mallowhallow | 001

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001 | Video

[Judai looks pretty bemused as he looks into the camera. It's taken him a while to get to this point, but he's finally coming out of his self-imposed shell to try and figure out more about the world he's been shoved into.]

Hey guys! Uh... and gals. Whatever. My name's Judai and I was just... well, I was wondering a couple of things.

[He pauses and glances off screen, frowning as he makes a grab for something and pops back up a moment later holding a fat cat who seems quite disgruntled at having been caught.]

Okay, first, is there anyone here who knows me? Just... y'know, out of curiosity. And second, even if no one knows me, does anyone wanna be my friend? [He grins, only a touch awkwardly.] I've got Pharaoh here. [He hefts the cat.] So maybe if anyone's got pets, we could have a play date or something!

[He seems pleased with himself for having come up with this idea.]

Thanks!!

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[Huh, what an odd response. What's 'Jay' supposed to mean anyway? And who is this random person sending him just a voice message??]

Sorry, I don't think I get it? [He looks quite uncertain.] Um... is it a guessing game??

[He's confused for a second by Jaden's response, but then it dawns on him that he hadn't actually tuned on the video function. An image of his wide-eyed face pops up on "Jaden's" device when Jesse turns on the camera.]

It's me! [Strange that his best friend wouldn't recognize his voice, but...]

[As the view finally comes on, Judai can't help but grin like an idiot. This was the only thing that could make being in this place even better, honestly.]

Johan!!! Why didn't you say it was you earlier?? [He looks ecstatic, to say the least.]

[His brows draw together in confusion.] 'Johan?' Is that some kinda newfangled catchphrase or somethin'?

[Yes, he's going to focus on the minor details right now; he's still too much in shock to start in on the major questions like how Jaden is even alive?]

[Wait, what?? What an odd question...]

It's not a catchphrase or anything! It's your name, silly! [And then something else dawns on Judai and he frowns a little in confusion.] Why're you talking like that...?

My name? What, like a nickname or somethin'? [He shakes his head, totally confused.] Talkin' like what? Jay, you're not makin' a lick of sense!

...

[...what??]

It's not a nickname, it's just your name... And why d'you keep calling me Jay? You never did that before...

[Okay, now he's honestly worried.] Did you lose your memories out there in the stars or somethin'? My name's Jesse, buddy, and you're Jay... for Jaden? Like I've always called you..?

H-huh? My name's Judai though... [No, this is seriously weird.] ...since when is your name Jesse? That's... [He pauses and frowns. Something was off here and he can't help but think that maybe it has to do with time shenanigans. Because everything weird ever has to do with time shenanigans.]

D'you go to Duel Academy? And what cards do you duel with? [Time for twenty questions, apparently. Like that's going to make the problem less confusing.]

Jew-dye? [The foreign name feels awkward on his tongue, and his accent makes his pronunciation of the name is all kinds of off.] Well golly, Jew-dye, you got a twin brother? 'Cause you sure are a dead ringer for my best pal, Jaden.

[He would almost be happy with that explanation, except for the fact that the boy on the other side of the screen does seem to know certain things about him, to recognize him, even if the name he uses isn't right. Could Jaden have somehow come back from the stars... wrong?]

[Jesse shakes his head, unsure what to think for the time being; twenty questions it is.]

'Course I went to Duel Academy! Transferred there from North Academy, and that's where I met Jay. We used to have oodles of fun dueling each other; I showed him all kinds of cool strategies with my Crystal Beast deck, and he even let me get an autograph from his Elemental Hero Neos once!

[As he reminisces, Jesse's eyes light up more and more, until he's grinning broadly and bouncing on the balls of his feet, enthusiasm practically radiating off his person.]

[That's when he falters, though, the grin slowly fading from his face as he realizes that those carefree days of slumber parties and impromptu duels are over - that his deck is gone along with his best friend - and that now, just when he'd thought that Jaden might have finally come back to him, it's beginning to look like the boy is simply a lookalike, a painful reminder of the friend he'll never see or speak to again.]

[As Jesse speaks, Judai looks more and more uncertain. After all, everything Jesse was saying fit perfectly in with who Johan was. So why was he so... different?

It wouldn't take a genius to realize that Jesse was suddenly feeling upset, but for Judai it took a good deal of concentration to actually notice the difference. Not as much as it might have a year ago, but enough that he winds up frowning in consternation before plastering a big smile on his face.]

Well, hey! Good news then, I think I might be your Jay! [He scratches his cheek and glances off to the side a little.] I've seen lots of weird things around, so I guess it's not so weird that there might be a me in the past or the future or... some... alternate... something... that goes by a different name, yeah? [Wait, he was kind of thinking out loud. He really didn't mean to do that. Ugh, he was probably just confusing this poor guy, but...]

Either way! Neos is my monster! [Judai digs for a moment behind himself before pulling out Neos from his deck.] See?

[In spite of himself, Jesse can't help but to smile. His Jay. Yes, maybe this is his Jay - or some Jay, at least - and just knowing that there's a Jaden right here, alive and well, is honestly more than he ever could have hoped for, even if he's a little different than the Jaden that Jesse would have expected. It's clear that the boy he's talking to isn't an imposter; just his mannerisms alone are too familiar for him to be anyone but Jaden, albeit a Jaden he's never met before... however that works.]

You're right. [He forces his smile even wider, and the expression is mostly genuine.] Somethin' weird's definitely goin' on around here, but you seem like the Jay I know, sure enough.

[And now, he might as well bite the bullet and start asking the tough questions that he's dying to know the answers to.] Say... what were you doin' before you woke up here?

[Even if this isn't Johan he's talking to right now, Judai can't help but feel like this guy needs him as much as Johan would. And really, he seems like the same person anyway. Even if he does talk weird.]

Huh? Oh, well... I was travelling through Europe. I think I just got to... Spain, actually! That was after I left Venice.

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