tabularasa_rp | [Open] This Is What Happens After a Month of Sleeping...

[Lysandra had been out trying to get rid of the restless feeling that had hung over her since being trapped in a state of sleep for far too long. She had been running across the beach as fast as her legs would carry her, which was impressively fast given her odd physiology.

Upon seeing Kaiba sitting with his cards, however, she stopped, looked at the objects for a moment then promptly spoke.]

What are those?

[That was becoming a common theme among those gathered in the void, but it was logical. After being docile for so long, the need for increased activity was heightened.

So consumed in raking his eyes over his ~~horde~~ collection, Seto didn't realize she was approaching until she was within a few feet. Assessing the situation briefly he determined that he was in no immediate danger from the youthful scholar.

A part of him wanted this moment to himself since he was finally starting to show some sway over this environment with the inclusion of his personal items. Still- he bit back a sigh. The fact remained that he was the only one here that could spread knowledge of the card game, and therefor potentially expand it's reach. He needed to tolerate inquisitive questions like this.]

Duel Monsters cards. [Slipping a hand into the case he fished out a card that he thought might appeal to her and held it up.] It's a strategy based game with nearly infinite combinations and outcomes- the ultimate test of cerebral fitness. [Trying to oversell it? Maybe just a touch... still there was something about his tone, and the way his eyes seemed to brighten as he spoke fondly of the game that implied his sincerity.]

Edited 2020-11-07 03:52 (UTC)

I thought they looked like trading cards. Lemme see..

[She inspected the card carefully and blushed a little, it sort of looked like something that you might find on the cover of an erotic comic or novel where she came from. But she quickly shakes her head and tries to think of other things at hand.]

Duel Monsters? I'm not all that big into that sort of thing, but I bet all those cards would be really valuable to retro collectors back hme.

You weren't wrong about that.

[At her embarrassment he realizes that perhaps he should have found one of the fluffier contributions to the game, though he didn't realize quite how bad his selection was. Sure to most people Cyber Harpie Lady's attire might have looked a bit provocative, but to him.. it was just a card. So he leafed through his collection a little further to hold up Kidmodo Dragon quietly lamenting how he was trying to use cuteness to win her over... at least Kidmodo could be used to easily summon cards he fancied more like Blue-Eyes.]

Heh, maybe you've just been too busy with other things but I suspect you've got a lot more free time on your hands now... [The man could try.. even if she unintentionally insulted him again by serving up another reminder that he would have been from the distant past in her era.]

[The tiny dragon was much more Lysandra's speed and quietly washed away the awkwardness of the prior card. Many things had changed over the decades that led up to the twenty-second century, but cuteness is a notion that is universal across both culture and era.]

Well, I've mostly been exploring and running to keep myself sane. The two go together quite nicely, actually. But if you're trying to get me to try that card game of yours, I should have time for that too.

[It wasn't too difficult to tell that Kidmodo was better received, and mentally he started devising what sort of deck someone like her would prefer. It was a bit of a mental hurdle for him since he gravitated towards raw power and fearsome monsters not like... fairies or... what other cute cards are there...

.. not that she'd even expressed an interest in taking up the game.

Until a few moments later. Seto might have actually smiled lightly- not one of his smug varieties but a genuine one -though it was brief. The withdrawal had been quite real and highlighted by getting to use his cards in the nightmares.]

I've been engaging in both of those activities, myself. [For more practical reasons in his assessment. ~~Apparently sanity wasn't so important? What Seto?~~. He'd taken up running as part of his efforts to remain in good physical condition, and exploration had always been in order to have an account of available resources and terrain, as well as keeping abreast of any potential hazards] Name the time and the place, unless you're available now? [Too eager? Too pushy? Eh.. well it's out there]

I'm not really doing anything else today, so I think I have time to learn a new game.

[She sat down and crossed her taloned legs, ready to go ahead with a lesson on what to her would be an ancient game.]

[This was starting off on the right foot, so hopefully he could maintain it. He was actually feeling relieved that it had been her that discovered him instead of someone else. He might not know much about Lysandra but he felt like it was.. enough.]

Perfect.

[The joke was on her, because duel monsters could trace it's origins to about 3000-5000 years before Seto's time, not that he fully believed that story. If he listened to Dartz then it was over 10,000 years in his past. So this game was like remnants of a far more distant past then either of them realized.

Re-positioning himself to prepare for a longer stay, he drew out three cards with different colored frames. One had the name Change of Heart, another Crush Card Virus, and another with Saggi the Dark Clown. He also kept Kidmodo in sight.]

We'll start with the basics. In Duel monsters there are three types of cards; Spell.. [Tapping Change of Heart] .. Trap [Crush card Virus].. and monster. [Saggi, and Kidmodo which one had a more beige frame, and the other orange. He'd get to that.] You'll need a grasp of all three in order to form the most competit- the most efficient deck. [Realizing she might not wish to play it competitively he amended midway]

These cards can be broken down further within each category. It might seem like a lot at first- but it's not that difficult.

Interesting...

[Lysandra carefully picked up each card after Kaiba explained them and held them up to her eye level where they looked slightly silly being handled by her rather large taloned fingers.]

[Silly though it may look, it was still promising.]

For example, we have two different kinds of monsters here. A normal monster will have a tan/beige border, whereas an effect monster has an orange border. It's pretty self-explanatory from there. A normal monster's strength relies purely in either it's attack or defense points, but an effect monster will also have it's own attack and defense but also the added benefit of being able to effect something else in the game.

You won't have to memorize the effects, since they are all clearly displayed in the card text.

We- should probably go over the object of the game next, and how the cards are put into play. Generally, Duel Monsters is a two-player game but there are sometimes variations to allow for additional players. Each participant starts with a set amount of lifepoints, and the object is to reduce your opponents life points to zero. [He really hoped... he wasn't losing her with all this...]

So ummm are monsters the main way you win the game then?

[She thinks she understands this.]

[Kaiba had to stop himself from shooting her an incredulous look, and remarking with something smart. There was a reason he generally didn't associate with amateurs, but.. now he had to.

Taking a breath.]

... they're... a large... part... of it.

[Along with all the other cards in a deck.]

You play the cards on what's called a field. The field consists of 14 slots. 5 are reserved for monsters, 5 for spells and traps, then one for any field spell, one for an extra deck, one for the graveyard- where cards are discarded after being used or destroyed -, and one for the deck itself.

I'd suggest a practice game.. since it's easier to learn through experience.

That works for me. Just walk me through things and I'm sure I'll do fine.

[The harpy looked a little excited, mostly because one could only run for so long before it started to become a bore. A new hobby would likely serve her well in this strange place.]

Just a sec.

[He calmly instructed as he set to work throwing a couple of decks together. Although he had his tournament deck he could utilize, a practice duel somehow felt beneath his trio of fierce dragons. Maybe later he would grace her with their presence.

Once that was completed he gave the sand a leery look, then he looked for some debris they could use instead.]

Come on- there's an overturned table over there. It'll make this easier.

[Pocketing the decks, he sealed the briefcase and clicked the latches into place before making his way over to the stick of furniture. Setting the case down, he then flipped the table over in a needlessly dramatic fashion, before dusting it off.]

All right...

[Lysandra giggled a bit at the sight. Kaiba was quite the showman from what she knew about him and it was at least a little amusing.]

I'm ready when you are.

[Nodding to acknowledge her statement, he removed the decks from their place of concealment and held one in each hand]

Pick a deck. For now it doesn't really matter what the contents are.

[Since this is purely instructional in this match.]

They've already been shuffled, so after that we'll both draw five cards. This is called a starting hand, for.. obvious reasons. Normally, you'll want to keep what you're holding to yourself so you don't give your opponent an unnecessary advantage.

[Once the selection was made he set his deck on the table and drew 5 cards himself]

Who goes first is usually determined either by mutual agreement, or a coin flip- etc. We'll start with you. When you begin a turn you draw a single card, then providing there are no effects, traps or spells to be activated you can begin to decide what cards to set or summon on the field. You can only set or summon one monster a turn unless you meet certain conditions, but you can set or use as many spells and traps as you like as long as you don't exceed the space limit of 5 that can be on the field at one time. If your spells and traps slots are full you can't even activate a spell from the hand. It should be noted that before a trap can be activated it must be set first and can't be triggered in the turn it was placed. [Bombarding her with more instructions]

[Lysandra took the left-hand deck from Kaiba and held it for a moment before looking back to her mentor in its game.]

All right...

[She listened through the rest and her head began to swim a bit. It was a lot to take in even for a fairly smart bird like he.

Go on.

[Trying to sound not-so-demanding when he motioned to her deck]

Draw your starting hand, and one extra card.

[In the first five cards she would have: Green Phantom King, Wings of Wicked Flame, Shield and Sword, Sparks, and Red Medicine. When she drew another it would be: Negate Attack.]

So... what did you get?

Edited 2021-01-20 03:34 (UTC)

[Lysandra looked at her hand of cards carefully in an attempt to process exactly what Kaiba had told her.]

A few monsters, two spells, [and finally the card she just drew] I think this last one is a trap.

[It was a small thing, but it caused his lips to quirk upwards into the hint of a genuine smile.]

To recap, after you drew a card the game entered the standby phase in which some effects can activate in, but since neither one of us has a card like that..

[He tried to avoid those for the practice duel..]

.. you're now in what's called Main Phase 1. You can now either set a monster in defense which would be facedown and horizontal, or in attack mode that would be faceup and vertical or set any traps or spells you would like. Spells can be activated during your turn, if you have a quick play card it could be activated during my turn if you set it on the field beforehand. Traps have to be set.. for one turn before they can be used, if you recall. [Repetition helped retention, right?]

I forgot to mention the star ratings on your monsters.. if you look at the stars at the top it'll let you know whether a monster can be summoned/set immediately or if it will need a tribute to summon it. Stars 1-4 don't require tribute and are ready to put into play immediately. The point is, you don't want to leave yourself unguarded or I could potentially attack you directly on my turn and lower your lifepoints.

[This made sense, mostly. So Lysandra took one of the monster cards in her hand and laid it on the table face side up. She had picked from among her hand the monster with the highest ATK value thinking to herself that more equals better in most cases.]

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[Open] This Is What Happens After a Month of Sleeping...

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