5Ds - Aki Izayoi

Tome Level: 1. Housed Imps: 3

Aki Izayoi or Akiza Izinski. A duelist known as the Black Rose Witch, and part of the Signers, a group of people tied to the Crimson Dragon. What's more she is or was a Psychic duelist. Oh and she looks really good in her tight body suit...., what you can't tell me she doesn't look good in that?

A unique individual with a lot of baggage. This should be fun.

The Threat was gone. The Crimson Dragon was gone. Her Powers were gone. Yusei was gone. And yet, she was happy.

Aki Izayoi, former Signer and Black Rose Witch focused more on studies these days than Dueling. After all the events of her life involving Psychics, threats and the Dragon, she wanted something more... uneventful. And something more full-filling than sitting on the side lines. Remembering her short time with Haluna in the hospital and how she saved Sherry with her powers; Aki went off to study medicine at elite colleges, something her grades and her father had a hand in. This sadly did take Aki away from New Domino City and Yusei, a gap that was all the more felt with the loss of her Signer tattoo. Something that connected her with the group.

Yet at the same time, Aki took this time to spread her wings and stand on her own. Something Yusei had helped her realize all that time ago. While she wanted to fly with Yusei it would also be an insult to the work and support he had given her. The next time she saw him, Aki wanted to show him how much she had grown not as a duelist but as a person. She wasn't sure if this was love like one would have for a partner, but she did love everything he'd done for her and wanted to return as a new and improved Aki. Or at least an Aki that went out and had new experiences with the wings she had.

She never fully stopped dueling though. This world revolved around Dueling, the clashing of spirits through cards. It was just she kept up with her medical studies than dueling but her old deck still sat in her apartment. She'd dust them off for the memories or while working as a temp at a hospital, get into duels with some of the younger patients to help cheer them up or distract them from fears. Every so often, Aki would trade cards or pick up new booster packs to help augment her deck as the waves of new cards kept marching forward. She often wondered if this was the 'evolution' that Z-one was so worried about to the point he would try to rewrite history.

These thoughts faded as she brought herself back to the present. One of the nurses had asked her to go pick up a few card packs, as a way to calm some of the kids in the ward down. OR at least give them something to fight over and relieve the stress of some of their operations coming. However most the local shops had either been wiped out or featured throngs of people around them. Some sort of event or support cards were out along with a new tournament starting soon and thus every duelist and hobbyist was out trying to get the new cards.

So here Aki was in a small run down shop, hidden behind... what three alleys she had taken? A co-worker had told her about this shop, owned by a grand uncle of hers and rarely saw visitors due to it's location and lack of cards. But it still sold them, and that's all she needed right now. Aki picked up several packs, some of them possibly years old, and headed to the small wooden checkout counter. "Excuse me... could I purchase these?" the woman asked.

The old man watching his old beat up tv looked up. His grand niece had told him a friend would be coming but..., well if he was MUCH younger. The woman in front of him, mid 20s by the look of it, cut an imposing but desirable figure. A curvy body that was still showing through her long black skirt and reddish pink top. She wore a white vest over it and had her hair done up with long bangs that framed her lovely face. And those brilliant brown yes that had oh so much life to them. Ah if he had been younger.

"Ah you must be Sela's friend! She already wired money to me, the sweet dear." He said, waving her to put away the wallet, "It's fine it's fine. Take as many as you need. It's not like I'll actually sell them."

"Oh.. no I insist. I wouldn't feel right about making Sela pay for it." Aki said as she opened the wallet and rooted around for bills.

"No no, sweet thing like you... aaaaaaaaah you know what lass. I'm FAR too old to get into a debate about this. I get the feeling you're the kinda girl who really wants to do the right thing. However I don't feel like getting between you and Sela, one of you will get upset about it, so how about I make you a deal." the old squat man said, mumbling bout something in the back as he left the counter, "Just wait here for a minute."

The old man dug around in a small storeroom he had. In his youth he'd been a big collector but now could only meek out a small existence in the back streets. That fit him just fine, people left him alone. But this girl.. something was special about her. He had to give her something nice for her trouble. He cracked open a crate he had in the back and pulled out a few folders with intricate looks and designs. Eventually he found one that...., for some reason just felt right. This would do.

Aki was a bit shocked when the old man came back with a lavish black leather binder, with gold details. Vine like borders and strips weaved around the leather, and what looked to be cute little chi-bi characters were peaking out from the edges but it was just the filled in outline. He carefully put it next to the bag of cards and rang up the price. "Oh. Well. Looky here. I have a special going on. Binder's going for half the total price of the cards. Hmmm, I wonder who I could sell this too."

"No I couldn't this is... far to nice a binder. It should go..." Aki started before the old man stopped her with a hand.

"Lass. I'm old. Let me do this one thing for a ray of sunshine that walked through my door while I still can. Sela can pay for the cards, you can buy this binder. Now do you want it or should I try to find another one?" he state.

"No no I'll.... thank you." Aki said as she got the money out. She hadn't expected to find such a thing nor have it just given to her at such a price but if this is what the old man wanted, she would take the deal. "I'll come back and visit if I need more cards." she added. The old man gave a wide smile as she picked up the binder and opened it. Only to see her face cloud.

"Sir... um... there's a few cards in here?" she presented the binder back to him. Inside was a set of rings attached to the metal spine of the 'book' and the pages were plastic sleeves that had cut slots for cards. He could see three cards within but... he couldn't really make them out.

"Eh... keep em". Aki started to protest but the old man cut her off again, "Lass either a family member stored those cards there, and by now I will have forgotten who or lost contact with them. Or I did and I just can't care. That said." He shot a grin to the young lady, "If those cards are worth SOMETHING, maybe swing back with half the value? EHEHEHHHEHE." He cackled. He was too old to worry about what rare cards he may or may not half. Besides it'd teach some of his younger family members to maybe visit more often.

"Oh... thank you!" Aki said as she put the binder into her shopping bag, "Again I'll come visit soon."

With that the ray of sun shine left his dingy little shop and the old man was alone, left with his thoughts and the TV. As he made himself comfy at the counter once more, one of his thoughts focused long enough to earn his attention. Where HAD he gotten that binder? He had no memory of it or the cards within but.., eh. Whatever, not his problem any more if it even was one.

As Aki hurried to catch the bus, she cursed the fact she hadn't used her D-Wheeler today. Still it was such a nice day for a walk so it wasn't bad. As Aki's eyes looked upward, taking in the lovely weather, she missed the faint glow around her new binder. And the fact those 'chi-bi' images seemed to be giggling for just a moment.