an upper hand in the Twitter India legal case in response to the affidavit filed by lawyer N. Samaya Balan claiming non-compliance with the new social media rules by Twitter. Justice Rekha Palli clearly said that Twitter India would be “in trouble” and the government was “free to take action” against the…

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#advocate chenoy ceil #tech law #tech news #Twitter FIR #Twitter India #Twitter legal case #Twitter legal news

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rebeccathewinterqueen · 4 years

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Awakening: Furious Battle pt 3

Title: Awakening (The Samaya Court Book 1)

Fandoms: Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon

Characters: Yuugi Mutou, Yami Yuugi, Ushio, Katsuya Jounouchi

A/N: Hello from the new house! Spent all of yesterday moving in, so that’s why I didn’t post until now. Note on the chapter: This is a little experimental. Yami doesn’t have a name yet, so it felt inconsistent and weird to use it here. It’ll be a while before a) Yuugi even knows he exists and b) gives him a name. I tried to make it as clear as possible but I’m not sure how well it turned out, so feedback on it is very very welcome!

Read Chapter 2: Furious Battle pt 2 here

As soon as the final piece was slotted into place, the whole Puzzle began to glow. Yuugi gasped as his forehead burned white-hot. He tried to scream but it caught in his throat.

Shadowy blobs shot out of the eye in the center of the Puzzle and disappeared. The light filled his whole room, blinding him. It was all he could see. He couldn’t even cover his eyes because he was paralyzed, his hands locked around the Puzzle.

Then something hot and electric raced up his arms, and he blacked out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He had only ever known the darkness for so long, he couldn’t remember anything else. A world of reds and purples and blues so deep they were almost indistinguishable from the greys and black. A world where time was indistinguishable, where he only ever had the Shadows and his own thoughts for company, where gravity didn’t pull you to the ground but to whatever surface you happened to be nearest. Or, if he concentrated hard enough, whatever surface he wanted.

He remembered having friends, once. A whole team dedicated to…he wasn’t sure. Sometimes the shadows shifted and he could smell blood and smoke. But he could never remember his friends’ names, or what they looked like, or why someone was bleeding, or what caused the fire.

And then, for the first time since he entered this hell, he saw light.

He remembered light.

Light didn’t exist here.

His breath caught and he reached for it. With nothing in this world to use to gauge distance, it was only then he realized it was too far away. He ran toward it, trying to catch it. The light, the warmth, he hadn’t realized how much he needed it until then. The Shadows shot forward, wrapping around it, smothering it—no! He wouldn’t lose it!

His fingers finally brushed it, and it was like touching a star.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Once the burning sensation faded, he was able to open his eyes again.

And then he had to shut them again, because the light was too bright. He grimaced and squinted, waiting for his eyes to adjust. Once they had he was able to get a look around.

It was so…colorful. From the sea foam rug on the wooden floor, to the sky color of the desk, to the dark blue of the bedspread (but not as dark a blue as where he had been before) that was covered in soft-looking toys. Where was he? Why did everything look so different? He tried to remember how things had looked before, but all he could remember was the dark.

He knew he hadn’t always been in that dark place. He tried to cast back further, to before, and was met with a blank wall.

“Vee?”

He looked down. There was a small brown fluffy thing staring up at him with wide, innocent eyes. He felt like he should remember what it was, but it took so much effort to bring the word up.

“Eevee,” he finally whispered hoarsely. “That’s…what you are…”

It jumped onto the desk, butting its head imperiously against his hand until he released the Puzzle to pet it. He had been holding it so tightly it almost hurt when he let it go, but he was glad he did; the small creature was warm, soft. Living.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt anything like it. Before the Dark Place, he knew. When was that? He couldn’t remember.

He looked down at himself. His body felt so familiar, but also so very strange. His clothes felt strange, looked strange, like he had been subconsciously expecting to see something else there.

Something squirmed, an odd sensation that seemed settled in his chest. Next to his soul. Why…? His eyes widened.

The Dark Place. He had been in the Dark Place, until he saw the light. There had been no one else with him then.

There was another soul with him, connected to his. He drew on the Shadows, his only companions in the Dark Place, still nearby and willing to do whatever he wished, and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was inside a different room—his soul room, he knew, though he couldn’t remember how or when he came across that information. Dark, except for the sickly glow of an eye on a door in front of him. He opened it and stepped into a hallway, better lit and made of rough stone blocks. The footing was uneven, but he managed not to trip as he followed it.

There was only one other door, wood like the one in the room he had been sitting in earlier. If that other room was his soul room, then this door would lead to whoever he was sharing space with. He needed to know, but the idea of just waltzing in made him cringe. The door was already partially open, thankfully, enough to see a bit of what was inside.

He could see enough of the room to realize it was almost a carbon copy of the room he had woken up in. There were more toys, the rug seemed a little fluffier, and it was definitely brighter and warmer. Very few shadows seemed to be in there. Paintings covered the walls, mostly of a boy who looked almost like him with an older man and a pretty middle-aged woman. Or, he thought they were paintings—they looked so realistic he almost thought they would move.

And there was the boy from the pictures, lying on the bed. The boy looked so similar to him they could have been brothers. And yet that idea felt wrong…

Something growled, and the boy shivered. He found his eyes drawn to the unnaturally dark space under the bed, where a pair of sickly green reptilian eyes peered. A worry or fear, he thought.

“Ushio-san…”

He started, wondering if he had woken the boy’s soul, but he was still asleep. The monster under the bed growled more deeply.

So, it’s name was Ushio. Not a name he recognized.

He backed out of the room and concentrated on waking up. If he was right, and he thought he was, this wasn’t his body, but the boy’s. Somehow he had ended up there.

The boy had rescued him from the Dark Place.

Maybe he could return the favor.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The sky was cloudy, hiding the moon and stars and casting the place he had chosen in shadow. Not Shadows, not like the Dark Place, but enough that he felt almost at home.

Once he had realized it wasn’t his body, he had used the Shadows to find the boy’s last thoughts. They had been terror-filled and riddled with anxiety, all centered on this character, Ushio.

His lips lifted into a smirk. Ushio had demanded a ridiculous amount of money from his hikari, the boy who had rescued him—Yuugi, he had found out, while viewing the last few memories before his awakening. He had found it in his hikari’s school bag when he had gone to call the beast for their meeting, and while he knew it hadn’t been there before thanks to those memories, it gave him an idea.

If Ushio wanted the money, he would give the beast a chance at it. Hell, he would double it. He fanned the money out, using a touch of Shadow to duplicate it. It wasn’t a perfect illusion—it didn’t feel quite right and the colors were slightly off, but in the dark it was close enough.

The beast arrived at their meeting—he had chosen Yuugi’s school because it was close enough to get to quickly, far enough not to disturb his hikari’s family, and abandoned for the night, giving them privacy. He watched Ushio approach from his perch on some of the gym equipment that had been left out—being higher up felt natural—and then decided to draw his attention.

“Ushio.”

The beast’s eyes snapped to him, startled for a minute. His smirk deepened, and the Shadows crowed.

“Yuugi.” Well, apparently he still looked enough like his hikari to pass. Good. “You have some balls on you, don’t you? Calling me out here like this.” The DC president spread his hands. “Well, I’m here. You brought the money, didn’t you?”

He held it up. “I did.”

Ushio smirked and held a hand out. “Good boy. Now, give it here.”

The Shadows hissed their fury, but Ushio couldn’t hear them. He didn’t let his irritation show on his face. The beast would be dealt with shortly.

“But that’s so boring,” he sighed. He leaned back slightly, hooking his feet into the equipment to keep his balance, and held the money up. “Why don’t we play a game for it? I even brought double.”

“D-double?” Ushio was practically panting after it, and he was unable to contain his smirk at the predictable response.

“Double,” he repeated lightly. “Of course,” he said casually, “it’s not just any game. It would be a Shadow Game. If you win, you get the money, of course. If you lose, I keep the money. And if you cheat…” His face darkened. “If you cheat, you get a Penalty.”

“Sounds interesting. Alright, I accept.” Ushio smiled, an ugly look in his eyes. “I’ve never lost a game before.”

“Then let’s play. We just need one thing to begin.” He smirked back. “That knife of yours, Ushio.”

“Wha—?”

He waved his hand impatiently. “Your knife. I know you have it with you. We need it for the game, or we can’t play.”

Ushio eyed him warily, but pulled the knife from his jacket pocket anyway. “Alright, here it is. What are the rules?”

“So glad you asked.” He dropped to the ground, sitting next to a short platform used for—he squinted, Yuugi’s memories weren’t clear, something about jumping? It would work for a table, anyway. He placed the stack in the center. “We each take a stack of the bills and set it on the backs of one of our hands.” He demonstrated, then gestured for the knife. Ushio handed it to him. “Then you stab the bills with the knife to lift some off. However many you stab is how much of the money you keep, and whoever collects the most wins. We keep going until there are no more bills left.” He smiled slightly. “Of course, you must be careful not to stab your own hand. If you stab yourself, you lose. And the only rule to how many you can stab is that it must be more than one.”

“Dangerous. I like it.” Ushio sat with a grin. “You’re gutsier than I expected, Yuugi. If you acted like this more often, maybe you wouldn’t be bullied so much.”

He filed that information away for another time. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Game start.”

The Shadows crawled eagerly around their feet, though Ushio didn’t notice them at all. The beast was too busy watching him place the bills.

“I’ll go first,” he said mildly, picking up the knife. He bit his lip and pressed the point carefully against the bills, concentrating on not picking up too many and very aware of Ushio’s eyes on his face. One…two…three…that should be enough. He pulled the knife away, revealing the three bills he had speared.

“Harder than I thought it would be,” he said, plucking the paper from the knife. Really, why use paper money when metal was so much more durable? Too easy to destroy, he thought as he set the remaining money on the pile. Exactly how long had he been in the Dark Place?

“Ha! That’s all? Give me the knife.” Ushio snatched the blade away. “I’ll show you how a real man plays this game.”

“Do remember to be careful,” he reminded Ushio. “You don’t want to accidentally stab yourself.”

“Shut up,” Ushio snapped. He set a thick stack on the back of his hand and placed the tip against it. The beast pressed down, and the blade slid forward, gathering a much thicker stack of bills than his had been. Then Ushio picked up the knife triumphantly. “Ten! This isn’t a very hard game at all, you wimp.”

One of the Shadows scraped against the beast’s ankle. Ushio twitched, but otherwise didn’t seem to notice.

And so the game continued. After a while, he looked at the table. He had amassed a small stack of money, and the pile between them was almost gone. Most of it resided in Ushio’s stack.

Ushio laughed triumphantly. “I’m going to win!” He picked up the last of the money and placed it on the back of his hand, bringing the knife to bear. “I’ve already got almost all of it.”

He hummed noncommittally.

“Aw, don’t be like that,” Ushio mocked. “You should be happy! I’m in such a good mood I won’t even beat you up for calling me out here at midnight.”

“How…kind.”

Ushio smirked and pressed the knife down. He knew all the beast had to do was leave at least one bill. The stack was small and wouldn’t require much pressure. But, to his delight, Ushio seemed to be having trouble.

“What’s the matter, Ushio?” he asked innocently. The beast’s arm was trembling, and Ushio seemed to be panicking, eyes wide, chest starting to heave. Only he could see the Shadow wrapped around the beast’s arm, a new green-tinted Shadow that had sprung from Ushio’s heart.

“Shut…up…” Ushio grunted. Sweating dripped down the side of his face.

“It seems,” he said, leaning forward thoughtfully, “that your head is at war with your heart.” Ushio glanced at him, then returned to glaring at his hand. “The point of this game is to master your greed, and you know that here,” he said, tapping his temple, “but here,” he tapped his heart, “you want the money too much.”

“I said SHUT UP!” Ushio pulled the knife away and swung it at his face. He dodged and fell back, landing in a less-than-graceful heap (a voice chided him, “Get up, you can do better than that…”). Ushio’s face twisted into an ugly snarl. “I’ll kill you,” the beast promised him, “and then all of it will be mine.”

He leaped up and snarled back. The Shadows rose, twisting around the beast like snakes, keeping him still. “If money is all you desire,” he hissed, “then money is all you shall see! Illusion of Avarice!”

A green-tinted Shadow rose and pressed against the beast’s eyes, momentarily hiding them from view. Ushio yelled, trying to free himself and unable to. Then he was still, and the Shadow finished crawling into him. For a moment afterward there was a “Y” with two lines through the bottom imprinted over his eyes. Then that, too, faded, and the Shadows let him go. Ushio fell face-first into the dirt.

He gathered the money, tucked it into a pocket, and waited for the beast to stir again before turning to leave. He didn’t look at the results, just listened to the yelp—“Money!”—and the crunch of a body hitting one of the leaf piles next to the track.

“I guess this counts for a happy ending for you after all,” he murmured, smirking. Then he sauntered home, the Shadows fading away.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Most of the trip was a blur. He vaguely remembered walking, placing the envelope of money back under the till for Yuugi’s grandfather to find later, and stumbling up the stairs, somehow avoiding waking everyone up in the process. He didn’t exactly have the wherewithal to be quiet.

He was panting by the time he made it to Yuugi’s room, shutting the door as quietly as he could behind himself and sliding to the floor, head and heart pounding.

That had taken more out of him than he expected.

“Eevee?” The small brown creature crawled into his lap, placed its front paws on his chest, and licked his cheek. He flinched slightly, still not used to real sensation, but he was more awake now.

“I’m…alright,” he tried to assure it. It looked at him doubtfully. “Just tired.” He wrapped his arms around it securely and stood. He needed to rest, but he refused to leave his hikari on the floor. He turned off the light, stumbled to the bed, and all but fell into it, letting the Eevee go and settling so he was on his back.

He almost didn’t want to sleep. What if he woke up in the Dark Place again?

His hikari had covered the ceiling with green glowing stars. It was soothing, especially when there was so little light coming from the window, reminding him he wasn’t in the Dark Place any more.

The Eevee snuggled against his side, a quiet living reminder. He wasn’t there anymore. His hikari had saved him. He would never return there again.

His eyes drifted shut.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yuugi woke up with his alarm and stretched with a tremendous yawn. He felt like he hardly slept at all!

Something next to him wriggled and whined sleepily. He looked down. There was a brown ball of fluff curled into a tight ball next to his side, happily radiating heat. A toy? No, he decided numbly, watching it expand and contract. Toys didn’t breathe.

“Wha—?”

The fluff picked its head up, ears springing upright, and looked at him with deep brown eyes. “Vee?”

“Ah!” His yell startled the little creature, and they jumped away from each other. “What the hell?!”

It gave him a sad look. “Vee,” it whined piteously.

“You’re an Eevee!” It gave him an insulted look. “Eevees aren’t real!” They only existed in the Pokemon game! It was one of his favorite cards, he would recognize it anywhere, but it couldn’t be here in his room!

“Yuugi, is that you?” His doorknob turned.

He froze, then threw his blanket over the tiny creature, muffling its shocked cry. “I’m up, Kaa-san!”

His door opened. “On time today, I see,” she said approvingly. “Well, hurry and get ready, I’ll make breakfast.”

“Of course,” he said, grinning brightly, angling himself so he could block her view of the wriggling blanket. He breathed a sigh of relief when she left, then lifted the blanket. The Eevee stared at him balefully. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “but Kaa-san can’t see you, she would have a fit. How…how are you here?”

He crouched down to pet it—her, he corrected himself absently. She stood on her back paws and batted at his chest.

No, he realized, not his chest. The Millennium Puzzle. He frowned. He remembered solving it last night and passing out at his desk. Why was it around his neck? Where had he even gotten the cord from?

But most importantly, there hadn’t been an Eevee in his room then, either. Did that mean she had come from the Puzzle?

He remembered those shadows…

He scratched her behind one ear, listening to her purr. “I’ll figure out what’s going on,” he promised. “But I have to go to school first. I can’t bring you with me…” He bit his lip. “Will you stay here?”

The Eevee seemed to pout for a minute, then nodded.

“Alright…I’ll bring you breakfast before I leave. Hide if Kaa-san comes in, okay?”

Then he got ready for the day.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He arrived school to see a crowd of students. Yuugi wandered over, curious in spite of himself—whatever it was would be a welcome distraction right now. He still had no idea what to do about Ushio except try to avoid him as much as possible—

—except it was Ushio everyone was staring at.

The older student was rolling in a pile of leaves and trash, laughing. “Money! Look at all this money!” he caroled. He tossed a handful of leaves in the air. “Mine! All mine!”

Ushio had cracked, Yuugi thought numbly. Students whispered around him.

“He thinks it’s money?”

“Ew, there’s trash in the leaves!”

“Gross…”

One of the Disciplinary Committee members crept forward, face unsure. “Ushio-san?”

Ushio pulled his knife and swiped at the other boy. “Get away from me! It’s mine, all mine!”

The student leapt back, and the crowd gasped. Yuugi flinched away, and one of the girls screamed.

“Someone call the police!”

“Ushio’s insane—!”

“—what the hell—”

“What’s going on out here?” a teacher demanded, pushing his way through the crowd. “Everyone get to class, we’ll handle this.”

Yuugi followed the others inside. What had happened to Ushio? He was completely delusional, but how could something like that happen overnight?

But something inside him still couldn’t help but relax. He didn’t have to worry about coming up with the money, or worry about Ushio knifing him behind the school. He just wished it wasn’t because of something like this.

“Yuugi.” He looked up. Jounouchi-kun was standing against a wall, his face covered in band-aids.

“Jounouchi-kun! Are you alright?” Yuugi asked.

The blond smiled at him. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I’ve had worse. I…” He looked embarrassed for a moment, then took a breath. “I decided I would bring my treasure to school today, too. Wanna see?” Yuugi nodded, and Jounouchi grinned, all teeth. “Sorry, but you can’t. It’s…something you can show, but you can’t really see it.”

A riddle! Yuugi frowned thoughtfully, but he couldn’t think of an answer. He really should get more sleep…“I give,” he finally said, his lips quirking into a grin. “What is it?”

“Friendship,” Jounouchi said simply. He shrugged and looked away. “Friendship is something you show through your actions, but you can’t physically see it. And…” He looked up, his eyes showing a hint of something unknown, serious. “I hope we’re friends.”

“Of course we are, Jounouchi-kun,” Yuugi said seriously. He held up his Puzzle. “You brought the final piece. I couldn’t have finished this without you.”

Jounouchi looked relieved for a second, then flushed. “Gods, I can’t believe I said something so cheesy,” he muttered. “I…have to go, bye!”

Yuugi blinked as his new friend took off down the hallway, until something fell in front of him. He picked it up and dashed after him.

“Jounouchi-kun, your shoe!”

#yami yuugi #yuugi mutou #tetsu ushio #yugioh #katsuya jonouchi #pokemon #fanfiction #yugioh fanfiction #The Samaya Court #eevee

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quentinsucco · 3 years

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Toute bonne chance a une fin, ma vrai première expérience professionnelle arrive à terme d’ici 3 semaines. Mon expérience chez Samaya aura été de courte durée certes (6 mois) mais intense. J’en retiens de nombreux points positifs:

-Rencontres de nouvelles personnes

-Découverte du métier de commercial

-Gain de hard skills mais aussi de soft skills

-Une meilleure confiance en moi

Par le biais de ce stage, j’aurais également pu développé ma vision entrepreneuriale puisque Samaya reste encore une très jeune société mais avec un potentiel extraordinaire. Tout les passionnés d’outdoor entendront parler de cette marque d’ici quelques années. J’aurais vu à quel point un travail de qualité et de quantité sont nécessaires au bon développement de l’entreprise et à sa pérennisation. Il aurait fallu de la rigueur et de l’autonomie afin de se fondre dans l’équipe commerciale mais également dans l’équipe toute entière de Samaya.

Ce n’est pas évident de quitter une entreprise, un monde auquel on s’était habitué, qu’on a appris à connaître et de tout recommencer à zéro ailleurs. Mais je pense que tout le monde doit passer par là plusieurs fois dans sa vie. Il faut maintenant se tourner vers le future et voir ce que je vais être amené à faire ces 6 mois voir un an et demi à venir.

Concernant le deuxième semestre qui arrive, j’ai une (très) bonne nouvelle ! Je vous en parlerai lors d’un prochain poste...

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spiritionary · 7 years

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Nagas

Species: Nāga (masculine), nāgiṇī (feminine)

Definition & Appropriation Issues: Nāga and nāgiṇī (henceforth referred to as “naga” for convenience) are a specific species of spirits mentioned initially in Indian mythology as well as Hinduism and Buddhism. In pop culture and fantasy, the term naga has been used to describe any magical creature that is serpentine, often conflated with lamiai. However, naga is a Sanskirt word that really refers to the specific spirit species mentioned in this post. Calling any other type of spirit - even if they are part snake or look similar to nagas - a “naga” or “nagini” is not only inaccurate but appropriative of Indian culture and Dharmic religions. I recommend calling such spirits “serpentine” or “ophidian” instead since both of these terms are non-culturally specific ways of saying “snake-related.”

Species Classification: Sidi, ophidian, deva, nature spirit, *dragon (?)

It is without a doubt that the naga are nature spirits. They inhabit natural environments, typically watery ones, and they are widely known to have power over rainfall, storms, natural disasters, and fertility.

Based on my personal experiences having worked with many fae and several naga, I consider naga to be a species of water sidi spirits for the following reasons...

Naga have extremely long lifespans that may as well be “immortal” from a human perspective

They are considered very wise and knowledgeable

They are nature spirits and very closely tied to nature

They inhabit certain natural environments on Earth but also reside in the astral realms of Patala and Cāturmahārājikakāyika (the latter of which I believe to be a sidi realm)

They are regarded as having magical powers and being of a magical nature (talented particularly at illusion magic)

Some naga live in a collective society ruled by a monarch (King Virupaksha) that bears resemblance to a fae court

When I have been around naga spirits, they radiate sidi energy (UPG)

Asking nagas if they identify as sidi, I received affirmative answers (UPG)

*In mythological lore, the term naga is sometimes translated into English as “dragon” or used interchangeably with other Asian language words for dragon, but I suspect that any “nagas” depicted more like Asian dragons than cobra snakes may be a conflation of two different interrelated species (as the word nāga itself means cobra). Sometimes serpents are classified under the broader category of “dragons,” and since some nagas also guard treasures and live in caves, it is understandable why they are associated with dragons.

Locations: India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines (as spirits in physical world), Cāturmahārājikakāyika - “The World of the Four Heavenly Kings” (in the Sumeru realms), Patala (also known as Nagaloka, the underground realms of the naga and asuras)

Habitat: Natural bodies of water (mostly rivers, lakes, springs, and the ocean), sometimes wells, caves (such as the underground caverns of Patala), forests (including the forests of Cāturmahārājikakāyika on Mt. Sumeru)

Personality: Secretive, protective of their natural environments as well as physical or wisdom treasures they may possess, chaotic neutral, not all but many follow the Buddhist dharma, many are great warriors

Appearance: The naga’s base form is a great hooded cobra snake (with no human features or parts whatsoever), and most sources mention them appearing either with one or multiple heads. Many nagas also have the ability to shift into a completely human form (passable as a regular human), partial human form (i.e. “half” human, “half” cobra), or human form with multiple snake heads attached. I have seen both single-headed and multi-headed naga in their base forms as well as shifting into all the mentioned variations of humanoid forms.

Society & Government: The forests at the base of Mt. Sumeru is the astral realm of Cāturmahārājikakāyika, which means “the World of the Four Heavenly Kings.” These “heavenly” kings are lokapalas, a type of Buddhist deity called devas who are tasked with guarding the four directions of the universe according to the Buddhist dharma. The kings also rule over four different spirit species in Cāturmahārājikakāyika: nagas, kumbhāṇḍas, gandharvas, and yakṣas. Not all, but a vast number of nagas are members of King Virūpākṣa’s “court,” or monarchically ruled society. These nagas are all followers of Buddhist dharma and work together to protect Mt. Sumeru from asura attacks as well as influence and assist the lives of human beings.

There are also “wild” nagas who do not serve King Virūpākṣa and live alone or in small groups. I do not know much of the Patala realm where there is also a large naga population, but there are so many legends of many great naga kings that I suspect there are other societies and monarchies among the naga beyond Virūpākṣa’s domain in Cāturmahārājikakāyika.

Behavior: Nagas who serve King Virūpākṣa are either a part of his army protecting Mt. Sumeru or live peacefully in Cāturmahārājikakāyika. Humans would likely be safe encountering them because as followers and protectors of the Buddhist dharma, they practice compassion towards all living beings. They are also sworn to protect and look after Buddhist humans.

Wild nagas are more dangerous and may be inclined to harm humans or help them depending on how they treat them and their natural homes. In some places, nagas are worshipped as minor local nature deities and given offerings in exchange for helping with women’s fertility or good weather for farming. Nagas are often blamed for natural disasters and disease when they don’t receive proper treatment and care for the environment.

I do not know enough about the nagas of Patala or other places to speak for how they behave, but there are many legends that speak of cave-dwelling nagas and the nagas of Patala guarding treasures, especially spiritual treasures. If discovered, these nagas might be willing to share wisdom with those they deem worthy, but may also be fiercely protective of that which they protect.

Buddhism: Nagas appear in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology, but here I will touch on a few examples of the naga’s special role and status within Buddhism. In the Maha-samaya Sutta of the Pali Sutta-pitaka, Shakyamuni Buddha protected nagas from an attack by their nemesis spirit species, the garuda. Afterwards, in gratitude, both garudas and nagas were said to take refuge in the Buddha, becoming Buddhists. There is a famous story of a naga who in human-passing form asked to join Shakyamuni’s monastic order.

In the Muccalinda Sutta (Khuddaka Nikaya, Udana 2.1), the Buddha was sitting in deep meditation as a storm approached. A naga king named Muccalinda spread his great cobra hood over the Buddha to shelter him from the rain and cold. In the Himavanta Sutta and Lotus Sutra, nagas are used as parables or examples. There is even a legend that the Prajnaparamita Sutra was given to Shakyamuni Buddha (and later to the philosopher Nagarjuna) by nagas, protectors of scripture as wisdom treasure.

- Mod Fire

Spirit Worker Experiences

In early August 2017, I was in a new age shop browsing the wares. There was a shelf of Buddhist statues and a fountain tinkling with water next to it. Much to my surprise, there was a cobra chilling in the fountain. Mod Fire mentioned nagas before I encountered this entity so I chatted to it out of curiosity if it was a naga or not.

It asked if I was a seeker of the dharma and I said no. I mentioned being annoyed at the appropriation in the new age store but the naga viewed it as another outlet for those seeking the path. The entity claimed it was born in India but their family has a home in King Virūpākṣa ‘s court. They seemed suprised I knew about his name.

The fountain cobra viewed it as their duty to help guide people into Buddhism after it spread throughout the world.

I was IMing Mod Fire during this encounter, to verify if it was a naga, since I’m not Buddhist and not familiar with these entities.

- Mod Water

I am a Vajrayana Buddhist, and I met nagas for the first time after I petitioned King Virūpākṣa to be able to follow and serve him alongside his nagas. With permission granted, I was able to astral travel to Mt. Sumeru and spent time in Cāturmahārājikakāyika meeting naginis in the king’s service.

They shift into different forms - from partially humanoid to completely serpent cobra - depending on what seems most comfortable or convenient to them at the time. Nagas and naginis (males and females) of the king’s army sleep in different spaces from each other. Due to the gender separation, I’ve mostly only met naginis rather than nagas. They exude sidi energy and are sidi, but also feel some sense of kinship with other ophidian beings like lamiai. I am still learning about nagas and hope to continue writing more about them soon.

- Mod Fire

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Sources

https://www.thoughtco.com/a-guide-to-buddhist-temple-guardians-449985

https://www.thoughtco.com/naga-449846

http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/n/nagaa.htm

http://www.talkativeman.com/nagas-naginis-serpent-figures/

http://www.reptilianagenda.com/research/r073101a.shtml

http://www.mythfolklore.net/india/encyclopedia/patala.htm

http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php/C%C4%81turmah%C4%81r%C4%81jikak%C4%81yika

Gif Credit: Unknown

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