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1. Plants
"Hey, Yubel!"
"What are you doing with that, Judai?"
Yubel asks the question with guarded curiosity, like they're afraid he's going to get in trouble. Judai ignores that caution and holds up the tiny potted cactus, angular fuschia flowers blooming from tough segmented stems, in the air so Yubel can see. "This looks like one of the monsters from your deck, doesn't it? Except for the part where it walked on…uh, something…"
"Split Demon Rose," Yubel supplies instantly. Then they pause. "Judai, this is a cactus."
Oh, come on.
"I know that!" he sputters. "What I mean is – Yubel, do you like the look of this thing? You used to like plants, didn't you?"
If Yubel's deck didn't already speak to their love of plants, he knows from the way they stop to linger at strange flora when they're alone in the wilderness. The way they described the otherworldly contents of their deck, like they'd personally selected each seed from another dimension. "This kind of plant is supposed to be pretty easy to care for…or that's what Asuka says, anyhow. You wanna give it a try?"
It's not the first time he's wondered about it. The curve of thorns at their waist, and the vines that whipped away anything that approached them on the dueling field…something like this really does feel like it fits Yubel. He thinks of their visit to Asuka at her apartment last month, a row of equally tiny plants lined up on a sunny windowsill under which Pharaoh had curled up for a cozy nap. Wouldn't Yubel like something like that?
Yubel looks at the plant for a long few seconds. Then their lips quirk, and they sigh. "We couldn't keep this, Judai."
This isn't going how he imagined. "What? Why not?"
"You're going to see Jim next week."
"Yeah, so?"
"Where would you put this cactus? Underneath your plane seat?"
…Okay, he sees the point. Judai sighs exaggeratedly.
"But you liked it, at least?" he murmurs as he puts the cactus back.
Yubel's voice rumbles with warmth as he exits the shop. "It was beautiful, dear."
2. Fashion
Judai has to admit that a shop in Domino themed entirely around Mutou Yugi is undoubtedly a tourist trap, but it's his kind of tourist trap. Classic cards, figurines of famous Duel Monsters, retro-style posters and real vintage Battle City merchandise…
Not that he can really afford half of it, after that incident with the underground league in Chile. But it's still fun to look anyway.
He doesn't pay much attention to the racks of belts and collars and wristbands until a thought occurs to him.
"...Hey, Yubel," he murmurs, knowing they'll hear. "Do you want one of these?"
Yubel appears to inspect the racks for barely more than a glance. "No. Why?"
Huh. "Didn't you dress Johan in stuff like this? When you, uh…"
Well, they both know what he's talking about.
Yubel scoffs. "That was for myself, in his body. If you bought one of these, you would be the one wearing them."
"Well…" Judai scratches his chin. "This is your body too. Don't you want to show your style, too? And you know, I think we could make one of these work."
Yubel's chuckle is dark and earthy, like a pouch full of unknown seeds. "And it reminds you of the Duel King."
He smiles, caught. "And that."
Yubel's still laughing at him, but it washes over him light as spring rain. "Save your precious coin, Judai. Maybe at another shop."
He does get a postcard. He makes sure not to mention that old outfit when scrawling a message to Johan that night.
3. Music
"Okay, and…"
Judai sticks his tongue out of his mouth as he clicks around the program, trying to remember the exact sequence of steps Shou had painstakingly tried to teach him.
…He really is thankful to Manjoume for giving him this laptop, but boy is he not made for computers.
"You already tried that item, Judai," Yubel observes behind him.
"Uh, hang on!" Judai clicks around faster. Accidentally ejects the CD a couple times and once pulls out the little cord connected to the laptop, but eventually he holds up the music player and puts on the headphones. "C'mon, listen!"
In an instant, Yubel fades back into him to hear the music through his ears. Sweeping piano rings between their ears, matched by frenetic violin and a couple other instruments Judai can't identify.
The song ends. Judai clicks the button to pause as the next track starts.
Silence.
So that's why you lingered so long at that music store, Yubel muses in the privacy of their mind. Do you like that type of music?
You didn't? he asks.
It was…all right, I suppose.
I got it because it made me think of you! Like, with the haaaaa and the hmmmmm and the part where it gets all quiet and deep before kind of rising…
There's quiet in their head as Yubel contemplates that. You thought that was me?
I'm sure of it!
Yubel materializes in spirit form again for a moment, just to press their lips to his cheek for a few seconds.
"I'm flattered that you think of me that way," they whisper. "If you are asking after my favorite music…I don't believe it exists in this time. But thank you."
And then they return to that place comfortable deep within their shared soul.
The computer beeps, and Judai stiffens. Is it supposed to do that?
4. Photographic Guide to the Birds of Japan and Northern Asia
Yubel doesn't bother to hide the skeptical quirk of their mouth as they examine the book Judai's holding up. "Birds, Judai?"
"Well, I thought—" Judai cracks open the book to a random page on the…mistle thrush. Huh. Looks like a pretty normal bird to him, but then he isn't looking at this book for himself. "Have you ever heard of bird watching?"
"We see plenty of birds," Yubel states, just slightly baffled. "What of it?"
Judai shrugs. "Well, some people like to keep track of ones they've seen. Johan says he's started to check out the bugs when he visits a new place, ever since this one time—"
"We can do that without a book," Yubel points out.
"Yeah, but we don't know what most of them are called!"
Yubel folds their arms, and Judai guesses this idea is a bust too. "If we were to catalogue anything, I would rather do it with plants."
"Hey!" Judai pouts. "You said no to that cactus back in Brazil."
"I said we can't keep a plant, not that I have no interest. We can't keep a book half the size of your bag, either."
Damn it. "Okay, fine…"
5. Pocket-sized Sketchbook
Judai spies the little book in a rotating display while Hayato is off talking about some really specific types of pencils with the art store clerk.
"How about a smaller book, Yubel?" he asks, picking the book up to flip through the blank pages. "Just need this and a pencil…"
Yubel is…surprisingly quiet. Judai feels them appear next to him but doesn't hear them speak, and when he looks up they're reaching one hand out halfway with a contemplative frown.
"I did draw plants I found beautiful, once upon a time," they admit, and he realizes the frown on their face is from reluctant nostalgia. "But not since…"
They turn over their arm, tough dragon hide and gnarled hand capped with sharp talons. "That was another lifetime ago. I admire them in different ways, now."
Judai considers pointing out that they can use his hands, which are also their hands. But he sees the delicate wistfulness on their face and realizes it isn't just about that.
He looks around the store again.
+1. Composition Notebook (and a willing ear)
They're on the train to Chicago when Judai pulls out the notebook and the definitely-overpriced pack of pencils he grabbed at the store. Yubel stirs within him curiously.
"Hey, Yubel." He doesn't have to ask to know they're wondering why he'd bought it. They'd been with him, of course, but he hadn't wanted to talk about it until they'd said their farewells with Hayato. "Can you tell me more about…before? Whatever you want."
Yubel is quiet again, but through their shared soul he knows it's not a bad kind of quiet. It's several moments before they respond, even in the privacy of their bond. How could I possibly ever say?
"However you want to say. Whenever you want." Judai shrugs off his jacket and settles in his seat by the window, resting his chin in one hand and staring up at the sky. "Well, if you sing, I'm not gonna be able to write down the melody or anything…but I want to hear whatever you want to do. And we've got time."
I see.
Yubel sits inside his chest, as sprawled out as any soul could be. They sit like that for several minutes, or maybe an hour. Judai doesn't count.
Then Yubel begins speaking, and Judai's pencil hits paper.