Domino City Duel Academy

"Close enough." Adam chuckles. "Speaking of rewards, how should I pay you back for the tutoring? Cash? Duelling tips?

 

"-so it's important to note any religious figures covered in lessons is not a comment on any belief and simply in regards to the historical context and blah blah-

Julia waved a hand to her students dismissively as she repeated the lines she had to state.

"However when the conversation is brought up, what you learn here can help avoid you ending up looking like a stupid asshole." Julia didn't really bother being careful about the language she used while lecturing her students and bringing up a few images on screen.

"So, of course, the most common occurrence of looking like a stupid asshole comes to when discussing, the figure Jesus Christ. And this is only spoken in a historical context. The most common historical context you will hear someone whose a stupid asshole say is "Well, actually, Jesus wasn't white. He was either African or Arabian." This is what we historians refer to as a "double dumbass."

Bringing up some notes on the historical timeline, she continued her lecture, though it was growing evident she was mostly just using this class an excuse to just rant about anything.

"First, in the first century of BC, there was never any major or even notable minor populations of of Sub-Saharan or North Africans in the Middle East. And for that matter, during this time, First Century BC Judea was populated by....jewish people. The population of mulsims and arabics in the Levant wouldn't come until much later through conquests of the region, meaning that in fact, yes. Jesus would have belong to the Roman region, and be what most in other parts of the world would call European. If you want to date back even further, the Caananites of the bronze age share an almost 95% genetic makeup of the Lebanese, who are also related to the Jewish population. A major part of the developments of the authorities unable to locate Jesus so easily was because he looked almost indistinguishable from the average Levant citizen, which can be safe to assume that when he existed or if he did, he would have had the same genetic profile of other Jewish men in the era."

"This probably won't help you in most of life, but this bit of information is good to look smart in front of your friends or make someone look like a stupid asshole when they trying bringing this up."

 

"Depends on the problem, I think. There's many which you can't do anything helpful about." Samir replies, finishing his fish. "Some of them, sure. They make Horus a Dragon. They make Amun-Ra a Dragon. They make all the others of the Ennead Dragons." He gestures widely, criticizing the decision. "I don't think they're insulting, though. I'm glad they're represented, even if in an incorrect form. I don't know enough about other mythology and history to judge their cards. I assume they're similar." He shrugs. "Maybe some of them are in poor taste, but I haven't come across anything which seems maliciously bad yet."

 

Yen signs flash in Umimaru's eyes before she thinks better of it. "You don't. This is me paying you back for trying to talk sense into me yesterday." She straightforwardly admits. "Maybe we'll see about payment for the next one, dumbass." The woman grins.

 

"How mature of you. Heh, alright." Adam stands, smirking. "See you tomorrow, or whenever our next class is." He heads back to his room to prepare for his meeting with the 'pharaoh' later.

 

"If you can't do anything about it, then it's not really a problem by then." Felicia shrugs, as Samir mentioms Horus, and Ra. "Hmm, I think the god card isn't Ra, I mean, it's name Winged Dragon OF Ra, so maybe it's his pet, or something." She giggles, correcting him a bit. "Still you think their spirits might get angry?" The red-head asked, adding a bit of emphasis on spirits, wondering if Samir knew about them.

 

Before beginning class, Julia overhears a couple students talking about finding "weird symbols" in the locker rooms. It seems her planted sigils have been noticed by at least a few people. However, they don't seem to think it's anything more than graffiti.

Spoiler: Spiritual Resistance Roll

99+10(Spirit Taming)=109 crit. success

In the middle of her lecture, Julia feels...something attempt to bring her consciousness elsewhere. It feels similar to when she returned to physical reality from Yoko's domain, but in reverse this time. The professor resists the forcible shifting of her soul from this plane, but the call remains in her mind.

 

Destiny greets Adam from a comfortable couch in the front room as he enters his flat, idly watching some tv show. "Hey! Classes go okay?" The young man still has plenty of time until he needs to depart.

 

It sounded like it was grabbing attention, but it would need to spread bigger or they would need to see something more impactful....she could think on it later, but before she could debate what to do, she could feel the sudden force of something trying to translocate her.

Her two theories were either the fragile spaces between the spirit realm were shifting to right on top of the classroom or Yoko was attempting to call her back. Which would mean Yoko can't manifest into the world on her own. That could be useful to know later. She figured it was probably better not to keep Yoko waiting too long whatever the case, and changed her usual tone to just giving them assigned reading while she left for the bathroom. Remembering the figure she got from Yoko, when she was certain it was private, Julia touched it, not entirely sure she was she trying to do.

 

"Well, Ra didn't have a Dragon. He had a couple cats, Bastet and Sekhmet, and a cow, Hathor. He also appeared as a scarab, Khepri, and a ram, Khnum, but nothing like a Dragon. Not that it matters, either way." Samir shrugs. "I don't think most of them would care very much, considering they aren't worshiped anymore. I think they would probably be happy enough that they're still remembered."

Spoiler: Perception Roll

45+20(Perception)=65 success

The Egyptian man, despite the guarded words he answered with, isn't difficult for Felicia to read. He seems to be aware of their spirits, or maybe he genuinely believes in them as deities, or at least extant (or formerly existing) beings.

 

"They've certainly gone worse." Adam nods, idly doing some exercise as he waits. "How about you? Not too boring, being cooped up in here?"

 

"Hmm." Felicia hums as she listens to him explain Ra's backstory, "That's an interesting take on it. I wonder why they'd make him have a dragon... then again, the Winged Dragon of Ra looks more like a bird. I'd say he's more of a phoenix." She nods, smiling as she takes note of Samir's belief. "How about your cards? You think their spirit would be happy?" Felicia asked, moving in from gods, to their own decks.

 

Julia finds the restroom deserted. Now holding the kitsune figurine, she feels the call to Yoko's glade grow stronger.

Spoiler: Spiritual Resistance Roll

68+10(Spirit Taming)-10(Figurine)=68 success

She is still able to resist the pull. It seems the woman will need to more actively allow herself to be taken from the physical realm.

Spoiler: Knowledge Roll

29+20(Sorceress)=49 weak fail

Does she need to cast something too? A second half to the same spell? Did the one which sent her from Yoko's domain back to reality use Julia's magic without her knowing?

 

It seemed surprising. If she had to guess, Yoko's power was actually weaker than she was letting on, though still far more than Julia could possibly handle directly. She wasn't sure the exact details, but if she had to go by what she learned from healing magic in that most magic was simply in some from a transference of energy....then maybe if this was a gate of sorts it could be used...

She wasn't sure if this would really work, but attempted to channel through the skull to see if she could expand it's pull into herself.

 

"I'll live." She shrugs. "This place is a dorm room?" Destiny asks, still amazed at the posh surroundings. "I could get used to living like a rich girl." She grins, leaning back on the couch. "All you're missing is a chef, a chauffeur, and a maid or butler." The woman seems to get an idea, her face lighting up with hope. "Wait, that might be a way to make this less like a master-slave thing. Hire me!"

 

"To be fair, I got this place by winning my duel, not by paying for it. I'm from a wealthy family, but not that wealthy." Adam grunts as he does situps. "I...suppose that actually does make sense, yeah." He nods. "Alright, then - I'll hire you and pay you a wage, and if you want, you can quit."

 

"Even then, the phoenix is more a Greek myth than an Egyptian one." Whether his belief is rooted in the mythological deities or the duel spirits, Samir appears intimately knowledgeable about them. "I think so, but Barbaros strikes me as having few needs." The young man smiles, amused yet cagey.

Spoiler: Perception Roll

57+20(Perceptive)=77 success

He doesn't seem to think Barbaros is, or was, a being like Ra or Horus. He may still be aware of duel spirits but not many of them.

 

Julia finds that she doesn't even need to channel her own magic. Once it has her assent, the pull tears her from the physical realm and into Yoko's forested glade. Like before, the kitsune is nowhere to be seen. The thick woods are obscured by mist. A torii gate stands behind the professor--presumably the route back to reality, should she wish to leave.

"Hello again..." Yoko's taunting voice echoes from the trees. "How much did the necromancer tell you, I wonder..."

 

"Great! Thanks for the opportunity, boss!" Destiny giggles. "So, am I a chef? A driver? A maid? All three? Maybe something else too?" She asks excitedly, watching Adam exercise.

 

Julia was a little surprised. "I didn't even know if that would work." She was fine with admitting it. It also helped Yoko feel more confident that she in control for now and keep her from getting paranoid.

"I'm not sure which one you mean, specifically."